Choosing a place for private study at university

Study facilities in tertiary institutions include classrooms, seminar rooms, laboratories, the library and other places which are available and conducive for private study and/or group discussions. Of all these facilities the library is the most important and conducive place for private study. It is an ideal study place for many reasons, including the following:

• No distraction from friends
• Less movement of people
• Silence
• Studious and healthy atmosphere
• Little or no temptation to relax and go to sleep
• Proximity of reference materials (e.g. books, journals, etc). 

Your room in the hostel may not be suitable for reading because it represents the opposite of the library. It is even less suitable if you are sharing the room with another student.

The choice of a place to read has to be based on practical considerations but it has to be what works for you.

Have a successful time reading!

COMMON ERRORS IN ENGLISH AMONG EFL/ESL USERS

In environments where English is a foreign or second language, errors are bound to occur in the spoken and written English of users. It is vital that we choose and use words correctly so that Communication is effective. However, there are some words, phrases and clauses that are often misused by EFL/ESL users, sometimes irrespective of their level of education. These include the following:




(a) Advice (noun), Advise (verb). Not an advice but some advice or a piece of advice. E.g. Let me give you … which will help you overcome the problem.

(b) Machinery or machines, not machineries.
E.g. The machinery in the workshop is out-dated. Or The machines in the workshop are out-dated.

(c) Consists of or comprises, not comprises of.
E.g. The science block comprises two lecture rooms. Or The science block consists of two lecture rooms.

(d) Turn off the light. Or Switch off the light. Not Off the light.

(e) He was unable to cope with the demands of studying medicine. Not cope up with.

(f) John went to the campus on foot. Not with leg.

(g) The students greeted their teacher in Hausa. Not in Hausa language.

(h) There is no decent house in this town. Not no any.

(i) The man shouted at the boy. Not on the boy.

(j) My daughter prefers cheese to butter. Not than butter.

(k) The farmer was caught in the rain on his way home. Not beaten by the rain.

(l) I would like to borrow N5, 000.00 from you. I would like you to lend me N5, 000.00. Not I would like you to borrow me N5, 000.00.

(m) How much did you pay for that Car.? Not How much did you buy that Car? Note: “buy” is used in relation to price when it is followed by “for”. E.g. He bought this car for N450, 000.00. He paid N450, 000 for the car.

(n) I will accompany you to the supermarket. Not I will follow you to the supermarket.

(o) More/better (comparative); most/best (superlative). E.g. Of my two friends, I like Eunice more/better. Not most or best. Who is the happiest person in this class? Not most happiest.

(p) I can smell fuel. Not I can perceive fuel. Not I can hear the smell of fuel.

(q) I could not buy that dress because it is not my size. Or … it did not fit me. Not … it did not size me. "Size" is a noun and not a verb.

(r) Mary Onyali–Omagbemi came first in the 100 metres race. Not took first.

(s) Nigeria defeated South Africa in the female football match last week. Not won South Africa. You win a competition but defeat an opponent.

(t) Being/Been: The matter has been reported to me. Not has being. The verb “to be” (am, is, are, was, were) goes with “being”, e.g. He is being punished. But “have”, “has”, “had” go with “been”, e.g. They have been congratulated.

(u) He lay on the floor yesterday. Not laid. The past tense of “to lie down” is lay not laid.


The following explanation will be useful:

(i) Lie lied lied lying (not to tell the truth)
(ii) Lie lay lain lying (to lie own)
(iii) Lay laid laid laying (to place or put)

Examples:

(i) He lied when he said that.
(ii) He lay on the bed, reading.
(iii) She laid the table for lunch.

(v) Dangling modifier: this is when the action attributed to the subject of the sentence cannot be performed by the subject. E.g. Running down the lane, the flower was in full bloom. The flower cannot perform the action of “running”; so an appropriate subject should be provided. For example, Running down the lane, I(the girl, he , she they, etc) saw the flower that is in full bloom. Note: the rule states that only the second part of the sentence can be rephrased.

(w) Ambiguity: means having more than one meaning. It is caused by misplacement of words, phrases and clauses. Such adverbs as only, hardly, even, just, nearly etc, should be placed next to the word they modify.

E.g. I only reported to the teacher what had happened. It could mean:
(i) Only Ireported to the teacher what had happened.
(ii) I reported to only the teacher what had happened.
(iii) I reported to the teacher only what had happened.

