What Is Passive Voice & How Do I Fix It?


Academic advice, Voice, Writing

Feeling Passive-Aggressive? “Please revise passive sentences.” “Write in active voice.” If you’ve ever received these or similar comments in a reviewed academic paper, this post is for you! Admit it, were you somewhat perplexed about what your professor’s comment even meant? Well, the good news is that the passive voice problem is fairly easy to […]

January 25, 2018

Paragraph Problems: When Do I Start a New Paragraph?


Structure, Writing

“Enormous blocks of print look formidable to readers, who are reluctant to tackle them” (Strunk & White, 17). It’s 11:00 p.m. You finally open your textbook to begin the required reading, reading that is due the next morning at 8:00 a.m. The first page is one unbroken block of text—no pictures, no colors, no paragraph […]

January 17, 2018

5 Practical Guidelines for Topic Selection


Topic Selection, Writing

“The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.” ~ Lao Tzu Without question, one of the most important—and most difficult—aspects of starting your thesis or dissertation journey is choosing your topic. Even students with a honed passion for a specific field of study often find themselves agonizing over the exact direction they […]

January 10, 2018