Fullerton College Writing Center: 2012

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

The Most Effective Way of Improving Writing Skills over the Summer

Read. It’s as simple as that. Below are some book recommendations from The Writing Center to you. Don’t forget to pick up a book this summer to keep your skills sharp and ready for the fall!

If you like Fantasy try Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin or Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rolling.

If you like Science Fiction try The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams or Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.

If you like Horror try It by Stephen King or The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

If you like History try Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen or Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown.

If you like Non-Fiction try People who Cook by Anthony Bourdain or A Night to Remember by Walter Lord.

If you like American Literature try The Great Gatsby by F. Fitzgerald Scott or A Farwell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway.

If you like British Literature try Hamlet by William Shakespeare or Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

If you like World Literature try Oedipus Rex by Sophocles or The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck.

If you like Romance try Jane Ere by Charlotte Bronte or Isolde, Queen of Western Isle (Tristan and Isolde Novels, Book 1) by Rosalind Miles.

If you like Politics try The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli or The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution by Bernard Bailyn.

If you like Humor try Me Talk Pretty One day by David Sedaris or Thank You for Smoking by Christopher Buckley.

If you like Pop Culture try Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser or The Ultimate History of Video Games by Steven L. Kent.

If you like Teen Literature try The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins or Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede.

If you like Philosophy try Poetics by Aristotle or Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche.

If you like Graphic Novels try Watchmen by Allen Moore or The Walking Dead, Book 1 by Robert Adlard and Cliff Rathburn.

If you like Crime or Mystery try Drive by James Sallis or The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey.

The Fullerton College Writing Center will be open for the summer from June 27th through August 13th. Our hours are Monday and Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Tuesday from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Upcoming Writing Center Workshops for April!

Thursday, April 12, 12-2 pm--Introductions and Conclusions (Jami Josifek)
You only have one chance to make a first impression, and the same holds true for writing. It's also true that the lat word can be the most powerful one in a discussion. If the pressure to begin and end your writing effectively produces anxiety or writer's block, come to this workshop for ideas, strategies, and suggestions for writing strong introductions and conclusions. Students are encouraged to bring drafts of essays they are writing. Appropriate for for all levels of ENGL and ESL 184-186.

Tuesday, April 24, 2-4 pm--Revision Strategies (Nadine Arndt)
Successful writers generally share one practice--they constantly and continually revise their work. Learning how to revise effectively and efficiently can improve the quality of your work and make writing more enjoyable and satisfying. Come to this workshop to learn and practice strategies for "re-seeing" your essays. Appropriate for all levels of ENGL and ESL 184-186.

Feel free to come visit us in the Fullerton College Writing Center with your next writing assignment. We are open Monday through Friday. Our hours are Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Friday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please call ahead and make your appointment today! The Fullerton College Writing Center phone number is (714) 992-7153.

How to "Show" Rather than "Tell" in a Paper

A problem some students face is “showing” rather than “telling” in papers. For an effective, creative paper, the writer should use illustrative language to make images clear to the reader rather than just stating what they are. That’s the big difference between “showing” and “telling.”

Telling:

Allison enjoys playing computer games.

Showing:

Allison sat down at the computer and logged into a gaming site. She smiled as she pushed the buttons and won game after game.

This is a creative writing tool, but creative writing can come in handy in an academic paper. Imagine how boring it would be if there were no creativity in two to five pages of text! Here are some god examples of “showing” rather than “telling” in an academic way.

Telling:

Alaska’s weather tends to stay below freezing for most of the year.

Showing:

The frosty lands in Alaska are rarely ever defrosted in the course of a year.

While the two examples give the same information, the “showing” example is much more enjoyable to read and adds personality to the paper.

Telling:

Flowers come in a variety of colors.

Showing:

Flowers come in a rainbow of colors.

Even just changing one word can change a "telling" example to a "showing" example. Instead of using a word like "variety," "rainbow" paints a much more vivid picture in a person's mind when it comes to colors.

