My job has taught me that a lot of people struggle with grammar and spelling. My first sentence brought to mind one of the most common spelling errors. Many of my students type “a lot” as one word, which is incorrect. There is no such word as “alot”. If spelling is not hard enough, grammar is just as tricky because some things that are correct, do not sound correct. I know I tend to say things incorrectly just to sound like everyone else. For example, people might look at you funny if you correctly stated, “that is she” instead of incorrectly stated “that is her”.
Here are some of the most common mistakes I run into when grading papers:
• It is not correct to state: in regards; it should be: in regard
• It is not correct to state: between you and I; it should be: between you and me
• It is not correct to state: me and Bob went; it should be: Bob and I went
• It is not correct to state: please contact myself; it should be: please contact me
• It is not correct to state: it has been a good year for Bob and I; it should be: it has been a good year for Bob and me.
We are all guilty of making grammatically incorrect statements. I often find things that I have written where I have made mistakes. One mistake I recently noticed was that I incorrectly referred to CEO as an acronym. That is incorrect. It is an abbreviation. It is only an acronym if the letters may be used as a word as in the example of RADAR.
I was always taught never to end sentences with a preposition. I have seen several debates regarding rules like this one. Some incorrectly written things become so common that they change the rules.
With all of the confusion, where can you find help with grammar? Even the most educated people make mistakes. I believe a good editor can help. I am a fan of Edit911.com. I am also a big fan of the Grammar Girl website. Another website that may be particularly helpful is Grammarly. There are also some wonderful books, which include:
Students often struggle with writing essays. Some have difficulty with structure. Others dread dealing with APA formatting. I teach everything from bachelor-level to doctoral-level courses. The following contains some helpful writing tips that I have found may make writing essays a little easier.
Citations and References:
Many of the courses I teach require that students master the use of citations and references. I have found that students often become confused about how to include these. One common mistake that students make is to include a reference page without including any citations. That is not correct. The problem with that is there is no way to determine what part, if any, of the paper was paraphrased or cited from that source. Students sometimes think that listing a reference is a way to show that they used that information for the paper. However, there is more that must be done than simply including the source on the reference page. There must also be citations. Citations may be paraphrased or directly quoted. If there is a reference, there must be at least one corresponding citation.
A paraphrased citation looks something like this: Hamilton (2014) explained the importance of citations.
Students may also want to include directly quoted material. I teach some courses where I allow this and other courses where I only allow paraphrased citations.
If directly quoted citations are allowed, they look something like this: “Citations may be paraphrased or directly quoted” (Hamilton, 2014, p. 1).
I prefer that my students paraphrase their citations. This may help demonstrate that they understand the content. However, it is important that if any information is paraphrased or quoted directly from a source, the author and year information must be included (list n.d. if no date is listed). There may be specific guidelines listed in the APA manual for listing page numbers and other identifying information. Students should be aware of the following:
Do not list citations without references.
Do not list references without citations.
Do not list the author and year information at the end of the paragraph and assume it covers the entire paragraph of content. Author and year information must be included for any paraphrased sentence or directly quoted block of content.
Citations and references must be in APA format (for most courses). Do not include footnotes if APA is required.
Do not number the references; list them in APA format.
Be sure the alignment of references is correct on the reference page. The first line of each source should be at the left margin and every line after that indented ½ inch. See APA guidelines for help.
It may be a challenge for students to get into the habit of citing correctly. There are some sources like Perrla that may help.
Use of Appropriate Sources:
Another common citing mistake is to use less-than-scholarly sources. Although I enjoy writing blogs and doing research, I do not recommend that students use this or any other similar site as a source in their research papers. Blogs may sometimes contain news-worthy information. However, usually they contain opinion and other information that has not been peer-reviewed.
There are many sites that students use that are not considered appropriate sources for research. Blogs are just one of them. The following list contains some sources that students should not use:
Blogs – Blogs are meant for things other than research. They may be helpful in giving insight into how to do things. They may be fun to read in terms of content. However, students need to realize that some blogs may not contain accurate information.
