AcaDemon Blog

The Battle of Bunker Hill - What is its Significance?

AcaDemon — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:08:51 +0000

The Battle of Bunker Hill - most of you recognize the name of this famous battle in American history, but how many of you know its significance? Or have you, like so many others, simply written it off to the annals of American history? Hopefully, you haven't, because it was a critical battle in the US War of Independence and, as such, should be remembered and commemorated. The Battle took place on June 17, 1775, and although technically not a victory for the US, it was a victory for US morale at the time. In honor of this important date in US history, paper #123121, "Bunker Hill Monument" was chosen for this week's Paper of the Week on AcaDemon. This paper describes and reports on the history, design, and symbolism of the Bunker Hill Monument, one of the first monuments to be erected in the United States. When you read this paper, you will come away more knowledgeable about US history and what we do to honor it.

US Wars

AcaDemon — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:32:00 +0000

You probably have pretty good recall of school lessons learned about the US War of Independence, the US Civil War, US involvement in WWI and WWII, the Vietnam War and the Korean War, the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War, but how much do you remember learning about all the other wars the US fought in? Take for example the Barbary Wars, do you remember them? If you don't, then make sure you check out this week's Paper of the Week on AcaDemon: paper # 128580, "The First Barbary War". The paper reports the causes, outcome, and aftermath of the First Barbary War as well as reveals the importance of this very important war in US history. Don't miss!

Do You Know? Who is the Sun King? What is the Difference between ‘Past’ and ‘Passed’? Why Avoid Passive Voice?

AcaDemon — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:35:34 +0000

Download and Listen: PYD 42: The Sun King and Passive, Past, and Passed

The Sun King

You’ve probably heard of ‘The Sun King”, but did you know that this title refers to Louis XIV, crowned King of France on June 7, 1654? To find out why King Louis XIV was given this title, make sure you check out this week’s Paper of the Week on AcaDemon, paper #151909, "Louis XIV: The Sun King and His Monarchy". That’s the paper that Dave discusses in Section 1 of PYD Podcast Episode 42.

Passive Voice

Then, in Section Two of PYD Episode 42, Dave discusses the passive voice, why not to use it, the difference between active and passive voice, and when it’s okay to use passive voice.

Past and Passed

In Section Three, we learn about the difference between ‘past’ and ‘passed’; two words falling under the category of homophones that so frequently confuse writers. If you listened to this week’s PYD Episode, you’ll know that we gave a quick quiz at the end on the correct use of the words ‘passed’ and ‘past’. So here’s the answer: The correct way to write the answer to our question is “I ran p-a-s-t the growling dog and straight into the house”. “Past” is correct because the sentence refers to a location (past the growling dog) and not the action of passing something in the past.

Most importantly, make sure you listen in this week because Dave has a Special Offer, you don’t want to miss!

Question: What do Bifocals, Sentence Fragments, Run-ons and Bad have in Common?

AcaDemon — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:04:44 +0000

Answer: They are all discussed in this week’s Power Your Document Episode 41

Download and Listen 41: Benjamin Franklin’s Inventions, Fragments and Run-ons, Bad vs. Badly

Ben Franklin’s Inventions

If ever anyone in American history deserves the title of Renaissance man, it was Benjamin Franklin. Amongst his many accomplishments, Franklin can list that he was a US founding father, that he signed the US Declaration of Independence, and that he was an author, activist, printer, painter, scientist, politician, diplomat, statesman, soldier, and inventor. Paper # 115654, “Benjamin Franklin’s Inventions” discusses this last accomplishment; Benjamin Franklin’s numerous and groundbreaking inventions. This is also the paper that Dave discusses in this week’s PYD podcast episode, and since one of Franklin’s greatest inventions was invented in 1785 on May 23, this is the perfect paper to discuss this week! Learn about this particular invention and others when you listen to Dave or check out the paper.

Fragments and Run-ons

But that’s not all, in Segment Two of PYD Episode 41, Dave also talks about sentence fragments and run-on sentences. They’re more complicated than you think or probably remember, so don’t miss Dave’s explanation and lessons on what they are and how to avoid them.

Which is it? Bad? Or Badly?

And in Segment Three, Dave takes on the difference between the words ‘bad’ and ‘badly’ and when each one should and should not be used in a sentence. There is a distinction and it’s important to know what it is, so don’t miss Dave’s discussion!

But just to get you going, here's a little tip to help you out:

As Dave points out in Segment Three, part of understanding how to use 'bad' and 'badly' correctly means understanding the difference between linking verbs and action verbs as well as knowing the verbs that make up the linking verbs. These verbs include the ‘to be’ verbs and verbs that describe the senses, with one exception.

What is that exception? The exception applies to the verb ‘hear’. For example, you can write ‘That feels awful’, ‘That smells awful’, or ‘That tastes awful’, but you can’t write ‘That hears awful’. Instead we must replace the word ‘hear’ with the word ‘sound’. So, we would write ‘That sounds awful’.

So, take a minute and listen to our latest podcast. There's always something new going on. And, if you have the time, please comment on this blog, talks to us on FB,or email us at podcast@academon.com and to tell us your thoughts about what you'd like covered in upcoming episodes.

Paper of the Week: Presidential Impeachments

AcaDemon — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:44:24 +0000

How much do you know about the history of presidential impeachments in the US? It's an aspect of US history that's important to learn about and to learn from. For a fascinating look at the three US Presidents that faced impeachment, make sure you check out this week's Paper of the Week on AcaDemon, paper #147933. The paper presents in-depth analysis and comparison of the impeachment procedures against three US Presidents and their impact on US politics.

