5 of 31

Write now Article Tools

Just like the English teacher you had in high school, the rating system for Helium will let you know when an article could have been better.

Many articles include a wealth of good information, but it has not been presented well. It is important to try to make your opening interesting and eye-catching, but it also must be clear and concise. The goal is to give the reader a hint of what is to come.

Run on sentences, misused words, and misplaced punctuation too lengthy paragraphs all contribute to reader confusion. When a reader has to go back and read a sentence or paragraph more than once to absorb its meaning, something is wrong. Those are the types of articles that get lower marks, regardless of how much information is included in the article.

Run on sentences can be cured by simply breaking one long sentence into more than one. Instead of using the word "and," insert a period and start a new sentence. It will make the thought clearer and easier for the reader to read.

Misuse of words sometimes happens when the writer is not sure of the meaning, or thinks it means something different than its correct meaning. Look the word up if you aren't sure of it. Homonyms can be a problem. For instance, "insure" is seen many times when the writer means "ensure." One way to remember the difference is that insure is usually connected to something that is insured, such as your car or house. Ensure means to make sure something will happen. One word, or the lack of it, can change the whole meaning of a sentence and convey the wrong idea or thought.

Another area that a rater may consider is attribution, or the lack of it. When a writer uses information obtained from a specific website, author, or research article, it is necessary to include that information in your article. Sometimes, it is sufficient to say, "according to" and mention the author, website, or other source. Even if there is no intention to plagiarize, the result may be questionable or leave the rater to wonder where you got your information.

If a reader's attention has not been captured with the beginning couple of paragraphs of your article, he or she will not read on to the end. Raters usually will not spend their time trying to figure out what a writer means, or wading through grammar mistakes. They could be writing another article themselves.

When an article is presented for rating, it may not be about a subject the rater is interested in, which makes it doubly important for the writer to grab the rater's attention with the opening paragraphs. If that doesn't happen, the rater will move on to another article, and possibly give a low rating. When two articles are presented side by side, it will be the one with a good opening, correct punctuation, and good grammar that receives the best rating.

Learn more about this author, P. Payne.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about How to rate a Helium article?
We want to hear your view. Write now!