Thursday, January 31, 2008

Review of Questions on Writing by RayS in 2007

Directions: Continuing the list of questions I have already answered about writing in 2007. The date at the end of the question is the date on which I have published my answer. Just go to the “Blog Archive” on the right of the blog. Click on "2007." Click on the month and find the date and my answer.

How can I learn to recognize grammatical problems in my own writing? Sunday, August 5, 2007.

What can I write about for my 10-minute essays? Tuesday, August 7, 2007. Wednesday, August 8, 2007. Thursday, August 9, 2007. Friday, August 10, 2007. Monday, August 13, 2007. Tuesday, August 14, 2007.

Could you give some examples of what you mean by ten-minute essays? Wednesday, August 15, 2007. Thursday, August 16, 2007. Friday, August 17, 2007. Monday, August 20, 2007. Tuesday, August 21, 2007. Wednesday, August 22, 2007. Thursday, August 23, 2007. Monday, August 27, 2007. Tuesday, August 28, 2007. Wednesday, August 29, 2007. Thursday, August 30, 2007.

How would you revise the following ten-minute essay? Tuesday, September 6, 2007. Friday, September 7, 2007. Monday, September 10, 2007. Tuesday, September 11, 2007. Wednesday, September 12, 2007. Thursday, September 13, 2007. Monday, Septembers 17, 2007. Tuesday, September 18, 2007. Wednesday, September 19, 2007. Thursday, September 20, 2007.

How would you revise the following ten-minute essay? Monday, October 1, 2007.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Review of Questions on Writing by RayS in 2007

Directions: Continuing the list of questions I have already answered about writing in 2007. The date at the end of the question is the date on which I have published my answer. Just go to the “Blog Archive” on the right of the blog. Click on "2007." Click on the month and find the date and my answer.

What are some problems in sentence structure that you can predict will appear in students’ writing? Tuesday, July 24, 2007.

What are some problems in sentence structure that you can predict will appear in students’ writing? Run-on sentences. Wednesday, July 25, 2007.

What are some problems that you can predict will appear in students’ writing? Sentence fragments. Thursday, July 26, 2007.

I’ve been told to use the active voice as often as possible. What is it and why? Monday, July 30, 2007.

How can I identify dangling modifiers and what do I do about them? Tuesday, July 31, 2007.

What are “misplaced modifiers” and how do I correct them? Wednesday, August 1, 2007.

What can I do to remember how to spell “parallel”? Now that I can spell “parallel,” what the heck is “parallel structure”? Thursday, August 2, 2007.

What are some predictable problems in sentence structure? Summary. Friday, August 3, 2007.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Review of Questions on Writing by RayS in 2007

Directions: Continuing the list of questions I have already answered about writing in 2007. The date at the end of the question is the date on which I have published my answer. Just go to the “Blog Archive” on the right of the blog. Click on "2007." Click on the month and find the date and my answer.

What is the value of sentence combining? Friday, July 6, 2007.

What is the value of sentence combining exercises? Tuesday, July 10, 2007. Wednesday, July 11, 2007. Thursday, July 12, 2007.

Where can I find some ready-made sentence-combining exercises? Friday, July 13, 2007.

What are the differences between informal and formal writing? Sunday, July 15, 2007.

How are informal and formal writing different? Monday, July 16, 2007. Tuesday, July 17, 2007. Wednesday, July 18, 2007. Friday, July 20, 2007.

Is "yo" a verb for what you do with a yo-yo? Saturday, July 21, 2007.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Review of Questions on Writing by RayS in 2007

Directions: Continuing the list of questions I have already answered about writing in 2007. The date at the end of the question is the date on which I have published my answer. Just go to the “Blog Archive” on the right of the blog. Click on "2007." Click on the month and find the date and my answer.

How do I "ace" an essay exam? Saturday, June 23, 2007.

How can I straighten out words that are frequently confused? (Words beginning with “A.”) Saturday, June 23, 2007.

