Writing Seminar
By Michael Becker
The PowerPoint presentation from the tutor’s graduate student seminar on March 18 is available below.
Approaches to Writing
Or, you can watch it here.
Announcement
Ariana Paliobagis is the new graduate writing tutor. During the summer semester please call her at 994-4112 or email ariana.paliobagis@montana.edu to make an appointmentLatin Abbreviations
By Michael Becker
Latin abbreviations are great. Not only are they almost universally recognized, but they also lend an air of “official-ness” to your writing. They make it look and sound more scientific or authoritative.
So, if you like these abbreviations, you may not like my next advice: Drop them whenever possible. Why? Two reasons.
First — and pardon me for being blunt here — using abbreviations where you could use words is lazy. Rather than deciding how best to incorporate those words or examples into your sentence, you chuck them in between a pair of parentheses and let an abbreviation do your work. Take the time to do it right, for Pete’s sake.
Okay, a more serious addition to the “lazy” factor is that lazy things are often a gateway to addiction. What is mean is, once you get a taste for abbreviations, you may decide to sprinkle them liberally throughout your writing. When a reader comes upon too many of these in a document (and I would say that more than one in every two pages is too much) the reader starts getting distracted by the abbreviations. And attracting attention is the opposite of what abbreviations are supposed to do.
My second reason for advising against Latin abbreviations harkens back to what H.W. and F.G. Fowler wrote about them in their classic The King’s English, “No one should use these who is not sure that he will not expose his ignorance by making mistakes with them.” In other words, writers (and readers) are often confused about what they mean. Take for example two of the most abused Latin abbreviations, i.e. and e.g.
Most people use the two interchangeably to mean “for example.” But that’s not exactly correct. The abbreviation e.g. stands for exempli gratia, which means “for example,” so you’re good to go on that front. However, i.e. stands for id est, which means “that is” — not quite the same.
So, if you must use these Latin abbreviations, use them correctly. A good way to remember how is to think of i.e. as standing for “in effect” or “in other words.” Then think of e.g. as “example given.” Do this, and you’ll never confuse the two again.
Oh, and as one last style note: neither i.e. nor e.g. gets italicized, even though they are foreign language terms. That’s because they’re used so widely in English these days that we just drop the italics.
The Writing Process
By Michael Becker
Remembering that writing is a process can help you find your way if you get lost in the middle of a long process. This article outlines the writing process and provides some practical advice for writers walking this path.
Paragraph basics
By Michael Becker
Paragraphs can be difficult for some student writers to wrap their heads around, likely because some “professional” writers don’t give them the kind of attention and care they deserve.
Four Benefits of Keeping Your Day Job While You Write
By Sharon Dunn
Thinking about career in writing? Thinking you need to quit your day job? Sharon Dunn, a long time Writing Center tutor and novelist, offers some advice.
That versus Which
By Michael Becker
The difference between that and which, when used as relative pronouns, is one of those usage issues that most people think of as picky and unnecessarily pedantic. Yet mastering the subtle difference in usage between the two words can add a lot of punch to your writing and make the examples you use in your sentences clearer and easier to understand.
Transitions
By Helen Porter
A practical look at the connective material that helps your readers move from one idea, sentence, or paragraph to another.
Introductions and Conclusions
By Helen Porter
Introductions and conclusions are two of the most important parts of your papers because they serve as the gatekeepers, letting readers into and out of your paper. Here are some tips to help you write these vital sections more effectively.
One Space or Two?
By Michael Becker
There’s plenty of confusion as to how many spaces you should enter between sentences when typing on a computer. This article looks at the reasons for the confusion and makes a recommendation for those of you typing on computer (most of you, in all likelihood).