1

Narrative Writing
What is Narrative?
Often, the word narrative is synonymous with story. A narrative is the story (fiction or non-fiction) told
and the order in which it is told. Sometimes, there is a narrator, a character or series of characters, who
tell the story. Sometimes, as with most non-fiction, the author himself/herself in the narrator.

You are narrators of your own lives all the time. Something happens in class. You go to lunch; then, you
tell the details that are important to you in the order that seems right to you. The story that you tell is
a narrative. A reporter who tells a human interest story for the Olympics about an athlete that fought
for years to get to the Olympics might emphasize his hardship, the time he had to sleep outside for a
week, the eight hours a day that he worked out. The narrative is shaped by details.These details offer
clues about the author’s purpose. Clearly, the author who emphasizes the hardships of an Olympic
athlete wants to show us that this person overcame adversity to succeed.

Why Write Narrative?

Narrative writing is very important in your day-to-day life. For the rest of your life,you will write texts, e-
mails, cover letters, blogs, etc. about your beliefs, your ambitions, information you know, and feelings
you have. What could be more important?

Narrative writing in fiction and non-fiction (and even poetry) tells others the stories of our personal
experiences and allows us to gain empathy and sympathy about the world around us.

Writing Tip: Use Vivid Description

What is good writing?

Even though the correct answer is that whether a piece of writing is good or not rests entirely with the
reader, many people think that good writing is effective writing. And it’s true.

Good writing follows a flow. Good writing is focused. Good writing is written for a purpose. Good writing
is grammatically correct and readable. And…

Good writing uses vivid description.

And I hear you saying: “what is vivid description anyway?”… So here we are!

Vivid Description – What it is

Vivid description is writing which makes you feel as if you are standing there, right there where the
author has just described something. Vivid description appeals to the senses — eyes, nose, ears, skin,
etc. You use vivid description when you describe something, whatever it may be. And… yeah, you knew
it, here’s a note (seems I can’t do without one):

Note: – Vivid description is undesirable in some cases. Too much of a good thing is usually a bad thing
(once again!).

How to use vivid description

If you want to use vivid description, then you want to play with all the senses. Don’t just say the wind is
fast. Compare it with something that the readers are familiar with. As an example, compare these two
sentences:

The wind was very fast.

 2

The wind was as fast as a train.

Which example is better? For most, it’s no. 2.

Rather than leaving the details to the reader’s imagination, why not list them out in your writing? It is
incredibly annoying to imagine something based on what has been written only to discover that our
image is wrong. (Read this post to see why novels and films differ when writing character description for
it). In contrast, if we had the proper details, wouldn’t we imagine better? Wouldn’t we have a clearer
image of what the author is saying?

Yes, we would. That’s when vivid description comes in.

Description is necessary but boring, and so you have vivid description. Concrete details. Everything the
reader would want to know, and nothing more. You explain it, they understand it, and your writing is
okay.

But what if you want your writing to be more than just ‘okay’?

Then you have to write for the senses. Hit your writing with some scent for the nose and make the
reader feel as if he’s there with you sniffing. Play with noise. Play with feelings and sensations. Make the
writing wash over the reader, as if it’s not there at all, as if he/she is seeing the event or whatever you
are describing.

When the reader has that feeling, then you know that your piece was a success. Then you know your
work has paid off. Then you know you’re ready to see results, and all from applying a very simple writing
tip: just use vivid description.

Concrete Details and Active Voice

When you are using vivid description, it’s better to use the active voice, and for a good reason. The thing
is, when you use the passive voice, as for example: “The door was opened by the man” rather than “The
man opened the door” your writing loses a bit of its punch. It loses the “vivid” part of vivid description,
and along with filler words, can completely weaken your writing. My advice: stay clear of it!

Note: – This applies almost everywhere, but not in exceptions. Is your writing project a scholarly or
academic one? Law? Advertising? Then this advice does not apply to you; passive voice and filler words
are actually recommended. But not all the time. 🙂

When you use active voice on the other hand, your writing becomes concise and more readable. You
reach closer to the goal of having the reader feel that he’s there with you when you describe something.
 3

Concrete details means the complete opposite of becoming a fancy writer: more punch, more strength,
more vigour. Better results.

Brilliant Writing = Brilliant Description

Brilliant writing is an art form. Only few writers pen down something which may be called brilliant, and
they make it look easy. For the rest of us… but the art is learnable. As usual, the main thing you should
do is: (drumroll) practise!

When your writing is brilliant, your description automatically becomes brilliant. You don’t need to worry
because of it; you need to worry because of your writing. Improve how you write and you’ll improve
your description.

As with narrative and dialogue, try not to use too much description. It bores us. It bores the heck out of
us, and even if you’ve got vivid description, it won’t help if you keep at it. Mix it up — I guarantee you
will see positive results! Try it today. Experiment with various techniques. You may want to use some
quotes, lists, charts or anything else to break up the description. All are recommended, so you can use
any of them which you like.

Conclusion

If you’ve got a description, it’s most likely languishing in your writing, scorned as “boring”. You’re
worried. What do you do as a solution? The answer: make it vivid. Make it exciting. End of story.

Oops, let me swallow that last sentence. It certainly isn’t the end of story. Share tips and tricks of your
own. Disagree? Got feedback or criticism? Then share it in the comments: that’s what it’s there for. To
get updates on the latest articles in the Writing Tips series, subscribe here

Verb Tense Consistency: Grammar

Rules
Grammarly
BASICS

Verb tense consistency refers to keeping the same tense throughout a clause. We don’t
want to have one time period being described in two different tenses. If you have two
or more time periods, start a new clause or a new sentence.

Take this sentence with problematic tense consistency, for example:

Mark finished his essay, tidies his room, and went out for supper.

Finished and went are in the past tense, but tidies is in the present tense. Mark’s
actions shift from the past to the present and back again, which is not logical unless
you are Dr. Who. We could fix this in a couple of different ways:
 4

Mark finished his essay, tidied his room, and went out for supper.

Or:
Mark finished his essay and went out for supper, and now he is tidying his room.

In the second example, Mark’s past actions are described in the first clause, and his
present actions are described in a new clause, complete with its own subject and verb.

Verb Tense Agreement Will Keep You in the Present

(Or the Past)
Now consider the errant time shift in this sentence:
The winds along the coast blow the trees over when the weather got bad.

Here, it is unclear whether this weather is wreaking havoc in the past or present. To
ensure verb consistency, the writer must choose one or the other:
The winds along the coast blow the trees over when the weather gets bad.

Or:
The winds along the coast blew the trees over when the weather got bad.

Consistent verb tense is especially important when showing cause and effect over
time, and when a secondary action requires you start a new clause:
I’m eating the cake that I made this morning.

The verb agreement in this sentence is logical because the cake must be made before
it can be eaten. I’m eating the cake is a clause unto itself; the word thatsignals a new
clause, complete with its own subject (I) and verb (made). If you pay close attention
to verb tense agreement, you will find that your writing can be easily understood by
your readers

Well-defined point significant

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search

For other uses, see Definition (disambiguation).

In mathematics, an expression is called well-defined or unambiguous if its definition assigns it a

unique interpretation or value. Otherwise, the expression is said to be not well-
defined or ambiguous.[1] A function is well-defined if it gives the same result when the representation
of the input is changed without changing the value of the input. For instance if f takes real numbers
as input, and if f(0.5) does not equal f(1/2) then f is not well-defined (and thus: not a function).[2] The
term well-defined is also used to indicate whether a logical statement is unambiguous.
A function that is not well-defined is not the same as a function that is undefined. For example, if f(x)
= 1/x, then f(0) is undefined, but this has nothing to do with the question of whether f(x) = 1/xis well-
defined. It is; 0 is simply not in the domain of the function.
Narrative Devices move the story forward or organize a scene or sequence.
 5

Anecdote
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search

For the 1989 film, see Anecdote (film). For a comparison of anecdote with other kinds of stories,
see traditional story.

An anecdote is a brief, revealing account of an individual person or an

incident.[1] Occasionally humorous, anecdotes differ from jokes because their primary purpose is not
simply to provoke laughter but to reveal a truth more general than the brief tale itself, such as to
characterize a person by delineating a specific quirk or trait, to communicate an abstract idea about
a person, place, or thing through the concrete details of a short narrative.[2] An anecdote is "a story
with a point."[3]
Flashback or flashbacks may refer to:

 Flashback (narrative), in literature and dramatic media, an interjected scene or point that takes
the narrative back in time from the current point
 Flashback episode, an episode of a television series that consists primarily of excerpts from
previous episodes
 Flashback (psychology), in which a memory is suddenly and unexpectedly revisited
 Acid flashback, a reported psychological phenomenon in which an individual experiences an
episode of some of LSD's subjective effects long after the drug has worn off
 Flashback (welding), a dangerous hazard of using an oxyacetylene torch
 Flashback arrestor, a device most commonly used in oxy-fuel welding and cutting to stop the
flame from burning back up into the equipment

time-stretch
Verb
(third-person singular simple present time-stretches, present participle time-stretching, simple past
and past participle time-stretched)
1. To change the speed or duration of (an audio signal) without affecting its pitch.
Time Summary. The film is set in the year 2169, a time when people have stopped
aging at 25 years old. But one year after their 25th birthday they die if they aren't able to
add credit to the time remaining on their lifespan. The story focuses on Will whose
mother, Rachel, passes away after her time runs out.
Flash-Forward
Flash-Forward Definition

Flash-forward, or “prolepsis,” is a literary device in which the plot goes ahead

of time; meaning a scene that interrupts and takes the narrative forward in time
from the current time in the story. Generally, a flash-forward represents
expected or imagined events in the future, interjected into the main plot,
revealing important information to the story that has yet to be brought to light.
It is the opposite of a flashback, or “analepsis,” which reveals past events.

Dialogue is a narrative technique in which the author has two or more characters
convey important information to the reader by speaking directly to one another. ... It can
convey important information that a first-person narrator might either not be unaware of
or unwilling to share with the reader.
A definition is a statement of the meaning of a term (a word, phrase, or other set
of symbols).[1] Definitions can be classified into two large categories, intensional definitions (which try
to give the essence of a term) and extensional definitions (which proceed by listing the objects that a
term describes).[2]Another important category of definitions is the class of ostensive definitions, which
 6

convey the meaning of a term by pointing out examples. A term may have many different senses
and multiple meanings, and thus require multiple definitions.[3][a]
In mathematics, a definition is used to give a precise meaning to a new term, instead of describing a
pre-existing term. Definitions and axioms are the basis on which all of modern mathematics is
constructed.[4]

connotation is a commonly understood cultural or emotional association that some word or phrase
carries, in addition to its explicit or literal meaning, which is its denotation.
A connotation is frequently described as either positive or negative, with regard to its pleasing or
displeasing emotional connection.[1] For example, a stubborn person may be described as being
either strong-willed or pig-headed; although these have the same literal meaning (stubborn), strong-
willed connotes admiration for the level of someone's will (a positive connotation), while pig-
headed connotes frustration in dealing with someone (a negative connotation).
Denotation is a translation of a sign to its meaning, precisely to its literal meaning, more or less like
dictionaries try to define it. Denotation is sometimes contrasted to connotation, which
includes associated meanings. The denotational meaning of a word is perceived through visible
concepts, whereas connotational meaning evokes sensible attitudes towards the phenomena.[1]

Analysis is the process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts in order to gain
a better understanding of it. The technique has been applied in the study
of mathematics and logic since before Aristotle (384–322 B.C.), though analysis as a formal concept
is a relatively recent development.[1]
The word comes from the Ancient Greek ἀνάλυσις (analysis, "a breaking up", from ana- "up,
throughout" and lysis "a loosening").[2]
As a formal concept, the method has variously been ascribed to Alhazen,[3] René
Descartes(Discourse on the Method), and Galileo Galilei. It has also been ascribed to Isaac Newton,
in the form of a practical method of physical discovery (which he did not name).

collocation is a sequence of words or terms that co-occur more often than would be expected
by chance. In phraseology, collocation is a sub-type of phraseme. An example of a phraseological
collocation, as propounded by Michael Halliday,[1] is the expression strong tea. While the same
meaning could be conveyed by the roughly equivalent powerful tea, this expression is considered
excessive and awkward by English speakers. Conversely, the corresponding expression in
technology, powerful computer is preferred over strong computer. Phraseological collocations should
not be confused with idioms, where an idiom's meaning is derived from its convention as a stand-in
for something else while collocation is a mere popular composition. The ability to use English
effectively involves an awareness of a distinctive feature of the language known as collocation.
Collocation is that behaviour of the language by which two or more words go together, in speech or
writing.
There are about six main types of collocations: adjective+noun, noun+noun (such as collective
nouns), verb+noun, adverb+adjective, verbs+prepositional phrase (phrasal verbs), and verb+adverb.
Collocation extraction is a computational technique that finds collocations in a document or corpus,
using various computational linguistics elements resembling data mining.

Comparison or comparing is the act of evaluating two or more things by determining the
relevant characteristics of each thing to be compared, and then determining which characteristics of
each are similar to the other, which are different, and to what degree. Where characteristics are
different, the differences may then be evaluated to determine which thing is best suited for a
particular purpose. The description of similarities and differences found between the two things is
also called a comparison. Comparison can take many distinct forms, varying by field:
To compare is to bring two or more things together (physically or in contemplation) and to examine
them systematically, identifying similarities and differences among them. Comparison has a different
meaning within each framework of study. Any exploration of the similarities or differences of two or
more units is a comparison. In the most limited sense, it consists of comparing two units isolated
from each other.[1]

In order for things to be compared, they must have characteristics that are similar enough in relevant
ways to merit comparison. If two things are too different to be compared in a useful way, an attempt
 7

to compare them is colloquially referred to in English as "comparing apples and oranges".

Comparison is widely used in society, in science, and in the arts.

contrast
verb
con·trast | \ kən-ˈtrast , ˈkän-ˌtrast \
contrasted; contrasting; contrasts

Definition of contrast
(Entry 1 of 2)
transitive verb
: to set off in contrast : compare or appraise in respect to
differencesContrast European and American manners.Contrast the two
major characters of the novel.—often used with to or withcontrasting the
painter with her contemporaries
intransitive verb
: to form a contrast
Etymology (/ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/)[1] is the study of the history of words.[1] By extension, the term "the
etymology (of a word)" means the origin of the particular word and for place names, there is a
specific term, toponymy.
For Greek—with a long written history—etymologists make use of texts, and texts about the
language, to gather knowledge about how words were used during earlier periods and when they
entered the language. Etymologists also apply the methods of comparative linguistics to reconstruct
information about languages that are too old for any direct information to be available.
By analyzing related languages with a technique known as the comparative method, linguists can
make inferences about their shared parent language and its vocabulary. In this way, word roots have
been found that can be traced all the way back to the origin of, for instance, the Indo-
European language family.
Even though etymological research originally grew from the philological tradition, much current
etymological research is done on language families where little or no early documentation is
available, such as Uralic and Austronesian.
The word etymology derives from the Greek word ἐτυμολογία (etumología), itself
from ἔτυμον(étumon), meaning "true sense", and the suffix -logia, denoting "the study of".[2][3]
In linguistics, the term etymon refers to a word or morpheme (e.g., stem[4] or root[5]) from which a later
word derives. For example, the Latin word candidus, which means "white", is the etymon of
English candid.
Exemplification, in the philosophy of language, is a mode of symbolization characterized by the
relation between a sample and what it refers to.

extended
adjective
ex·tend·ed | \ ik-ˈsten-dəd \
 8

Definition of extended
1: drawn out in length especially of timean extended visit
2a: fully stretched outan extended battle line
bof a horse's gait : performed with a greatly lengthened stride but without a
break— compare COLLECTED
c: INTENSIVEextended efforts
3: having spatial magnitude : being larger than a pointan extended source of
light
4: EXTENSIVE SENSE 1made available extended information— Ruth G.
Strickland

5: DERIVATIVE SENSE 1, SECONDARY SENSE 2Aan extended sense of

a word
6of a typeface : having a wider face than that of a standard typeface

function
noun
func·tion | \ ˈfəŋ(k)-shən \

Definition of function
(Entry 1 of 2)
1: professional or official position : OCCUPATIONHis job combines
the functions of a manager and a worker.
2: the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for
which a thing exists : PURPOSE
3: any of a group of related actions contributing to a larger
actionespecially : the normal and specific contribution of a bodily part to the
economy of a living organismThe function of the heart is to pump blood
through the body.
4: an official or formal ceremony or social gatheringThey went to
several functions during their college reunion weekend.
5a: a mathematical correspondence that assigns exactly one element of one
set to each element of the same or another set
b: a variable (such as a quality, trait, or measurement) that depends on and
varies with anotherheight is a function of agealso : RESULTillnesses that
are a function of stress
6: characteristic behavior of a chemical compound due to a particular
reactive unitalso : FUNCTIONAL GROUP
 9

7: a computer subroutinespecifically : one that performs a calculation with

variables (see VARIABLEENTRY 2 SENSE 1A) provided by a program and
supplies the program with a single result

function
verb
functioned; functioning\ ˈfəŋ(k)-sh(ə-)niŋ \

Definition of function (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb
1: to have a function : SERVEan attributive noun functions as an adjective
2: to carry on a function or be in action : OPERATE

Definition of negation
1a: the action or logical operation of negating or making negative
b: a negative statement, judgment, or doctrineespecially : a logical
proposition formed by asserting the falsity of a given proposition—
see TRUTH TABLE
2a: something that is the absence of something actual : NONENTITY
b: something considered the opposite of something regarded as positive

synonym
noun
syn·o·nym | \ ˈsi-nə-ˌnim \

Definition of synonym
1: one of two or more words or expressions of the same language that have
the same or nearly the same meaning in some or all senses
2a: a word or phrase that by association is held to embody something (such
as a concept or quality)a tyrant whose name has become a synonym for
oppression
b: METONYM
3: one of two or more scientific names used to designate the same
taxonomic group— compare HOMONYM
compare-and-contrast essay analyzes two subjects by
either comparing them, contrastingthem, or both. The purpose of writing
a comparisonor contrast essay is not to state the obvious but rather to illuminate subtle
differences or unexpected similarities between two subjects.
 10

Analogy
Analogy Definition

An analogy is a comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to another

thing that is quite different from it. It aims at explaining that idea or thing by
comparing it to something that is familiar. Metaphors and similes are tools
used to draw an analogy. Therefore, analogy is more extensive and elaborate
than either a simile or a metaphor. Consider the following example:

Metaphors
A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that
isn’t literally true, but helps explain an idea or make a comparison.

Here are the basics:

 A metaphor states that one thing is another thing

 It equates those two things not because they actually are the same, but for the sake of
comparison or symbolism

 If you take a metaphor literally, it will probably sound very strange (are there
actually any sheep, black or otherwise, in your family?)

 Metaphors are used in poetry, literature, and anytime someone wants to add some
color to their language.

oxymoron is a figure of speech containing words that seem to contradict each other. It's often
referred to as a contradiction in terms. As with other rhetorical devices, oxymorons are used for a
variety of purposes. Sometimes they're used to create a little bit of drama for the reader; sometimes
they're used to make a person stop and think, whether that's to laugh or to wonder.
A common oxymoron is the phrase "the same difference." This phrase qualifies as
an oxymoron because the words "same" and "difference" have opposite meanings. Bringing them
together into one phrase produces a verbally puzzling, yet engaging, effect.

Personification
Definition of Personification

Personification is a figure of speech in which a thing – an idea or an animal – is

given human attributes. The non-human objects are portrayed in such a way
that we feel they have the ability to act like human beings. For example, when
we say, “The sky weeps,” we are giving the sky the ability to cry, which is a
human quality. Thus, we can say that the sky has been personified in the
given sentence.

Common Examples of Personification

1. Look at my car. She is a beauty, isn’t she?

2. The wind whispered through dry grass.
3. The flowers danced in the gentle breeze.
 11

4. Time and tide wait for none.

5. The fire swallowed the entire forest.

We see from the above examples of personification that this literary device
helps us relate actions of inanimate objects to our own emotions.

Examplification and Illustration

I. Exemplification means "giving examples".

Illustration means "making ideas clearer by giving examples or by using

diagrams or pictures".

An example is always one of a larger "set" or "class", eg Mercury is an

example of an element.

Exemplification and illustration are common techniques in academic writing.

Here are some expressions that are often used to introduce examples:

for example a sample of this...

e.g. particularly
for instance as an illustration
as an example a typical example is ________
such as

Verbs which are used in this connection include:

illustrate } and sometimes { clarify (to make clear)

exemplify } { elucidate (to make clear)

eg: This can be { clarified with an {example from...

{elucidated {illustration

II. Read the following four passages. Each one gives an example,
or some examples, from a particular set or class. Notice how each
example is introduced.

1. Waste material, such as old rages, cotton waste, paper, etc.,

should be removed from the welding area.
* "old rages", "cotton waste" and "paper" are examples of waste material.

2. Many proverbs exhibit special proverbial structures which no normal

grammar would describe as complete grammatical sentences. We find for
 12

instance: Like farther, like son, Better late than never.

* "Like Father, like son", and "Better late than never" are examples
of proverbs which have a 'special proverbial structure'.

3. There are some very interesting legends in our folk-lore about the
origins of the peoples of modern Ghana. For example, some of the Asante
believe that their ancestors came out of a hole in the ground, near
Asante Manso. (F.K. Baah)
*The belief that "their ancestors came out of a hole in the ground" is
an example of a legend that the writer believes to be 'very interesting'.

4. If automation means that higher output can be produced by fewer workers

with more machines, then this could lead to shorter hours of work for
most people. Writers such as Aldous Huxley have carried this suggestion
very far and described a future in which all time is leisure time and
there is no work at all.
* Aldous Huxley is given as an example of a writer who has written about
a world with advanced automation.

5. Many industries and engineering projects depend on the study of Geology

for their survival and development: the water supply industry, the
exploitation of oil and coal, the construction of tunnels, canals and
docks, and even the mining of diamonds and precious metals.

III. In the following passages, find the examples or illustration, and say
which set or class the examples belong to. Underline the words or
phrases that signal the example. Pay particular attention to the
position in the sentence of the example /illustration.

1. A market stall can be given as an example of a one man business

organization.

2. The effect of technology on society can be illustrated by the change

that was evoked by the invention of priting.

3. The Second World War stimulated the production of manganese and bauxite.
Nothing illustrates this better than the case of Sieera Leone, where the
value of minerals exported increased from ￡252 in 1929 to ￡3.3 million
in 1945.

4. The last decade of the nineteenth century and the first three decades
of the twentieth may well be described as the railway age in West Africa.
Between 1890 and 1926, the French, for instance, constructed railways
from Dakar to Bamako in Senegal and Mali, from Conakry to Kankan in Guinea
and from Cotonou to Paraku in Dahomey.

5. The earliest examples of man-made glass have found among the remains of
 13

the Ancient Middle Eastern civilizations. In Mesopotamia, glass beads

believed to be nearly 4,5000 years old have been unearthed.
illustration is a decoration, interpretation orvisual explanation of a text, concept or process,
designed for integration in published media, such as posters, flyers, magazines, books, teaching
materials, animations, video games and films.

Oxymorons
5th grade6th grade7th grade8th grade9th grade10th grade11th grade12th gradeElementary SchoolMiddle SchoolHigh
SchoolCollege

An oxymoron is a figure of speech containing words that seem to contradict each other. It's often
referred to as a contradiction in terms. As with other rhetorical devices, oxymorons are used for a
variety of purposes. Sometimes they're used to create a little bit of drama for the reader; sometimes
they're used to make a person stop and think, whether that's to laugh or to wonder.
A common oxymoron is the phrase "the same difference." This phrase qualifies as
an oxymoron because the words "same" and "difference" have opposite meanings. Bringing them
together into one phrase produces a verbally puzzling, yet engaging, effect.

Common Oxymorons
It's likely you've used, or at least heard, a couple oxymorons in your everyday life, even if you didn't
realize it at the time. Let's see if any of these examples of oxymorons hit home for you:
 Act naturally
 Alone together
 Amazingly awful
 Bittersweet
 Clearly confused
 Dark light
 Deafening silence
 Definitely maybe
 Farewell reception
 Growing smaller
 Jumbo shrimp
 Only choice
 Open secret
 Original copy
 Painfully beautiful
 Passive aggressive
 Random order
 Small crowd
 Sweet sorrow
 True myth
 Walking dead
 Weirdly normal
 14

Oxymorons in Sayings and Quotes

There are some well-known phrases and quotations that make use of oxymorons. Seeing these
oxymorons used in context may provide a better idea of how and why they're used.
 "I like a smuggler. He is the only honest thief." - Charles Lamb
 "I can believe anything, provided that it is quite incredible." - Oscar Wilde
 "And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true." - Alfred Tennyson
 "Modern dancing is so old fashioned." - Samuel Goldwyn
 "A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business." - Henry Ford
 "I am a deeply superficial person." - Andy Warhol
 "We're busy doing nothing." - Bing Crosby
 "No one goes to that restaurant anymore. It's always too crowded." - Yogi Berra
 "A joke is an extremely serious issue." - Winston Churchill
 "I like humanity, but I loathe persons." - Edna St. Vincent Millay
 "I generally advise persons never ever to present assistance." - P.G. Wodehouse
For more oxymoron quotes, take a look at Examples of Funny Oxymoron Quotes.

Purpose of Oxymorons
Why use phrases that don't seem to make logical sense? Well, there are a few good reasons why,
starting with dramatic effect.

Dramatic Effect
Saying that a picture or a scene is "painfully beautiful" calls attention to the speaker and the object of
inquiry. Such a phrase shows that an object can have two different qualities at once, making it a
subject for study and analysis.

Adding Flavor to Speech

When someone says a phrase such as "naturally weird" or "clearly confused," the speaker is finding a
new way to describe that individual or object. Adding the adverb "naturally" to the first phrase makes
it even more apparent that the subject of discussion is rather unusual, as opposed to the effect the
word "weird" would have on its own.

For Entertainment
Sometimes people aren't trying to make a profound statement when they use oxymorons. Instead,
they want to be witty and show they can use words to make people laugh. One example of this is
when Oscar Wilde comically reflected on the fact that he "can resist anything, except temptation."

Pointedly Foolish
So you can see that oxymorons add humor or drama to speech or writing, allowing you to make a
funny or pointed remark. As well as playing with oxymorons, Oscar Wilde was also a master
of symbolism. He enjoyed writing things that weren't meant to be taken literally, simply pondered
upon.
When you're ready to graduate from oxymorons to symbolism, enjoy these examples of symbolism
in literature. May they inspire you through all your writing adventures.
 15

Personification
Personification Definition

Personification is a figure of speech in which a thing – an idea or an animal – is

given human attributes.

The non-human objects are portrayed in such a way that we feel they have
the ability to act like human beings. For example, when we say, “The sky
weeps,” we are giving the sky the ability to cry, which is a human quality.
Thus, we can say that the sky has been personified in the
given sentence. With the above definition of personification, let us look at
some personification examples.

Common Examples of Personification

1. Look at my car. She is a beauty, isn’t she?

2. The wind whispered through dry grass.
3. The flowers danced in the gentle breeze.
4. Time and tide wait for none.
5. The fire swallowed the entire forest.

We see from the above examples of personification that this literary device
helps us relate actions of inanimate objects to our own emotions.

Short Examples of Personification in Speech

1. The shadow of the moon danced on the lake.

2. There was a heavy thunderstorm, the wind snorted outside, rattling my
windowpanes.
3. The flowers were blooming, and the bees kissed them every now and
then.
4. The flood raged over the entire village.
5. The tread of time is so ruthless that it tramples even the kings under its
feet.
6. It was early morning – I met a cat yawning and stretching in the street.
7. The skyscraper was so tall that it seemed to kiss the sky.
8. The tree was pulled down, and the birds lamented over its dead body.
9. The tall pines in the hilly area fondled the clouds.
10. The long road to his home was a twisting snake, with no visible
end.
11. The full moon peeped through partial clouds.
12. His car suffered a severe stroke in the middle of the road, and
refused to move forward.
13. The ship danced over the undulating waves of the ocean.
14. When he sat the test, the words and the ideas fled from his mind.
15. When he came out of the house of his deceased friend,
everything looked to him to be weeping.

Examples of Personification in Literature

Example #1: The Green Gables Letters (By L. M. Montgomery)
 16

“I hied me away to the woods — away back into the sun-washed alleys
carpeted with fallen gold and glades where the moss is green and vivid yet.
The woods are getting ready to sleep — they are not yet asleep but they are
disrobing and are having all sorts of little bed-time conferences and
whisperings and good-nights.”

The lack of activity in the forest has been beautifully personified as the forest
getting ready to sleep, busy at bed-time chatting and wishing good-nights, all
of which are human customs.

Example #2: Romeo and Juliet, Act I, Scene II (By William Shakespeare)

“When well-appareled April on the heel

Of limping winter treads.”

There are two personification examples here. April cannot put on a dress, and
winter does not limp, nor does it have a heel on which a month can walk.
Shakespeare personifies the month of April and the winter season by giving
them two distinct human qualities.

illustration in Visual topic

From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

il‧lus‧tra‧tion /ˌɪləˈstreɪʃən/ ●●○ AWL noun

1 [countable] a picture in a book, article etc, especially one that helps you to understand it

The book contains 62 pages of illustrations.

2 [countable, uncountable] a story, event, action etc that shows the truth or existence of something very
clearly

illustration of

a striking illustration of 19th-century attitudes to women

For the purposes of illustration, some of the more important symptoms are listed below.

► see thesaurus at example

3 [uncountable] the act or process of illustrating something

Examples from the Corpus

illustration

• The best illustration of what the relationship involved is found in the careers of two esquires, Nicholas
Molyneux and John Winter.

• They are beyond and outside what was obligatory book illustration.

• The new encyclopedia is full of color illustrations and photographs.

• Two simple illustrations may be given.

• Who did the illustrations for the book? They're lovely.

• Taken as a set, the most critical performance-driven distinctions that emerge from the illustrations
operate at two levels.
 17

• In the illustration, the pullover is shown with the motif in allover repeat, using the central row of
diamonds version.

• The illustration of the horizontal organization presents the richest contrast to that of the vertical.

• So there was often an element of delusion about zoological illustration.

illustration of

• The wrecked car was a graphic illustration of the dangers of being hit from the side.

Explore Visual Topic

visual plasticity manikin lacquer vanishing point perspective nude life-size symbol carving
caricaturist gilt mezzotint calligraphy figure ormolu mount illustrate pose crayon draughtsman
engrave tattoo composition caricature doodle tessellated gallery objet d'art shade abstract gilt
laser sketch pantograph graphic needlepoint retrospective sketchpad conceptual art

Show all entries from Topic: Visual

fact
NOUN
 1A thing that is known or proved to be true.
‘the most commonly known fact about hedgehogs is that they have fleas’

‘he ignores some historical and economic facts’

mass noun ‘a body of fact’

More example sentences

Synonyms

1. 1.1factsInformation used as evidence or as part of a report or news article.

‘even the most inventive journalism peters out without facts, and in this case there were no
facts’

More example sentences

Synonyms

2. 1.2the fact thatUsed to refer to a particular situation under discussion.

‘despite the fact that I'm so tired, sleep is elusive’

More example sentences

3. 1.3Law mass noun The truth about events as opposed to interpretation.

‘there was a question of fact as to whether they had received the letter’

More example sentences

Phrases
 before (or after) the fact
o Before (or after) the committing of a crime.
‘an accessory before the fact’

More example sentences

 18

Synonyms

 facts and figures

o Precise details.
‘he presents the facts and figures of his case openly and honestly’

More example sentences

 a fact of life
o Something that must be accepted and cannot be changed, however unpalatable.
‘baldness is a fact of life for a lot of men’

More example sentences

 the facts of life

o Information about sexual functions and practices, especially as given to children.
Example sentences

 the fact of the matter

o The truth.
‘the fact of the matter is that few such cases reach the magistrates' courts’

More example sentences

Synonyms

 in (point of) fact

o Used to emphasize the truth of an assertion, especially one opposite to what might be
expected or what has been asserted.
‘the brook trout is in fact a char’

More example sentences

Synonyms

Origin
Late 15th century: from Latin factum, neuter past participle of facere ‘do’. The original
sense was ‘an act’, later ‘a crime’, surviving in the phrase before (or after) the fact. The
earliest of the current senses (‘truth, reality’) dates from the late 16th century.
Pronunciation

Anecdotes
5th grade6th grade7th grade8th grade9th grade10th grade11th grade12th gradeMiddle SchoolHigh SchoolCollege

Anecdotes cover a wide variety of stories and tales, especially since they can be about basically any
subject under the sun. What is an anecdote? An anecdote is a short story about a real person or event,
usually serving to make the listeners laugh or ponder over a topic. Generally, the anecdote will relate
to the subject matter that the group of people is discussing.
For example, if a group of coworkers are discussing pets, and one coworker tells a story about how
her cat comes downstairs at a certain time every night, then that coworker has just shared an
anecdote. Let's look at some more examples of anecdotes.
 19

Anecdotes in Everyday Life

The above example between coworkers is a sound one. Anecdotes pop up all day, every day. You
might be checking out at the supermarket one day and the cashier comments on your brand of apple
juice. Perhaps it'll spark a little story about the summer the cashier and her four-year-old went apple
picking in upstate New York. Here are some more examples:
 I once had a border collie. She was so smart. Every morning, I'd open up the front door and she'd
run out, pick up the newspaper, and deliver it to my husband at the breakfast table.
 Oh, I love Ireland! I visited the west coast six times last year. Have you ever been to
Kilmacduagh? It's an old monastery where the winds whip with songs of the deceased who are
laid to rest there.
 Is that a white rose? Wow! I love them. My grandfather had a massive rose garden, over 200
different species. Every Friday, he'd go out into the garden, clip a dozen, and make my
grandmother a bouquet. Does love like that exist anymore?

Anecdotes in Literature
Of course, our favorite novels are just giant stories. In the midst of each story, the characters might
share little anecdotes with one another. It's a nice opportunity for the character to blossom and for the
reader to learn more about them. Here are some examples:
 Oh, I would never dream of assuming I know all Hogwarts' secrets, Igor. Only this morning, for
instance, I took a wrong turn on the way to the bathroom and found myself in a beautifully
proportioned room I had never seen before, containing a really rather magnificent collection of
chamber pots. When I went back to investigate more closely, I discovered that the room had
vanished.
- Dumbledore to a visiting headmaster in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
 I like talking to myself. It is one of my greatest pleasures. I often have long conversations all by
myself, and I am so clever sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.
- The Rocket from The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde
 Still, it's not easy to say to you what she hasn't. I'll tell you they were in love. Young and wild
for each other. Happy in it, though they scraped and squabbles. She was going into seventeen
when they came together the first time. It was after they'd been together the mark came on him.
He didn't tell her. I don't know whether to blame him for that, but he didn't tell her. And when
she found out, she was angry, but more, she was devastated. He was defensive and the same. So,
it's been an open wound between them ever since. A dozen years of wanting and turmoil and too
much distrust.
- Meara to Iona in Dark Witch by Nora Roberts

Purpose of Anecdotes
Whenever an anecdote is introduced, either in real life or fiction, it provides background information.
A co-worker might tell a little tale from her childhood and all that does is paint a brighter picture for
the other person. An author might write a scene where one of the characters tells the other a bit of
their backstory, usually to create depth and intrigue. Let's explore some of the purposes behind
anecdotes.

To Bring Cheer
Sometimes telling a story just makes people laugh or brightens the mood. Here are some examples of
anecdotes meant to harken back to happy memories:
 A student writes a brief account of his favorite holiday moment for a school assignment.
 A teacher tells a brief account about the first Thanksgiving to her students before beginning a
lesson plan on the pilgrims and Native Americans' interactions.
 Before Christmas morning breakfast, parents tell their children about their very first Christmas
together.
 20

To Reminisce
In most anecdotes, people are talking about their past. They are looking back favorably on moments
in their lives and sharing the joy of that time with others. Here are some examples of anecdotes with
a hint of reminiscence:
 A mother tells her son a story about a family vacation when she was growing up.
 During a conversation about amusement parks, a child tells a story about his favorite trip to
Disney World.
 High school students go around the classroom telling their favorite memories from elementary
school.

To Caution
Sometimes, just laying out rules for individuals is not effective, They need to hear frightening stories
of dangers that can be avoided by following regulations. Here are some examples of cautionary
anecdotes:
 At the beginning of a speech about fire safety, the speaker tells a short cautionary tale about a
serious injury that occurred as a result of not following protocol.
 Before beginning a lecture on why staying out late is inappropriate, a father tells his daughter
about a scary incident he had one time when he stayed out too late.
 Before giving a presentation on the dangers of drug abuse, the speaker tells the audience how he
himself used to abuse drugs and explains the negative effects it brought about in his life.

To Persuade or Inspire
Sometimes, people just want others to know they've faced similar struggles and they're there to help.
They can also be conveying the message that, with a little bit of hard work, brighter futures are
ahead. Here are some examples of inspirational anecdotes:
 An animal rescue team tells stories to an audience about the many successful rehoming
situations that they have had over the years.
 Before beginning a tutoring session, the tutor tells the student how he used to struggle with the
subject matter in the past and how he managed to grow past these difficulties.
 Church youth group leaders tell stories about their conversion or recognition experiences to the
teenagers in the group.

Storytelling 101
Of course, anecdotes don't have to serve such specific purposes. They can just be part of a natural
conversation with friends and family. They're a nice way to get to know one another.
That's why they're a useful literary device for writers. What better way to get to know characters than
through their own retelling? Learn more about rhetorical devices in this article. You'll review
everything from alliteration to hyperbole, and parallelism too.

detail
noun
de·tail | \ di-ˈtāl , ˈdē-ˌtāl \

Definition of detail
(Entry 1 of 2)
 21

1: extended treatment of or attention to particular itemsexplaining without

going into detailgiving careful attention to detail
2: a part of a whole: such as
a: a small and subordinate part : PARTICULARplanned the wedding down
to the smallest detailalso : a reproduction of such a part of a work of art
b: a part considered or requiring to be considered separately from the
wholediscussing the details of the building's columns
c: the small elements that collectively constitute a work of artadmire the
great detail of his work
dphotography : the small elements of an image corresponding to those of
the subjectstrong lighting to achieve clarity of detail
3a: selection of a person or group for a particular task (as in military service)
b(1): the person or group selecteda member of a
security detailpolice details at the parade
(2): the task to be performedwere assigned to kitchen detail
in detail
: with all the particularsexplained the job in detail

detail
verb
detailed; detailing; details

Definition of detail (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb
1: to report minutely and distinctly : to report with close attention to small
elements : SPECIFYdetailed their grievanceswrote a letter detailing her
vacation
2: to assign to a particular taskwas detailed to another unit during
maneuvers
3: to furnish with the smaller elements of design and finishtrimmings
that detail slips and petticoats
4: to clean and refurbish (a vehicle) very thoroughly and meticulouslydetail a
car
intransitive verb
: to make detail drawings
 22

opinion
noun
opin·ion | \ ə-ˈpin-yən \

Definition of opinion
1a: a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular
matterWe asked them for their opinions about the new stadium.
b: APPROVAL, ESTEEMI have no great opinion of his work.
2a: belief stronger than impression and less strong than positive
knowledgea person of rigid opinions
b: a generally held viewnews programs that shape public opinion
3a: a formal expression of judgment or advice by an expertMy doctor says
that I need an operation, but I'm going to get a second opinion.
b: the formal expression (as by a judge, court, or referee) of the legal
reasons and principles upon which a legal decision is basedThe article
discusses the recent Supreme Court opinion.

observation
noun
ob·ser·va·tion | \ ˌäb-sər-ˈvā-shən , -zər-\

Definition of observation
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a: an act or instance of observing a custom, rule, or lawobservation of the
dress code
b: OBSERVANCE SENSE 3The characters in her novel are based on
close observation of her family.
2a: an act of recognizing and noting a fact or occurrence often involving
measurement with instrumentsweather observations
b: a record or description so obtainedScientific observations were sent to
the committee.
3: a judgment on or inference (see INFERENCE SENSE 1) from what one
has observedbroadly : REMARK, STATEMENTan
insightful observationbased his observations on his own research
4obsolete : attentive care : HEED
 23

5: the condition of one that is observedunder observation at the hospital

observation
adjective
Definition of observation (Entry 2 of 2)
: designed for use in viewing something (such as scenery) or in
making observationsan observation towerthe observation platform
Planning your research
Why plan?

Comprehensive planning early in your research degree will pay dividends. Studies of completion rates for
doctorates have shown that the eventual result is shaped by decisions made in the first few months.
However, you will also find that it is difficult to say definitively where the research will lead; you will need
to be flexible and ready to adapt your plans as your research progresses.

Your doctoral project may be part of an existing research project or a large, multi-researcher with a pre-
determined research plan. You will need to know your role in this and what the milestones are, but you
will not be expected to plan independently.

However, in general, particularly in social sciences, arts and humanities, from the outset of your doctoral
project, you will need to:

 plan your research route

 plan how you will get there
 plan the milestones and places you will visit on the way to your destination
 decide whether you will need stopping off points
 find out where the signposts are located
 work out how to find and use the experience and guidance of others to arrive at your destination.

Practical tips: on planning your doctoral research project.

Set realistic objectives: an important part of managing your research project, this will help you focus on
the crucial aspects of your project.

Manage your own time: undertaking a research provides a lot of independence, which is a positive of a
research career but can be stressful if you fail to manage your time effectively, so take time to work on
time management early in your doctorate.

Manage the project itself: you will need to plan your competing research projects to make the most of
your time and research opportunities, and revise this plan with time to quickly identify if you drop behind
your targets. As a doctoral researcher you may want to refer to the typical milestones of a doctorate.

familiar
noun
fa·mil·iar | \ fə-ˈmil-yər \

Definition of familiar
(Entry 1 of 2)
1: a member of the household of a high official
 24

2: one who is often seen and well knownespecially : an intimate

associate : COMPANION
3: a spirit often embodied in an animal and held to attend and serve or
guard a personthe loathsome toad, the witches' familiar— Harvey Graham
4a: one who is well acquainted with somethingfamiliars of violence— John
Updike

b: one who frequents a placefamiliars of the embasy— Rebecca West

familiar
adjective
fa·mil·iar | \ fə-ˈmil-yər \

Definition of familiar (Entry 2 of 2)

1: closely acquainted : INTIMATEa familiar family friend
2obsolete : AFFABLE, SOCIABLE
3a: of or relating to a familyremembering past familiar celebrations
b: frequented by familiesa familiar resort
4a: being free and easythe familiar association of old friends
b: marked by informalitya familiar essay
c: overly free and unrestrained : PRESUMPTUOUSgrossly familiar behavior
d: moderately tamefamiliar animals
5a: frequently seen or experienced : easily recognizeda familiar theme
b: of everyday occurrencea familiar routine
c: possibly known but imperfectly rememberedher face looked familiar
6: having personal or intimate knowledge —used with withfamiliar with the
facts of the case

peak/peek/pique
Let's look at three homophones: peak, peek, and pique.
Peak is a topmost point, such as a mountain peak, or to
reach that point:
We're sort of at peak demand right now.
 25

A peek is a glance or a quick look, like you do with the unwrapped Christmas presents at
the bottom of your loved one's closet. It can also mean to glance or to peer at. It's frequently
paired with sneak, which can lead you to use the incorrect peak:

Residents take a peek at bike and pedestrian safety plans

Yellowstone Offers Sneak Peek Of New Visitor Center

Finally, pique is to upset or excite someone. You will sometimes see peek one's
interest for pique one's interest, but don't be fooled. If you're piquing someone's interest,
you are exciting their interest not taking a quick look at it:

If that doesn't pique your interest, you can leave (but I'm keeping your shoes).

Here's your mnemonic device:

 You have to reach to gain the peak.

 If you peer at something, you are peeking.
 And if you're piqued about something, there's usually a question in your mind about
it.

Materials
Let Us Be Part of Your Research
As the premier archives on Indiana and the Old Northwest, we are here to share
Indiana’s stories. Whether you are just starting or deep in the trenches of your
research, we are sure to have something you need. If we don’t have what you’re
looking for, we hope to be able to point you in the right direction.

On-Site Online Resources

Researchers can search newspapers from Indiana published before 1924 – and
papers from other states – on NewspaperARCHIVE in the William H. Smith
Memorial Library by keyword or browse particular issues at no cost. To
subscribe to this entire database outside the History Center,
visit www.newspaperarchive.com.

The library provides free on-site access to several other online databases such as
AncestryLibrary, American Civil War Database and others.

Access to a variety of Indiana Records can be found online. The Indiana

Records document includes websites, contacts and free online databases. It does
not include all of the sources available, but serves as a starting point for
research into Indiana resources.
 26

Definition of 'interview'
Learner: interviewVideoEnglish: interviewAmerican: interviewExample sentencesTrendsTranslations

Word Frequency

interview
(ɪntəʳvjuː )

Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense interviews , present participle interviewing , past
tense, past participle interviewed

1. variable noun

An interview is a formal meeting at which someone is asked questions in

order to find out if they are suitable for a job or a course of study.
When I went for my first interview for this job I arrived extremely early.

The interview went well.

Not everyone who writes in can be invited for interview.

Synonyms: meeting, examination, evaluation, oral (examination) More Synonyms of interview

2. verb [usually passive]

If you are interviewed for a particular job or course of study, someone asks
you questions about yourself to find out if you are suitable for it.
When Wardell was interviewed, he was impressive, and on that basis, he was hired. [be VERB-ed]

He was among the three candidates interviewed for the job. [VERB-ed]

Synonyms: examine, talk to, sound out More Synonyms of interview

3. countable noun

An interview is a conversation in which a journalist puts questions to

someone such as a famous person or politician.
Allan gave an interview to the Chicago Tribune newspaper last month.

There'll be an interview with Mr Brown after the news.

Synonyms: audience, talk, conference, exchange More Synonyms of interview

4. verb

When a journalist interviews someone such as a famous person, they ask

them a series of questions.
I seized the chance to interview Chris Hani about this issue. [VERB noun]

5. verb
 27

When the police interview someone, they ask them questions about
a crime that has been committed.
The police interviewed the driver, but had no evidence to go on. [VERB noun]

Planning and Conducting the Perfect Interview

Mary Pille - Employers' Association

Are you fortunate to be a part of a growing organization that is hiring once again? If it has been
awhile since you interviewed candidates for position openings, I have written some tips for you
to incorporate into your interviewing process. The following are helpful approaches to planning
and strategies for questioning that can reveal the “real” candidate.

Unplanned interviews are generally a waste of time. They encourage judgments based on
whether you had a pleasant chat rather than whether the candidate can do the job. Planning for
the interview should include these key steps:

1. Know what you want in a candidate before you interview. Review the job specifications
and requirements that you’ve prepared.
2. Know the job and its responsibilities. Review the job description.
3. Review the candidate’s resume prior to the interview. Make note of anything that stands
out, needs clarification or may be a “red flag.”
4. Plan a set of standard questions for all candidates. A series of general questions will help
you determine whether applicants can meet your requirements. The inquiries should concern the
candidate’s skills, abilities and past work performances that are related to the position you’re
filling. Plan to ask each candidate all of your basic questions. This consistent approach is
important for three reasons:

 It is fair and legal. If you ask certain questions only of specific candidates, you may be illegally
discriminating.
 It allows you to compare candidates. If you converse about technical aspects of the job with one
candidate and future trends with another, how will you compare the two?
 It helps you remember all questions. It is all too easy to forget important questions, especially when
you’re interviewing several candidates.

5. Plan questions for individual candidates. In addition to the questions that you ask all
candidates, prepare special questions for each individual candidate. These special questions
usually arise from review of the resume and application or from a phone call. Use the questions
to help clarify particular aspects of each candidate’s background.
6. Crafting the interview. Careful questioning and listening are at the heart of any interview. As
an interviewer, mastering how to ask effective questions, as well as learning how to listen, will
elicit a candidate’s meaningful answers. Here’s how to frame productive interview questions:

 Ask open-ended questions. Rather than questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no, ask the
question so the candidate must describe, explain, clarify, etc.
 Avoid telegraphing the answer. For example, “Do you like working under pressure?” Answer: “Oh, yes, I
love working under tight deadlines.” You’ve “telegraphed” the answer the candidate thinks you want to
hear. Ask instead, “In what type of environment do you prefer to work?”
 Probe for additional details. If you ask the question, “Tell me about an important project in your
previous job,” determine the candidate’s true role in the project. Listen for clues to the real scope of
duties, the time involved in the project and the results. The responses may reveal a more accurate
picture of the person’s true scope of involvement.
 28

 Use reflecting to get more information. For example, if the answer is, “I managed big projects,” reflect
the answer back: “You say you managed big projects?” It’s interesting how much information will often
come forth.
 Present a scenario. Describe a typical situation that might occur in your organization and ask what the
candidate might do. Scenario questions can be very effective, but don’t be locked into expecting a
specific answer. After all, the candidate can’t know all of the particulars of your operations. Instead,
listen for the logic of their ideas.

Note-taking (sometimes written as notetaking or note taking) is the practice of

recording information captured from another source. By taking notes, the writer records the essence
of the information, freeing their mind from having to recall everything.[1] Notes are commonly drawn
from a transient source, such as an oral discussion at a meeting, or a lecture (notes of a meeting are
usually called minutes), in which case the notes may be the only record of the event. Note taking is a
form of self discipline.

Finding Sources in Library

General Full Text Resources
Along with SUMMON, which helps you to locate full text articles (among many other
things), you may want to choose another general/interdisciplinary database when
searching for both popular and scholarly articles:

 ProQuest Research Library

From business and political science to literature and psychology, ProQuest
Research Library provides one-stop access to a wide range of popular academic
subjects.

 OmniFile Full Text MEGA from EBSCO

Provides full text articles, with their accompanying indexing and abstracts, from
the the majority of our Wilson periodical databases.

These resources search a variety of databases and reference sources to return a wide
spectrum of scholarly and popular material, and they'll exclude the Book, DVD,
Government Document, and other formats available via SUMMON. These resources feature
primarily articles from newspapers, magazines, and journals.

The Dewey Decimal Classification System

Description:

The purpose of this lesson is to teach students about the fundamentals of the Dewey Decimal System to
enable them to locate books in the library. Many students are overwhelmed when entering the library
because of the vast amounts of books on the shelves. Learning the Dewey Decimal Classification System
will guide the students to the books of their choice!
 29

Background:

The Dewey Decimal Classification System is the most widely used method for classifying books in the
library. This system is a general knowledge organization tool that is continuously revised to keep pace
with knowledge. It is named after Melvil Dewey, an American Librarian who developed it in 1876. This
system is a numerical scheme for the arrangement of subjects of nonfiction books, and it classifies books
by dividing them into 10 main subject groups that are called categories. Each category is represented by
figures beginning with 000 and going on to 999. In other words, it is a system of numbers used to mark
and arrange mostly non-fiction books.

Each number stands for a special topic. Every book is given a number and is put on the shelf in number
order. Books with the same number are put in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. There are
three summaries of the DDC. The first summary contains the ten main classes. The first digit in each
three-digit number represents the main class. For example, 500 represents natural sciences and
mathematics. The second summary contains the hundred divisions. The second digit in each three-digit
number indicates the division. For example, 500 is used for general works on the sciences, 510 for
mathematics, 520 for astronomy, 530 for physics. The third summary contains the thousand sections.
The third digit in each three-digit number indicates the section. Thus, 530 is used for general works on
physics, 531 for classical mechanics, 532 for fluid mechanics, 533 for gas mechanic. A decimal point
follows the third digit in a class number, after which division by ten continues to the specific degree of
classification needed. A subject may appear in more than one discipline. For example, "clothing" has
aspects that fall under several disciplines. The psychological influence of clothing belongs in 155.95 as
part of the discipline of psychology; customs associated with clothing belong in 391 as part of the
discipline of customs; and clothing in the sense of fashion design belongs in 746.92 as part of the
discipline of the arts.

The Dewey Decimal Classification System is used in most Public School libraries. It is essential for
students to understand why books are numbered and how to find the numbers on the shelves, so they
can use the library effectively and in a friendly manner. Dewey is also used for other purposes, e.g., as a
browsing mechanism for resources on the Web. One of Dewey's great strengths is that the system is
developed and maintained in a national bibliographic agency, the Library of Congress.

Objectives:

The students will be able to:

Identify each of the 10 major classes of the Dewey Decimal System

Identify the difference between fiction and non-fiction

Identify the numbers in the 2nd and 3rd places

Locate non-fiction books and explain the call number by using the Dewey Decimal System.
 30

Materials:

Computer, pen, pencil, paper and handouts identifying the categories of the Dewey Decimal System.

plagiarism
[pley-juh-riz-uh m, -jee-uh-riz-]

EXAMPLES|WORD ORIGIN

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR plagiarism ON THESAURUS.COM

noun
an act or instance of using or closely imitating the language and thoughts of another
author withoutauthorization and the representation of that author's work as one's o
wn, as by not crediting theoriginal author:It is said that he plagiarized Thoreau's plagiarism of
a line written by Montaigne.

a piece of writing or other work reflecting such unauthorized use or imitation:“These t

wo manuscripts are clearly plagiarisms,” the editor said, tossing them angrily on the floor.

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 31

RELATED WORDS
infringement, piracy, falsification, appropriation, fraud, borrowing, theft, stealing, cribbing

Origin of plagiarism
First recorded in 1615–25; plagiar(y) + -ism

Related formspla·gia·rist , nounpla·gia·ris·tic , adjective

The Common Types of Plagiarism

There are different types of plagiarism and all are serious violations of academic honesty. We have
defined the most common types below and have provided links to examples.

Direct Plagiarism
Direct plagiarism is the word-for-word transcription of a section of someone
else’s work, without attribution and without quotation marks. The deliberate
plagiarism of someone else's work is unethical, academically dishonest, and
grounds for disciplinary actions, including expulsion. [See examples.]

Self Plagiarism
Self-plagiarism occurs when a student submits his or her own previous work,
or mixes parts of previous works, without permission from all professors
involved. For example, it would be unacceptable to incorporate part of a term
paper you wrote in high school into a paper assigned in a college course.
Self-plagiarism also applies to submitting the same piece of work for
assignments in different classes without previous permission
from both professors.

Mosaic Plagiarism
Mosaic Plagiarism occurs when a student borrows phrases from a source
without using quotation marks, or finds synonyms for the author’s language
while keeping to the same general structure and meaning of the original.
Sometimes called “patch writing,” this kind of paraphrasing, whether
intentional or not, is academically dishonest and punishable – even if you
footnote your source! [See examples.]

Accidental Plagiarism
Accidental plagiarism occurs when a person neglects to cite their sources, or
misquotes their sources, or unintentionally paraphrases a source by using
similar words, groups of words, and/or sentence structure without attribution.
(See example for mosaic plagiarism.) Students must learn how to cite their
sources and to take careful and accurate notes when doing research. (See
the Note-Taking section on the Avoiding Plagiarism page.) Lack of intent
does not absolve the student of responsibility for plagiarism. Cases of
 32

accidental plagiarism are taken as seriously as any other plagiarism and are
subject to the same range of consequences as other types of plagiarism.

Paraphrasing, & Summarizing

Explore 3 different ways of including the ideas of others into your
assignments
Quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing are all different ways of
including the ideas of others into your assignments. Quoting passages
allows you to share the specific words and phrases of another author,
while paraphrasing and summarizing allow you to show your
understanding and interpretation of a text. Either way, referring to
outside sources makes your own ideas and your paper more credible.
Also, properly quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing are great ways
to avoid plagiarism.

What are the differences?

Quoting
 involves copying short sentences or passages from the original text
word-for-word
 places copied wording within “quotation marks”
 includes an in-text citation that states the author’s last name, the
publication year, and the page or paragraph number: (Lee, 2016,
p. 1)

Paraphrasing
 involves putting a section of a text into your own words
 changes the words and phrasing of the original text, but keeps the
original meaning of the text
 includes an in-text citation that states the author’s last name and
the publication year: (Lee, 2016)

Summarizing
 involves stating the main ideas and findings of a text into your own
words
 presents a general overview, so is usually much shorter than the
original text
 33

 includes an in-text citation that states the author’s last name and
the publication year: (Lee, 2016)

project proposal is a detailed description of a series of activities aimed at

solving a certain problem (NEBIU 2002). In order to be successful, the document should
(REPOA 2007): provide a logical presentation of a research idea. illustrate the significance of
the idea.

Data Gathering
During our time, dissertation writing is perceived to be a simple research process converted
to a narrative essay. It is true that writing such a project is easy if you have the right sources
but one of the most problematic aspects in writing a dissertation paper is the aspect of data
gathering procedure. Usually, it involves statistics and knowledge about using it. This is the
major dilemma of students when it comes to research paper writing.

There are different data gathering procedures that you can use for a term paper. It will
depend on your convenience and the ease in gathering the required details that you can
use for the research results. In any case, we will discuss some of the major types of data
gathering procedures.

Data Mining-this procedure is simple. You can easily find many resource materials where
data and numerical figures are already tallied and presented. Usually, you can find data
among research institutions and academic centers. Data mining is simply using an already
published set of data.

Interviewing-is another example of a data gathering procedure. One benefit that you can get
from this process is that you can actually gather raw and reliable data direct from your
subjects. Although it is time consuming, you can still have very credible result from this data
gathering procedure.

Surveying-actually involves gathering responses from subjects through a written medium.

You will be distributing paper questionnaires for your subjects to answer. You will then tally
the results and use the data for your research. You may find an essay online about how to
write questionnaires.

These are just some of the basic data gathering procedures that you can utilize for your
research paper. Send us any inquiries about other concerns in writing a dissertation paper.
 34

Organizing Data
Raw data is collected through research, through actual scores or values from a questionnaire,
survey or assessment. We must decide how best to organize this distribution. This can first be
done through a series of data tables. Two of the most common examples are:

1. Frequency distribution

 An ordered arrangement of scores that shows each score's frequency

The following data set will be used to construct a frequency distribution:

10, 9, 9, 8, 8, 8, 7, 7, 7, 7, 6, 6, 6, 5, 5, 4, 4, 3, 2, 1

Value Freq

10 1

9 2

8 3

7 4

6 3

5 2

4 2

3 1

2 1

1 1

2. Grouped frequency distribution

 An ordered arrangement of scores that are condensed into meaningful groups set by the
researcher
 Grouped frequencies when there are too many individual data values and/or some
individual data values occur rarely
 Frequencies of group occurrence is reported, not individual scores
 Data are grouped into equal-sized ranges called class intervals
o We want the number of intervals to generally be between 5 and 15.
o The interval size should in round numbers (ex: 11-15, 16-20, 21-25).

The following data set will be used to construct a grouped frequency distribution:
 35

4, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 7, 8, 9, 4, 7, 3, 6, 9, 10, 5, 7, 10, 6, 8, 7, 8, 7, 8, 7, 4, 5, 10, 10, 0, 9, 8,

3, 7, 9, 7, 9, 5, 8, 5, 0, 4, 6, 6, 7, 5, 3, 2, 8, 5, 10, 9, 10, 6, 4, 8, 8, 8, 4, 8, 7, 3, 8, 8, 8,

8, 7, 9, 7, 5, 6, 3, 4, 8, 7, 5, 7, 3, 3, 6, 5, 7, 5, 7, 8, 8, 7, 10, 5, 4, 3, 7, 6, 3, 9, 7, 8, 5, 7,

9, 9, 3, 1, 8, 6, 6, 4, 8, 5, 10, 4, 8, 10, 5, 5, 4, 9, 4, 7, 7, 7, 6, 6, 4, 4, 4, 9, 7, 10, 4, 7, 5,

10, 7, 9, 2, 7, 5, 9, 10, 3, 7, 2, 5, 9, 8, 10, 10, 6, 8, 3

Interval Freq

10 - 11 14

8-9 41

6-7 44

4-5 34

2-3 15

0-1 3

Writing good proposals is an extremely useful skill for all the

possible sorts of occupations. Regardless of whether you are a student, a manager or a
blue collar, or just organizing the social life in your neighborhood, proposal-writing skills
are essential to make your work effective and recognized. You get to write a proposal
every time you want to convince the responsible people when you want them to support
the enacting of your plan. If you want to gain the support you want, then your proposal
has to be to-the-point and engaging. This is what defines a well-written proposal.

As you know, putting together a good proposal is a great skill to possess regardless of
your occupation. Surely, there are different kinds of proposals for different goals, and
they all have specifications of their own. There can be proposals for safety measures,
proposals for process improvement, proposals for cost savings, etc. Still, there are
some common guidelines that apply for all kinds of proposals to make them convincing
and captivating.

We have tried to put those together in this how-to guide. So, the process of shaping a
firm and straightforward proposal can be broken down into the following stages and
steps:

STAGE 1. PLANNING AND PREPARATION

STEP 1. UNDERSTAND WHO YOUR AUDIENCE ARE.
Before you start writing your proposal, you need to have a clear picture of who your
proposal is aimed at. You should realize who these people are and what may appeal to
them. Moreover, it will be entirely right to assume that the people reading your proposal
are busy people, so the proposal has to be very brief and concentrated, and you have to
remove all the unnecessary bits of information. You should ponder about what your
reader already knows about the topic, and avoid mentioning that in your proposal. The
 36

only information that should be in your proposal is the new information. To sum it up,
here is a checklist of questions that you have to answer about your proposal:

 Who is going to read it?

 How familiar are they with the problem already?
 What information they want to hear about it and what information you can omit in your
proposal?
 What do they want to hear?
 What do you want these people to learn from your text?
 How do you motivate them to make the necessary decision upon reading your proposal?

STEP 2. CLARIFY THE ISSUE

In a perfect case scenario, the issue that you are proposing to solve is evident to you.
You know the drawbacks of the current state of events and why it needs to be
improved. But is it just as clear to your audience? And – more importantly – do they
believe that you are the one who can take care of it?

So, you should realize that your task is not only to convey the situation to your
audience. You need to convince them that you possess sufficient expertise and
authority to deal with the issue properly.

This has to do with the classical persuasion methods suggested by Aristotle in his time:
pathos, logos, and ethos. When putting together a proposal, writers often concentrate
on logos – the one that appeals to rational thinking and operates facts and logic. While it
is quite important, it must not overshadow the other effective persuasion methods:
pathos – the one that appeals to emotion, and, of course, ethos – the one that is meant
at establishing you as someone who possesses just the sufficient authority on the
subject. In case of a proposal, you should employ ethos to convince the reader that you
understand the issue better than anybody, so you should be the one to deal with it.

You are welcome to learn more about these persuasion technique – ethos, pathos, and
logos – from handbooks and guides in rhetoric. This is essential for coming up with a
firm proposal.

STEP 3. SUGGEST A SOLUTION

Once again, always keep in mind that your reader is a busy person who will not give
your proposal a thorough and thoughtful reading at a relaxed pace. They will most likely
just look through it, and if there will be nothing to grasp their attention, they will discard it
and forget about it. This is why, you should not go round about, but instead get straight
to the point. On the one hand, the solution that you are suggesting should be brief and
easy to follow, but on the other hand, you should provide as much detail as necessary, -
so that your reader was left without questions.

Among the details of your solution that you must provide in your proposal, one of the
key aspects is the timeline. All the stages of implementation need to be clearly outlined,
so that you could convince the most skeptical audience that you have an insight into the
problem which you are able and willing to solve.

STEP 4. STICK TO THE PROPER STYLE

We mentioned on more than one occasion that you should keep visualizing the people
who will be reading your proposal. This means not only visualizing the process of the
reading your text, but also going into greater detail – what kind of people they are and
how you can appeal to them. This should influence your choice of style and words that
you are using to make your proposal effective with this audience.
 37

Evidently, people are different. We all have different points of perception. Some of us
like to think of ourselves as perfectly rational people who can only be won over by cold
facts (logos). Others would hate to be seen as lifeless robots without emotion, so they
tend to be prone to more emotional persuasion (pathos). These are some general
examples of the factors to consider when building the appeal of your proposal. In reality,
you will need to go into much deeper detail.

However, in any case, you should avoid relying solely on emotional appeal – because,
strong as it may be upon first impression, it can vane just as quickly, unless it is based
on some solid facts to back it up.

STEP 5. OUTLINE YOUR TEXT

Same as with any other piece of writing, when you are to put together a good proposal,
it is good to have a clear plan of action. However, unlike with most other writing that you
had to do for your school or job, here – your outline will not be included in the final text.
Instead, it is only meant to facilitate your work on the proposal proper.

Once you have conducted a thorough research on the problem and your audience, you
are ready to put together an outline to write your convincing proposal. The outline
should be defined by what you have learned while completing previous steps of
preparation. Here is a template of a comprehensive proposal outline:

1. Introduction
1. Give the relevant background information on the problem.
2. Main body
1. State the problem and justify why it needs to be addressed.
2. Suggest your solution.
3. Detail how your solution will be implemented.
4. Take a look at other possible solutions and prove that yours is better.
3. Conclusion
1. Restate the problem and your ultimate solution.

In some cases, you will have to devote separate subsections to budget analysis and
details of organizing the works.

STAGE 2. WRITING A GOOD PROPORSAL

STEP 6. START OFF WITH A STAIGHT-TO-THE-POINT
INTRODUCTION
As discussed before, you are expected to value your reader’s time and attention. So, it
is never a good idea to round about. Instead, it is always best to get your reader hooked
from the very beginning. This is what paper writers call a hook sentence.

You want to get your reader engaged from the very first line, so it is not prohibited to
give some shocking information in your introduction. Then you move on to providing
some background information. In one of the previous steps, you have already sorted out
how aware your reader is about the issue. You know that you don’t need to repeat this
information for them, because it will only make them feel like you are wasting their time
and get them annoyed. You don’t want that. So, instead, you refer to the information
that your reader already knows, expand on it, and reveal your own expertise on the
subject, thus capitalizing on it.

STEP 7. ADDRESS THE PROBLEM

 38

At this point, you are supposed to be in tune with your reader, and you are the one
directing the further narration. Now, it is the high time to get to the meat and state the
problem. Since you have already shared some background information, now it makes
sense to go deeper on the subject by offering your take on some of the more specific
details of the problem. These details usually include (but are not limited to) the
following: the root cause of the problem, the reason why it is regarded as a problem,
what negative effect it has, etc.

In this section, you pay special attention to the reasons why now is the high time to
address it. Naturally, it can be useful to include some forecasting about what will
happen if the issue is not tackled with immediately and decisively.

Once again, depending on what you know about your reader, you may get emotional
and personal to some degree. But – nevertheless – be strongly encouraged to employ
some external sources of information to back up your standpoint. It is not prohibited to
treat the facts from these sources somewhat liberally for the sake of persuasion.

STEP 8. SHARE YOUR SOLUTION(S)

Finally, you get to the main point of your proposal: you offer what can be done in regard
to the problem. Here, you not only mention what exactly you suggest to do about the
problem, but also what the advantages of your solution are if compare with other
possible solutions, as well as what will the benefits from your solution be – both short-
term and long-term.

In the benefits section, it is always great to think as global as it can get. Consider how
your solution can be applied for the good of as many people as possible, and not just
one particular niche.

As a part of convincing your audience that you are the best choice to tackle the issue in
question, you should pay respect to other possible solutions, even when they are
opponent to yours. By acknowledging them, you highlight your awareness and authority
on the subject-matter. In this part, it may also be useful to mention why you want this
problem solved, what interest you have in solving it.

STEP 9. SPECIFY THE TIMING AND BUDGET

If realizing your solution does not require any financial investment, then you should not
let it go unnoticed. Do not make a big deal out of it but highlight how your skill and
expertise have allowed to minimize the costs in such a dramatic way.

However, in most cases where a written proposal is necessary, some substantial

financing is implied. Therefore, it is necessary to inform your reader what this money will
be needed for, who will be doing the work, and how long will it take. Here, you should
give out the figure in as much detail as possible. However, restrain from putting any
detail that seems vague or hard to measure. Also, remember to value your reader’s time
and attention, so only the truly relevant figures are worthy of attention.

STEP 10. SUM UP YOUR PROPOSAL WITH A

CONCLUSION
The conclusion of your proposal is a brief restatement of your whole body of text. No
new information should be put here, you merely condense what you have already said:

 the problem;
 why it's necessary to deal with it now;
 39

 what will happen if you leave things as they are;

 what you suggest;
 why your solution is better than alternative ideas.

At the end, you can suggest some further actions that may be taken in the direction that
you have outlined. It will be a good addition to your proposal, even better revealing your
commitment to the issue. However, this is not a must.

It is a must, however, to thank your reader for their attention and tell them how much
you value the time that they took to look through your proposal. Such words of thank are
the ultimate way to wrap up a proposal.

STEP 11. EDIT YOUR DRAFT

That's right. What you have put up for the moment is merely a draft that you can still
perfect. If you are writing about something you are truly interested in, it is not
uncommon to get carried away and pay most attention to what you are writing as
opposed to how it is written. While the content of your work is crucial, the form can also
have a critical influence on the end result. That is why, make sure that your proposal is
well written.

The most common issues to pay special attention to in this regard are as follows:

 Avoid jargon and cliches. Opt for general vocabulary at all times.
 Try to stick with shorter words, sentences, and paragraphs.
 Always prefer active voice over passive.

STEP 12. PROOFREAD YOUR DRAFT

In this final step, the only important thing left to take care of is to proofread your
proposal and eliminate all possible spelling and grammatical errors. Often, your reader
will not pay any special to those. However, it is better not to take that risk. The presence
of such tiny errors may show you in a bad light, your reader may think that you were too
lazy to pay attention to some details that you have deemed unimportant. Often, the
reader will only notice such mistakes subconsciously, and it will deteriorate their overall
impression of the document that they have just read.

It may be challenging to point out all such minor errors in your own piece of writing.
Therefore, be advised to run your proposal through some spelling- and grammar-
checking software. Also, it is always useful to have a second pair of eyes to proofread
your text

REVISING A PROPOSAL (LONG

VERSION)
You may revise a proposal as many times as you wish until the solicitation closing date and time, but
consider the following warning:

Each time you revise a proposal by uploading one or more new documents, the system overwrites the
old documents with the new ones. You cannot retrieve the old documents through eCPS. You should
therefore keep a copy of your old documents on your hard drive or network drive. If, after revising a
 40

proposal, you decide that you want to use your original document(s), you need to revise your proposal
again by uploading the original document(s) again.

Use the following instructions to revise a proposal:

1. On the navigation bar, click My Submission History.

2. The My Submission History page shows, at the top of the page, proposals that can be revised.
(If the closing date and time has passed on all proposals that you have submitted, no such cells
appear.) The bottom of the page lists proposals that can no longer be revised because the
closing date and time has passed (If the closing date and time has not passed for any proposals
you have submitted, no such cells appear at the bottom of the page.) If you submitted multiple
proposals for a particular solicitation, they are clustered under the solicitation, each solicitation
named with a unique Proposal Name that you entered. Using the Proposal Name you entered,
locate the row that represents the proposal you wish to revise.
3. To revise a proposal, you must upload at least one new document. Click the View / Revise link at
the far right of the row to upload a revised business proposal document and/or technical
proposal document.

Uploading a new document into eCPS permanently overwrites the old document in eCPS.

4. To upload your new Business Proposal PDF document, do the following, but please heed the
warning that follows:
a. In the Business Documents section of the screen, by "Business Document PDF,"
click Replace.
b. Browse for your document on your local machine or local network.
c. Double-click on your document.

Do not click Back or close the window at this point, because your work is not yet saved by
the system.

5. To upload your new spreadsheet, do the following, but please heed the warning that follows:
a. In the Business Documents section of the screen, by "Business Document Spreadsheet,"
click Replace.
b. Browse for your document on your local machine or local network.
c. Double-click on your document.

Do not click Back or close the window at this point, because your work is not yet saved by
the system.

6. To upload your new Technical Proposal document, do the following, but please heed the
warning that follows:
a. In the Technical Document section of the screen, click Replace.
b. Browse for your document on your local machine or local network
c. Double-click on your document.

Do not click Back or close the window at this point, because your work is not yet saved by
the system.

7. Click Upload and Submit, and you are done.

Note: You may revise your proposal as many times as you wish until the solicitation closing date and time.
41