It vs It's
May 12, 2008 | Tutor
Tips | Permalink
Its vs. It’s:
How to use them correctly
Many people confuse its and it’s. The distinction is actually very simple.
"Its" is used to show possession of an object.
Example: The dog chased its tail. (This shows that dog owns his or her tail).
It’s is a contraction combining the words “it” and “is.”
Example: It’s a nice day today. (We can see how this could be changed to "It is a
nice day today").
If you’re still a little unclear on which form to use, see if your sentence makes
sense using “it is.” In the first example, the sentence “The dog chased it is tail?
does not make sense, so we know to use “its” to show possession. If the sentence does make sense with “it is,” then use the contraction “it’s.”
posted by: Angela
Many people confuse its and it’s. The distinction is actually very simple.
"Its" is used to show possession of an object.
Example: The dog chased its tail. (This shows that dog owns his or her tail).
It’s is a contraction combining the words “it” and “is.”
Example: It’s a nice day today. (We can see how this could be changed to "It is a
nice day today").
If you’re still a little unclear on which form to use, see if your sentence makes
sense using “it is.” In the first example, the sentence “The dog chased it is tail?
does not make sense, so we know to use “its” to show possession. If the sentence does make sense with “it is,” then use the contraction “it’s.”
posted by: Angela
We Have a Newsletter!
March 20, 2008 | Writing
Center News |
Permalink
The Writing
Center now has a newsletter called, The Write
Way. Our newsletter
is an informal publication written by students for students, and it
features tips and advice from the WC tutors that they think
Elmhurst students might find useful not only for writing papers,
but for surviving college in general.
Every two weeks a new issue is available in the Writing Center. Feel free to stop by and pick one up. And as always, we hope you'll come see us for your writing needs.
M-TH: 9am-8pm
F: 9am-2pm
posted by: Stacey
Every two weeks a new issue is available in the Writing Center. Feel free to stop by and pick one up. And as always, we hope you'll come see us for your writing needs.
M-TH: 9am-8pm
F: 9am-2pm
posted by: Stacey
Connecting Sentences
March 20, 2008 | Tutor
Tips | Permalink
Conjunction
Junction, What’s Your (Other) Function?
…Hookin’ up words, and phrases and clauses…and sentences. Now that I’ve gotten that song stuck in your head, (my apologies), here’s a fact about those conjunctions, such as and, but, or, that you may not have known: they are just as important for connecting sentences as well. Now, you might be thinking, “Hey, wait, you’re not supposed to start sentences with ‘and’, ‘but’ or ‘or’!” However, according to Patricia T. O’Conner, author of the writing guide Words Fail Me, those teachers who told you never to begin a sentence with “and” were incorrect. “Conjunctions are used to connect words, phrases, and sentences,” she writes, “Look it up.” (This is not to say that you should go crazy and use ‘and’ to start your sentences every chance you get. Just don’t think you have to count out those conjunctions when you begin a sentence.)
Thus, along with the other transition words, conjunctions can be used to show the relationship between sentences, add one idea to another, clarify a previous idea, or show your reader why two sentences should follow each other. Once you properly connect your ideas (and sentences) together, your paper will flow better as a whole.
Finally, if you’re hitting a wall because you think you’ve used every transition word imaginable in that 10-page research paper, here’s a list of some transition words (of course, all the conjunctions are here as well).
Therefore
In the meantime
Yet
However
At any rate
Thus
Nevertheless
In other words
On the other hand
That is
Furthermore
For this reason
Besides
Truly
And
Moreover
But
Also
Or
Consequently
So
In addition
Then
For instance
*based on a passage from Words Fail Me, written by Patricia T. O’Conner (1999).
posted by: Melissa
…Hookin’ up words, and phrases and clauses…and sentences. Now that I’ve gotten that song stuck in your head, (my apologies), here’s a fact about those conjunctions, such as and, but, or, that you may not have known: they are just as important for connecting sentences as well. Now, you might be thinking, “Hey, wait, you’re not supposed to start sentences with ‘and’, ‘but’ or ‘or’!” However, according to Patricia T. O’Conner, author of the writing guide Words Fail Me, those teachers who told you never to begin a sentence with “and” were incorrect. “Conjunctions are used to connect words, phrases, and sentences,” she writes, “Look it up.” (This is not to say that you should go crazy and use ‘and’ to start your sentences every chance you get. Just don’t think you have to count out those conjunctions when you begin a sentence.)
Thus, along with the other transition words, conjunctions can be used to show the relationship between sentences, add one idea to another, clarify a previous idea, or show your reader why two sentences should follow each other. Once you properly connect your ideas (and sentences) together, your paper will flow better as a whole.
Finally, if you’re hitting a wall because you think you’ve used every transition word imaginable in that 10-page research paper, here’s a list of some transition words (of course, all the conjunctions are here as well).
