Commonly used Quickmarks

This article is an overview of the most commonly used Quickmark sets within Turnitin.

From the 1st of January Turnitin will be replaced by Unicheck, which is another similarity detection tool for Brightspace.

Currently, Unicheck is not as integrated into Brightspace as Tii was and is an External Learning Tool. Quickmarks and Rubric are not available within Unicheck, this article provides a summary of the most commonly used Quickmarks.

Quickmark Description
Awkward
(Awk)

 The expression or construction is cumbersome or difficult to read. Consider rewriting
Cite Source
(Citation Needed)
    		 Please use the link below to find links to information regarding specific citation styles: http://www.plagiarism.org/plag_article_citation_styles.html.
    
Commonly Confused Words
(Commonly Confused)

 Words that have similar sounds but different meanings often cause trouble for students. Please watch for such confusions in your writing.

Some of the more common confusions include:
  • Accept (to receive) and Except (to leave out)
  • Affect (to influence) and Effect (result or to accomplish)
  • Allusion (an indirect reference) and Illusion (a false perception)
  • Its (possessive form of \"it\")  and It’s (contraction of \"it is\")
  • Their (possessive form of \" they\"),  There (an indication of location), and They’re (a contraction of \" they are\")
  • Then (next or at that time) and Than (used in comparisons)
  • To (toward), Too (also or excessively) and two (number)
  • Your (possessive form of \" you\") and you’re (contraction of \"you are\").     
Comma Splice
(C/S)
    		 A sentence must have both a subject and the main verb to be complete, but it cannot have more than one subject or main verb. A comma splice is a variety of run-on sentences that occurs when to complete sentences, each with own subject and verb, are joined mistakenly by a comma.

There are generally three methods of correcting this problem:
  1. Replace the comma with a stronger mark of punctuation such as a period or semicolon, 
  2. Use a coordinating conjuction (\"and,\" \"but,\" \"or,\" \"nor\") to join the two constructions, or
  3. Make on of the two sentences dependent construction by linking it to the other with a subordinating conjunction (\"if,\" \"when,\" \"so that,\" \"although,\" \"because\") or relative pronoun (\"that,\" \"which,\" \"who,\" \"whom,\" \"whose\")
Delete
(Del.)

 Delete
Improper Citation
(Improper Citation)

 Improperly cited material.
Please use the link below to find links to information regarding specific citation styles: http://www.plagiarism.org/plag_article_citation_styles.html.
Insert Word
(Insert:)

 Insert word(s)
Missing Comma
(Missing ”,”)
 Though it may not always be grammatically necessary, a comma can often help to prevent a misreading. When a sentence opens with an introductory element (a phrase, clause or word that is logically related to another phrase or clause in the same sentence), it is a great help to your reader to place a comma after that introductory element. Such phrases will often begin with words like \" because \" \" while\" or \" although,\" as in the following example: \" While everyone was fighting, the bear wandered away.\" As you can see, without the comma, the sentence would be confusing.
Passive Voice
(P/V)

 Passive voice constructions do not tell your reader as much as the corresponding active version would. For instance, in the phrase \" it is understood,\" a reader cannot know who or what is doing the understanding. A more active version requires that you tell your reader who is acting: \"Students understand.\" While there are rare occasions when a writer cannot avoid the passive voice, the more informative active version is almost always a better choice. Changing passive constructions to active always makes writing more lively and accessible.
Run-on
(Run-on)
    		 Run-on sentence: The sentence contains two or more independent clauses. Separate the clauses with a period or semicolon.
    
Spelling Error
(SP)

 Spelling Error
Support Needed
(Support)

 A well-written paper will include strong support for its thesis. Support for your thesis should come from primary (original documents, interviews, and personal experiences) and secondary (information that has been processed or interpreted by someone else) sources. To use your support effectively, you must elaborate upon the information, quotations, and examples taken from your sources and connect them to your thesis. It is also important to remember to cite the sources of the evidence and support you use in your paper.
    
Unclear
(Vague)
    		 When making a point in one of your body paragraphs, one of the most common mistakes is to not offer enough details. A paragraph without much detail will seem vague and sketchy. A paper is always strengthened when your claims are as specific as possible, The more detailed evidence you offer, the more reference points your reader will have. Remember that you are communicating your argument to a reader who has only your description to go by. Someone who reads your essay will not automatically know what you mean to express, so you have to supply details, to show the reader what you mean, not just tell him or her.
    
Word Choice Error
(WC)

 Sometimes choosing the correct word to express exactly what you have to say is very difficult to do. Word choice errors can be the result of not paying attention to the word or trying too hard to come up with a fancier word when a simple one is appropriate. A thesaurus can be a handy tool when you're trying to find a word that's similar to, but more accurate than, the one you're looking up. However, it can often introduce more problems if you use a word thinking it has the same meaning.
Weak Paragraph Transition
(Weak Transition)

 Although paragraphs are separate, individual steps of your paper, it is important to clearly demonstrate a logical connection between them. Generally speaking, the way your paragraphs relate to one another displays how sound your argument really is. A paragraph that begins with \" also\" or \" in addition\" offers a weak transition from the previous point, even though it may develop a highly interesting and related point.
    

You now know what are the most commonly used Quickmarks of Turnitin in Brightspace!

Want to know more about Unicheck in Brightspace?

Please visit: