Tutor profile: Samantha F.

How do I come up with a good topic sentence for each paragraph?

One of my best tips for writing a topic sentence is to just start writing. After writing a paragraph, reread it and ask yourself, “What is the main point of this section?” Find a friend or roommate and in one short sentence explain what the paragraph is about. For example, “This paragraph talks about examples of hurricanes in Florida.” Now you can construct a sentence to start your paragraph that will help the reader know what is coming up in that section. Another tip is that frequently when we first start to write, we get to our main point at the end of a paragraph. Look and see if this happened to you! Take that last sentence and rework it into a nice topic sentence to start the paragraph instead.

How do I count triplets?

While a normal eighth note divides a quarter note into two equal parts, eighth note triples divide a quarter note into three equal parts. Instead of counting “One and” (1 &) like you would for counting eighth notes, you say “one and uh” (1 & a). Tap a slow quarter note with your hand. While doing this, evenly speak “one and uh” one time per tap. It might be easier to count “one two three” when beginning this. Another way to count triplets is saying “One tri-plet, two tri-plet” etc. Once you feel comfortable evenly counting triplets, practice switching between different rhythms.

What is the difference between operant conditioning and classical conditioning?

Classical conditioning pairs two unrelated stimuli and leads to an automatic response. When a unconditioned stimulus is combined with a neutral stimulus, the neutral stimulus eventually becomes a conditioned stimulus that leads to to original unconditioned response. An example of classical conditioning is pairing the scent of food (unconditioned stimulus) with the ringing of a bell (neutral stimulus). The scent of food naturally leads to salivating (unconditioned response). After pairing the scent of food and the sound of a bell many times, the sound a bell on it’s own will result in salivating. On the other hand, operant conditioning has more to do with voluntary behaviors. A behavior is followed by either reinforcement or punishment. A reinforcer increases the behavior, while punishment decreases the behavior.