Wikipedia – Wikipedia is a common student favorite. It contains some very good information. However, the content is written on a wiki. A wiki allows more than one person to add or change information. Any wiki should not be used as a source for citing. Wikipedia may have some very good sources listed at the bottom of the page. If students start at Wikipedia to research a topic, they could look at the bottom to find the original source of information. At that point, students can search their school’s library for that source to see if it comes up under peer-reviewed scholarly sources.
eHow, Quora, or other Q&A Sites – There are plenty of Q&A sites that allow people to answer questions on the Internet. Just because there is an answer on these sites, does not mean that the answer is correct or has been reviewed by anyone. Think of these sites as you would a blog. They may or may not contain accurate information. Therefore, they should not be used to cite.
Dictionary – This is a source students tend to like to cite. Although it is accurate and will give a good definition, some professors look at this as a kind of “cop out” source. It is easy to look up a definition in the dictionary. It is better to show scholarly research that explains the subject in more detail.
Books – Some books should not be used as sources. If there is a textbook assigned to the course, it is usually a good source to cite. However, not all books are considered “scholarly”. It is best to stick to peer-reviewed journals if there is any doubt.
Some professors will allow just about any source for citations. Others are extremely picky. To be safe, it is a good idea to get in the habit of using only peer-reviewed scholarly sources. For more information, check out: What is a Peer-Reviewed Journal.
Schools usually have an online library where students can find appropriate sources. Near the search bar, there may be a box that can be checked to ensure that the search only delivers peer-reviewed scholarly sources. The wise students stick to the school’s library for research. It is as easy to search as Google and the chances of coming up with proper research are enhanced.
Other Common Mistakes:
I notice that many students make similar mistakes. I make comments on their papers to address these issues. Many of them disregard my comments and continue to submit the papers with the same mistakes. I thought it might be helpful to create a checklist of some of the most common mistakes that I see and give some guidelines as how to correct them.
Tense – Students should stick to third person rather than first or second person unless the paper is specifically about them. In this blog, I write in first person. I use words like I, me, us, and we. Those are fine in this type of setting. In undergraduate and graduate courses, students must be able to write as if they are an observer. It is also incorrect to write in second person. Second person includes words like you and your. Students must learn how to write in third person. Do not write a paper that begins with something like: I chose to write about this because blah blah blah. There is no need to mention the author (aka the student). Just write about the topic.
Paragraph/Overall Structure – I often include a link in class that directs student to this Youtube Video that explains how to write a well-constructed paper. It is important not to have an overly long or overly short paragraph. I have seen students submit entire papers that included only one paragraph. I prefer to see paragraphs include around 4-8 sentences. If citing is required, it is better to begin a paragraph with a statement and then follow it with citations. The citations are there to support any points. Students must make their points before they can support them. Students often forget to set up their papers to include an introduction, body and conclusion. I recommend watching the Youtube video for help with this and many other structural and writing issues.
Using Scholarly Sources – Students may have difficulty distinguishing between the kinds of sources that are allowed for citations. If students’ first inclination is to search for answers on Google or if Wikipedia is their best friend, I recommend that they check out their school’s library search engine instead.
Font Issues – Students must be sure that their papers meet APA guidelines. The font needs to be set at 12 point. There should not be any special bold, ALL CAPS, or underlined information that does not meet these guidelines.
Amount of Citations – Students often do not include enough citations. They must be able to demonstrate their research and back up any points. I find that many students like to write in a story-telling fashion. Others may already know information about a topic and write based on experience. It is important to cite even if you are a subject expert. Some may be tempted to cite too often. Every single sentence should not be a citation. That is called patchworking. It is important to make a point and then back it up with citations to demonstrate your research.
Follow Rubrics and Guidelines – If there are specific requirements for the assignment, it is important that students follow the guidelines. If five pages are required, then submit at least five complete pages. The title page and reference pages do not count toward page requirements. If the professor has posted any additional requirements in class, it is important to go through that checklist to determine that all requirements have been met.
Graduate-Level Expectations:
Graduate-level students may be required to have a higher level of writing expertise. These requirements may cause students to become frustrated. Some of my online students have not taken courses in a very long time. Many of them have not learned how to write properly in APA format. I have a surprisingly high number of students who have difficulty with sentence and paragraph structure. Graduate students should not use contractions. For example, words like cannot should not be written as can’t. Papers should be written in third person unless it specifically states that the assignment should be written in first person. Students should support all major points and information that is not common knowledge with peer-reviewed scholarly sources. The school’s library should be the main search source. Whenever information is not common knowledge or is paraphrased, it should be cited.
