In Retrospect

As the semester draws to a close, I thought I would leave you with a bit of advice about the papers you’ve written over the last few months.

Hindsight is said to be 20/20. We all ask ourselves what we might have done if we had do overs in life. One good idea for writers, no matter where along the way they are, is to keep all the essays, poems, notes, letters, etc., that they write. Once a paper has been handed in, graded and returned, and the process is considered to be over, there is still a reason to keep what you have written. Even if you don’t look at it again for decades, it is worth saving as part of your personal history.

Old papers sometimes do come in handy for new courses. While it is probable that yesterday’s writing will not meet present requirements, there may be parts of it that can be renewed and used (you can’t plagiarize yourself). Sometimes an idea from your old paper can generate more ideas for your new assignment. Sometimes it is just fun to read what you wrote a year or so ago.

Down the road, what you write today may become even more valuable to you, a way to recall your college years and the important work you did to earn your degree. Finding a place to save your work will keep you from wishing later on that you had kept it - for remembering, for revisiting an earlier time, for reminding yourself of yourself as a writer then and now.

This will be my last blog for 2011, but I’ll be back in January to kick off a new year of writing tips. On behalf of the Stone Writing Center, happy holidays!

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

When Mistakes Happen

Mistakes: we all make them now and then.

Last week was one of those weeks, a time in which I caught (too late) at least two mistakes in emails I sent. One email was to a co-worker; I typed and sent “This look great.” I might have taken the time to proofread before I hit the “send” button, but that didn’t happen. Subjects and verbs should be in agreement, especially in work-related messages.

That week, too, right as I pressed “send” for another email, my eye landed on a word I’d used incorrectly – it’s instead of its. At the moment I saw the error, the email was probably already in his inbox (too late again).

While it is nice that I, eventually, found my errors, I needed some way to prevent them. The situation had to be improved. A resolve to reread emails (like proofreading or editing an essay) before sending seemed logical enough. Then I thought about other ways to come closer to impeccable grammar, a personal goal. That’s when a memory surfaced.

I was eight or nine years old and in elementary school. The teacher was concentrating on grammar. What I did then was try to incorporate the lessons she taught into my everyday life each time I learned a new rule. Without really knowing what I was doing, other than being determined to get an A, I was reinforcing the right way each time I used a new rule correctly at home or on the playground. It is possible that my spoken words might have become somewhat odd then, maybe even stilted on occasion; but using what I learned paid off in time, most of the time anyway, even if not last week when I was sending emails.

Repetition of correct usage makes a major difference. By the time a writer has discovered and corrected several of the same type of grammatical errors, it’s probable that the original tendency to err will have been replaced by a tendency to use the right grammatical construction in the first place.

No one truly loves to be criticized or corrected; but when I really think about it, any time someone does legitimately correct my grammar, I’m given a chance to know and subsequently use the right form. I can convince myself to use corrections and try to be thankful for them, even though finding out I’ve made mistakes isn’t exactly as much fun as watching perfect waves roll onto the shore on a sunny day when grammar concerns are far, far away.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

Punctuation's Odd Cousin: the Semicolon

Semicolons do look strange - a dot with a comma right underneath it, like a hybrid or a mutant punctuation mark. Odd looking or not, the semicolon can be useful. One of its main functions is to separate independent clauses (sentences), especially when the ideas are closely related. The first use of a semicolon is diagramed below:

Sentence (Independent clause) ; sentence (Independent clause).

You might have noticed that the second “sentence,” the one following the semicolon, begins with a lower case letter. Unless the second independent clause begins with a proper noun, a name or title like Captain Seafar, capital letters are not used. It seems at first to be another somewhat weird part of the use of the semicolon; however, the reason probably has to do with considering two independent clauses joined by a semicolon as one sentence.

Another main use of a semicolon is to clarify lists when they contain additional information set off by commas. A list of cities and states, for instance, needs semicolons to separate the items on the list: Corpus Christi, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; and Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Other lists may include extra, non-essential information. For example, a few of the many good aspects of life are the beach, especially on sunny days; a surf board; and a perfect wave. Only one item on the list includes a comma, but the whole list is separated by semicolons for absolute clarity. When a list is long and complex, semicolons make a huge difference in understanding exactly what the separate items on the list are.

Writers who just like the looks of semicolons might be tempted to over use them. Mostly, though, the funny-looking semicolon serves writers well for the two reasons discussed above.

Now it’s time for me to head out to the beach, perhaps to find the perfect wave; consequently, semicolons used with conjunctive adverbs must wait for another blog.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

Me, Myself & I

Most people try not to use the word “I” frequently, not even the most egocentric or egotistical. If your assignment is to write about yourself, however, you’ll need to find a solution to the problem of writing a paper filled with the ubiquitous word “I.” You might ask yourself, “How am I to refer to myself without using the previously mentioned one-letter word?”

One way to manage the difficulty is to discuss events or ideas with the events or ideas as the subjects. For instance, instead of saying “I surfed at Mustang Island, and I had a great day,” or saying “I think my day of surfing at Mustang Island was great,” you can say “Surfing at Mustang Island that day was great” or “The day of surfing at Mustang Island was great.”

By changing the subject, you minimize the number of times you use the word “I,” but there is no reason to take it completely out of a paper when the paper is all about you. You should not even try to totally eradicate the word “I.” It is sometimes best to just limit how often it appears.

One note of caution is that it is better by far to go ahead and use the word “I” than to wind up with an awkward or stilted sentence. Using your own judgment and being aware that there is a way to get around repeatedly saying the word “I” should give you at least an idea of how to write about yourself, your own experiences or thoughts, without the one-letter word being the subject of all your sentences.

I like the idea, even if I do say so myself.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

Can I Say That?

Among the many advantages of living in America, freedom of speech constitutes one of the finest. I certainly enjoy the right to say just about anything I choose. To answer the grammatically suspect question that serves as the title of the present blog, yes, I may say that, but I have to be reasonable about when, where, and how I do. Audience, circumstance, time, and place - all require consideration before I speak or write.

What students say and how they say it also changes, depending on their situations or assignments. College writing in particular often means paying attention to potential readers, primarily the instructor and, on occasion, classmates, as well. In addition, instructors generally limit the area of discussion for their students. Such limitations won’t stifle creativity at all; on the contrary, instead of mentally casting about in the entire universe for any idea whatsoever to discuss, students are given the basic subject area: a story, an article, or a specific question, in fact, a definite context for their papers.

