Using Correction Tools after Typing Trials

In the screenshot below, Mr. T. captured a stop-action view of Yukie's first typing trial, on the topic Self introduction. He was viewing a word-processing document with the grammar- and spell-checking tools on (activated). You can tell that the checking tools are on because there are squiggly green and red underlines visible under a number of words. Those are words that the word-processing program either: a) didn't recognize as correctly spelled words (generally red), or b) thought – if a program can think – were inaccurate (generally green).

Let me pause here for a moment to explain, and emphasize, that all of those underlined words appearing in a timed (five minute) typing trial are not a major concern, especially now, at the beginning of this writing course. This is simply a point of departure. Not only can you well expect to type more words in five minutes as the year progresses, but you also may find that you mistype fewer words, too, as you learn to both spell and type in English.

Even if you notice capitalization, punctuation, or spelling mistakes while typing, it's better not to go back and make corrections during timed trials. You should do that when you've finished each trial, both with computerized tools and without.

However, after churning out a certain number of words, it is important to clear up as many of those underlined passages as possible, before transferring them to new posts on your blogs. Mr. T. took the screenshot below to show Yukie how the checking tools work in a word-processing program, when they are turned on. This post explains a bit about how they work.

Mr. T. had just clicked on the word "my" that I've circled in red on the screenshot below, and emphasized with a pointing finger like one he may have seen just before clicking on that word ("my", line 4). Clicking on that word had opened a short, pop-open menu offering three basic choices for a point the program thinks of as a grammatical problem (capitalization):

1. Change it to "My;"
2. Ignore it (from now on); or
3. Correct it yourself, which opens a dialog box for retyping.

In this case, the first choice is the best one. Capitalizing the first letters of words at the beginning of sentences in the passage that Yukie typed will clear up most, if not all, of the squiggly green markings, and some of the red ones as well, for example: "I'm . . . " (line 3).

Peoples names, like Yukie, and place names, like Kumamoto, also call for capitalization, but even if you capitalize those names, the word-processing program still may not recognize them. So, once you're certain that you've capitalized and spelled such names correctly, you may need to select Ignore from the menu of choices that the word-processor checking tools propose.

Let me draw to a close here with a couple of reminders regarding both word-processor and web-based grammar- and spell-checking tools, including those built into your blogs:

1. You shouldn't count on those tools to catch every error or inaccuracy in your work; and
2. They may flag words or passages that the programs don't recognize, but aren't necessarily incorrect.

Nevertheless, timely and regular use of those tools can help you improve your English, and should make your blog posts easier to read and understand. Finally, if in doubt about a particular point that may need correction, ask about it!

Acknowledgements

It is a pleasure to acknowledge contributions to this post from:

• Yukie, who graciously agreed to let me share a representation of her early work in this writing course on the Writing Studio Blog;
• Mr. T., who quickly captured an image of that typing sample before corrections occurred, and passed it along to me (personal correspondence, March 4, 2013 7:02:36 PM GMT+09:00), and who also provided additional suggestions on a draft for this post; and, last but not least,
• gkrock, who shared the pointing finger graphic on the piq pixel art site, under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

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Grammarist: resource site for writers

Though plain in appearance, the Grammarist site looks like a rich source of information for writers – on everything from punctuation and spelling to style. The site sports six categories: usage, words and phrases, spelling, grammar, style, and writing (sidebar, left).

There are numerous avenues into the site, in addition to previews of recent posts displayed 10 at a time in the main column. It has an alphabetical index (top left), as well as a glossary (lower left). "The date on each post reflects either the date that post was first published or the date of its last major revision" (About Grammarist: Colophon, ¶3, retrieved 2013.01.25). Colored tags next to previews of posts indicate to which category each post belongs.

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Basic Format for Motion Picture References: Have a Go!

Here is a basic APA-style formatting guide for motion picture references:

Producer, P. P. (Producer), & Director, D. D. (Director). (... [Year] of publication). Title of motion picture [Motion picture]. Country of origin: Studio or distributor.

(Purdue OWL: APA Formatting and Style Guide: ... 

Other Non-Print Resources: Motion Picture) 

If you'd like to have a go at using that guide to compose and format a draft, APA-style reference for the movie that your classmates and peers are reviewing (Mrs. Doubtfire), feel free to post one in comments on this post. Likewise, if you have questions about the composition, formatting, or purposes of APA-style references, in general, please feel free to spell them out in comments on this post.

Last but not least, whenever you're composing references, please remember that: 

• As with authors' names for book references, you should list producers' and directors' family names before their given names (and middle names or initials, if available) for movies; 
• Commas and single spaces separate family names from other names or initials, and
• For practice in the writing course you are taking, you should spell out given names, followed by middle names or initials (if available). That will facilitate comparison and cross-checking of your draft references.