Feel free to come visit us in the Fullerton College Writing Center with your next writing assignment. We are open Monday through Friday. Our hours are Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Friday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please call ahead and make your appointment today! The Fullerton College Writing Center phone number is (714) 992-7153.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Why You and I Don’t Belong (In a Paper)

What’s wrong with “You”?

1) “You” puts the reader in the paper.

What’s wrong with that? Doesn’t putting the reader in your paper make them experience what you are talking about? No, not really. I’m using you right now because this is not an academic paper and I’m writing this blog to help a specific audience that may be reading this paper because they are having issues with the word “you” in papers. Having the reader in your paper creates a situation where the reader can not relate to what has been written.

Incorrect:

You know how it feels when you get into a car accident.

You are telling the reader that they have experienced this before. If they have not, the example doesn’t work because the reader can’t relate.

Correct:

It doesn’t feel great when one gets into a car accident.

2) “You” can make the reader argue with the paper.

Your paper is already written, so when a reader is put into the paper using the word “you” and disagrees with the statement, the reader is now actively disagreeing with what you have written. The paper cannot correct itself and your arguments cannot change once they are written down and being read so it has no chance of defending itself. The best way to avoid this situation is not to put the reader in the paper.

Not Relatable:

You can easily just buy a new iPod to replace the one that broke’ iPod’s don’t cost that much.

What if the reader cannot afford to buy a new one? They will automatically disagree with your example and any analysis you do based off of it. Although an iPod might not cost that much to one person, the price of an iPod can be more than other people can afford.

Relatable:

If a person can afford it, buying a new iPod to replace the one that has broken is an option for many.

This avoids putting the reader in the paper and clarifies that many people, not necessarily all people, can afford to do this, removing the non-relatable example.

Why Can’t I use “I”?

1) Using “I” in a paper is repetitive.

Academic writing is all about expressing your opinion. Therefore, everything you say in a paper is your opinion on the subject. Saying “I” within an academic paper is considered repetitive. Just think of every statement made within your paper as already starting with “I think,” or “I feel,” or a similar phrase and you’ll be able to see the redundancy of the statements.

Incorrect:

I think Futurama is one of the best shows to ever air.

What you are actually saying:

I think I think Futurama is one of the best shows to ever air.

Correct:

Futurama is one of the best shows on the air.

The paper is your opinion, so we know this is what you think. It is not necessary to say “I” in any fashion.

2) Using “I” in a paper makes the paper passive and lack authority.

A paper should be authoritative and strong. Phrases that tend to start with “I” make a paper passive and show a weak voice. If you are presenting a subject and writing on it, you should be an authority and not speak with a passive, weak voice within the paper. Statements without “I” tend to sound stronger and come off more authoritative.

Passive and Weak:

I think it was a mistake for Fox to cancel Futurama.

Strong and Authoritative:

It was a mistake for Fox to cancel Futurama.

Making this sentence a statement without the “I think” makes the sentence much stronger and sound as if one is an authority on the subject rather than just expressing an opinion. Phrases like “I think,” “I feel,” “I believe,” all lend themselves to a weaker voice and makes a less persuasive paper.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Developing Interesting Hooks

Introductory Hooks:

Generally, hooks at the beginning of the introduction can be created with:

Relevant Quotes
Surprising Statistics/Facts
Shocking Statements

However, you need to make it interesting :)

Be a Trickster:

This is a bit hard to explain without potentially confusing the potatoes out of you, so I'm going to use an example. I recently had a student come into the Writing Center with a hook that looked something like this: "People never want to hear gunshots in their neighborhoods; however, it was one gunshot, in particular, that changed my life forever. The first sound of gunfire, signalling the start of the race, was the most thrilling and positive moment in my life."

HA! Did I fool you!? I thought this was very creative and interesting. I expected the paper to take me somewhere depressing and dangerous, but I was tricked! Their paper was about their positive experiences while running for a track team.

Imagery and Description:

Your reader wants to be sucked into your paper. Use his or her senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, auditory) to draw them into your essay. Paint a scene for them and correlate it with your topic. This scenario-hook will flow into the "background info" portion of your introductory paragraph before you state your thesis.