Having limits and using them advantageously often liberates writers. Limits can direct and focus ideas, just as stars and compasses once kept old-timey sailing vessels on course. Assignments provide guidance systems for students navigating the open waters of liberty to say what they please and still keep it relevant.

As you yourself explore college level writing - you can say that -you may find that freedom of speech inspires you to go beyond any previous experience of school writing. Sail on. Keep the Ship of Context on the right course as you discover uncharted new lands of thought and expression.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

Taking Another Look

What if you have spent hour upon hour polishing (editing and proofreading) a draft, only to discover the night before it’s due (a bit of an awful epiphany) that the assigned work requires something different from what you have written? The professor asked for a description, and you wrote a narrative; or the assignment called for analysis, and you wrote strong personal opinions about the usefulness of analyzing; or even, in a worst case scenario, you retold a story instead of discussing it in terms of literary devices. Occasions such as these call for revision, a dismantling of the work in order to rebuild it in another form. Taken apart, the word revision has a connotation of seeing again, taking another look.

What should you do? First, read your work again (re-vision) to see if there is part of it that you totally don’t want to give up, a turn of phrase, a choice word, an idea you love. Once you have decided to keep sections, it might be possible to revamp them, change them enough to fit with the assignment and comply with the requirements. By the way, keeping everything you write is a smart thing to do, even drafts that you don’t think you’ll ever use.

Sometimes revision involves moving whole paragraphs or sentences to other sections of your paper to improve the logic or flow of ideas, a technique better known as editing. If you see points that fit logically somewhere else, move them. At other times, however, revision involves a complete rewriting of your paper, especially if your first draft is not going to work, no matter what you add or take away or move.

The good news is that in writing a first draft, you have probably clarified your ideas, thought about the assignment, or considered how to approach the topic. If your first draft seems off, not quite right, review the assignment first, and then double check to see if you can use any parts of what you have written, weaving it into a new form with changes, either drastic or simple. If you have retold a story instead of analyzing it, use elements of the plot to discuss the story.

Keep in mind, too, that spending time proofreading (fixing sentence-level errors) or editing (improving on the points you’ve made) before you are basically satisfied with what you have written overall may not be time well spent. Save the final tweaking of commas and such until you know the paper you’ve written is the one you will turn in to complete your assignment, the final draft that fulfills the requirements and instructions you’ve been given.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

The Literature Code

There’s something calm and relaxing about a clear blue day. Perhaps it’s the sunlight gently pouring down. Perhaps it’s the soft blue sky, or the wispy movements of the clouds. Perhaps it’s just feeling that wind at your back and enjoying the mirror-like blue of the water. Then again, maybe I make the day out to be more romantic than it really is, and there’s no real meaning at all.

Life is the search for meaning. As humans, we want to make sense of the world around us, and transform it into something we can understand. This desire inspired the earliest stories and myths, which were told to explain the unknowable.

Although our understanding of the world has changed, literature remains the same. There’s still that same search for meaning in our lives. However, with literature, we are searching for meaning within a book, poem, or short story. This is called literary analysis.

Many people confuse literary analysis with retelling the story. However, there’s no real reason for anyone to summarize a piece of literature. We know what happened in the story. Literary analysts are not concerned with the words themselves, but with the meaning behind them.

“When is a rose not a rose?” When it’s used to mean something else.

When looking at a story or a poem, the first thing to ask is what the author’s main idea is. When reading an essay, we first look for the author’s thesis statement. It’s no different with literature. The story will often have a moral behind it, or some kind of hidden message from the author. This is the story’s theme.

Once you identify the theme, consider how the author is using language to show meaning. Ask questions about the text. Do you see an object being used constantly within the story? That object could be a symbol for a larger idea within the story. Do any characters act in a way that proves the author’s point? This could be used to show theme. Do you see similarities between the characters and the author’s life? The author may be writing the story from experience.
When reading a story or a poem, always interrogate what you’ve read. Once you’ve answered those questions, ask what it all means. Look for a pattern that makes sense. From there, you must prove your ideas with evidence from the text or any useful outside sources.

Don’t worry if your idea sounds strange or unusual. There’s always room for more than one “correct answer” in literary analysis. The important thing is that you’re reading beyond the text and making connections about what you’ve read.

Although writing a literary analysis can be difficult at first, it gradually becomes easier with time and practice. Just keep reading, keep questioning, and keep writing until the answer comes to you.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

Use It...or Lose It

English classes provide ample opportunities to learn new words. (Rarely - once in a blue moon even - a student might say that English classes offer too many opportunities to learn new words.) Your vocabulary grows each time you memorize a new word, and the staying power of new words is increased when you use them in speaking or writing.

It is not likely to happen that you’ll have a chance to work everything you learn in an English class into casual conversations – maybe not a term like “adjectival prepositional phrase” unless you’re at a gathering of grammarians. But you can still keep the adjectival-prepositional-phrase concept alive in your working memory when you see prepositional phrases used to describe nouns and note the fact – silently, privately, mentally is perhaps best in most places outside of English class or the aforementioned gathering of grammarians.

Quite a few other words learned in English classes lend themselves more readily than grammar terminology to ordinary communication. For instance, any one of us might, having learned what a metaphor is, compliment a friend who uses one by saying, “Great metaphor, Bro,” when he says a wave is a bomb.

Once your professor has gone over the definitions of terms used to discuss literature (literary elements), it’s a good idea to incorporate the applicable words in your essays. Using newly learned words correctly reinforces your knowledge and can also unify your paragraphs. If you are writing a paragraph on how a writer uses symbolism, reiterate the word symbol (or synonyms) throughout the paragraph. When you do this, you impress your professor with the fact that you are staying on topic and also impress the word upon your working memory, making it part of your lifelong vocabulary.

During brainstorming before writing the essay, you might even make a list of possible points, using the word symbol in some form in each:

1._________ is a symbol of ________.
2. Symbolic _________(s) enhance ________.
3. The author’s use of symbolism _________________.

Keep in mind that all the words and definitions you learn become part of your everyday vocabulary, especially when transference takes place as you incorporate new words into written or spoken communication or notice them when reading or hearing them throughout your lifetime. The best way to remember what you learn is to use it consistently. Did someone once say “Use it or lose it”?

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!

