My knitting always looks rounded?

I am using the right technique, but it never has that v shape, and my ribbing never looks ribbed, it looks like regular knitting, i have tried swatches, i have tried garter and stockinette stitches, and it all looks the same, rounded. What might be the problem, bc i can read patterns and i like knitting, but i hate when my stitches look the way they do.