Writing Is under Attack!

[image error]

Instant Quiz

Can you correct the error in the sentence below? Scroll to the bottom of today’s post for the answer.

We picked up some groceries for the woman that lives in the apartment above ours.  CORRECT

_________________________________________________________________________________________

There’s a war against writing – and it’s not what you think. The problem isn’t bad spelling or commas running amuck. It’s a growing belief that writing is just one more obstacle you have to clear on your way to a diploma. Once you graduate, you can forget about writing.

How do I know this is happening? I see endless questions on Quora.com about which essay writing service is best. These companies advertise that they’ll do the writing for you so that you’re free to do other, more important things with your time. (Yikes!)

I guess that if you don’t have a lot of life experience, it almost makes sense. When is your boss ever going to ask you to write – say – a comparison/contrast essay?

The truth is that almost every high-paying job requires a lot of writing. Whether it’s heading a large church or running your own business, you need to know how to write well. (Yes, you will write comparison and contrast essays! But they’ll be called “technical writing.”)

Companies pay people to organize, develop, and present ideas and information effectively. It’s called “writing,” and successful people do it almost every day.

Often you need writing skills to get a promotion in the first place. Many companies assign projects to determine which employees are promotable.

Even if you have the leadership skills and know-how they’re looking for, you won’t get anywhere if you can’t handle the paperwork that goes with the project: a proposal, progress reports, a final summary.

That’s why you do so much writing in college. It’s the one takeaway from your education that you will use constantly.

I always tell doubters to make a habit of dropping by the learning center at their school. Here’s what I tell them: “Soon you’ll notice that the same people keep showing up day after day to work with the tutors and use the other resources. Those are the people who will be earning big salaries in a few years.”

[image error]

____________________________________________________________

Instant Quiz ANSWER

[image error]

Use who, not that, when you’re referring to a person. You don’t have to be a stickler about this rule – but keep it in mind when you’re writing formally.

We picked up some groceries for the woman who lives in the apartment above ours.  CORRECT

Jean Reynolds’ book What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You can be purchased from Amazon.com and other online booksellers.

[image error]

“A useful resource for both students and professionals” – Jena L. Hawk, Ph.D., Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

“Personable and readable…Jean knows her subject forwards and backwards.” – Adair Lara, author of Hold Me Close, Let Me Go