Greeadbeeak’s Good Day: A Story Involving Active and Passive Voice

This summer as I lazed at the beach, I was reading a book, nothing much to do with grammar except for the writer’s excellent command of the English language. Early in the book, I noticed the author’s use of passive voice for emphasis. He moves the story along nicely in active voice but then suddenly shifts to three short sentences in passive voice, changing the whole cadence of the paragraph. The effect caught my attention to the max. To emulate the author’s technique, I’ve written the following bit of prose:

Greeadbeeak, a savvy sea gull, regarded tourists as they arrived at the beach with bags full of tasty food. Greeadbeeak saw her favorites – salty, crispy chips! Yum! She soared above, screeching welcome, and then hovered in the air near the tourists. Greeadbeeak especially noted the children, the very same children who just then spotted her and pointed, delighted to see a genuine seabird native to the Gulf of Mexico. “Wow! Look, a bird! Can we feed it, Mom…please, please?”

Neither the excited children nor their parents knew that the locals (some of them, the less than generous ones) called Greeadbeeak and her kind wharf rats, sea rats, and other unflattering terms. “Never mind locals,” Greeadbeeak thought to herself, contented with the present situation, an opportunity if she had ever seen one (and she had). Greeadbeeak’s thoughts continued, passively floating into her mind one by one:

“Gullible Tourists are known as easy marks.”

“Keys to snacks are held by their friendly young.”

“Salty, tasty snacks would soon be tossed to her beak.”

Greeadbeeak perceived the situation correctly. With her whole flock, she caught many tasty bites of food as the children threw chip after chip into the air just to see the white gulls catch them. When the sun had set and the tourists had driven away, Greeadbeeak, well fed, listened to the waves as she roosted and enjoyed the breeze softly rustling her feathers. Later, she dreamed of salty, crispy corn and potato chips and her own inestimable play among tourists who had shared their bounty with her and her flock that day.

From the story above, the following are examples of active and passive voice:

Ex. 1 Active voice: Greeadbeeak (subject) regarded (verb)

Ex. 2. Passive voice: Tourists (subject) were known (helping verb and verb)

The basic difference between active and passive voice is that in active voice, the subject is the one acting in the sentence; whereas in passive voice, the subject is acted upon, has something happen to it.

The effective use of passive voice can also be likened to a public speaker’s use of tone and volume. He’s exhorting the crowd, loudly proclaiming, and then suddenly drops his voice to a very soft register, nearly a whisper. Everyone in the audience leans forward, intent on catching every word. The orator has caught their attention…maybe to the max. Used sparingly, not often and generally for a reason, passive voice can serve a writer well.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!

On Topic or Wandering Away?

Buzzing through her mind, thought after thought insisted upon landing on the page. The thoughts appeared not to notice particularly that she was supposed to be writing a paper on how she learned to surf. Ideas loosely connected to the skill kept surfacing, demanding to take part in the essay. She wrote a whole paragraph on how much fun it was to shop for new gear. Another paragraph detailed the history of surfing in a totally different state, not Texas where she first balanced on a board. Part of her paper was on another sport entirely, snow skiing.

Her introduction was fine. She even had a thesis for the narrative, the benefits of acquiring a new skill, i.e., surfing. Somewhere, however, along the way, she’d wandered so far from her topic that the reader had no clue what she was trying to say. By the time she reached her conclusion, even she had forgotten the purpose of her paper, her original goal.

What was she to do? Her paper was due way too soon for her to completely start over, but when she reread what she’d written, she felt confused, unsure of the result. She had about an hour to fix the paper, so she took a highlighter and started mercilessly marking all passages that were not on surfing itself or how she first learned to surf. Although there was not a whole lot left, she reread the off -topic paragraphs and decided to try to weave at least part of them into her narrative.

The section on buying gear might work if she put it into the context of what she needed to try the sport. She struck the parts of how cute the different footwear was and concentrated on the necessary items to be able to paddle out to a wave and stand upon the equipment, the surfboard. She then kept some detail of the designs of her first board and went on to describe learning to balance on it.

Snow skiing? Surfing in California? There are some likenesses in skiing and surfing, balancing especially, so she salvaged parts of that passage as well by comparing the skills needed for each sport, which led to her own experience in learning to balance properly. The two states, California and Texas, could also serve to detail most of the skills needed for surfing in different types of waves on different coasts, for instance.

By deleting, adding, and tying areas of discussion to the main idea, she finished on time with an adequate paper. She did resolve as she turned it in to be more careful on the next assignment, maybe even putting a large reminder by her keyboard: My Topic Is________. Maybe she’d make the letters about an inch high and color them neon green and blue. Perhaps such a reminder would help her keep from meandering all over the universe for her next paper and make polishing the paper less arduous, no heavy duty revisions needed before the time came to submit it.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!

Thesis & Structure, Function & Form

As my regular readers may notice, I've found a new design for my blog. I thought the crashing wave was appropriate, since the purpose of my blog is to give you writing tips to keep you from "crashing" in your writing. Speaking of tips, on to today's blog!

Essays have structure, not necessarily the five-paragraph, three-reason structure taught in many high schools, but still variations on that basic structure. A thesis statement tells the reader what subject the whole essay covers, and topic sentences tell the reader what area of the whole the writer discusses in each paragraph. If I were to write an essay on fruits, I might begin by letting the reader know the situation, i.e., what is important about fruit.

After a general introduction to the concept of fruit, I might write a thesis that specifies the benefits of bananas, mangos, and coconuts with the emphasis I’ve chosen - vitamins, taste, nutrition in general, or something else. I then devote one paragraph to each fruit in the order I mention them in my thesis and conclude, calling for more attention to fruit in the diet, perhaps.

College essays often require a more complex structure or form due to the subjects students discuss and the varied purposes of essays - to argue, to describe, to analyze, to explicate (the list is long).

If I were to write on the validity of requiring a driving test for new motorists, my essay might require only one full paragraph between the introduction and conclusion, or it might take five or six body paragraphs to include all the reasons for or against mandatory driving tests.

A five or ten-page research paper is not likely to be limited to five paragraphs either. Due to the topic and the number of pages required, it is probable that the paper will consist of many more than five paragraphs.

An important part of writing is the logic of the structure via paragraphing. If I am writing a research paper decrying the use of animals in scientific studies, I might divide my paper into two paragraphs on the historical use of animals in experiments, another two paragraphs on science and animals in present day, and three paragraphs on how to achieve the same scientific ends without using animals in experiments before I conclude with a zinger of an idea to save animals.

My introduction informs the reader about the overall subject area (the use of animals to test drugs or procedures); and near the end of the introduction, my thesis might read as follows: Historically, scientists have used animals to test new drugs and surgical procedures; but the time has come to end the vile practice and protect animals from such painful experiences. My thesis guides the reader to both the subject area and basic order of the discussion in the paper. I might not even specifically mention the main areas of discussion (history, tests, and animal rights), but instead write a strong thesis that states that animals should never be used as subjects of experiments. I don’t have to be specific. My topic sentences - which begin paragraphs - focus the reader’s attention on one unified part of the whole of my essay.

