Writing - Handling Numbers

Sometimes when you write, you're going to need to include a mention of numbers of things. In formal writing, it's best to follow this simple rule: write the numbers from one (1) to ten (10) using letters; numbers eleven (11) and larger can be written using just the numbers.

Below are two examples illustrating this rule.

Terry bought nine types of soda for the party.

There were 45 people at the city council meeting.


Why does this rule for writing out the numbers using words only apply when going up to ten? Well, first of all, those are short, easy words to write (or type). Could you imagine having to write every number with words? Gosh! It would be a pain to have to type one thousand five hundred twenty seven instead of 1,527. Secondly, remember that this is just for formal writing, such as essays. Other types of writing (informal emails, lists, or memos) can use numbers for any value.

Start to look for this when you read newspaper or magazine articles! I bet you'll begin to notice this more and more.

Give it a try. Write two sentences. The first one should use a number where the rule tells you to write it out using words. The second sentence should use a number that does not have to be written in words. Let's see how you do! I'll start!

I have just one cat.
However, I wish I could have 12 cats!

Vocabulary - Use It Or Lose It (Part 5)

Challenge yourself to learn a new word (or two). This next segment is the first section from part 2 of the Academic Word List. Please pick one word, post the definition, and then use that word in an original sentence. You may use an online dictionary (such as this one: http://www.merriam-webster.com).

achieve
acquisition
administration
affect
appropriate
aspects
assistance
categories
chapter
commission

Writing - Stay Away From "Fluff"

Look up into the sky and find the fluffiest cloud you can see. It's probably large and "poofy." But if you condensed it down, there wouldn't be much substance there. Well, fluffy writing is the same way! It's large (fills up a lot space on paper), but doesn't have much substance to it. Since your goal is to be an effective writer, you want to avoid the "fluff" as much as you can!

You're probably asking yourself, "What exactly is fluffy writing?" and that question is important. If you know what it is, you know what to avoid. Below are a few examples of "fluff."

The following phrases/sentences are things to stay away from in your writing.

1.) "Let me tell you..." (You're doing the writing, so it's understood that you'll tell it.)

2.) "Let me explain this." (It's expected in your writing that you'll explain your topic.)

3.) "As I will show..." (You're the author, so you're in charge! There's no need to state this.)

4.) "I believe that..." (Since this writing is coming from you, it's implied that this is what you believe.)

5.) "As I've shown..." or "As I've explained..." (There's no need to state this, unless someone else did the "showing" or "explaining," the reader knows that you showed/explained these things.)

Sometimes it may be hard to not use these phrases. But you're all good writers, so you can always find a different way to state what you're trying to say in a strong, effective, compelling way!

Writing - Common Misspellings (Part 2)

Certain words just seem to be hard to spell correctly. Here's another installment from the list of frequently misspelled words (http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0781709.html). Please pick one word below, define it, and then use it in a sentence!

weather
vacuum
until
special
success
tomorrow
truly
sandwich
schedule
separate

The eLearning Blog - What Do You Think?

The eLearning blog has been going on since April 29, 2008. For almost two months, this blog has covered various topics to make you a stronger, more effective writer.

Now it's your turn to tell me what you've thought about this. What topic or topics did you find to be most helpful? What topic or topics do you want to see covered in the future? As always, please remember to answer in complete, correctly written sentences!

:-)

Usage - "Like" versus "Such As"

Did you know that formal writing makes a very clear distinction between the terms "like" and "such as" when using them to cite examples? (Don't worry, I didn't know that either until I researched it a bit, but it does make sense!) Both terms are used to make comparisons, and here is how to know when to correctly use each one.

The term "like" is used if you're citing only one example. Look at the sentence below that demonstrates this.
Search engines like Google help people locate information quickly.

Conversely, the phrase "such as" is used if you're citing more than one example. The sentence below shows this.
Search engines such as Google and Yahoo help people locate information quickly.

Try it out! Write two sentences where one uses the term "like" and the other uses the phrase "such as." Let's see how you do!

