Week 4, Chapter 4: Revising and Proofreading

As you go about your usual business this week, keep your eyes open for errors in spelling, grammar and/or punctuation. What did you find, what is the error, what would be correct, and where did you see it? For example, last week I was at a professional development seminar. The speaker had a slide with two incorrect apostrophes in the same phrase. The phrase as written on the slide was “plaintiffs attorney’s.” Because the plaintiffs possess the attorneys and both nouns are plural, the phrase should have been written, “plaintiffs’ attorneys.” For inspiration, visit Boston’s Grammar Vigilante at http://thegrammarvandal.wordpress.com/

Week 3, Chapter 3: Improving Writing Techniques

Many people now believe that writing skills have declined in America. 1. Explain why you agree or why you disagree with that statement. 2. Give at least one example to support your view. 3. Provide suggestions for what can be done to improve writing (if you agree with the statement) or suggestions for what can be done to continue the situation (if you believe writing skills are satisfactory in America).

Note that this week’s assignment as well as those to follow will be worth a maximum of ten points: up to five points for appropriate and respectful responses that fully address the issue and up to five points for grammatical and error-free writing.

Opportunity for one bonus point: look at the Blog Evaluation Criteria in Course Information on Blackboard. Can you find the error? If so, send me an email and tell me what it is. By the way, the error wasn’t intentional. I found it when I was looking at the document to write the paragraph above. It goes to show you can never proofread too much!

Week 2, Virtual introductions

Between now and 5 p.m. Friday, January 16, enter a comment on this post. In your comment, briefly introduce yourself: your full name, your job (currently or the one you’d like in the future), your program in school, and anything else you would like your instructor and classmates to know about you. See the instructions on the right side of the screen if you are new to blogging. For this week only, you will receive five points for participation. The goal is to be sure you are registered and able to participate on this blog before the formal blogging assignments begin in Week 3 (January 19 through January 23). Once the formal assignments begin, you will be able to earn up to 10 points depending on the quality of your response. Feel free to scroll down and click on "archives" to see what other students in previous classes have written.