Essays require structure, and each essay requires a structure that fits the subject and purpose of the essay. Form may well follow function when writing for given, specific assignments. Or is that function following form?

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!

The Music of the Author

The act of writing is much like riding a wave. Although it may seem strange, good writing should always feel rhythmic, soothing, and natural. When writing is good enough, it places us into a trance. We feel this trance effect in that great novel we can’t put down, or that essay that rivets us to the page. Every word is chosen carefully, and we want to see what happens next. Like a good piece of music, a great piece of writing pulls the reader into the reality of the work.

When writers refer to the concept of flow, this is what they are referring to. Flow is the sustained rhythm of a piece of writing. When there are no glaring surface errors, when the narrative feels like natural speech, when the pacing is consistent, and when one idea transitions into another seamlessly, a piece of writing will create that sense of rhythm. As a writer, you want to place your reader into that trance state.

Very often, a single grammatical error, misspelled word, or clunky phrase can take your reader out of the trance. This is a major reason why correctness is prized so highly by writers. However, by choosing your words carefully and thoughtfully, you can prevent your reader from breaking the rhythm.

This is not to say that flow depends entirely on grammatical correctness. It goes beyond that. Creating flow also involves including seamless transitions from one idea to another, using naturalistic word choice, and avoiding awkward phrasing. Maintaining a consistent tone and style of speech also plays a role in flow. For instance, if you’re using academic language through most of your paper, and one sentence drifts into casual speech for no logical reason, that decision can break the flow as well.

Most flow problems can be corrected in the editing process. Reread your work carefully and listen to the rhythm of the piece. If you learn better by listening, it may help to read the paper aloud. Look or listen for any words, phrases, or sentences that look or sound unnatural to you. Chances are, removing or rephrasing them will improve the flow of the paper.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!

Tools of Anaylsis, Part Two

In keeping with last week’s blog, “Tools of Analysis,” here are some tips on analyzing works of literature.

A danger to avoid in analyzing a novel or story is to give into the temptation to just retell the story instead of discussing what the work signifies. Be very aware that the plot of a story may not be all it seems to be. The plot may serve a purpose other than just saying what happens to characters along the way. The plot may be a running metaphor. It may be a completely symbolic series of events used to reveal a social injustice or a human quality. The plot may serve as a method to reveal a universal theme or satirize a political system. Plots of novels or stories may be representative of almost anything an author can devise to make a point or evoke a mood or delineate a thought.

If you decide to refer to the plot of a story or novel as part of your analysis, keep your thesis statement in mind the whole time. If your thesis involves symbolism, a statement in a following paragraph such as “When the sound of the surf began to beckon her, the sound (or surf) is symbolic of her connection to nature” leads directly to an analysis of what the sound of the surf means when the character hears it, tying the simple event into the discussion of symbolism in the story.

A good idea when drafting your essay is to double check how you have used plot as part of your analysis. Highlight each reference to plot and analyze your own writing to be certain that you are doing something much more interesting than recapping a story already published. When using plot to analyze a story, the main point should be how the author uses plot and what effects the plot has on the theme of the story or novel.

While a plot could possibly be just a story line with no other meaning whatsoever, that is unlikely. Even when we recount an everyday event in our lives, there is usually an underlying message to be found. Authors of short stories or novels are probably even more inclined to include meaning or themes in their stories than we are since they devote an incredible number of hours/days/weeks/years to writing. Keep in mind that the plot itself can be used as a literary device for many purposes other than simply telling a story.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!

Tools of Analysis

Just as there are different types of waves – swells, pounders, ankle busters, and others – there are different types of essays – narrative, analysis, descriptive, and others. Perhaps the most difficult, but potentially the most interesting, type of essay to write is analysis.

To analyze another’s writing takes thoughtfulness, understanding, and imagination. You may wonder why I use the word imagination. The reason is simple. A good analysis often involves a new way to see the work analyzed – the kind of creative interpretation that comes from asking, “What if…?”What if the author has used the setting to define the characters? What if the author has magnified a small symbol to connect universal ideas? What if the plot is used only as a device to develop social or political commentary?

Once you pinpoint an idea, symbol, literary device, tone, or some other aspect of the work that you have chosen to analyze in your essay, keep to the path of proving whatever you have asserted in your thesis statement.

If you were to highlight your thesis statement in blue and every further idea connected to the thesis in blue, your topic sentences, examples, and details should show up in blue. Each lead in to a quote or paraphrase should be highlighted in blue. All your reflections, support, and commentary should be highlighted in blue. If they aren’t - because they do not have a connection to your thesis - you have wandered off topic, not a great way to develop your ideas. Color coding can provide a visual path to follow lines of reason and logic throughout your essay, all within the context of your thesis statement.

Read thoughtfully, use your considerable mental powers of concentration in order to understand what you read, and let your imagination guide you to a new way to regard a written work.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!

Welcome to a New Semester!

A glorious summertime at the beach must recede to memory as fall begins anew with a return to literature and essays and thoughts of grammar. I’m ready to enjoy a fresh start and a new semester.

The Stone Writing Center welcomes returning students and students who are attending Del Mar College for the first time this fall with hopes that all will visit the SWC. Students who have already visited the SWC report that their writing does improve, along with their grades, because they find here the opportunity to discuss their papers with Writing Consultants who know and love writing and can assist students with the process of writing.

In addition to in-person advice about writing, the SWC also provides computers for students to use, Boot Camps for any who have questions about grammar and on-line tutoring. For details of when Boot Camps begin and how to contact the on-line tutors please visit the SWC web site. Student Assistants at the SWC are happy to answer questions and to schedule appointments.

All of us are here to make your college experience more productive, more enjoyable and even easier. Call (361) 698-1364 or come by to find a warm and friendly atmosphere which is conducive to creativity, a place where writing becomes one of the best of your college experiences, as it should be.

Don’t forget to read a few blogs, too, ones posted previously and more to come this semester. Information about grammar and writing may not be quite as much fun as surfing the waves and relaxing on the beach, but it has its moments.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!

Looking Back...