End/Conclusion Hooks:

Always keep your audiences thinking. You can accomplish this by adding a "call to action" statement or a general "big-picture" statement at the very end of your conclusion paragraph.

Call to Action:

This is when you directly tell your reader to do something. For example, if I were writing a paper about the benefits of recycling, I might write an end hook that states, "Next time you're walking around and you see an empty water bottle on the ground, pick it up and dispose of it in the recycling bin."

By directly speaking to the reader, you build a stronger connection with them through your paper. If they feel closer to the topic or narrator, they might be more inclined to participate in an action or share the important information presented in your essay.

The Big Picture:

If you don't need a "call to action" statement, you should somehow get your audience involved in the issue at hand. Instead of addressing your audience directly, you could draw attention to society, in general. If I wanted to change my end hook to a "big picture" statement, I might say, "Recycling is important to societies around the world and will some day save all human kind...etc."

Apply the topic to not just the reader or yourself, but to the population as a whole.

Generating Creative Titles

Here are some helpful hints to think about if your are having difficulties creating an interesting title for your paper :)

1. Title Pertains to Topic:

You want to use your title to attract attention, not lead your instructor/audience down the wrong path. Think of your paper as a freeway, and your title is the on-ramp. If your reader gets half-way through your introduction and thinks, Fiddlesticks, I'm on the 60 when I should be on the 91, you more than likely overstretched your title.

2. Be Ambiguous:

Although you want your audience to stay on the right path, you also want to leave some room for ambiguity. If you give your audience too much detail, he or she might not feel the need to read more of your paper.

3. Humor and Wit:

Never be afraid to make your title funny. Forcing your reader to crack a smile or even chuckle makes their initial opinion of your paper positive. The more positive the reader is at the start of the essay, the more likely they'll stay positive throughout.
Alliteration at all Angles: Alliteration is a pattern of words thrown together that all have the same beginning consonant sounds. Using alliteration to build your title creates a witty, fast-paced tone.

4. Something Small:

This is important, especially if your topic is universally known or you are analyzing a text. If your reader knows all of the background information, it makes it easier to pick something relevant and tie it into your title. For instance, I wrote an essay about the negative portrayal of women's cognitive abilities in Oscar Wilde's, The Importance of Being Earnest. In the beginning of the short prose, the character, Algernon, ate all the cucumber sandwiches intended for his aunt. At first, my topic seems completely unrelated to this scenario; however, I came up with the title, "Not the Brightest Cucumber in the Sandwich." Not only does this connect to a small detail within the reading, but it also allows the audience to assume that I'm going to discuss someone's apparent ignorance in a negative light.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

The Funnel Down Introduction

The Funnel Down Introduction is a great way to start a paper. It is effective in drawing a reader in with a broad claim, or hook, then with each sentence narrowing the broad claim down to relate to a thesis statement.

This is what a Funnel Down Introduction looks like:

1^stSentence – Broad Hook – this sentence is related to the subject of your paper, sort of. This claim should, in some way, draw the reader into your paper and make them want to read more.

Example: It’s peanut butter and jelly time!

2^nd Sentence – Less Broad – this sentence is still not very specific nor does it outright state the topic yet, but it is a step closer to your subject and is a less broad statement than your hook.

Example: Peanut butter and jelly are a classic combination that gets eaten by thousands of people a day.

3^rd Sentence – More Focused – this sentence is tying the idea of your thesis and your broad statement even closer together. Think of each sentence in your funnel down intro as a step closer to your thesis.

Example: While Americans are very familiar with this delicious food item, there are people around the world who are not sure what a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is.

4^th Sentence – Almost Thesis – this sentence is going to support your thesis and almost outright state it, but it isn’t quiet the thesis yet.

Example: It turns out that the classic American combination of peanut butter and jelly has not caught on around the world, but other sandwich variations have.

Thesis Statement – this is the main point of your whole paper. Your thesis should include your topic + your opinion + your rational (or reasons) presented within your paper.

