4 Essay Review
Each error must include:
A number next to the error.
At the end of the essay, each comment must include:
- Identify the error (Where it is located).
- Explain why it is an error.
- Show how to correct the error.
For example:
The cake that the guest brought to dinner are delicious.(1)
- This is a subject-verb agreement error.
- The subject and the verb must agree in number and person.
- Change “are” to “is” so that the sentence reads: “the cake that the guests brought to dinner is delicious.”
Essay 1:
Classification Essay: Cell phones
Cellular phones are an ever increasing trend amongst all ages in every country. Individuals in their mid-eighties as well as children still in elementary schools now have access to cell phones. Although nearly everyone owns a cell phone, there are many different brands which offer different types of phone experiences. As of 2013, there are 3 main cell phone brands that are dominating the market; Blackberry, IPhone, and Android. Each of these brands offers a very different experience for the user whether it is more business oriented or family friendly. In this essay, I will classify each of the three major cell phone brands so that anyone can make a safe decision when buying a new phone.
One of the most popular cell phones is the IPhone. It offers a very easy to understand interface that everyone, including children, can use proficiently. It has a large selection of apps in its built in app store that offer quality of life changes to the cell phone. On top of quality of life apps, there are many different, and very popular, games that can be bought very cheaply. There is also a built-in messaging system when texting other IPhones which is known as "iMessage". It works by sending messages via Wireless internet instead of the typical way text messages are sent. A major issue of the IPhone is its price point; it is very expensive for a very limited platform. The problem of yearly upgrades is also an issue, so a phone you buy today will be outdated in a very short period of time, even after spending a large sum of money. It is difficult to personalize and adjust to your particular likings because of its closed platform. This also means that quality of life updates that the phone may need are few and far between.
Another popular cell phone choice is the Blackberry. Although it is not as simple to use as the IPhone, it is better suited to the needs of a businessperson as well as a person primarily focused on texting and making phone calls. It has a selection of apps for quality of life changes like many other smart phones, but it does not have as many quality insured games. It has one of the best built in messaging systems with other phones of the same brand known as BBM (or Blackberry Messaging). It functions much like emailing, and the user also has the ability to see if the other Blackberry owner has read the message. This may be a good thing to some people but bad to others as you cannot look at a text and ignore it without the other person noticing. You will need to remember to reply to all of your friends unless you want to cause drama.
Lastly and probably the most popular brand is Android. Although Android itself is not a particular brand, it is the operating system that runs the phone. Many different cell phone companies such as Samsung use Android on their phones. With this in mind, this makes Android the most common OS on the market as many different companies have access to it. These phones are, typically, purchased by people who are more tech-savvy. It requires the user to know how to access different files and the like without huge buttons leading the user on. A firewall is also required on these cell phones as it functions much like a PC and can receive crippling viruses. On the plus side, these phones tend to be less expensive than some of the other major brands, so it is more widely available.
In conclusion, each of the different cell phones has their advantages and disadvantages. It is really up to the personality of the user that makes the phone work well with them. Some people may enjoy a very easy to use experience with many games whereas others want to be focused on their business. There is no real "best" cell phone brand at the moment as it is always up to personal opinion.
Essay 2:
Compare and Contrast: University vs. College
Many people feel that universities and colleges offer similar educational experiences. A statement such as this is not entirely accurate. Although they offer extremely different learning environments, both are committed to advancing the academic and career aspirations of a variety of individuals. Education is a commodity; therefore, it is necessary to appeal to a wide range of learning styles. As someone who has attended both college and university, I feel I can shine light on differences and similarities between both environments. Although they are very different, they share similar mandates.
The university environment offers students a large degree of independence. Attendance is rarely taken, it is up students to ensure he or she attends class regularly. Waking up and walking through the classroom doors is only half the battle, lecture material in university can be extremely challenging. Often, professors do not provide power point slides or summaries of class material and the student must fill in the blanks by taking astute lecture notes. Assigned readings can run hundreds of pages. As work piles up, students who do not stay current and up to date with course material, surely offer poor results. It is often said that the college experience is more forgiving.
Colleges are geared to very specific careers and typically offer a more hands-on learning environment. I can speak from personal experience when I say teachers take attendance regularly. Grades are awarded and deducted to ensure students go to class. The college environment is often referred to as an extension of high school, in that college faculty play a more active role in providing assistance with fundamental learning methods. Power points are provided in the classroom to facilitate learning. This provides students with fundamental notes to refer to before examinations and tests. Readings assigned to students in college are often shorter and material is narrowed down for the reader; most importantly, pertinent material is highlighted for students. Class sizes are smaller and often accompanied with hands-on activates which prepare students for futures in their respective fields. In this domain we can begin to see similarities between colleges and universities.
The prospect of obtaining a bright future is greatly enhanced through participation in both colleges and universities. Many university students aspire to continue on with graduate programs or professional schools. Many College students may or may not have similar goals. Education is a journey and the path taken is never the same. There is a common denominator present between both institutions: the aspirations of students hoping to obtain meaningful employment at the end of this educational journey. Both institutions help prepare students for a life after school. A life touched by stability, security, and happiness. More importantly, our focus should be narrowed as to the type of students attending these institutions. What kind of learners are they and in which environment will they most likely succeed? Too many students are filtered through the university tunnel having bought a false bill of goods, one promising success with merely a bachelor's degree in hand. The reality is that a general degree has become diluted. If one hopes to find employment as quickly as possible, university may not be the trusted platform. However, if expressing a desire to learn how to think, and apply that understanding in the development of scholastics, never loose hope that they pay off will be great.