Now, consider the different meanings expressed in the following sentences:
(i) I arrived only yesterday.
(ii) I only arrived yesterday.
(iii) Only I arrived yesterday.

CONNECTIVES (SIGNPOST WORDS)

A text is made up of a series of connected clauses and sentences, following one another. Coherence and cohesion are basic requirements if the writer’s thoughts are to be presented in an organized manner. As Williams (1988) rightly states: “one group of words that helps them cohere are called signpost words”. For instance, in the statement: “You can come with us or…” We cannot say the exact words that are to follow but the signpost word or indicates the type of information we should expect. Thus, the function of a signpost word is to tell us the type of information that comes next.

Signpost words are also referred to as connectives; they serve as links to the various ideas or sentences in the text. Below are some of the commonly used ones with their functions preceding them. For ease of study, they have been tabulated.

Note: Some signpost words serve different functions in different contexts. It is best to identify their functions in specific sentences.

Functions	Signpost
1. Inference (expresses an inference from what has been implied in the preceding sentence(s).)	If so, that implies, then, in that case, in other words, otherwise, and.
2. Exemplification (indicates that what follows is an illustration of what has been stated.)	For example, for instance, by way of illustration, say, such as, including, especially.
3. Enumeration (indicates listing, item by item, cataloguing of something just mentioned)	First(ly), second(ly), furthermore, finally, above all, first and foremost, most importantly.
4. Result (expresses the result or consequence of the information or argument in the preceding sentence(s).	So, therefore, as a result, then, thus, as a consequence, hence, for this/that reason, because of this or that, accordingly.
5. Contrast (indicates a contrast or change of thought/idea from that contained in the preceding sentence(s).	On the contrary, by (way of) contrast, in comparison, on the other hand, then, conversely, instead.
6. Apposition (indicates reference to previous sentence(s).	And, as follows, or, rather, or better, that is, namely, in other words, that is to say.
7. Reformulation (used to restate information that has just been given, but in a different and simpler form to aid comprehension).	In other words, in that case, to put it simply, better, rather, better put/stated.
8. Replacement (indicates an alternative to what was stated in preceding sentence(s)	Alternatively, or, again, rather, better/worse (still), on the other hand, another possibility would be, an/the alternative is.
9. Concession (indicates a change in the line of reasoning. It warns the reader that something surprising or unexpected is about to be said, in view of what was said earlier).	However, besides, else, nevertheless, nonetheless, notwithstanding, only, still, at any rate, in spite of, despite that, even if/though, all the same.
10. Addition (indicates the development of ideas/facts already given by presenting additional information).

Also, furthermore, again, moreover, what is more, in addition, besides, above all, then.

11. Summation (shows a summing-up or generalization of what has preceded). Indicates an end to the line of reasoning.

In conclusion, to conclude, to sum up briefly, in brief, to summarise, overall, then, therefore, thus.


Others:

(a) in fact: precedes specific information to support a more general and broader information just given.

(b) meanwhile: indicates a reference to an event that takes place at the time the preceding event occurred.

(c) of course: is used to remind the reader that what is being stated is something he already knows or assumes.


Signpost words are, clearly, an indispensable feature of good writing. When properly used, they help to effectively communicate the writer’s thoughts or ideas to readers. Also, they liven up a text and at the same time create cohesion.

Further Reading: Byrne, D. 1982. pp. 122-6.

_______
Source: Brown, F. A. (2003). English for Tertiary Education. Pp. 12 – 15.

VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

The term vocabulary is used to refer to the list of words in a particular language. It is also used when referring to the range of language in a particular work, or in a branch of subject (also known as register). Another major use to which the word “vocabulary” is put is in terms of the stock of words at a person’s command. This is the focus here. A person is said to possess two types of vocabulary: the active one which is regularly used in speech and writing; and the dormant one which is stored but rarely used. The latter is passive but may ‘pop up’ in the right context. The speaker or writer even be pleasantly surprised to realize that his vocabulary is that rich.

To be effective in speech and writing, one must possess an extensive vocabulary. Unfortunately, many students using English as a second language possess very limited vocabulary of the English Language; and this is easily noticeable in their use of the language.

