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Writing with Sentence Variety

by Stephanie Anderson

In order to bring a paper to the next level, the paper must contain sentence variety. Sentence variety means using a variety of sentence patterns, lengths, and rhythms. This makes writing flow better. Some ways to create sentence variety include combining sentences, transitions, beginning with an adverb, and beginning with a prepositional phrase.

Keep reading for more tips!

The first way to create sentence variety would be to combine sentences. Too many simple sentences can make your writing seem choppy. One way to combine the sentences is to use a verb ending in –ing. For example, you can combine the following two sentences into one:

“He studied all night. He passed the exam.”

“Having studied all night, he passed the exam.”

The second way to combine two simple sentences would be to use a verb ending in an –ed verb. An example of this would be instead of having the two sentences:

“The child ran through the house hollering. The child was excited about her gift.” “Excited by her gift, the child ran through the house hollering.”

Transitions, adverbs, and prepositional phrases can all be used in addition to combined sentences to create sentence variety. Transitions are another great way to create sentence variety. Some examples of transitions include: after that, however, furthermore, and in addition. Adverbs work great for creating for sentence variety. Luckily, unfortunately, and interestingly are all adverbs that could be used to create sentence variety in your writing. Beginning a sentence with a prepositional phrase can create sentence variety in an interesting way. Some prepositional phrases are in the morning, at lunchtime, and under the desk.

Sentence variety can create a more advanced paper and improve your writing level. Combining sentences, adding transitions, using adverbs and prepositional phrases to begin your sentences are all great and simple ways to create sentences.

 BIO: Stephanie is a sophomore working towards getting a dual degree in Fashion Merchandising & Management and Psychology. This is her first semester being a writing tutor.

 Sources:

Herring, D. (n.d.). Sentence Variety [PPT]. Brenham: Brenham Writing Room.

 Weber, R., & Brizee, A. (2013, March 1). Purdue OWL: Strategies for Variation. Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/573/01/

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Elements of a Strong Thesis Statement

by Grace Shapiro

Thesis statements are an important part of any paper. Whether you are a new writer or an experienced one, a thesis statement can make or break an essay. In one sentence, a thesis statement should be able to explain and define what the paper is going to be about, and make an arguable claim.

It is important that the reader understands your viewpoint. It is also important that you are able to defend and have evidence to support your thesis.

For example, it is not enough to state that "It is important to eat healthy." To support your argument and to make a claim, a stronger thesis statement would be, "It is important to eat healthy because it gives your body the energy, nutrients, and strength it needs to function properly.” This statement makes an argument, and has reasons to support the writer's viewpoint.

Another important aspect that a thesis should have is to be direct, and clearly define the content of the entire paper. A thesis statement should inform the reader about the content that is going to be covered in the paper. Every paragraph in the paper should support the thesis. By stating the thesis and the evidence to support the thesis, the reader knows what order of information the paper is going to follow.

For example, read the thesis statement, "It is important to eat healthy, because it gives your body the energy, nutrients, and strength it needs to function properly."

From this thesis, the reader will know that the paper will first address energy, continue on to nutrients, and then strength, in that order. A thesis statement is the summary of your paper in one sentence, and its goal is to make a reader interested in what you have to say.

  References

·        Purdue Online Writing Lab; 2016; https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/

·        Forward Thinking, October 23, 2015; Three Things You Need to Write the Perfect Thesis; http://forwardthinking.ashford.edu/3-things-need-write-perfect-thesis/

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More Business Writing Tips

by Ashley Walbridge

People may think that business majors don’t do a lot of writing. This couldn’t be more false. Written communication is huge in college and in the workplace; however, business writing is a little different than other forms. Whether you are writing for a class or for your future boss, here are some tips to keep your business writing clean and concise.

 1.      Know your audience: Sending an email to a colleague, writing a document for your boss, and preparing an essay for your professor are completely different things. Make sure you know when to be formal because it can make worlds of a difference.

