Monday, November 16, 2009

Lecture 10: Spelling and Proofreading

"In order to proofread effectively, how- ever, one must suspend this anticipation [to read sense]. Rather than looking at just a few words on each line, as an efficient reader does, good proofreaders force themselves to attend to the text closely and deliberately-looking specifically at each word and mark of punctuation, carefully noting not only what is there but also what is not there. Proofreading is thus not only a writing skill, it is also a reading skill. Ironically, it is a reading skill that involves a deliberate effort to counteract the "normal" process of reading. Unless a student understands this necessary modification of her normal reading process, she will continue to read rather than proofread."

Quote from: "Proofreading: A Reading/Writing Skill" by Jeanette Harris
College Composition and Communication, 38. 4 (Dec., 1987): 464-466
Published by: National Council of Teachers of English
Read the article here: http://www.jstor.org/stable/357642

Today we will be doing the proofreading exercise (worth 10%) so the lesson will give you two practise opportunities before writing the *real* thing.

We'll begin today's lesson with a review of commonly misspelt words (see Chapter 24 in Correct Writing) and then move on to our proofreading practise. Things to look out for when proofreading:
  • spelling
  • punctuation
  • sentence fragments
  • run-on sentences
  • verb tense
  • subject-verb agreement

The video we'll be watching and "live-blogging" as part of our proofreading practise:




The second proofreading practise requires you to correct errors in this text:




Remember, as Harris notes, "...proofreading, like other reading/writing skills, is neither simple nor mechanical. It is, in fact, a highly developed verbal skill that involves competence in both reading and writing."


*****Homework*****
Essay due next week
Read Chapter 14 and Chapter 15 in Correct Writing

20 comments:

  1. There are many ways that one can become a better student. MacEwan University students are not an exception to this fact. By learning to read and write more effectively, one will improve their likelihood of success in their program, by developing their existing skills to a point that is at a level of competency required to do so.

    In a university classroom setting, students are able to improve their abilities more than in an isolated one. By recruiting the support of peers, one is able to learn in a collective environment that enhances the overall quality of the experience.

    Apart from basic academic success, students with poor writing skills should make an honest effort to improve their communicative methods. This contributes greatly to their image as a student and will serve them well in completing all of their assignments.

    The fundamental aspects of self-improvement are organization and dedication. It may not seem easy at first, but with the right tactics, it will come progressively over time.

    ReplyDelete
  2. There are many ways a person can become a better student. MacEwan University students are not an exception to this idea. Students can learn to be more effective readers, write better sounding essays, and organize themselves better.
    Students may improve their reading abilities. This means that he/she can go to friends to help them improve their reading ability. A student may then use their friend's way of reading to see if it works better for them. Examples of ways to improve one's reading comprehension would be to highlight important passages, or circle words they are unfamiliar with. These things may help improvement.
    A poor writer should attempt to learn how to write better. This can help a student's grade and improve their chances of passing. An example of this could be writing "I am smart" and being definite, instead of writing "I think I might be smart", which is weak and indecisive. These things go a long way to improving a student's writing.
    It is also important to be organized, like using a calendar, marking important dates and times for tests and assignments.
    In summary, it is important to read properly, write strongly and be organized. This will help students pass with exceptional marks.

    Caleb C

    ReplyDelete
  3. There are many ways a person can become a better student. Grant MacEwan University Students are no exception to this rule. A student can learn to read critically, write more effectively, and become more organized in their studies.
    It may be beneficial for students to exchange ideas on study methods with their peers. Students may find that simple practices such as highlighting and underlining key points may be effective ways to retain information.
    It is crucial for all students to learn to write clearly. A common error made my many students is to use far too many words to express a simple thought in an essay. Expressing one's thoughts clearly and concisely is crucial in order to achieve high grades in any subject.
    Finally, students must remember to keep their schedules organized. Scheduling themselves time to study and write, as well as writing assignment due-dates will ensure that homework is not forgotten about.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Proofreading Exercise

    There are many ways a person can become a better student. Grant MacEwan University students are not an exception. Any student can learn to read and write better. Any student can learn how to organize their life.

