Consult the information below for specific information; for additional information, contact the professor or TAs for the course.

• Tips for Writing Essays for Classical Culture (CLAS) Courses
• A List of "Fatal" Writing Errors
• A Guide to Grading
• Turabian Format for Footnotes and Bibliography

I. Tips for Writing Essays for Classical Culture (CLAS) Courses:

1. Thesis: Every paper needs one. That is, your paper should be directed toward proving a point, revealing some overlooked (or not) aspect of a problem, or demonstrating the importance of an idea (explicit or implicit) in your material. You can state your thesis at the beginning of your paper or, in the case of a short paper, you can state it explicitly at the end. You should, however, be able to explain it to someone in casual conversation. If you have your thesis in mind and can explain it in a couple of sentences, the rest of the paper will go more smoothly. Keep your thesis in mind at all times when you are writing and often ask yourself, "how does this paragraph help prove my thesis?" If the answer is that it doesn't, it's time to rethink your approach.
2. Content: Get down to the basics as soon as possible. Write a short and specific introduction. Do not use filler. Do not ever begin an essay with the trivial. For example, "Since the dawn of time, men have..." is simply not a strong beginning for any essay. Also, avoid gross over-generalizations such as "in the past, people were less civilized than they are today." This kind of generalization cannot be proved and generally does not help your argument at all. You are not writing a history of the world, or even a history of the Greeks; you are trying to demonstrate a particular well-focused point. Likewise it is not necessary to end an essay with "...and so we see that Greek culture was magnificent." In paper writing, less if often more. It is also generally a bad idea to start your paper with a definition pulled from Websters or any other dictionary.
3. Structure: Your essay needs a well-defined shape. Every sentence of a carefully written paper takes the reader closer to accepting and believing your thesis. This means that introductory material, assumptions and definitions should appear early in the paper; evidence, discussion, and analysis should follow; and conclusions, which can indicate the broader importance or context of what you have found out, should round things off at the end. A bunch of randomly ordered paragraphs can turn a good idea into a wretched paper. A logical and convincing series of steps helps turn a good idea into a great paper.
4. Research: Start early and be persistent. Researching a topic in Classics is often a time-consuming process so pick a topic NOW and begin to research it. The textbooks and reserve readings contain plenty of bibliographical leads, either in footnotes or at the back. Use this. Use primary sources whenever possible. To document your research, use the footnote and bibliographic formats in Turabian's guide; specific examples appear below.
5. Grammar and spelling: Proof read. Proof read. Proof read. In fact, proof read your essay both before and after you print it; I find it often helps to read a paper aloud to avoid tragic cutting and pasting errors. If you have a spell checker on your computer, use it. Even if you use the spell checker, you must still read the essay through carefully; spell checkers do not catch the difference between "their" and "there." Every piece of writing you do matters, whether it is a paper for a class that fulfills a core requirement for your degree or for a job application. Pay attention to good grammar and spelling all the time. It is a shame to be graded down because your grammar and spelling are bad. Likewise it is a shame to miss the job/promotion/prize/acceptance to law school you wanted for the same reason. Your writing is a reflection of you; let it be a good image.
6. Audience. Consider your audience to be an educated, interested person familiar with your subject in a very general way, but not versed in the specific details you mention. This means that you should provide enough supporting information and documentation to prove your case.
7. Illustrations. Many of these paper topics approved for this course will be improved by the inclusion of illustrations with your paper. Visual materials make a real impact and, if they are well-chosen, help you present your arguments effectively. But remember, every illustration needs a caption. Every caption should include information indicating the source of the illustration (e.g., book, article, etc.) and a brief description of what the illustration shows. Look at the captions under the photos in the sources you consult for some ideas of what to include in your own captions.
8. Drafts. It is virtually impossible to write a decent paper in one draft. Writing is a process and it takes time -- and more than one draft -- to succeed. After writing a draft of your paper, set it aside for a while and then read it carefully. Or ask someone else to read it. Then ask yourself the following questions before submitting your paper:
   1. Is my thesis clearly stated at the beginning of the paper?
   2. Do the passages cited in the footnotes really say what I claim they say?
   3. Does the paper make a coherent whole -- that is to say, do all the points belong and do they follow in the order that makes my argument strong and convincing?
   4. Is my spelling and grammar correct?
   5. Have I followed the format specified for the paper?
   6. Do I over-generalize in my paper?
   7. Does each paragraph have a topic sentence?
   8. Are there transitions between paragraphs that connect my argument?
   9. Do I use any contractions in the paper?
   10. Do I alternate randomly between verb tenses?
   11. Do I know what every word used in the paper actually means?
   12. Have I proofread the paper carefully?

II. "Fatal Errors"

These are common errors that will certainly impact your paper grade.

• lack of thesis paragraph or ill-constructed thesis paragraph (i.e., those that contain trite generalizations, e.g., "since the dawn to time, man has ...."
• lack of concluding paragraph or ill-constructed concluding paragraph
• lack of citation or use of improper citation (see instructions posted below IV. Footnote and Bibliography format)
• plagiarism -- make sure you know what plagiarism is and avoid it. Plagiarism will result in a zero for the assignment.
• failure to follow formatting guidelines listed above in section II
• subject / verb disagreement: example "The royal tomb at Vergina were ...." instead of "The royal tomb at Vergina was...." Singular subjects need singular verbs; plural subjects need plural verbs.
• misspelled words: run your paper through the spell checking tool on your word processing program, but be aware of the fact that spell checkers do not note the difference between "there" and "their."
• incomplete sentences: example "The Parthenon, the greatest Doric temple built on the Greek mainland in the fifth century BCE." Note, this sentence has a subject "the Parthenon" but no verb.