One day in the middle of August when I was a novice surfer, a total squid, I almost made a colossal mistake. I hadn’t even looked to see what the weather was before deciding to head to the beach. When I realized the wind was blowing at about forty mph, a mental image of massive waves tossing me and my board like flotsam and jetsam came to me as my inner voice asked a bit nervously, “…the weather, Roxy, what if there’s a storm?” Instead of throwing caution to the winds (or possible rain and hail), I decided not to be like a few unwary sorts I’d heard about, people who actually go to the beach during squalls and big storms (big mistake).

As the spring semester draws to a close, maybe you’ve had a few less than perfect moments in your academic life or maybe just heard an interesting rumor of some giant error in judgment someone else made. Was there a time when the essay someone turned in turned out to be not quite, not precisely, not exactly what the instructor had in mind, as in not even? Did you figure out from that person’s calamity that there’s a better way to go about writing your own essays? As you end one semester and think about future writing, keep in mind that when something does go wrong, analyzing the reason it went wrong can turn into a conscious method you can use to find the right way to compose the next essay.

Your summer plans may involve more than relaxation - work or summer school - but it is a good idea to look back now and then to review the times you’d like to have back for revision (if only…) or, far more happily and much more often, the times you succeeded in doing just what you set out to do. Although I’ll be spending time on the surfboard instead of at the keyboard for the summer, I’ll be thinking about blogs to post next fall. While enjoying the waves and wind (not hurricane strength), I’ll remember this semester and consider what worked and what fell short of working exactly as I wished for it to work in my writing. Learning – improving as a writer - does involve the search for silver linings in the inevitable clouds that come with writing.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

Surfing the Blank Page

Every so often, I always refresh my mind from writing by riding the nearest wave. I remember one time that didn’t happen. The water was calm, the wind was still, and the scene was empty. The waves were gone, and the emptiness of the water almost scared me a little.

Writing can be like that too. There’s nothing more daunting than the blank page or the void of white on the computer screen. The white space then acts as a barrier, blocking the thoughts from your mind and preventing you from getting them on paper. Some people think of this as “writer’s block”, some mystical thing that prevents them from being great writers.

However, it’s not mystical at all, and it isn’t unbreakable.

Remember that the journey of a mile always begins with a single step. A single word can break the silence of the empty page. When writing a first draft, you don’t need to worry about whether you’re not good enough, or that what you’ve written doesn’t work, or that your grade will crash into the rocks if you miss that fragment or comma splice. You can always revise those problems in a later draft.

Depending on how you write, you can always find a way to beat the blank space. One way to do this is simply ride the wave and write. Just type whatever is in your mind at that moment. Don’t stop for anything. Be as one with the text.

When you stop and give yourself time to think, your mind may find a way to trick you into not writing. It will tempt you with that beautiful day outside, the desire to sleep after a long class period, or anything else you’d rather do instead of writing. Ignore that urge to procrastinate, however compelling it sounds to you.

Give yourself space and time to write for yourself when this happens. Find a quiet and peaceful place for you to be alone with your thoughts as you write. Use the writing tools that you love most. Some people enjoy relaxing music when they work. What you use is up to you, and it’s okay to experiment. The important thing is that you schedule a time and a place each day to keep writing, even if it’s just for yourself. This will help you put yourself in a positive frame of mind as you work.

The best way to break the cycle of blockage is to get in the habit of writing without fear. Get into the rhythm of your work, and stay a step ahead of whatever is blocking you. Know what holds you back and push against it. Once you break that initial resistance and find the momentum of your wave, the words will come. Who knows? You may even discover the joy of writing that comes with self-expression.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

Speaking the Language

Groups of people who gather together often develop insider ways of talking - different dialects, slang, jargon, or code words, even when they speak the same basic language as the nation or tribe to which they belong. Those who are part of a group identify with each other and classify those who do not use the same expressions as outsiders.

Academia is one such group and a rather large one, too. Students can be defined as new members of academia and may not be familiar with the insider language at first. Students should become familiar with formal grammar, the rules and regulations and styles of writing and speaking expected by professors, who are established members of academia. Happily, formal grammar is also widely used in business, politics, law, and many other areas of life. Formal grammar is well worth learning, especially since one’s future career may depend on knowing it.

When families and friends gather, their speech may seem odd, maybe even outlandish, to anyone not accustomed to hearing it; and there is no reason that groups familiar with each other shouldn’t have their own ways of talking, their distinct ways to communicate. It is wise, however, to know that places and people are not all the same. While slang and code words and various twists and turns of a language are useful and fun and good, they won’t serve when it comes time for a new member of academia, a student, to write an essay that will be read by a professor who is used to formal grammar and notes if it is not used.

No one type of language or way of speaking is better or worse than any other. There are just different times and places for each. Right, Dudettes?

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

Is Your Verb Merely Existing?

Is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been – why do writing teachers occasionally note that problems occur when students overuse being verbs? Being verbs do the job. They are easy to use and quick. They require very little imagination and eliminate the struggle to find an expressive action verb.

The simplicity of being verbs, how very easy they are to use, might begin to reveal why English teachers object to finding an abundance of being verbs in a composition. Let’s face it. Teachers read hundreds, even thousands of essays. Is it possible that a piece of writing in which is, am, was, were, etc., repeat in every sentence might possibly bore the reader?

The English language offers almost endless choices of words and expressions. Being verbs may accomplish the task of forming a full sentence when combined with a subject, but writing loses its punch when the reader finds nothing to imagine, nothing to picture.

Action verbs do engage the senses and add extra levels of interest to writing:

She is a swimmer. (OK)

She swims. (Slightly better)

She plunges against the waves. (Closer)

She glides seamlessly through the waves. (Hmmmm)

Variations on the same general idea have proven possible. The choice of how to express an action depends entirely on the writer’s intent.

Action verbs can give the sentence character, flavor, a sense of reality, while being verbs merely state that any given subject exists (in a state of being). Tacking on a predicate nominative or predicate adjective renames or describes the subject’s state of existence but offers no liveliness or sense of activity.

The next time you write, consider checking to see how many times being verbs appear in your paper. If they greatly outnumber all the other verbs, consider how effectively they have conveyed your meaning. If you find that your writing lacks something, use action verbs instead of being verbs to make a noticeable difference and improve your writing.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

More Uses of the Apostrophe

One use of the punctuation mark known as the apostrophe is to show ownership or possession. People can be said to “own” many kinds of objects, and they can also “own” ideas and other non-material things.

There are (no surprises here) several rules to keep in mind when indicating ownership by placing an apostrophe at the end of a word, before or after an s usually. One rule has to do with whether there is one (singular –‘s) who owns or more than one (plural – s’) who owns whatever it is.