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Comment collection continues, guidelines included!

Here are two tables full of comments: The first includes comments especially for students in section 1A; the second, especially for students in section 1C. Comments on recent posts are toward the top of each table; those on older posts are toward the bottom. Timestamps on comments are from previews, so they may differ somewhat from those in comments on actual posts. Guidelines in the right hand column are for everyone.

Section 1A	Guidelines
pab said... Hi Sayaka, In your May 27 post about the first class (in early April), you wrote that you didn't know how to do typing homework. That's quite puzzling. How and when did you find out how to do it? Where were the information and instructions you needed to get started, and when did you get them? Please let us know. Cheers, PB May 29, 2011 9:29 PM	Using meta-cognitive strategies: know how and reflection
pab said... Hi Yuka [S.], It is interesting to read about your other classes. However, it might be better if you'd shorten the name of the teacher you're writing about to Ms. S. Cheers, PB May 29, 2011 7:40 PM	Masking personal info.
pab said... Same here, Yuka. Please shorten the name of the teacher you're writing about to Mr. B. Cheers, PB May 29, 2011 7:43 PM	Masking personal info.
pab さんは書きました... Sorry, Ayayah, but how can you recommend a book without telling us what it is? Please put a short title in the title of your post, and add an APA-style reference citation to the end of your post. Cheers, PB 2011年5月29日19:51	Including APA-style references
pab さんは書きました... Hello Kazu, Is this review entirely original? Did you close the book when your wrote this review? You should tell readers, in your own words: + why you chose this book, + whether you found it interesting, and why, and + to whom you recommend it, and why. The only part of your review that should come directly from the story is a short, juicy, quotation, a teaser at the very beginning of your post. The quotation needs to be absolutely accurate, enclosed in quotation marks, and followed by a page number in parentheses. You shouldn't retell the story, or spoil the ending for other students who might read it. Cheers, PB 2011年5月29日20:06	Keeping BRs original, short, sweet, and to the point
pab さんは書きました... PS: Will you please bring this book to class on Wed., June 1? Cheers, PB 2011年5月29日20:08	Keeping BRs original, short, sweet, and to the point; and Including APA-style references
pab さんは書きました... Hello again, haramicky, Will you please also shorten the name of the high school and univ. you mention to "H... high school" and "K... G... U..."? Cheers, PB 2011年5月29日21:18	Masking institutional names

