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A Few Online Resources -- Good, Okay, or Bad?
The internet is so vast, how can one be sure that a resource site is worth the exploring time? This is the question I examined in my editing class' assignment for this week.
For my assignment, I looked at these three sites:
1. www.ccc.comnet.edu/gramamr (Guide to grammar and writing)
2. English Grammar Resources
3. Word Detective
1. Guide to Grammar and Writing
[http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/]
To me, Guide to Grammar and Writing is a searchable version of an encyclopedia on writing and grammar. The home page is neatly separated into search categories—with an “index” section for people who prefer to find a topic from the master list (427 reference topics in all). But this site is more than a listing of useful grammar-related articles. There are quizzes, (in)famous examples for specific subjects, advice on broader topics (editing, freewriting, etc.), PowerPoint presentations, and links to other helpful writing and grammar sites (an online version of Elements of Style, for example).
Remember the 239-word sentence that we all looked at earlier in this semester? That's one of the Guide to Grammar and Writing pages. And the diagramming sentences PowerPoint presentation? Well, I found that under the PowerPoint section of ccc.commnet.edu as well :)
For content and usefulness, this site gets an A+. Navigation might be a bit confusing at first (you have to know what you’re looking for to get the most out of the topical search boxes), but the learning curve
isn’t steep. This site is relevant to writers and editors alike.
2. English Grammar Resources
[http://www.ohiou.edu/esl/english/grammar/index.html]
This site is a place for ESL, or English as a Second Language, students. Since English is my second language, I decided to go check this page out. I find this site helpful for self-motivators who want to learn English. There are a ton of online quizzes for self-testing, ranging from beginner’s English level to advanced.
What I like about this page is that a it includes linked resources from international Web sites. This means that non-native English speakers are included in the project of teaching ESL students English. An example would be Hong Kong University’s “Analysis of Academic English: concordanced [sic.] exercises” page. The link takes you to a bunch of online self-tests that focus on subjects such as citation, adverbs, and how to use the word “data.”
Critiques of this Web site: it’s not for everyone. I get the feeling that only highly motivated self-starters would benefit from this site in the long run. Sure, it’s fun to take a quiz here and there, but to learn the whole of the English language online by taking tests—that takes persistence! Also, the English that the site emphasizes is a tad bit on the academic side (case in point: there are sections that focus on how to train yourself to score high on the SAT verbal section). It’s not going to be the best site for a tourist wanting to learn a few phrases of colloquial English before making a trip to NYC. There is a link to “real-world English” in the reference section, but when I clicked on it, it didn’t work :(
Overall, I’d say this site is good for English learners, but not exactly on the short list of resources for journalism students.
Now for the FUN page…
3. The Word Detective
[http://www.word-detective.com/index.html]
I had so much fun looking through this page :) As the title implies, this Web site is a place for the sleuthing of words and phrases. Rather than describe the site with my own words, I’ll show some examples:
Q:“Why eBay? While the ‘e’ is recognizable (electronics), what does the ‘Bay’ stand for?”
Urban Legend/Gag Answer: “Bay” refers to the disappointed groans of the outbidded at auctions.
A: Omidyar, the “creator” of eBay, originally wanted to name his “online flea market” site either auctionweb.com or echobay.com. Unfortunately, both names were taken, so he resorted to his third choice, ebay.
Q: What’s the origin of the phrase “over the top”?
A: “Over the top” originally referred to soldiers climbing out of their trenches to (almost) certain death during World War I. Eventually it became synonymous with great acts of courage (sometimes unnecessary), since those who dared to “go over” the trenches were courageous indeed. The connotation started out negative. But over the years, it became less “unnecessary overachievement” and more “pompous excellence.”
There’s also a section for all visitors to submit what their favorite word is, and why. The words are kept in an alphabetically-listed section of the Web site, with 25,842 visitors since September 12, 2004 the last time I checked.
Besides being a great procrastinate-doing-your-homework page, I find this site helpful to understanding how to use idioms and common phrases properly. While “over the top” may have been used as a reprimand decades ago, it’s probably no longer appropriate to use it this way in a modern-day article (and to convey the same message to readers). When I hear the phrase “over the top,” I get a mental picture of guests complimenting their host/hostess for an A+++ job in party planning.
