Imagine a paragraph of text, with some words underlined. The text is simple enough but the question terrifies you: identify the underlined phrases and illustrate their functions. This is part of someone’s study nightmare today – a question which seems … Read More
Bullet Points If I run out of time it’s ok – I can just write lots of bullet points and the examiner will take out the bits that are relevant and give me good marks. If you have had a … Read More
So your lecturer has asked you for a ‘close analysis’ of a piece of text. You have no idea what that means. What do you do? Panic. Not good – panic breeds paralysis and you no doubt have a deadline. … Read More
A tutorial is where you meet a lecturer either for a one-to-one session or as a small group, usually either in the lecturer’s office or a seminar room. You will probably have to read something to prepare for the tutorial … Read More
I can’t ask that question – my tutor will think I’m stupid Then ask me! I may regret this 🙂 but in an effort to find out how to help you all better I’m going to answer the top 5 … Read More
Exams – again… How do you survive? The bad news about resits is, well, they’re exams … again. The good news is that they are only exams and while no-one ever wants to do more exams than they have to, … Read More
I’ve just seen a post on my Facebook page asking for ideas on research topics. This is tricky since I have no idea what sort of research it refers to. Students often email me with very open questions when they’re … Read More
‘Will my lecturer check all my references?’ I have never yet met a lecturer who has the time to check all the references for every essay. Have you any idea how many essays they have to mark? 🙂 Seriously… NB … Read More
What is Plagiarism and How Can I Avoid It? Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of someone’s else’s material ie passing off someone else’s ideas as your own. That’s why we have referencing systems 🙂 . Avoiding plagiarism is easy: give … Read More
My search for advice for students starting University came up with little to do with study, much to do with alcohol, partying etc. While it may be fun to read such stuff it can also stress students out because they … Read More
The bad news about resits is, well, they’re exams … again. The good news is that they are only exams and while no-one ever wants to do more exams than they have to, the ones you have already survived will … Read More
This is a roundup of my most popular posts on exams and how to survive them. I wish you good fortune in your studies! Exam FAQs: Which question should you answer first? How long should an exam essay be? What … Read More
‘I’m lost. It’s like the texts are written in a foreign language. All I can do right now is panic.’ What do you do? You probably know instinctively what works for you as a learner and you will know if … Read More
I get some interesting messages on the English Lecturer Facebook page: ‘The poet should prefer probable impossibilities to improbable possibilities.’ Mmm. This requires strong coffee :-). I go to Joyce for a response: ‘Time has branded them and fettered they … Read More
What is an epic hero and do they have to do with Paradise Lost? When Milton was writing epic conventions were readily understood. Epic heroes still attract audiences (see films like Thor for an obvious example) but for some reason … Read More
‘I don’t really know what’s relevant – I just get lost and the set texts don’t help because they’re too complicated’. There are two issues here: you find the set texts difficult to read and you’re not sure how to … Read More
I’ve just had an interesting query about websites to help with grammar. There are no websites that can check grammar for you reliably, although Microsoft insists that its software can help :-). The real answer of course lies in studying … Read More
Swift was a humanitarian, deeply concerned with the political issues of his day and practically involved in supporting the poor and fighting for change. Gulliver’s Travels, much loved by children for its fantastical figures, tells us much about the political … Read More
Taken from my lecture on Gulliver’s Travels. There are some good things about Lilliputian society – Gulliver is impressed by their education system because they actually educate women. The thought of educating women may not cause too many ripples in … Read More
No, it’s not April Fools’ Day… Extract from The Huffington Post: Councillors in Devon are considering banning apostrophes from their street signs because of the “potential confusion” the punctuation causes… Council communications manager Andrew Lacey said: “Our proposed policy on … Read More