Consider, for instance, the following examples:

“Jim’s surf board” - only he owns it.
“The surfers’ waves” - they all say they own them.

Spelling matters when it comes time to placing apostrophes. Some nouns are already plural, like the word “children,” so the apostrophe is placed the same way it is for a singular noun, before the s instead of after the s – “the children’s teacher.”

Confused yet? The rules start to become even more interesting (in the sense that maybe we should all review them now and then to refresh our memories) when trying to figure out what belongs to whom and exactly how to punctuate to indicate ownership with the right singular or plural possessive form. A dictionary helps at times, especially when in doubt about whether oddly-spelled (irregular) nouns are singular or plural – one woman, many women. A word such as “deer” does not have a plural form (one deer or eight deer, so one deer’s habitat is punctuated the same as fifty deer’s habitat).

Possessive pronouns add to the mix of questions about using apostrophes to indicate ownership. With words like her or hers, his, theirs, our or ours, no apostrophe is needed since by definition the possessive pronouns already indicate ownership.

There are other ways apostrophes are used, too; but right now the sun is shining and the beach is not very far away. Apostrophes, additional uses, can wait until another day.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten, not 10!

How to Make a Tutoring Session Work for You

Events in life take some preparation, even something simple like a short trip to the sea wall to rest our eyes on the waters of the gulf. Before catching a wave, I survey the scene, check out the surf, and have my gear with me and in good condition. Before you come to the SWC for a thirty-minute tutorial, a bit of planning can make the time more useful for you than not.

Tip 1: It may sound like a no-brainer, but it is best to arrive early for your appointment, five or ten minutes, since being late may result in a standby taking your appointment time. If you cannot make it to the scheduled appointment, call and let us know so that someone else can use the appointment time.

Tip 2: Bring a copy of your assignment with you so that the tutor will know what your work involves. Relying on your memory - what you think possibly the instructor said – may not be the best method for getting the right advice from a tutor.

Tip 3: Mostly, though, think about what it is that you want to find out. When you come prepared with questions or concerns (and any notes or drafts or brainstorming that you’ve done) the session will go smoothly and be productive.

Tip 4: Your active participation during tutoring time is essential. Express yourself. Talk about your writing, what problems or successes you have had with it so far, what hopes or fears about the writing you have (or what technical/grammatical problems you need to solve). While a tutoring session is not exactly the right time to bare your soul or air opinions about the state of the universe, moods, emotions, and attitudes do have an effect on your writing. If you are upset, let the tutor know, especially if it is a problem that is keeping you from completing the assignment. Often, acknowledging an emotion and talking about it briefly can clear it up, like clouds moving away from the sun, so that the rest of the session can be focused on the work at hand.

Tip 5: If you have begun the paper, bring two typed copies of your draft, double spaced, for notes that you or the tutor may make. Your thoughts, ideas, and questions will keep the dialogue on the main reasons you have come to see a tutor. It is best to phrase your questions by asking “What if I write__________?”(And then come up with a possibility) instead of “What should I write?” The paper is yours, not the tutor’s; and whatever the tutor might suggest is not the answer you need. Discussing your ideas before starting your paper also works very well. Be aware that your own ideas are the ones that will work best for you when you do start writing. Talk with the tutor about your ideas, ways to structure the paper that you have considered, perhaps to see if your ideas are logical and will work to fulfill your assignment.

Tip 6: Finally, don’t forget to enjoy the half hour you have taken to talk about your writing. Keep your mind open to possibilities, and you will find the time well spent, maybe even as much fun as taking a walk along the shoreline to comb for treasure along the beach.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten, not 10!

Two Sides of a Coin

“You,” said the concerned professor, “do not appear to be enjoying this writing course. Even though you fulfill the requirements for each essay, you do so without going beyond the minimum. That is why your grade, so far, is a C rather than the A or B you usually earn in other courses.”

The young woman hesitated before speaking, knowing her professor was right. She wasn’t enjoying the course and was doing only enough to get by on each assignment. “What can I do, then, to improve?” she finally asked.

“Two sides of a coin…an old expression that is useful when describing the relationship between reading and writing. Most truly good writers do read extensively,” her professor answered. “Those who read in their spare time usually become better writers.”

“College requires extensive reading already,” the student protested. “I don’t see how reading much more than is already required will help me write any better.” She thought of all the classes she was taking and how many assignments she had to cover. Reading any more than she had to read would take time, lots of time, time she didn’t have.

The professor nodded. He had heard much the same thing from other overworked students. He still wanted to convince her, however, that extra reading would help her to become the writer he thought she could be. “The real answer is that reading adds to your knowledge base and literally shows you what good writing is. The key is to find an area of interest, something that you want to know more about, or some kind of fiction that is fun for you to read.” He hoped she would at least consider the idea of reading more than was required for classes.

“Oceans, ecology, global warming…,” the student muttered, thinking of her favorite pastime (surfing) and how crucial to her was the health of the environment. “Sharks, seagulls, pelicans, ridley sea turtles…,” she continued musing.

“It sounds like you’re onto something!” the professor exclaimed.

“Yes! I do want to know more about ecology and the environment. Do you have any ideas of where to find books about how global warming might affect oceans and wildlife?” The student smiled suddenly. “You know, outside reading might be more interesting and useful than I thought.”

“I assure you that it is; and, Roxy, I’m looking forward to reading the papers you will write by the end of the semester.”

After his student left, the professor noted that it was time for lunch. He picked up his science fiction novel and headed to the cafeteria, vaguely recalling that he had not answered all her questions.

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See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten, not 10!

The Relationship between Tone and Theme

The theme of a work of fiction can be likened to its message, the meaning of the piece, while tone is the manner in which the message is relayed.

Following are two descriptions of virtually the same occurrence. Note, if you will, the depictions, the language, and the feeling each evokes.

(1) The brown pelican, a solitary sentry on his lonely outpost, watched the gathering storm with sad resignation and nervous dread, knowing the discomfort of wind and cold rain to come. He scarcely dared hope to survive.

(2) The brown pelican, certain of his own worth, saw the storm clouds gather, fiercely delighting in his ability to withstand their force, no matter how strong the wind or cold the rain to come. He knew without doubt that he would live to tell the tale.

Each of the two descriptions above has a lone pelican regarding an anticipated weather event. In comparing the tone of each, totally different attitudes are revealed. And even without much more to the story, two separate themes begin to emerge: (1) fatalism in the bird vs. nature and (2) heroism the in bird vs. nature.

