logo

Unit 5 Writing correctly

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should:

  • know the importance of being factually correct
  • know the impact of not using language correctly
  • have practised identifyiing and correcting errors
Rubik

Activity 1: Incorrect information wastes time and money

Read.

Writing that contains factual errors wastes the time of both the writer and the reader. Consider the case of a manager at a large company who writes a email to all staff about an event for all staff. The email contains a mistake in the date of the event. If fortunate, the error will be noticed and an additional email will be sent. If unfortunate, staff will waste time to go to an event on the incorrect date. This will result in additional emails for staff and the manager. There is a time cost to write and read emails. Given that in a company or organisation, time is money; there is a financial cost. Imagine 500 people who earn 2400 yen per hour spend 1 minute to read and consider the content of an email, the reading cost is 2000 yen. Assume that of the 500 people, 5% write follow up emails (taking 3 minutes each) to question the event time and a different 5% follow the details in the email and go to a meeting room at the incorrect time, resulting in a time loss of 30 minutes per person. The total cost of the incorrect email jumps from 2000 yen to 35000 yen. The cost increases with the number of readers and their time value. The cost increases dramatically when readers act on incorrect information.

Activity 2: Correctness

Read.

When writing it is most important that the information is factually correct. Incorrect information may result in readers making decisions based on incorrect details. It is also important to use language correctly. Minor grammatical, vocabulary and punctuation errors may impact the meaning resulting in accidentally conveying incorrect information. Minor errors may not impact the meaning, though. However, even when meaning is not affected, readers will notice the errors and may lose confidence in the accuracy of other aspects of the message.

Activity 3: Correct facts

Work alone. Identify any incorrect facts in the following sentences. Sentence may contain one, multiple or no factual errors.

  1. Today is Tuesday.
  2. Bananas are yellow.
  3. The body temperature of humans is 100 degrees.
  4. Women are pregnant for 10 months before giving birth.
  5. In winter, it is important to use snow tires to avoid accidents.
  6. The sun rises in the east.
  7. Water boils at 100 degrees celcius.
  8. There is a god.
  9. England is country in the United Kingdom, which is also a country.
  10. Homicide is illegal.
  11. One billion written numerically is 1,000,000,000.

Work in pairs or small groups. Discuss your answers. Think critically about each statement. Is it true in all cases, e.g. for all places, all periods and all people? Is it based on evidence or a belief?

Activity 4: Correct language

Although language errors may be categorized in many different ways, in this unit we will use four categories: spelling, vocabulary, grammar and punctuation.

Identify and correct the language errors in the sentences below. Click on the sentence to reveal the error and explanation.

Spelling - The correct spelling is refrigerator or the more informal fridge may be used.

Vocabulary - Although blind touch is the direct transliteration of the katakana, this phrase cannot be understand. The correct phrase is touch type, so the sentence should be: I can touch type.

Grammar - Because someone else stole your bicycle, the subject in passive voice should be bicycle, and so the correct sentence is: My bicycle was stolen last night.

Grammar - The preposition despite is followed by a noun phrase and not a clause. The sentence can be corrected to: He tried this exercise despite being ill. or He tried this exercise although he was ill.

Punctuation - The correct form is Best regards

Punctuation - When however is used to show contrast, it is not a conjunction and so a semi-colon or full stop (period) is neeed, e.g. There is a problem. However, I know how to solve it. or There is a problem; however, I know how to solve it. Alternatively, you can replace however with but as in: There is a problem, but I know how to solve it.

Vocabulary - The teacher always gives me a handout at the start of class.

Grammar When referring to quitting, we use stop + V-ing. Thus, the correct sentence should be: My father stopped smoking two years ago.

Review

Can you identify and correct:

  1. factual errors?
  2. language errors?

If you cannot, you should work on this.