Setting Out Written Work

309. Soviet teachers are sometimes in doubt about various
practical points relating to the way in which written work
in English should be done. Practice in England varies con­
siderably, but most schoolteachers expect their pupils to set
their work out in more or less the following way. These rules
are not enforced in universities and colleges, but students
are expected to present their written work neatly and in
accordance with certain basic standards, for the sake of clar­
ity and out of respect for the teacher who has to read and
mark it. If this is not done, the teacher may refuse to accept
the work.

Margin

Exercise books in England do not usually have printed margins. Pupils draw a marginon the left-hand side of each page, about an inch wide (the same width as those in Soviet exercise books) usually in pencil. They do not write anything in the margin, except, for example, the numbers of questions/ sentences in an exercise. It is left free for marking. Note the singular use of margin in such sentences as Draw/Leave a mar­gin, Don't write in the margin.

Date

There are several correct ways of writing the date. The traditional way is:

1st. March, 1980—read (the) first of March, nineteen eighty or Manh 1st., 1980—read March the first, nineteen eighty.

Note that the definite article and of are not written, except sometimes in continuous prose.

During recent years simplified forms have become more and more common, mainly owing to the desire to save time and space:

/ March, 1980—more common in Britain

March 1 (,) 1980—more common in the USA These are read in the same way as the traditional forms. They are particularly common in typewritten and printed matter, but are being increasingly used in handwritten matter too.

There are also abbreviated forms using figures only:

1.3.80 or 1.111.80—less common

3.1.80—only in the USA, where the month is generally put first.

These may be read as they are written, that is: one, three, eighty, or in full, like the other forms. Originally these ab­breviated forms were used only on forms, lists, etc. to save space, but they are now used by some people in letters, and by some schoolchildren and students in written work. Most teachers accept these forms, although some insist on one of the fuller forms.

Note that if the day of the week is included, it is always put at the beginning.

e.g. (Today is) Monday, 15th. September.

This is read: (Today is) Monday the fifteenth of September without a pause after Monday. The date is usually written in the top right-hand corner, and often underlined.

Headings

The heading, for example, the title of the composition, the page and number of the exercise, is usually written in the middle of the page, often on the line below the date, and underlined. Sometimes it is put on the left, against the mar­gin.

The first word of a heading and all the following words except articles and prepositions should be written with a capital letter.

e.g. A Visit to the Theatre

Page numbers and exercise numbers are often abbreviat­ed in headings as follows: Р. 10, Ex. 4.

Handwriting

Writing must be neat and legible. When children learn to write in the primary school they start by printing and later begin to join the letters together. In some schools pupils are taught a particular style of handwriting; in others they are simply allowed to develop their own style, legibility and neatness being the only criteria.

P.14. Paragraphs

Each paragraph ("абзац") should be indented, which means that it should begin a little way in from the margin, not right against the margin. 'The word indent is rather a technical one, and teachers usually express the idea in some other way, particularly in schools, where pupils may not know the word.

— You must begin each paragraph a little way (in) from the margin.

Abbreviations

Abbreviations are widely used in headings, lists, and so on, but they are not on the whole encouraged in complete sentences. They generally give a slipshod impression and show a lack of respect for the teacher who is to mark the work. Thus in compositions, essays and translations, abbreviations such as etc. and e.g. should be avoided, and low numbers (up to about a hundred) should be written in words. The ab­breviated and (&), called "ampersand", should also be avoided in continuous prose.

What has been said above does not apply to notes, where

abbreviations are encouraged, and which in any case are usually for the writer himself to read.

Corrections

When the teacher has marked the work and given it back, he usually expects the pupils to correct the mistakes they have made. He may say, for example:

— (Will you) please do your corrections now. or Please remember to do your corrections at home.

He may ask: — Are there any questions about corrections? The usual way of doing corrections is to write out mis­spelt words three times, and to correct other mistakes by writing out the whole sentence once. The pupils put the head­ing Corrections. The forms Mistakes Corrected and Correction of Mistakes are not usual, although their meaning is clear, and they are grammatically correct.

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 915