Let's talk about grammar (or not)

By Abby Ponder

It's a gloomy Wednesday, you're drenched from hiking up the hill in the pouring rain, and you can feel your stress levels beginning to rise with each step you take. You have a test tomorrow, a paper due the day after that, and you don't know when you're going to have time for a lunch break--next Tuesday, maybe? You're on your way into the writing center, paper clutched tightly in hand, and you just want this day to be over with.

You round the corner and walk into the room, located on the main floor of Cherry Hall, for the first time in your academic career. Perhaps you are a freshman still finding your way in this great big world of academia or perhaps you are a graduating senior who doesn't really want to be here in the first place. (You won't tell your tutors that, though, will you?) You cross over the threshold, taking in the round tables with multiple students filling them. You don't think you can even differentiate who is helping whom. They're all student, each and every one of them--like you.

"Can I help you?"

You turn your head and smile at the person sitting behind the reception desk. You think you might recognize her from one of your classes.

"Yes, I was wondering if I could meet with someone about my paper? I've heard this is where you go," you say.

The girl smiles at you.

"You've got it," she says. "The sign-in sheet is right behind you. Someone will be with you in a moment, if you want to have a seat."

You nod, reaching for the pen and paper. You fill out the necessities--name, student identification number, time of day, and course title--and then take a seat on the couch beneath the white board. As you wait, you spend your time checking your phone and trying not to guess at which student you'll be sharing your work with.

Writing is an extremely personal thing for you. You both love and loathe the process, and you can't help but feel your cheeks flush and your heart beat erratically any time someone dares to look too closely at the words you've carefully placed on paper. Sometimes you're extremely grateful that you don't have to be present as your professors read your assignments--the red pen is bad enough. Sometimes there's a little and sometimes there's a lot, but either way it breaks your heart.

Sometimes, more often than not, you think, you can't even bring yourself to read the tightly scrawled notes.

"Are you ready to get started?" you hear. Your head snaps up, eyes falling on the speaker.

You nod at this person who must be your tutor and follow her to one of the round tables in the corner of the room. You can't help but note that you have a rather nice view out the window from where you're now seated. The cherry blossoms are dancing in the wind, the skies beginning to cloud with another April shower. It's almost calming in a way--the calm before the storm. You wish you hadn't forgotten your umbrella, though.

"So, what can I help you with?" the tutor asks.

"Grammar," you say immediately. Grammar has always been your weakness, the biggest drain on your confidence. If you could only make it go away, eschew all the rules, then you would be more than happy to. Unfortunately, your professors, it seems, disagree with that philosophy.

The girl sitting beside you nods, picking up a purple pen and uncapping it.

"Mhm," she says. "What is your assignment about? What class is it for?"

You launch into your explanation of the assignment: what it is, whom it's for, and all the problems you've been having with it. You don't like your thesis at all, and you're not feeling confident about the third paragraph, but you really like the way you bring out this one point in paragraph five.

You tell her all of this, watching a smile spread across her face.

"Okay," she says. "Let's start with that thesis statement then."

The next half an hour passes by rather quickly. Together you read through your paper, catching errors and inaccuracies on occasion, but also finding strong textual analysis and well-written content. It's not a perfect draft, but it doesn't have to be: it is a first draft, after all.

When the minute hand eventually signals the conclusion of the session, you're feeling good about your paper. There were some hiccups along the way--that's life--but you leave feeling more confident about your paper than you did before you walked through the door a half hour ago.

Two weeks later finds you in the writing center again. This time, you work with a different tutor--one who is just as nice and helpful as your tutor before. For this paper, you don't even have a draft written yet, just an idea that's beginning to blossom in your head. You tell your tutor as much, and he nods encouragingly.

"We can work with that," he says with a laugh.

Together your chart the trajectory of your paper, filling in a blank outline with your words and ideas. It's more than just going through the motions, you think: it's progress.

When you leave this appointment, you have another scheduled a few days down the line.

"Come back whenever you're ready," your tutor tells you. "We're happy to look at another draft with you."

And you do.

The Writing Center at WKU offers support for all students who are enrolled at the university. We offer services in two respective locations, Cherry Hall 123 and the Commons at Cravens Library, as well as online appointments for students attending WKU's regional campuses or exclusively taking online courses.

Contrary to some misconceptions, the Writing Center isn't simply an editing service. Instead, we work with students to help them improve their overall writing abilities, not just a singular paper. We're there for you at any stage in the writing process, whether you're brainstorming or looking at a final draft.

Fun and Helpful Links: Finals Edition

By Abby Ponder

It's both terrifying and exciting, but the semester is slowly but surely beginning to come to a close.

We're almost there...

...but so are those paper deadlines.

Stay calm, though. We'll get through this.

We've compiled a handy dandy list of links to help get you through this trying time. (Really, though, we have faith in you.)

1. You need to outline your paper and don't know where to start? Here's an earlier post that covers just that! 
2. You've got the topic, the outline is finished, but you can't seem to get in the writing zone. So, time to find a new writing place! 
3. But if you're still struggling with procrastination, we've got just the post for you. 
4. Research is a critical component in an academic paper, so make sure to utilize the WKU Libraries. 
5. You've finally written that paper and now you need to edit it, so check out our post that offers some suggestions on that very topic. 
6. You need to cite your paper? The Purdue Owl is a fantastic resource for checking on the various citation styles, specifically MLA, APA, and Chicago. 
7. You've turned the paper in and are dealing with professor or peer feedback. Now what? 

And don't forget, the WKU Writing Center is here with you every step of the way. To schedule an appointment, give us a call at (270) 745-5719 or shoot us an email at writingcenter@wku.edu. You can also stop by and see us in our Cherry Hall location (Cherry 123) from 9-4 or at the reference desk in the Commons from 4-9.

So, remember:

Photo credit to this tumblr account that also highlights some additional stress release tips for finals week. 

Happy Writing! 

"Red, the blood of angry pens; black, the marks of mistakes past..."

by Abby Ponder 

For almost all writers, editing is a fundamental aspect of the writing process. Without it, mistakes can be glossed over and points can remain unrefined. And while in a lot of cases editing is no one's idea of a good time, it certainly doesn't have to be the nightmare most people make it out to be.

Whenever I'm writing, my first draft is, to put it rather bluntly, a bit rough. Actually, it's more than a bit; it's generally so rough that I almost always refuse to let anyone else even glance at it. My first draft is usually a compilation of various outlines (a step outlined in a recent post) that have been tossed together into an assortment of paragraphs that are usually long and rambling with very little cohesion. It's something resembling a paper, but it's not there yet. Like I said, these initial drafts are rough--but that's okay.

Anne Lamott, most known for her novel Bird by Bird which highlights tips for successful writers of all genres, has a chapter in the aforementioned novel called "Shitty First Drafts." In the chapter, Lamott explains that a first draft is just that: a first draft. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it is a starting point. The whole point of the first draft is to get words and ideas on paper, after all, and that is almost always the hardest part of writing: you have all these fantastic ideas, but you might not have a specific place to start or a way to tie them all together. However, between the help of your outline and your "shitty first draft," you'll begin to have an idea come together and slowly but surely that idea will begin to blossom.

So, after you've written that first draft, some people write another one... and then maybe another one after that. I know that I usually go through several drafts before I am finally satisfied.

My British Fantasy Literature paper rocking some Les Miserables lyrics, as one naturally does. 

For example, I took a class last fall where I had to write a paper breaking down the concept of love in works of British Fantasy Literature. (Harry Potter was, unsurprisingly, incorporated into this assignment.) However, even though I intimately knew the subject matter, there were still a number of changes that needed to be made. A friend of mine helped me to put the editing process in perspective, made me take a step back and laugh at it, and the break from the seriousness was a tremendous help. 

Editing, in my experience, is mostly about taking that step back and examining what the words staring back at you are trying to say. It's akin to reading another person: they're trying to say something, but it is up to you to decipher the meaning. 

There are two things that I have found incredibly helpful in the editing process: (1) printing off the paper, and (2) reading it out loud. 

While it is easy enough to edit a paper on the computer (and, admittedly, it does save some on printing costs), there is something about editing a paper on, well, paper that makes a huge difference. People tend to be more inclined to skim when reading online, and consequently it can be very easy to skip over the small mistakes--especially when you're not on the hunt for a misplaced pronoun or a comma splice. When you print the paper out and literally put pen to paper, you'll be surprised at how many things you see. And, like with my paper above, there is a sense of accomplishment that comes from seeing a marked up paper. Sure, it means you still have a ways to go, but it also symbolizes progress, and progress is never a bad thing.

Next, reading the text to yourself (or another person) can alter your perception of the words. Reading aloud forces you to interact with the paper and actively think about both the content and the style. Additionally, most people have a tendency to catch any misplaced words or confusing phrases when they're hearing or speaking them. What sounds good in your head may not always work out loud, and this step can do a lot in terms of drawing attention to that. 

Just make sure that whenever it seems like too much, and you feel as though you can't make sense of the words anymore, take a break. Sometimes you need to give your brain some room to breath, and then you can come back ready to get back to work. 

Comic by Debbie Ohi. 

When you feel like you're finished, though, or even if you're stumped along the way, don't forget to utilize the WKU Writing Center. While we are not an editing service, we will help walk you through any bumps in the road you may be having. Sometimes it's nice to have a second opinion on things, too. 

