Articles written by Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Showing 1-50 of 198 Articles

Essays Should be Specific, Detailed, and Avoid Generalities

Students can make their essays stand out from the rest by concentrating on specific, concrete details.

Mar 27, 2011 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Is Everyone Singular or Plural? Working with Indefinite Pronouns

Sometimes little mistakes can ruin a perfectly good essay. Knowing how to use indefinite pronouns correctly can help make an essay shine.

Mar 21, 2011 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Find and Correct Sentence Fragments to Polish an Academic Essay

While people often speak in fragments, fragments are unacceptable in an essay. Correcting sentence fragments isn't too difficult.

Mar 13, 2011 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Proofread to Create Perfect Essays and Keep Readers Interested

Perfect or near-perfect papers may not earn the respect of readers, but the reason for judicious editing is so readers don't notice what's missing.

Mar 6, 2011 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Four Reasons to Avoid Plagiarism

Students may not give much thought to plagiarism, simply because they want to be done with a paper. But there are good reasons to avoid this practice.

Feb 27, 2011 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Write a Quality, Full-length Essay Without Padding

Some students panic at having to write a five-page (or longer) essay, so they resort to "padding." Here are tips to help students focus on quality.

Feb 20, 2011 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Breastfeeding May Decrease the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Breastfeeding is lauded for its many benefits to infants. The fact that it could possibly decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes for mom is another plus.

Feb 13, 2011 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Fun Argumentative and Persuasive Essay and Speech Topics

So many argumentative essays are serious (and somber). Here are some topics that might be more fun to write (and read!).

Feb 13, 2011 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Two Ways to Narrow the Focus of an Essay

If an essay topic is too broad, it's difficult for a student to write a concise, clear essay. So how can one narrow the essay topic?

Feb 5, 2011 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

How Grammar Checkers Make Essays Worse

That green squiggle in word processing programs is likely to drive students crazy. What if a student doesn't know how to fix the grammar problem?

Jan 30, 2011 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

The Optional Comma: Three Instances of Writer's Discretion

Believe it or not, there are times when a comma can be used but is not necessary. Here are three such instances.

Jan 22, 2011 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Need Essay Ideas? Possible Concepts for Argumentative Essays

Taking a college composition or high school English class usually means writing an argumentative or persuasive essay. Here are some ideas.

Jan 15, 2011 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

When Commas are Misused: Three Common Comma Errors

Sometimes students misuse commas in their essays in hopes of avoiding red marks on their papers. But misusing a comma is just as bad as forgetting one.

Jan 8, 2011 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

LSSU's List of Banished Words: Words Not to Use in an Essay

For several decades now, LSSU issues a list of banished words that college students should avoid using. Why?

Jan 1, 2011 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Best Ten Hard Rock/Nu Metal Songs of 2010

A lot of hard rock bands had awesome singles on the charts in 2010, but which ten were the best?

Dec 26, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Need Topic Ideas for an Essay? Try Asking Questions

Sometimes the hardest part of writing an essay is getting started. There are many ways to generate topic ideas; one way is to ask questions.

Dec 26, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Aim for Quality in Essays: 3 Habits to Avoid in Academic Writing

There's a big difference between writing an essay and composing an email to a friend. Here are a few tips to help students aim for high quality in essays.

Dec 19, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Annotating Texts Can Help with Writing Essays

Working with a difficult book? Trouble figuring out how to write about it? Try annotating the text for understanding and ideas.

Dec 11, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Need Essay Ideas? Try Brainstorming for Writing Topics

For many students, generating ideas for their papers is the hardest part of the essay writing process. Brainstorming is one technique many students use.

Dec 4, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Should Students Use Essay Writing Software?

Students have more options today to help them when it comes to writing academic essays. What is essay writing software and is it helpful?

Nov 20, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

What are Obesogens and How Can They Disrupt One's Diet & Health?

People looking to eat nutritious foods, be healthy, and maintain or lose weight should be aware of the hidden menace that are obesogens.

Nov 14, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Movies with the Best Twist Endings 2000 to 2009

There's nothing quite as satisfying as a good twist ending. Here are some great recent movies with twist endings.

