Category: Instruction

A Reflection on #Kzoo2023 from an #AcademicExpatriate

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At the end of the week just past, I had the opportunity once again to take part in the International Congress on Medieval Studies at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. As was the case last year, but not in the years about which I have written in this webspace (2018, 2019, and 2020), my participation was virtual; as was not the case last year, but was in previous years, the Congress did have on-site meetings, meaning this year’s exercise was a hybrid event. I continued my work with the Tales after Tolkien Society, about which here, and I do still have a few things to do for it in the coming few days, an attenuation of an academic career attempted in earnest but which was never truly begun.

Yep, this one again.
Image is still mine.

Perhaps it is maudlin; perhaps it is elegaic. I would like to flatter myself that it is the latter.

In any event, it was good to have the reconnection with old friends and to hear new ideas. It was good to have a few of those new ideas, as well, and to push them out into the world, even if only in a small way. (The text of the paper I gave will go online soon; there’re a few things I need to adjust, infelicities noted in passing during the presentation.) It was good to be able to look ahead to some kind of a scholarly future, despite my utter lack of institutional affiliation and the correctness of my decision to get out of the profession of teaching. And, given some of the other context and contacts, there is some hope that others will take up where I have been obliged to leave off, save for the occasional bit of puttering that remains entertained by those scholars I am privileged to know, who yet persist and find reward in the work to which I had hoped to devote myself.

I am not apostate from that priesthood, but I had to leave the ivory tower, never advancing much beyond its basement, if at all.

I was reminded of it this weekend. I do not know if it was not a good thing.

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A Robin Hobb Rereading Series: Entry 343: Dragon Haven, Chapter 11

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Read the previous entry in the series here.
Read the next entry in the series here.

Following yet more of the exchange among bird-keepers in Bingtown and Trehaug, “Revelations” begins with Alise waking Leftrin from their sleep together after their assignation. They confer about their dreams briefly before dressing and parting, and Alise considers her situation and the experience. For his part, Leftrin questions his ship, but the Tarman gives no answer.

Can’t you just hear Peer Gynt?
Photo by Oleksandr Pidvalnyi on Pexels.com

Downriver, Carson leads Sedric and Relpda back to the Tarman and the other dragons and keepers. Sedric chafes slightly at the situation but has no choice but to accepts it, and he reconsiders his long entanglement with Hest. Thinking about who may have supplanted him in Hest’s affections, Sedric finds himself pleased at how matters are changing.

Thymara stalks out to look for food for the group, unexpectedly accompanied by Tats. As they proceed, they discuss the possibility of return to Trehaug and the need to prove themselves. Thymara relates her experience growing up working alongside her father and the insufficiency of that in the eyes of her people. Relative risks of childbearing are also noted, and Thymara finds herself wearied by the recollection of Greft’s insistence that she pick a mate. Tats finds himself challenged on that very point, and Thymara denies both Tats and his challenger, injuring herself as she falls and flees.

Carson, Sedric, and Relpda return to the others. Alise, happy to see her friend return, is reminded by Sedric’s arrival of her responsibilities and entanglements in Bingtown, and she longs for his safe departure.

There is interesting commentary about what it takes to prove one’s self, something with which adolescents and young adults are (justly?) concerned. Given how often fantasy literature is assigned to younger readerships–even now, even in this time and after decades of serious academic treatment of the genre–this is perhaps understandable. Given Hobb’s insistence upon verisimilitude in the non-fantastical elements of her work, it is also understandable; I am not so far removed from my youth that I have forgotten the craving to prove myself, not seldom by mastering some obscure set of trivia, however useless it has been for me to do so. It might also be noted as an ongoing theme in Hobb’s Elderlings works. After all, Fitz spends a fair bit of time trying to find and assert his identity, and he wrestles with Hap’s doing the same; Althea, Brashen, and Wintrow also struggle to define who they are and oblige others to recognize the same, as do Malta and Reyn. Nor is as much restricted to Hobb; not for nothing is the Bildungsroman a commonplace.