2.      Formatting: If you are in a business related class, chances are you will be writing in APA format. Use Purdue Owl for any formatting help!

3.      Sources: It is extremely important to use scholarly sources. There is nothing more unprofessional than having your professor see Wikipedia on your reference page.

4.      Cut to the chase: Writing a business paper is not anything like a creative writing paper. There is no need for the fluff. Plan out what you are going to say in an outline to give you some direction. Also, make sure you support your points with facts and statistics to make valid arguments.

5.      Proofread: Always proofread before submitting your paper! This cannot be stressed enough. You don’t want to lose points because of spelling and grammar mistakes. You can have an A+ idea, but mediocre grammar and spelling can seriously affect your grade.

 I hope these tips help all of you business majors out there to perfect your papers!

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Online Writing Resources

Compiled by Jess Bylund

Many professors look at grammar as part of the final grade on a paper. Here are some great websites to check if you have a question about grammar or if you are just looking to improve your skills:

           1. http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl

           2. http://www.writingforward.com/

           3. http://www.grammarbook.com/

           4. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/

Jess is a senior at Southern New Hampshire University and will be getting her B.A. in Psychology with concentrations in child and adolescent development and mental health with a minor in sociology.

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Reflection Time: School of Education Version

by Emily Paquin

Unlike many other majors, education is extremely hands on and full of critical thinking opportunities. While many of my friends have had to absorb information and study for tests, I have had to write many papers and reflections. Sometimes, professors do not give specific formats for reflections, because our opinions and our voices are the most important aspect. While taking education classes, you will encounter many of the two most common types: interviews and regular classroom observations.

Keep reading for more detail!

Interviews are sometimes assigned by teachers, but they can also be used as an alternative to observing a classroom.  When reflecting on an interview experience, I keep three topics in mind.

First, I start with the necessary information. Who did I interview? What do they teach? Where do they teach?

Next, I like to discuss the interview itself, the important questions, and the topics that we together found extremely important to a child’s education.

Lastly, I reflect on the information I obtained during the interview. I mention ways that the person I interviewed has experienced different situations, or how I feel about the way that school in particular is educating their students.

Most importantly, I conclude by explaining how I will able to use this information in my future classroom. For example, I may like an activity a teacher talked about doing with his or her students; therefore, I would discuss this, state how I would use it in my own classroom, and explain why I believe my students would benefit from it. While the conclusions to both types of reflection are similar, the material slightly differs.

Classroom observation reflections may require more discussion. This is because observers see events occur firsthand, and may become more involved with the students, not just the teacher.

Similar to the first reflection, I begin by telling the reader where I observed, who I observed, and what grade I observed.

I also mention some of the events I observed, such as how the teacher taught a certain subject, how the teacher had his/her classroom set up, how the teacher acted towards his/her students, and others.

If this was a multiple trip observation required by the class, there is a high possibility that I got the opportunity to work hands-on with the students. In this case, there are three important aspects I would need to reflect on: strengths, weaknesses, and how to improve these weaknesses. For example, one of my strengths when working with students is the comfort level when communicating. I feel as if I do not make children nervous, I make them comfortable. A weakness of mine is public speaking. I sometimes get nervous talking to large groups, even if it is just twenty third graders. In mentioning a way I could improve on this weakness, I could discuss practices such as presentations to small groups more frequently, increasing the group size as I go.

Lastly, I always mention what techniques and information I can take from my experiences and use them in my own classroom in the future. This is the part of the reflection that is crucial, because it can shape the type of teacher one wants to become.

Reflection is a necessity in education, but it leaves some confused because the structure is not always exact. That is the reason I chose to be an education major, because you get to choose your path to your classroom, and take ideas you have learned along the way and improve upon them. If you follows these steps in writing an education reflection, they will get the most out of the experience, and essentially the course itself.

