Writing in workbooks

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Writing in workbooks

Postby Lisa » Fri May 05, 2023 10:17 pm

This is silly, but I can't bring myself to write in workbooks (I have a couple of the german Practice Makes Perfect), and I don't know if this is normal or if I'm overdoing the Do Not Write In Books thing. I try to do the exercises writing on scrap paper or in notebooks, but that's annoying, although possibly it would be just as annoying (or more so) to check work in the back if I was writing directly in the book.

Do other people write in the workbooks?
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Re: Writing in workbooks

Postby jeff_lindqvist » Fri May 05, 2023 10:44 pm

Lisa wrote:Do other people write in the workbooks?


I did when I was in school (and we got the books for free). After that, always spiral bound notebooks, pads, lined paper...
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Re: Writing in workbooks

Postby jeffers » Fri May 05, 2023 11:39 pm

Lisa wrote:This is silly, but I can't bring myself to write in workbooks (I have a couple of the german Practice Makes Perfect), and I don't know if this is normal or if I'm overdoing the Do Not Write In Books thing. I try to do the exercises writing on scrap paper or in notebooks, but that's annoying, although possibly it would be just as annoying (or more so) to check work in the back if I was writing directly in the book.

Do other people write in the workbooks?


I have the same issue, because I've always treasured books as something to keep. However, I realized recently that an old workbook is unlikely to ever be useful to anyone else, so actually there's little point in trying to keep it pristine. And if I keep it for myself, to be able to actually look back at it and see what I wrote previously would be more interesting than to look back at another workbook I didn't use much because I didn't want to write in it. Another reason I've avoided writing in workbooks is the feeling that I'd like to do the exercises again someday. Again, if this is keeping me from actually using the workbook once, I'm obviously not going to be working on it a second time! Instead, I've decided to take the attitude of "use it and move on" with workbooks, so I have been writing in my most recently purchased workbook. It's quite liberating!
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Re: Writing in workbooks

Postby Lawyer&Mom » Sat May 06, 2023 12:23 am

I do workbooks in notebooks, because I think it’s helpful to write out the whole sentence instead of just filling in the blanks.
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Re: Writing in workbooks

Postby Chung » Sat May 06, 2023 12:55 am

Lisa wrote:This is silly, but I can't bring myself to write in workbooks (I have a couple of the german Practice Makes Perfect), and I don't know if this is normal or if I'm overdoing the Do Not Write In Books thing. I try to do the exercises writing on scrap paper or in notebooks, but that's annoying, although possibly it would be just as annoying (or more so) to check work in the back if I was writing directly in the book.

Do other people write in the workbooks?


I never do. I typically write down my answers for the exercises of a textbook or workbook on lined paper or less often in a notebook. I feel that I need to leave the insides of books clear of my handwriting. Even my workbooks from the "Schaum's Outlines" series are treated the same way.

I've benefited greatly over the years from buying plenty of textbooks and workbooks second-hand on Amazon Marketplace which were also unmarked. I've been disappointed already in buying second-hand coursebooks whose exercises and page margins turned out to be marked up in ink by the previous owner.

At some point, I'll also need to donate/give away or sell my collection of language-learning material. Just as I've disliked getting learning material that's marked up, I'd hate to pass on my stuff if it'd less useful to others than otherwise because of my jottings or underlining.
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Re: Writing in workbooks

Postby tiia » Sat May 06, 2023 6:21 am

It depends on the book. I don't like writing in normal textbooks, but if there are lots of exercises in the book, I might do that, because it may be to tiresome to copy everything onto another sheet of paper.
However, if I write into a book I always use a pencil, never any permanent ink.

Another thing to consider is the type of paper used for the book. Using an eraser works better on thick, rough paper than the more glossy paper that is used when photos are printed into books. In case of my Swedish books the publisher uses the later for the textbook, but a rougher and thicker paper for the workbook. There is hardly any exercise in the textbook, that is meant to be written in there.
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Re: Writing in workbooks

Postby Iversen » Sat May 06, 2023 8:06 am

I rarely use workbooks, and I would never write in them. The same thing applies to other books, but there is one exception: I have in a very limited number of cases added missing words to a dictionary. OK, one exception more: I may correct glaring errors (not just typos) in other types of books, like for instance grammars. But that hasn't happened often enough to call it a rule.
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Re: Writing in workbooks

Postby Sae » Sat May 06, 2023 8:28 am

I have a Mongolian wordsearch book that I don't mind writing in because it's the purpose. I don't have any workbooks that I can write in, but waaaaay back when I tried to learn Japanese I had one that had spaces to write and I used to do it.

But, I don't have the "you shouldn't write in books" thing, and I wish I did because when I was a kid I had First Edition Harry Potter books that I doodled over, which are worth some money now if I wanted to sell them. There is a very Rincewind looking wizard on one of my copies. And I am not always good at taking care of books, my copy of the Damapada got soaked for example, it's usable but it is warped, my copy of the Remains of the Day lost its cover page and my book on Tuvan grammar almost did because a can of Dr Pepper exploded in my bag and I was swearing because that book cost me like £120...but that's a tangent.

However, would something like an erasable pen help get over any aversion to writing on a book? Those Pilot Frixion pens are pretty good IMO and don't seem to leave anything behind when you erase.
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Re: Writing in workbooks

Postby luke » Sat May 06, 2023 10:09 am

I don't use workbooks very often, but my thinking is like that of jeffers.

Lately, I've been inclined to use a highlighter for things that I want to quickly review when I already know the bulk of the material. So, not writing in the answers, but still making the workbook my own.
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Re: Writing in workbooks

Postby smallwhite » Sat May 06, 2023 10:21 am

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