Therefore
In the meantime
Yet
However
At any rate
Thus
Nevertheless
In other words
On the other hand
That is
Furthermore
For this reason
Besides
Truly
And
Moreover
But
Also
Or
Consequently
So
In addition
Then
For instance
*based on a passage from Words Fail Me, written by Patricia T. O’Conner (1999).
posted by: Melissa
Reading Aloud
March 20, 2008 | Tutor
Tips | Permalink
Reading Aloud is
OK
While many people think it’s crazy to read something aloud, one thing we tutors like to have students do when they come to the Writing Center is read their paper aloud because, as we have found out, reading aloud to oneself can actually make the reader catch mistakes he/she normally wouldn’t have with only a quick silent read. So, before you call it quits or immediately come to the Writing Center (where we are always willing to help and share our English skills in writing, formulating ideas, etc.), read your paper(s) aloud or have another pair of eyes look at your paper. A piece of friendly advice, though, have some courtesy and read out loud somewhere remote or kindly ask your roommate to leave the room for a couple minutes.
posted by: Debbie
While many people think it’s crazy to read something aloud, one thing we tutors like to have students do when they come to the Writing Center is read their paper aloud because, as we have found out, reading aloud to oneself can actually make the reader catch mistakes he/she normally wouldn’t have with only a quick silent read. So, before you call it quits or immediately come to the Writing Center (where we are always willing to help and share our English skills in writing, formulating ideas, etc.), read your paper(s) aloud or have another pair of eyes look at your paper. A piece of friendly advice, though, have some courtesy and read out loud somewhere remote or kindly ask your roommate to leave the room for a couple minutes.
posted by: Debbie
Library Tips
March 20, 2008 | Tutor
Tips | Permalink
When you are
printing your articles off for research in the Library and you are
using their search engines such as Academic Search Premier, you are
able to print the article as well as the citation for the article
in the format that you need for your paper! Ask the Research
Librarians for help! 
Check our website for more helpful hints!
As always you can e-mail or call us with your questions!
Go to: http://www.elmhurst.edu/~write or call 630-617-5689
posted by: Jessica
Check our website for more helpful hints!
As always you can e-mail or call us with your questions!
Go to: http://www.elmhurst.edu/~write or call 630-617-5689
posted by: Jessica
A Reminder About Citing
March 20, 2008 | Tutor
Tips | Permalink
Just a friendly
reminder about sources!
Keep in mind that you will ALWAYS need sources to back up each individual claim that you make. This is something that we often forget to include. Take for instance the claim that “Macbeth does not kill out of vengeance, but in order to acquire more power” needs to be backed up with information from credible sources such as JSTOR, a literary criticism of Macbeth, or the text of Macbeth itself. This will not only solidify your assertions, but will also establish your own credibility.
posted by: Steffani
Keep in mind that you will ALWAYS need sources to back up each individual claim that you make. This is something that we often forget to include. Take for instance the claim that “Macbeth does not kill out of vengeance, but in order to acquire more power” needs to be backed up with information from credible sources such as JSTOR, a literary criticism of Macbeth, or the text of Macbeth itself. This will not only solidify your assertions, but will also establish your own credibility.
posted by: Steffani
Word Usage
March 20, 2008 | Tutor
Tips | Permalink
Common Errors in
Word Usage
There are several easily avoidable errors that are very common in the English language. Many of these errors are made accidentally, due to a writer rushing through a paper. Just in case some of them aren't exactly clear, here's some of the more common areas and tips on how to avoid them.
a/an: If the word following begins with a vowel sound, the word you want is "an": "Have an apple, Adam."
your/you're: "You're" is always a contraction of "you are." If you've written "you're," try substituting "you are." If it doesn't work, the word you want is "your."
irregardless: Regardless of what you have heard, "irregardless" is a redundancy. The suffix "-less" on the end of the word already makes the word negative. It doesn't need the negative prefix "ir-" added to make it even more negative.
farther/further: Some authorities insist on "farther" to refer to physical distance and on "further" to refer to an extent of time or degree, but others treat the two words as interchangeable except for insisting on "further" for "in addition," and "moreover." You'll always be safe in making the distinction.
accept/except: If you offer me Godiva chocolates I will gladly accept them—except for the candied violet ones. Just remember that the "X" in "except" excludes things—they tend to stand out, be different.
all ready/already: "All ready" is a phrase meaning "completely prepared," as in "As soon as I put my coat on, I'll be all ready." "Already," however, is an adverb used to describe something that has happened before a certain time, as in "What do you mean you'd rather stay home? I've already got my coat on."
There are several great web resources to help you sort through common usage errors, including Washington State University's "Common Errors" page.