    One way for students to learn to read better is to ask their friends for help. By asking for help the reader can read while the listener points out ways in which they could read better. Then the reader and listener can try to imitate each others reading styles.

    Cleaning up one’s writing such as using one word instead of two or three can add to craft of one’s work. Even the “bad” writer can learn to improve their skills by paying attention to their work; editing out nonsense.

    If a student wishes to organize their life they should use a calendar to keep track of important dates, this way assignments are handed in on time.

    I am done this essay. Read, write, organize, that is the way to becoming a better student.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Proofreading Practise

    There are many ways that a person can be a better student, and those at MacEwan University are no exception to this. A student can learn to read more effectively, write better, and organize him/herself better.

    First of all, a student can learn to read more effectively. He/she can try to do this by asking a friend, or friends, to help with the way they read. The students can then try to use the suggestions given. Some ideas that can help include: highlighting important parts of the literature he/she is reading to make summarizing quicker and/or circling words that he/she does not know.

    Additionally, someone who struggles with writing should always try his/her best to make his/her writing sound better. This will help a student to get better grades and hopefully pass. For example, it should be written "I am smart" instead of "I think maybe I have well good intelligence."

    Finally, a student can help to organize him/herself better by using a calendar and writing down the important dates. This way the student can be sure to hand in assignments on time.

    In conclusion, reading, writing, and organizing are the ways to be a better student.

    ReplyDelete
  6. There are many ways a person can be a better student. At MacEwan University, students are not an exception to this principle. A student can learn to write with more skill, and organize themselves better.

    In addition to this, students can read more effectively than before. This means that they can ask a friend to help with them accomplish this goal. For example, the students can highlight important parts of their reading material. This helps the student search for information much faster. Instead of highlighting, the student can also circle important words.

    A bad writer should, at least, make an effort to write in a way that sounds good to the ear. This is an excellent way to get better grades. "I am smart." Is a much better sentence than, "Maybe I am intelligent." Students who write clearly, pass their courses.

    A good way to organize oneself, is to use a calendar. Write on the calendar when assignments are due. This way students won't forget to hand things in on time.

    In conclusion, students can improve their grades. They just need to remember to improve their reading skills, their writing skills, and to organize effectively. This is the way to be a successful student.

    ReplyDelete
  7. There are many ways a teacher can produce better students. Grant MacEwan University students are not an exception to this rule. Students can learn to read more efficiently, write better sounding sentences and organize their writing so it is clearer without much effort.

    In addition, a student is able to read more effectively after they have received help from a friend. It is wise to use your friends as resources in your learning. For example, they can highlight important passages and words that will make it easier for you to locate them later when you are reviewing your books. If you want to focus more on spelling, you should circle words you don’t know and then look them up in a dictionary. It is very beneficial to memory retention.

    A student who knows they have trouble writing should focus more on making their work sound good, as this will assist them in achieving a higher grade. For example if you were to write, “I am smart” as a sentence, it would sound better to readers if you wrote, “ I have a higher intelligence level than the next fellow.” Teachers will notice this effort and it will help the student pass his class.

    Above all, you need to organize your writing, use a calendar and be sure to mark down dates and times on all of your work. I have now finished this essay. Remember- read, write and organize. This is the way to success.

    ReplyDelete
  8. There are many ways for a person to become a better student, including university students. If a person can learn to read more effectively, improve their writing skills and organize themselves properly, their grades will improve.

    To improve reading skills, a student can ask a friend to show them ways he/she can improve. If that does not work, the student can also highlight important parts of sentences or circle words they do not know.

    If the person is a bad writer, they should try to improve the quality of their writing in order to achieving passing grades. Having confidence in assignments shows.

    The key to improving grades to organize effectively. For example, use a calendar to mark down due dates so assignments are handed in on time.

    There are three tools to success: reading, writing and organizing. Once a student masters these concepts, there is no reason why they cannot succeed.

