Tips for Writing in Classics
Jason Aftosmis, Majors Seminar, Winter 2007
  1. •If you have any questions about the notation that I’ve used in corrections, please contact me or, if it seems to be shorthand, please see the Chicago Manual of Style’s proofreader’s marks in Figure 3.1 (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch03/ch03_fig01.html). I have tried to be more descriptive than a typical editor, but some notations are handy; for example, ‘lc’ means a lower-case letter should have been used.
  2. •Below I have sketched common problems in the first papers. If your error appears here, do not be upset; instead, be cheered that you were not alone in the error. Nor should you fret if any of your errors do not appear here, for I have had to limit my comments to keep it to its already overly long form.
  3. 1.Write in full sentences
  4. •Before worrying about any other stylistic nuance, be absolutely certain that every word in your paper belongs to a complete sentence.
  5. 2.Spell names correctly
  6. •Spell all names correctly, especially scholars’ names. Ancient names will not be spell-checked properly either. The best thing to do is add their (very-carefully checked) name to your word-processor’s dictionary (or list of terms to “ignore”) and be alerted by it to variants.
  7. 3.Put the titles of ancient works in italics
  8. •The titles of ancient works should always be italicized. Further, be consistent in which you italicize.
  9. •For example, it should be the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite and not The Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite or The Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite.
  10. •I am aware that Segal’s CW article does not write it as the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, but, had it been written more recently, it would have.
  11. 4.Find full bibliographical information (with ease)
  12. •In the case that you don’t have at hand all the necessary information for your bibliography, between Google (which indexes JSTOR articles) and Stanford’s Socrates search of the library’s collection, you should be able to find all you need.
  13. •For books such as Lattimore and Crudden, plug their last names and titles into:
            http://jenson.stanford.edu/
    For Lattimore, you might find the info thus:
             Title:       The Iliad of Homer / translated with an introd. by Richmond Lattimore.
        Imprint:     Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1951
    And for Crudden:
            Title:       The Homeric hymns / translated with an introduction, notes, and glossary of names by Michael Crudden.
        Imprint:     Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2001.
    You might have to choose between different editions at times and go check that the verse or page numbers match up. Note that that is the *library's* format, not TAPA's, but it has the info you need.
  14. •For articles, a simple Google often works, for there are a lot of on-line biblios for courses, CVs of scholars and citations in JSTOR, which now gets indexed. Try searching for "segal structuralist aphrodite" as here:
            http://www.google.com/search?q=segal%20structuralist%20aphrodite
    Note that popular journals such as     The Classical World often become abbreviated to CW. (Similarly, Classical Antiquity becomes CA and Classical Journal becomes CJ.)
  15. •In fact, the bibliography is the first thing I write up when I start a paper, though I leave the formatting for the end). As I collect sources and make lists of books to pull volumes from the shelves, I just paste the info I get from Socrates or Google into a list. In this list I include the books’ call numbers, which I delete before I submit the paper.
  16. 5.Mark line-breaks when citing poetry
  17. •Insert line divisions with an | or a / when you cite more than one line of poetry embedded in your prose. See CMS 6.118 (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch06/ch06_sec118.html).
  18. •CMS tells you to use a slash, but the vertical bar (|) is equally acceptable, if not preferable.
  19. 6.Periods and commas go inside of double quotations marks
  20. •Periods and commas go inside of double quotation marks. See CMS 6.8 (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch06/ch06_sec008.html).
  21. 7.Introduce quoted materials and speeches correctly
  22. •This is always a problem, and I don’t claim that I don’t look this one up from time to time. But I do look it up. Generally you should introduce quoted materials with a comma, as in CMS 6.53 (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch06/ch06_sec053.html).
  23. •Note that is specifies, “If a quotation is introduced by that, whether, or a similar conjunction, no comma is needed.” For example:
Was it Stevenson who said that “the cruelest lies are often told in silence”?
  1. •If longer or more formal, you use a colon, as in CMS 6.66 (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch06/ch06_sec066.html).
  2. •If the syntax of the quoted material perfectly fits the syntax of my sentence, I omit the comma.
  3. •Never include a quotation as a bare sentence or clause without some of your own framing prose, even in footnotes.
  4. 8.Commas
  5. •In general, commas are something that trouble us. The best plan is to observe what other scholars do in their published (i.e. professionally edited) writing. You do this actively as you read articles in this course.
  6. •A good measure is whether or not you want your reader to take a breath in the place that you use the comma. While taking that breath your reader processes your sentence and argument, so this can be a very powerful tool of persuasion. As ever, read your sentences aloud.
  7. •You will find lists of rules about commas all over the internet. One such list is this rather concise one: http://www.english.udel.edu/wc/handouts/rules_for_commas.html.
