Solution for comma splices: make sure your independent clauses are properly punctuated. You never use a comma to fuse two independent clauses.

Consider the following examples:

● The day was uneventful, it rained until nightfall.

● He forgot to finish his work, he received a bad grade.

 

There are four ways to solve this problem:

a.) Substitute the comma with a period:

The day was uneventful. It rained until nightfall.

 

 

b.) Use a semicolon:

The day was uneventful; it rained until nightfall.

 

 

c.) Insert a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) after the comma:

He forgot to finish his homework, so he received a bad grade.

 

d.) Add a subordinating conjunction (after, because, whereas, unless, etc.):

-Because he forgot to finish his work, he received a bad grade.

-He received a bad grade because he forgot to finish his work.

Here are some rules for using commas; there are so many more, so you should consider checking your writing handbook for a good overview. The following rules are adapted from The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writing (6th ed.):

 

1.) After introductory words or phrases longer than three words:

In order to fully understand the situation, you have to take into account how hard Skylar’s task was.

 

2.) After introductory subordinate (dependent) clauses:

Because times are tough for Rob, he is working at two jobs.

 

3.) To mark nonessential (nonrestrictive) modifiers:

The speech, which bored the entire audience, took place yesterday at noon.

 

4.) Before coordinating conjunctions linking independent clauses:

The child got terrible grades, so he was grounded for a week.

 

5.) Use commas after conjunctive adverbs beginning sentences or clauses:

Kyle studied all day for his exam. However, he still didn’t feel confident.

A dangling modifier occurs when a phrase that attempts to expand or modify something else is incorrectly placed next to a word or phrase. Solution for dangling modifiers: make sure that you modifiers correctly modify what they’re supposed to.

 

Consider the following example:

 

Tired and uninterested, the rain was an annoyance for Mike.

 

Given the placement of the modifier “Tired and uninterested” next to “the rain,” the wording of the sentence makes it appear that the rain is tired and uninterested. Clearly, this isn’t the case.

 

Rephrased:

 

Tired and uninterested, Mike was annoyed by the rain.

 

Mike, tired and uninterested, was annoyed by the rain.

 

Parallel Structure

 

Parallel structure occurs when items listed in a sentence’s predicate all refer back to the same subject and take on a similar word structure.

 

Consider the following example:

 

Melinda spent her afternoon driving the kids to after-school activities, cooking dinner, and picked up the dry cleaning.

 

Since both “driving” and “cooking” appear in the gerund (-ing) form, “pick” should also, instead of the past tense.

 

Rephrased:

 

Melinda spent her afternoon driving the kids to after-school activities, cooking dinner, and picking up the dry cleaning.

Pronoun-antecedent agreement means that pronouns correctly refer to the nouns they replace that precede them. Solution for pronoun-antecedent errors: make sure singular pronouns refer to singular pronouns, and plural pronouns refer to plural pronouns.

 

Before revision: Bob Dylan’s songs are the greatest in the history of music, even if they can’t sing too well.

 

After revision: Bob Dylan’s songs are the greatest in the history of music, even if he can’t sing too well.

 

Antecedent: Bob Dylan (singular)

Pronoun: he (singular)

Clue: A sing cannot sing itself.

 

Before revision: The people at the party down the street were pretty noisy, but at least it didn’t live right next door.

 

After revision: The people at the party down the street were pretty noisy, but at least they didn’t live right next door.

 

Antecedent: The people (plural)

Pronoun: they (plural)

Clue: A party cannot literally live next door.

A run-on sentence happens when no punctuation joins two independent clauses (or complete sentences). Solution for run-on sentences: make sure each independent clause is properly punctuated and/or properly uses conjunctions.

 

Consider the following example:

The man was tall and thin he walked quickly.

 

 

There are four ways to solve this problem:

 

e) Insert a period:

The man was tall and thin. He walked quickly.

 

f) Insert a semicolon:

The man was tall and thin; he walked quickly.

 

g) Insert a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so, etc.):

The man was tall and thin, and he walked quickly.

 

h) Insert a subordinating conjunction (after, because, whereas, unless, etc.):

Because the man was tall and thin, he walked quickly.

