Pain.
Pressure.
Hurt.
Angst.
What is going on? I want to know. As I read the text, I feel tossed and turned around in the tumultuous waves of unbridled, vague thought . . .
Searching through files that pertain to various references dealing with grammar usage, one can possibly attempt to discover some different points that can be shown. Among these are points that could be used to help some writers improve upon skills that they might need to work on. This paper will offer these points to show what could possibly be improved upon.
No!!!! Be specific. Commit. Don't be afraid to use strong language (in a good way :)). Use active voice instead of passive voice. This is your paper, so make strong statements and back them up. Weak word choice is unattractive. Strong statements and bold points will motivate the reader to continue through the entirety of the paper.
Relax and type. Let your sentences carry your meaning forth to the reader. Writing with confidence, your readers will follow you wherever you clearly take them.
Clarity.
Peace.
Understanding.
Joy.
*The example paragraph was made up by the Writing Center ghosts and in no way pertains to any particular student.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Friday, November 9, 2007
Picture this
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I can believe that. If that is true, then it also means that a thousand words make a good picture. In essence, that is what a paper is doing--drawing a picture in the reader's mind of what the author is saying. Maybe it isn't a picture of a tree or a landscape, and maybe it isn't an object as much as an idea, such as justice, faith, or understanding. Whatever it is, the mode of communication is the same.
However, this brings up a good point. If we follow the analogy, what makes a picture clear or hazy? If there is a lot of static on the television screen, it is hard to make out the details of the picture. How much better are high definition plasma screens? Similarly, too many phrases and extraneous words in the sentences can make the image less than well defined. When the writing is concise, the picture becomes sharp. Paint brushes are good for landscapes, but they don't work for blueprints and diagrams; sharp pencils give detail where detail is needed.
Almost every child enjoys coloring with crayons or color pencils. Coloring books are found almost everywhere today, as are crayons, pastels, markers, and colored pencils. Some of these are easier to use than others--especially when trying to stay within the lines. It may turn out to be a lovely picture, but those black lines make all the difference. In a paper, this is the structure and organization. Is the train of thought consistent, or does it jump around? Do the points follow in an orderly manner, or do they crawl like snails before jumping like grasshoppers? Are all the sentences on a subject grouped in their own paragraphs, or do they overlap like a crayon drawing? Clear lines make a clear picture.
So, just like a picture is worth a thousand words, those thousand words can create a very good picture. Clarity, conciseness, and structure can be difficult, but it can be what separates a cartoon drawing from a polaroid picture, a polaroid picture from a magazine photograph, and a magazine photograph from a movie clip. The clarity of the writing is what counts.
However, this brings up a good point. If we follow the analogy, what makes a picture clear or hazy? If there is a lot of static on the television screen, it is hard to make out the details of the picture. How much better are high definition plasma screens? Similarly, too many phrases and extraneous words in the sentences can make the image less than well defined. When the writing is concise, the picture becomes sharp. Paint brushes are good for landscapes, but they don't work for blueprints and diagrams; sharp pencils give detail where detail is needed.
Almost every child enjoys coloring with crayons or color pencils. Coloring books are found almost everywhere today, as are crayons, pastels, markers, and colored pencils. Some of these are easier to use than others--especially when trying to stay within the lines. It may turn out to be a lovely picture, but those black lines make all the difference. In a paper, this is the structure and organization. Is the train of thought consistent, or does it jump around? Do the points follow in an orderly manner, or do they crawl like snails before jumping like grasshoppers? Are all the sentences on a subject grouped in their own paragraphs, or do they overlap like a crayon drawing? Clear lines make a clear picture.
So, just like a picture is worth a thousand words, those thousand words can create a very good picture. Clarity, conciseness, and structure can be difficult, but it can be what separates a cartoon drawing from a polaroid picture, a polaroid picture from a magazine photograph, and a magazine photograph from a movie clip. The clarity of the writing is what counts.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Practice
"I ain't knowing what kinda way to write for this here paper. It's like searching for a needle in a haystack."
There is a reason that the above statement is in quotation marks. It has a spoken tone rather than the correct formal tone of a paper. Cliches, colloquial phrases, and word choice typical of spoken English should not be used in a written paper.
How does one discover how to write in this formal tone? To use a cliche that one would not want to use in a written paper, "Practice makes perfect." The more reading and writing a person does, the more that person will recognize which word choices are appropriate and which are inappropriate in the written world. One can read scholarly journals on interesting subject matter, engaging novels that thrill the imagination, or even newspaper articles on current events. As long as the source is not a chatroom or an email, it will probably increase the writing skills of its readers. Therefore, it is important to take cues from even the most unlikely of sources . . .
There is a reason that the above statement is in quotation marks. It has a spoken tone rather than the correct formal tone of a paper. Cliches, colloquial phrases, and word choice typical of spoken English should not be used in a written paper.
How does one discover how to write in this formal tone? To use a cliche that one would not want to use in a written paper, "Practice makes perfect." The more reading and writing a person does, the more that person will recognize which word choices are appropriate and which are inappropriate in the written world. One can read scholarly journals on interesting subject matter, engaging novels that thrill the imagination, or even newspaper articles on current events. As long as the source is not a chatroom or an email, it will probably increase the writing skills of its readers. Therefore, it is important to take cues from even the most unlikely of sources . . .
Friday, November 2, 2007
How do I proofread? Let me count the ways . . .
How do I proofread? Let me count the ways.
I proofread to the depth and breadth and height
My paper can reach, to make sure it’s right
For the ends of assignments and classes.
I proofread to the level of the perfectionist’s
Most basic need, by lamp and fluorescent-light.
I proofread freely, as students strive for Right;
I proofread purely, accomplishing my Best.
I proofread by reading out loud
So that my old mistakes will be laid to rest.
I proofread with an eye I seemed to lose
With my lost papers, --- I proofread with the eyes,
Mouth, ears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but proofread better after I come to the Writing Center.
~Adapted from "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)
I proofread to the depth and breadth and height
My paper can reach, to make sure it’s right
For the ends of assignments and classes.
I proofread to the level of the perfectionist’s
Most basic need, by lamp and fluorescent-light.
I proofread freely, as students strive for Right;
I proofread purely, accomplishing my Best.
I proofread by reading out loud
So that my old mistakes will be laid to rest.
I proofread with an eye I seemed to lose
With my lost papers, --- I proofread with the eyes,
Mouth, ears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but proofread better after I come to the Writing Center.
~Adapted from "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)
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