Section 1C	Guidelines
pab さんは書きました... Hi Sakurako, Have you read the details for either of these two essays on the Writing Studio Blog Calendar? Essay 1-02a: University Life Mon, May 16, 4pm – 5pm Essay 1-02b: University Life – major revisions Tue, May 31, 4pm – 5pm Please (re-)read them. The first called for an essay five+ paragraphs and 350+ words in length (due May 16); the second calls for six+ paragraphs and 400+ words (due May 31). Cheers, PB 2011年5月29日11:43	Referring to course resources (blog, calendar, wiki, and online workbooks[Google spreadsheets])
pab さんは書きました... Hello Saori, Will you please shorten the proper names in this essay to: KGU, HGHS, and Ms. M., ASAP? Then please avoid spelling out proper names in posts and comments. That is, except for names of famous people, for ex., Tom Cruise, and authors' names in book reviews. Last but not least, please share what you learn from comments like this with your classmates and peers. Cheers, PB 2011年5月29日11:51	Minimizing institutional names, and Minimizing personal information
pab さんは書きました... Mitsuki, Please bring all three of these books to class on Wed., June 1: ///// BR 1-06: The New House from Mitsuki U by Mitsuki ... Oxford University Press 1986. Written by roderick Hunt, Alex Brychta ///// BR 1-05: By the Stream from Mitsuki U by Mitsuki … Oxford University Press 1986. Written by roderick Hunt, Alex Brychta ///// BR 1-04: The Dream from Mitsuki U by Mitsuki … Oxford University Press 1986. Written by roderick Hunt, Alex Brychta ///// Cheers, PB 2011年5月29日日曜日11:58:41 JST	Including accurate, APA-style references
pab さんは書きました... Hello Arisa, Will you please replace the proper names in this essay with: "... [KGU]" (intro.) "... [an academic high school in Kumamoto City]" (intro.), and "... [KGU]" (concl.), ASAP? Then please avoid spelling out proper names in posts and comments. That is, except for names of famous people, for ex., Tom Cruise, and authors' names in book reviews. Last but not least, please share what you learn from comments like this with your classmates and peers. Cheers, PB 2011年5月29日日曜日12:08:24 JST	Minimizing institutional names, and Minimizing personal information
pab さんは書きました... Hi Yuka, When you use the label "typing" on posts like this, there is no need to include the word "Typing" in the titles. "How [to] study English" will work fine for this post, which also needs a couple more labels such as: memorizing, studying, vocabulary, ... (your choices). Please share what you learn from this comment with your classmates and peers. Cheers, PB 2011年5月29日12:19	Creating accurate, attractive, descriptive post titles, and Labeling posts appropriately, with three or more labels
pab さんは書きました... [Mitsuki:] Please bring this book to class on Wed., June 1, too. 2011年5月29日日曜日12:24:53 JST	Keeping BRs original, and Including accurate, APA-style references
pab さんは書きました... Yuka, Would you please mask or remove personally identifying info. from this post. "Shoko" is fine, but her date of birth and the name of the high school she attended are too much info. Instead, how about: "She was born in ... [the early 90's. Her birthday is in November {like mine!}].... She ... [went to an academic] high school [in the city]." Next, please replace the label "essays" (reserved for formal writing assignments) with three others more suitable to this post, such as: exercise, friends, interests, ... (your choices). Then please do likewise for other posts and comments you make (or have made), and share what you learn from comments like this with your classmates and peers. Cheers, PB 2011年5月29日12:40	Minimizing personal information, and Labeling posts appropriately, with three or more labels
Hi Gaki, What's this post about? It's missing spaces between numbers and words, both in the title and in the body of the post. Though one suitable label would be "quickposts," there's not enough content to tell [what other labels might be suitable], or even [to] count it as a post, is there? Please let me know. Cheers, PB 2011年5月29日12:49	Creating accurate, attractive, descriptive post titles; Creating enough content to merit a post; and Labeling posts appropriately, with three or more labels
pab さんのコメント... Hi Emi, It is a pleasure to see you've gotten a start on your book reviews. However, I'm wondering: Is the content of this book review entirely original? That is, is it all your own ideas, in your own words? Rather than to retell stories, and spoil the endings for other readers, you should focus on what you thought and felt before, during, and after reading the books you review. That is, except for the juicy quotation at the beginning, you should write no more than you can remember with the book closed. Cheers, PB 2011年5月23日月曜日8:41:00 JST  ///// Eri さんのコメント... Thank you for your comment. I'll rewrite it. 2011年5月23日月曜日12:34:00 JST ///// pab さんは書きました... Eri, Will you please bring this book to class on Wed., June 1? Cheers, PB 2011年5月29日日曜日13:07:27 JST ///// pab さんは書きました... Emi, Thanks for rewriting this book review! Please make certain to reflect the new word count in your Proto-Porfolio entries for May [due June 1]. Cheers, PB 2011年5月31日火曜日11:03:53 JST	Keeping BRs original, short, sweet, and to the point; Following up on comments in a timely fashion; Including word counts (but not running totals) in posts

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More comments to read and heed!

As I pointed out at the beginning of a similar post last Friday:

This post consists of a collection of comments that I've posted in one section..., many of which are awaiting approval for publication on your blogs. I'd like to ask you to [publish those on your own blogs,] read them all through, and follow the advice, reminders, and suggestions that they contain – in all posts and commentary. 

(Comments for everyone to read and heed! May 20, 2011, ¶1; 

with ellipses and square brackets for changes since posting)

Though this list was for another section, §1C, the "advice, reminders, and suggestions" that I'm listing up here should inform one and all.  The comments below, like those in the previous list, appear (or will when approved for publication) on individual blogs. 


Again, comments that I've left on more recent posts appear toward the beginning of this list, and those I've left on earlier posts, toward the end. Also, a quick preview of the labels at the foot of this post will help you get ideas about the various foci, before you begin to read through all of the comments I've collected here.


If you have immediate concerns or questions about them, please voice them during our next class meetings (May 25, 2011). If concerns or questions occur to you later on, please post them in comments on this post.