The tutors in the Writing Center are also always a great resource!
posted by: Aleks
There are several easily avoidable errors that are very common in the English language. Many of these errors are made accidentally, due to a writer rushing through a paper. Just in case some of them aren't exactly clear, here's some of the more common areas and tips on how to avoid them.
a/an: If the word following begins with a vowel sound, the word you want is "an": "Have an apple, Adam."
your/you're: "You're" is always a contraction of "you are." If you've written "you're," try substituting "you are." If it doesn't work, the word you want is "your."
irregardless: Regardless of what you have heard, "irregardless" is a redundancy. The suffix "-less" on the end of the word already makes the word negative. It doesn't need the negative prefix "ir-" added to make it even more negative.
farther/further: Some authorities insist on "farther" to refer to physical distance and on "further" to refer to an extent of time or degree, but others treat the two words as interchangeable except for insisting on "further" for "in addition," and "moreover." You'll always be safe in making the distinction.
accept/except: If you offer me Godiva chocolates I will gladly accept them—except for the candied violet ones. Just remember that the "X" in "except" excludes things—they tend to stand out, be different.
all ready/already: "All ready" is a phrase meaning "completely prepared," as in "As soon as I put my coat on, I'll be all ready." "Already," however, is an adverb used to describe something that has happened before a certain time, as in "What do you mean you'd rather stay home? I've already got my coat on."
There are several great web resources to help you sort through common usage errors, including Washington State University's "Common Errors" page.
The tutors in the Writing Center are also always a great resource!
posted by: Aleks
Stress Management
March 06, 2008 | Tutor
Tips | Permalink
Stress
Management for the over-worked, under-paid and highly-involved
college student.
Managing the stress sometimes feels more exhausting than the stress itself.
I do not claim to be an expert or authority of any kind on stress management, but I do have a few tips that I have found work pretty well for me (most of the time). Since I fully recognize that I am not the only one out there with a schedule that is super-crazy, I thought I would share a few of the things I have learned over the years.
1. Try not to have complaining competitions with peers or teachers. We’re all busy and trying to make yourself sound busier than someone else, will only stress you out more and it will do nothing for the relationship with the person you’re competing with. If you must complain – do it in a blog, e-mail or on a piece of paper that you can throw away or delete. That way you get it all out, but don’t upset anyone else in the process.
2. Prioritize! I am constantly reminding myself that not everything will get done when I really wanted for it to. It will all get done, I know it will; somehow it always works out that way. But we have to be patient with ourselves, get things done well the first time around and put off other things that really can wait.
3. Take time to relax. After accomplishing a major task or goal for the day, sit down and watch a favorite TV show for an hour, go to the gym, call your best friend, take a nap … anything that would be considered “me time.” This helps keep anxiety down and makes it much easier to start the next task.
I’m willing to bet there are other good suggestions out there, but when it comes to having what feels like a bazillion papers to write on top of day-to-day tasks, these are three things that seem to help me.
posted by: Susan
Managing the stress sometimes feels more exhausting than the stress itself.
I do not claim to be an expert or authority of any kind on stress management, but I do have a few tips that I have found work pretty well for me (most of the time). Since I fully recognize that I am not the only one out there with a schedule that is super-crazy, I thought I would share a few of the things I have learned over the years.
1. Try not to have complaining competitions with peers or teachers. We’re all busy and trying to make yourself sound busier than someone else, will only stress you out more and it will do nothing for the relationship with the person you’re competing with. If you must complain – do it in a blog, e-mail or on a piece of paper that you can throw away or delete. That way you get it all out, but don’t upset anyone else in the process.
2. Prioritize! I am constantly reminding myself that not everything will get done when I really wanted for it to. It will all get done, I know it will; somehow it always works out that way. But we have to be patient with ourselves, get things done well the first time around and put off other things that really can wait.
3. Take time to relax. After accomplishing a major task or goal for the day, sit down and watch a favorite TV show for an hour, go to the gym, call your best friend, take a nap … anything that would be considered “me time.” This helps keep anxiety down and makes it much easier to start the next task.
I’m willing to bet there are other good suggestions out there, but when it comes to having what feels like a bazillion papers to write on top of day-to-day tasks, these are three things that seem to help me.
posted by: Susan
Avoiding Plagiarism
March 06, 2008 | Tutor
Tips | Permalink
When you set out
to write a paper, I doubt many of you think, “I am going to see if
I can get away with copying directly from sources and stealing
other people’s ideas!” In fact, most plagiarism is done without
intent.
So what can you do to make sure you can avoid the possibility of plagiarizing?
• First, if you haven’t completed your Works Cited page, and don’t know how to correctly document a parenthetical citation, at least put the name of the book or article in parentheses and the page number after places in your paper where you have taken other people’s ideas. You can always go back and format the citation correctly, but at least you will remember where you got your information from!