When analyzing written works, it is a good idea to notice the way the message is expressed. Once the reader has picked up on the tone of the author, the theme, the main idea of the work, is often easier to determine. In Pelican 1, the theme might turn out to be the indifference of nature to a bird’s comfort zone. In Pelican 2, the theme could turn out to be the great and thrilling challenge of a bird facing his environment.

Maybe there is even a story somewhere about a brown pelican during two times when a storm was coming in, once a resigned bird and later a strong one or the other way around, depending on the events and the evolving character of the bird.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten, not 10!

Trust but Verify

Red or green squiggly lines are scattered here and there on your Word document. What does that mean?

It means that the computer program says that you have made a mistake in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, or sentence structure. The red squiggle (spelling error) or green squiggle (grammar or spacing error) may or may not be a true or even reliable indicator of an actual mistake. Computers have not yet reached the level of AI (Artificial Intelligence). The program itself may be in error, not you. English is a complex language, and programmers are not necessarily grammarians with impeccable command of all the rules.

Spell checker, for instance, can and does mislead writers who trust it without question. If a writer replaces a word the computer underlines with a red squiggle and goes with the first word on the given list (after right clicking or using ABC Spelling & Grammar), some odd results may occur, not usually the results the writer intends. If I type in the misspelled word “grummer,” the red and wavy line tells me there’s a problem. The word I meant to type is “grammar,” but the first word on the list of replacements happens to be “grimmer” (which may indicate AI actually is in existence since grammar is often a grimmer problem than many of the other difficulties writers encounter). Even so, usually Spell Checker is right and is very useful for finding and correcting errors. To use it well, however, a writer needs to verify that the replacement word is the right word, not a weird substitution.

Once a correction is made, at times a writer may be tempted to use Correct All, another option. For changing a misspelled name every time it appears in the document, Correct All can be quite useful; but, if the writer makes the wrong choice or the same word is also used as another part of speech in the document, using Correct All can lead to confusion and woe, i.e., real trouble. Spell checker and related options are tools, not wise and careful editors with our greatest good their only goal.

Writers must make their own decisions when polishing their writing. Usually choosing replacement words from the list provided by Spell Checker works, but writers must still employ their own minds and memories – and maybe even a dictionary now and then – to make sure that the corrections they make are correct corrections.

Until an AI surfaces, one that loves both the beach and grammar, one that also knows me well enough to deduce when my typo “sirf” appears that I meant to type “surf,” not “serf,” it would be unwise for me to slavishly follow the first suggestion Spell Checker gives me (“serf”). Rather than be in thrall to a computer program, I have to use my mind and freely choose what makes sense to me with some assurance that it will make sense to others, which I can make happen by double checking definitions and parts of speech.

Computers, wonderful and useful as they are, do not yet know what we mean to say or how we intend to say it, not even close to as well as we do. Computers are good at recognizing patterns, but certain nuances are still beyond their capacity. “Trust but verify” is one way to be certain that the advice computers give is correct. We understand English and the meaning of words, connotations and denotations. Computers operate via programming and use data - bits, 0 and 1 - a system that does not translate into knowing the difference between “grummer” and “grammar” or “serf” and “surf,” not yet anyway.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten, not 10!

Say it again, Sam?

My old Aunt Christie used to regale us with tales of her childhood. My favorite story is the one about a joke that drove her uncles and her aunts up the wall.

She would say, when she was about six, “Pete and Repeat were sitting on a log. Pete fell off. Who was left?” Her uncle or aunt, any one of them playing along, would reply, “Repeat.” Then little Christie would laugh and laugh and say again, “Pete and Repeat were sitting on a log. Pete fell off. Who was left?”

After a while, five minutes or so, the uncle or aunt of the time would grow tired, but Christie kept on and on. She totally loved the joke and would tell it again and again…and all over again. Not knowing that the joke might (and did) grow stale, she just wouldn’t stop. Her family was nice enough to indulge her…some of the time.

The term redundancy comes to mind when considering both the joke and a decided tendency of writers to fall back on something they’ve already said and then say it again when they’ve run out of anything new to add. Trust me – repeating the same idea becomes tiresome for the reader very quickly.

My advice is the following:
· Double check supporting examples and do not use the same one over and over again, even with slightly different phrasing.
· Review each paragraph to be certain the gist of it is not basically the same as a preceding or following paragraph.
· When a new thought fails to appear, set the essay aside for a while and come back with a refreshed brain - and something new to add.
· Check, double check even, for often repeated words; they often (get it?) indicate repeated ideas, not always, though.
· Finally, read what you’ve written as if you’re reading it for the first time to make sure you’ve kept it interesting.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

"Hang Ten" or "Hang 10"?

Math Friends, the fact that the word “numb” is contained in the word “numbers” is purely coincidental. If your brain goes numb when the question of whether to write “2” or “two” is asked, rest assured that there is a rule in English to guide you.

Use numerals when the number is over two words long if spelled out. For example, if I wanted to write 5,897,321, it would take many more than two words to write the number: five million, eight hundred ninety-seven thousand, and three hundred twenty-one. Whew.

Like clouds rolling in to hide the sun, exceptions to the above rule come to chill anyone who thinks one rule suffices for all occasions. The first exception comes when a writer is using data, etc., that is expressed with many numbers. In that case, no matter how many words are involved in spelling out any given number, use all numerals. The data is easier to read and is consistent that way. Addresses, room numbers, percentages, and dollars and cents are also written in numerals.

The second exception involves beginning sentences. There’s another rule that insists that a sentence has to begin with a word. If your first word winds up being a number like 5,897,321 and you’d rather not have to spell that out, change the wording of your sentence so that the number comes somewhere else in the sentence, somewhere after the first word.

What more can I add?
· Compound words (“five-year-old cousin”) or fractions (“one-third”) should be spelled out.
· Numerals should be used for numbers that would take three or more words to spell out.
· Lists or series of numbers are also written in numerals.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten, not 10!

Now is the Right Time

You read the book a week ago, someone else is reading it right now, and still another person will read the book someday far into the future. If you are given an assignment that requires writing about the book, however, it doesn’t matter when you read it (as long as you read it in plenty of time to write about it for your assignment). Discussions of written works are supposed to be written in present tense, also known as literary present tense.

There actually is a reason for the rule that says that writing about writing is done in the present tense. Books, plays, movies, poems, and other literary works are considered to exist in a timeless place; but when referring to them, there is a given time – it is always right now, in the moment, in the present. The logic behind this convention is that even if you read the book five months ago, well into your personal past, the book still exists in the present and continues to do so in the future.

