Scripts are pre-set 'canned' messages which tutors can choose from the following list to send to students. This list will grow as the WriteAway service develops. There are scripts currently available for the following scenarios:
Response - Second/Third Submission
New Draft Submitted Without Making Changes Suggested by Previous Tutor
More than Three Submissions of the Same Paper
Student has Asked for Help with Citations/Referencing
Student has Asked for Help with APA Citations/Reference (2020)
Page Count of Assignment is Longer than Indicated
Student has Submitted a Take Home Exam
Student has Submitted a Group-Written Assignment
Student has Submitted a Graduate-level paper or Grad school application
Student sends Thanks or a Complaint
Student has Asked for Paper to be Proofread
Student has Asked for Feedback on Assignment but No Assignment Directions Included
Student's Assignment Due Date has Passed
Referring Students to Additional Learning Support Services
Referring Students to Additional Learning Support Services - Graduate School Applications
Referring Students to Additional Learning Support Services - Cover Letters/Resumes
Student Assignment Does Not Include File
Student Submits Wrong File Type (.pdf or other)
Writing Genre Specific Scripts
Response - First Time User
Hi [student name], Welcome to WriteAway! My name is ..., and I am happy to offer you suggestions for this draft. I see that this is your first time submitting to WriteAway. Each paper can be submitted up to three times, and after each revision, a tutor will offer additional feedback. Tutors suggest strategies to improve your writing skills and to help you become aware of errors you can fix yourself. I have attached your paper with embedded remarks [in bold and in brackets] and I have provided some next steps to guide you as you move forward. Thanks for using WriteAway!
Response - Second/Third Submission
Hi [student name], my name is ..., and I have provided suggestions on your second/third draft. I have made embedded remarks [in bold and in brackets] in your paper and provided some next steps. Thanks for using WriteAway!
New Draft Submitted Without Making Changes Suggested by Previous Tutor
Hi [student name], It looks like you've re-submitted your paper without acting on the good recommendations of your previous WriteAway tutor. Until you have considered this tutor's feedback and made revisions, we cannot provide further assistance. If you didn't make changes because you found the previous tutor's comments to be unclear, would you mind letting me know what you found unclear, and why it was unclear to you? That would really help me explain things in a less confusing way. Also, if you didn't find the previous comments useful, could you tell me why? What were you looking for that you didn't get? Any feedback would be appreciated, because we're always trying to learn how to help students better. Thanks in advance!
More than Three Submissions of the Same Paper
WriteAway tutors will review up to three drafts of a paper. It looks like you've already submitted three drafts of this paper, so I'm not able to offer further feedback. If you need additional assistance, please visit your institutional writing centre or speak to your instructor. We welcome your submission of future papers to WriteAway!
We received your request for writing assistance through WriteAway. Unfortunately, I am unable to open the document you have uploaded. This happens sometimes when symbols (e.g. *%#) are used in the title of the paper. Please rename your document and resubmit your paper by uploading it to WriteAway again. Thank you.
Student has Asked for Help with Citations/Referencing
You've asked for help with citations or referencing. I can offer you some resources to help you review the formatting of your citations/references. You may also find it helpful to chat with a librarian. Consider visiting https://askaway.org/chat to start a live chat with a librarian who can tell you more. The ultimate authority on what is required for your sources and citations in your assignment is your professor or TA. If you are unsure about the sources you've referenced or the way you've cited your sources, it is always a good idea to check in with them.
Student has Asked for Help with APA Citations/Reference (2020)
You mentioned in the submission form that you’re using APA style. Do you know if your instructor prefers the APA 6th edition or the APA 7th edition? If you’re not sure, check in with them or one of the librarians at your institution. For now, you might want to check out this online resource that provides more information about APA: RESOURCE OF TUTOR’S CHOICE
Page Count of Assignment is Longer than Indicated
Hi [student name]. It looks like the assignment you have uploaded is longer than the [1-2 or 3-5] pages selected on the submission form. Because of the length of this submission and the time limits within which WriteAway tutors work, I will focus my response on [specific area(s) of concern mentioned by the student]. After reviewing my comments on these areas, I encourage you to revise and resubmit a second draft to WriteAway for further suggestions and feedback.
Student has Submitted a Take Home Exam
Hi [student name], It looks like you've submitted a take home exam. Because take home exams are designed for students to show their own approaches to assignments, WriteAway tutors cannot provide assistance with these types of exams. If you are having difficulty understanding the instructions of your take home exam, please speak to your instructor. If this is not a take home exam, please resubmit your paper and a WriteAway tutor will be happy to provide feedback.
Student has Submitted a Group-Written Assignment
Hi [student name], It looks like you've submitted a group-written assignment. Unfortunately WriteAway tutors don't give feedback on group-written work, only on work submitted by individual students. You and your group-mates are welcome to re-submit your individually written sections separately for WriteAway assistance. You might also consider visiting your institutional in-person writing centre as a team. Good luck!
Student has Submitted a Graduate-level paper or Grad school application
Dear student, Thank you for submitting your work to WriteAway. It appears that you have submitted a [graduate-level assignment/graduate school application] which is outside the scope of WriteAway. WriteAway is intended to provide writing assistance on undergraduate-level work. For feedback on graduate-level work, please seek writing assistance at your institution. Please visit the Learning Support Services page and select your school from the list of institutions (https://writeaway.ca/institutional-learning-support) to learn about resources available to you.
Thank you. Best of luck with your studies.