How can I clarify the differences in words frequently confused? (Words beginning with “B” and “C.”) Sunday, June 24, 2007.

How can I clarify words that are frequently confused? (Words beginning with “D” and “E.”) Monday, June 25, 2007.

How can I clarify words that are frequently confused? (Words beginning with “F,” “G,” and “H.”) Tuesday, June 26, 2007.

How can I clarify words that are frequently confused? (Words beginning with “I,” “J,” and “L.”) Wednesday, June 27, 2007.

How can I clarify words that are frequently confused? (Words beginning with “M” and “N.” Thursday, June 28, 2007.

How can I clarify words that are frequently confused? (Words beginning with “P” and “Q.”) Friday, June 29, 2007.

How can I clarify words that are frequently confused? (Words beginning with “S.”). Monday, July 2, 2007.

How can I clarify words that are frequently confused? (Words beginning with “T.”) Tuesday, July 3, 2007.

How can I clarify words that are frequently confused? (Words beginning with “U” and “W.”) Wednesday, July 4, 2007.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Questions on Writing Answered by RayS. in 2007

Continuing the list of questions I have already answered about writing in 2007. The date at the beginning of the question is the date on which I have published my answer. Just go to the “Blog Archive” on the right of the blog. Click on "2007." Click on the month and find the date and my answer.

How do I apply the writing process to exposition?
Monday, June 18, 2007 (model of an expository composition);

Tuesday, June 19, 2007 (brainstorming; main idea or thesis sentence with topic sentences);

Wednesday, June 20, 2007 (draft);

Thursday, June 21, 2007 (revising and editing).

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Review of Questions on Writing by RayS in 2007

Directions: Continuing the list of questions I have already answered about writing in 2007. The date at the end of the question is the date on which I have published my answer. Just go to the “Blog Archive” on the right of the blog. Click on "2007." Click on the month and find the date and my answer.

How can I start to write when I'm not sure what I want to say? Monday, June 11, 2007.

I now have a bunch of ideas in my brainstorm. What do I do with them? Tuesday, June 12, 2007.

What do I do about writing in a format with which I am unfamiliar? Thursday, June 14, 2007.

What's happening with verb tenses? Friday, June 15, 2007.

What is the difference between exposition (expository writing) and narrative writing? Saturday, June 16, 2007.

What is the “writing process”? Sunday, June 17, 2007.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Review of Questions on Writing by RayS in 2007

Directions: Continuing the list of questions I have already answered about writing in 2007. The date at the end of the question is the date on which I have published my answer. Just go to the “Blog Archive” on the right of the blog. Click on "2007." Click on the month and find the date and my answer.

I saw that several writers on writing said not to talk about what you’re writing to others because you will have already communicated your ideas and will lose the motivation to communicate. What about having people read your writing in progress? Tuesday, June 7, 2007.

How do I deal with my conviction that I will not use a word in writing I'm not sure of spelling correctly? Friday, June 8, 2007.

What are some types of words that are likely to be misspelled? Saturday, June 9, 2007.

How can I remember words I really want to spell correctly? Sunday, June 10, 2007.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Review of Questions on Writing by RayS. in 2007.

Continuing the list of questions I have already answered about writing in 2007. The date at the end of the question is the date on which I have published my answer. Just go to the “Blog Archive” on the right of the blog. Click on "2007." Click on the month and find the date and my answer. Many thanks to those who have responded to “Q & A on Writing.” I had fun writing it. Some of you have expressed gratitude for my explanations and I appreciate your comments. It will take several days to finish my review of the questions that I have already answered.

What can we learn from writers on writing? Wednesday, June 6, 2007.
What should I do before writing?
Why write?
How can I get started writing?
What’s the purpose of brainstorming?
How can I prepare to write a piece of fiction?
What is my purpose in writing?
What are some aids to creativity?
How can you tell if a piece of fiction is effective?
How prepare for writing?
How can you tell if people are “real” writers?
How do I start?
How can you make your writing interesting?
Should you talk to others about what you are writing?
How do writers write?
How can you learn to write?
What are some successful titles?
How catch a reader’s or theatergoer’s attention?
What is style?
Why revise and edit?
What makes a good movie?
What should you never start a sentence with?
How organize your writing?