As always, you can schedule an appointment by clicking here and selecting a time that works well for you. We are also available for drop-in appointments, but those function under a first come, first serve basis.

Happy Writing! 

Verb Tenses

Lately, many tutors in the Writing Center have noticed students coming in with papers that display issues with verb tense. In this post, I will go over the basic verb tenses and how and when to use each.

There are six basic tenses in English, but only past and present require a change to the spelling of the verb. The others add a word or words (auxiliaries) to create the desired tense. The six tenses are simple present, present perfect, simple past, past perfect, future, and future perfect.

Simple Present
Verb: to walk

• I walk.
• You walk.
• He/she/it walks.
• We walk.
• They walk.

Simple present is the most basic verb tense. It is used to describe something that is happening in the present, i.e. right now. Note the difference in the conjugation for he, she, and it. Instead of "walk," the verb is "walks." This is because "he, she, and it" are in the singular form, while "they," for instance, is plural.

Present Perfect
Verb: to jump

• I have jumped.
• You have jumped.
• He/she/it has jumped.
• We have jumped.
• They have jumped.

The present perfect tense is used to describe completed actions that have consequences in the present. While the jump in the examples happened in the past, something about them is affecting the present state of the speaker. Again, note the singular form for he, she, and it.

Simple Past
Verb: to talk

• I talked.
• You talked.
• He/she/it talked.
• We talked.
• They talked.

 The simple past is the basic form of past tense. It is used to describe something that was completed in the past and is not happening now. Conjugations are the same for all subjects.

Past Perfect
Verb: to wash

• I had washed.
• You had washed.
• He/she/it had washed.
• We had washed.
• They had washed.

The past perfect tense is used when describing an event in the past that happened before other events in the past, as in I had woken up just before my alarm went off. Conjugations are the same for all subjects.

Future
Verb: to go

• I will go.
• You will go.
• He/she/it will go.
• We will go.
• They will go.

The future tense is used to describe something that has not happened but will happen in the future. In the examples, the subjects have not gone yet, but they are planning to go. Conjugations are the same for all subjects.

Future Perfect
Verb: to see

• I will have seen.
• You will have seen.
• He/she/it will have seen.
• We will have seen.
• They will have seen.

The future perfect tense is used to describe something that will have happened by a certain time or point in the future, as in I will have seen the Great Wall of China by the time I am old. Conjugations are the same for all subjects.

In academic writing, it is important to remember when to use each tense. Present tenses are used to describe events that are currently happening, while past tenses are used to describe events that have already happened and future tenses are used to describe events that are going to happen. In most academic work, it is important to remain consistent in your verb tense throughout the paper, usually sticking to either all past or all present tense. However, it is acceptable to interchange the tenses when speaking about separate events that happened in either the past or the present--it is not acceptable, though, to change the tense within the same sentence. It is also important to remember that when writing about literature, you must always refer to the events of the text in the present tense. This is because those events will still be taking place in the text any time the reader looks at it. Those events never end because the text is in a constant state of existence.

We hope this helps clear up any confusion about verb tenses, but if you ave any questions, please stop by and see us in the Writing Center. We would be more than happy to assist you. You can also visit the "verb tenses" link in the first paragraph for more help.

Happy First Day of Spring!

--Sarah

Grammar, Grammar, Grammar!

Happy Sunday everyone!

One of the biggest things we're always getting asked about at the Writing Center is grammar.  This should surprise absolutely no one, since English grammar is pounded into our brains from the moment we step into kindergarten until...well, to be honest, people will never stop hounding us about our grammar.

If your first language is English, you're lucky enough to have what's called "native speaker intuition," meaning you can spot and hear major grammatical mistakes, often without being able to explain WHY you know it's wrong.  However, this doesn't often cross over to smaller grammatical aspects, such as homophones, punctuation, and verb tense.  If English isn't your first language, well, you're learning with the rest of us!

But let's get real here, you say, when does knowing the difference between affect and effect become obvious in a conversation between two friends?  When is your mom going to notice if you don't put a semicolon between two independent-but-tightly-related-like-that-one-annoying-couple-you-know clauses?  The quick answer: it won't!

And yet, we've all got that friend who corrects grammar on Facebook.  We all had that eighth grade teacher who drilled subject-verb agreement into our heads.  So what's the big deal?

It's easy to believe that grammar doesn't matter at all, but it's not a very practical opinion.  English, like every other language, has grammatical structures that are unique and essential to it.  These grammatical structures mean the difference between saying something like "I ate dinner with my dog," to "I ate my dog with dinner."  (Sorry Fido!)