Exceptions to the rule come into the mix when writing about subjects other than literature, though. For some disciplines (science, math, history, etc.), the convention or preference of instructors may be for their students to use past tense, at times even when the students are writing about something they’ve read for a course.

While you probably won’t need to ask an English teacher whether or not past tense is acceptable when writing about written works (the answer is definitely “no”) other instructors may not may insist on the traditional rule. It’s best to double check with individual instructors and verify requirements before composing an essay.

What is likely to happen when you quote from a book about which you’re writing? You’ve probably heard that it’s wrong to mix tenses in a sentence; and it’s equally probable that the quote you’ve chosen to use will be framed in past tense, since most stories are written in past tense. Again, exceptions occur. Continue to use present tense in your own discussion of the literary work.

A sentence that leads into the quote might go something like this:

The author of Zee Book tells the reader his character represents joy when he writes, “Zee loudly proclaimed that she’d never before known such terrible happiness.”

The tenses are mixed, yes, but there is a logic that continues throughout your paper. You have discussed the book and provided evidence of what you say through a quote about the character in present tense, while the quote from the book in past tense flows along without confusing the reader.

As long as you keep to a pattern, that of using present tense for discussions of written works, there won’t be strange or awkward tense shifts in your paper.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

The Useful & Graceful Pronoun

Unless someone figures out a way to travel into the past, it is probably impossible to know exactly how and why pronouns came to be a part of our language; but they certainly do play a useful role when it comes to writing. Compare, for instance, the following two passages, one (1) using pronouns and the other (2) written as if no such things as pronouns exist:

(1)The seagull flew to its favorite perch on the bay front and claimed ownership with a loud cry. It glared at all the other birds gathered nearby. It was determined to hold its place as it waited for some shrimp boats to arrive.

(2)The seagull flew to the seagull’s favorite perch on the bay front and claimed ownership with a loud cry. The seagull glared at all the other birds gathered nearby. The seagull was determined to hold the seagull’s place as the seagull waited for some shrimp boats to arrive.

The first version is easier to read than the second, and the second version sounds strangely stilted, lacking grace. Pronouns are useful!

A grammatical point to add here is that when using pronouns to refer to animals, birds, insects, snakes, fish, any creatures other than human, if the gender is not known, using the pronoun it is correct. If someone is talking about Princess Daisy May la Belle, however, the pronoun she is probably the right choice, provided the people who named their dog Princess Daisy May La Belle were sticking to traditional masculine and feminine forms for names.

When Daisy May La Belle saw the glaring seagull perched near the bay front, she barked madly at it until her master corrected her.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

Sentence Variety

Children’s poetry is often written in an unvaried sentence structure, each sentence repeating the cadence of the ones before. For instance, “Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are? / Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky” not only rhymes but also has a pattern of syllabication and sentence structure. While it is easy to remember lines such as these, it is not a great idea to write a college essay without variation in sentence structure.

There are basically four different sentence structures: Simple, Compound, Complex, and Compound/Complex, and it’s a good idea to use all four types in compositions (Sentence Structures);

To keep a reader’s attention, variety is necessary. An essay composed of simple sentences only will soon have the reader nodding off, no matter what the content of the essay might be. An essay written solely in compound/complex sentences might result in brain overload for the reader. Good writers avoid endless repetitions of the same kind of sentence structure and use all four types so that their readers remain alert and focused.

One way to add interest to a paper that happens, for unknown reasons, to be a series of simple sentences is to combine sentences, thereby adding variation and liveliness to the writing.

"I went to the beach. The sun was shining. The waves were great. I spent hours surfing."

A good day sounds somewhat dull when described in the four simple sentences above.

If I combine the four simple sentences, perhaps the moment will seem more exciting.

"I surfed for hours when I went to the beach because the sun was shining on great waves."

Even that doesn’t truly capture the moment, so I might consider adding adjectives and adverbs to make the day come alive for the reader.

"I surfed in the zone for hours when I went to the nearly deserted beach where the sun shone brightly on amazingly great, sky-blue waves."

A clearer picture emerges with both sentence structure variety and words and phrases that modify.

Good writers generally use all the ways the language allows to inspire their readers to think and to imagine. Varying sentence structure and using modifiers are two ways to keep the readers’ attention from wandering away to peaceful daydreams of sunlit beaches with waves that reach as far as the clear blue sky.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

New Beginnings

We don’t have a long and cold winter in South Texas, but we’re glad to know that spring is on its way, even so. New green and growing plants all over the city, time to head to the beach and feel sunshine beaming down… good things happen in the spring.

Another good part of spring is that the Stone Writing Center remains a rock of support for writers in all disciplines on campus and online. You can send a paper to our expert and receive a reply via email in twenty-four to forty-eight hours. You can even submit a quick question and get a faster response.

If you’ve not come to see us yet, maybe I can give you an overview of what to expect when you do visit in person.

You’ll notice immediately how polite, knowledgeable, and welcoming the Student Assistants are. They’ll be the first people you see, and they’ll sign you in to use our computers (loaded with Office 2007, wifi connected) or schedule you for an appointment with one of the tutors. Any one of the staff will answer questions you might have. You’ll also notice an array of handouts, hard copies you can pick up and keep. The topics range from how to cite sources to information on grammar and literary elements. All handouts are written by SWC staff, and they’ve condensed information very clearly and succinctly. You can also find all of our handouts online (Handouts).

The computer lab is quiet, the equipment is up to date, and you are allowed to print your papers here. Tutors and Student Assistants are in the area to help if you have computer questions or writing questions. You can also complete a lab (Labs) make-up here.

Tutoring sessions are face to face with professional Writing Consultants who read your paper and talk with you about your writing. Mostly, we like to make sure you have higher order elements in place, thesis statement, topic sentences, unified paragraphs, etc., but we will point out lower order areas, mechanics problems if there are any, and show you how to fix mistakes with commas and such. It’s against our rules to proofread papers, but we do let you know if there are errors and show you ways to identify and fix them. Some students come to talk with a tutor even before they start writing just to clarify assignments or get feedback on the ideas they have for an upcoming paper.

The SWC‘s Boot Camps (Boot Camps) are great for reviewing and improving all things related to writing, from grammar to essays to research papers. It’s one more way for students to prepare for college level writing.

The SWC is among the first writing centers established in the country, and we have kept pace with the times. You’ll see us on Twitter, we have podcasts, and we have a professional on-line tutoring service.

Spring is a time to renew and to do something new. We hope to see you here or on line. Welcome, from the Stone Writing Center.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!