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Re: Spelling and Grammar in our e-mails



A dictionary is fine if the problem is a simple spelling error. But a
dictionary doesn't help if students don't know what form of the word
they want. Many students don't understand what past tense, past
perfect, future perfect, etc. mean.

When I grade lab reports I mark all kinds of grammatical errors using
standard wording to describe the problem (rather than mark exactly what
words to use). Most students just ignore this, but some ask what it
means.

Student writes: My data was pretty accurate.
I write: Subject and verb don't agree in number.
Student says: Why did you write this, there aren't any numbers in this
sentence?
I say: Data is plural and was is singular.

Note that it takes a lot more time to write "subject and verb don't
agree in number" than it takes to cross out was and write were. This is
only worth the effort if the student takes the time to learn the meaning
of what I tell her. But the student is already behind and there is no
time to learn all the English that should have been learned in grades
K-12. This usually seems hopeless

Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D.
Professor of Physics and Chemistry
Chair of Sciences
Bluffton College
Bluffton, OH 45817
(419)-358-3270
edmiston@bluffton.edu