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living a good life is different in many respects from writing a good article,
and that living well requires skills different from those required for writing
well.
Since versus Because. Since means “after that.” It should not be used
as a substitute for because if there is any ambiguity of interpretation.
Wrong (but at least not ambiguous): “Since the study of motivation is a

high and hazardous undertaking, I wish fewer people would meddle with
it.” Better: “Because the study of motivation is a high and hazardous
undertaking, I wish fewer people would meddle with it.” Ambiguous:
“Since I read Montaigne, I have been tempted to abandon the study of
motivation.” This last case is correct if the writer is using since in the

temporal sense: “Ever since reading Montaigne, I have been tempted ...” It
is incorrect if the writer means because.
That versus Which. That clauses (called restrictive) are essential to
the meaning of the sentence; which clauses (called nonrestrictive) merely
add additional information. The following example illustrates the correct
use of both words: “Dissonance theory, which has received major attention,
is one of the theories that postulates a motivational process. Thus, if a
person holds two cognitions that are inconsistent...” Most which’s in

journal writing are incorrect. You should go on a which hunt in your own
manuscripts and turn most of them into that’s.
While versus Although, But, Whereas. While means “at the same
time”.
While versus Although, But, Whereas. While means “at the same

time” and in most cases cannot substitute for these other words. Wrong:
“While inferential statistics are important, descriptive statistics are the heart
of your narrative.” Right: “Although inferential statistics are important,
descriptive statistics are the heart of your narrative.” Or, “Inferential
statistics are important, but descriptive statistics are the heart of your
narrative.” Wrong: “While I like personality traits, Mischel prefers a social
learning approach.” Right: “Whereas I like personality traits, Mischel

prefers a social learning approach.” On the other hand, the following usage
is correct: “While I like personality traits, I find merit in Mischel’s social
learning approach.” This can be seen by substituting “at the same time” for
“while”: “I like personality traits; at the same time, I find merit in
Mischel’s social learning approach.”

Transition sentences
'Signposts' throughout the essay remind the reader where he has come
from and to tell him where you plan to go next. Signposts can take the form
of words signalling the order in which ideas are presented or sentences
explaining the transition from one section of your writing to another.