You don't have to be an English whiz to write effective police reports - or to be an effective instructor. This is the second of three videos offering practical tips for solving common writing problems.

1. Teaching Report Writing:
“But I’m Not an English
Teacher!”
Part Two
by Jean Reynolds,
Ph.D.

2. In this video we’re going to look at
some words that often cause
problems for writers.

3. I’m going to use the explanations I offer my
own students.
I’m hoping you’ll like
some of these tips
and use them
yourself when you’re
teaching.

4. Of course you might prefer to come up
with your own explanations! That’s fine.
There are many
common words
that the average
person might not
use correctly.

5. For example,
loose means “not
tight.”
Loose rhymes
with moose.

6. But there’s a similar word that many
people never write: lose.
They just write loose instead.
My shoelaces are
loose.
I need to lose
some weight.

7. Here’s another word with the same
problem: your.
Many people forget to use the contraction
you’re (meaning you are).
They use your every time.
I have your test scores.
When you’re ready, I’ll explain the policy.

8. The same problem occurs with there (similar
to here). Many writers never write their or
they’re.
They just keep writing there.
His car was there all night.
They always lock their doors and windows.
When they’re away, they let the neighbors
know.

9. Here’s another one. Everyone knows man is
singular and men is plural.
But many people
never write the word
woman. They always
use women.

10. I interviewed a women
who lives next door. X
I interviewed a woman
who lives next door. ✔

11. Then is a time word: I unlocked the door, and
then I went inside.
Many people never
think about a similar
word used for
comparisons: than.
He’s been on the
force longer than I
have.

12. Than is used for comparisons.
He’s been on the
force longer than I
have.

13. Now let’s look at the word his.
his
It’s an interesting
word because it’s
possessive—but his
doesn’t have an
apostrophe.

14. Jack remembered
to bring Kay’s
raincoat, but he
left his umbrella
at home.
No problem, right?

15. But some writers are puzzled when they come
across other possessive words that never have
apostrophes.
That money is his.
That money is hers.
That money is ours.
That money is yours.
That money is theirs.
No apostrophes!

16. If you think about his, you’ll never make a
mistake with a possessive pronoun.
That money is his.
That money is hers.
That money is ours.
That money is yours.
That money is theirs.
No apostrophes!

17. What about the possessive of it?
The same principle applies: Think about his.
No apostrophe.
Joe hurt his foot.
The dog hurt its foot.

18. The coat lost one
of its buttons.
The club is seeing
a decline in its
membership.
his
its

19. But what is the
contraction of
it is?
Easy: it’s.
I like to
pretend that
the apostrophe
is a tiny “i.”

20. I think it’s going to
rain this evening.
I think itis going to
rain this evening.

21. Here’s one more hint: NEVER put an
apostrophe after its: its’
There are only two correct forms:
The dog hurt its
foot.
I think it’s going to
rain this evening.
its (possessive, like
his)
it’s (contraction of
itis)

22. Let’s look at a few
more of these
troublesome words.
Passed is an action.
(Notice the –ed ending.)
His car passed mine
and turned left on
Hamilton Avenue.

23. Past refers to
time.
Although he had a
drinking problem
in the past, he’s
been sober for five
years.

24. To refers to direction or purpose.
We’re opening a
youth center to
provide a safe
place for teens to
have fun.

25. Too means excess. (Think of a couple of
extra o’s: tooooo much.)
I ate too much at
lunch and started
feeling sleepy.

26. Additionally, too can mean also.
I drive a Nissan;
Harris has one
too.

27. Where refers to a place:
I can’t remember where I laid my
wallet.
Where did you live before you moved to
Rosedale?
(Notice the word here inside: where.)

28. Were is a verb (action).
While we were
talking to Mrs.
Clemons, her
husband returned
home from work.

29. And here’s one more troublesome word:
a lot.
It’s always two
words, never one.

30. Most of these
words are so
ordinary and
familiar that some
writers never
notice them.

31. How can students
train their brains
to stop and think
about them every
time?

32. The answer is repetition.

33. Give the class a list of troublesome
words to practice writing from memory
for a quiz the following week.

34. a lot
his, hers, ours, yours,
theirs
it’s, its
lose, loose
passed, past
than, then
there, their, they’re
to, too, two
were, where
woman, women
your, you’re

35. When students spend time practicing
these words…
…they’ll also
develop the habit
of stopping to
think when they
use them in
sentences.
Result? Success!