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Thread: English Major

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    Gonna Overdrive your ass! Siegfried's Avatar
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    Default English Major

    Is anyone either an English major or good at grammar (not thinks they are good, are good) who would like to check my essays for grammar, not content?

    This would greatly help me in my upcoming semester!

    P.S.: This is kinda lame huh?
    Beware of my look a like!

  2. #2

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    I like to think my English is pretty good, but the subject bores me. May I ask why you have an English major? Surely there are more interesting subjects. Like a medical class or a foreign language.

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    Will be banned again Roto13's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by vorpal blade View Post
    I like to think my English is pretty good, but the subject bores me. May I ask why you have an English major? Surely there are more interesting subjects. Like a medical class or a foreign language.
    He didn't say he was an English major, and if he is one it's probably because he finds it more interesting than medicine or a foreign language. I know I would.

    English has always been my best subject. I can probably help you if you think you have a real problem with it. Are you really so bad, though? I'm sure none of your profs are expecting you to be Earnest Hemingway.

    Me gotz gud grammerz cuz mi be smrt. (Friggin' internet.)

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    oreodaredattoomotteyagaru Recognized Member JKTrix's Avatar
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    Perhaps you could post your essays in here and let all of us have a go at it :P

    I'm 'good' at English and I could help, but I personally can't commit to do this kind of thing.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Roto13 View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by vorpal blade View Post
    I like to think my English is pretty good, but the subject bores me. May I ask why you have an English major? Surely there are more interesting subjects. Like a medical class or a foreign language.
    He didn't say he was an English major, and if he is one it's probably because he finds it more interesting than medicine or a foreign language. I know I would.

    English has always been my best subject. I can probably help you if you think you have a real problem with it. Are you really so bad, though? I'm sure none of your profs are expecting you to be Earnest Hemingway.

    Me gotz gud grammerz cuz mi be smrt. (Friggin' internet.)
    Yeah, English was always my best subject. I dunno how well I could check a High School/College paper though.

  6. #6

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    If it is anything like the Professional Research/Reporting(aka Techincal Writing) I am taking, then the course is not for a major in English.

    Yet, the teacher still wishes you to have perfect grammar, spelling, flow, idea connections, layout, etc...etc..etc..

    Basically you have 1 or 2 weeks to write a paper and it should be the mona lisa of papers according to the teacher

    Visiting message boards and viewing online documents certainly inhibits this "correct"(perfectionist..) way of writing... where everything has to be perfect and has to be scrutinized fifteen times left, down, up and right.

    Therefore, one who spends large amounts of time on the computer generally loses their English "perfection" skills, or so it seemed to me, unless they are constantly marked for errors by other online individuals, which is usually not the case when it comes to the internet, especially message boards.

    Now see, my writing above I would see as.... ok.
    Granted its not a noble prize winning document, like the teacher would want. She would have my post so red with ink, that you could not see my original text
    Last edited by ValiantKnight; 01-10-2007 at 11:20 PM.

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    Zachie Chan Recognized Member Ouch!'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Roto13 View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by vorpal blade View Post
    I like to think my English is pretty good, but the subject bores me. May I ask why you have an English major? Surely there are more interesting subjects. Like a medical class or a foreign language.
    He didn't say he was an English major, and if he is one it's probably because he finds it more interesting than medicine or a foreign language. I know I would.
    I feel the same way. I find that there's little more interesting than the flexibility of language. I'd take classes about English composition to study the many ways of expressing my ideas and beliefs through words over a medical class any day. The open-ended nature of the English language has always captivated me far more than any class about numbers and facts ever could.

    That being said, when I head off to college next year, I'll be an English major (I bet nobody saw that one coming). I'd offer to help you, though I doubt I'd be able to consistantly be available. I already edit my cousin's English papers, and I'm not too terribly great at following through all the time.

    I really doubt you need as much help as you seem to think. Wouldn't it be easier to find someone at school to help you? I find editting is far more effective when the writer can sit down with the editor and discuss changes with the document in front of them.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ouch! View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Roto13 View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by vorpal blade View Post
    I like to think my English is pretty good, but the subject bores me. May I ask why you have an English major? Surely there are more interesting subjects. Like a medical class or a foreign language.
    He didn't say he was an English major, and if he is one it's probably because he finds it more interesting than medicine or a foreign language. I know I would.
    I feel the same way. I find that there's little more interesting than the flexibility of language. I'd take classes about English composition to study the many ways of expressing my ideas and beliefs through words over a medical class any day. The open-ended nature of the English language has always captivated me far more than any class about numbers and facts ever could.
    I see. I have a problem about not reading everthing and getting the wrong idea sometimes. But I still think the intricities of the human body and the ability to speak in multiple languages to be more interesting than your average English class. I see your point though. English can be interesting.