• It sometimes helps to highlight certain phrases in an article that you want to directly quote in your paper. That way, when you think of incorporating it in your paper, you can find it easily and the source from which it came.
• Do not think that because you find synonyms for words in a sentence that the sentence becomes your own. For example, saying that “the blissful winter snow falls gracefully to the ground” is the same as “the heavenly winter snow descends elegantly to the ground.”
• No matter how desperate you are, never take the work of someone else and try to pass it off as your own! That includes works written by you previously for another class or purpose.
posted by: Steffani
So what can you do to make sure you can avoid the possibility of plagiarizing?
• First, if you haven’t completed your Works Cited page, and don’t know how to correctly document a parenthetical citation, at least put the name of the book or article in parentheses and the page number after places in your paper where you have taken other people’s ideas. You can always go back and format the citation correctly, but at least you will remember where you got your information from!
• It sometimes helps to highlight certain phrases in an article that you want to directly quote in your paper. That way, when you think of incorporating it in your paper, you can find it easily and the source from which it came.
• Do not think that because you find synonyms for words in a sentence that the sentence becomes your own. For example, saying that “the blissful winter snow falls gracefully to the ground” is the same as “the heavenly winter snow descends elegantly to the ground.”
• No matter how desperate you are, never take the work of someone else and try to pass it off as your own! That includes works written by you previously for another class or purpose.
posted by: Steffani
Proofreading Tip
February 28, 2008 | Tutor
Tips | Permalink
An Important
Reminder:
If you’re having trouble with grammar and you think your paper doesn’t make sense, read it aloud to yourself before you give it to someone else to read. Reading it aloud will give you the chance to hear the paper in a different perspective, and you may be able to catch some grammar mistakes on your own. It is still a good idea to have someone else read your paper because what may make sense to you, may be confusing for someone else that reads your paper. Always be sure your paper makes sense before hading in your final copy.
posted by: Angela
If you’re having trouble with grammar and you think your paper doesn’t make sense, read it aloud to yourself before you give it to someone else to read. Reading it aloud will give you the chance to hear the paper in a different perspective, and you may be able to catch some grammar mistakes on your own. It is still a good idea to have someone else read your paper because what may make sense to you, may be confusing for someone else that reads your paper. Always be sure your paper makes sense before hading in your final copy.
posted by: Angela
Citing Sources
February 28, 2008 | Tutor
Tips | Permalink
Citing Sources
in a paper
Many tutees have come to me for help having questions regarding MLA or APA format. Since I couldn’t find an actual handout sheet for them, and since they can’t take away our books, I have been referring them to the Duke University Libraries. It can be found at http://library.duke.edu/research/citing. I was shown this site in my English 106 class my freshman year. It has some great tips on citing sources within your paper and how to do a Works Cited at the end of your paper. Hope this helps when you come into a jam on how to cite something. If not, you can always come into the Writing Center.
posted by: Debbie
Many tutees have come to me for help having questions regarding MLA or APA format. Since I couldn’t find an actual handout sheet for them, and since they can’t take away our books, I have been referring them to the Duke University Libraries. It can be found at http://library.duke.edu/research/citing. I was shown this site in my English 106 class my freshman year. It has some great tips on citing sources within your paper and how to do a Works Cited at the end of your paper. Hope this helps when you come into a jam on how to cite something. If not, you can always come into the Writing Center.
posted by: Debbie
Helpful Websites
February 28, 2008 | Writing
Resources | Permalink
Helpful
Websites
Some helpful websites when you can't get to the writing center. There are also helpful hits about doing research through our own on-campus library.
Having Trouble with APA/MLA or any other citation formatting?
Go to: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
They have great online resources to grammar, proof reading tips, as well as citations!
Ever wonder what some of the most common mistakes in the English Language happen to be? Well this website can tell you all about them and how to avoid making those same mistakes.
Go to: http://englishplus.com/grammar/mistcont.htm
posted by: Jessica
Some helpful websites when you can't get to the writing center. There are also helpful hits about doing research through our own on-campus library.
Having Trouble with APA/MLA or any other citation formatting?
Go to: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
They have great online resources to grammar, proof reading tips, as well as citations!
Ever wonder what some of the most common mistakes in the English Language happen to be? Well this website can tell you all about them and how to avoid making those same mistakes.
Go to: http://englishplus.com/grammar/mistcont.htm
posted by: Jessica
We're Open!
February 12, 2008 | Writing
Center News |
Permalink
We're officially
open! Tutors are available all day to help you out with your
writing needs. We hope you'll stop by to see us.
Hours
Mon-Thurs: 9am-8pm
Fri: 9am-2pm
posted by: Stacey
Hours
Mon-Thurs: 9am-8pm
Fri: 9am-2pm
posted by: Stacey