 

 

Be careful: In the last example, notice how subordinating one of the independent clauses slightly changes the meaning of the sentence.

Solution for sentence fragment: (1) make sure each sentence has a subject and a predicate, and (2) that each subordinate clause doesn’t stand alone in a sentence.

 

Consider the first fragment type:

The exhilarating midsummer breeze. Refreshed me and helped me concentrate. (2 fragments)

 

The first fragment in the example lacks a verb.

The second fragment in the example contains verbs (“Looks,” “Refreshed”) but no subject.

 

To fix, remove the misplaced period:

The exhilarating midsummer breeze refreshed me and helped me concentrate.

 

Consider the second fragment type:

The chairman decided to resign. Because the company no longer respected him. (1 fragment)

 

Words like “Because” and “Which” signify subordinate clauses (also known as dependent clauses). As a rule, subordinate/dependent clauses can’t stand alone as sentence; they are dependent on other sentences.

 

To fix, use one of the two methods:

(1) Remove the period, thus making subordinate/dependent clause grammatically correct:

 

The chairman decided to resign because the company no longer respected him.

 

(2) Rewrite so that words that make the clause dependent are left out:

 

The chairman decided to resign. The company no longer respected him.

1. Ask yourself why something is true. 

Asking “Why is this fact true?” helps you join the subject you want to learn with facts that you already know. This gives your memory more points to access the content later.  

Another trick is to ask conceptual questions that require you to create an answer rather than simply to recall something or to activate an algorithm. Conceptual questions require students to  

• ustify a choice. 
• Predict what happens next. 
• Explain why something happens. 
• Explain how something happens. 

 

• Link two or more areas or topics. 
• Recognize questions phrased in a novel way. 
• Extract useful data from an excess of information. (ASC, 2021) 

2. Self-Explanation- pause your reading to explain what a text means to you. 

Practice this when you are studying an example problem or after a section of text. It is okay to go back to the chapter or paragraph to fully comprehend the meaning. Doing this shows you errors in your summary, encourages revision, and helps identify questions and answers you may have. 

 

3. Practice Testing- Make flashcards 

Every time you answer a test question, you actively use your long term memory. There are many free flashcard apps for phones that allow you to upload your own questions.  

Another trick is to study subjects in short spurts and change the order of your questions. The more often you have to recall information in a different way, the easier it is to learn and remember.  

 

4. Distribute Practice– Avoid cramming and study a little over many sessions. 

Restarting your memory for the topic during each study session helps you learn better and faster. When your memory is used to the topic again it becomes too easy. Stopping and starting is harder, and that’s good because it strengthens your memory. 

 

5. Interleaved Practice-Learn different kinds of problems (formulas, ideas, stories) and study them together  

The reason this works is that you need to learn a bit more than how to apply each formula or idea. This gives you practice at telling problems apart.  

Subject-verb agreement means that the subject and verb agree in number. Both the subject and the verb indicate the same number of actors performing an action.

 

Before revision: Readers expects to be entertained.

After revision: Readers expect to be entertained.

 

Before revision: This week have been stressful.

After revision: This week has been stressful.

 

 

In American English, some nouns that end in –s are treated as singular:

 

 

Before revision: Economics are a science.

After revision: Economics is a science.

 

Before revision: Mathematics are boring.

After revision: Mathematics is boring.

 

 

Watch out for indefinite pronouns (pronouns that don’t refer to anything specific):

 

 

Before revision: Each require proper understanding.

After revision: Each requires proper understanding.

 

Before revision: Everyone are happy about the results.

After revision: Everyone is happy about the results.

GUIDE TO FORMAL OUTLINING

I. The outline should be in sentence form.

A. That means that each section of the outline must be a complete sentence.

B. Each part may only have one sentence in it.

II. Each Roman numeral should be a main section of the speech.

A. Capital letters are the main points of the thesis.

1. Numbers are sub-points under the capital letters.

2. Lowercase numbers are sub-points under the numbers.

B. Each sub-point needs to correspond with the idea it is under.

1. This means that capital letters refer to the main idea in Roman numerals.

2. This means that numbers refer to the idea in the capital letter.

III. All sub-points should be indented the same.

A. This means that all of the capital letters are indented the same.

B. All numbers are indented the same.

IV. No sub-points stands alone.

A. Every A must have a B.

B. Every 1 must have a 2.

C. You don’t need to have a C or a 3, but you can.

D. There are no exceptions to this rule.

When writing a speech, your speech outline should look something like the one in the sample.