Still, the specific questions raised about how to prove one’s self are of interest, the kind of thing I would be apt to point out to students if I had any:

  • Is breaking a rule a means of proving one’s worth? Is it so even if the rule is in place for good reason? What does it prove about a person to break a rule that protects others?
  • What does it mean to be a woman or a man? Why does it mean that, in the context of the novel and / or of the reader?
  • To whom is it needful to prove one’s self? Why?

I used to nurture, and I have not at this point forgotten, the idea of teaching a course on Hobb’s work. I have taught Assassin’s Apprentice, long ago, now, and it went over well. I am not as good a classroom instructor now as then, obviously, but I have gotten better at structuring lessons and developing assignments…I wonder if it might yet work.

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It’s Another from the Archives: Assessment Practice

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I‘ve noted before, here and elsewhere, having a lot of examples of assessment practice drafted to help a student who grew up outside testing culture begin to acclimate to it. I’ve got others, including the one below. With testing season looming, I know people are looking for ways to help their students succeed, and I’m happy to note that I can help with just that kind of thing…and here’s an example!

Don’t be that way…

The passage in the example below comes out to 114 words at a ninth-grade reading level, for reference. It is adapted for the medium. And, yes, the series of same answers are purposeful, something of a corrective against trying to game testing.

Read the following passage and use the information in it to identify the most accurate answer to each of the questions below.

1One area in which modern Arthuriana deviates from the traditional is in conflating the important swords of the text. 2That is, modern Arthuriana moves away from its sources in that it merge swords together in the narrative. 3The most prominent example is Excalibur. 4Modern tellings of the Arthurian legend equate it with the Sword in the Stone, the sword that Arthur draws out to confirm his kingship. 5In Malory, however, the Sword in the Stone is placed by Merlin as part of his plot to see Arthur enthroned. 6Excalibur, by contrast, is given Arthur by the Lady of the Lake. 7It is accompanied by a scabbard of greater value—but that is another story.

1.
In sentence 1, “deviates” is what part of speech?
A. Adjective.
B. Adverb.
C. Noun.
D. Verb.

2.
In sentence 1, “deviates” carries what meaning?
A. Moves against.
B. Moves away from.
C. Moves toward.
D. None of the above.

3.
Sentence 2 provides what kind of context clue about the meaning of “deviates?”
A. Antonym.
B. Example.
C. Synonym.
D. None of the above.

4.
In sentence 1, “conflating” is what part of speech?
A. Adjective.
B. Adverb.
C. Noun.
D. Verb.

5.
In sentence 1, “conflating” carries what meaning?
A. Eating.
B. Gathering.
C. Mixing.
D. None of the above.

6.
Sentence 2 provides what kind of context clue about the meaning of “conflating?”
A. Antonym.
B. Example.
C. Synonym.
D. None of the above.

7.
In sentence 5, “enthroned” is what part of speech?
A. Adjective.
B. Adverb.
C. Noun.
D. Verb.

8.
In sentence 5, “enthroned” carries what meaning?
A. Put into a box.
B. Put into clothing.
C. Put into power.
D. None of the above.

9.
Sentence 4 provides what kind of context clue about the meaning of “enthroned?”
A. Antonym.
B. Example.
C. Synonym.
D. None of the above.

10.
How does sentence 2 relate to sentence 1?
A. Addition.
B. Comparison / Contrast.
C. Illustration / Exemplification.
D. None of the above.

11.
How does sentence 3 relate to sentence 2?
A. Addition.
B. Comparison / Contrast.
C. Illustration / Exemplification.
D. None of the above.

12.
How does sentence 4 relate to sentence 3?
A. Addition.
B. Comparison / Contrast.
C. Illustration / Exemplification.
D. None of the above.

13.
How does sentence 5 relate to sentence 4?
A. Addition.
B. Comparison / Contrast.
C. Illustration / Exemplification.
D. None of the above.

14.
How does sentence 6 relate to sentence 5?
A. Addition.
B. Comparison / Contrast.
C. Illustration / Exemplification.
D. None of the above.

15.
How does sentence 7 relate to sentence 6?
A. Addition.
B. Comparison / Contrast.
C. Illustration / Exemplification.
D. None of the above.

16.
The main idea of the paragraph is in which sentence?
A. 2.
B. 4.
C. 6.
D. None of the above.

17.
There is an error in sentence 2. At which word does it appear?
A. Merge.
B. Narrative.
C. Sources.
D. Swords.

Answers: 1, D; 2, B; 3, C; 4, C; 5, C; 6, C; 7, A; 8, C; 9, C; 10, C; 11, C; 12, D; 13, B; 14, B; 15, A; 16, A; 17, A

Think you or someone you know might benefit from more practice with this kind of thing? Maybe you have some students who need some coaching through this kind of exercise? The good news is I’m here and happy to help! Take a few seconds, fill out the form below, and see what all we can do together!

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Testing Time Is Coming; I Can Help You Get Ready!

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The new year signals in many places the approach of standardized exams. Whether required by individual states or demanded by colleges for admission, such tests as the GRE, SAT, ACT, and STAAR, despite being decried by educators at great length and across many years, do much to determine the academic fates of students at many, if not most, levels of instruction. Consequently, doing well on such tests is a matter of some importance for students, parents, and schools. And I can help prepare students to do well on them.

Ah, the classics…

I’ve worked to write tests not only for my own students, but as a contractor generating content for standardized exams and as a private tutor helping students get ready for their own exam experiences. I’ve talked about it before (here, here, here, and here), and it remains true: whether you’re an educator needing new content, a parent concerned for their child’s performance, or a student looking to get some additional practice in, I have materials for you.

The assessment example below comes out to 114 words at a ninth-grade reading level. As with the earlier examples noted above, formatting is adapted to suit the medium.

Read the following passage and use the information in it to identify the most accurate answer to each of the questions below.

1One area in which modern Arthuriana deviates from the traditional is in conflating the important swords of the text. 2That is, modern Arthuriana moves away from its sources in that it merge swords together in the narrative. 3The most prominent example is Excalibur. 4Modern tellings of the Arthurian legend equate it with the Sword in the Stone, the sword that Arthur draws out to confirm his kingship. 5In Malory, however, the Sword in the Stone is placed by Merlin as part of his plot to see Arthur enthroned. 6Excalibur, by contrast, is given Arthur by the Lady of the Lake. 7It is accompanied by a scabbard of greater value—but that is another story.

1.
In sentence 1, “deviates” is what part of speech?
A. Adjective.
B. Adverb.
C. Noun.
D. Verb.

2.
In sentence 1, “deviates” carries what meaning?
A. Moves against.
B. Moves away from.
C. Moves toward.
D. None of the above.

3.
Sentence 2 provides what kind of context clue about the meaning of “deviates?”
A. Antonym.
B. Example.
C. Synonym.
D. None of the above.

4.
In sentence 1, “conflating” is what part of speech?
A. Adjective.
B. Adverb.
C. Noun.
D. Verb.

5.
In sentence 1, “conflating” carries what meaning?
A. Eating.
B. Gathering.
C. Mixing.
D. None of the above.

6.
Sentence 2 provides what kind of context clue about the meaning of “conflating?”
A. Antonym.
B. Example.
C. Synonym.
D. None of the above.

7.
In sentence 5, “enthroned” is what part of speech?
A. Adjective.
B. Adverb.
C. Noun.
D. Verb.

8.
In sentence 5, “enthroned” carries what meaning?
A. Put into a box.
B. Put into clothing.
C. Put into power.
D. None of the above.

9.
Sentence 4 provides what kind of context clue about the meaning of “enthroned?”
A. Antonym.
B. Example.
C. Synonym.
D. None of the above.

10.
How does sentence 2 relate to sentence 1?
A. Addition.
B. Comparison / Contrast.
C. Illustration / Exemplification.
D. None of the above.

11.
How does sentence 3 relate to sentence 2?
A. Addition.
B. Comparison / Contrast.
C. Illustration / Exemplification.
D. None of the above.

12.
How does sentence 4 relate to sentence 3?
A. Addition.
B. Comparison / Contrast.
C. Illustration / Exemplification.
D. None of the above.

13.
How does sentence 5 relate to sentence 4?
A. Addition.
B. Comparison / Contrast.
C. Illustration / Exemplification.
D. None of the above.

14.
How does sentence 6 relate to sentence 5?
A. Addition.
B. Comparison / Contrast.
C. Illustration / Exemplification.
D. None of the above.

15.
How does sentence 7 relate to sentence 6?
A. Addition.
B. Comparison / Contrast.
C. Illustration / Exemplification.
D. None of the above.

16.
The main idea of the paragraph is in which sentence?
A. 2.
B. 4.
C. 6.
D. None of the above.

17.
There is an error in sentence 2. At which word does it appear?
A. Merge.
B. Narrative.
C. Sources.
D. Swords.

Answers: 1, D; 2, B; 3, C; 4, D; 5, C; 6, C; 7, D; 8, C; 9, C; 10, C; 11, C; 12, A; 13, B; 14, B; 15, A; 16, A; 17, A

If you need custom materials for your students, or you are looking to design tests for use now and in the future, I’m happy to help. Do me a favor, take thirty seconds, and fill out the form below. I’ll respond as quickly as I can, and we can discuss how I can generate to-order content for you!

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From the Archives Again: Another Assessment Practice

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I still have samples of assessment work I developed for a tutorial client entering public schooling from private some years back, following those I noted here, here, and here. Even though many students are on their winter break and thoughts of school may be far from their minds, such concerns still loom. After all, the spring is when the major standardized tests are administered in my part of the world, and there are college entrance exams at intervals throughout the year.

Oh, it is not so nice as this…

The example below comes out to 85 words at a ninth-grade reading level. The usual adaptations to suit the medium apply.

Read the following passage and use the information in it to identify the most accurate answer to each of the questions below.

1Illegitimate origin factors heavily into Arthurian legend. 2There are a lot of characters whose parents are not married when they are conceived. 3Arthur himself is of illegitimate origin; his parents, Uther and Igrayne, marry after Igrayne’s first husband is killed in war against Uther. 4Arthur begets two illegitimate children, Mordred and Borre. 5The latter is of little consequence, but the former ends up overthrowing Camelot. 6And the knight who does best of all, Galahad, is the bastard son produced when Elaine drugs and violates Lancelot.

1.
In sentence 1, the word “illegitimate” is what part of speech?
A. Adjective.
B. Adverb.
C. Noun.
D. Pronoun.

2.
In sentence 1, the word “illegitimate” means which of the following?
A. Understudied.
B. Uninspired.
C. Unsuccessful.
D. None of the above.

3.
Sentence 2 provides what kind of context clue for the meaning of “illegitimate?”
A. Antonym.
B. Example.
C. Synonym.
D. None of the above.

4.
The relationship of sentence 2 to sentence 1 is one of which of the following?
A. Addition.
B. Comparison / contrast.
C. Illustration / exemplification.
D. None of the above.

5.
The relationship of sentence 3 to sentence 2 is one of which of the following?
A. Addition.
B. Comparison / contrast.
C. Illustration / exemplification.
D. None of the above.

6.
The relationship of sentence 4 to sentence 3 is one of which of the following?
A. Addition.
B. Comparison / contrast.
C. Illustration / exemplification.
D. None of the above.

7.
The relationship of sentence 5 to sentence 4 is one of which of the following?
A. Addition.
B. Comparison / contrast.
C. Illustration / exemplification.
D. None of the above.

8.
The relationship of sentence 6 to sentence 5 is one of which of the following?
A. Addition.
B. Comparison / contrast.
C. Illustration / exemplification.
D. None of the above.

9.
The main idea of the passage appears in which sentence?
A. 2.
B. 4.
C. 6.
D. None of these.

Answers: 1, A; 2, D; 3, A; 4, A; 5, C; 6, A; 7, C; 8, A; 9, D

Think you or someone you know might benefit from more practice with this kind of thing? Maybe you or they need some coaching through this kind of exercise? Worry not; I am happy to help! Take a few seconds, fill out the form below, and see what all we can do together!

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Not from the Archives: An Assessment Sample

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I have remarked once or twice on having drafted assessment practices for a younger tutee who needed to get acclimated to testing culture. I may have remarked, as well, that a fair bit of the freelance work I’ve done has taken the form of writing assessment materials. In one instance, I was hired by a college to help write an end-of-course exam that every student would be expected to take. In several others, I drafted rafts of 180 or more multiple-choice questions, as well as 60 or more short-answer and 20 or more essay questions, focused on recalling and interpreting novels and other longer works. It’s not hard work, though it takes some doing.

Cringe though it might be…

That work is proprietary, though, and the passages that underlie the earlier assessment examples were drafted with assessment practice in mind. It occurs to me that an example taken “from the wild” might be in order–and, since I do occasionally write some things that I do not initially intend to put to that purpose (for whatever value my intent might have), using one as such an example suggests itself. Thus, the following.

Read “Hymn against the Stupid God 192.” Use that text to answer the following questions, selecting the best or most accurate response from among those provided.

1.
Which of the following forms does “Hymn against the Stupid God 192” take?
A. Clerihew.
B. Roundel.
C. Sonnet.
D. Villanelle.

2.
Which of the following occurs most frequently in “Hymn against the Stupid God 192?”
A. Couplet.
B. Triplet.
C. Quatrain.
D. Quintain.

3.
Line 4 of “Hymn against the Stupid God 192” offers an example of which of the following?
A. Ekphrasis.
B. End-stop.
C. Enjambment.
D. Euphemism.

4.
Which of the following does the narrator of “Hymn against the Stupid God 192” seek to resist?
A. Business.
B. Empathy.
C. Industry.
D. Laziness.

5.
With which of the following does “Hymn against the Stupid God 192” conclude?
A. Couplet.
B. Triplet.
C. Quatrain.
D. Quintain.

Answers: 1, C; 2, B; 3, C; 4, D; 5, A

Maybe you or someone you know could use some help with this kind of thing. Maybe you’re in an instructional position and would like to outsource some assignment development. I’m happy to work with you, either way. Just fill out the contact form below, and we can get started!

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Still Another Assessment Practice

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In the past couple of weeks, I have provided examples (here and here) of the work I have done to draft assessment materials, pulling from what I produced to help a private client learn how to navigate the standardized tests that have marked so much schooling over the past decades. (Yes, decades. I’ve lived them.) I know there’s still a lot of call for this kind of thing, so I offer yet another example below.

Cringe though it may be…

The example below comes out to 91 words at a ninth-grade reading level. The usual adaptations to suit the medium apply.

Read the following passage and use the information in it to identify the most accurate answer to each of the questions below.

1Peppermint has a eupeptic effect. 2As such, it helps with upset stomachs and poor digestion. 3Also, peppermint has an analgesic effect. 4This is shown by its ability to ease headaches and reduce pain from various abdominal issues. 5Additionally, peppermint has an expectorant effect, meaning that it aids in loosening phlegm and mucus (stuff in congested lungs and stuffy noses) so that they can be gotten out of the body. 6And peppermint has antibacterial and antiviral qualities, as well. 7All of these are in addition to the flavor, which many people enjoy.

1.
In sentence 1, “eupeptic” is which part of speech?
A. Adjective.
B. Adverb.
C. Noun.
D. Verb.

2.
In sentence 1, “eupeptic” means
A. Fancy-teasing.
B. Palate-pleasing.
C. Stomach-easing.
D. None of the above.

3.
What kind of context clue does sentence 2 provide for the meaning of “eupeptic?”
A. Antonym.
B. Example.
C. Synonym.
D. None of the above.

4.
In sentence 5, “expectorant” is what part of speech?
A. Adjective.
B. Adverb.
C. Noun.
D. Verb.

5.
In sentence 5, “expectorant” means
A. Hitting.
B. Quitting.
C. Spitting.
D. None of the above.

6.
What kind of context clue does sentence 5 provide for the meaning of “expectorant?”
A. Antonym.
B. Example.
C. Synonym.
D. None of the above.

7.
An inference to be taken from the paragraph is that
A. All of these are in addition to the flavor, which many people enjoy.
B. Peppermint has a eupeptic effect.
C. Peppermint has a negative effect.
D. Peppermint has a number of uses.

Answers: 1, A; 2, C; 3, B; 4, A; 5, C; 6, C; 7, D.

As previously, I am happy to draft more of these to suit people’s needs. If you have such a need–or if you need something else written to order–let me know below, and we’ll talk about how I can meet it for you!

Or you could simply send some money my way…

Another from the Archives: More Assessment Practice

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Last week, I noted having done some assessment-practice work with a (fortunate) client who had lived outside the testing culture prevalent in the United States and was in need of adaptation to it. (See here for details.) The example I gave then isn’t the only one I have handy, fortunately, and since it seemed to go over relatively well, I figured I’d give another.

Yeah, it often feels like this…

Accordingly, below, I give another of the exercises I put to that most fortunate client. The passage runs approximately 190 words and tests out at a ninth-grade reading level. As before, it is adapted only lightly to suit the medium. The original was printed on letter-sized paper in grayscale, and working with a physical sheet is quite a bit different than working online, as all too many Texan students are finding out…

Read the passage below. For each of the questions that follow, select the correct or most accurate answer.

1The tabletop role-playing game can be defined as extemporaneous, collaborative, rules-assisted storytelling. 2What this means, in essence, is that a group of people get together to tell a story using a set of rules, making up what happens on the spot from the germ of a prepared idea that one of the people brings to the gathering. 3This is different from the online role-playing experience, in which players are confronted with computer-generated enemies to fight and puzzles to solve. 4Online role-playing games focus on combat, and because of the necessary limits of programming language and the finite capacity of computers, there is not much flexibility in the nature of the story. 5Certainly, players can choose different paths for their characters, but those choices are as narrowly defined as menus at fast-food restaurants. 6Tabletop role-playing games, however, are as flexible as the minds of the players, and can respond to more stimuli in more ways. 7Tabletop gamers can think of options that no others in the group would have considered, thereby taking the story in new directions. 8This has the effect of making tabletop gaming a richer, more immersive play experience.

1.
In sentence 1, “extemporaneous” is which part of speech?
A. Adjective
B. Adverb
C. Noun
D. Verb

2.
In sentence 1, “extemporaneous” means
A. Made in the moment
B. Made in the night
C. Made of former spouses
D. Made of holes

3.
In sentence 3, “This” refers to
A. A group of people
B. Online gaming
C. A set of rules
D. Tabletop gaming

4.
In sentence 4, “finite” means
A. With a beginning
B. With an end
C. Both A and B
D. None of the above

5.
Sentence 5 offers an example of
A. Analogy
B. Conceit
C. Metaphor
D. Simile

6.
In sentence 6, “however” serves to mark
A. Addition
B. Causation
C. Deviation
D. Negation

7.
One inference that can be taken from the paragraph is that
A. Nobody should play games
B. Online games are better than tabletop games
C. Tabletop games are better than online games
D. None of the above

(Answers: 1, A; 2, A; 3, D; 4, C; 5, D; 6, C; 7, C.)

If you or someone you know might benefit from some additional practice with this kind of thing, or you’re in an instructional position and would like to outsource some assignment development, I’m happy to help. Just fill out the contact form below, and we can get started!

Or if you just want to send some support my way, that’ll be good, too!

From the Archives: Assessment Practice

geoffreybelliott5 Comments

This webspace got its start in large part as a place to host instructional and other materials–a sort of online portfolio, really, as well as a resource for the various kinds work that I was doing at the time. I don’t do quite the same variety of tasks anymore that I did then, clearly, but I do still keep a hand in on a fair number of things. I still put out some literary and similar research from time to time, in addition to maintaining one or two longer-term projects. And I do still work in instructional capacities, whether as a tutor or as a writer of instructional materials.

Yep, this is what I’m talking about.
Photo by Andy Barbour on Pexels.com

The thing is, a lot of the instructional materials I’ve written have been contract work, sold to others and therefore not really something I can post as evidence or examples of my work. Fortunately, I do have some tutoring materials I developed for a client a few years back who was working to adapt to testing culture after having lived outside it. (I envy the client that.) As with previous posts of this sort (such as this, this, and this), there is some light adaptation to the present medium from previous incarnations.

For each of the questions below, select the best or most accurate answer from among those provided.

For questions 1 through 8, read the following passage:

1A good academic office has to do a number of things to qualify as “good.”  2The most important of them is to facilitate the work an academic must do. 3People who teach at colleges and universities are expected to design assignments and to assess them. 4Doing both requires space and access to resources; an office that provides such begins to mark itself off as a good one. 5Additionally, designing and assessing assignments requires privacy, the former because of information security, the latter because of legal obligations; good academic offices tend to be held by individuals, so they are able to offer solitude. 6The work of an academic does not inhere in making and marking assignments alone, however; professors must do more to generate new knowledge than to disseminate it. 7Through its many features, a good office will conduce to that end, making it easier for academics to conduct research and to get it ready to share with the world, in the classroom and elsewhere.

1.
In sentence 1, “academic” is which part of speech?
A. Adjective
B. Adverb
C. Noun
D. Verb

2.
In sentence 2, “to facilitate” means
A. To make easy
B. To make hard
C. To make silly
D. To make up

3.
In sentence 5, “solitude” means
A. Being alone
B. Being at work
C. Being awake
D. Being with people

4.
In sentence 6, “an academic” is
A. A business owner
B. A college professor
C. A high school student
D. A stadium janitor

5.
In sentence 7, the word “conduce” means
A. Follow after
B. Lead up
C. Pitch in
D. Strike out

6.
The sentence that expresses the main idea of the paragraph is sentence
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4

7.
A sentence beginning with an overt transitional device is
A. 2
B. 3
C. 4
D. 5

8.
In sentence 6, “however” serves to mark
A. Addition
B. Causation
C. Deviation
D. Negation

(Answers: 1, A; 2, A; 3, A; 4, B; 5, B; 6, A; 7, D; 8, C.)

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Need Help Writing? Get Help Now!

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Schools have started up again, and that means assignments are starting again, too. Even down into elementary school, students are being asked to write–and writing is hard. It takes work. It takes attention to detail. And it takes time to do well.

This is the kind of thing I can help you overcome…
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Classroom teachers do their best, of course, but with twenty to forty students in a room, there is only so much time they can give to any one student–and when there’s one or two acting out, it’s clear where the teachers’ attention will go. The quiet student who sits and tries to get things done gets left out–not because of anything they did or anything their teachers have done, but because there’s only so much time in the class, and there’re so many other things that teachers have to do.

That’s where I come in.

I’ve been writing for years, and I’ve taught writing in the classroom and in individual settings for almost as long. My students have ranged from middle- and high-schoolers through graduate students; my clients have ranged from high-schoolers through PhD candidates and established scholars. Each has seen a marked improvement in performance after working with me–and you and yours can have the same success!

I’d be thrilled to put my time and talents to work for you. Let me know what you need help writing, and we’ll talk about what we can do together!