1. After the initial panic passes, read through all
the questions before you begin to answer any of them, underlining key
words and phrases that will help guide you in your answer. In many
cases, instructors will incorporate key words and phrases from their
lectures in the exam question, so make sure that you focus on these
elements in your answer.
2. Based on your comfort level (or lack thereof)
with particular questions, after you have reviewed all questions, decide
approximately how much time you have for questions that are relatively
easy for you to answer and, conversely, which questions will require
more time to answer correctly and thoroughly. This is a very important
step because it will help you organize your time and effort.
3. Think of each essay answer as a mini-essay in
itself, and approach each answer with a shortened version of the process
that you’ve been taught to use when writing full essays. If you are
used to brainstorming or clustering when preparing to write an essay, go
through the same, but greatly shortened, process for an essay answer.
The time spent in some form of outlining will save time and effort as
you answer the questions.
4. Given the time constraints of most essay exams,
you can’t afford to write and re-write answers. From an instructor’s
perspective, if a student’s answer contains a great deal of cross outs
and perhaps whole paragraph deletions, the instructor will probably
conclude that the student is not well prepared. It is critical,
therefore, to outline the answer before you begin writing and to follow
the outline as you write. Marginal notes of an outline or brainstorming
process will probably impress the instructor.
5. The “rhetorical mode” for an answer may be
determined by your instructor. For example, you may be asked to
analyze, define, compare/contrast, evaluate, illustrate, or synthesize
the subject of the question, and you need to focus on answering the
question with an analysis, a definition and so on in order to respond to
the question appropriately.
6. Just as you do when you draft an essay, try to
begin the answer with one or two sentences that answer the question
directly and succinctly. In other words, think of the first two
sentences as a thesis statement of an essay, and after you’ve stated the
answer’s “thesis,” support that thesis with specific examples in the
body of the answer.
7. Lastly, one of the most important steps you can
take is to proofread your answers and make any necessary corrections
neatly and legibly.
sumber
Misplaced Modifier
Misplaced Words
Many single-word modifiers are often misplaced; these include only, almost, just, even, merely, hardly, and nearly, for example.Consider how the meaning of the following sentence changes, depending on where you place the word only:
Only Susie gave $20 at the fundraiser. (No one else but Susie gave $20.)One trick to help you avoid misplacing these types of modifiers is to place the modifier next to (or near) the word/words it modifies. For the above sentence, if you want only to modify $20, then use the third example.
Susie only gave $20 at the fundraiser. (The only thing Susie did was give $20.)
Susie gave only $20 at the fundraiser. (Susie didn’t give any more than $20.)
Susie gave $20 at the only fundraiser. (Susie gave $20 at the only available fundraiser.)
Susie gave $20 at the fundraiser only. (Susie didn’t give $20 anywhere else.)
Misplaced Phrases/Clauses
Phrases and clauses are also regularly misplaced in writing.Examples:
My husband asked me if we might consider having another baby during our friends’ baby shower. (implies that the husband wants to have a baby during the shower)To correct these sentences, place the modifying phrase/clause closer to the word/words it modifies:
I found a new scratching post for my cat, which was on clearance at the pet store. (implies that the cat was on clearance)
During our friends’ baby shower, my husband asked me if we might consider having another baby.
I found a new scratching post, which was on clearance at the pet store, for my cat.
Dangling Modifiers
A pet peeve of mine, the dangling modifier is usually a phrase or an elliptical clause (a dependent clause in which some words have intentionally been left out), often at the beginning of a sentence, that either doesn’t modify anything specific in the sentence or modifies the wrong word or part of the sentence.Consider my introductory sentence:
As a freelance editor and proofreader, the misplaced or dangling modifier is a common writing error I see.Of course, you can probably figure out what I was trying to communicate, but the dangling modifier is distracting and creates ambiguity; it illogically implies that the modifier is actually a freelance editor and proofreader!
So how can I fix the sentence?
As a freelance editor and proofreader, I notice that many writers struggle with misplaced and dangling modifiers.Now, the introductory phrase (As a freelance editor and proofreader) correctly and logically modifies the pronoun I.
Remember the trick to place the modifier as close as possible to whatever it needs to modify, and you’ll avoid the majority of errors associated with modifier placement.
All About Abbreviations
An abbreviation is defined
as a shortened version of a word or phrase. But did you know that there
are many different types of abbreviations? Here is a list of
abbreviation types:
Acronym –
This forms a word using the initial parts or first letters of a name.
For example, ABBA, MADD, and OPEC are all acronyms that take the first
letter from each word to form a new word. Lesser known acronyms include
scuba and laser. The latter examples show that not all acronyms have to
be capitalized.
Initialism
– Also called alphabetism, this is a group of letters, each pronounced
separately, used as an abbreviation for a name or expression. Examples
include: CD, TV, and UK.
Truncation
– This type of abbreviation consists only of the first part of a word.
These are most often used when referring to proper titles such as months
of the year or days of the week, e.g., Mon., Fri., Apr., Oct.
Clipped –
Similar to truncation in that you are using a part of the word to form
the abbreviation, but in this case you’re using either the middle or
end. Common clipped abbreviations include phone (telephone) and fridge
(refrigerator).
Aphesis – In this case, you have dropped the
unstressed vowel at the beginning of the word. These are often
unintentional and casually spoken versions of the words. Perhaps the
best example is ’cause instead of because.Portmanteau – The blending of two or more words will give you a portmanteau. Some of my personal favorites include liger (lion and tiger), spork (spoon and fork), skort (shorts and skirt), and brinner (breakfast and dinner).
Some things to consider when using abbreviations:
- Anyone can make up an abbreviation and many are non-standard. They should, therefore, be left out of formal writing.
- If the full word would be capitalized (e.g., Sunday or January), make sure to capitalize the abbreviation (e.g., Sun. or Jan.).