Every now and then when helping a tutee out with their work, I'll come across something that makes me cringe mentally. When I see something like "I believe" or "I feel" in their writing I have to stop myself from asking "Really?".
I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only one who gets a tad annoyed by these kind of things every now and then, so I'm asking you to share what it is that bugs you when you are working with your tutee.
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ReplyDeleteI once had an instructor who had the temerity to tell us that if we didn't know how to say what we thought about something, we didn't think it at all--we felt it, the same way a dog feels things. As a class, we were indignant, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought he might be right.
ReplyDeleteI don't like "feel" because "feel" is more irrational, unlike thought. Feelings are ineffable. A thought, on the other hand, (and I do have to be able to express it or I can't claim to have it) can be shared with another human. Sharing feelings is kinda inexact unless you can do a Vulcan mind meld.
I agree with you that it is redundant to say "I believe" and "I feel," and I hereby commission you to ask them to take those expressions out of their writing unless they need them to make word count. Just kidding.
What bugs me this week is people texting WHILE I'M STILL SPEAKING TO THEM. That's happened twice this week.
I feel that your right. : )
DeleteWha...a...a..a...? I was busy texting....
ReplyDeleteOne of the problems I often come across is peple who are too lazy to even TRY to come up with their own thoughts. I've seen papers that are practically nothing but quotes or citations, with very little originality or creativity. And then there are those who ask for examples or suggestions and write my examples down word for word rather than using the example as a tool to come up with their own ideas. I try to tactfully explain that they can't use my example and some of them get frustrated, or say they will change it later but probably don't.
ReplyDeleteGurpreet, you're going to love reading my first blog then. Now I'm embarassed because I did it.
ReplyDelete