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    Will be banned again Roto13's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by vorpal blade View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Ouch! View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Roto13 View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by vorpal blade View Post
    I like to think my English is pretty good, but the subject bores me. May I ask why you have an English major? Surely there are more interesting subjects. Like a medical class or a foreign language.
    He didn't say he was an English major, and if he is one it's probably because he finds it more interesting than medicine or a foreign language. I know I would.
    I feel the same way. I find that there's little more interesting than the flexibility of language. I'd take classes about English composition to study the many ways of expressing my ideas and beliefs through words over a medical class any day. The open-ended nature of the English language has always captivated me far more than any class about numbers and facts ever could.
    I see. I have a problem about not reading everthing and getting the wrong idea sometimes. But I still think the intricities of the human body and the ability to speak in multiple languages to be more interesting than your average English class. I see your point though. English can be interesting.
    It depends entirely on the individual. :P If I see someone playing Madden 2007 or whatever the current Madden game is, I don't tell them not to play it because I find it boring. :P

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    Gonna Overdrive your ass! Siegfried's Avatar
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    Thank you, im jsut taking a hard English class and the essays have to be PERFECT!
    I'm more of a math/engineering guy myself
    Beware of my look a like!

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    Will be banned again Roto13's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Siegfried View Post
    Thank you, im jsut taking a hard English class and the essays have to be PERFECT!
    I'm more of a math/engineering guy myself
    Ah. Well I wouldn't be able to make it perfect. :P

  12. #12
    Gonna Overdrive your ass! Siegfried's Avatar
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    Here is what my last essay was, to give you an idea:

    Technological Progress, a Step Backwards?
    Isaac Asimov was a science-fiction writer from mid-nineteenth century who wrote many books about robots and other advanced technology. Many of his books, such as I, Robot and Robot Dreams, were about the ethics and the thought-processes of robots. Asimov presented ideas concerning what would happen in the distant future and the moral and social problems thinking robots would bring. However, that future was not so distant. In fact, my generation and its ever-growing technology will have to face the challenge of science and technology versus ethics. Despite the advantages of modern technology, its developments in the realms of genetic engineering and robotics infringe upon the ethics of the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">United States</st1lace></st1:country-region>.
    Scientific advancements have made a positive difference in many lives. One major scientific development that has done this is the advance in the understanding in the human genome. For example, knowledge of the human genome has helped scientists discover how certain diseases, such as Down syndrome, work and how they might be treated. The human genome project has also helped doctors identify conditions of their unborn children and how they may be treated after birth. This progress has made many children live better lives. Advancements in robotics have also improved many lives. For instance, advances in robotics have allowed handicapped people to get around more easily with robotic limbs. In addition, some simple forms of robots have been created in computers and assembly lines to help make the work process easier and more efficient. However, even though these advancements have helped many people and made life easier and more enjoyable, they have both led to issues that will challenge our generation’s ethics.
    While these advancements have bettered life, some contend that they neglect ethics. The human genome project and its development have brought up many ethical issues. For example, with the advancement in this field, a doctor is able to see and detect the sex and attributes of a baby before birth. Soon, however, doctors may be able to change these attributes of the unborn child, including changing the appearance or gender. This brings up the issue of whether parents should change these attributes of their child before birth just because they want a “perfect” child. Similarly, the advancements in robotics also bring ethical issues. By giving robots A.I., or artificial intelligence, we may be able to almost create life through robots. In addition, even though giving robots A.I. would make solving the world’s problems easier, it may also lead to rebellions and other uprisings due to the infallible, yet twisted, mind of a robot. While science advances through the years, it brings the ethical conflicts and problems with it.
    The solution to each of these problems can be interpreted and thought out a number of different ways. I believe that the human genome alterations should only be made to help with birth defects, not with alterations of personal attributes. I also believe that artificial intelligence should not be added to robots, for the human mind can solve any problem necessary with enough time. However, if no action is taken by my generation to improve our moral science as well, we are doomed to a life lacking in ethics.
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    ...you hot, salty nut! Recognized Member fire_of_avalon's Avatar
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    I've only skimmed it, but I don't notice very many grammatical errors. What I do notice is a stoic, stiff form. There's very little flow and transition. However, depending on the type of course you're writing for, this may not be a bad thing.

    I'm pretty busy right now, but if you PM me some things YOU think need work, I'd be happy to go over them and help you out. I'm not an English major, I'm a Journalism and Mass comm. major, but I think I could still help you out.

    Signature by rubah. I think.

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    Gonna Overdrive your ass! Siegfried's Avatar
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    No fun writing in this class...that is the kind i like
    He is strictly info., no fun, informal things
    Beware of my look a like!

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    You might not want to post your essays on the internet, because you never know which sites Turnitin (or Turnitin-esque sites) will scan and snap you for plagiarism.

    I'm not sure which spiders EoFF allows in though, so maybe an admin could shed some light.

    But on the essay, since it is a fairly formal literary response, you probably want to avoid using personal pronouns, such as "I", "my", "we", etc. and avoid use of superlatives and colloquial language.
    As foa said, the text has a robotic feel to it, so try to concatenate a few sentences here and there, to create a more fluid flow of points.
    Be careful not to fall into storytelling; discuss the technology (or the relevant part of the essay question) in Asimov's novels, but not the events to the same extent. You want to communicate an appropriate answer to the question and nothing more.

    Other that that, your spelling and grammar is very good and you have well formed paragraphs, so no need to worry there.

    The best advice with essay writing I ever had was, for each pararaph, to use the "SEX(D)" template: Statement, Explanation, eXample (Diagram if applicable).
    The statement lets the reader know what the contents of the paragraph.
    The explanation describes the meaning of the statement and why it is true.
    The example takes exerpts and quotes from your sources, and illustrates the statement.'
    The diagram is not applicable here, but if you ever have a geography essay to write, draw pictures!

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