These common errors should be avoided in your paper. Generally they will not impact your paper grade, unless they occur with great frequency throughout your paper. For guidance on grammar and punctuation, please see your TA or personnel in the writing clinic.

• use of colloquialisms: example: "Indiana Jones is a very cool dude."
• misplaced commas
• split infinitives: example use "to go boldly," not "to boldly go"
• contractions: example "don't" instead of "do not"
• shifting between verb tenses randomly: example "Perikles sculpted the statue in the mid-fifth century BCE. He is a famous Greek sculptor."
• incorrect use of parentheses, brackets and quotation marks
• excessive use of the passive voice: example "The man was hit by the ball." Generally the passive voice is fuzzy and much weaker than the active voice. The passive voice passes the buck and no one has to take responsibility for thinking something. Note how "I believe that the Greeks . . ." is a much stronger and more useful statement than "It is thought that the Greeks . . . ."
• poor use of pronouns: example: "I saw him on the street with his wife." Was he with his own wife? or someone else's wife. You must make it unambiguously clear to whom a pronoun refers. The pronoun "it" is particularly tricky in this kind of paper.

III. Guide to Grading:

• C range: This paper meets the basic requirements of the assignment. It has a thesis and it cites some evidence to support the thesis. Format is generally correct.
• B range: This paper has a clear thesis and presents a unified and coherent argument with evidence in support of its points. The paper demonstrates both comprehension of the basic material and some critical thinking about themes and issues concerning the topic and the course. The paper is well written and carefully proofed.
• A range: This paper is outstanding in content and format. The thesis is clear and insightful. The argument may be original or may expand in some way certain ideas presented in the course. The paper deftly handles a wide range of carefully selected evidence. The argument is coherent (i.e., each point flows logically from the one before it) and complex.

IV. Footnote and Bibliography format--some pointers:

For complete instructions on formatting footnotes and bibliography, see the Turabian manual (available in the reference section of the library). You may also consult the Turabian guide posted on line by the UGA library. Below are some straightforward examples for footnotes or endnotes and for bibliography. Remember to alphabetize your bibliography entries.

For papers in this class, use footnotes or endnotes, not in text citations; citations to ancient passages are the one exception (see below).

Single author book

For notes: 1. Leonard Woolf, Beginning Again (London: Hogarth Press, 1964), p. 185.

For bibliography: Woolf, Leonard. Beginning Again. London: Hogarth Press, 1964.

Article in Journal

For notes: 1. Barbara K. Varley, “Socialization in Social Work Education,” Social Work, VIII (July, 1963), 105.

For bibliography: Varley, Barbara K. “Socialization in Social Work Education.” Social Work, VIII

(July, 1963), 103-9.

[Note that most journals in classics/classical archaeology do not include the month]

Article in Dictionary or Encyclopedia

If you are citing a common reference work, like the Enclyclopedia Britannica, only cite it in the note, not the bibliography. Cite a reference work like the Oxford Classical Dictionary in the bibliography.

For notes: 1. J. W. Comyns-Carr, “Blake, William,” Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed., IV, 36-38.

For bibliography: Comyns-Carr, J. W. “Blake, William.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 11th ed. Vol. IV.

Ancient Sources

If you are referring to the original text (not a translation or a specific version of the text), give only an in-text citation; neither footnote nor bibliographic entry is needed. If you quote from a translation, you must cite it in your bibliography, giving credit to the translator. The in-text citation should use the abbreviation and form provided in the front of the Oxford Classical Dictionary; abbreviations for more obscure texts can be found at the front of the big Greek or Latin lexica. If you quote a translation, you must cite the quote in a footnote or endnote.

In text citation: …in the final battle between Hector and Achilles (Il. 22.344).

For notes to translations: 1. Homer, The Iliad, trans. by Robert Fagles (New York: Penguin Books USA INC.), p. 553.

For bibliography for translations: Homer. The Iliad. Translated by Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books USA INC., 1990.

Internet Site

Because the internet is changing so rapidly, there are conflicting versions for correct Turabian internet citations. The UGA library website suggests this style, which seems to be one of the more recent versions. It is important that you include the date accessed since websites disappear so rapidly.

For notes: 1. Federal Election Commission, “Receipts of 1996 Presidential Pre-Nomination Campaigns”; available from http://www.fec.gov/pres96/pres1b.jpg; Internet; accessed 13 May 1996.

For bibliography: Federal Election Commission. “Receipts of 1996 Presidential Pre-Nomination Campaigns.” Available from http://www.fec.gov/pres96/pres1b.jpg. Internet; accessed 13 May 1996.

If you are citing a translation of an ancient source from the internet, make sure you provide information about the translation. On the Perseus Project website, you can find this information by clicking the “author information” tab, located on the same page as the text.

For in-text citations: …in the final battle between Hector and Achilles (Il. 22.344).

For notes to translations: 1. Aristotle, Economics, trans. by G. C. Armstrong (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1935); available from http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/text?lookup=aristot.+econ.+1343a; Internet; accessed 17 October 1999.

For bibliography for translations: Aristotle. Economics. Translated by G. C. Armstrong. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1935. Available from http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/text?lookup=aristot.+econ.+1343a; Internet; accessed 17 October 1999.

Format for Additional Note References

When you are citing a source for the second time in your paper, do not provide all the same information in the second note. If you are citing the exact same source and page number as the previous note, use this format:

2. Ibid.

“Ibid.” is short for “ibidem,” which means “in the same place.” If you are citing the same source but a different page number, use this format:

3. Ibid., 68.

If a different source has been cited since the most recent citation of the source you are using, use this shortened form. Include the author’s name, an abbreviated version of the book or article title, and a page number.

12. Woolf, Beginning, 425.

This reference for footnote and bibliography format was created by Mandy Campbell.