Writing - What's Your Purpose? (Part 2)

The blog post on Saturday, June 14th, talked about having a purpose when you write. Think about news articles that appear either online or in print. If it's a true news story about something that happened, the story should focus on the facts and have little (if any) opinion or "slant" thrown in.

Here's an example of a fictional news story that's free from opinion.
Today, at 11:58am on I-95, a red 1999 Ferrari driven by Brad Pitt was involved in an accident with a city-owned garbage truck. The Ferrari sustained front-end damage and the driver refused medical treatment. The Fort Lauderdale fire and police departments responded and remained on the scene until approximately 1pm.

Now, take a look at that same story, but written with more opinion included.
Today, at 11:58am on a not-so-crowded I-95, a gorgeous red 1999 Ferrari driven by the incredible actor Brad Pitt was involved in a minor accident with a dirty, smelly, city-owned garbage truck. The rare, expensive Ferrari sustained front-end damage and the good looking driver refused necessary medical treatment. The large Fort Lauderdale fire and police departments responded quickly and remained quietly on the scene until approximately 1pm.

What parts in the second story identify it as more opinion-laden than the first story? Give me one example that jumped out at you.

Next, I want you to write a few sentences (3-5) that are opinion-free and describe an event. It could be real (such as today's weather) or fictional. But remember, you want to give the facts and just the facts. :)

Acronymns - Use Them Wisely

Acronyms are abbreviation that are formed using the initial components in a phrase or name. The word "acronym" was coined in 1943 by Bell Laboratories and is widely used to describe any abbreviation formed from initial letters. Some common acronyms that you come across are US (for United States), CEO (for chief executive officer), and UN (for United Nations).

In your writing, it's important that you don't overload the reader with acronyms. If it's a well known acronym (such as those listed above), you don't need to worry about stating what it stands for. If, however, you use a not-so-well-known acronym (such as FATDEC), you should state the true name first with all of the words and then give the acronym in parentheses. Here's an example of how that would be done.

The Florida Adult and Technical Distance Education Consortium (FATDEC) is hosting four summer trainings in July.

Here are some common acronyms. Take a minute and see if you can find what they stand for by using Google or another search engine to assist you! Once you know, you can post the acronym and its meaning.

1.) BBC
2.) AAA
3.) NCAA
4.) LED
5.) IRA
6.) FAQ
7.) SAT
8.) AWOL
9.) NATO
10.) NYC

Here's an example of what you can submit for your blog post!
TLC = Tender Loving Care

Showing Ownership with Apostrophes

Many times in writing, you need to show ownership or possession of something. You may say that it was Henry's dog that ran away or that Subway's subs are delicious. The apostrophe shows ownership. The dog belongs to Henry. The subs belong to the restaurant called Subway.

The main source of confusion is knowing where to place the apostrophe. Ask yourself, "To whom or what does the item belong?". Once you have that answer, the apostrophe and the letter 's' will come after it. Let's look at some examples below.

1.) The women's club went to the movies.
(Why does the apostrophe come after the letter 'n' in that word? That is because the club belongs to the women. In other words, it is the club of the women.)

2.) The cats' bowls are all empty.
(Why does the apostrophe come after the letter 's' in that word? That is because the bowls belong to the cats (more than one of them). In other words, it is the bowls of the multiple cats.)

3.) My sisters' condo is in New Jersey.
(Why does the apostrophe come after the letter 's' in that word? That is because the condo belongs to all of the sisters. In other words, it is the condo of multiple sisters.)

4.) Her brother's car is getting fixed.
(Why does the apostrophe come after the letter 'r' in that word? That is because the car belongs to her one brother. In other words, it is the car of the brother.)


Now you try! Pick two of the topics below and write a complete sentence for each one where you show ownership through the use of an apostrophe.

a.) A shoe belongs to William
b.) The toys belonging to multiple brothers
c.) Meals of more than one diner at a restaurant
d.) A slide owned by Katie
e.) The carrots grown by one farmer

Writing - Common Misspellings

When writing, you want to focus on the ideas and how you're conveying them. But don't let your ideas get overshadowed by misspellings. To see a more complete list of the most common misspelled words, visit this link http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0781709.html.