  Emily Paquin is a second semester sophomore here at SNHU. She is studying Elementary and Special Education with a Minor in Psychology.

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Don’t Run Away from Running Heads

Don’t Run Away from Running Heads

By Adam Albano

           The running head is a key component in any APA paper that students sometimes forget to do. This blog will talk all about how running heads work and how it should work in the paper.

Keep reading to find out more!

The running head is a shortened version of the title and it is meant to be on the top part of the paper. On the first page, the words “Running head” should be written in front of the title.  The title should be in capital letters and the running head should not exceed 50 characters. For formatting purposes, the running head should be on the upper left side of the paper and the page number should be on the right side of the paper. The purpose of the running head is to help the readers to identify the titles. For the other pages that follow, the title should be in capital letters, but the running head should not include the words “Running head” anymore. 

For those who are unaware on how to create a running head in programs such as Microsoft Word, it is a simple process.  At the top of Word, go to the top of the screen and tap the “insert” tab. From there, go to the “Header & Footer” section and click on the “Header” button. After you click the button, a drop-down menu will appear and you can choose from the header templates that are available or you can create your own header.  

With these tools, you are now ready to create your running head. The running head is very helpful for the reader and it is easy to forget about, but follow these steps and you can create a great running head.

 Adam Albano is currently a sophomore writing tutor and plans to graduate with a degree in Game Programming and a minor in Applied Mathematics.  He is a classroom assistant and is also available during Walk-In hours. 

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Reaching Out...Side Your Culture by Working with International Students: Five Strategies for Effective Communication

By: Evan Bodi

 There will always be times when the task you’re dealt with is more challenging than it initially seemed and unexpected hurdles arise. Like a hitter in baseball who receives a curveball (see what I did there) from a knuckleball pitcher, we continue to have to play the game with the right strategy while modifying our approach.

 The same logic applies to working with international students.  SNHU is very fortunate to have a large population of people from all over the world who come to study in New Hampshire.  At last count, we had representatives from over 70 countries!  This is a great opportunity to reach out and make new friends who you might never meet otherwise!

People from different cultures have different experiences, varying expectations, and diverse cultural backgrounds. Combine all of these factors with their heavy speaking accent, and you have a tutoring session that’s prone to some miscommunication at certain times. Regardless of the varying skill sets and experiences of the tutor and tutee, miscommunication always has the potential to occur.

 Keep reading for some of Evan’s tips for working with International Students from the tutor perspective.  Most of these can easily be applied to meeting new friends who are from outside of the USA.

However, below are some subtle strategies I’ve learned through personal experience that often help to either avoid or minimize the chances of miscommunication with international students. Some of these strategies work better with certain cultures, but they are applicable in nearly every tutoring situation despite a student’s ethnicity.

 1. Ask where he or she is from, what they are studying, and how their experience at SNHU is going.

 This sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s important for international students to feel accepted, welcomed, and understood before they will feel comfortable opening up to you about their grammar and writing challenges. Female students from Middle Eastern cultures are especially intimidated to ask questions. A lot of these students have told me that they can feel a prejudice vibe among many American folks they talk to and, as a result, feel uncomfortable asking basic questions in public. Take a few minutes out of your tutoring session to hear their story. It will pay off later when they are more open with you and ask additional questions, which will lead to a more effective and efficient tutoring session that more than makes up for any “off-topic” time.

 2. Be humble and make fun of Americans, the complexity of the English language, and praise their writing and speaking abilities. Empathize with them!

 It’s always important to reinforce a tutee’s strengths (no matter the ethnicity) in order to build up his or her confidence. However, praising international students gives you a unique opportunity to empathize and build trust with them. By simply saying “I can’t imagine doing what you’re doing here in your home country”, you are acknowledging their ambition and they will feel more comfortable asking you questions. You can also show a genuine interest in their background (while being considerate) by being humble and poking fun at our American culture. This will automatically encourage them to compare how their culture differs from America, and in the process you learn more about them without the fear of initiating awkward and insensitive conversations. As always, use common sense and avoid wording your responses and questions in ways that might make them feel uncomfortable. It’s important to be cautious, but many international students will (much to your surprise) be more than happy to educate you about themselves and their culture.

