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How to Cite from a Multivolume Work October 14, 2008

Posted by jhicks in : Citation & bibliography , comments closed

One of my favorite questions I’ve ever had as a Writing Consultant was how to cite a piece written by Martin Luther, within a collection of sermons, now combined with other pieces of his writing within a multivolumous work. There were multiple publication dates, editors and translators; the challenging task attracted three participants, two writing style manuals and a website. It was fun!

Citation, format and bibliography are important elements of your paper, and oftentimes the most confusing. MLA, APA or Chicago—ask your professor which style you should choose. Then ask for more detail. Is the professor expecting footnotes, or citations within the text? How many online resources are you allowed to use? Would the professor like you to incorporate figures, pictures and lengthy quotes within the rest of the text, or should you use an appendix? As you brainstorm and plan your paper, think of any unique situations that might arise because of your resources, and ask your professor. Sometimes we even have faculty and staff ask us questions about tricky citations.

I’m a student, too. I realize that sometimes papers are compiled last-minute, especially citations and bibliographies. Unfortunately, leaving such things until the very end results in little energy for them. Sloppy citations, inconsistent format and bibliographies missing important components can degrade an otherwise magnificent paper that contains great thinking. On the other hand, proper and consistent citation shine well upon even the simplest of writing assignments, demonstrating the efforts of an involved student.

To help you lean towards the latter description, here are common hints and advice dealt out by the Writing Center:

1. The period comes out of the quote.

Both MLA and APA often use intext citations. When using direct quotations, the final period of the statement is taken out of the quotation and placed at the end of the citation.

MLA Example: “Notice that the period follows the parenthetical citation” (Hacker 129).

APA Example: “Readers need to move from your own words to the words of a source without feeling a jolt” (Hacker, 2004, p. 161).

2. Alternate between single and double quotation marks when your quote contains quotation marks.

MLA Example: “When a writer’s or a speaker’s quoted words appear in a source written by someone else, begin the citation with the abbreviation ‘qtd. in’” (Hacker 132).

3. Double-space your bibliography in MLA and APA. I know it looks strange,but it is correct. Chicago format calls for single space within entries, and double space between entries.

4. Use page-breaks (InsertàBreakàPage Break) between title pages and text, and between text and bibliographies to avoid formatting problems. Also, rather than trying to figure it out with tabs, use the markers at the top of word documents to set indents in your bibliographies.

5. Where to find help:

-Ask your professor.

-Ask a writing consultant.

-Instant message a writing consultant at VUWCafterhours (AIM, Yahoo! MSN)

-Use a style manual. We have quite a few available on our table or bookcase for in-library use.

-Check dianahacker.com/pocket, particularly for questions concerning electronic resources.

If you’re still unsure, the best advice we can give you is BE CONSISTENT. Nothing is more distracting than inconsistent formatting of citations.

As always, good luck and good writing. Look for our blue light at the Writing Center. We’d love to talk with you.

Cathrine Jackson, VUWC Writing Consultant

Making the Most of Your Sentences October 2, 2008

Posted by arussell in : Love Unit, Style , comments closed

Once you have a strong idea for your paper, think about the way you are presenting that idea. Do your sentence patterns convey the ideas by their very arrangement? Sentence patterns can

To sound more interesting and sophisticated, mix up the types of sentences you are using. Don’t use all simple sentences or all compound or complex sentences. Placing short sentences between longer ones give the shorter sentences a punch–they stand out more.

Here are some other sentence types to consider:
A loose sentence is the type of sentence that is most common. At the beginning of the sentence is the main idea (subject and verb) and then all the other less important information follows. For example: I left the restaurant feeling dizzy and sick to my stomach as all my surroundings swirled before my eyes. In this case the subject (I) and the verb (left) are at the beginning of the sentence.

A periodic sentence is not as common and must be used with care. With this type, there is a build-up to the main idea. For example: Looking at the rose, at its soft petals and thin folds, I saw beauty. Here, the main idea (I saw beauty) is at the end of the sentence and all the other details lead up to this idea. If used sparingly, this sentence style makes an idea have real snap. The subject and verb really stand out at the end.

To express cause and effect:

Use a complex sentence beginning with since or because: Because of the reduction in anticipated dividends, many employees delayed their retirement.

(Same idea expressed with a compound sentence does not express cause and effect clearly: Employees anticipated reduced dividends, and they decided to delay their retirement.)

To express sequence or simultaneous events:
Use a complex sentence beginning with while, whenever, before, as, or a similar word: While the stock market dropped, employees

Use of Figurative Language in Arabic and English–A clip October 1, 2008

Posted by jhicks in : International Students, Multimedia , comments closed

In this clip recorded with the Snowball mic, a writer whose first language is Arabic and three writing consultants ponder use of figurative language.

This version of the clip was enhanced with Audacity to equalize the volumes.

This is the unenhanced clip; speakers were at various distances from the Snowball mic.

 
icon for podpress  Original Volume Recording with the SnowBall: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 
icon for podpress  Enhanced Recording with the SnowBall: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download