Below are hints on how to build your vocabulary:

1. Read widely. Read newspapers, magazines, and novels written in Standard English. You don’t have to only read your textbooks. Create time for leisure reading, especially during the holidays.
2. Get a modern dictionary and start reading it. Choose any part that interests you and begin to read from there. Try using the words you have just learned. It is through practical use in speech and writing that the words actually become part of your (active) vocabulary.
3. Jot down and find out (from the dictionary) meanings of new words you hear or read about; and try using them.
4. Develop interest in and start playing scrabble and solving puzzle. Many newspapers and magazines publish puzzles.
5. Start writing a story! It could be an essay, short story or novel. You will be surprised at your discovery.

Don’t expect your vocabulary to grow overnight; however, with constant practice you’ll be able to build a large repertoire of useful words.

Five Tips That Will Help You Begin Your First Semester In College On A Successful Note

Going to college/university is a huge step. It is the beginning of a new chapter in your life. If we were to open to the next chapter, would we find that you’ve successfully gone through the university and are now starting at a new enviable job? It all depends on you; remember the common saying, ‘As you make your bed, so you’ll lie on it.’  To succeed in college, you must be hard-working, focused, and responsible.

How you begin your first semester in college sets the tone for the rest of the semester. Here are tips that will help you start off successfully:

• Make sure you have registered for all the appropriate courses. If you’re uncertain, your faculty administrator, dean’s secretary, and academic advisor are there to help you.

• Before classes begin, obtain an accurate timetable for your registered courses. If you’re confused about anything, talk to your academic advisor. Missing lectures will make it difficult for you to catch up with the rest of the class and you might miss some early assignments or continuous assessments. These will impact on your final grades.
• Draw up a comprehensive (24/7) timetable and ensure everything you do is scheduled in. You need to be disciplined to follow your timetable conscientiously. It is the best way to achieve effective time management - a crucial factor for success in the university. See my article on time management.
• Keep a diary/journal for recording bits of vital information, such as, dates for submission of assignments, appointments, meetings, further research to be done on particular topics, and dates to return library books. Some students find it more convenient to use their cellphone tools, for example, using the organizer and/or setting the alarm as reminder. You may wish to use your cell phone and still use your journal/diary as back-up.
• Take notes during lectures and research topics before and after classes. Don’t depend on only one source of information.  Your lecture notes, textbooks, course modules and guides, handouts, and notes obtained from research all contribute to helping you learn successfully.

If you put these tips into practice, you would have largely begun the semester on a good note. I wish you a successful semester.

22 Ways to cope in College

College education is your passport to a better life. Attending university or college is an opportunity that you can’t afford to mess up. It is a huge challenge for some students than for others. Whatever your case, it requires hard work and commitment. It is your responsibility to make a success of it. The following are important tips to help you succeed at college or university.

• Listen to learn. Be attentive at lectures and take notes. Keep away from distractions whether noise or classmates. Take note of clues from your teacher.
• Read to learn. Develop reading skills that will enable you successfully engage in independent reading. You need to employ metacognitive reading strategies. See my article on HOW TO READ TO LEARN AND BE AT THE TOP OF YOUR CLASS.
• Develop effective writing techniques. It is mostly through your writing that your teachers will evaluate you and your work; so you need to write well.
• Avoid missing classes. Inform your teacher if you need to be absent from class or explain later to your teacher why you were absent from class.
• Be early to class and avoid sitting at the back or close to the entrance. You don’t need the distractions.
• Research topics and make comprehensive notes.
• Write legibly so that your lecturer does not struggle to decipher what you have written. Illegible handwriting is a barrier to effective communication.
• Always edit and proofread your work before handing it in.
• Practice good time management. Have a comprehensive timetable. See my article on time management.
• Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
• Make time for leisure.
• Try to make healthy food choices. It isn’t easy but you can choose what you eat. Regardless of the meal plan, you don’t have to sample everything served. For example, if you enjoy eating ice cream every day, minimize eating it to two or three times a week.
• See your advisor to resolve any problems or confusions you may have.
• Be neat and organized.
• Make friends but do it wisely. Remember the saying. “Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are.”
• Avoid unhealthy drinks and substances e.g. soft drinks, beer, cigarettes, and drugs.
• Be at the top of your game. Always know everything your teachers expect you to know and even more. Hand in every assignment at the stipulated time.
• Don’t antagonize your teachers by being disrespectful or too forward. You may not like your teacher’s reaction which could negatively affect your attitude to the course and your performance in the course.
• Show kindness and gratitude always.
• Manage your finances well.
• Take your work seriously, but be kind to yourself. Your mental health is important.
• Talk less; listen more.
• Remain focused. Remember you are at college to obtain a degree. Don’t let anything stop or distract you.