 3. Ask your tutee to be honest and ask questions if they don’t understand (and the same goes for you!). Set communication expectations at the beginning.

 Whether it’s a word they don’t understand, or a grammar rule that they nailed in their paper but don’t know why it’s correct, encourage them to ask questions. Students from Asian cultures are hesitant to do this naturally and will likely still need additional probing. However, by being upfront and straightforward early in the session, these students will be more open to telling you about their thoughts and struggles- making your job easier and their session more effective. The same goes for the tutor as well; always ask them to repeat their question or answer if you’re having trouble understanding them.

 4. Talk more slowly when explaining concepts and pause your dialogue for a brief period (a few seconds) if necessary.

 This method works well when you’re with an international student and you know he or she does not understand what you’re saying by observing their body language- even if they tell you your explanation makes sense. By pausing your dialogue for three to five seconds after an international student tells you they understand something, you give them more time to re-evaluate their answer while you avoid coming across as aggressive. More often than not, a student will likely say, “actually, I’m still confused.” Don’t always take their word at face value!

 5. Pull out a blank piece of paper and put it between both of you during the beginning of the session (even if you’re looking at an essay in person or on a laptop).

 Explain that this piece of paper is here for both of you to write down any important words/expressions, questions, or concepts covered during the session. Often the tutor should take initiative and make brief notes for the international student when explaining grammar rules and write out a few examples. However, international students will often be thinking of a word they want to use that they can’t easily pronounce. It helps to give them a place to sound it out and write it down. They’ll also be more likely to remember the meaning of written words later on. This also applies when trying to explain expressions and American jargon to them.

Working efficiently with international students is just as much about being a friendly cultural ambassador as it is being an effective tutor. Effective communication is a vital ingredient in both instances. Implement some of the tips above, along with your own friendly personality and thoughtful strategies, and you will make the goal of effective communication with international students a reality.

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5 Tips for Perfection in a Persuasive Speech in ENG 200

By: Samantha Bailey

 Public speaking is one of the greatest fears in the world and many college students would most likely support this idea. 

Thankfully, these are 5 tips on how to perfect your persuasive speech in ENG 200:

 1.     Know your audience. It is very important to talk to your audience rather than at them.  Do something simple like taking a poll of the class by asking for a show of hands or telling an appropriate joke to grab your audience’s attention.  This will help engage your audience in your speech.  

2.     Stay organized and relaxed. Preparation is key! Organize your thoughts and always relate them back to your main point. It is also important to speak slowly and clearly while trying to avoid the use of filler words (like, um, so, etc.) Practice, practice, practice!

3.     Stay honest and credible. Make sure your argument is backed by evidence, do not hide any information from your audience and make sure to avoid bias!

4.     Incorporate a counter argument. Do not attack the opposing view – acknowledge it, explain it, and explain why you feel that your opinion makes more sense. Prove to your audience that your argument can stand up to a refuting argument.

5.     Speak passionately. Make sure that your audience knows how passionate you are about your topic/argument.  A helpful hint:  speaking about something you are passionate about makes presenting very easy J

 Samantha Bailey is a sophomore studying Accounting. She tutors both Writing and Accounting. Come see her at walk-in tutoring!

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Check out these great tips!

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Commas have power, people!

Alexander Hamilton: My dearest, Angelica

Lin Manuel Miranda: Ooohohoho! THAT is some SAUCY STUFF. Y'all are getting a whole romance subplot! So Scandalous. COMMA FLIRTING. OMFG.

Alexander Hamilton: Cold in my professions, warm in my friendships, I wish, my Dear Laurens, it might be in my power, by action rather than words, convince you that I love you.

