Lafayette Journal & Courier

Writing lab ready with help, advice

August 19, 2007

With the fall semester starting at Purdue University, the university's online writing lab is gearing up for student questions.

According to lab workers, many questions come in about formatting papers, but there are several grammar issues that still trip up even the upperclassmen. Here are some of the common ones with answers:

Question: What is the difference between affect and effect?

Answer: Effect is a noun and affect is a verb. For example: The game's outcome did not affect his mood. And: The explosion's effect was widespread.

Q: How do I know if an indefinite pronoun, such as each, every or any, is singular or plural when it comes to subject-verb agreement?

A: They're all singular and take a singular verb. For example: Each is allowed one bowl of ice cream.

Q: Is data singular or plural?

A: It depends on the usage. If it's used as a unit, it can be singular: The data is sound. If it's used to denote individual items, it is plural: The data have been collected.

Other questions, from students who haven't taken an English class in several years, include how to start an argument essay and how to format and cite sources, especially electronic sources, in a paper.

The online lab can be accessed at http://owl.english.purdue.edu and can answer most questions students will have about writing papers. There are more than 200 printable resources for punctuation, grammar rules, guides to organizing a paper, tips on the writing process and coping with writer's block.

The lab also has a hotline at 494-3723 staffed by writing lab specialists for other questions.