Transcript Tad-Bits Dr. Rearick's Hangups

Tad-Bits
Dr. Rearick’s Hang-ups
My Pet Peeves in Student
Writing
In the Future if an
employer tells you he or
she does not like
something. . .
Don’t Do It!
In the same way, when
an instructor says “this
bothers me in student
writing,” and you do it
anyway. . .
Prepare for the
Consequences!
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There is no such word as “alot.” It’s
a lot.
When describing the past avoid the
over use of “would.”
– We would often have lunch by the
sea and would go swimming
afterwards.
– We often had lunch by the sea and
went swimming afterwards.
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Avoid the “impersonal” or the
“indefinite you.” Not only often
wordy but also often inexact.
– “When you get pregnant your ankles
sometimes swell as much as your
breasts.”
– “Not me” says the male reader.
For the same reason do not use the
“inclusive we.” Writers should not
speak for readers.
– “We know that God controls all that
happens to us.” Do we?
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Avoid absolute phrases, for example:
– “Everybody knew everybody else.”
– “Mom and Dad always argued about who was
going to drive.”

Temper your writing:
– Nearly everybody knew one another.”
– “Mom and Dad often argued about who was
going to drive.”
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Save absolutes for absolutes.
– “Death comes to everyone.”
– “Spring always returns.”
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Be as concrete as you can be before
making general statements.
– Another problem with words like
always is that it often introduces an
example which is vague because
there are no particulars.
• My friends are always there for me.
– General points may begin a
paragraph but use specific
moments in time with details to
prove that point.
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6. “Awesome” is not a universal
adjective.
– Mountains are awesome; the cosmos
is awesome; God is awesome.
– A mechanical pencil, no matter its
level of excellence, is not awesome.
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“Totally” is intensely overused.
Students should limit its
appearance in an essay to about
once or maybe twice and be certain
that it really fits the use.
– “I am totally bored.”
– “Dave is totally bummed”
– “Leslie is totally overwhelmed by
her schoolwork.
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Instead use the wealth of the English
language to find alternative words to
get across one’s meaning:
– “I am intensely bored.”
– “David is really bummed.”
– “Leslie is utterly overwhelmed by
her schoolwork.”
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The fact is that good writers don’t
use intensifiers: TRUST your
WORDS!
Avoid phrases like “I feel,” “I
think,” “I believe.”
If an opinion is in a paper and is not credited
to someone else, the reader assumes that the
feeling experienced. the
position held, or
the belief described belong to the writer
without being overtly told so.
– Thus, don’t write “I believe that Fall is the best
season of all.
– Instead, just write “Fall is the best season of
all.”
“Being” is not the same as the
verb “is.”
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Tom is going to lead the team today. Jack
being sick.” (FRAG!)
Either make the last phrase independent by
using the verb “to be” or connect the
sentence to the first independent clause with
a comma.
Similes and
Metaphors
Used in both prose and poetry
Simile
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A comparison using like or as
“His feet were as big as
boats.”
Willow and Ginkgo
Eve Merriam
The willow is like an etching,
Fine-lined against the sky.
The ginkgo is like a crude sketch,
Hardly worthy to be signed.
The willow’s music is like a soprano,
Delicate and thin.
The ginkgo’s tune is like a chorus
With everyone joining in.
The willow is sleek as a velvet-nosed calf;
The ginkgo is leathery as an old bull.
The willow’s branches are like silken thread;
The ginkgo’s like stubby rough wool.
Metaphor
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A metaphor states that
one thing is something
else. It is a comparison,
but it does NOT use like
or as to make the
comparison.
Her hair is silk.
rd
23
Psalm
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me to walk in green pastures; he
leads me by still waters; he restores my soul.
When using “like” remember that
this word is meant to compare two
unlike things
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Thus in what is called a simile the one thing
is in most of its characteristics is different
except for some specific qualities which the
writer wants to emphasize.
– Weak: One student of mine described his first
days on campus this way: “It was like a major
culture shock, very eye-opening.” It was not
like
– Better to write something like this: “It was a
major culture shock, very eye-opening.”
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Strong: A correct use of like might be
something like this “He ran his class like a
marine drill sergeant, disciplined, organized
but with very little room for the special
needs which might surface from individual
to individual.”
Be careful how you use comparatives like
“more” or the “er” form of an adverb.
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Often students (probably because of the bad
example of Madison Avenue) will use a
comparative but forget to include with
whom the subject is being compared.
– “Dan is working harder this week.” (than
who?)
– “He has worked through people to make me
feel so much more welcome.” (than where?)
http://www.pg.com/en_US/company/heritage.shtml
As pretty as other styles may be, stay with
“Times New Roman;” also keep your font
size set at “12.” The default setting is this.
 Remember to use one inch margins on the
top and bottom of your page and 1.25 for its
left and right margins (MLA requires 1
inch).
 Don’t forget to double space your text:
Form matters!
 Save your creativity in a writing class for
the writing.
When describing a text (that means
when writing about something you
read for this class) use the present
tense. Don't say following:
Dickens used comic commentary when
he described Ralph Nickleby's awkward
farewell to his niece: "The blessing
seemed to stick in Mr.. Ralph Nickleby's
throat, as if it were not used to the
thoroughfare, and didn't know the way
out" (Dickens 244).
Instead use the present
tense:
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Remember a written text is readable is still
working, is still alive and should be
described in present tense.
– "Dickens uses. . .when he describes
Ralph Nickleby's awkward farewell. . ."
(Dickens 244).
Keep in mind that any text is alive.
In your papers historical facts should be
described in the past tense but events in
text are still occurring:
 Centuries ago Moses and the Israelis
crossed the red sea.
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In the book of Exodus Moses and the
Israelis cross the red sea.
http://writing2.ri
chmond.edu/WR
ITING/WWEB/l
itpres.html
Do not begin a paragraph with a quote.
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Quotes, especially in any research setting,
always need to be introduced so that the
reader knows what point you--the writer-think the quote makes.
Instead of starting the paragraph with. . .
– “Will our homes become such cozy
entertainment providers we’ll never leave? I
don’t think that will happen” (Gates 61).
Make what point you wish to
emphasize in the paragraph clear
in the introduction to the quote:
– Gates dismisses concerns about
computers enveloping of our spare
time so much we won’t interact
with others with a simple “I don’t
think that will happen” (61).
– Note: this quote does not answer
the point. Gate’s reason is still
needed.
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Be certain to take quotes
from the actual text, not
from the blown up words
used to break up a page of
words. Think of those as
graphics, not text.
Do not only say who wrote
a quote; also include why
that source should be
recognized and where you,
the researcher, found it.
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In research projects be certain that all the
information given is clearly connected with
the main idea (the thesis) of your paper.
Large chunks of information may fill up
pages, but they do nothing to further your
grade.
http://www.scribendi.com/adv
ice/thesis_statement.en.html
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Remember that paragraphs are
indicated in MLA by the indentation of
five spaces (or one tab)
APA shows paragraphs with a triple
space
NEVER do both.
Cite, Cite, Cite