Example: Peanut butter and jelly is a unique American sandwich and while peanut butter is popular in other dishes around the world, it rarely finds itself paired up with jelly outside of America.

Here is what the introduction looks like put together:

It’s peanut butter and jelly time! Peanut butter and jelly are a classic combination that gets eaten by thousands of people a day. While Americans are very familiar with this delicious food item, there are people around the world who are not sure what a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is. It turns out that the classic American combination of peanut butter and jelly has not caught on around the world, but other sandwich variations have. Peanut butter and jelly is a unique American sandwich and while peanut butter is popular in other dishes around the world, it rarely finds itself paired up with jelly outside of America.

Below is a quick visualization using Prezi (free for anyone to use at prezi.com once you sign up for an account!) on the Funnel Down Introduction.

Copy of Funnel Down Introduction on Prezi

How to Avoid Being Wordy

The point of academic writing is to get to the point as quickly as possible. Words are precious in academic writing and each word used should help make the message clearer. Often, wordy sentences, or sentences that unclear because of the amount of words used and can be said in a simpler fashion, can easily be reduced. This blog post is here to help you figure out where those words are that can easily be eliminated to help make your writing clearer and easier to understand.

Eliminating Redundancies:

Wordy: Tonight was really fun, incredibly intense and absolutely something I would do again.

Modifiers such as very, rather and really and intensifiers such as absolutely, definitely and incredibly do not add meaning to a sentence but are redundant.

Correct: Tonight was fun, intense and something I would do again.

Do Not Repeat Words Unnecessarily:

Wordy: The plants enjoy being watered in the morning and enjoy being watered in the afternoon.

Repetition is sometimes good for emphasis, but unnecessary repetitions weaken sentences and should be removed.

Correct: The plants enjoy being watered in the mornings and afternoon.

Avoid Wordy Phrases:

Wordy: In the event that the world runs out of oil in the not-to-distant-future, alternative fuels will have to be found in order to keep humanity in the space-age.

Make your sentences more specific by replacing wordy phrases with appropriate one-word alternatives or by eliminating them.

Correct: If the world runs out of oil soon, alternative fuels will have to be found to keep humanity in the space-age.

Reduce Clauses and Phrases:

Wordy: In the essay, Alternative Learning, which was written by Jessica Price, she talks about uncommon methods to teach children who need additional help learning.

For conciseness and clarity, simplify your sentence structure by turning modifying clauses into phrases. Also, look for opportunities to reduce phrases to single words.

Correct: Jessica Price writes in her essay, Alternative Learning, about uncommon methods for teaching children.

Make Your Sentence Straightforward:

Wordy: There are many stylistic similarities in both the film The Grapes of Wrath and the novel, which reflects the influence the book had on the movie.

Straightforward sentences get to the point quickly. Eliminating expletive construction like there is, there are and it is and replacing the static verbs to be and have with more active words makes a sentence not only more direct, but brings a less passive voice forward.

Correct: The novel, The Grapes of Wrath, had an obvious strong stylistic influence on the movie.

Gerunds and Infinitives

Verbs carry a lot of information. They report action (run, write), condition (bloom, sit), or state of being (be, seem). Verbs in English differ as to whether they can be followed by a gerund, an infinitive or either.

An Infinitive is a verb phrase beginning with the word to. For example: to run, to sit, to stand, etc.

Some verbs can only be taken as an Infinitive:

appear fail need seem

ask intend plan threaten

choose learn prepare want

claim manage promise wish

decide mean refuse would like

expect

A Gerund is a verb that ends in ing. For example: admitting, forgiving, regretting, etc.

Some verbs only take a Gerund:

admit forgive regret

avoid imagine resist

consider mention risk

defend mind suggest

deny practice support

discuss quit tolerate

enjoy recommend understand

finish

Some verbs can be both.

Infinitives and Gerunds can sometimes change the meaning of the verb. Example: She stopped eating. She stopped to eat.

