Q: What should I do about incorrect
feedback in RD sessions?
A: Ignore them. Reviewers
should refrain from providing suggestions that might mislead writers. Here are
a few that are either incorrect or misleading. For exceptions to these rules,
email me at jamess@hawaii.edu.
1. The title of your essay
must be in bold. (Don't bold,
italicize, quote, all-uppercase, or underscore the title of your essay.)
2. You must use hanging indentation in the works cited
section. (Don't indent.)
3. The thesis must be a single line. (It should be a single sentence in length.)
4. You'll be penalized if
your paper is longer than the
maximum. (No penalty for papers that exceed the maximum word count.)
5. The thesis must be the last sentence in the intro paragraph.
(It doesn't have to be the last sentence in the intro paragraph. However, it
must be labeled.)
6. The use of "you" is always incorrect. (Second-person
is OK when used in dialogues. Also, in some cases (e.g., in speeches where the
writer is directly addressing an audience), it is allowed.
7. Rhetorical questions (RQs) are always
incorrect. (RQs may be used when they serve a
strategic purpose. However, if it's obvious that you're simply setting up your
own response, avoid it.)
8. Get and its variations, as well as empty-it and empty-there,
should always be avoided. (These and other AIP style "errors" are
acceptable when the usage is logical or alternatives are lacking.)
9. Indentation is required
for block quotes. (No.
See item 3 in the FAQs under "Other Topics"
on our class webpage.
10. Avoid the first-person "I" construct.
(In papers for this class and in most college papers that are between formal
and informal in style, the first-person point of view is acceptable if not
preferred.)