    ReplyDelete
  9. There are many ways in which a person can behave better as a student. MacEwan University students are no exception to this rule. A student can learn to read more effectively, write better sounding, and organize himself better.
    In addition, students can read more effectively than ever before. This means that they can ask their friends for help in their reading skills. After acquiring hints from their friends, they are free to use them in their own writing. For example, students can highlight important tips that will assist them in a timely manner. Another hint is to circle words that they are not sure of. These hints will help immensely.
    People who are not great at writing are able to find help. They have all the resources to help them; however, they must learn to utilize the help provided for them. Students will earn better grades if they use the help that is available to them. Sometimes, using a simpler form will help a student to understand the actual meaning of a sentence.
    The first step is to organize yourself better. Using a calendar may help to write down dates where assignments are due.
    In conclusion, you must read, write and organize to become a better writer.

    ReplyDelete
  10. There are many ways a person can be a better student. MacEwan University students are no exception to this. Students can learn to read more effectively, write more coherently, and organize themselves better.

    In addition, a student can read more effectively than before. This means that he/she can ask a friend or friends to help him/her to read. The students can then try their friends' way. For example, the student can highlight important parts of the reading, which can help him find things more easily. Circling words that they are unfamiliar with can also help.

    Consequently, a person who is a bad writer can, and should, try to be a better writer. This will help a student get better marks. For example, write "I am smart," rather than "I think I am intelligent." This helps the student pass.

    Firstly, the student could be more organised, use a calendar, keep track of dates, and submit work on time.

    I am finished this essay. Reading, writing, and organizing is the way.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  12. There are many ways that a person can be a better student; Macewan University students are not excepted from this notion. A student can learn how to read, write,and organize him or herself more effectively.
    In addition, a student can improve his or her reading skills by asking a friend for insight. One idea is to ask someone to highlight important ideas within a text, and to circle unimportant words or ideas. Practises such as these can be extremely beneficial.
    Consequently, the less advanced writer should try to improve his or her skills by writing with simplicity and clarity. writing "I am smart," is more effective that writing "I think maybe I have well good intelligence."
    It is also helpful to use a calendar, and mark down important dates and grades.

    ReplyDelete
  13. There are many ways a person can behave as a better student. MacEwan University students are no exception to this concept. A student can learn to read more effectively, write with more sophistication, and organize their thoughts better.

    Firstly, a student can read more effectively than before. This means that they can ask a friend or friends of theirs for help with the way in which one reads. Upon asking, the student can attempt the advice from the friends. For example, students can highlight or circle important facts in order for them to find the information with more ease.

    Secondly, the student who has difficulty with writing can and should try to at least attempt to make the writing flow easier. This will help a student to improve their writing and not have to resort to “just passing.” For example one can write, “I am smart,” instead of “I think, maybe, I have well good intelligence.” This is just one example to help a student do well in their classes.

    Lastly, a student should learn to organize himself or herself better. This can be done with the use of a calendar to jot down important dates in order to give assignments back on time.

    Adequate reading, careful writing, and effective organization are the tools a MacEwan student needs to achieve success.

    ReplyDelete
  14. There are many ways that people can become better students, and MacEwan University students are no exception. Students can learn to read more effectively, improve their writing, and better organize themselves.

    Students can learn to read more carefully. To do this, they might ask friend about their reading strategies, and learn from them. A student could highlight the important parts of a reading to help him quickly find important information. Another tactic is to circle words that they are unfamiliar with. All of these things can help to improve reading skills.

    Students with low writing skills should try to use the language properly and make word choices to make their writing sound professional and concise. They could say, “I am smart”, rather than “I think maybe that I have good intelligence”. This can help students achieve higher grades.

    Another way to become a better student is to become more organized. Using a calendar and keeping track of due dates and appointments can make a world of difference.

    If students can improve upon these three simple skills- reading, writing and organization-, they can become more successful students.

    ReplyDelete
  15. There are many ways a person can behave to be a better student. Macewan University students are not the exception to this. A student can learn to read more effectively, write more soundly, and organize himself or herself better.