Others have no effect. Example: We began climbing. We began to climb.

begin like start

continue love stop

forget prefer try

hate remember

Feel free to come visit us in the Fullerton College Writing Center with your next writing assignment. We are open Monday through Friday. Our hours are Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Friday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please call ahead and make your appointment today! The Fullerton College Writing Center phone number is (714) 992-7153.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Why I love the Dictionary – A Tutor and English Major’s Opinion

Words are powerful. Knowing the exact meaning of a word not only helps to understand the message behind what is being said, but also expands on one’s own vocabulary, adding to one’s effectiveness in communication.

What do I mean by communication? The dictionary defines communication as the following:

1) An act or instance of transmitting.

Transmitting: To send or convey from one person or place to another.

2) A verbal or written message.

Verbal: Of, relating to or involving words; spoken rather than written.

Message: a form of communication; an underlying theme or idea (not massage: a manipulation of tissue.).

3) A process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or behaviors.

Exchange: The act of giving or taking.

Individuals: a single person.

4) The technique for expressing ideas effectively.

Technique: A way of carrying out a particular task, esp. the execution or performance of an artistic work or a scientific procedure.

Expressing: Convey (a thought or feeling) in words or by gestures and conduct.

Effectively: In such a manner as to achieve a desired result: "resources used effectively.”

Imagine having no idea what I meant when I said a large vocabulary increases the effectiveness of communication. All of a sudden, my explanation would become much more muddled and massive:

Knowing a growing, widening or stretching amount, or number of words leads to better acts or instances of communication within a verbal or written exchange that conveys, or gives, information clearly and correctly to another individual, or person.

I got tired half way through writing that! So remember, the dictionary is your friend. If you ever stumble across a word you don’t know, be sure to look it up and incorporate it into your vocabulary – it will not only help you in written papers, but it will help you communicate your ideas to other people more clearly. Nothing beats short and sweet communication.

Feel free to come visit us in the Fullerton College Writing Center with your next writing assignment. We are open Monday through Friday. Our hours are Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Friday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please call ahead and make your appointment today! The Fullerton College Writing Center phone number is (714) 992-7153.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Upcoming Writing Center Workshops for Spring 2012

The Writing Center offers many workshops to help students improve their writing. All of our workshops take place in room 808A. Please visit us in The Writing Center if you have any questions, comments or concerns in regards to these workshops.

Today, March 6th, 2012, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. there will be a presentation on How to Be an Active Reader presented by Tamara Trujillo (nominated for Teacher of the Year). If you are interested in attending this workshop, arrive about 15 minutes early and bring your student ID to the writing center to check in. We hope to see you there! Below is a list of upcoming workshops so you can mark your calendars in the future!

Friday, March 23rd, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. there will be a presentation on Commonly Misused Words presented by Christy Flores.

Tuesday, March 27^th, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. there will be a workshop on In-Class Writing led by Janna Anderson.

Remember – these workshops are here to help you so take advantage of them!

Feel free to come visit us in the Fullerton College Writing Center with your next writing assignment. We are open Monday through Friday. Our hours are Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Friday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please call ahead and make your appointment today! The Fullerton College Writing Center phone number is (714) 992-7153.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Learning Styles - How Knowing How You Learn Helps You!

Everybody has their own way of learning things, also known as a learning style, and knowing which learning style works best for you can help you succeed as a student and retain information better for classes.

There are five major learning styles, and most people are a combination of the five, with strengths in one or more categories. If one of these styles sounds like you, there are some tips and tricks to help people with certain strengths retain information better and have a more enriched learning experience overall.

Verbal Learners - Verbal Learners have the habit of writing everything down. From dates, times and places so they remember to go someplace to every little thing a teacher says in class, verbal learners are lovers of the written word. People who are verbal learners will often copy their notes again and again to make sure they retain the information represented within them.

If this sounds like you, then you learn best when listening to lectures, reading books and writing down notes in class. Reading things for class or notes you have written again and again for class will benefit you greatly in preparing for class discussion or tests.

