Note: The Workbench has been temporarily discontinued. If you are a currently-enrolled UBC student, you can access the tutors in person at the Writing Centre or in the Chapman Learning Commons while classes are in session. Tutoring is not available during the exam periods or Reading Break.
The Workbench is a place where you can work very specifically on the mechanics and structure of your writing. Use this email text-submission tool in conjunction with the many resources available in the Writers' Toolbox. The Workbench provides a place for you to receive constructive feedback from an experienced peer tutor from the UBC Continuing Studies Writing Centre's Tutorial Clinic.
Using the Writers' Workbench, you can submit excerpts from any of your writing (academic or non-academic) that you'd like feedback on. These excerpts should not exceed 200 words in length. Each excerpt should be accompanied by a question/or questions you have about your text. You should also provide some brief context about the writing situation you find yourself in. Provide the tutor with the name of the course you're writing for and offer a brief description of the writing assignment. For example, are you writing a research essay for Anthropology 100? An argument paper for English 112? If the excerpt is from a piece of writing not intended for use in school, give the tutor an indication of your purpose in writing the text. For example, are you trying to evoke emotion with particularly vivid description? Are you writing a narrative? What is the point you're trying to get across to the reader? Are you trying to convey a particular image through the use of a metaphor or analogy? Are you writing an article?
Sample Questions
For example, you might send in an excerpt of text accompanied by any of the following questions:
Remember, above all, that the Workbench and the Writers' Workshop are designed to help you find ways to improve your writing on your own. We are trying to provide you with the skills to edit and your own work and explore/develop your own writing style. To that end, the Workbench is not an editing service. The tutors will not rewrite your texts for you. That type of proofreading and editing doesn't help you to become a confident and competent editor of your own work. If someone were simply to rewrite what you've written for you, they would be removing you from the process: you would no longer have a clear idea of what you're doing well and what you need to work on. This would have a negative effect on you in the long run.
When you submit texts using the Workbench, you'll receive very clear, very constructive feedback. The tutor will respond to the questions you provide and will offer specific commentary on what works well in the passage and on what you might rethink in the passage.
Using the Workbench is easy. In the text area provided below, type or cut and paste the block of text that you want feedback on. Remember to include at least one specific question that you'd like the tutor to answer with regards to your text. Also remember to provide some context about the writing situation you are in. After you click on Send, it may take up to 48 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) to receive a response from the Writing Centre. Note: The Workbench has been temporarily discontinued. If you are a UBC student, you can access the tutors in person.
If the above form is not functioning properly (if your mail is sent back to you with an error message) you can send your text submissions directly to workbench(at)cstudies.ubc.ca with the subject "text submission." Include your text in the body of your email. We do not open attachments.