Your outline will also include full sentence details of your speech, including source citations.

The number of sub-points will differ in each speech and for each main idea.

 

 

FORMAL OUTLINE FORMAT

Student’s name:

Date:

 

Topic: Key statement that describes the topic of your speech

General purpose: To inform OR persuade

Specific purpose: Your specific purpose identifies information that you want to communicate (in an informative speech) or the attitude or behavior you want to change (in a persuasive speech).

Thesis: The central idea of your speech (should predict, control, and obligate).

 

I. Introduction

A. Attention-Getter: Something that grabs the attention of the audience; for example, startling statistics, stories, rhetorical questions, quotations, scenarios, etc. This point should be more than one sentence long.

B. Reason to listen: Why the audience should listen to your speech; make it personal to each of them.

C. Thesis statement: Exact same statement as in the section above.

D. Credibility statement:

1. What personally connects you to this topic?

2. What type of research have you done to establish credibility?

 

 

 

E. Preview of main points

1. First, I will describe…

2. Second, I will examine…

3. Third, I will discuss…

II. Restate thesis, the exact same statement as in the section above.

A. Statement of the first main point – you should not use a source in this sentence.

1. Idea of development or support for the first main point

a. Support material (e.g., statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source)

b. Support material (e.g., statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source)

2. More development or support

a. Support material (e.g., statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source)

b. Support material (e.g., statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source)

3. More development, if needed

Transition: Statement that looks back (internal summary) and looks forward (preview).

B. Statement if second main point – do not use a source in this statement.

1. Idea of development or support for the first main point

a. Support material (e.g., statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source)

b. Support material (e.g., statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source)

2. More development or support

a. Support material (e.g., statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source)

b. Support material (e.g., statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source)

3. More development, if needed

 

 

Transition: Statement that looks back (internal summary) and looks forward (preview).

C. Statement of second main point – do not use a source in this statement.

1. Idea of development or support for the first main point

a. Support material (e.g., statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source)

b. Support material (e.g., statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source)

2. More development or support

a. Support material (e.g., statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source)

b. Support material (e.g., statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source)

3. More development, if needed

III. Conclusion

A. Review of Main Points

1. Restate your first main point.

2. Restate your second main point.

3. Restate your third main point.

B. Restate thesis: Exact same as above

C. Closure: Develop a creative ending that will give the speech a sense of closure. This point may be more than one sentence and often refers back to the Attention-Getter.

 

References

All sources should be cited in the appropriate format (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.)

Make sure that sources are listed in alphabetical order by first authors’ last names.

All sources should be double spaced and be formatted with hanging indention.

Tips for Deciphering the Assignment Sheet

 

 

Sometimes, when a professor hands out an assignment, it can look a little bit like this:

However, once you learn how to interpret it, it looks more like this:

 

 

 

Looking at an assignment sheet can be scary, but professors typically do their best to present the information as clearly as possible. Everyone writes their assignment sheets differently, though, so the trick to understanding an assignment is taking apart the instructions. Of course, don’t be afraid to ask your professor for clarification; they want you to succeed.

 

The following are some steps you can take to turn confusion into writing success:

(Adapted from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/688/1/)

 

1.) Read the prompt once to get an overview of what the assignment generally is about.

2.) Underline, circle, highlight, or otherwise embellish the most important aspects of the assignment (due date, key questions, format, research requirements, page length, etc). Finding the actual prompt will be important in this step. Find the actual question or questions that you are being asked to respond to.

3.) Consider how to respond to the question(s)/prompt. Your professor will likely have a set of questions or topics for discussion on the assignment sheet. Use those as a starting point. This is a chance to pre-write; respond to those specific questions or discussion points. If nothing else, you’ve begun writing something, and your brain is being warmed up for writing the assignment.