Visual Learners - Visual Learners learn best when charts, images, maps, models and visual aids are used to teach information. These people have a habit of being artistic, doodling all over their notes in class or having an affection for colorful things. A visual learner would be extremely stimulated by the changing color of this text and would find it more engaging because of the color transitioning and love color in general. Visual learners often have a great spacial sense and can picture things readily in their minds. Visual learners will often find themselves picturing a problem or assignment in their head before getting it out on paper.

If this sounds like you, then using color when taking notes, making doodles around great ideas, creating diagrams and charts of assignments and making visual aids for concepts you are having problems with are great ways of enhancing your learning experience.

Aural Learners - Aural Learners are people very focused on sound. These people often love music, play a musical instrument or find themselves retaining information from class just by listening - no notes required. If you find yourself fixated on music and you aren't sure where you end and your earbuds begin, you could be an Aural Learner.

If this sounds like you, turn off that iPod in class and listen closely to what the teacher is saying - literally. Also consider bringing along a digital tape recorder and ask your teacher if it is okay to record the lectures. Listening to them again is a great way to review for tests if you are an Aural Learner. If your teacher would rather you not record the lecture, try carrying a digital tape recorder with you anyway and record your own take on the class after it happens to listen to and review later.

Physical Learners - Physical Learners often find themselves with great physical memory. These people often are fast learners when it comes to sports and are very athletic or find themselves good at dance. People with a physical learning style will often find themselves taking walks or runs to relieve stress or to clear their minds.

If this sounds like you, there are many ways to incorporate your physical learning style into classroom learning. When reading in class, use your finger to follow along in the text. The sense of touch will help you retain information better. Going to the gym and reading a book while on the treadmill will also help physical learners to retain information.

Logical Learners - Logical Learners often find themselves involved in math or science majors. These people follow logical patterns, can easily make connections between seemingly unconnected things and like to divide things up into classifications. Logical Learners also like to work out problems, create procedures, itineraries, budgets and often pick apart the logic of other people's arguments or work (which not everyone enjoys all the time).

If this sounds like you, knowing the rational behind what you are learning is key to retaining the information presented. Also, organizing notes from class and arranging the material taught in a logical pattern can help a logical learner concentrate on the material at hand.

Hopefully this has helped you figure out what your learning style is and how to use it to your advantage in classes. Remember, people often times have more than one learning style, so if you identify with a few try using multiple techniques to help you succeed in your classes.

Feel free to come visit us in the Fullerton College Writing Center with your next writing assignment. We are open Monday through Friday. Our hours are Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Friday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please call ahead and make your appointment today! The Fullerton College Writing Center phone number is (714) 992-7153.

How to Write an Argumentative Thesis Statement

A basic thesis is made up of three parts, the topic, the opinion expressed in the paper, and the supporting evidence. Here is an example of a basic thesis:

Futurama is one of the best television shows on cable because of its humor, lovable characters and creative story lines.

Topic + Opinion + Support = Thesis

This is a solid thesis that would be fine for a standard paper, but in an argumentative paper, there should be opposing points listed. In fact, in the thesis statement you want to show the opposing side's argument and state, in some way, that you are going to disprove it. Therefore, an argumentative thesis has more than three parts. If one were to put a standard thesis in an argumentative paper, two main points of the paper would be lacking. An argumentative thesis should look like this:

Topic + Opinion + Support + Opposing View + Defeating Opposing View = Thesis

Here is an example argumentative thesis:

Futurama is one of the best television shows on cable because of its humor, lovable characters and creative story lines despite Fox canceling the series after the fourth season.

Remember, the thesis is the main point, or main argument of your paper. If you are writing an argumentative paper, the argument should be present within the thesis statement. Make sure you counter the opposition's claim, though, or the thesis statement could be confusing and not reflect your actual opinion on the subject. Although "despite" is a very simple word, it illustrates disagreement with Fox canceling the series. Without the word "despite" in thesis statement to show disagreement with the opposing view, the thesis can become confusing and unclear.

Here is an example of an argumentative thesis that is confusing because it lacks defeat of the opposing view:

Futurama is one of the best television shows on cable because of its humor, lovable characters and creative story lines and Fox canceled the series after the fourth season.