  8. 9.Colons and semicolons
  9. •The details are too numerous to give here, but do see a few sections of CMS. They are particularly handy for lists, amplification and illustration.
  10. •On uses of the colons, see CMS 6.63 (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch06/ch06_sec063.html).
  11. •In lists introduced by colons, use a semicolon to separate the different elements when there is internal punctuation. Otherwise, you may use commas. See CMS 6.60 (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch06/ch06_sec060.html).
  12. 10.Double space your submitted work
  13. •You might compose it in less than double-spaced, but submit it in such a form that we can make comments. I, for example, compose papers with lines spaced at 1.2, but submit it double-spaced.
  14. 11.But use single-spacing in your bibliography
  15. •Bibliographies, however, are usually single-spaced. Further, the second line should be indented (usually by .5”). See CMS 6.3 (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch16/ch16_sec003.html) with Figure 16.3 (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch16/ch16_fig03.html).
  16. 12.Correct usage of ‘that’ and ‘which’ (with and without commas)
  17. •Take pains to use often confused words like the the relative pronouns ‘that’ and ‘which’. The word ‘that’ is used restrictively without a comma, while ‘which’ is used non-restrictively with a comma.
  18. •See CMS 5.202 for further explanation and examples (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch05/ch05_sec202.html).
  19. •Further, take care to note the differences between restrictive and nonrestrictive phrases and the comma in CMS 6.31 (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch06/ch06_sec031.html).
  20. 13.Using commas with “not” and “not only”
  21. •Just as in Latin non solum...sed etiam, or in German sowohl...wie, in English we like the construction “not only...but also.” But do note that, for proper flow, in this construction you should most often use either zero or two commas (rather than one, as often in German, whose comma rules differ).
  22. •E.g., “They were armed not only with interpretation but also with evidence.” See CMS 6.41 (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch06/ch06_sec041.html).
  23. 14.Appositives with or without commas
  24. •On the correct use of commas with appositives, see CMS 6.43 (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch06/ch06_sec043.html).
  25. 15.Cite page and verse ranges concisely and consistently
  26. •When giving numbers in a reference to sections of a text or pages of a work of scholarship, use the least number of digits possible. Instead of Peponi (2007) 126-129 or Peponi (2007) 126-29 write Peponi (2007) 126-9, with one exception, that being numbers in the teens, so not Peponi (2007) 116-8 but rather Peponi (2007) 116-18.
  27. •This seems a small point, but I take it directly from one of my previous professors here.
  28. 16.The em-dash (—)
  29. •The em-dash (—)is a very weak form of punctuation. As such, it should be used with care. I know that it's everywhere these days, but restrain yourself somewhat, if only to avoid being too trendy.
  30. •I know current journals differ, but both I and CMS maintain there there should be no spaces around an em-dash (—). See CMS 6.88 and vicinity (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch06/ch06_sec088.html).
  31. •The em-dash differs from the en-dash. The former is the width of an ‘m’; the latter the width of an ‘n’. Do try to get genuine em-dashes (—) out of your keyboard. On a Mac it is: Opt + Shift + -.
  32. 17. Do not split infinitives
  33. •While I do not mind split infinitives so much—indeed, most Americans are very used to the sound by now—your British professors, who are numerous in this field, will notice, and mark you down for, every one write. Train yourself now not to split infinitives, even though CMS 5.106 does acknowledge justifiable instances (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch05/ch05_sec106.html).
  34. 18.Use the literary present tense
  35. •Use the present tense when referring to both ancient texts and modern scholarship. For example, write “Helen speaks with the Trojan elders on the wall” and “Parker argues against the notion that Sappho was headmistress of an ancient finishing school.”
  36. 19. Use block quotation for longer passages
  37. •The threshold for the number of lines varies somewhat, but longer portions of verse should be set off as a block quotations. CMS 11.28 writes that two or more lines are best set off as a block quotation (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch11/ch11_sec028.html), but you might set the bar a little higher, at perhaps three lines. In any case, four or more lines should definitely be set off in this way.
  38. 20.Try to put footnote markers at end of clauses or sentences.
  39. •It is much nicer to have one’s eye caught by a footnote marker when one is taking a breath (at a comma) than mid-clause. Unless you have to distinguish between certain concepts in a single clause, put the marker at the the end of the clause or sentence. Even if I need to explain two different things in the same clause, they are often related, in which case I make a single, clear footnote to address both issues.
  40. 21.Prefer the active voice to the passive
  41. •While you may use the passive voice for the sake of variety, prefer the active voice, especially in cases where ambiguity might arise. Do so especially when you are speaking of your own argument. For example, instead of “In this argument the role of fruits and vegetables (with some hesitation) has been addressed...,” write “I have shown [with confidence] that the role of fruits and vegetables...”
