English Articles

Are you the type that prefers to sit in the back of a class, never raise your hand, ask a question or--yikes!!!--stand up in front of the class? Do you think you are a bad writer? NOW is the time to get serious and take advantage of professional coaching and tutoring from an accomplished writer and speaker. You can do it and I can help. Relax--it's not so bad.

You will be pleased with the sense of accomplishment, leadership and pride derived from speaking before a crowd or writing a terrific paper or report. That's it!

Very often, in vocabulary, and the study of definitions, I have found among my students that the history of a word is seldom used as a means to understanding the word and how it's used, or changed in use.

Word history, or etymology, as the study is called, can be very valuable to a student in several ways.

First, it helps the student understand that English, as we know it, is international and multicultural. The root of a lot of words in English are derived from Greek, Latin, French, and German, and that language is not only living, but evolving. Words with prefixes and suffixes that change context can also be isolated and discussed.

Secondly, the history of a word, studied in context of its original language and spelling can make the meaning of a word come alive for a student and give them one of those much-prized "light bulb" moments that teachers live for; the student has a point of reference to make a connection, and will be more likely to remember the word the next time they encounter it.

Finally, the study of how a word might have changed in meaning or spelling can prove interesting; a research assignment on a word's etymology could be a small study project that will enhance learning new words in a way that will engage the student and make them take ownership of increasing their own vocabulary.

I am a teacher who mainly works from the Wixom library, but if you live far we can meet at a book store, coffee shop, or a library. My hours are 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Monday through Friday. Once you complete your information through WyzAnt, they will let me give out my number and we can start that week.

I have been teaching for 12 years ind all subjects and have helped many people. YOU will be next. Education is the key to success!

"Angie"

I am finally winding down the summer this week, with most of my students having taken their final exams last week. Subjects I tutored during the second summer session:

Elementary Statistics
Biostatistics
Physics
General Chemistry
Physiology
Molecular Biology
Algebra 1
Algebra 2
English Literature
Precalculus

Best of luck to all of my students! You have all worked hard and I hope you all get the grades that you were hoping for. Looking forward to a busy fall semester!

The incorrect use of the words "there, their, or they're" is a special pet peeve of mine. This is a common error that can be easily addressed and, while proper usage doesn't garner any attention, improper use can make your writing incomprehensible. So - simple rules to follow:

Are we talking about ownership of an object? (house, dog, place, movie, etc.? ) Use THEIR
ex: That dog is their dog.

Are we indicating where an object is located? (on a table, in a corner, etc) Use THERE
ex: That dog is over there, in the corner.

Are we indicating what someone is doing? (going to the store, the museum, etc) Use THEY'RE which is a contraction of the words "They are".
ex: They're walking the dog in the morning.

A little memory trick - They're walking their dog over there.

Remember, just because words sound the same doesn't mean they have the same meaning. A few seconds to determine the proper spelling saves you a lot of grief in the long term.