I've picked a few words from that list. Now you get to practice using the word and spelling it correctly. Please select a word and use it in a sentence.

believe
changeable
definite
embarrass
government
grateful
guarantee
independent
knowledge
library

Vocabulary - Use It Or Lose It (Part 4)

It's time to expand those minds & vocabularies. This next segment is the last section from part 1 of the Academic Word List. Please pick one word and post the definition. You may use an online dictionary (such as this one: http://www.merriam-webster.com.).

role
section
sector
significant
similar
source
specific
structure
theory
variables

Writing - What's Your Purpose?

When you write, you always need to have a clear purpose or reason in mind. Are you trying to be serious and convey facts? Do you want to be persuasive and try to get someone to change his or her opinion? Would you like to be funny and make the reader laugh? No matter what you're trying to do, you always need to know your purpose before you even put your pen (or pencil) to the paper!

Earlier this month, I asked you to tell me a story where I gave you some items that you had to include. The story could have been funny, romantic, informative, or even scary. This time, I will give you some items to use, but your goal is to make your writing funny or whimsical. Your events, situations, and characters can all be as outlandish, crazy, or odd as you'd like!

As you write your story, be sure to include the following elements: yellow school bus, three packets of artificial sweetener (such as Splenda or Sweet-n-Low), a lawn chair, and Sam's parakeet named Lucille Ball.

I can't wait to see what you come up with! You've got your purpose, you've got your items, and you're ready to get creative!

Writing - Be Decisive!

Many essay prompts will ask your opinion on something. There's nothing worse than being "wishy-washy" on a topic. Don't be afraid to make a decision & then explain it! The GED essay does not have a "right" or a "wrong" answer. Instead, the reader is looking for you to answer the prompt in a clear way! Take a look at two answers below to a particular essay topic.

Topic: Would you want to live in a big city? Why or why not?

Wishy-Washy Answer: Sometimes I think I might like to live in a big city, but other times I think I wouldn't like it.
(That answer is not good because the writer has not firmly answered the question!)

Decisive Answer: I would definitely want to live in a big city.
(That answer is good because the writer has clearly identified his or her opinion on the topic!)
----

Here's where I want you to practice giving decisive one-sentence answers to a few questions. Remember that there's no "right" answer, but just be firm in what you say!

Sample topic #1: Do you believe that global warming is a problem for the United States?

Sample topic #2: Should oil companies such as Exxon be forced to lower their prices?

Sample topic #3: Are there any fashion trends that should not be allowed in the work place?

Improve Your Descriptions

If I wrote you a letter & told you that I live in a house where the exterior is painted green, do you think you could envision the correct shade of green without any further information? Since there are tons of shades of that color, it would be kind of hard to get it right. Remember that your goal, as a writer, is to leave nothing to your reader's imagination. So your descriptions should not be as vague as just saying "green." One person could picture a bright, lime green house! Another person might think of a deep, rich, emerald green color. And still another reader could imagine a dark hunter green.

I'd like you to practice making color descriptions a bit better. Look at the sentences below. Pick one and improve it so that the exact shade you're imagining is conveyed clearly to the reader.

1.) Susan's gray cat slept on the chair.
2.) The cashier had gorgeous red hair.
3.) Maria marveled at the blue sky over the ocean.
4.) Home Depot is selling brown patio furniture.
5.) His daughter twirled in her favorite pink dress.

The Semicolon

Semicolons can be thought of as being very, very similar to periods. They should only be used when what falls on either side of it is a complete thought. Let's look at an example of this!

Today has the most beautiful weather; I spent the whole day in the pool.

Each part is a complete thought (with a subject and a verb). You could say "Today has the most beautiful weather." That is fine. Then, you could start a new sentence and say "I spent the whole day in the pool." That is also fine. Each of those could be sentences on their own. However, if you'd like to keep them "connected," you can use the semicolon (like you see above).

