The Writing Center @ Malone
All Malone students are encouraged to use The Writing Center @ Malone, located on the main floor of the Cattell Library. Thirty-minute appointments are available for as many times as necessary to prepare for, draft, edit, and finish any writing assignment for any class. Trained tutors will provide assistance to any student through the writing process.
For an appointment, log in to our online scheduling system (during Fall and Spring semesters), establish an account, and follow the directions there to reserve time with a tutor. If you have any problems, please call 330.471.8327 for help.
Center hours are:
Monday - Friday : 9:a.m. - 5 p.m.
Monday - Thursday: 7- 9 p.m.
Director: Greg Summers Contact Greg at: tfhzzref+znybar+rqh
Writing Advice From Your Malone Professors:
1. What word, expression, or error do you never want to see again on a student paper?
There are a few critical mechanical problems I figure are death to good papers: the sentence fragment and the cousin the run on sentence (fused sentences/comma splices); the utterly incoherent mixed construction.
James H. Brownlee, Ph.D.
Professor of English
a. Any form of plagiarism
b. Their / there / they're
c. Affect / Effect
d. To / too / two
e. Using “feel” when “think” is meant, (e.g., “I don't feel that English comp should be required”)
David Entwistle, Psy.D.
Professor of Psychology
I have a great concern when even the simple spelling/grammar check items remain uncorrected.
Beth Anne Clark-Thomas. Ph.D.
Professor of Education
like
Jack Harris, Ph.D.
Professor of Business Administration
Common word confusion, such as “there,” “their” and “they're” (probably one of my top five)
Jack Ballard, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Music
Improper homophones - cite/site/sight - their misuse is rampant. Use of plural pronoun with a singular antecedent - ex. Each student should do their own work.
David Snyder, Ed.D.
Associate Professor of Education
Word errors such as snuck, irregardless, affect/effect, there/their/they're, any modifier with unique punctuation errors such as periods or commas outside quotation marks typographical errors that would have been caught with proofreading.
Ann Lawson
Instructor of Communication Arts
2. What is the best advice you have for a student writer?
REVISE!
REVISE!
REVISE!
REVISE!
REVISE!
REVISE!
REVISE!
James H Brownlee, Ph.D.
Professor of English
Write a rough draft and have someone proof read before making your final draft.
David Entwistle, Psy.D.
Professor of Psychology
Why not begin by asking the Holy Spirit what direction He would have you take with this writing assignment? What would He have to say on this topic? What insight will He reveal to you so that you can write outstanding content? (Obviously, this does not circumvent the need to develop craft, though many of our students will no doubt be looking for a "spiritual" shortcut. It does begin to develop an expectation of seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened.)
Jesse Ayers, Ph.D.
Professor of Music
Do NOT leave any written assignment to the last minute. Often simply putting your paper draft away for 24 hours and revisiting it will illuminate many errors otherwise undetected.
Beth Anne Clark-Thomas. Ph.D.
Professor of Education
Just the facts, please.
Jack Harris, Ph.D.
Professor of Business Administration
Get used to being judged (e.g., graded) on your writing skills, regardless of the class you are taking.
Jack Ballard, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Music
Be very careful not to plagiarize. Avoid using electronic sources when possible.
D. Nathan Phinney, Ph.D.
Dean of the College of Theology, Arts & Sciences
Every paper should be structured with a beginning argument, middle & summary argument. Know where you are going before you write a paper. Do not assemble as you go.
Jane Hoyt-Oliver, Ph.D.
Professor of Social Work
Use spell check! PROOFREAD! Read your material aloud - listen for smoothness, clarity, economy of words
David Snyder, Ed.D.
Associate Professor of Education
Write the assignment several days early, put it away (save it to disc), then re-read it a day or two later. If you write and proofread back-to-back, you won't catch errors because you'll see what you intended to write. Giving yourself a break between writing and proofing will allow you to see it fresh and catch errors in grammar, syntax or organization you might not otherwise see. This is challenging advice since many students seem to write their papers the hour before class! Proofread the paper version after you've printed it. Some errors are clearer on paper than on the computer screen. If you give yourself enough time, you'll be able to make the correction and print out another copy.
Ann Lawson
Instructor of Communication Arts
