3 Strategies to Improve Student Writing Instantly Editor's Note: A version of this post first appeared on Techie Teacher and Character Coach. "But Miss Parrish, I can't think of anything to write!" Haven't we all heard similar lines in our classrooms? We see hesitant writers sit with a pencil in their hands and a paper on their desks, almost as if they have been handicapped by the task we asked them to do. How is it that some students have so much to say when talking out loud, but when a pencil is put into their hand they suddenly hesitate, struggle and have nothing to say? The answer is to simply have them produce "writing" without technically "writing" at all. Strategies That Work 1. Have your student stand up while you sit in his or her seat. 2. Identify a way that your students can audio record themselves "speaking" their essay rather than "writing" it. 3. Identify an app or tool that will transcribe speaking into text. Communication Before Craft How have you helped students write without putting pen to paper (or pixel to page)?
Comma Sutra: position yourself for better syntax: Comma Sutra's Top Ten Grammar and Spelling Errors of 2012 As an editor and copywriter, it is an important part of my job to realize that sometimes, just sometimes, it is appropriate to write in colloquialisms. What I mean by this is that sometimes it is a good idea to write in a way that is familiar to people, and that appears conversational. I'm certain that you've come across colloquialisms in both nonfiction and fiction you've read recently. One example that comes to mind immediately for me is Chelsea Handler's book, Are You There, Vodka? So believe it or not, even as someone who loves grammar, I am willing to admit there are times when it is totally appropriate to write in colloquialisms. (1) There, Their and They'reThere can be used as a pronoun, or to describe a place. (2) DefinitelyThe word definitely is very commonly misspelled definately. (3) Peak, Peek, PiquePeak means the highest point. (4) It's and ItsIt's is always a contraction for it is. (5) Lose and Loose (7) Who's and WhoseWho's is a conjunction that means who is.
» 7 Tips for Formulating the Perfect Five-Paragraph Essay. Do you want to write a five-paragraph essay that makes your mama proud? In case you missed it, here’s the secret ingredient: structure. These seven tips will help you formulate the perfect five-paragraph essay. Start With an Outline Mapping out your essay before you begin writing helps you stay on point. Introductory Paragraph/Thesis StatementFirst ParagraphSecond ParagraphThird ParagraphConclusion Get to the Point In your first few sentences, hook your reader by telling her what she can expect to learn. Good: “Are you a culinary artist who dreams of having her cake and eating it, too? Bad: “First, find a recipe. The second example beats around the bush too much. Forecast Your Arguments in a Thesis Statement Conclude your introductory paragraph with a thesis statement that ties your essay’s three forthcoming arguments together. Good: “Owning your own cake decorating business can lead to artistic satisfaction, job security, and personal freedom.” The second example is too vague.
Rejected for publication: What now? : eloquentscience.com You are here: Home / Blog / Rejected for publication: What now? So, your manuscript was rejected? Before you start firebombing the editor’s place of work and writing screeds on your blog, consider the following. Put yourself in the reviewer’s shoes. It may be hard to do so, but it is often the best way to understand what the reviewer is trying to communicate. View the reviewer as a representative member of your community. How do you tell if the reviewer is biased? (Image from pirateplush.com)
Plain English writing tips These tips come from the specialists who run our Business Writing workshop.Come on our Business Writing workshop to learn more Consider structure, language, and layout Think about your reader and your purpose for writing. Use verbs to bring your writing alive By changing nouns and noun phrases to verbs, you make your writing shorter and more reader-friendly. Hint: watch out for words ending in '-ion', '-ment', '-tion', '-ance', '-ence', '-ancy', '-ency', ‘ism’, and '-ity'. Examples make provision for = provide give consideration to = consider make an application to = apply Back to top Edit wordy phrases Give every word you use a job to do. in order to = to in respect of = about for the purpose of = to am not in a position to = can’t on two separate occasions = twice pertaining to = about in light of the fact that = because in the course of = during Vary sentence length Aim for an average sentence length of 15–20 words. But vary the length of your sentences, or your writing will become boring.
PhDs - What to Do When You Advance To Candidacy Congratulations!! Your qualifying exams are successfully behind you (I always had faith in you), and for the first time you can focus exclusively on what you want to do for your dissertation. No pressure yet. Learning About the Job Search Process It's time to start educating yourself about the job acquisition process. The Academic Job Search - Social Sciences & Humanities The Academic Job Search - Sciences & Engineering Nailing the Job Talk or Erudition Ain't Enough Each is always offered in the fall, and usually in the spring semester as well. Other useful information is also contained in eGrad (a monthly electronic newsletter) and The Graduate (a semi-annual newsletter) produced by the Graduate Division's publications unit. Practicing the Art of the Job Talk Once you get an on-campus interview, your formal presentation or job talk will be one of the most important factors that decides whether or not you get the offer. Start now. Making Professional Contacts Avoiding Social Isolation
12 Useful Websites to Improve Your Writing by Johnny Webber 1. Words-to-Use.com – A different kind of thesaurus. 2. 3. 4. 5. 750words.com – Write three new pages every day. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. UNC Writing Center How to Write a Persuasive Essay (with Free Sample Essay) Edit Article1,505,774 views 177 Editors Updated 9 days ago Two Methods:Sample Persuasive EssaysWriting a Persuasive Essay A persuasive essay is an essay used to convince a reader about a particular idea or focus, usually one that you believe in. Your persuasive essay could be based on anything about which you have an opinion. Whether you're arguing against the death penalty for school or petitioning for a raise from your boss, the persuasive essay is a skill that everyone should know. Ad Steps Writing a Persuasive Essay 1Give yourself time. 8Proofread and edit. We could really use your help! Can you tell us aboutcar stereos? car stereos how to install a car stereo Can you tell us aboutastrology? astrology how to date a capricorn woman Can you tell us aboutwakeskating? wakeskating how to wakeskate Can you tell us aboutmind hacks? mind hacks how to scare yourself Tips Make sure you know your audience.
UW-Madison Writing Center Writer's Handbook: index skip navigation The Writer's Handbook Index Home » Writer's Handbook UW-Madison Writer's Handbook Introduction In this section, you will find many instructional materials we've developed for our Writing Center teaching. However, there are limitations to these materials. Finally, handouts can give only a fraction of the customized guidance that an individual conference with a Writing Center instructor can provide. Contact Us Dividing your work into paragraphs Good paragraphs divide up your assignment according to topics or major points. Each paragraph should discuss just one main idea and your reader should be able to identify what the paragraph is about. Each new paragraph should indicate a change of focus.Paragraphs often start with a topic sentence or part of a sentence – a statement which is expanded on in the rest of the paragraph. (Try reading only the first sentence of each paragraph of a newspaper article. You can get a flavour of the key points for the whole text.) Common mistakes Students tend to demonstrate poor paragraphing when they are unclear about what they are trying to say. A common mistake that students make when writing paragraphs is to put in no paragraphs – all of the ideas are jumbled in together and, once again, this leads to a lack of logical progression in the argument (see image below). Some make every sentence into a paragraph, making it a 'bullet point' essay.