I've obtained several granted patents, among which an US patent and another one is going to be granted too. Now I can say I've a lot of experience on claims and even if each examiner could have a personal vision of the patent application, I saw there are common aspects on their evaluation process. The following ones are my suggestion on how write them to avoid USPTO office actions from examiners, saving money and accelerating the granting process:

1)If you have the need to put an alternative technical solution in the claims but you don't want to use more than an independent one and said alternative is about the same solution as, for example, a connection between 2 or 3 points, you can do it but don't put more than one. For example you can write: "..further comprising a direct connection between A and B or C" but you shouldn't write: "..between A and B or C or D" or also: "A and B or A and C";

2)Don't use therms like "Preferably", "In particular" or "Predetermined".

3)To avoid "inventive unity" oppositions, recite all the independent claims's beginning in the same manner, as: "An active filter comprising: ..".

4)Add aim of each physical component in its respective claims because USPTO combines the prior art solutions without consider the application aspect and the "inventive step" is often contested by examiner, with final office action too.
This increase the chances to avoid the opposition on the inventive step.

I hope I'll be useful to somebody. Write me for any suggestion you could need.

Good Luck!

cavazzoniroberto@tiscali.it