Have a great time @ college!

How To Read To Learn And Be At The Top Of Your Class

As a student, much of your study time is spent in reading. You read various kinds of materials: textbooks, journal articles, magazines, newspapers, and study guides. Reading is, therefore, a means whereby information stored in these materials can be obtained and used for a variety of purposes. Students read for such purposes as doing assignments, developing lecture notes, carrying out research (e.g. for term paper and thesis), preparing reports, writing examinations, and for recreational (relaxation) purposes. Reading is an indispensable part of every academic work. Basically, students read to understand, interpret and obtain information.

Here are important reading strategies that would facilitate comprehension and translate into great grades.

1. Identify the purpose of the reading before reading. Determining why you are reading helps you determine how to read. For example, reading for examination and reading for pleasure or to locate specific information require different kinds of reading speed. See my article on types of reading. Some students read a textbook the way they read their novels and magazines, with disastrous academic consequences.

2. Identify the structure and nature of the text. Most of your reading is for academic purposes. Since your purpose of reading is thorough understanding and successful recall of information, before you begin to read you need to preview the text to familiarize yourself with the layout and activate prior knowledge where applicable. The activities you need to engage in include:

• reading the title and headings
• looking at the pictures or diagrams
• predicting what the passage might be about
• asking yourself what you already know about the topic.

3. Identify main ideas. During reading, you need to focus on major ideas rather than minor, supporting details. One sure way of doing this is to locate topic sentences, supporting sentences, and concluding sentences as you read the paragraphs. Usually, the main ideas form the topic sentences. Furthermore, there are certain textual signals that can help you identify important information as well as relationships between ideas in the text. For instance, you should pay close attention to phrases or clauses in bold or italics. Below is a list of some textual signals:

• graphical: type size, italics, underlining;
• syntactical: word order, topicalization;
• lexical: words like important, relevant, the subject is, the conclusion is;
• semantic: thematic words and sentences, summarizing or introductory sentences, repetition; (*Winograd and Bridge 1986, p.25).

• useful cues and signals of important relationships between ideas, e.g. markers which signal purpose, sequence and enumeration, examples, restatement, detours and resumption, cause and effect, comparison and opposition. Effective reading, therefore, involves being able to identify the important aspects of the message.

4. Thinking about what you are reading. While you’re reading, you need to think about what you’re reading. You should monitor ongoing activities to determine whether comprehension is occurring and taking corrective action when failures in comprehension are detected. The strategies to adopt include:

• stopping sometimes and asking yourself what you’ve read about so far;
• engaging in self-questioning to determine whether goals are being achieved;
• engaging in predictions about what will occur next. To do this, you will rely on your prior knowledge and information in previous sections of the text you are reading.

• adjusting reading speed/rate when necessary;
• when you come to a word you don’t understand, you should formulate questions about the information to guess word meanings; look for contextual clues and try to figure it out or use a glossary or dictionary.
• when you come to a part of the text that is confusing, you need to stop/pause & read it again, don’t just keep reading. Also try to get help from pictures or drawings.

5. Integrating reading and writing. As you read, you need to engage in the following: underlining and annotating the text, mapping, note taking, and summarizing. (Of course, if the text isn’t your personal copy, you shouldn’t underline and/or annotate it.) These writing activities help to ensure active interaction with the text. They also help you to monitor comprehension and provide a record of the information for future reference or revision. Note-making and summarizing are useful strategies you can use to condense the information in the text (since they are records of main or important information)s and useful for revision purposes.


6. When you’re done reading, review your understanding of what you’ve read. Think about what you’ve just read and compare what you’ve just read with what you already knew. Also, if there are confusing ideas, note them down for discussion with other students. If they are not resolved, see your lecturer for clarification. Lastly, if there are questions at the end of the text attempt them and then check your answers against the original text. You can formulate questions and try answering them in order to assess your comprehension of the text.



* Winograd, P.N. and Bridge, C.A. (1986). The comprehension of important information in written prose. In J.F. Baumann (Ed.) Teaching main idea comprehension (pp. 18-48). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.