Some things to consider for this part (though this will be more handy once you get to actually writing the assignment):

a.) What is the purpose of your assignment? What are you trying to accomplish by writing this essay? One assignment’s purpose may be to analyze characters in a story, and another assignment’s purpose may be to research a topic, while another may be intended as a short, personal response without any research.

b.) Who is your audience? What are the expectations of your audience?

c.) What resources will you need to complete the assignment, and what is available to you? If you need to do research, will you need print resources as well as online resources? If so, where can the print sources be found? How many sources do you need?

d.) Where can get help if I’m confused? Is there a tutoring center I can go to? (If you go to SFA and are reading this then you know that there is!) Keep in mind that we have hours five days a week and are also available online through the Online Writing Lab. (https://library.sfasu.edu/aarc/)

4.) Rank your responses in order of most important/relevant to the topic to least. There will often be many areas to address, and not all of them will fit in your assignment. Find the information that you feel will be most relevant to the topic at hand. This will allow you to add more later if you need more, but have the most important topics covered first.

 

1. Prepare a general résumé that can be adapted for each job application. This may seem like a lot of work, but if you send the same résumé to every employer, chances are you will not get many calls back. This is because applications go through software that scans them for keywords related to each job post. If your résumé does not have enough keywords, it will never see the hiring manager.  

 

1. Don’t start your résumé template from scratch unless you are a formatting expert. 

Use your student Microsoft 365 Account to access the pre-made résumé templates in Word. Templates will also assist you with which information to add and where. If you are unsure of which one to use, start with a simple design and you can move the information to another later. Be conscious of your printing resources. If you only have access to a black and white printer, choose a template that is in black and white, so the finished product is neat and easy to read. 

 

1. Fast Facts 

o Unless you are a top executive, published professor, etc. -your resume should only be 1-page long. 

o 10 pt. font minimum, but 12 is preferred. At a glance, text should be easy to read.  

1. Format-Choose a format that makes you most pleasing to your future employer 

Chronological Format- Places Related Experience section after Education section: Your employment history in reverse chronological order (present employment to earliest).   

  

Skills‐Based Format- Place Skills Summary Section Below Education section. Include abilities that are directly related to the position for which you’re applying.  Subheadings label the type of skill; below subheadings, list your accomplishments in relation to each skill. Include a summary of your employment history (without bullet points) in the Employment section, below the Skills Summary section.    

This format may be useful for recent graduates, applicants who have been out of the workforce for a while, or people who have switched jobs several times. (It deemphasizes employment history in favor of the applicant’s know‐how.)     

 

1. Possible Résumé Sections 

o Objective- State your professional goals as specifically as possible.   

o Education- degrees earned or in progress, graduation date, major/minor (if it is relevant), and honors.    

o Related Experience- Jobs, internships, volunteer work directly related to the job post. 

o Other Experience- Positions held or activities that have given you valuable experience, but aren’t directly related to the position you’re applying for.  

 o Skills- Languages spoken, computer know‐how, specific trade skills.    

o Professional Development- Training, workshops, or conferences attended, official certifications.    

o Honors and Awards/Publications/Coursework.    

o Activities or Affiliations.    

 

1. Tone & Content    

o Be concise; every word should be necessary and should sell you as an employee.   

o Omit “I” and most articles (a, an, the); save these for the cover letter.    

o List specific accomplishments in each position instead of simply listing job duties. 

o Each job title should include institution/company name, city, state, and date range of employment.    

o Below each Job subheading, include No more than 3 bullets for each job. Avoid paragraphs of text.  

 

1. Begin bullets with action verbs when describing your experience and qualifications.  

https://www.themuse.com/advice/185-powerful-verbs-that-will-make-your-résumé-awesome 

Avoid starting bullets with pronouns (I, We, Us, You), adverbs (efficiently, quickly, etc.), Adjectives (small, huge) 

 

1. Use numbers to quantify your skills.  

Examples:  

DO: Served in a 150 seat restaurant, handling up to 4 tables at a time in a fast paced work environment. 

