Breaking News from SSS: Thirteen Basic Writing Mistakes Corrected Today!

1. Breaking News from SSS:Thirteen Basic Writing Mistakes Corrected Today! SSS An English/Reading Mini-workshop Student Support Services Troy University (Main Campus)

2. Workshop Objectives • To teach students to identify and correct common writing flaws. • To help students write more clearly. • To give students writing practice. • To help improve students’ writing confidence.

3. First, don’t be afraid to make a mistake. Do your best!

4. Determine to see a Mistake as . . . • An opportunity to improve. • A a challenge to overcome. • A reason to seek help or information

5. Mistakes . . . That writers commonly make . . . can be corrected if you . . . • Stop telling yourself you can’t write or that you’re a bad writer and . . . • Start noticing the mistakes and • Start working to correct them.

6. Writing Mistake #1 Avoiding controversy Corrections: • Don’t be afraid to have an opinion and present it as your thesis. Discuss what you have read and observed. • Don’t present facts as thesis statements. Facts make okay topic sentences or supports, but not okay thesis statements. Thesis = opinion. • Don’t be afraid to include counterarguments to an argument. Acknowledge your opponents’ views and then present your opposing views.

7. Writing Mistake #2 Failing to present evidence of assertions. Corrections: • Use evidence that supports your opinion. • Use facts, statistics, and quotes from credible researchers or sources.

8. Writing Mistake #3 Hiding the thesis at end or middle of essay Corrections: • Revise introduction to include a clearly stated thesis. Restate thesis in conclusion. • Blueprint your thesis statement and use each blueprinted point as a topic sentence.

9. Writing Mistake #4 Failing to revise thesis statement Corrections: • Revise your thesis statement if your opinion changes or shifts as you do your research. • Your thesis statement needs to be a strong, clear expression of your opinion.

10. Writing Mistake #5 Problems unifying Paragraphs Corrections: • Give enough information to make a real paragraph. (A Topic Sentence with supporting statements and details help build a paragraph) • Go into detail. Don’t just make a broad statement and then go on to another subject. (How would you feel if . . . ) • Use transition words to link ideas and improve readability.

11. Writing Mistake # 6 Relying too much on sources (Not enough discussion) Corrections: • Let the reading audience know what is in your soul and spirit. Don’t just fixate on what others think, speak or write. Sound your voice. • Appeal to your audience’s . . . (A) intellects [logic – logos], (B) moral values [ethics – ethos] and (C) hearts [human passions – pathos].

12. Writing Mistake # 7 Failing to Synthesize (Combine) Corrections: • Don’t just put in a lot of source material without discussing all of the materials and showing that they work together to form your whole theory or assertion. • (A) Cite a critic and document the source; (B) give the source information; and then (C) show how it relates to your topic.

13. Writing Mistake #8 Awkwardly wording sentences Word (syntax) order and language problems Corrections: • Read sentences aloud to hear if they make sense to you. • Use language that your audience understands. Respect readers. • Practice using Standard American English (SAE) when you speak and let your oral speech influence your writing. • Refer to a Grammar Handbook or dictionary often. • Review basic grammar rules a few times a year.

14. Breaking News Bulletin . . . Every college writer should invest in a College Dictionary and A Pocket Style Manual. SSS

15. Writing Mistake #9 Fragmenting sentences Correction: Remember: Complete Subject + Complete Predicate Complete Sentence Fragments do not express complete thoughts and often frustrate readers.

16. Writing Mistake #10 Failing to Pace Oneself (Work smart and hard.) Corrections: • As soon as you receive the assignment, start working on it so that you will have time to do at least two proofreads and one revision before submitting it. • Set some personal writing objectives. Question yourself: What do I want to accomplish and how hard am I willing to work to meet my objectives? • Begin doing a bibliographic search as soon as you know your assignment. This will help you refine your topic. • Put in for interlibrary loans early.

17. Procrastination – A Common Problem

18. Writing Mistake #10 (corrections continued) • Warning: Don’t procrastinate; do not delay the writing process. • Once the assignment is made, post the due date in several locations – Examples: car dashboard; bathroom mirror; cereal box . -- Create a timeline to help you stay on schedule. (A) Arrange appointments with interviewees that you may use as sources; (B) Write down due dates for the paper proposal, outline, and first draft; (C) write down due date for annotated bibliography, if one is required; (D) write down paper due date.

19. Breaking News Tip 2 Every college student should invest in a day planner. SSS

20. Writing Mistake #11 Misunderstanding the terms “revise” and “proofread” Corrections: • Do not falsely assume that revising means changing a few words or adding some punctuation marks. • Revise for logic errors or errors that reduce the quality of your writing; proofread for physical errors or errors that reduce the readability of your writing.

21. Writing Mistake #12 Misunderstanding the Assignment Corrections: • As soon as you receive the assignment, start asking questions. Seek clarification. • Ask what documentation and style format (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) you are to follow. • Find out how your assignment will be evaluated: Ask about the grading rubric

22. Writing Mistake #13 Wrongly Submitting the assignment Corrections: • If the assignment is to be submitted in phases, then make sure you follow submission timeline. • If the assignment is supposed to be submitted on blackboard or via e-mail, find out. Ask for clarity if you do not know how to electronically submit your assignments. • Find out if you are to submit source material along with the final draft.

23. Review List – Thirteen Basic Writing Mistakes • Avoiding controversy • Failing to present evidence of assertions • Hiding the thesis at end or middle of essay • Failing to revise thesis statement as needed • Problems unifying paragraphs • Relying too much on sources • Failing to Synthesize (unify information) • Awkwardly wording sentences (syntax and word choice) • Fragmenting sentences • Failing to Pace Oneself (Time management) • Misunderstanding the terms “revise” and “proofread” • Misunderstanding the Assignment • Wrongly Submitting the assignment

24. Practice Exercise • Please complete the Workshop Practice Exercise. • Once you have completed the Exercise, Print your name on it, date it, and then return it to SSS staff member. Thank you. • Please complete the Workshop Evaluation Form in order to receive your workshop credit. Thank you.

25. Conclusion • SSS hopes this presentation has given you some useful information concerning the task of choosing a subject about which to write. • Please complete a Seminar Evaluation form before you leave and stop by SSS to complete an online Academic Seminar Summary so that we may document your participation. • Also, please feel free to suggest any other topics that you would like to see presented. Phone: 334-670-5985. • Thank you, and have a great learning experience here at Troy University.

26. The End SSS

27. Troy University Troy, Alabama 36082 Student Support Services Buffie Edwards, Coordinator Eldridge Hall, Room 24; Troy University; Troy, AL 36082 Phone: 334-670-5985; bmedwards@troy.edu Presentation developed by: Rebecca C. Money, English/Reading Specialist Student Support Services; Eldridge Hall, Room 24; Troy University; Troy, AL 36082 Phone: 334-670-5985; rmoney@troy.edu PPT dev: 2007/01-04