When writing blog posts you should…

Include your stance if appropriate: I believe/feel/think/see/know/don’t know/don’t see/

Include details and examples

Be at least 125 words and provide a meaningful reflection about your chosen topic

Acceptable ways to respond to blog posts

Malik’s comment made me think about….

Although Devin made a strong point that______________, I think…

I had not thought about Courtney’s point that…

I respectfully disagree with Lester’s assertion…

I really appreciate Destiny’s insight into…

Thank you, Cherie, for sharing…

Great point, Brandon! Have you considered…?

Even though Christine’s point is valid, I tend to…

Building on Milton’s statement that….

In contrast to Michelle’s point…

Mike highlighted some key ideas when he said…

Myranda, can you clarify your statement that…

Julio, your posting reminded me of…

Remember that our online discussion platform is an extension of our classroom. Your writing should reflect time, energy and editing. Do not use informal slang or text message language in your communication with your peers.

Capitalization:

• Always capitalize “I” when speaking in first person.

• Capitalize the first letter of sentences, the first letter of your peers’ names, all proper nouns, and titles (To Kill a Mockingbird).

Punctuation Problems:

• Remember to use a question mark when you ask a question.

• Do not overuse exclamation marks. They should be used sparingly for emphasis.

• Apostrophes are needed to indicate possession. (“Christine’s comment made me consider an alternative perspective.”)

• When quoting, periods and commas always go inside quotation marks.

Commonly Confused Words:

• Then vs. Than: “Then” indicates a sequence of time, and “than” is used for comparison. (i.e. We went to the museum and then had lunch. I like action movies better than romance movies.)

• Accept vs. Except: “Accept” is a verb that means, “to receive, admit, regard as true or say yes.” “Except” is a preposition that means, “to exclude.” (i.e. I accept the truth in your statement. I ate everything except my peas.)

• Loose vs. Lose: “Loose” is an adjective, the opposite of “tight.” “Lose” is a verb meaning to no longer have possession of or to misplace. (i.e. If you pants are too loose, you might lose your pants.)

• Lay vs. Lie: Use “lay” when there is a direct object and use “lie” when there is no direct object.

• Raise vs. Rise: Use “raise” where there is a direct object and use “rise” when there is no direct object

• Who vs. Whom: Who” is a pronoun used in the place of a subject and “whom” is a pronoun used in place of the object.

Homophone Errors:

• Your vs. You’re: “Your” is a possessive pronoun (“your house”), and “you’re” is the contraction meaning “you are.”

• There vs. Their: “There” is used as a pronoun or to refer to a place (“Put it over there.”), “they’re” is the contraction “they are,” while “their” is a possessive pronoun (“I read their blog.”)

• It’s vs. Its: “Its” is a possessive pronoun (“The dog pulled on its leash.”), and

“it’s” is the contraction for “it is.”

• To vs. Too: “To” is a preposition. “Too” means “also” or “to an excessive extent or degree.” (i.e. I want help too. It is too hot to eat.)

Using Italics Versus Quotes:

• When referring to a book title, large publication (like The New York Times), or movie, italicize it.

• When referring to a poem, short story, or article use quotation marks.

Avoid Text Language and Informal Abbreviations:

• Thx = thanks

• Cuz = because

• W/out = without

• Gonna = going to

• Wanna = want to