Tutor profile: Faith T.

What is the most important part of the writing process?

Most writers know that the most transformative stages of your writing actually don't involve what ends up on the page. Instead, some of the most important skills you will gain are in planning, outlining, and brainstorming, as well as incorporating feedback and learning to revise. Treating these as learnable skills can make the difference between a struggling and confident writer.

What is a run-on sentence and how do I learn to fix them?

In English, there are three kinds of sentences: simple, complex, and compound. Simple sentences use a subject plus a verb. Complex sentences have a subject plus a verb with an additional clause (a series of words that does not form a complete thought) attached. And a compound is a series of simple sentences connected to each other. There are specific rules that compound and complex sentences must follow, however, in order to sound natural and fluent. The difference between a legible paper and a fluent one can often come down to the use of structural tools, including punctuation and conjunctions (or connecting words). Though these ideas can feel somewhat impractical, understanding the building blocks of language can help your study in the long-run as this knowledge soon becomes second nature.

What defines satire as a genre?

Satire is first and foremost a genre that uses literary techniques to make a social commentary. A satire will use elements of fiction, which sets it apart from essays or straightforward social critique. And while satire is often associated with humor, this is only one subgroup of the genre. Humor is a popular tool of satirists, but not a necessary part of its definition.