Hi Emi, It is a pleasure to see you've gotten a start on your book reviews. However, I'm wondering: Is the content of this book review entirely original? That is, is it all your own ideas, in your own words? Rather than to retell stories, and spoil the endings for other readers, you should focus on what you thought and felt before, during, and after reading the books you review. That is, except for the juicy quotation at the beginning, you should write no more than you can remember with the book closed. Cheers, PB 2011年5月23日月曜日

Hi Yuka, It is a pleasure to see you've gotten a start on your book reviews. However, you seem to be forgetting to include juicy quotations and APA-style references in you book review posts. Please follow the examples in mock-up posts on the Writing Studio Blog (April 20, 2011). Cheers, PB 2011年5月23日

Hello again! Please remember to include at least three labels, too: "books, fiction, reviews, ...," to distinguish this sort of review from others, for example, such as music, restaurants, or websites. Cheers, PB 2011年5月23日

Hi Ko-hei, It is a pleasure to see that you are up to your fifth book review (BR). However, it isn't clear from the layout where paragraphs on different topics begin and end. You need to show readers where you're changing topics by putting blank lines between paragraphs in the body of your posts. You also need to review the quotation and reference in the example post on Writing Studio Blog (April 20, 1011), and add similar juicy quotations and APA-style references to all of your BRs. Cheers, PB 2011年5月23日月曜日9:09:14 JST

Hi Arisa, Thanks for sharing your impressions of this story. However, I'm wondering: Is the content of this book review entirely original? That is, is it all your own ideas, in your own words? Please let me know in class on Wed., May 25. Cheers, PB 2011年5月23日月曜日

Hi Natsumi, Great info. on certification and licensing exams? How do you say "eibei" in English? Cheers, PB 2011年5月23日月曜日

Hi Takahiro, When you write book reviews, rather than retelling stories, it is better to tell us what you think before, during, and after reading the books. Please leave the story-telling to the authors; tell us: why you chose the book; whether you liked it, and why (not); and for whom you recommend it, and why. Cheers, PB 2011年5月23日月曜日

Hi Yukina, Will you please shorten your name to "Yukina N...," and avoid spelling out family names in posts and comments from now on? I'd also appreciate your choosing darker text colors, or a lighter background, to make your posts and pages easier to read. Cheers, PB 2011年5月23日

Yuka, Thanks for all of the info. about the dance club. Now will you please do all of your readers two favors? First, please give every post you write a catchy an informative title of your own. Then please type line returns only between paragraphs, and then always type two.] Cheers, PB 2011年5月23日

Arisa, As Mr. T. instructed you to do for your first essay, and I've said in class, please spell out neither family names nor the name of the university in comments or posts. Please use "Arisa H...," or simply "Arisa ...," and "KGU" instead. Cheers, PB 2011年5月23日月曜日

http://baby-arisa.blogspot.com/2011/05/br-1-05-new-school.html#comment-form [recast of comment to emi, 2011年5月23日月曜日 (above)

Hi Sakarako, Would you please shorten your name to "Sakurako K..." in this and any other posts or comments in which you've spelled out your family name? Cheers, PB 2011年5月23日

L`Arc-en Ciel from Happy Days by Sakurako ///// Hi Sakurako, I gather listening to your favorite music helps you relax when you're tired. Where did you get the picture? Please let me know in class. Cheers, PB 2011年5月23日

Hi, Saori, I'm wondering: Is the content of this book review entirely original? That is, is it all your own ideas, in your own words? I'd also like to know why you used the labels "essays" and "outlines" instead of "fiction" and "reviews". Please let me know in class on Wed., May 25. Cheers, PB 2011年5月23日

ko-hei, Would you please shorten your friend's name to "Ryouhei S...," and do the same for any other family names in posts or comments – except authors' names in book reviews? Cheers, PB 2011年5月23日

Hello, Yudai. Perhaps you posted this before you got instructions from Mr. T. about your first essay. He has asked everyone to spell out neither family names nor the name the university, but you have in this post, and in another about him on April 17. Would you please remove them from existing posts, and avoid using them in any future posts? Cheers, PB 2011年5月23日

[1098 words]

Comments for everyone to read and heed!

This post consists of a collection of comments that I've posted in one section (1A), many of which are awaiting approval for publication on your blogs. I'd like to ask you to [publish those on your own blogs,] read them all through, and follow the advice, reminders, and suggestions that they contain – in all posts and commentary. 

The labels ... [at the foot of] this post will be a good place to start, because they can give you a general idea about the various foci in the comments [that] I'm listing here for everyone's benefit. [Comments on older posts are closer to the end of the list.]

Thanks in advance for your continuing cooperation.

Hello, Kazu. Would you please shorten the name of the university to KGU, and add blank lines between paragraphs to make it easy to see where they begin and end? Cheers, PB [2011.05.20: Spell-check, too!]

haramicky, would you please shorten Misaki's name in your post to simply Misaki, or Misaki K., and then avoid revealing that much personal information in all future posts and comments? Cheers, PB 2011年5月20日

matsuyuki, would you please shorten the first line in your second paragraph to "I live in K... [, a] city ... [that] is far from this univercity," and then correct the spelling of the word university, throughout your post? Cheers, PB 2011年5月20日

Hi Miyuki, Thanks for keeping your blog display in English! Now would you please shorten the name of the university to KGU, and add blank lines between paragraphs to make it easy to see where they begin and end? Cheers, PB May 20, 2011

Ayayah, Would you please shorten the professor's name in your essay to something like "Prof. H. H.," and then _avoid_ using students' and teachers' full names in either comments or posts? I'd also like you to _delete_ the first two comments that you got (May 16 and 18, above) for the sake of preserving privacy, too. I'll replicate those comments below, with names shortened for you, so the gist of them will still appear after you delete the original comments that included full names. matsuyuki さんのコメント... H.... H.... is nice~ ^^ 2011年5月16日23:20 ca☆pi さんのコメント... I like H... H... ♡haha 2011年5月18日9:37 Last but not least, please share what you learn from this comment with your classmates and peers. Cheers, PB 2011年5月20日

Hi Momo, Thanks for marking this with the "typing" label. You could also use a few other labels such as "home, holidays, [and] quickposts." However, it would be better to shorten the second sentence in this quickpost to, "My hometown is ... in Nagasaki," so as not to reveal to much personal info. Cheers, PB 2011年5月20日

Hi poker face, I appreciate your labeling this post "typing." Other suitable labels for this post may include "food" and "habits." However, don't you think something like "Food and Eating Habits" would be a more attractive and informative title than "Typing homework 5"? The same goes for your other typing trial posts. Cheers, PB 2011年5月20日

Chihiro, Would you please shorten the _all_ instances of the name of the university to "K...[GU]"? Cheers, PB 2011年5月20日

Hi Eimi, Thanks for responding to your classmates comments so quickly. Now would you please enter blank lines between the paragraphs of your essay, to make it easy to see where they begin and end? You also should make clear in the introductory paragraph who your intended or target audience is, rather than in a supplementary remark after the end of your essay. Cheers, PB 11/05/20

Maki, this is neither one of your "essays," nor one of your "drafts." If anything, you should label it "essay prep., [and] quickposts." Cheers, PB 2011年5月20日

Mina, if you post your typing trials separately, you'll get a higher number of posts, if not words, for your Proto-Portfolios! Cheers, PB 20/5/11

"ページが見つかりません ブログ Kazumi blog 内のお探しのページは存在しません。" [Thanks for removing this post with no content. PB, 2011.05.20]

Hi Matsuyuki, Belated congratulations on your birthday! Now would you please shorten the first line of this post to, "[In] April ..., I became 20 years old!"? If you're not certain why, please ask in class. Cheers, PB 2011年5月20日

Hey, haramicky! The quotation at the head of this post isn't from Burnett (2005), is it? If it isn't, it should be. The BR number probably ought to be 1-01, too. Cheers, PB 2011年5月20日

Hey, kazu! That's a pretty long BR! Did you remember all those details after you closed the book, and write it up ln your own words? There is no need for you to re-tell stories. In fact, you shouldn't; we just want to hear what you think about them. I'd also like to see page numbers in parentheses ... right after the juicy quotations at the head of your BRs, which you must type exactly as in the books. Cheers, PB 2011年5月20日 [http://kazuminnie-18.blogspot.com/2011/04/br-1-01-princess-and-pea.html#comment-form]

Aya, Would you please shorten your name to "Aya T...," and mine to "Mr. B..." in this post, then avoid spelling out any family names in posts or comments – except those of authors in your book reviews? Cheers, PB 2011年5月20日

Hi Momo, I have a favor to ask. Actually it's more of a reminder of what Mr. T. wrote when he sent you your placement essay to post on your blog, and what I've told you in class. In the introductory paragraph of this essay, would you please shorten your name to "Maki T...," and the university's name to "... [KGU]"? Then please remember not to use any family names in either comments or posts. That is, except authors' family names in reference citations for book reviews. Cheers, PB 2011年5月20日

Hi Mina, This is just a quick note to remind you not to use family names in posts or comments – except for authors' names in book reviews. Please shorten yours to "Mina T..." here. Cheers, PB 20/5/11

Hi Chihiro, I appreciate all of the details you've included in this post. Yet it would be nice if you gave it a catchy, informative title. It would also be better, in general, not to mention employers or schools by name. So would you please replace what you have in the second paragraph with the following? My father works at ... [a very large] company, and he loves his work, so he goes to work even on holidays. My mother works at an insurance company, and she distributes handbills everyday. My brother is a ... high school student [at a large public high school], ... Cheers, PB 2011年5月20日

Hello again, Thanks for shortening your name in this post. It also would be a good idea to change your hometown to "Y... [C]ity," and to leave the date off your birthday. Cheers, Paul 2011年5月20日

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