I have had some students who get annoyed when I take off points for these issues. I post my requirements on the first day of class, so that there are no excuses for not following my guidelines. However, there will always be some students who feel it is their right to write incorrectly. They may not truly understand the narrative mode issue or how to cite in APA format.
At the graduate level, it is up to students to learn these things. It is important to write in a scholarly tone. I think students should write as if their paper could be printed in a journal. It is important that students do not write in an informal tone. Some students like to insert personal anecdotes or other information that is not appropriate for the assignment or this level of work. Unless the instructor specifically states that papers may be written informally or in some other format, graduate-level students should stick to a scholarly third-person tone that is supported consistently throughout with peer-reviewed research.
There may come a time when an assigned essay involves something that the student has experienced or already has studied. For example, an assignment might be to write about a famous entrepreneur. I have many students that are fans of Steve Jobs or Oprah Winfrey. They may know everything there is to know about these people because they have followed their careers.
Many students make the mistake of writing in a storytelling-fashion, based on their own interpretation of what they think they already know. If it is a graduate-level assignment, usually citations and research are required. That means that students will need to find sources to support their writing.
I commonly I see students write something like this: I chose Oprah Winfrey because she makes me feel blah blah blah. There are several problems with this sentence. First of all, the paper should be about Oprah and not about the student. There is no need to write in first person. Unless the professor specifically stated that students should explain their feelings, the assignment should stick to what Oprah has accomplished.
Students often like to refer to their feelings in their writing. They also like to include personal anecdotes. For most of the classes that I teach, this is not appropriate.
Sometimes a student will drop me a note that states something like this: “I already know everything about this subject, so I didn’t include citations.” I understand what they mean. However, even if the student knows everything about a topic, the point of the assignment is to show what they have learned through research.
Students must get into the habit of finding solid scholarly sources to back up what they have written. Without citations, they have written opinion and not research.
There are certain expectations of higher-level students. They should be able to write in complete paragraphs that include around four to eight sentences. Students should cite consistently throughout each of those paragraphs to support major points. A strong introduction and conclusion should be included.
When students cite, it is a good idea to paraphrase those citations whenever possible. Some students try to fill space by including many long direct quotations. I have corrected papers where students had about 10% of their own information and the rest was directly quoted from another source. This is not acceptable. Some schools do not allow more than 10% directly quoted material. It is easy to copy and paste what others have written. That does not really show that the student has learned anything. It is far better to paraphrase citations to show that the information has been processed and understood.
Today’s Ask Dr. Diane: I am interested in self-publishing a book. Can you tell me about your experience with self-publishing and things you have done to market your books?
That is a good question and one that I often receive. Check out my previous posting: How to Publish or Self-Publish Your Book. I used Createspace for self-publishing. I had a great experience with them. They are affiliated with Amazon. The site offers different options based on authors’ needs. Some of those options included:
Do-it-yourself tools to design interiors and covers
Comprehensive design and editing
Expanded distribution options
I found that the company was very responsive to my questions. They took my design ideas and gave me a couple of covers to choose from based on my input.
Createspace is not limited to book publishing. They also work with musicians and filmmakers.
Once your book is published, and available on Amazon, you will then have the ability to create an Amazon author page. That author page can incorporate links from your blog. Authors also have the option of making their books available on Amazon’s Europe-based site.
There are plenty of books that can help increase your sales on Amazon’s site. One book that I thought was pretty useful was: Aiming at Amazon.
matthew feldman
5:35 pm on July 6, 2012 Permalink
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Was this a pay for posting? I have seen several paid postings for this and wonder if yours is too? Do you have a policy of telling readers when you pay for post or do you never accept pay for posting?
Even the best writers make mistakes. Some common issues include alliteration, split infinitives, and mixed metaphors. Check out a fun list of writing mistakes created by Frank Visco (VP and Senior Copywriter at USAdvertising):
Entrepreneurs face many challenges when creating a new venture. Although the business plan is one of the most well-known documents, the feasibility study may be just as important. Before the entrepreneur can seek funding, he or she must demonstrate that the idea is truly a good one.