NOT: Served food, took orders, and delivered excellent customer service.  

 

DO: Trained 50 employees in emotional intelligence and technical writing while increasing training efficiency by 38% exceeding university standards.                                                             NOT:  Trained employees in writing and customer service techniques to increase training efficiency. 

Other details that can be expanded on in numbers … 

• Customer satisfaction ratings 

• Number of customers served daily 
• The size of your company/establishment 
• Total yearly/monthly/daily sales 
• How much money you saved the company 

 

 

1. Make an appointment with the Tutoring Center. 

Our tutors can help you brainstorm, edit, and improve your résumé.  

Email us at gctutoring@gc.edu  

 

Your name 

Your address,  

Your phone number 

 

Today’s Date 

Company name 

Company address 

 

 

Dear (Insert Hiring Manager here)  

Introduction 

State the position you want to be considered for and acknowledge the company’s name; mention a contact who referred you if possible. Mention your degree, qualification title, or current employer; use your experience or education to show you are qualified for the position. This paragraph can be very strong if you briefly spell out how you will benefit your future employer. Express your desire to be considered for the position. This paragraph should be between 4-5 sentences long. Be brief and brilliant! 

Body Paragraph 

In this sentence elaborate on one skill or employment position that shows you’re qualified for the job. Directly connect how you have a hands on experience of a specific skill set this job requires. Mention any projects you have worked on, be specific but brief. Mention a second job or qualification that directly connects your experience and or abilities to the job. Directly connect how these skills will long term effect the success of your future employer. Do not repeat information from your resume. This should be more specifically related to the job you are applying for. This is a chance to WOW your future employer and convince them to look at your resume. This paragraph should be no longer than 5-6 sentences. 

Conclusion 

With the first two paragraphs of highlights, now entice your employer to look at more skills and experience on your resume. Again, key words from the job post must be here as well. Clearly state your willingness to come in for an interview and show enthusiasm to share more about how you can benefit your new employer when you meet them in person. Provide your contact information (email and phone number) and a rough schedule or times when it is best to contact you. 

 

Respectfully, 

Sign or Type Your Name 

1.) Create a peaceful environment. Find a way to make your environment as distraction-free as possible. Put away any devices not used for study. Go to another, quieter room. Put in earbuds to block out extraneous noise. Eliminating as many distractions as possible will help you stay on track.

2.) Annotate. Annotating means to underline or highlight words or phrases you find surprising, confusing, or significant. If something raises a question, for example, you might write that question in the margins. Margin notes can be helpful if you’re going back over your chapters for a quick review.

Remember: too much highlighting or underlining will not be helpful. ONLY mark what is truly important.

3.) Write out paragraph structures. After reading a paragraph, ask yourself: “What is the main point of this paragraph?” After that, consider what in the paragraph supports and/or explains that main point.

4.) Write summaries. On a separate piece of paper, write summaries of what you’re reading. This summary could be for each paragraph or maybe each section – whatever suits your study best.

5.) Take breaks. Give yourself an attainable goal. Perhaps you will read as much as you can for 15 minutes, take a five-minute break, and begin again. Maybe you’ll read one or two sections at a time before taking a break. Find what works for you.

6.) Quiz yourself for understanding. Usually, at the end of the chapter of a textbook, there will be questions for you to test your comprehension of the material. Use them! If there’s a question you had difficulty answering, it may be best to go back and re-read that section.

7.) Keep a running list of terms/events/people that seem important in the text. These items are likely to be main ideas for your reading and may even be test questions.

8.) If you find yourself re-reading the same passage over and over again, take a break. If a particular passage is causing you difficulty, you may need to step away from it, move on and go back to it later, or ask your professor about it.

9.) Reread. Sometimes, going back and rereading material allows you to catch some information that you missed before, or clarify something you misunderstood before.

At some point, you may be required to write a report or research paper for one or more of your Galveston College classes. In order to avoid plagiarizing, you must ensure that you acknowledge the sources that you used in researching your topic. The links below will direct you to information about how to give appropriate credit for sources used in your research papers.