TutorTalk - The Blog

Halloween-Themed Grammar Resources

With Halloween on the horizon, we have all things spooky on our minds, and what's more intimidating than grammar? But fear not! This Halloween we're sharing some sweet resources to help banish those creeping grammar fears.

The Deluxe Transitive Vampire 

• This fun and informative book will help you learn about the different components of grammar through a gothic lens -perfect for the season of vampires, ghosts, and ghouls! 

Beware of Nominalizations (AKA Zombie Nouns) 

• In this video, presented by TedEd, explore how creating a noun from a verb can make a sentence or paragraph sluggish and senseless -just like a zombie!

Bonus: Spooky Etymology

Ever wonder where the term “jack o'lantern” comes from? Or how the the meaning of the words “terror” and “horror” are different? Check out Grammar Girl's fun and informative interview, The Dark Histories Behind Your Favorite Scary Words, to learn about the etymology of some classic spooky season words (available on YouTube and the Grammar Girl Podcast).

There are so many aspects of grammar that it can be hard to know where to start. Alongside these Halloween-themed resources,  be sure to check out our grammar and punctuation guide to help make your writing spooktacular!

Happy writing and

Happy Halloween!

Need help with a course? Book a session with one of our awesome tutors! 

New to our libguide lineup this year is a Generative AI Libguide. Discussions around generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) are plentiful, especially regarding it's application in higher education. This new libguide is a quick-start, need-to-know guide for students to better understand how GenAI tools, such as ChatGPT, work, and why their use is controversial in academic settings. 

To introduce some of the ideas explored in the libguide, here are two reasons your instructors may not want you to be using GenAI:

1. GenAI could count as a form of academic misconduct if you rely too heavily on those tools to complete assignments. The NWP Student Rights and Responsibilities policy (2022) defines academic misconduct as “the commission of any action which falsely indicates the student's level of academic achievement.” If you get a program like ChatGPT to write  your essay for you, how is that any different that asking another person to write your essay and then claiming the work as your own? 

2. GenAI is an unreliable source of information. It can cite non-existent sources, and misattribute information, both of which can compromise your academic integrity. 

   • For more information on academic integrity and plagiarism, check out our Academic Integrity guide.

      

Please note that the inclusion of this guide does not mean that you have permission to use GenAI tools to complete assignments. As of October 10, 2024, NWP does not have a institution-wise policy on GenAI, so each instructor is the authority on whether GenAI can be used in their class. Consult the course syllabus and assignment guidelines for every class to see if you are permitted to use GenAI for assignments. If you do not know, the best practice is to assume that you cannot, but you can always ask your instructor for clarification. 

Check out our guide at libguides.nwpolytech.ca/generative_ai

Need help with course work? Book a session with one of our awesome tutors!