Now it's your turn. I'd like you to write 2 separate sentences. Then, write those same thoughts as one sentence where there is a semicolon as the punctuation between them.

I'll start!
Separate: My cat is so tired. He spent the whole day sleeping on the comfortable chair.

Combined: My cat is so tired; he spent the whole day sleeping on the comfortable chair.

Vocabulary - Use It Or Lose It (Part 3)

It's another installment of the "Academic Word List" to help improve your vocabulary skills! Please pick one word, look it up in a dictionary, and then post the word & its meaning. Choose a word that has not been picked already by another blogger. (HINT: If you do not have a dictionary, you can use an online one! Try this: http://www.merriam-webster.com.)

Here are the next 10 words from that list.

occur
percent
period
policy
principle
procedure
process
required
research
response

Essay Introductions

On the GED writing test, the essay is the most important thing you'll do. If your essay isn't considered to be good enough (which is a "2" on a scale of "0" to "4"), your multiple choice won't get graded! Ouch! All well-written essays have something in common: a strong, effective introductory paragraph.

Consider a new television show that you sit down to watch. If the first 5 minutes are bad, do you want to keep watching? Of course you wouldn't! An essay is really no different. If your introduction is bad, how good will the rest really be?

Your goal is to "wow" your reader right away! With a few simple steps, you can do that easily. Are you ready to know more?

Your introductory paragraph (like your conclusion) can be shorter than the body paragraphs. However, you should still have a minimum of 3 sentences here. These 3 sentences will accomplish some very important things. Your first sentence will let the reader know the topic (and your position on it). The second sentence will "hint" at where you're going in the body paragraphs. The third sentence then leads the reader into the rest of the essay and makes him or her want to read more! Below is an example of this.

Topic: If you could live anywhere in the United States, where would it be and why?

Intro paragraph: If I could live anywhere in the United States, I would choose to live in New York City. This is because New York City has a tremendous amount of cultural activities, diverse restaurants, and a good transportation system. All of these things are important to me when considering a place to live.

Do you see how all three of those sentences do important tasks?

Now it's your turn to write only an introductory paragraph. Use the topic that you see below. You do not need to write a whole essay!

Topic: Has the personal computer had a positive effect on society? Why or why not?

Tell me another story!

In May, one of the blog topics asked you to tell a story, but to start it with a certain idea. This time, instead of starting you off with that, I'll give you a few things I'd like you to weave into your story. You can write a few sentences or a few paragraphs. It's up to you!

Here are the components that should be included in your writing: computer, email, Kendra's car, and a lottery ticket.

As you write, pay attention to your sentences. Are they complete? Are you avoiding run-ons? Look at your spelling, sentence structure, and organization. Try to do all of it correctly, as if you were submitting this story for inclusion in a book or magazine!

Have fun and be creative!

The Colon

The English language is interesting. There are countless ways to say the same statement. Many times, it just depends on your style of writing. Today, we're going to examine the colon, which is a type of punctuation. The colon looks like this : (two vertical dots). Generally, colons are used to show that a list will follow. Let's look at a two examples. You'll see that the same idea can be written with or without a colon. It just depends on the format you're most comfortable with!

Example 1.)
The guests brought many items: ice, soda, cookies, cake, and even napkins.
Or
The guests brought many items such as ice, soda, cookies, cake, and even napkins.
(Notice that the first sentence uses the colon to symbolize that the list of items will follow. The second sentence doesn't need a colon because it uses the phrase "such as." Both ways are correct.)

Example 2.)
Kevin had a lot to do tonight: study for his test, prepare lunch for his younger sister, and change the oil in his car.
Or
Kevin had a lot to do tonight. He was going to study for his test, prepare lunch for his younger sister, and change the oil in his car.
(Notice that the first sentence uses the colon to symbolize that the list of what Kevin has to do will follow. The second sentence doesn't need a colon because it has separated the thoughts into two complete sentences. Both ways are correct.)


Which way do you prefer? Take a moment and write a sentence that uses a colon. Then, write the same idea, but make your sentence (or sentences) so that no colon is needed.