College Writing

College Writing Study Guide Integrating sources helps you improve your writing’s credibility. It shows that you have done your research, and it indicates that other experts agree with your argument. You can also use sources as a jumping-off point for disagreements. You don’t need to agree with every source that you incorporate in your paper because writing is like entering any kind of conversation: you will �ind some voices closer to your own than others. The important thing to remember is that you’re well-versed in the conversation, which will lead others to take what you have to say seriously. 2.6 Improving Your Vocabulary and Spelling Many people say that they have trouble with writing because they don’t have an extensive vocabu- lary, or their spelling could use improvement. There is no easy solution to these problems. Like most steps in becoming a better writer, learning how to improve your vocabulary and spelling will take time and effort, especially for adult learners. Primarily, the best method is a behavioral adjustment. In order to improve your vocabulary, you should read more. Find a book, magazine, or website that requires journalistic standards (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram don’t count), and read every day. It doesn’t matter what the subject is – publications about anything you’re interested in will work – and it doesn’t matter if the publication is considered “academic.” What matters is that you’re contin- ually being exposed to professionally written words. In On Writing, Stephen King reports that he reads at least �ifty books per year, and while many of us don’t have time for that volume of reading, King’s statement indicates the value good reading has for good writing. When you read, slow down. Look up words you don’t know. Improving your vocabulary requires a patient, constant exposure to new words and a willingness to admit that you don’t know what some of them mean. Last, turn off social media apps or any other possible distractions. In order to be a good writer, you will have to get used to monotasking. In our modern age, we tend to celebrate multitasking too much – to the point where we’ve lost the ability to concentrate on a single task for an extended period of time. Even some professional writers state that “my concentration starts to drift after two or three pages” (Carr par. 2). Spending at least 30-45 minutes focused solely on reading will not only improve your vocabulary, it will also train your mind to get in the necessary state to write effectively. 2.7 “I Write How I Speak” – Why “Style” Is the Most Misused Word Since “Love” Here is a list of complaints writing students have often said. See if any of these apply to you: • “I write how I speak.” • “I don’t write smart enough.” • “I don’t write with voice.” • “I’m not creative.

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