Lin Manuel Miranda: ... nah. Imma just put in some super subtle subtext. And a footnote.

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Writing Better Email: A Cautionary Tale

When I was a recent graduate working at my first nonprofit job, I thought I was hot sh*t. I had my own office and a closet full of Old Navy button-down shirts. I participated in exotic things like “conference calls” and even packed my own lunch. Life was good, and I was awesome at it. 

Until one day, the office manager sent me an email. “Isn’t Doug’s mustache creepy?”

To which I responded, “Duh.” And returned to being fabulous. 

As soon as I sent the message, I instantly regretted it. Nobody could deny that the mustache was creepy, but what if Doug read the email? What if my boss read it? What if the office manager sent it to someone else? What would my colleagues think of me? How would that affect my work relationships?

I told my dad about it that night and he gave me some advice I never forgot. “Don’t write anything in an email that you wouldn’t have tacked up on the bulletin board in the break room.”

It’s advice I continue to follow. Before I hit “send” I always ask myself the question. Sometimes it means I have to walk around the block before I respond to a difficult email or have a friend edit a draft, but, thankfully, it means I rarely have that sinking feeling of regret. Which is far worse than a creepy mustache. 

Don’t be like me. Don’t put something in writing that you instantly regret. Ask yourself if this is something you’d be comfortable with the whole office seeing. If not, save it as a draft and go walk around the block. Ask a friend to read it for you. Do anything you need to do, just don’t send the message. 

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History has its eye one you... be sure to write it right!  :-)

Come see us for walk-in tutoring!

Hamilton Wins 2016 Pulitzer Prize

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Just like UNG said... we can help during this stressful time!  Come see us during walk-in!

Currently

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Let’s Get Down to Business... Writing Tips

by Matt Gagnon

The ability for a person to write effectively is an essential skill for one to understand. There are many different ways to write, and depending upon the situation an author may want to incorporate a different style of writing in order to more effectively relay their message to the reader. A great example of a crucial style is business professional. Regardless of a person’s profession the business professional style is important to practice and understand, since everyone will need to utilize it when applying for a job. Resumes, cover letters, and emails are all great examples of an appropriate scenario that would use this style!

Keep reading for some tips!

           There are several key tips that one must follow when writing in this format; failing to do so may affect the way your message is coming across to the reader.

Perhaps the most important aspect of being professional is to be concise, and remember that a potential employer does not have time to review repetitive and verbose pieces of information. Whether it be in a cover letter or email it is extremely important for the author to be blunt and clear about the message they are attempting to relay. The reader is looking for someone who will be an effective communicator within the job the author hopes to obtain.

Secondly, the author must be considerate of who they are talking to. The reader is someone in a position of power that has the ability to hire, and because of this the author must make good judgment in his or her word choices. Avoid slang, as it does not portray the professional characteristics that they will be looking for in a candidate. It should also go without saying the importance of proof reading. The appearance of spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, or misinformation will almost always result in a resume or cover letter being thrown in the trash. Attention to detail is a vital skill that the reader will be searching for, and even the slightest mistake could have a huge impact upon his or her decision.

           In conclusion, business writing is a tool that everyone must be able to utilize. It is important to come across as a professional, and to relay that you are a serious candidate for the job. When writing the author should pay attention to the way he or she is communicating and ensure that they are concise. Spelling errors, grammar mistakes, or the use of slang is also not appropriate in this style of writing. The goal of business writing is to prove oneself as a professional, and by effectively utilizing the above tips a candidate will be sure to impress!

Matt Gagnon is a Business Administration major in the Degree in Three program.  He will be graduating in May, 2016.

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Commonly Confused Words

by Alexa Roth

              It’s no secret that the English language is one of the most confusing languages out there. You can study the English language your entire life yet still make silly mistakes, especially since the language is ever changing.