Nov 13, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Web Editing Services: Do They Help Students Perfect Their Essays?

Some students, no matter how hard they try, have problems proofreading their work and making it ready for grading. What else can they do?

Nov 13, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

How to Edit an Essay: Proofreading Tips

So an instructor tells students to edit their papers, but they're not sure how to do it. Here are the basic things to look for.

Nov 6, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Writing an Annotated Bibliography: Format and Describe Sources

Many classes, particularly writing ones, demand that students put together an annotated bibliography. What is the purpose and how does a student make one?

Oct 30, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Knowing Greek Root Words Helps with Learning New Words

Problems with learning new words? Here are a few tricks to help with deciphering words that come from ancient Greek by learning the root words.

Oct 23, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Interesting Persuasive Speech and Essay Topics

At a loss for topics for persuasive speeches and essays? Here are a few ideas.

Oct 16, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

When are Commas Necessary? Quick Guide to Small-scale Comma Usage

The comma is, perhaps, the most misunderstood of all punctuation marks. When are commas absolutely necessary in writing?

Oct 9, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Citing Internet Periodicals in MLA Format Works Cited Page

MLA citation isn't necessarily difficult, even when students have to cite periodical sources. But the rules change a little with the internet versions.

Oct 3, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Citing Periodicals in MLA Format Works Cited Page

Some students find that MLA citation isn't difficult, until they have to format journal, newspaper, or magazine citations. Periodicals can be easy too.

Sep 25, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Writing an Effective Conclusion for an Academic Essay

Writing an effective conclusion involves more than just summary. What else should students include in their conclusions?

Sep 19, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Reasons to Avoid Relying on Grammar and Spelling Checkers

Students have heard that relying on grammar and spell checkers is a bad idea, but they might wonder why.

Sep 12, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

What is the Writing Process?

Just as many activities have a process one should follow, so does writing. Can knowing the process help a student writer improve?

Sep 4, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

More Evidence Found that Secondhand Smoke is Bad

People continue to be told that secondhand smoke exposure isn't harmful to health, but another study shows it is.

Aug 28, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Controversial Argumentative Essay Topics

Some students enjoy stirring the pot and they feel that a controversial argument will hone their writing skills. Here are a few topics that can do that.

Aug 28, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Argumentative and Persuasive Essay Topics to Avoid

Many students don't want to write a paper like everyone else has, so they come up with topics on their own. That's great, but here are some topics to avoid.

Aug 22, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

What is Academic Writing and How Does a Person Do It?

Sometimes people hear the phrase "academic writing" and think of old scholars in a library, but anyone who has ever been a student has engaged in it too.

Aug 14, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Does One Feel Bad or Badly? Common Mistakes in English Grammar

Sometimes when people are trying to correct their grammar, they make mistakes. They think something is right when it's not. Here are two of those errors.

Aug 8, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Nothing Beats Careful Proofreading of One's Essay

Spelling and grammar checkers are nice, but they are far from perfect. What can a student do to increase his chances of turning in a near-perfect paper?

Aug 1, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

What is Plagiarism & How Can Students Maintain Academic Honesty?

Plagiarism is a serious offence, and instructors don't take it lightly when they find a student has cheated in this fashion.

Jul 25, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Writing Effective Paragraphs for College and High School Essays

Instructors expect paragraphs to accomplish particular goals. How can a student be sure her essay lives up to expectations? Here are some ideas.

Jul 18, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Five Things to Do Now to Help the Environment

Some people think they can't do anything to fight climate change. But if everyone does something, the world will benefit. Here, five things anyone can do.

Jul 18, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

What's so Bad about Trans Fats? Why to Avoid Hydrogenated Oils

Like so many health concerns, it takes a while for unhealthy additives, foods, and food practices to come to light. Here's why trans fats should be avoided.

Jul 17, 2010 - Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Vegan Minestrone Soup Recipe: Vegetarian Take on Italian Classic

When people think of classic soups, they might think chicken noodle, but they also think of minestrone. Here's a version vegans and meat eaters can share.