The directions for Major Paper logs ask you to estimate the time you spend on each part of the writing process. [Click here to see.]  If you started at 3:00 and stopped at 5:00, and during that time both revised and edited, you should guesstimate the time spent on each and record each on a separate line. At times this may be very inaccurate, but it will probably be more accurate than my simply dividing the recorded time equally among the indicated steps of the process [which is what I had to do in the cases where you see the "Grrrr" in the comment lines]. As you have (or will) see, I calculate such things as average time spent on revision, etc. in an attempt to get a better picture of what strong and weak students do. I will then pass this information on to you so that you will know how you might want to modify your own writing processes.

Main clauses can be joined by colons, semicolons, or dashes. At an elementary level, these three punctuation marks can be used interchangeably, but more sophisticated writers (and readers) use the marks differently to express different tones and relationships.
     The colon and dash are best used when the second main clauses amplifies, or gives more details, about the first main clause:
          It was cold: the temperature was a windy 30 degrees.
          Dr. Vavra is a devil -- he smiles when he gives too much homework.
Note that in both cases the second main clause is an example of  the first:
          It was cold. For example,  the temperature was a windy 30 degrees.
          Dr. Vavra is a devil. For example, he smiles when he gives too much homework.
The difference between the colon and the dash is that the colon implies a formal tone, whereas the dash implies a more casual style.

     Whereas the colon and dash imply a continuation of the same idea, the semicolon makes better readers expect a contrast:
          He went swimming; she did the dishes.
          The Knicks play zone defense; the Pacers prefer one-on-one.
The semicolon also invites readers to consider the reasons or circumstances for the differences. In the first example, good readers will recognize not just two statements of opposing facts, but also an implication that (as usual?) the man is having fun while the woman is stuck doing the work. The second example invites the reader to consider the differences in players, coaches, and/or strategy which would account for the different preferences. Depending on his or her purpose, the writer may or may not go on to explain the differences. In some cases, for example, part of the fun of reading and writing is that the experienced reader catches with implications of the statement without being specifically told. In other cases, the sentence acts as a topic sentence for  a discussion of the differences

Referring to the Text of a Play

In citing or otherwise referring to the text of a play, do not cite page numbers. Instead simply include the Act and Scene in the parentheses, i.e. (Act II, Sc. 3).

How many times do students have to be told that the titles of plays should either be underlined or in italics?

A point of usage: Many people feel that it is impolite to use "which" or "that" to refer to people. They believe that "which" and "that" should be used to refer to things, whereas people should be referred to by using "who" or "whom." If you do not follow this rule, you may insult some readers.