Oh, the dreaded comma. How infuriating is it that a tiny shrimp-like mark can cause so much grief for writers? It's no secret that commas mystify many of us, even if we're otherwise confident in our writing skills. In fact, you might not even have realized your misuse of commas until you got that first returned paper this semester. You know, the one that was so full of red ink (or red sidebar comments) that you could dip it in ketchup and see no real difference? "I've used commas like this for years," you may be thinking, "and no one ever said anything." That's probably because everyone else who read your work gave up on mastering the comma years ago.
There are good reasons that commas are confusing. Part of the problem, I think, is that several myths about the comma have somehow permeated our brains. How about this one: "Insert a comma wherever there's a pause." Well, not necessarily. What are semi-colons and periods - chopped liver? Another common misconception: if a sentence is really long, just throw some commas in to break it up a bit. Well, that's not only a comma disaster waiting to happen, but this line of thinking also tends to ignore sentences that ramble on without clarity. Sprinkling in a few commas here and there sure won't fix it.
So, how do you master the comma? The short answer is, "by learning the rules." (Rule #1: "Commas are not Confetti." Watch the video below to find out what this means.) However, rules regarding comma usage can seem numerous and complicated - until you learn why, not just where, you need to use a comma.
As MALS students, you appreciate the need to understand the context behind complex problems in order to better understand them. Writing is a complex art, so why not provide a little context for it? Knowing why the comma was developed in the first place might help you remember its purpose in your writing today.
So, before you develop an eternal grudge for this important, yet most misused, punctuation mark, watch this video. It's a little on the cheesy side, but it gives the comma a little context, and that's why it's my pick for the (first ever) punctuation link of the week!
September 29, 2011
September 5, 2011
Welcome New MALS Students - Get Ready to Change Your Mind
Good Evening MALS Students! Welcome to the program, welcome to ETSU, and for those of you who are in town just for graduate school, welcome to the Tri-Cities! First of all, thank you for reading my blog! As I close in on one year as your MALS Online Writing Consultant, I aim to make this blog more relevant, useful, and entertaining as you begin or continue with your graduate studies.
For those of you who are new to MALS, let me tell you a bit about myself. I am a 2010 graduate of the MALS program. With an undergraduate degree is in business administration and the bulk of my work experience in the hospitality industry, I started MALS at square one when it came to learning the principles of interdisciplinary scholarship and expressing these principles in my writing. As I have experienced (and survived) many of the same challenges, questions, frustrations, and triumphs you will encounter during your time in MALS, I can offer the valuable perspective of a peer.
In fact, I will begin sharing that perspective right now, so please read on.
When I look back at my MALS portfolio and compare my first piece of writing - a reflective essay for MALS 5100 - to my capstone support paper, the difference is impressive. It's almost like a separate person wrote each essay. In a way, I suppose that's true. As cliche as this will sound, the woman who began her MALS program on a freezing, windy January day is not the one who stood in front of her committee, dressed in a brand new pinstripe suit and dreadfully uncomfortable shoes to defend her capstone project over two years later. Not only was the prose in that final paper significantly more organized, professional, and grammatically correct, but my outlook on the world had changed. I still had the same personality, the same interests, and the same friends, but my work in MALS had reshaped the way I think about the circumstances, events, people, and places of the world around me.
I learned to make connections between theories and real-life practices that I never could have made without an interdisciplinary approach. I learned that there is no simple explanation for the state of society, much less a simple set of answers to society's problems. More importantly, I learned to embrace the complexity rather than try to "fix" it. I maintained my beliefs and my convictions, but I learned to acknowledge challenges to these beliefs rather than to ignore them. I learned that pulling an all-nighter at 30 is far more difficult that it was at 19. I learned that I can read, write, re-read, and re-write more in a week than I would have thought possible to do in a year. I learned to accept criticism from my professors as their way of caring; likewise, I learned that what at first seemed like a (rather frustrating) refusal on their part to answer a question was more often than not their vote of confidence in my ability to answer that question myself. All in all, my time in MALS was more transformative than I could ever have imagined. Yet, at the same time, the interdisciplinary, self-designed nature of the degree allowed me to stay true to my own goals, interests, and style. I know you'll have your own lists of "I learned" soon enough, and I wish you the best as you begin your semester.
So welcome to MALS, and get ready to change your mind!
For those of you who are new to MALS, let me tell you a bit about myself. I am a 2010 graduate of the MALS program. With an undergraduate degree is in business administration and the bulk of my work experience in the hospitality industry, I started MALS at square one when it came to learning the principles of interdisciplinary scholarship and expressing these principles in my writing. As I have experienced (and survived) many of the same challenges, questions, frustrations, and triumphs you will encounter during your time in MALS, I can offer the valuable perspective of a peer.
In fact, I will begin sharing that perspective right now, so please read on.
When I look back at my MALS portfolio and compare my first piece of writing - a reflective essay for MALS 5100 - to my capstone support paper, the difference is impressive. It's almost like a separate person wrote each essay. In a way, I suppose that's true. As cliche as this will sound, the woman who began her MALS program on a freezing, windy January day is not the one who stood in front of her committee, dressed in a brand new pinstripe suit and dreadfully uncomfortable shoes to defend her capstone project over two years later. Not only was the prose in that final paper significantly more organized, professional, and grammatically correct, but my outlook on the world had changed. I still had the same personality, the same interests, and the same friends, but my work in MALS had reshaped the way I think about the circumstances, events, people, and places of the world around me.
I learned to make connections between theories and real-life practices that I never could have made without an interdisciplinary approach. I learned that there is no simple explanation for the state of society, much less a simple set of answers to society's problems. More importantly, I learned to embrace the complexity rather than try to "fix" it. I maintained my beliefs and my convictions, but I learned to acknowledge challenges to these beliefs rather than to ignore them. I learned that pulling an all-nighter at 30 is far more difficult that it was at 19. I learned that I can read, write, re-read, and re-write more in a week than I would have thought possible to do in a year. I learned to accept criticism from my professors as their way of caring; likewise, I learned that what at first seemed like a (rather frustrating) refusal on their part to answer a question was more often than not their vote of confidence in my ability to answer that question myself. All in all, my time in MALS was more transformative than I could ever have imagined. Yet, at the same time, the interdisciplinary, self-designed nature of the degree allowed me to stay true to my own goals, interests, and style. I know you'll have your own lists of "I learned" soon enough, and I wish you the best as you begin your semester.
So welcome to MALS, and get ready to change your mind!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)