Throughout this essay I have attempted to accumulate both differences and similarities between colleges and universities. Although both institutions offer extremely different learning environments, they key thing to explicate is that it really does not matter. Universities and Colleges offer different platforms with the same results, employment.
Essay 3:
Consumers looking to buy clothing nowadays have a wide range of options at their disposal, depending on their budget and taste. As such, there are several clothing stores set up in order to appeal to every customer, ranked from high end stores, catering to the sophisticated shopper; to mid range shops, catering to the average shopper; and finally, low end stores, catering to those on a budget. The options are all out there, and it us up to the consumers to choose whatever suits them best, according to their budget and preference.
High end clothing stores, such as Holt Renfrew, offer consumers designer fashions from various brands, at a high price range. Similarly, other high end stores, such as Luis Vuitton and Gucci, offer their own expensive merchandise. Given the prices, the products are usually constructed out of high end materials, such as genuine leathers, or even hand crafted at certain times. More so, the products purchased from such shops may last longer; in other words, if cared for appropriately, the clothes will go a long way before turning defective. However, that is not always the case; these brands know that some people are willing to pay those prices just to be able to wear their name on a shirt.
Mid range clothing stores are catered to the average consumer. These are stores such as H&M, GAP, Nike, etc. Products offered at these stores are probably sought after by the majority of the population. Although their prices may range from cheap to expensive, the majority of products found in these stores are priced right in between high end and low end. The quality of materials would be similar to lower end stores, but the clothing can be considered to be more "fashionable." However, it is to be noted, that as stated previously these stores may carry items in the high and low end range. Sales may make up for some items found at a discount, while new releases, such as sneakers at a Nike store, would make up for the more expensive merchandise.
Low end stores provide their customers with affordable clothing. Stitches and Urban Planet are examples of such stores. The quality of materials found here corresponds to the price, meaning that these products are mass produced; as such, they are much cheaper to produce than the previously mentioned store options. However, the upside to these stores is quantity over quality; the consumer is able to buy more products with the same money that it would cost to buy an item at the other stores. Also, people may decide to buy from such stores even when not shopping on a budget; people looking for a shirt to wear to the gym, or simply for clothing to layer for winter may find such stores more appealing than the high end and mid range stores.
Essay 4:
In-Class or Online, Which do you Prefer?
When entering college or university, many students are sometimes given the option to choose whether to attend lectures, or take the courses online. Either one may sound appealing, depending on the style of learning one enjoys, but online courses offer a very different learning experience than in-class courses in terms of the quality of education, convenience, and distractions they provide. If you were wondering which to choose, the following information might be helpful.
Perhaps the most important factor in determining which type of course to take would be the quality of education each one provides. Traditional lectures provide a face-to-face type interaction where students are presently engaged, or should be, to the professor's lecture. This is very useful because if a student does not understand a concept, he or she is able to raise their hand and personally ask the professor to elaborate. This is in contrast to online courses, where the only interaction a student has with their professor would be over the internet via text-based messaging. Students do still have the option to ask questions they don't understand; it just may take longer than expected to receive a reply. Other indicators of quality of education include the success and attrition, or drop out, rates. Garman (2013) compared students in a traditional biology class with their online counterparts. She found that the attrition rate for online students was considerably higher than in-class students, although the success rates between the two were very close.
Another key difference between the two types of courses is convenience, or specifically, time. Lectures have allocated time slots throughout the week that demand a student's presence. Attendance may not be mandatory, but missing out on which materials are important or testable could cost a student their credit, if their studying was ineffective for exams. With online courses, like Foundations of Academic Writing I & II, a student has a due date for assignments and quizzes, with the flexibility to finish them according to their own schedule. Furthermore, lectures usually range from about 45 minutes to three hours, not including expected textbook readings. With online courses, one can have the book in front of them to answer quiz questions immediately, in case time is limited, which also allows students to learn at their own pace. This is a similar situation to when a professor asks a question that none of the students know; one can pull out the book and find the answer.
Finally, the last factor to consider when deciding between an in-class and online course is the distraction aspect of both. It is relatively easy to lose focus when learning. Sounds, lights, and other interruptions can come from anywhere and distract anyone. For example, a person working online can have somebody loudly enter the room just the same as a person paying attention to a lecture. Modern technology like laptops and cellphones can guide students to academic information, as well as waste their time with trivial information, such as celebrity gossip. Regarding lectures, Burns and Lohenry (2010) found that an effective way to combat the cell-phone distraction was to create a policy and etiquette which both the students and faculty could follow. By having the etiquette reinforced, fewer distractions occurred in class. Unlike a classroom setting, online students would not have the reinforcement factor to follow through with any etiquette, making cellphone distractions more likely.
Therefore, online and in-class courses each have their pros and cons. If you're the type of person that enjoys having a routine schedule and dedicating a set amount of time to learning than the in-class course would probably be better for you. However, if you enjoy the freedom to organize your time as you wish, prefer to stay away from people, and are willing to risk distractions during an assignment or quiz, than the online course might be better suited for you.
Refrences
Garman, D.E. (2013). Student success in face-to-face and online sections of biology courses at a community college in East Tennessee. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, 73, No Pagination Specified.
Burns, S.M. & Lohenry, K. (2010). Cellular phone use in class: Implications for teaching and learning a pilot study. College Student Journal, 44, 805-810.
