Firstly, I heard from Nice Policeman Phil (I imagine him in his 40s with a slightly harrassed look) that the report has been sent to the Coroner, and that it all might be done and dusted based on the report and written statements. Even if Mr H and I are not required to attend the hearing to give statements personally we will have the option to attend. Having been dreading the thought of it, now I rather want to go in the hope of learning 'Why', and oddly also for educational reasons to see what actually happens. It may well all be an anti-climax of course.
Secondly, I got the mark back for my first OU assignment for this year. It was ok but not as good as I'd hoped; but then a first assignment in a new year and with a different tutor is always going to be a learning experience. My tutor wrote a long and very useful critique and comments which was good - I've heard that some write virtually nothing. One of the things I found out was that "psychology as a discipline generally prefers succinct and concise sentences whereas the 'Arts' subjects are probably happy with longer sentences". Hmm, I suppose I'll have to save my arty sentences and semi-colons for my blog! Not that I'm a waffler but evidently I am by psychology standards.
She also suggested lots of other things I could have included, but with a word count of only 1000 words I think it would have risked becoming a list of bullet points. Still I got a good pass and it's a challenge for the 2nd assignment now.
Well done!
ReplyDeleteI am a great fan of the semi-colon myself. I am always exhorting students to "make the semi-colon your friend". But that's probably because I get sooo sick of reading long run-on sentences with comma after comma after comma....
I never really know when to use the semi colon correctly so I try but I always end up failing. I hate it when you don't do as good as you think you did. Then you look back at your mistakes and sigh because they were simple mistakes.
ReplyDeletehttp://theadorkableditzmissteps.blogspot.com/
It's encouraging when a teacher or tutor takes the time to write a long comment on your work. It shows that they see promise there, and that they're willing to commit some time and effort to helping you live out that promise.
ReplyDeleteI am definitely not a know-it-all, but since I teach writing, let me throw in my two cents.
ReplyDeleteSemi-colons conjoin two sentences. The biggest problem writers have with semi-colons is the failure to write complete sentences on each side of it. People tend to fragment one side.
"It is a most earnest thing to be alive in this world; to die is not sport for a man." - correct
"It is a most earnest thing to be alive in this world; not dead." - incorrect
By using a semicolon instead of a period between two sentences, you show that those two sentences have a closer relationship to each other than they do to the sentences around them.
Hi JJ, I find semi-colons useful where neither a comma nor a full stop is quite suitable.
ReplyDeleteI don't particularly like punctuation and their rules.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm not a 'play by the rule' kinda gal. ;-)
Nice the instructor made the effort and time to give you such valuable feedback...I shoulda warned ya that clipped and 'just the facts ma'am' makes for a good psych paper. Why--I do not know. LOL We're one of the most talkative group of people I know of.
Mel, I will have to make myself a sign: "Just the facts, ma'am. Just the facts." haha I would think of you every time I look at it!
ReplyDelete"Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education."
ReplyDelete(Mark Twain)
and.......
"With educated people, I suppose, punctuation is a matter of rule; with me it is a matter of feeling. But I must say I have a great respect for the semi-colon; it's a useful little chap."
(Abraham Lincoln)
Great quotes, thanks Karen :-)
ReplyDelete