Issue For November 6, 2008

Special Announcement

Important news from the Purdue OWL and Purdue Writing Lab.

Holiday Writing Lab Hours

The Writing Lab at Purdue will be closed November 26 through November 29 for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

This is a question submitted by an OWL user to the OWL Tutors. If you need to have a question answered quickly, contact our OWL Tutors here: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/contact/owlmailtutors. Or you may call the Grammar Hotline at 765-494-3723 . And remember, both services are free for everyone!

When to Use "A" and "An"

Dear OWL:

Lately I am having a problem using the words “an” and “a.” How do I know when to use the right word?
-Frank

Frank,

Using articles can be very tricky. Generally, you would use the word “a” before all words that begin with consonants and use the word “an” before words that begin with a vowel.

There are a few exceptions to the above rule, which can found at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/591/01/ .

I hope that helps answers your question.

Best,
OWL Mail

The OWL Help Nest

Each issue we publish Purdue OWL News readers' requests for advice or information and the responses from other Purdue OWL News readers.

What is Ethos?

My teacher keeps talking about “ethos.” What is “ethos” and why should I care?
-Thomas

Ethos as defined by "The Genre of Argument" is Greek for "character" which refers to the trustworthiness or creditability of the writer or speaker. Aristotle defined three proofs in argumentation (ethos, pathos, and logos) and ethos is one of those approaches. Ethos is important because as authors, we must always try to think about how our audience will perceive us. Do they consider us credible? Will my audience consider the sources in my paper or report credible? If our credibility is questioned, then our communication might not achieve its objectives. For more information about Aristotle's proofs, please visit our new Podcasts on rhetoric, ethos, pathos, and logos: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/733/01/

- Kim Kendall

Next Issue's Questions

Questions to respond to for our next issue of the Purdue OWL News.

Grammar Guidebooks

Please recommend a good grammar guidebook for EFL or ESL students.

Thank you
Guan Si - Taiwan

How to Use the Word "Refer"

Is the following sentence correct, shouldn't the verb "refer" be singular. I was told to always use a singular verb with the pronouns he, she and it. Is there an exception to that rule? The sentence reads: I informed Mr. Jackson about the admission process, and asked that he refer the students to our office for further information and direction.

-Michelle

Feature Story

Feature stories from the Purdue OWL.

Purdue Writing Lab Fosters Local and Global Engagement

Writing Lab Open Houses Raise Awareness of Services

The Purdue Writing lab hosted a campus open house on October 8 from 12:30-1:30 in cooperation with Purdue's Experience Liberal Arts month. Purdue faculty, students, and staff toured the lab in Heavilon 226, enjoyed snacks, and spoke with tutors about the lab's writing services. Attendees learned about tutoring assistance involving all stages of writing - brainstorming, outlining, composition, and revision - and they learned about our services for helping with research. Some of the most popular topics included the Writing Lab's ESL conversation groups and the lab's ability to help all types of writers: undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff.

The Writing Lab hosted a community open house on October 22 from 4:00-5:00 also in cooperation with Purdue's Experience Liberal Arts month. Members of the greater Lafayette community toured our facilities and learned about Writing Lab-community partnerships that are fostering more collaboration between the lab and local organizations. Some of the projects presented were the Community Writing and Education Station (CWEST), the @sea work completed by the Professional Writing program at Purdue, the Writing on the Go (WOTG) program, the XO Laptop project, and past ICaP English 106 Showcase projects. Please see the Writing Lab's Engagement page for details on this exciting work: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/engagement/.

Purdue OWL Launches Podcasts

Purdue OWL staff and content developers are excited to announce the launch of the OWL Podcasts. Podcast developers Lars Soderlund, Christina Saidy, Morgan Reitmeyer, and Mark Hannah composed conversational presentations on rhetoric, ethos, pathos, and logos. Future OWL Podcast projects include presentations on citation and plagiarism. To access the OWL Podcasts, visit this page: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/733/01/. If you have suggestions for Podcasts, please contact the OWL Coordinator here: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/contact/owlcoordinator.

News from the Purdue Writing Lab

News from our in-person Writing Lab, located on Purdue University's campus in Heav. 226.

ECWCA Conference and Purdue Food Drive

The Purdue Writing Lab will be hosting the East Central Writing Center Association Conference on April 3 and April 4, 2009. You may submit proposals here: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/ecwca/

The Purdue Writing Lab is helping the University by collecting canned food for our Fall Harvest food drive. You may drop off cans of food in the Writing Lab (located in Heavilon Hall 226) until Friday, November 21st.

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