  42. 22.Try to effect smooth transition in topic sentences
  43. •A good topic sentence will briefly allude to the last paragraph while adding the new direction of the argument to come; for example, “If the Iliad was in fact written by a child, as I have argued above, then one might further suggest that it was very smart child.”
  44. 23. Misused terms
  45. •If that use of ‘effect’ as a verb surprised you, you might refer to CMS 5.202 (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch05/ch05_sec202.html), which delineates commonly misused words such as affect/effect, that/which, between/among/amid, and the like.
  46. •In most usages, ‘affect’ is the verb, while ‘effect’ is the noun.
Addenda I
  1. 24.Commas separating clauses
  2. •Use a comma following main clause when the clause is not restrictive in meaning. Compare:
We will agree to the proposal if you accept our conditions. [restrictive]
She ought to be promoted, if you want my opinion. [non-restrictive]
  1. •See further CMS 6.36 (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch06/ch06_sec036.html)
  2. 25. Run-in poetry quotations
  3. •with equal space on either side (a thin space to an en space). -- See CMS 11.32 (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch11/ch11_sec032.html)
  4. 26.Misused terms revisited
  5. •As in [23] above, see CMS 5.202 (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch05/ch05_sec202.html) for terms such as ensure/insure and lay/lie.
  6. •In short, lay is transitive [‘Lay it on the table’]and lie is instransiitive [‘I wan to go lie down’]. The confusion arises from intersection of the inflections in the past tense: lay–laid–laid and lie–lay–lain.
  7. 27. Prepositions with verbs and nouns
  8. •We often hesitate ‘different from’ and ‘different than’. This one is probably an equal split by now, but, in other cases, there is an best choice.
  9. •If in doubt, see the OED online (http://dictionary.oed.com/entrance.dtl).
  10. •Sometimes it’s useful to just Google the phrases to see what is more common, or what sort of writer you want to mimic; that is, do you want to sound like a blogger or a NYT journalist. This will help you gauge the tone and register of your writing.
  11. 28. Quotations and “quotes within quotes”
  12. •When a phrase containing quotation marks is itself put into quotation marks, the inner quotation marks turn from double to single or from single to double. For example, Stroup’s article is:
Designing Women:  Aristophanes’ Lysistrata and the “Hetairization” of the Greek Wife
but when put in quotation marks this becomes:
“Designing Women:  Aristophanes’ Lysistrata and the ‘Hetairization’ of the Greek Wife.”
  1. •See further CMS 11.33 (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch11/ch11_sec033.html)
  2. 29.Hyphens with nouns and adjectives
  3. •There are certain conventions for when to put hyphens between compound adjectives and nouns. It’s (perhaps overly) complicated, but, when done correctly, a sentence is much more readable. For example, note the different between adjective before a noun and predicate adjective.
a middle-class neighborhood; the neighborhood is middle class.
  1. •A common one in writing about the ancient world would then be:
a fifth-century performance; a performance in the fifth century
  1. •There are more example involving adverbs, participles and more in the overview in CMS 7.90 (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch07/ch07_sec090.html) and the preceding sections.
  2. 30. On the Oxford/series comma
  3. •This is kind of trivial, but CMS is adamant about use of the so-called ‘Oxford’ comma. With an ‘Oxford’ comma you separate a series (or list) thus:
She took a photograph of her parents, the president, and the vice president.
  1. •Note the comma after ‘president’ before the ‘and’.
  2. •In simple lists this is not a so important, but do be sure to use on in complex lists, such as:
The meal consisted of soup, salad, and macaroni and cheese.
John was working, Jean was resting, and Alan was running errands and furnishing food.
  1. •See more at CMS 6.19 (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch06/ch06_sec019.html).
  2. 31.Names of ancient works and authors
  3. •Put the names of ancient works in italics, but not ancient authors’ names. So:
Sappho fr. 31 or Sappho 31 (fr.=fragmentum)
Catullus 64 or Catullus c. 64 (c.=carmen)
The Iliad
  1. •Use ‘the’ with the name of most works, unless specifying the author’s name:
The text of the Lysistrata but Aristophanes’ Lysistrata; that is, NOT Arisphanes’ the Lysistrata.
  1. 32. Sections marked ‘choppy’
  2. •Many of you have a good, fluid writing style, but it does break down at times in most papers. These sections I lightly mark as ‘choppy’. Sometimes you do want to vary long, periodic sentences with a short, emphatic one, but be sure to do this intentionally. Develop a nice cadence that emphasizes your point rather than jars your reader’s ear.