Avoid disclaimers like "I think . . .," "I believe . . .," "In my opinion . . ." It is YOUR paper, project, journal, memo. The reader assumes that the ideas presented are YOUR ideas unless you state otherwise. That is why it is imperative to cite all information or attribute ideas that are not yours to those responsible. When you are presenting ideas that are not yours, use sentence starters like"According to Hillary Clinton . . ." or "Researchers at Johns Hopkins found . . ." as a way to identify others' ideas/opinions. When you introduce someone else's ideas, use the disclaimer; for your own ideas, skip the disclaimers.

You should especially avoid "I feel . . ." when you are discussing a topic that doesn't lend itself to emotions. For example, don't say "I feel that the Alan Greenspan should not have adjusted the interest rate last quarter." Either preface such a statement with "I think" (if you want to emphasize that it is your opinion) or just make the statement.

Past Writing Tips: