Hello seeknfind,
> Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 12:22:57 -0600
> From: "Alan S. Harrell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: [SaF] Resource on English writing
>
> On 10 Nov 99, 10:48, Tong Sun wrote:
>
>> I am looking for resources or references that can help me in English
>> writing. The challenge is that there are so many of them out there but
>> what I am looking for is not grammar-oriented. I'm looking for something
>> that beyond that. i.e., what is the normal style to write a business
>> letter, a technical document... It should be practical and
>> application-oriented.
>
> Writing for business, your profession or any other technical oriented
> writing requires a strict adherence to grammatical rules and form. The
> only writing profession I know of that does not require one to stick
> closely to grammatical form would be ad writing. Commercials are
> notorious for lacking in proper grammatical form -- sometimes
> deliberate, but I think other times it goes to the writer's lack of
> training and education.
Yes. I agree that grammar is important, as a general case. But for my
particular case, it is different. You know, for a Chinese to come
abroad, the minimum score of toefl he has should be 600. Normal
Chinese get toefl mark around 620 to 640. (not me :-< ) and Their GRE
score is around 2200 and up. They know every corner of English
grammar. But the problem is that they can't write good articles in
English. See, here is my point.
> Regardless of language, you learn writing by practice. The more you
> write the better you get. You need to find forums that make you write
> often or else just do this on your own. I think we might be able to
> find you mailing lists in this vein.
I talk and write in English everyday. But that is in my way. If my
usage of English confuse people 3 years before, it is still confusing
people now. I think the better approach to improve writing is to
listen more and read more, and to know how to improve.
> Before we look for resources for you, could you clarify a little more
> to what you are seeking? You ask for the "practical and application
> oriented." To me that is technical writing - writing about a subject
> to which you have some expertise and does require learning about proper
> grammar.
>
> Are you familiar with the ESL.net site?
> [...]
Hopefully I have expressed myself clearly enough. And let me express
more with the examples that interests me most:
I have found some resource on the web, just FYI, incase someone else
is also interested:
Spectrum Virtual University
-- excerption --
Learn to organize your thoughts, express ideas and opinions clearly
and convincingly, and sharpen your writing skills in this six week
course. The "power writing" techniques that you will learn in this
class can benefit anyone wanting to communicate more effectively using
the written word. You'll discover why, as the old saying goes, "the
pen is mightier than the sword!"
-- excerption --
Oh, gee, this is the idea I want to express. But words failed me when
I wrote. Check it out the "Spectrum Virtual University Lessons" at:
http://www.vu.org/calendar.html
Online English
-- excerption --
I will prepare a lesson for you every week and send it to you by
e-mail - one week: one lesson. Best regards,
The lessons will have exercises on useful vocabulary, grammar, reading
and listening comprehension
you will get 52 lessons... and your English will IMPROVE!
I hope you will benefit from my program - it's free.
-- excerption --
http://mypage.direct.ca/p/prossett/online.html
or http://www.geocities.com/athens/olympus/9260/online.html
Writer's Guide
The University of Victoria's Hypertext Writer's Guide.
http://webserver.maclab.comp.uvic.ca/writersguide/welcome.html
The Curmudgeon's Stylebook By Bill Walsh
-- excerption --
Part 1: WORD CHOICE AND MATTERS OF FACT
Part 2: CAPITALIZATION, COMPOUNDS, SPELLING AND STYLE
Part 3: PUNCTUATION
Part 4: QUOTATIONS
Part 5: MATTERS OF SENSITIVITY
Part 6: HEADLINES, CAPTIONS AND NEWSPAPER ISSUES
-- excerption --
http://www.theslot.com/contents.html
MLA Guide for Writing Research Papers
http://webster.commnet.edu/mla.htm
So, I hope by now my meaning of "practical and application oriented."
is clear. Alan, see, grammatically correct can't make me express
efficiently so you know what I was talking about and no
misunderstanding and confusion at first place. :-)
Hope my seeking task interests some of you and I got more resources
from you. Thanks
-- Tong SUN ____________________________
__________________________ ((__________ * Want to hear music
)) __________________)_)_) from the heavens?
(( * Come to my site!
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/2659
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