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Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Reflection - Section 12 - Common Mistakes and Tricky Choices - Nov. 21
Visit this URL: http://englishplus.com/grammar/mistcont.htm to review some common mistakes in standard English. Sometimes we misuse words or phrases, but with more review and practice, we can learn to correct this. Did you find this resource to be useful? Why or why not? In addition, discuss your thoughts on today's class activities. (re: definition, essay brain stretcher, etc.)
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I think that this resource was very useful. I tend to make these common mistakes, especially when I have to choose between similar words. I will definitely keep this resource book-marked. I think that these common mistakes happen to everyone because they can be confusing.
ReplyDeleteDefinition is a refresher for me because I learned how to do this while in middle school. I think that I did learn new things though. For simple definitions, there are a few techniques that can help you define the word, such as a basic dictionary meaning, using a synonym, direct explanation, indirect definition, or an analytical/formal definiition. A longer definition that may take up a whole essay, or an extended definition, could be written by using patterns that we have previously discussed.
I am glad that this resource was of good use to you. I also found many of the tips in it interesting. I feel like my English class in high school was very uninformed of these differences and I hope everyone will come to learn these sooner on. I feel like the way definition that we learned takes a more complex and deeper approach to assessing or describing our idea or word. Definitions won't have to be so boring after learning how to give them some substance.
DeleteImmediately after I saw the difference between A/An, I bookmarked the page right away. It is one of my pet peeve, when I hear people misuse the particle "a" and "an". It is something that I have learned since elementary; however, there are still a lot more phrases and words that I am not aware of. I could be using them incorrectly as well. Luckily, we have this resource available for us now. ^^
DeleteI agree with you Sharleen, everybody encountered these mistakes at some point in their lives. Like I said no one is perfect.
DeleteI also saved this link as well as the other link from our previous blog. Grammar is the one thing I always overlook in my essays and that's why it's good to do the peer reviews. Even if I wrote something wrong, there are times where i can read it over and still not catch the mistake. Now with this resource as a guide my mind will be looking for These mistakes while I proofread my work.
DeleteI have always done well with differentiating between common mistakes because I feel that I am a strong speller. Good spelling always helps me to figure out proper grammar. Simple things like using contractions were always simple to me (such as their and they're). Learning Latin and Greek roots throughout school also helped me differentiate roots which was also good for spelling (much like ante and anti). I found myself clicking on a few topics because I never knew the difference! Like eager and anxious....I thought they were both just the same generic nervous energy! Glad to have learned something new!
ReplyDeleteHowever, the activities about definitions was especially helpful. It wasn't that I learned definitions of new words; I learned to define words efficiently and take different approaches. After reading chapter 14, I could now think "oh, what is a cat?"
Simple: animal species of feline family
Extended: A cat is a gracious animal that comes in many different types depending on region, size, specie, color, type of fur, etc....
I also clicked on some phrases that I'm unfamiliar with. One of the first phrases surprised me when I learned that the word "Alot" simply does not exist. Although I know the proper use of "A lot" , I was always curious when to apply the word "Alot", I guess the answer is never. xD
DeleteI definitely agree with you. Spelling truly does help when you need to differentiate between similar words. I also learned Greek and Latin roots in high school, so I know how helpful that can be when trying to use words properly. I'm glad that these things that I previously learned are helping me with other tasks like avoiding common mistakes in standard English.
DeleteI agree. I think that previous experiences with these subjects did help very much. Although, I think that there were some new things that I did not know before.
DeleteI thought the definitions lesson was helpful also. It was something I never learned about before so I'm glad I got to read up on it and learn that there are different approaches to defining even simple words.
DeleteI find the resource provided very useful. I encounter people misusing words all the time, especially on social networks. I am glad that this resource is made available for us, so we may look back to it when we are unsure of a word's proper usage and spelling. To be able to differentiate the wrong word from the right will allow us to practice them daily, then we will be more proficient in spelling, writing, and talking correctly.
ReplyDeleteI also encounter people misusing terms on social networks..
DeleteOh no! Don't even get me started on the bad grammar on social networks! haha I hate when people misuse the words your and you're, or when they use their instead of there or they're! THEY'RE killing me with all of THEIR bad grammar out THERE on those social networks! haha Sorry for the rant on YOUR blog. I hope YOU'RE not too upset about it!
DeleteHaha! Nichole's little rant just brought a smile on my face. I'm glad that you find this resource to be useful. Apparently, I think Nichole enjoys it as well. Just like what you stated, I often find many errors on social networks. I always try to fight the urge to correct them because I don't want to come off as rude. We should post this resource on those social networks so that those people who always make these common mistakes will learn something.
DeleteI am happy to hear that Dr. Rivera's link was of good use for you and I have to agree with Nichole's little spiel about social network grammar. It isn't too hard to distinguish plural from possessive. I feel like every college student should know that and if not, they shouldn't be at college!
DeleteI think people are very lax about grammar in social networking sites because there's no real penalty about it. At most, people would probably call them out on it, but there really isn't a real threat to people who misuse those grammar errors. It just shows how much or how little they care about their grammatical appearances on the internet. I think the resource should help us make our sentences better, and hopefully encourage other internet users to care about their grammatical appearances online.
DeleteThe resource provided will also help us when peer reviewing. The writer will see where they have made a mistake and we can always refer them back to the resource.
DeleteI also see people with grammar errors on social networking all the time. Honestly, even if it's just Facebook they should want to show how well their grammar is and use proper English. It irritates me most when they use "there, their, and they're" wrong. I always correct my little sisters on that because I want them to present themselves well even if it's just the Internet.
DeleteThere's already a lot on the resource that I already know, but I did encounter some that I wasn't familiar with. So in short, I think the information in the Common Mistakes site is very useful. Even though I just skimmed most of it, they prove to be very reliable reference in case I run into these mistakes in the future.
