Kelly
Kelly, the creator of (un)Enlightened English, is a PhD student who not only has a passion for writing but a passion for helping others learn. As a tutor in her CUNY Queens College's Writing Center and adjunct composition instructor, Kelly has tutored students of all backgrounds–from English majors to English as Second Language (ESL) students.
Posts by Kelly
What is Middle English?
Jul 6th
It’s hard to find a concise yet definitive account of “Middle English” online. The Wikipedia entry has glaring gaps, omitting sections such as the Great Vowel Shift and not illustrating what the “thorn” is. This post will help you get a better grasp of your Chaucer through your Malory (whom I’ll be studying shortly), and hopefully you’ll think this stuff is as awesome as I think it is. If you’re taking a British Literature course or are studying The Canterbury Tales or Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, I highly suggest you keep reading. (more…)
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May vs. Might
Jul 2nd
Like most of my posts, this one originated from a conversation. I said might or may (I forget which now), stopped and tried to correct myself. But then I realized that I might have been correct the first time. So I went on an expedition to find the meaning of might and may and am now reporting the results to you. Enjoy!
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Empathy vs. Sympathy
Jun 30th
No one enjoys hearing bad news. The passing of a loved one, a terminal illness, and life-threatening moments can evoke strong emotions of sympathy or empathy. And as some of you experience these emotions, you may ask yourself “Why am I buying sympathy cards? Should I buy empathy cards? Why isn’t there such a thing?” Well, let’s sit down and talk about these words for a bit, because really, I empathize with your confusion! (more…)
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(un)Enlightened English had a Face-Lift!
Jun 30th
Big news! Ok, so I know I made a post earlier saying we had a makeover. I wasn’t happy with that theme, tore the whole thing down, and restructured the site. I think it looks a bit more professional now, a bit more English-y now, and a bit more organized. So what do you guys think? You like? Feel free to comment and if you notice any bugs, report them here. Thanks!
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MLA Paper Formatting
Jun 26th
Even if you’re not an English major, you’re going to need to take composition courses, humanities courses, and various other courses that require you to format your paper in a very specific way. While some professors have their own requirements and while other associations may have different formatting options, I have found MLA formatting to be one of the most popular. Read on to learn proper MLA formatting! (more…)
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The Origins of the Blogosphere (It’s Not What you Think)
Jun 24th
So today was the last day of my first graduate course, which was based on eighteenth century literature. Now, because of this, today’s post is going to be a little different. I want to reflect a bit on the class, some ideas I had in it, etc. You will, regrettably, not learn the difference between got and gotten (because I’m still trying to figure that out) or not and knot (because that seems too easy), or anything else today. However, you will gain a little insight of who I am. So today we’re going to look at the eighteenth century and the blogosphere More >
Your vs. You’re (There’s a reason I’m doing this!)
Jun 22nd
Ok, first–let me apologize. I went to visit my parents for Father’s Day weekend, and their internet coupled with my internet card resulted in some aggravating results. Also–today is my one year anniversary, so this will be a quick post before I start getting back on track this week. Thanks for dealing with me guys.
So I received in the mail a letter from my alma mater’s alumni department. It congratulated me on my commencement, and asked me to donate money (of course!) But then at the end it said, “You’re donation will go a long way!” Seriously? Did you More >
Invoke vs. Evoke
Jun 17th
Some of the best moments in my life are when I proofread myself in conversation. I was talking to my husband and said “invoke” (or “evoke,” can’t remember now!), stopped and said to him, “Do I mean invoke or evoke?” After some debate about it, the simple answer was–we didn’t know. We had some sort of idea, and after research–our idea was kind of correct. Read on to find out the difference! (more…)
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How to Expand your Paper: Garbage and Fluff Excluded
Jun 14th
It’s happened to the best of us. You think you say every possible thing there is to say about a subject–yet you only have four pages for your five to seven page paper (or whatever page limit is imposed on you). You have a minimum, you’re not at that minimum, and so you’ll probably end up repeating yourself and using extra quotes until you meet that limit. Not cool. Keep reading to find a much better method of expanding your papers! (more…)
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Flammable vs. Inflammable (Trust me, you want to know this)
Jun 12th
For those of you who follow me regularly–yes, I got an A on that paper. For those of you who don’t read me regularly, just be comforted in the fact that you’re reading a blog by a good student. Anyway, back on track. You ever see a pair of kids pajamas that says “Inflammable?” Well–if you knew the real meaning of inflammable, you would be greatly concerned. Keep reading to find out why! (more…)
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