This post was first published on my old blog at http://www.bloglines.com/blog/wsodeman?id=247
Sometimes I use Blogline’s ‘clip/blog’ feature to post a link that I’ve found on that site. These links tend to redirect back to Bloglines, instead of the link’s original web site.
This link is from BoingBoing.net, which is one of the more popular blogs. It’s actually a group blog written by several contributors.
The main reason that I’ve posted this link is that I’ve noticed a rash of superfluous quotation marks and apostrophes in student papers this term.
I’m not an editor, but writing is an important skill for managers. In an online course and in e-mail relationships, writing is an important way of demonstrating one’s competency and skill.
For multilingual students, excellent English writing skills help demonstrate commitment, mastery and understanding within the American university system.
The most successful entreprenuers can find someone to to fix their writing, after all. Most managers have to correct their writing on their own. Automated spelling and grammar checkers are helpful, but can be misused.
These articles provide some excellent reading material:
- http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2003448269_student26.html
- http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061126/ART16/61126010
- http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/26/fashion/26email.html
Here are a few quick rules that I use in my writing. I’ve added links to some helpful web sites. Purdue’s grammar web site is an excellent resource, and it’s more convenient than a trip to our writing center.
I’ve also added citations to the 5th edition of the APA Publication Manual. I never used the APA manual before I started teaching at my university four years ago, so it’s been a learning experience for me. I created http://billso.com/apa as a reference for my own grading, and for my students.
Some students have commented that the APA manual is a long and difficult style guide. It is long, no question about that. It can be difficult, especially when creating a reference list. However, the APA manual has many common-sense rules regarding English grammar and formatting.
I’ve had several jobs where I needed to learn a new style guide as part of an assignment, position or contract. Our university’s graduate programs use the APA manual because it’s widely available and comprehensive. It’s a good example of the style guides our students will encounter in their professional careers. Using one style guide is a better alternative than allowing programs to choose their own style guide, especially in required courses like IS 6100.
While I do mark grammar and formatting errors in papers, I’ve changed my thinking over the term. When I find these errors, I’m using unlabeled red flags in the TurnItIn.com GradeMark feature. This helps me make more comments on the student’s content.
It’s an issue
Read these articles from EnglishPlus and Emory University. Sometimes I think students just guess when they need to use “its” or it’s”.
- “it is” = “it’s”
- “its” = possessive pronoun. “It’s never a possessive!”
- Example: “It’s really not that confusing, because each word has its own function.”
Quotation marks
GrammarBook and Purdue University have some helpful tips about quotation marks. These are not a substitute for underlining, or a way to provide added emphasis.
- Most technical terms and names, such as Bluetooth, TCP/IP, five forces analysis, and HTML do not need quotation marks.
- Italics may be used the first time a term is mentioned.
- See section 3.06 of the APA manual for more details.
Paraphrasing
Be very careful when using someone else’s words. See these tips from Purdue.
- A direct quote is a word-for-word duplication or excerpt of what someone else said or wrote. Use quotation marks and a citation.
- Avoid using long, direct quotes.
- It’s always better to paraphrase or summarize than to use a direct quote. Either technique involves the writer’s skill in analyzing and interpreting the original remarks.
- See sections 3.34 and 3.36 in the APA manual for more details.
Italics vs. underlining vs. bold
- The APA manual prefers italics when the writer must emphasize a word or phrase.
- Do not overuse italics.
- Italics are also used in level 2, 3 and 4 headings (3.31-32).
- Avoid underlining. Use italics instead.
- I have one common-sense exception to this rule. Microsoft Word and other word processes often underline URLs like http://billso.com automatically, and this is fine for my courses. Most users do not know how to modify a Word style or template.
- Bold fonts should not be used in APA formatting, except for statistical symbols (3.58).
