Transcript self-editing powerpoint (NF19)

Self-Editing Lesson
Spring 2012
Remember, It’s a work-in-progress!
• What do we think about writing and grammar?
• What have been some of your common
problems and experiences?
Share your thoughts…
Your goals today:
• Your goals:
1.Acknowledge the need to become a
proficient self-editor
2.Learn how to recognize errors
3.Learn your own frequent patterns of error
4.Learn how to correct those errors
Know how to prioritize your concerns!
What should you focus on in your
writing?
Higher Order Skills:
Errors that may
change meaning
• Verb Tense
• Word Form (adj. or
adv?)
• Subject/Verb
Agreement
• Plurals (sometimes)
• Syntax-word order
(sometimes)
Lower Order Skills:
Errors that rarely
change meaning
Non-standard English
(conjunctions, slang)
• Punctuation
• Incorrect/Missing
Article (a, an, the)
• Wrong prepositions
(to, from, about, by,
etc.)
Common Errors 1. Verb-Tense Form
Examples:
• Based on Tan’s narrative, her mother
depends on Tan since she was young.
• Students usually are preferring short answer
tests to essay tests.
• The authors supporting all the bilingual
programs.
Can you figure out which verbs need
correcting?
What suggestions do we have?
• Ask "who/what does what and when?" --think
about subject, verb, and object.
• Did the action already happen and finish? Or
is it still continuing now?
• Is it a general statement that refers to a habit
or state of affairs?
• Writing tip: When citing past researchusually treated as present: Foucault (1993)
argues that...
2. Word Forms
Example:
• Tan’s mother thought it was too later for her
to learn English, so she relied on Tan.
• Gross believes that advertisements promote
stereotypes of women’s fragile.
• It is importance to investment money for the
future.
What suggestions do we have?
• Highlight or underline all noun phrases in one
color, all verb phrases in one color, and all
adjectives in another color. Double check parts
of speech in sentence and check correct forms.
• “to” is usually followed by the infinitive form of
the verb To narrate, to analyze etc.
• Note your patterns of error.
• In you final revision, make use of a dictionary to
double check the word form you need to use if
you’re confused.
3. Plurals
Example:
• She gave me advices about how to revise.
• There are many researches on this topic.
• There are many information available to
students on campus .
Can you figure out which plural forms
need fixing?
What suggestions do we have?
• Considering how many you mean is important
(usually more than one means "add an s", but
in English, there are many words that never
use an s, no matter the amount.
• Keep a list of these types of words.
• Can you think of any examples of such
words that do NOT use “s” in the plural
form?
What can you do to take charge
of improving your writing?
• Keep an error log sheet (review correction
symbols)
• Once you identify common errors you
make, do targeted proofreading.
Example, review your paper checking only
for subject/verb agreement.
• Model what you read in form and structure.
• Give yourself plenty of time to complete,
revise, and proofread writing assignments.
On-line Resources
• Purdue's Online Writing Lab, OWL
(http://owl.english.purdue.edu/)
• Ask Betty is a UW-designed grammar
resource center
(http://depts.washington.edu/engl/askbetty/)
• The website for The Everyday Writer
• All these links and more can be found at
EWP Writing Resources page
http://depts.washington.edu/engl/ewp/resou
rces.php
On Campus resources
• Go to OWRC or CLUE writing centers to get
help identifying your patterns of error.
Remember, you can give your writing tutor
a head start by sharing an error log you’ve
developed.
• For high stakes writing (personal statements,
cover letters, thesis, dissertation) -consider
hiring a professional editor-email
[email protected] for contacts.
Practice
• Get into small groups and work on
identifying the errors of the short
paragraph.
• If you know there is an error, but aren't sure
which type, mark it and we will discuss.