Here’s to successful reading!

Types of Reading

Reading varies according to the purpose of reading, nature of reading material and speed of reading required. The reading types include prediction, scanning (search reading), skimming (surveying), and study reading.

(a) Prediction: This means making intelligent guesses about what a book, a section or chapter of a book contains. This judgment is based on one’s assessment of a small sample of the book. This skill is particularly important when choosing what to read. Prediction works better when we know a lot about the subject in question. This is because it is easier for us to make predictions when we can relate the samples of new text to our existing knowledge. On the other hand, when our knowledge of the subject is limited, we will have to stretch our predictive ability in order to predict well.

(b) Scanning: This is one of the reading skills you require to locate information quickly. To locate specifically required information you need not read the entire text closely. You should use the technique of scanning, that is, glancing rapidly through or running your eyes over a text rapidly to locate specific information. Such information could be a date, name, a country in a map, a word in a dictionary, or encyclopedia, addresses, topic, or subject matter. Scanning is also known as search reading.

The index of the textbook is a useful place for information retrieval through scanning. Most information can be found in an index. However, the important thing here is to find the information as quickly as possible. With practice, you can become faster at scanning by narrowing the area you scan.

(c) Skimming: This is also known as surveying. It means reading to obtain a general idea of the content of the material. Skimming benefits from good sampling, that is, knowing where to look. This reading skill does not require that you read everything and so depends on good prediction skills.

When you want to buy a book from a bookstore or borrow a book from the library, you will need to sample portions of it to get an overall impression of its content; except where it is a book you are very familiar with. This survey is useful so you can discover as quickly as possible its organization, the topics covered, its level of difficulty, any special features, how up-to-date it is, as well as other publication details. The table of contents of a book is a good place to begin the survey.

(d) Study Reading:  While the other types of reading require rapid reading, study reading is done at a slower pace. It is neither fast nor slow because the student is careful to achieve accuracy and comprehension. Where the subject is unfamiliar or the language is beyond the level of the reader, there is considerable reduction in reading speed. When reading for an examination you engage in study reading. This type of reading requires that the reader takes notes, sometimes copious notes.

(e) Pleasure/Leisure Reading: This is the type of reading done as a hobby. An example is when you read a novel not for academic or study purposes but for entertainment. In leisure reading, the speed is much faster and one does not take particular note of many events. The idea of reading here is purely for enjoyment and fun. The usefulness of this kind of reading when the material is written in Standard English lies in its ability to foster vocabulary development and good writing skills. <br /> Sorry, you need inline frames to fully see this page.<br />

Language Tips on Answering Examination Questions

Before answering examination questions, you need to understand exactly what the examiner expects from you. There are certain words which often feature in the language of examinations and every student ought to know what each stands for in order to provide accurate and concise answers. These words include:

(a) “Discuss”
This requires an answer that should explain a concept or idea, and go ahead to provide supporting details. You must also supply points for and against the concept, giving explanations for the points put forward. This is one of the most difficult types of essay questions to answer.

(b) “Describe”
This type of question requires careful and systematic presentation of details. Questions requiring description involves the presentation of the major features, characteristics and behaviour of someone or something. Descriptions can be objective such as in scientific writing where personal biases are absent. When descriptions are subjective, it means that they are based on the personal opinions or views of the writer or speaker. This is one of the commonest type of essay questions.

(c) “Compare”
Questions of this nature require that concepts are placed beside each other, their similarities and differences are highlighted. A balanced answer is expected.

(d) “Contrast”
This requires an answer that portrays only the differences between the items or concepts.

(e) “Criticise”
In this type of question, the student is required to show the weaknesses of a concept as well as the positive aspects of the concept. A balanced answer is expected.

(f) “Analyse”
Here, the student is expected to take a concept apart and then consider all the aspects one after the other. The answer is expected to be logically organised. Careful planning is required to do justice to this type of question.

(g) “Define”
This type of question demands that your answer provides the exact meaning of a concept or idea; probably followed by further explanation. Many definitions, especially in the sciences tend to follow the definition–pattern: Name of concept + is/are + class + wh-word + special feature. For example: A dentist is a person who takes care of people’s teeth. You may then go on to explain the definition by providing further related details.