    In addition, students can read more carefully than before. This means that he/she can be asked to help a friend or friends with the way they read. After the students can try their own way. For example, the students can highlight important parts of the thing that helps them look quickly for certain things. There are other ways, such as circling words that you don't know. These things can be helpful.

    Consequently, the person who is a poor writer can, and should try to make his writing legible. This will help the student get better marks and passing is better than failing. For example, write "I am smart, instead of I think maybe I have well good intelligence." This does help the student pass.

    Firstly, one needs to organize himself or herself better. Use a calender, put down dates and make sure to hand in assignments on time.

    This is the end of my essay on organizing and writing more efficiently and I believe it will be most beneficial.

    ReplyDelete
  16. There are many ways a person can become a better student. Grant MacEwan University students are no exception to this. Some areas students can improve in are learning to read more effectively, writing better prose, and organizing themselves better.

    One way a student can improve their reading is to work with a friend or group of friends. This will allow the student to see what strategies their friends use for understanding difficult text. For example, students can learn to highlight important parts of speech in a sentence that will help them quickly identify the subject and verb. The student can also circle words that they don’t know.

    Students who are bad writers should try to keep their writing simple in order to ensure that it is clear. For example, writing simply “I am smart” rather than “I think maybe I have well good intelligence” is preferable as the first phrase is clear and concise.

    Lastly, in order to perform better, a student should stay organized. Using a calendar to write down due dates of assignments is one key strategy that will ensure marks aren’t docked for being late.

    Employing strategies to improve a student’s reading and writing, as well as getting and staying organized, will increase his or her performance.

    ReplyDelete
  17. There are many ways a person can learn to behave as a better student. MacEwan University students are no exception to this. Students can learn to read more effectively, write better sounding work and improve on organizational skills.

    In addition to improving these skills students can also learn to read more effectively. Students can relay these reading skills to their friends by helping them with the way they read. For example, the student may highlight important parts of the reading that are the most significant to his or her studies. Another helpful hint the student could give is to circle words that are unfamiliar. These habits provide great help to students.

    Consequently, those who are having a hard time writing should try to make their writing sound more intelligent. This will help the student get a passing grade. For example, one should write, “I am Smart,” instead of, “I think maybe that I have good intelligence.” Attention to grammar will help to get that passing grade.

    In order to organize more effectively use a calendar and write down important dates that assignments are due on.

    I am done this essay. Reading, writing and organizing are key to success.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Proofreading Practise

    There are many ways a person can become a better student. MacEwan University students can easily take advantage of the many available methods to become more effective readers, better writers, and just generally more organized.

    Firstly, to become a more effective reader students can ask friends for advise and utilize the suggestions given. For example, a friend may say that highlighting important parts of a text can help the reader find information quickly, or that circling words they don't know helps them understand their readings more. Trying out all the suggestions given by friends can help students develop their own perfect method for effective reading.

    Secondly, students who need improvements in their writing should make sure their work flows and sounds good even if the content is not what was required. A student will gain points for style and composition and when it comes down to it passing is better than failing completely. For example, writing "I am smart" is much better than "I think, maybe, I have good intelligence." Using tricks like this can help students pass their classes even if they aren't achieving high marks.

    Lastly, a great way to become a better student is to organize themselves better. Using a calendar to keep track of dates, marks, and assignments can significantly improve a students performance at school.

    In conclusion, reading, writing and organizing more efficiently are three ways that can help all people become better students.

    ReplyDelete
  19. There are many ways a person can become a better student. MacEwan University students are not an exception. A student can learn to be a more effective reader, write better sounding essays, and organise themselves better.

    Students can read effectively than before. This means that they can ask friends to help them with the way they read. They can then try their friend's way. For example, a student can highlight words they are unfamiliar with. These things may help the student improve.

    A poor writer should attempt to learn how to write better. This can improve a student's grade and chances of passing. For example, write "I am smart" instead of writing "I think I am smart".

    It is also important to be organised. Use a calendar. Mark important dates and times.
    In summary, it is important to read accurately, write well and be organised. This will help students pass.

    ReplyDelete