SitePurdue University’s Online Writing Lab: Grammar help for writers
An editor sent me this press release today…I hope she wasn’t trying to tell me something about my grammar skills! 
Purdue University’s online writing lab receives millions of visitors a year, and here are the questions people most frequently ask. People may be surprised to learn it’s not just students asking questions. Our tutors and educators are even asked to settle bets between colleagues, friends or spouses about everyday grammar questions.
“Without a doubt our No. 1 request for help is about formatting research papers for college or high school students,” says Tammy Conard-Salvo, associate director of the Writing Lab, which is housed in the Department of English. “The most common questions are about citing sources, especially electronic sources.
“People may be surprised to learn it’s not just students asking questions. Our tutors and educators are even asked to settle bets between colleagues, friends or spouses about everyday grammar questions.”
Here are the other questions that round out the top five queries received by the Online Writing Lab, known as OWL:
* The difference between “affect” and “effect.” Affect is a verb and effect is a noun.
* Questions about subject-verb agreement, especially with indefinite pronouns such as each, every and any, which are singular and require a singular verb.
* Questions from English-as-second-language students about idiomatic expressions or exceptions to grammar rules. For example, one student recently submitted a question about whether the word “data” is singular or plural. The answer is based on the context because “data” can be both.
* A number of questions are from nontraditional students who are working on a writing assignment. Conard-Salvo says many requests start with a phrase like, “I haven’t taken an English class in many years. How do I get started on writing an argument essay?”
The online resource, located on the Web at http://owl.english.purdue.edu, provides more than 200 printable resources on starting and revising a writing project, business and technical writing, Web research, and research papers. These resources provide punctuation and grammar rules, guides to effective organization, tips on the writing process and how to cope with writer’s block. The site also includes style guides for the popular Modern Language Association and American Psychological Association citation formats.
The lab also offers a grammar hotline, at (765) 494-3723, staffed by writing lab specialists. Questions also can be submitted online from the Web site. Tutors will respond to questions from anyone in the world, Conard-Salvo says. [lf]
4 Responses to “Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab: Grammar help for writers”
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Melissa Barton
Said this on August 16th, 2007 at 10:17am:Actually, “effect” can also be a verb, as in “to effect change.” It means “to produce as an effect; bring about; accomplish; make happen.”
“Affect” has a similar primary meaning, but it’s used differently: “to act on; produce an effect or change in: Cold weather affected the crops.” I’m not really sure how to explain the usage difference other than by showing lots of examples, since it’s fairly subtle. It’s one many people seem to have trouble with. (”Affect” also has a secondary meaning: “to impress the mind or move the feelings of: The music affected him deeply.”)
piper
Said this on August 17th, 2007 at 8:23am:I’m so glad Melissa responded, because if it was as clearcut as “affect is a verb and effect is a noun” I wouldn’t have a problem. Which I do. Affect/effect has been a problem for me for years, and not because I haven’t tried to sort it out! Embarrassing confession: I often rephrase to avoid an error. Perhaps a long list of examples, as Melissa mentions, would help…know where I could find one?
Melissa Barton
Said this on August 18th, 2007 at 4:56pm:I don’t know of any *long* lists of examples (although I haven’t really looked), but the usage examples in any good dictionary are a good place to start. Hmm. The action of affecting produces an effect.
Almost always, you can use affect as a verb and effect as a noun and be okay, and that’s usually safest if you don’t quite know how to use them.
http://www.grammartips.homestead.com/affect.html
http://www.writersblock.ca/tips/monthtip/tipsep99a.htm - this defines “affect” as “to produce change” and “effect” as “to bring about,” which is pretty good. You can effect change, effect an escape, but not effect someone emotionally.
http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/affect.html - defines “effect” as “to create”
Deanne Winterton
Said this on March 14th, 2008 at 12:09pm:I am trying to figure out something. I am often irritated by the way people use the word “like” or “as.” For example: She is as tall as I (am). They are pioneers in the field just like us. (I think the last example is incorrect.) Some people, including one of the editors I work for at a religious magazine in Salt Lake City, Utah, say that “like” in the last example is a preposition and therefore should take an objective case pronoun. I don’t agree but can’t seem to come up with the words to explain my case to their satisfaction. I try to say it is something introducing an elliptical phrase: they are pioneers in the field just like we are. In this case, what role is the word “like” playing?
I once saw a commercial campaigning in favor of private school vouchers where the state’s teacher of the year said, “Teachers like me don’t support the bill. . .” Should that not have been “Teachers like I (am) don’t support the bill.” And coming from an educator!
Is this just a case of bad grammar becoming more accepted?
I hope you might take the time to answer this question.
Deanne Winterton
Ogden, Utah, Standard-Examiner correspondent