Immunizations and Their Impact, How to Write Numbers, and the Difference between an Analogy and a Simile

AcaDemon — Tue, 07 May 2013 10:45:59 +0000

Download and Listen: 40: To Immunize or Not to Immunize, Similes v. Metaphors v. Analogies and How do You Write Numbers?

Immunization Programs and Their Impact

Worried about the efficacy and safety of immunizations? AcaDemon Paper of the Week, #117740, “Immunization Programs”, can help shed some light on this topic as it examines, in detail, the impact that immunization programs have had on developed countries. For more information on the paper, make sure you listen to Dave in this week’s PYD Episode where he examines this paper and provides a little ‘look inside’ of its contents.

Analogies v. Similes v. Metaphors

Then in Segment Two of PYD Episode 40, Dave tackles the topic of analogies and explains how they differ from similes and metaphors, how to identify them, and how to use them.

Writing Numbers

Dave wraps up the episode with a discussion on how to properly write numbers and of course, how not to write them – and yes there are even rules for writing numbers. In fact, here are a few more rules that weren't mentioned in the podcast:

If you are writing a number over 1 million, write it as a numeral plus a word. e.g., 10 million.
Write out decimals in figures.
When writing decades in numerals e.g., ‘70s, put an apostrophe before the first numeral, but NOT before the s (as you are indicating a plural not a possessive).
Spell out the time of day except when an exact time of day e.g., 5:37 is being specified or when A.M or P.M. is used.
It is preferable to use noon and midnight rather than 12:00 P.M. and 12:00 A.M.

IS THE US SECURE?

AcaDemon — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:09:12 +0000

How secure are we? That’s the question examined by this week’s Paper of the Week on AcaDemon when it considers the US approach to national security since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Paper # 114405, “National Security Concerns”, aims a critical eye to the security measures implemented by the US Homeland Security Department, explaining the weaknesses of these measures and the measures that should truly be implemented in order to ensure US security. For an intelligent and thought-provoking analysis of what needs to be done in order to keep the US safe, make sure you read this paper!

CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, THE DIFF BETWEEN METAPHORS AND SIMILES, & STAYING GENDER-NEUTRAL

AcaDemon — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:08:02 +0000

► Download and Listen: 39: The Shot Heard Around the World, Metaphors and Similes, Gender-Neutral Writing

The Shot Heard Around the World

PYD Host, Dave Jackson, begins Episode 39 by discussing this week’s Paper of the Week on AcaDemon, paper #110228, “Causes of the American Revolution”. This fascinating paper examines the social, economic, and political causes of the American Revolution. It all began on April 19 in the state of Massachusetts with the ‘shot heard around the world’.

Do You Know the Difference Between a Metaphor and a Simile?

In Segment Two of PYD Episode 39, Dave gives us a precise explanation of a metaphor and a simile, tells us how they differ, and how to remember how they differ!

Are you Gender Neutral?

And in Segment Three, we learn about the importance of keeping your writing gender-neutral and get some good tips for how to do it. Of course, this post wouldn’t be complete without including the extra writing tip Dave always promises, so here is that handy list of some more gender-neutral nouns you can use when you’re writing:

anchorman	news anchor, anchor, newscaster
businessman	business executive, manager
fireman	firefighter
freshman	first-year student
mailman, postman	mail (or letter) carrier
manholes	utility holes, sewer holes
mankind	humanity, people, human beings, humankind
manmade	synthetic, artificial
manpower	workers, workforce, staffing
middleman	intermediary, go-between
newsman	reporter, correspondent
policeman	police officer

Communication Barriers

AcaDemon — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:44:12 +0000

Communication barriers come in all forms and can be difficult to overcome, but if you are one of the nearly 10,000,000 persons that are hard of hearing in the US, you have an extra obstacle to overcome; obstacles that the hearing world never has to think twice about. This week’s Paper of the Week on AcaDemon, paper #127998,”Trapped: Psychological Intervention among the Deaf”, examines in detail exactly what those obstacles are, the challenges they impose on the non-hearing world, and how they are overcome. This paper was chosen as this week’s Paper of the Week because, on April 15, 1817, the first American School for the Deaf opened its doors. In so doing, new avenues to success and to society were opened to the deaf and hard of hearing. Paper #127998 is an intelligently written, informative paper, and a perfect tribute to an important date in history.

Crisis and Tragedy in Darfur, Careers in Technical Writing, When do You Use "Bi" and When do You Use "Semi"?

AcaDemon — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:04:33 +0000

Darfur, Sudan

PYD host, Dave Jackson, begin PYD Episode 38 with a discussion on paper #102547, “Darfur: Its Causes and Complications”, which is this week’s Paper of the Week on AcaDemon. The paper discusses the immediate and root causes of all the troubles that have plagued Darfur in recent history and culminated in the worst humanitarian crisis of this century.

Is Technical Writing Right for You?

Moving on to Segment Two of PYD Episode 38, Dave explains to us exactly what technical writing is and then provides detailed information on what it takes to become a technical writer and how to pursue a career in this field.

Bi or Semi - Do You Know the Difference?

Lastly, in Segment Three, Dave explains the difference between the words 'bi' and 'semi' and provides examples of how to correctly use the two words. So don't miss this PYD episode or any of our bi-weekly podcasts because you're sure to learn from them. And don't worry, we haven't forgotten; here's the tip Dave promised in the podcast for helping you stay clear on the difference between 'bi' and 'semi':

Just remember that while the root meaning of both these prefixes have to do with the concept of 'two', 'bi' refers to to something that happens every other time period (such as every other week or every other month) and semi refers to something that happens twice in a time period (like half of that time period).

So, please take a minute to listen to our latest podcast. There's always something new to listen to and learn. And, if you have the time, comment on this blog, talks to us on FB,or email us at podcast@academon.com and to tell us your thoughts about what you'd like covered in upcoming episodes.