That's all folks. Signing off...
*Wonders whence these phrases originate*
*Hops over to Word Detective*
For my assignment, I looked at these three sites:
1. www.ccc.comnet.edu/gramamr (Guide to grammar and writing)
2. English Grammar Resources
3. Word Detective
1. Guide to Grammar and Writing
[http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/]
To me, Guide to Grammar and Writing is a searchable version of an encyclopedia on writing and grammar. The home page is neatly separated into search categories—with an “index” section for people who prefer to find a topic from the master list (427 reference topics in all). But this site is more than a listing of useful grammar-related articles. There are quizzes, (in)famous examples for specific subjects, advice on broader topics (editing, freewriting, etc.), PowerPoint presentations, and links to other helpful writing and grammar sites (an online version of Elements of Style, for example).
Remember the 239-word sentence that we all looked at earlier in this semester? That's one of the Guide to Grammar and Writing pages. And the diagramming sentences PowerPoint presentation? Well, I found that under the PowerPoint section of ccc.commnet.edu as well :)
For content and usefulness, this site gets an A+. Navigation might be a bit confusing at first (you have to know what you’re looking for to get the most out of the topical search boxes), but the learning curve
isn’t steep. This site is relevant to writers and editors alike.
2. English Grammar Resources
[http://www.ohiou.edu/esl/english/grammar/index.html]
This site is a place for ESL, or English as a Second Language, students. Since English is my second language, I decided to go check this page out. I find this site helpful for self-motivators who want to learn English. There are a ton of online quizzes for self-testing, ranging from beginner’s English level to advanced.
What I like about this page is that a it includes linked resources from international Web sites. This means that non-native English speakers are included in the project of teaching ESL students English. An example would be Hong Kong University’s “Analysis of Academic English: concordanced [sic.] exercises” page. The link takes you to a bunch of online self-tests that focus on subjects such as citation, adverbs, and how to use the word “data.”
Critiques of this Web site: it’s not for everyone. I get the feeling that only highly motivated self-starters would benefit from this site in the long run. Sure, it’s fun to take a quiz here and there, but to learn the whole of the English language online by taking tests—that takes persistence! Also, the English that the site emphasizes is a tad bit on the academic side (case in point: there are sections that focus on how to train yourself to score high on the SAT verbal section). It’s not going to be the best site for a tourist wanting to learn a few phrases of colloquial English before making a trip to NYC. There is a link to “real-world English” in the reference section, but when I clicked on it, it didn’t work :(
Overall, I’d say this site is good for English learners, but not exactly on the short list of resources for journalism students.
Now for the FUN page…
3. The Word Detective
[http://www.word-detective.com/index.html]
I had so much fun looking through this page :) As the title implies, this Web site is a place for the sleuthing of words and phrases. Rather than describe the site with my own words, I’ll show some examples:
Q:“Why eBay? While the ‘e’ is recognizable (electronics), what does the ‘Bay’ stand for?”
Urban Legend/Gag Answer: “Bay” refers to the disappointed groans of the outbidded at auctions.
A: Omidyar, the “creator” of eBay, originally wanted to name his “online flea market” site either auctionweb.com or echobay.com. Unfortunately, both names were taken, so he resorted to his third choice, ebay.
Q: What’s the origin of the phrase “over the top”?
A: “Over the top” originally referred to soldiers climbing out of their trenches to (almost) certain death during World War I. Eventually it became synonymous with great acts of courage (sometimes unnecessary), since those who dared to “go over” the trenches were courageous indeed. The connotation started out negative. But over the years, it became less “unnecessary overachievement” and more “pompous excellence.”
There’s also a section for all visitors to submit what their favorite word is, and why. The words are kept in an alphabetically-listed section of the Web site, with 25,842 visitors since September 12, 2004 the last time I checked.
Besides being a great procrastinate-doing-your-homework page, I find this site helpful to understanding how to use idioms and common phrases properly. While “over the top” may have been used as a reprimand decades ago, it’s probably no longer appropriate to use it this way in a modern-day article (and to convey the same message to readers). When I hear the phrase “over the top,” I get a mental picture of guests complimenting their host/hostess for an A+++ job in party planning.
That's all folks. Signing off...
*Wonders whence these phrases originate*
*Hops over to Word Detective*