Student sends Thanks or a Complaint
[Positive Feedback]
Hi Student,
I'm glad that the feedback you received was helpful! Please share more about your experience via the student survey link: https://writeaway.ca/student-survey
Hi Student,
Thank you for your feedback. I have forwarded your concerns to the WriteAway Administrative Centre.
eQuestions - Student has Submitted a Homework Question Without Explaining What He/She Doesn't Understand
Writeaway tutors will not answer your homework, quiz or test questions for you, but they can help you develop strategies to find answers or resolve problems on your own. If you are having difficulties with a homework question, please resubmit your eQuestion describing specifically what you do not understand or where you think you are getting stuck.
Student has Asked for Paper to be Proofread
You have asked for a tutor to proofread/edit your paper. Unfortunately, WriteAway tutors do not correct grammar mistakes or proofread papers for students. Sometimes an instructor might tell you that your paper needs to be proofread, which generally means that you need to learn to proofread it yourself. Some important things you can do to improve your proofreading are:
- Use spellchecker
- Read your writing aloud
- Slow it down. Read one paragraph at a time, and carefully check for punctuation and typos.
For more suggestions check out the following link:
https://cowichan.viu.ca/sites/default/files/viu-cowichan-editing-and-proofreading.pdf
Student has Asked for Feedback on Assignment but No Assignment Directions Included
Thanks for submitting your paper to WriteAway! I've provided embedded remarks [in bold and brackets] and some next steps to guide you as you move forward. You've asked us to provide feedback on whether or not you completed the requirements for this essay. To provide the best help, I need more information about what your teacher has asked you to do. For now, I'll respond based on what you've sent in, but we will be able to provide you with more specific help if you can send us a clear summary of the assignment instructions. You might also want to speak to your instructor if the assignment instructions are unclear to you.
Assignment Due Date has Passed
Hi..., According to the due date that you've included for your assignment, I understand that you may have already submitted your paper to the instructor. I hope you will still find this feedback useful for improving your writing for future assignments.
Referring Students to Additional Learning Support Services
Hi …, You have asked a question that is beyond the scope of the WriteAway service, which is intended to provide online writing assistance to students. Please visit the Learning Support Services page and select your school from the list of institutions (https://writeaway.ca/institutional-learning-support) to learn about resources available to you.
Referring Students to Additional Learning Support Services - Graduate School Application
Hi …, You have asked for help with a graduate school application, which is beyond the scope of the WriteAway service. WriteAway tutors are available to provide feedback on draft writing for course-related assignments alone. Please visit the Learning Support Services page and select your school from the list of institutions (https://writeaway.ca/institutional-learning-support) to learn about resources available to you.
Referring Students to Additional Learning Support Services - Cover Letters/Resumes
Hi …, You have asked for help with a personal cover letter/resume, which is beyond the scope of the WriteAway service. WriteAway tutors provide feedback on cover letters and resumes only if they are required for a course assignment. Please visit the Learning Support Services page and select your school from the list of institutions (https://writeaway.ca/institutional-learning-support) to learn about resources available to you.
Student Cannot Open File
If tutor can open file and re-send:
Hi …, I'm sorry to hear that you had difficulties opening your tutor's response. I have re-saved the document and I am sending it again with a new file name. If you still cannot open the file, please contact the WriteAway Administrative Centre for technical assistance.
If tutor cannot open file (send as comment back to student):
Hi… I'm sorry to hear that you can't open this file. Someone is looking into this technical issue and will get back to you soon.
Duplicate Papers
Script to go with attached version of paper containing feedback:
Hi X,
It appears that you have submitted the same paper two times. I have provided feedback in the version attached, and I will send the other paper back to you without feedback as both submissions are the same. If you have any questions, please contact the WriteAway Administrative Centre.
Script for comments section when responding to the second paper (without attachment):
Hi X,
It appears that you have submitted the same paper two times. As you will have seen, I have provided feedback in the first of the two submissions dated [X]. If you have any questions, please contact the WriteAway Administrative Centre.
Student Assignment does not Include File
Hi X,
Unfortunately, no file was uploaded with this submission. Please attach your assignment to your email when replying to this message (files must be in .doc, .docx, or .rtf) and we'll be happy to help you.
Student Submits Wrong File Type (.pdf or other)
Hi X,
Unfortunately, you haven't submitted a file type that we can review (files must be in .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .txt). Please attach your assignment (in .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .txt format) to your email when replying to this message and we'll be happy to help you.
Student Submits a Blank File
I've opened your file, but unfortunately the pages are blank. Can you please try uploading your document again - attach it to this email and reply. Once we can access your assignment, a tutor will be able to provide feedback.
Suspected Plagiarism
Please see the guide on the Resources page (note: tutors must be logged into view).
Writing Genre Specific Scripts
You've said that this is a ___ (business report, summary, article review, short story, lab report). While I don't have a specific background in business/creative writing/science writing, I can comment on what I see as the main idea or thesis in your work and describe where your writing makes sense to me and where it might need some improvement.
I see that you are writing a ___. With this type of assignment it will be important to clearly identify a main idea you want to communicate/summarize/focus on. I'll provide feedback on what I see as the main idea of your work here today and offer suggestions about how you might continue to develop this piece of writing.
Writing a ___ usually means that your paper should include the following: ___. If you are unsure about what you need to provide for a book review/personal statement/annotated bibliography, be sure to check with your instructor about his or her expectations.
