Learn from your mistakes Do not pout about your grade some students get so upset about not getting an A that they shut down and do not learn from their mistakes Read your comments They are designed to HELP you not to make you feel upset ID: 502880
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Slide1
Commonly Made Errors
Learn from your mistakes!Slide2
Do not pout about your grade; some students get so upset about not getting an “A” that they shut down and do not learn from their mistakes.
Read your comments! They are designed to HELP you – not to make you feel upset.
Keep your graded papers, and refer to them the next time you are writing.
Getting back a graded paperSlide3
It is ALL about the thesis!
Everything you say in your paper MUST BE, HAS TO BE, SHOULD BE connected to your thesis!!! Test EVERY sentence as you edit and revise. Ask yourself, “Does this support my thesis?” or “What does this have to do with my thesis?”
Avoid the temptation to get sidetracked onto another topic.
Be sure not to contradict your thesis. Offering counterargument is fine, but be sure to REFUTE the counterargument.Slide4
Address your entire topic in your thesis statement
A topic is a starting place for your thesis statement.
After you choose a topic, you must formulate a thesis that covers all of the things the topic requires.
A hint is to look for the verbs in the topic – they tell you what you need to “do.”Explain, discuss, analyze, etc.Slide5
Connect all of your body paragraphs to your thesis
The purpose of your body paragraphs is to prove and support your thesis.
Do not get sidetracked into retelling the plot in book report style. Too much plot summary is not analysis.
Every paragraph should act as evidence for your thesis.Slide6
Know the Difference:
Formal vs. Informal
Informal
Text messagesEmails
Letters/Notes to friends
Social Media
Journals
Formal
Papers for school
Business letters
College essays
Essays for scholarships or special programs
Communicating in the academic worldSlide7
Lesson to Learn
Learn the difference between when you need to write (and speak) formally and professionally. One of the most valuable lessons you can learn is when to “shift gears.”
Shifting Gears!Slide8
Speaking about the author
“William Shakespeare uses the character of Brutus to teach us a lesson about trust.
Perhaps William Shakespeare uses Brutus to teach his audiences a lesson about trust.
“Conn Iggulden wrote Gates of Rome
to remind us how all great men start out as kids.”
It seems as if Conn
Iggulden’s
intention in
Gates of Rome
is to remind readers that all great men were once children.
Unless you have personally spoken to an author, or are quoting an interview, you cannot speak to an author’s intentions.Slide9
Why?
You cannot speak to an author’s intent – or anyone’s intent – unless you spoke to them or are quoting an interview.
We are not mind readers, and we are not equipped to know what Mr. Shakespeare was thinking while they were writing.
How do I say what I want to say?NOTE: Also avoid saying what the audience thinks or feels or what the reader thinks or feels.Slide10
Softening Words
Perhaps
It seemsMight Could be
Implies (Infer is for the reader – Imply for the author)SuggestsRaises the possibility
Maybe
Is possibleSlide11
Examples
Incorrect: Shakespeare wanted young people to learn a lesson from the star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet.
Better: Perhaps Shakespeare wanted young people to learn a lesson from the star crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet.Slide12
Example
Incorrect: Harper Lee wanted Atticus to be a representation of all the goodness of the 1930’s.
Better: It seems as if Harper Lee created Atticus Finch to represent all of the goodness of the 1930’s.
Bottom line: You can make the point you want to make. You simply need to choose your words carefully.Slide13
Book Review
Shakespeare is brilliant in the way he masterfully develops a plot of betrayal and intrigue that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats.
William Shakespeare does an excellent job of creating a character everyone loves feels sorry for: Julius Caesar.
It is incredible that William Shakespeare included so many styles of selfishness in this play.
No one tells a better story than William Shakespeare.
Do NOT make statements like these in academic literary analysis papers
!Slide14
Why?
You have not read all of the works by the author.
You have not read all of the works in the genre.You have not read all of the works with a similar theme.
You have not read all of the books in the world, or all of the plays, poems, etc.You do not hold a degree from a university in the study of literature.
You are not “qualified” to judge the author.Slide15
Slang/Informal
Let
us
eliminate the word “huge” from all of our academic writing, shall we? Here are some synonyms:If what you mean is large in size:
behemothic
, bulky, colossal, cyclopean, elephantine, enormous, extensive, gargantuan, giant, gigantic, great, humongous, immeasurable, immense, jumbo, leviathan, magnificent, mammoth, massive, mighty,
mondo
, monstrous, monumental, mountainous, outsize, oversize, planetary, prodigious, stupendous, titanic, towering, tremendous, vast, walloping, whopping Slide16
HUGE
However, what you might mean is significant:
cogent, compelling, convincing, denoting, eloquent, expressing, expressive,
facund, forceful, important, indicative, knowing, meaning, momentous, powerful, representative, rich, sententious, serious, sound, suggestive, symbolic, valid, weighty Slide17
Reading Your Paper Aloud
The best way to fix your informal and slang wording is to read your paper out loud.
This is also the best way to hear your subject/verb agreement errors.
This is also the best way to find run-ons and fragments.This is also the best way to weed out contractions.
This is also the best way to find words you might have overused.
This is also the best way to make sure your paper flows and makes sense.Slide18
Slang/Informal
Choose the most formal word or wording:
Kids – children – students – adolescents
Stabs him in the back – betrays his trustThinks he knows everything – is overconfidentKeeps reader hooked – builds suspense
Touchy subject – controversial issue
He might bail on the plan – might contradict his original agreementSlide19
Elevate word choices!
