Tutor profile: Jessica A.

What is a misplaced modifier?

Misplaced modifiers occur when a clause does not clearly refer to a subject in a sentence. For example, the sentence "The chef cooked and served the patrons" contains a misplaced modifier, as the ambiguous sentence structure makes it sound like the chef could have cooked the patrons. To clarify this misplaced modifier, change the sentence to "The chef cooked dinner and served it to the patrons" or "The chef cooked and served a grand meal for the patrons."

What strategies can I use to support my executive functioning?

Checklists, calendars, and graphic organizers are fantastic strategies to support executive functioning. If you have a multi-step or long-term assignment, first organize the time-related information. When is the final draft due? Are there smaller deadlines throughout, such as rough draft or peer editing due dates? Write these dates in a calendar. Then, work backwards to determine what you need to do to finish the assignment. What is the end goal? What are all of the small steps you might need to take, from brainstorming a topic to proofreading your paper? Once you have these tasks figured out, add them into your calendar. Spending the time to break tasks down early will save you time in the long run.

How do you determine tone and mood in a literary text?

Tone is the manner in which something is said by a character, narrator, or author. Mood is the way the tone makes you feel as a reader. A helpful way to remember the difference between tone and mood is to consider real-life conversations. If someone yells at you, they are likely speaking in an angry or frustrated tone. However, as the person experiencing this tone, you may not feel angry or frustrated - maybe you feel sad or scared. The way you feel in response is the mood. Tone helps create mood, but tone and mood are not always identical.