He jumped in the swimming pool - indicates that the person is already in the water in the pool, and is rising and falling in the water. He jumped into the swimming pool - shows that the person was outside the water and then propelled his body into the water.

--Judy Henn, PhD, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

The difference is one of place and movement. "In" has the idea of already being present and doing something while there, like "jumping up and down in the pool." "Into" implies an action that moves an object from one place to another, like "jumping from the diving board into the pool. This is one of the few "rules" about prepositions that I remember being taught as a high school student; most others I must have acquired as part of my early language development at home.

--Robert Phillips, Southwestern Baptist Seminary

'In' shows that you are doing an action inside of something 'into' shows that you are entering something. If you used-he jumped in the swimming pool-it would sound like he was jumping while he was in the pool. If you used-he jumped into the swimming pool- it would show that he is jumping into the pool.

--Hannah Lugg, Homeschooled Student

This sounds like an intriguing topic: music appreciation and awareness from the standpoint of the "tone deaf." What does "tone deaf" mean? How do people experience and appreciate music if they are in this category? And, if your instructor allows you to bring in your own personal experience as well as research, you could have a really rich topic!

I wonder how people such as yourself have excelled in the music field, in spite of their "tone deaf" ears--through percussion, through promotion of music?

--Donna Rushing, Whatcom Community College

The quick answer is to write your paper on why some people are tone deaf. A quick search showed many places to find information on the topic. In addition to having a research topic, you may learn something for yourself!

The next answer is to write your paper on a favorite genre of music, and perhaps tie one or two kinds together. Or track the development of the next big thing in music.

Your love of music should be a great jumping off point, and you will do better work if you are interested in the topic. Good luck!

--Steven Williamson, Eastford, CT

Most teachers/instructors will be happy with any reasonable topic: they just want you to write, and they know that it's easier to get students to write about something they enjoy. However, for this assignment, make sure you keep your focus on the TOPIC and not on YOURSELF.

If you're writing about music, then research the type of music that most interests you and write about that. I would avoid going too much into your own daydreams and embarrassment as a singer; writing about those kinds of things would shift the focus away from the topic. You can certainly mention your own experiences IF they are relevant to the topic, but don't focus on them.

MANY music journalists write about music because they deeply love it but have limited talent. Don't let your own struggles with making music get in the way of writing about something you love!

--Aaron Minnick, Columbus, OH

The Merriam-Webster folks give "catalogue" as a variant of "catalog," which suggests to me that the latter is preferred. Spelling usually becomes simpler over the years. M-W identifies "catalogue" as Middle French from which Middle English got "cateloge." I wonder which letter will be dropped or changed next?

--Robert Phillips, Southwestern Baptist Seminary