Although it may seem easy to write off ALL grammar, the fact of the matter is, you need grammar to communicate.  Sure, it might still be readable if you use the wrong form of a word, but it will take away from your meaning.  And less meaning means less effectiveness.  And, in the end, less effectiveness may tell some readers that you are less intelligent, less worthy, less important.

THIS IS NOT THE CASE.  

You are a intelligent individual, regardless of your educational training, and you should be able to use whatever language is needed to make a strong and effective point in any situation.  It's easy to think of grammar as a punishment, but try thinking of it as a tool instead.  When having a debate on Facebook with a friend, your grammar doesn't matter, but your content does.  However, in academic writing, both are equally important.  Your content may be fresh and powerful, but if your delivery lacks, readers may be confused or even turned off by your paper.

This isn't just an English skill.  You will have to write papers for every aspect of your life.  You will apply for things, you will write romantic/funny/friendly things, you will NEED to have the skills that will allow you to pound out a few amazing and effective sentences on a page instead of a mash of text speak.  Sometimes text speak is amazing.  Sometimes it's not.  That's just a fact of our lives.  So, learning grammatical points and knowing which situations to use them in is a key skill to developing yourself not just as a writer, but also as an individual.

With this in mind, I recommend Grammar Girl's wide array of grammatical lessons.

Mignon (like the filet, but much funnier) publishes tips and tricks under a wide variety of methods.  She has a blog, she has a podcast, she has an APPLE IPOD APP (how cool is that?!).  She is here to help you, not to preach a rule or slap your hand with a ruler.  Her topics range from homophone usage to comma splices to silly English idioms and where they come from.

Grammar Girl (and the WKU Writing Center) are here to help you kick grammar's butt!  Take advantage of that!

--Teresa  

Punctuation: remember the marks!

There are days when I thank all that's good that we don't have to use punctuation when we speak out loud.  However, these little annoying marks seem to be the only thing that keeps order in our written language.  They're our bread and butter.  I've come to embrace them.  But there are so many, and their rules can get complicated.  So ... what's the best way to approach the stuff?

Use humor to remember them.  There's funny stuff all over the internet that can help you remember the basics.  Thanks to "The Oatmeal" (a beautiful website that's already been referenced once in this article) and other funny internet sources, I've put a few pics up here for everyone to see.  There are three punctuation marks discussed below: the apostrophe, the comma (in its Oxford comma use), and the semicolon. 

Of course, these examples aren't all that the apostrophe, comma, and semicolon can do, but they're excellent examples of fun ways to jog the memory concerning punctuation.  Good punctuation is crucial to making good papers.  If you're ever in doubt about a mark, don't be afraid to look up what it does.  Learning punctuation is always a continual process; even professionals screw it up sometimes.  And, if you have to, find funny ways like these to remember how they work. 

- Amanda

Fun and Helpful Grammar Links

I could have focused on one site in particular, but I found several that I like and think are beneficial for writing. 

Everyone thinks their grammar is terrible.  The thing is, we learn things in elementary school and they don't necessarily stay in our head.  So here are some helpful links for you are having grammar problems.

Quick and Dirty Grammar Tips

Lousy Writer

English Grammar.Org

Creative Teaching - Humor and Grammar

You Tube Preposition Video - This is a song of the prepositions, alphabetized and sung to the tune of "The Mickey Mouse Club March."  You'll never forget which words are prepositions again!

Conjunction Junction You Tube - I had to bring back some Schoolhouse Rock!  This video is not only informative, but if you grew up watching Schoolhouse Rock, it brings back memories.

Hope these links help!  Enjoy!

- Kayla

Helpful Resources: Grammar/Writing Quizzes

I have recently discovered a very useful website for anyone wishing to improve their grammar or writing skills. The link that follows leads to a direct page with interactive grammar and writing quizzes. The site not only allows you to take the quizzes to test your knowledge, but it directly explains the errors made and why the answer was correct or incorrect. The website was created by very reputable sources, and has contributions from textbooks, various professors of English across the nation, and specifically, Professor Karyn Hollis's Tutor Training course at Villanova University. The quizzes address several grammar issues, including pronoun usage, clauses and phrases, structural flaws, etc. However, there are also quizzes regarding spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, stylistic considerations, etc. One of the greatest aspects of this page is that at the top of it, there is a drop-box where you can select from over fifty grammar and writing rules or receive assistance with unfamiliar terms. After clicking on the specific area you need help with, you will be redirected to a page that explains the grammar term, punctuation, or writing-specific aspect, and the page will have a definition, explanation, and links to quizzes.  

Here is the link to this wonderful resource:
Guide to Grammar and Writing: Interactive Quizzes

Happy learning!
-Bethany