Good. Bad.
Casca was shaken up.Secrecy is key in the plan to kill Caesar
Fake lettersCaesar has a big victoryCasca
comes up with a plan
Brutus joins the club to kill Caesar
Antony is given the option to be friends
Supernatural has big effects on the storySlide20
Cliché
What is a cliché?
A trite or overused expression or idea
Examples:Has a chip on his shoulder
To open his eyes
His right hand man
Lose sleep over
By a long shot
Gets the upper hand
Do not let it “go to your head”Slide21
Absolutes – Do Not Use Them!
Everyone, everybody, always, all the time, constantly, never-ending, no one, nobody, never, totally, completely
These words are either all-inclusive or all-exclusive.
Most of the time, they are not appropriate for formal writing. If you are going to use one of these words in a formal paper, and I do not recommend it, make sure you are 100% correct in using it.Slide22
Contractions
DO NOT USE IN FORMAL WRITING!
WRITE THEM OUT!
Can’t = cannot
Shouldn’t = should not
Didn’t = did not
You’re = you are
They’re = they are
I’m = I am
Won’t = will not
Wouldn’t – would not
He’s = he is
She’s = she isSlide23
Do NOT add to the topic given
For example, if you choose to write about chance and coincidence, then do not include luck and fate.
Do not bring in “nowadays” or how things in present day are different than the work you read.
Do not speculate about the “what if’s.” For example:If Caesar would have just stayed home with Calphurnia
….”Slide24
Explain your quotes
Do not simply include a quote with no explanation.
You must explain how the quote relates to your thesis statement.The explanation can come before the quote or after the quote, but it must be there.
NOTE: Do not include lengthy quotes in an effort to make your word count higher. Most teachers (and college professors) will not count them toward your word count.Slide25
Generalization
Generalizations are unfocused statements that are not specific to proving your thesis.
Example: “Julius Caesar does many things that have many results.”
“All of the plebeians revolted.”“All of the women in Rome were treated like they were inferior to the men.”“Roman times were hard for women.”
“Brutus has many situations and things he must deal with. All of his actions have results that impact the play.”Slide26
Parallel Structure
Parallel structure is when a sentence is created matching components.
Wrong: Sean loves snowboarding, to ski, and when he gets to travel.
Parallel: snowboarding, skiing, traveling
Or: to snowboard, to ski, and to travel
Or: when he gets to snowboard, ski, or travelSlide27
Parallel Structure
Wrong: Baking, to sew, and a trip to the mall are my mother’s favorite things.
Parallel: baking, sewing, going to the mall
Or: to bake, to sew, or to go
Wrong: I need to take a shower, something for dinner, checking email, and money from the ATM.
Parallel: a shower, something for dinner, an email check, and money…
Or: to take a shower, to get some dinner, to check email, and to withdraw money…..Slide28
Parallel Structure
Wrong: Cindi is tall, really listens to her friends when they have problems, baked this amazing birthday cake for me, and everyone loves her.
Parallel: Cindi is a tall girl, a great listener, a gifted baker, and a friend to all.
Wrong: We went to the greatest restaurant while we were in Key West. There was great music playing and they had tropical fish in a huge tank, and the food was great!
Parallel: We went to the greatest restaurant in Key West! It had fun music, tropical décor, and delicious food. Slide29
MLA
Learn your MLA and follow it. Do not try to enlarge your font or margins in an effort to make your paper look longer.
Modern Language Association
Lassiter – college Follow your handout!Do NOT double/double space your heading or between paragraphs
Do NOT leave extra space between heading and title or title and first paragraphSlide30
Then and Than
Then is about time, or order.
We are going shopping, then we are going to the movies. Bill got a job, and then he bought a car.
Than is about comparison.Jay is taller than Mitchell.The flowers at Publix are much nicer than the ones at Kroger.
Her job pays more than mine.Slide31
Book Titles
Short Story Titles
When
one
is typing, play titles are always, always, always
in italics.
Julius Caesar.
However, when one is handwriting, book titles are underlined.
Julius CaesarSlide32
When one writes about literature, one writes in the PRESENT tense:
It sounds like this:
Calphurnia
has a terrifying nightmare that leads her to beg Caesar to take extra precautions. Because she believes in omens, she thinks her husband’s life is in jeopardy. To calm her hysteria, Caesar initially agrees to her behest. He soothes her with the promise he will stay with her and change the plans he has to meet with the senate.
Keep Verbs in PRESENT Tense!Slide33
No Pronouns in Formal Writing!
Do NOT address your reader as “you.”
Caesar is not as evil as you might think.
Caesar is not as evil as one might think.
You might perceive Brutus as a villain.
One might perceive Brutus as a villain.
While we are here: NO PERSONAL PRONOUNS!
I, we, us, our, ours, etc.Slide34
Misc.
Do not contradict yourself.
Read your paper out loud – you will find your errors that way.
Do not make handwritten corrections on your final copy.Pay attention in class and follow your notes about writing.
Read your comments and process them. Save your graded major papers.
If you have been given handouts, instructions, rubric, peer edit sheet or any other materials from your instructor, scrutinize them and follow every direction.Slide35
Closing Thoughts
Writing is one of the most important skills you will learn in high school.
You will not escape writing when you get to college.
You will not escape writing when you are in the work force.
Like it or not, people will judge you on your writing skills.
The time to learn is now.