Rochester.edu explained that a feasibility study, “can be defined as a controlled process for identifying problems and opportunities, determining objectives, describing situations, defining successful outcomes, and assessing the range of costs and benefits associated with several alternatives for solving a problem.”
In order to create a feasibility study, entrepreneurs need to define dimensions of business viability including: market viability, technical viability, business model viability, management model viability, economic and financial model viability, and exit strategy viability.
A good outline for a feasibility study includes:
Introduction
Product or Service
Technology
Market Environment
Competition
Industry
Business Model
Market and Sales Strategy
Production Operations Requirements
Management and Personnel Requirements
Regulations and Environmental Issues
Critical Risk Factors
Financial Predictions Including: Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Cash Flow Statement, Break Even Analysis, and Capital Requirements
Conclusion
A feasibility study is not the same thing as a business plan. The feasibility study would be completed prior to the business plan. The feasibility study helps determine whether an idea or business is a viable option. The business plan is developed after the business opportunity is created. StrategicBusinessTeam.com explained, “A feasibility study is carried out with the aim of finding out the workability and profitability of a business venture. Before anything is invested in a new business venture, a feasibility study is carried out to know if the business venture is worth the time, effort and resources. A feasibility study is filled with calculations, analysis and estimated projections while a business plan is made up of mostly tactics and strategies to be implemented in other to grow the business.”
While it may seem the feasibility study is similar in many ways to the business plan, it is important to keep in mind that the feasibility study is developed prior to the venture. StrategicBusinessStream pointed out that “a feasibility study can readily be converted to a business plan.” It’s important to think of the business plan in terms of growth and sustainability and the feasibility study in terms of idea viability.
If you do not know the definition of some of the words in this title, you are not alone. Although many of these things are used in every day conversation, many people may look puzzled if you ask them to define them.
Anagrams – A word, phrase, or sentence formed by rearranging the letters of another. Example: angel, formed from glean. Click here for a list of anagrams.
Euphemisms – A harmless word or phrase that may be used as a suggestive one. Example: A bun in the oven would be a euphemism for pregnant. Click here for a list of euphemisms.
Professors may assume that students understand the basics when it comes to writing college research papers. In reality, many students are frustrated by all of the requirements. There are not a lot of easy checklists that put all of the requirements into one location. The following checklist should be used as a helpful guide to help college students write a well-researched and properly presented paper.
Write in introduction/body/conclusion format
Introduction – The first paragraph introduces what will be included in the paper. It is a good idea to have the first sentence of the first paragraph include a hook to interest the reader. Students should list a few sentences that summarize the main topics that will be addressed in the paper. In this example, assume that three things will be covered based on the assignment requirements. End the introductory paragraph with the thesis statement.
Body – The body is where the three things, required for the assignment, are addressed. Students should start each paragraph with a topic sentence. Students should write a few sentences about that topic. Students should end that paragraph with a transitional sentence that leads into the next topic that will be addressed in the following paragraph. This process should be completed for all paragraphs until the last paragraph.
Conclusion – The last paragraph may begin with something like, “In conclusion”. This last paragraph will sum up the three topics addressed. The last sentence should restate the thesis statement listed in the introduction, and end with some sort of final prediction or conclusion.
Write in complete paragraphs – Paragraphs should ideally contain between 4-8 sentences. Students often make the mistake of writing in incomplete paragraphs or overly long paragraphs. Click here for more information about paragraph structure.
Avoid run-on sentences – Sentences should not be overly complex. Students should check how many times the word “and” is used. This may signal a run-on sentence.
Write in APA format – Set up papers that include a title page, double-spacing, indented paragraphs, page numbers, correctly cited sources, etc. per APA.
Research the paper through the school’s library – Students often make the mistake of researching through the use of Google or other popular search engines. Students may also make the mistake of relying on sources that are less than scholarly. Sites like Wikipedia may offer some good information but they are not considered reliable or scholarly sources for research papers. Students should use the school’s search engine, located in the online library. Students should click the box that searches for scholarly, peer-reviewed journals to ensure the sources are appropriate.
Cite consistently and correctly throughout the paper – Students often make the mistake of thinking they are story-telling when they should be demonstrating research. Students should get into the habit of paraphrasing rather than listing direct quotations. Students should avoid patchworking. Students should not make the mistake of listing references without citations. This is a common mistake. Research papers require both citations AND references. Students should also not make the mistake of simply ending a paraphrased paragraph with (author last name, year) to cite all information covered in the paragraph. This is also a common mistake and can be considered plagiarism. Every sentence of paraphrased work requires the author and year information. Click here for information about how to cite.