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Questions on Writing Answered by RayS. in 2007

Continuing the list of questions I have already answered about writing in 2007. The date at the end of the question is the date on which I have published my answer. Just go to the “Blog Archive” on the right of the blog. Click on "2007." Click on the month and find the date and my answer. Many thanks to those who have responded to “Q & A on Writing.” I had fun writing it. Some of you have expressed gratitude for my explanations and I appreciate your comments. It will take several days to finish my review of the questions that I have already answered.

What are 20 useful comments on writing by professional writers? Friday, June 1, 2007.

How can I get rid of those @#$%^&* typos? Saturday, June 2, 2007.

What’s the best vocabulary book on the market? Sunday, June 3, 2007?

Should you write as you speak? Monday, June 4, 2007.

I can never keep straight the differences between lie and lay. No matter how hard I try to untangle the usage, I am consistently wrong. What can I do? Tuesday, June 5, 2007.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Review of Questions on Writing in 2007

Continuing the list of questions I have already answered about writing in 2007. The date at the end of the question is the date on which I published my answer. Just go to the month in the “Blog Archive” on the right of the blog. Click on the month and find the date and my answer.

What can you learn from writers about writing? Friday, May 25, 2007.
What causes writer's block?
How much time does it take to write a book?
How prepare to write?
How do professional writers write?
What are some problems in writing clearly?
What is the biggest problem with business writing?
What is the most wishy-washy sentence of the decade?
How can I learn to write?

What can you learn from writers about writing? Sunday, May 27, 2007.
What is the basis of good writing?
How long should your paragraphs be?
Why write?
How do professional writers write?

What can you learn from writers about writing? Monday, May 28, 2007.
Should you talk to people about books or articles you are writing?
Why write?
How should you react to rejection notices?
How long does it take to write a book?
What about dictating your writing?
What problems face the modern writer?
How important is word choice?
How do you know when to stop your writing for the day?

What can you learn from writers about writing? Tuesday, May 29, 2007.
How do professional writers write?
Why write?
What is writing style?
How do writers deal with rejection from editors and publishers?
What is the purpose of rewriting?

What can you learn from writers about writing? Wednesday, May 30, 2007.
How did some writers learn to write?
What is one method for evaluating objectively your writing?
How do writers write?
How do writers overcome writer's block?
What are some of the ironies of writing?
How do some professional writers write?

Monday, January 14, 2008

Review of Questions on Writing in 2007

Beginning today, I am going to list the questions I have already answered about writing. The date at the end of the question is the date on which I have published my answer. Just go to the month in the “Blog Archive” on the right of the blog. Click on the month and find the date and my answer. Many thanks to those who have responded to “Q & A on Writing.” I had fun writing it. Some of you have expressed gratitude for my explanations and I appreciate your comments. It will take several days to finish my review of the questions that I have answered. RayS.

What is the most frequent mistake in writing? Friday, May 18, 2007.

What is the “-sede,” “-ceed,” and “-cede” rule in spelling? Friday, May 18, 2007.

When should I capitalize the names of relatives, like “mother,” “father,” “uncle”? Saturday, May 19, 2007.

What should I do when the instructor comes into class and tells us to complete a composition on the topic of “Autumn” and turn it in at the end of the class period? Sunday, May 20, 2007.

How can I avoid using sexist language as in “Everybody returned to his home” (which is grammatically correct, but implies that the whole world is male)? Is there any way to avoid the clumsy “his or her,” “him or her,” etc.? Monday May 21, 2007.

What is the one mistake in punctuation that no one in America should make? Tuesday, May 22, 2007.

Can you simplify all those rules for the comma? Wednesday, May 23, 2007.

What are the most frequent and important uses of the comma? Thursday, May 24, 2007.