As a grammar freak, my biggest pet peeve is when people confuse similar words. There are pairs upon pairs of words that are constantly mixed up, and spell check doesn’t have the capability to decipher which version of the word is grammatically correct.

Here are a few silly mistakes to avoid in your own writing!

1.     Accept/Except: Accept is a verb that means to receive, take, obtain, get, gain, or acquire. Except means other than and is an exclusion.

2.     Affect/Effect: Affect is a verb meaning to have an effect on or to influence. Effect is a noun that refers to a change that is a result, consequence, or outcome of an action or other cause.

3.     Complement/Compliment: Complement means to go well together, and also refers to the number of something to complete a group. Compliment is a nice remark or praise.

4.     Definitely/Defiantly: Definitely is an adverb that means without a doubt and is used for emphasis. Defiantly is an adverb referring to something that is boldly resistant or challenging.  

5.     Empathize/Emphasize: Empathize is a verb referring to when a person shares the feelings of another. Emphasize is a verb to make something more clearly defined.

6.     Lay/Lie: Lay means to put down. Lie means to recline.

7.     Than/Then: Than compares two things. Then indicates when something happened or what will occur next.

8.     Your/You’re: Your is used when describing something as belonging to or associated with any person in general. You’re is a contraction meaning you are.

  Alexa Roth is a junior writing tutor.  Come visit her at walk-in tutoring!

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Email Horror Stories: Tutor Perspective

by Hallie Semmel

I always rolled my eyes when professors were so adamant on constantly reminding us that we should be contacting them with only “properly written” emails. I often pondered, “why do our emails need to be written a certain way if they understand what were are saying?” It wasn’t until I began tutoring and taking on other school oriented responsibilities that caused me to be flooded with emails on a daily basis, that I finally understood my professors’ nagging. It was not an extra task they wanted to burden us with. Instead, it proved to be a vital skill that students must learn in order to convey both respect and intelligence via email; this skill has proved to be applicable far after graduation and into the real world.

           Since becoming a tutor, I have read a plethora of cringe worthy emails laced with far too casual responses like “sounds chill.” The emails that delve way into detail are even worse, providing me with a very vivid imagery and description of all the details of their illnesses or personal lives.  Details I most certainly could have gone without knowing. These kinds of emails make one both uncomfortable or give of a nonchalant vibe that can be confused with disrespect.

           Despite the rhetoric behind the importance of writing proper emails, there are steps to take in order to create one.

First, when addressing a professor, you should always begin by referring to them as “ Professor” or “Dr.” followed by their last name. Never contact a professor using their first name unless they have told you that it is okay. Using “Professor” is always a safe way to go if you are unsure.

Secondly, make sure you are very clear and concise in your email. For instance, if you are proposing to meet at a certain time, do include the full date and time you would like to meet.

Also, be sure that your email does not fall into the “too much information” category. Your Professor does not need to know the details of your personal life or situation. A simple, straight forward and brief explanation will do; you do not need too much depth or detail. 

Last, but not least, you should always make sure that you proof read your emails and make sure that they are grammatically correct and polite. Professors are very busy, so be respectful of their time and do not come off too demanding or urgent.

Thanking them at the end of the email is always a nice touch. Along with that advice, making sure your email is grammatically correct makes for a much more professional and distinguished sounding email.

           Of course, these are very basic guidelines to writing a proper email, but they are helpful to follow. Certain situations may arise where you need to take a different approach in your email; however, this is the most basic and safe way to write a professional email on a regular basis.

As previously alluded to, after reading many emails from other students and professors, I have seen a lot of well written and poorly written emails; therefore, I can contest that reading a well written email most definitely gives me a better first impression or willingness to respond, than does one that was clearly written without care. Please, next time you go to write an email to you professor, keep these guidelines handy and you are sure to make a good impression.

Hallie is a History Major with an Environmental Science Minor. She is interested in pursuing a career in law in the future, she works as a writing tutor among other subjects in the Learning Center.