Blog #1: Self Assessment Blog

When I think about grammar, I think about the importance of the small details in a paper or piece of writing that make all the words come together and flow. I place a lot of value on grammatical conventions and the proper use of words such as "to, too, and two" or "they're, their, and there". I must admit that I have got the proper use of those words down! One reason I think grammar is important is because it is a reflection of your intelligence -  whether we want to admit it or not. This, however, does in no way shape or form mean that I am a perfect writer. I have my flaws too.

One thing that I cannot understand is the proper use of "affect" and "effect". I know for a fact that I learned this rule somewhere along in my academic career, but obviously did not have a lasting...effect? So Beth, I beg of you to please, please, please, teach us the proper use! It would greatly benefit me as well as my writing and make me look a whole lot smarter!

Commas. This is another area in writing and composing where I struggle. I am what one might call and "over-comma-er". In other words, I use them way to much. You might not notice it now but in some of my essays I use the comma a LOT. And I think my problem is I don't know the right place to put one...before or after a complete thought...when there is a natural pause in the sentence? For example, the sentence:

"I went to the store and bought some bananas, they looked really fresh and ripe."

Is that the right placement for the comma? Or is that considered a "comma splice"? Again, I know for a fact that I learned this probably in middle school, but I just do not remember the rule.

Relating back to how our writing and grammar is a reflection of our intelligence, I write a lot of emails, blogs, and postings for my collegiate classes. And through these postings or emails, I want to show and prove to my professors that I take my work seriously and care about my education. Grammar - and proper use of it is one of the best ways to show that via these mediums. One pet peeve of mine is when people do not use the proper punctuation to translate their tone in their texts, emails, or social media postings. One missed "!" or "?" can make a statement come off as completely rude. A perfect example of this is the love letter or break up letter activity we did in class on Tuesday. It perfectly demonstrates how big of a role punctuation plays in the written word.

So my two biggest problems in grammar are "affect" and "effect" and commas. I am really hoping that after this semester I will have mastered these rules and will finally know the proper uses of them both! I know that I cannot be the only one who struggles with them, and in a way that is comforting.