use of the writing handbook
Bert Hansen, History 1000
Keys for Writers
You are strongly encouraged to study the College’s new writing handbook Keys for Writers by Ann Raimes as an active part of your daily preparation for this course. While that book focuses on writing, a full appreciation of correct English diction is also needed for successful reading and studying of this course’s textbook and for a full understanding of explanations given in class. At several points in this course, we will study an historical text very closely for both content and style. Even short-answer and multiple-choice questions require basic grammar. Without an appreciation of the rules concerning number, possessives, tenses, moods, etc., one cannot adequately follow or reproduce the logic of an argument. Do not assume that correct diction is needed “only in English courses.”
Each student has different areas of grammar and reasoning that need improvement, so you will do well to discover your own weaknesses and then find the relevant sections within Keys for Writers. Your instructor will make explicit comments about language and vocabulary from time to time, but it is your responsibility to be sure you are able to follow the points and to seek clarification and assistance as needed. Make a dictionary and Keys for Writers active tools in your effort to control the information and analysis of this course.
Important parts of this book to read and review repeatedly include Chapters 5a and 5b (pp. 48-53, esp. p. 49 on words used in exams); Chapter 9 on sources (pp. 101-113, esp. pp. 104-105 on avoiding even the suspicion of plagiarism); the Glossary of Usage (pp. 437-445); and the Glossary of Grammatical Terms (pp. 450-456). Keep in mind that teachers in all college subjects sometimes discuss language, and they presume you will know they what mean by such terms as agreement, dependent clause, first person, passive voice, simile, or subordinate clause. Learn them gradually, working hard on those that are new to you. But learn them thoroughly. Don’t just memorize definitions; be sure you understand their significance as well as their meaning. (And if the difference between “significance” and “meaning” isn’t clear, this is a good occasion to consult your dictionary to develop a better feel for shades of meaning among similar words.)
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