Submit the paper to TurnItIn – Many schools offer TurnItIn’s plagiarism checker. This is an excellent tool that is helpful to both the students and the schools. Students should get in the habit of submitting his or her papers through this software program to insure that they are not inadvertently plagiarizing information.
Check narrative mode – Many courses do not allow students to write in first person. If this is the case, students should not refer to themselves. Students should look for words like I, we, us, me. These words should not be included if the paper does not allow first person.
Check Word document format – Students often overlook the settings in the Word document. Students should be sure that the font, margins and settings are correctly set to APA requirements.
Check spelling and other miscellaneous issues – Students should read the final draft more than once. Even if everything seemed OK in the paper, it is a good idea, for students to read it several times to look for small errors. Students should check for spacing issues. Students should also check that there are two spaces after periods per APA. Students should spell-check the document to be sure all spelling issues are resolved.
Online education is growing at a pace that far exceeds general education enrollment. Because of the popularity of online learning, many traditional universities are offering online courses. Forbes recently reported that MIT will soon offer free education for everyone. With all of the online options available, students may be confused as to where to go for helpful information. There are plenty of sites available to help online students find schools, locate loans and even determine majors. What is not as readily available is information about how to be a successful online student once he or she is enrolled.
The following is the top 5 list of things that can help the new online student succeed once they have already chosen their school and major. Click on the blue links for more information about each topic:
Learn Goal Setting – Read about setting S.M.A.R.T. goals. The acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant (sometimes also Results-Based), and Timely (or Time-Bound). Students should set S.M.A.R.T. education goals. Those that neglect to do this may find that it takes them longer to graduate, while they waste time and money.
Learn Tools Offered – Most online universities offer some extremely helpful writing, editing and plagiarism-checking tools. The school’s online site may also have helpful tutorials to explain how to use the software (also known as the platform) that delivers the classroom information. Learning how to navigate in the online classroom may take a little time. However, after taking the first class, many students feel more confident in their navigating abilities.
Use the School’s Library – Students may forget that their university has an online library. It is important that students do not get in the habit of searching for information using Google, Yahoo! and other similar engines. A well-written paper is supported by peer-reviewed articles. These may be easily found using the school’s search engines located in their online library.
Learn APA – APA stands for American Psychological Association. For college students, APA refers to the format in which papers should be written. While APA may seem daunting to the new learner, there are some very useful examples of APA papers online that can help explain the requirements.
Bloggers and other writers may experience confusion as to which words should be capitalized in a title of an article. I sometimes capitalize all words so that I do not have to look up the rules. But it is good form to learn how to write correctly. The following rules apply to capitalizing titles:
Always capitalize the first as last words of the title as well as verbs, adverbs, adjectives, nouns and pronouns.
Consistently capitalize or do not capitalizeconjunctions (examples: but, for, and) or prepositions (examples: words that show a relationship between the noun/pronounce with another word – example: from, over, around, about, before, behind) with five or more letters. Older rules required no capitalization and newer rules require capitalization if words contain five letters or more. Exception: If the word is the last word or the first word in a title, then it should be capitalized.
Do not capitalize articles (example: a, an, the), prepositions (see examples above), conjunctions (see examples above) with four letters or fewer, and the particle “to” used with an infinitive (example: to do; to be). Exception: If the word is the last word or the first word in a title, then it should be capitalized.
Never have your title all in CAPITALIZED LETTERS because this is not only incorrect, it is considered yelling.
I think going for drama is OK. I’ve done that. Also . . . I make all kinds of mistakes (sometimes on purpose). I agree that blogging is more loose. I think there are those that want to know the rules though so I hope this helps. Thanks for the response. 🙂
garrymaurice 3:05 pm on October 2, 2015 Permalink |
Interesting read. I’ve just started to study language more seriously so I look forward to reading more of your stuff.
Michelle Kenny 3:18 pm on October 2, 2015 Permalink |
Hi Diane, How right you are. A friend’s friend has also written a series on grammar. Easygrammar.com
Thank you, Michelle