ReplyDeleteThe activity that stood out to me today was the picture essay. It was pretty interesting, trying to come up with a stage 1 process for the picture that we were assigned or chose to do.
I agree with Krizel, the information given is very useful. especially for future references.
DeleteWow based on you and Meryeil's posts I am starting to believe I made the wrong choice by doing moodle tonight instead of face to face. It sounds like a lot of fun and creativity. I also agree that although I knew many of the common mistakes that are made and try my best not to make them, there were a few that I didn't even realize were there. I will definitely be using this source in the future.
DeleteI also found the resource to be very beneficial. I will definitely use it when I need to write essays or peer review papers. The activity that you mentioned you did in class sounds like fun. Unfortunately, I was not able to come to class today. I opted to participate on Moodle instead. However, I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed part of the lesson.
DeleteI also thought the picture activity was interesting. Listening to how everyone made a short story or just listed factors of the picture was fun.
DeleteI am going to be honest, I have had a couple of problems trying to differentiate between the right and wrong terms, but I try my best and get it right most of the time. I am not perfect, no one is. Remember we ALL had to LEARN these things. I find this information given really useful. I did not participate in todays class physically, but I did do the moodle. The topic on definition seems easy.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the topic for today was simple and an easy concept to grasp. I can only hope it stays that way for the remainder of our years in college. Everyone struggles from time to time and you're right, its nothing to be ashamed of! At least you are recognizing the problem now and taking steps towards improving your situation. Great for you!
DeleteI agree with you completely. I find myself stuck trying to find the right words or phrases. I do my best to select the right one. With the resource provided, I am sure that most of us who read it will make less mistakes.
DeleteThe resource provided was very useful for me. I clicked on a few words/phrases that I commonly use in my writing, and saw that I have been using them wrong all this time. The examples provided gave me a better understanding of how they should be used. I found that I could use the resource for future reference.
ReplyDeleteToday's activities on definition was a great way to show how to be specific when defining terms. This can help make your paragraphs or essays more effective and understandable. The essay brain stretcher activity was a fun way to get out minds thinking quickly while still being creative. I thought that those who shared their work in class had very excellent paragraphs. I would love to do another activity like this again.
Well Meryeil I am the same way. haha I clicked on some words and didn't even realize that I was using them wrong too. I agree that today's activities was extremely beneficial to our academic future. I wish I went in to class now it sounds like it was a lot of fun!
DeleteGlad to hear that the resource was helpful to you too. I think that it will help me a lot with me writings as well.
DeleteThe essay activity was pretty fun. I think we are going to continue off on it next class. At least, that's what I think. I wonder if we should work on the ones we already did in class or choose a new picture to write about? Decisions are so hard to make.
DeleteI did find some things that up to this day I use wrong so now I'm going to try and steer clear of using them like that in the future. This link has a lot of resources that I know a lot of people have done at least once in their writing. Even if majority of these grammatical errors I have I proved and mastered over the years, there are still some I can improve even more on.
DeleteWell I wasn't in class today, but on Moodle we were talking about definitions and the different ways to define a word or subject. I thought it was pretty interesting to learn about the different ways to define something. I am definitely guilty of making common mistakes in my writing and often times it is because I was too careless to go back and review my work. A lot of my mistakes are in my spelling. It was never my favorite part of English class. I think that by using this source I can be better prepared for future classes. Hopefully by using this source I can also become a better speller. Wish me luck!
ReplyDeleteI hope that you will try to improve your spelling. I find spelling very useful when trying to use words properly. You should also try your best to review your work. You would be amazed just by how many careless mistakes a person can make in such a short writing. I wish you the best of luck with your future writing. I know that you will greatly improve if you refer to this resource.
DeleteSpelling was always my favorite part of English. Sorry to hear it's not one of your favorite parts. Don't worry, you will get better, Good Luck!
DeleteSpelling was never my favorite part in English class, too! I always spelled words incorrectly, and feel ashamed for making that mistake. I used to use incorrect grammar in sentences, but I gradually improved from that. However, spelling is still a nuisance for me. I would always rely on spell-checker to do the work for me.
DeleteThe different ways to define words will help make stronger essays and paragraphs as well. I also hope that you will get better in spelling. It just takes a bit time and practice.
DeleteI am glad that Dr. Rivera provided us with this resource. Even though I don't find myself having difficulty with any of these common mistakes, I also like to look back on these things for reassurance. They do come in handy at times. The American Grammar vs. British Grammar was interesting though. I always find it fascinating how different areas of the world that essentially speak the same language can still have some differences in grammar.
ReplyDeleteAs for today's activities, I participated in the online session rather than in the classroom. I gathered a lot from the chapter on clarifying terms. I never knew that there was so much more to a definition besides a brief explanation. It is amazing how you can take a word or phrase and expand it into a whole essay. Overall, today's teachings truly helped to broaden my knowledge.
I think that the resource is very helpful to those who make these common mistakes frequently. I too thought that today's lesson was somewhat new and interesting with the things that you can do with one word.
DeleteI remember the first time I heard about American Grammar vs. British Grammar, I became so interested in their differences! Like how color is mostly spelled as 'colour' in the British Grammar. As if foreign languages weren't enough, now we have foreign grammar! It amazing that there are so many complicated things in the world. Anyways, I do find the resource interesting and helpful. So I'm glad that Dr. Rivera posted it as well!
DeleteStress past two resources you've provided for us are really going to help in my future writing. I know I've made a few of these grammatical mistakes. Thankfully, I've improved a lot from when I first started writing but I still can use some improvement. I remember I used to always get mixed up with "then and than" and it wasn't until middle school where I properly learned how to use them in sentences,
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