(h) “Evaluate”
This is similar to ‘discuss’ except that here there is the requirement that your conclusion makes a judgment ‘for’ or ‘against’ the concept. Here, you have to take a stand, unlike ‘discuss’ where you present the two sides (“pro” and “con” ) while appearing aloof.

(i) “Justify”
In this type of question, your answer is expected to provide only the reasons for a position taken, probably on an issue that is controversial.

(j) “Explain”
This requires that in your answer, you present a precise but detailed explanation of the concept, situation, or attitude. You must show a logical development and organisation of thoughts, particularly through the use of link-words and paragraphs.

(k) “State”
This requires an answer that briefly expresses the important points. Supporting details are not needed here.

(l) “Trace”
This is common in historical questions. Your answer is required to show a logical and chronological description of a process, an event, a theory, a tribe, a discovery, etc. Your answer is expected to be precise and concise.

(m) “Summarise” or “Outline”
Here, your answer should be short, providing only the main points and not the supporting details.

(n) “Prove” or “Disprove”
These require answers that portray logical reasoning. Usually, they are argumentative and your answer should persuade the reader to your side of the argument. Here, you take a stand or stance and defend it.

Tips on Answering Examination Questions

(a) Maintain a healthy and positive disposition towards the examination. It is good to get to the examiantion venue about 30 minutes before the start of the paper.

(b) Before you begin to write answers, ensure that you have written your registration/matriculation number, name (if applicabe), title of paper, date of examination, and other such information required on the outside cover of the answer booklet.

(c) Obey the rubrics of the examination. If any question is compulsory, make sure you attempt it. Attempt only the specified number of questions, ensure that you keep to them.

(d) Your choice of questions should be dependent on your knowledge of particular questions and their demand on available time. Do not attempt questions you do not understand, unless they are compulsory. A question that may take more of your time to do justice to, at the detriment of others to be answered, should be avoided.

(e) Write legibly, using coherent and concise language. Except in multiple-choice/ objective paper, write in continuous prose, using appropriate spellings, vocabulary, and grammar. Clarity of expression is vital.

(f) Make effort to put some originality into your answers by way of language use and illustrations. It will not do to give back to the teacher only what he gave you. Your answer should show that you have done some private studying.

(g) Carefully check your answers after writing to eliminate any errors. Leave adequate time for this, say 30 minutes in a 3 hour paper and 20 minutes in a 2 hour paper. You will need ample time if the error detected requires your rewriting an answer.

(h) You must not forget to indicate the questions you have answered, in the space provided for that purpose on the outside cover page of the answer sheet.


Good luck!

Five Features Of A Well-Written Academic Essay

Every student is frequently assigned writing tasks regardless of his/her area of specialization. Students are assigned academic paper writing assignments in their content courses as well as in their English language courses. A well-written academic essay should be seen to exhibit the following characteristics.

There must be evidence of research. Many academic writing assignments require students to consult sources outside of their own knowledge. As you brainstorm, plan and draft your essay, you need to research and gather information. Your sources of information may include:

• information in books, magazines, journals, maps, videotapes

• information on the World Wide Web (www)

• opinions of others through questionnaires

• interviewing experts on the topic

Many academic essays have an overall structure, as follows:

• Introduction which includes a thesis statement

• Background paragraph that defines terms, gives history, describes processes

• Body paragraphs with topic sentences and supporting details

• Conclusion with a summary and recommendation

• References

The use of non-text materials in academic writing adds quality to your essay. Although most academic writing is primary text, graphic materials are often a significant part of academic writing assignments. Non text materials include tables, histograms, charts, diagram, graphs, and photographs.

A well-written academic paper lacks plagiarism and largely shows this by the presence of in-text citation and references/bibliography section. In-text citation is used to acknowledge ideas and statements in the essay that are not originally those of the writer. By citing your sources of information in the essay you are being academically honest and this is a desirable quality in an academic paper. Also, a references/bibliography section (which is located at the end of the essay) generally suggests that you did not plagiarize. It shows your lecturer that you took the assignment seriously by spending time to research the topic.

A well-written academic paper is properly edited and proofread. A preponderance of language (spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc) errors gives a poor impression of the paper and writer. Imagine walking into a house and seeing litter all over the place. A diligent student would ensure that his/her paper has been carefully edited and proofread before handing it in.

These are some major attributes of a well-written academic paper.