After you discuss higher-order concerns with a writer, it can be hard to decide what lower-order concerns to discuss next.
First, try to figure out if something is an error or a mistake. Writing Center scholar Ben Rafoth says the difference is this:
An error is something done incorrectly in writing that the writer doesn’t typically notice and does not know how to fix.
A mistake is something done incorrectly in writing that a writer knows how to fix (106).
For example, if we see this sentence in a writer’s draft:
The car is lying on it’s side in the ditch.
We might notice that “it’s” should be “its.” (This is a tricky one, but “it’s” always means “it is” and “its” shows possession.) We won’t know immediately if this is an error or a mistake. However, if we notice the same incorrect use of “it’s” again and again in the same draft, we can be pretty sure that it is an error. So one thing you can do as a writing tutor is to look for patterns of error and talk about those first with the writer.
Lots of tutors try the following teaching strategy (tell, show, do, apply) when talking to writers about a pattern of error:
1. TELL: They point out one place where the error happens to the writer. They ask the writer if they know what is incorrect and if they know how to fix it.
2. SHOW: If they don’t, the tutor shows how to correct the error. (If the writer does know how to fix it, it’s just a mistake and you can suggest the writer check the draft for other mistakes.)
4. DO: Then, the tutor finds another place where the error happens and asks the writer if they notice it. For example, “I see in this paragraph another incorrect use of ‘it’s.’ Can you see it and correct it?” The tutor lets the writer try to correct it.
5. APPLY: Finally, the tutor suggests the writer scan the rest of the draft to see if the error occurs again and to correct it on their own.
When tutors do this, writers not only have fixed an error in their draft, they may carry the lesson they learned about correcting the error into their future writing (which is, of course, amazing!).
Look up one writing rule (about usage, grammar, citation, or punctuation) that you'd like to know more about. For example, maybe you don't know when to use a colon. Learn the rule and then write an example of using the rule properly and using the rule incorrectly. Use these examples to teach others on your team the rule you learned.