Now the thesis doesn't seem argumentative - it just looks as if facts are being listed about the show that have nothing to do with it being the best television show on cable. Always be sure to show disagreement with the oppositions view points to make an argumentative thesis complete.

Next time you write an argumentative paper, be sure to fine-tune your thesis statement to fit with the assignment at hand.

For more help with Thesis Statements, come visit us in the Fullerton College Writing Center. We are open Monday through Friday. Our hours are Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Friday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please call ahead and make your appointment today! The Fullerton College Writing Center phone number is (714) 992-7153.

The Run-On Sentence versus The Comma Splice

Ever see a R/O or C/S on a paper after a teacher has graded it? That's short-hand for Comma Splices and Run-On Sentence errors. These are both grammatical errors that are closely related. Let me give you some examples:

1. We went to the movies I didn't enjoy what we saw.

2. We went to the movies, I didn't enjoy what we saw.

Both of these sentences are incorrect due to different, but similar errors. Sentence #1 is a Run-On sentence. A Run-On Sentence is where two subjects and two actions are taking place within a sentence and there is no sort of punctuation or break to separate the two ideas.

Let's break the sentence down into its basic parts to help illustrate what I mean when I say two subjects and two actions.

We went to the movies I didn't enjoy what we saw.

The red represents the subjects in the two sentences. Two things are happening - the first subject, we, went to the movies. The second subject, I, didn't enjoy what we saw. The actions are represented in blue. For a sentence to be a complete sentence, one subject and one action must be taking place. Sometimes, two subjects and one action or one subject and two actions can take place in a sentence. For example:

Blake and I went to the movies.

Or

We went to the movies and didn't enjoy what we saw.

Both of these are grammatically correct and are one complete sentence. It is when TWO subjects AND TWO actions happen within one sentence that a Run-On error occurs.

Sentence #2 has a comma instead of no punctuation where the two sentences meet - but that is still grammatically incorrect. Placing a comma between the separation of subjects within a Run-On sentence just turns the error into a Comma Splice.

We went to the movies, I didn't enjoy what we saw.
Now that we've identified what the errors are, let's identify five ways of fixing them.

1. Use a period to separate the two thoughts.

We went to the movies. I didn't enjoy what we saw.

2. Use a comma and a conjunction - also known as FANBOYS (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So)

We went to the movies, and I didn't enjoy what we saw.

3. Use a semicolon to separate the two sentences; this should only be used when the sentences are closely related, however.

Appropriate semicolon use:
We went to the movies; I didn't enjoy what we saw.

Incorrect semicolon use:
We went to the movies; I like chocolate ice cream.

While going to the movies and not enjoying what was watched at the movies are related to one another, going to the movies and liking chocolate ice cream are not. It would be incorrect to use a semicolon for the incorrect example.

4. Use a semicolon, conjunctive adverb and comma to conjoin two sentences together.

We went to the movies; however, I didn't enjoy what we saw.

Conjunctive adverbs MUST be used between a semicolon and comma when being used to separate two sentences to be grammatically correct. In addition, conjunctive adverbs, like semicolons, are used to some sort of relation between the two sentences. If the sentences are unrelated, use a period instead.

Here is a list of conjunctive adverbs:

accordingly,    furthermore,    moreover,       similarly,
also,             hence,         namely,           still,
anyway,         however,          nevertheless,   then,
besides,         incidentally, next,           thereafter,
certainly,    indeed,        nonetheless,    therefore,
now, instead,         thus,             consequently,
finally,      likewise,        otherwise,     undoubtedly,
further,        meanwhile.

5. Rewrite the sentence so it has only one subject or one action.

I didn't like what we saw at the movies.

Next time you find a R/O or C/S on your paper, take a closer look at your writing, find the subject and action of your sentences, and use one of these five ways to correct the error.

For more help with Run-On sentences and Comma Splices, come visit us in the Fullerton College Writing Center. We are open Monday through Friday. Our hours are Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Friday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please call ahead and make your appointment today! The Fullerton College Writing Center phone number is (714) 992-7153.