Transcript Slide 1
Mastering the Mechanics of Writing
Rachel Grammer Writing Consultant Walden University Writing Center
A few notes before we begin…
• Time • Questions/Answers • Closed Captioning
Session Overview
1. Parts of a Sentence 2. Commas 3. Semicolons 4. Colons 5. Periods and citations 6. Dashes 7. Hyphens 8. Word Choice 9. Clauses 10. Modifiers
Parts of a Sentence
For a sentence to be complete, it must have a subject (what or whom the sentence is about) and a verb (an action, or what the subject does).
Marshall (2010) wrote.
Marshall = The subject wrote = The verb
Most sentences also have a direct object (what receives the action).
Marshall (2010) wrote an article.
an article = direct object
Parts of a Sentence
In academic writing, you’ll also often have a modifier (a clause or phrase that modifies a noun or a verb).
Because of a gap in the literature, Marshall (2010) wrote an article.
You might also add an appositive (a phrase that defines or renames a noun).
Marshall (2010), the famed social scientist, wrote an article.
Parts of a Sentence
Finally, sentences often have prepositional phrases (phrases that can further define nouns or further explain the verb).
Marshall (2010) wrote an article about culture. Marshall (2010) wrote from an honest perspective.
Parts of a Sentence: Subject-Verb Agreement
The percentage of students who called in sick and the number of students the instructor marked truant is proportional to the students’ degree of seniority. INCORRECT:
The percentage of students who called in sick
AND
the number of students the instructor marked truant
IS
proportional to the students’ degree of seniority.
CORRECT:
The percentage of students who called in sick
AND
the number of students the instructor marked truant
ARE
proportional to the students’ degree of seniority.
Parts of a Sentence: Subject-Verb Agreement
The easiest way to account for subject-verb agreement is to break down your sentence into subjects and verb. Take just the subjects, and you have the following:
The percentage of students who called in sick of students the instructor marked truant
ARE
and the number proportional to the students’ degree of seniority .
Subject One: The percentage of students Subject Two: The number of students Verb: Are
Parts of a Sentence: Pronoun-Noun Agreement
Noun: Person, place, thing, idea, event Pronoun: Word that replaces a noun
Nouns and pronouns should always agree in number and in gender. INCORRECT: A client should always be knowledgeable about their medication prescription .
CORRECT: A client should always be knowledgeable about his or her medication prescription.
Parts of a Sentence: Tense Consistency
Incorrect:
When Smith tried to contact the interviewees for a follow up, some of them
moved
. (This sentence wrongly implies that Smith’s contact attempt caused the moving.”)
Correct:
When Smith tried to contact the interviewees for a follow up, some of them
had moved
.
(
This sentence makes it clear that the moves had already happened prior to the contact attempt.)
Parts of a Sentence: Tense Consistency
When you are writing, try to keep your verb tense consistent throughout each paragraph. Remember, consistency is key!
Example of inconsistent verb tense: Rheinberg’s (2009) study showed that the monkeys
were
suffering from malnutrition. The monkeys
stop
climbing the tree, and they
eat
nothing. They
were
lethargic and thin, and they
wanted
only to sleep. Revision: Rheinberg’s (2009) study showed that the monkeys
were
suffering from malnutrition. The monkeys
stopped
climbing the tree, and they
ate
nothing. They
were
lethargic and thin, and they
wanted
only to sleep.
Dependent Clauses
Dependent (subordinate) clauses: A group of words that contains a subject and verb but does not express a complete thought (not a complete sentence; will help you beef up your sentences though).
Common dependent clause markers:
after
,
although
,
as
,
as if
,
because
,
before
,
even if
,
even though
,
if
,
in order to
,
since
,
though
,
unless
,
until
,
whatever
,
when
,
whenever
,
whether
, and
while
.
Independent Clauses
Independent clause: A group of words that contains a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought (can stand alone as a complete sentence; will help you write interesting, compound sentences).
Common independent clause markers:
also
,
consequently
,
furthermore
,
however
,
moreover
,
nevertheless
, and
therefore
.
Commas
According to APA (2010), use a comma “between elements (including before and and or) in a series of three or more items” (p. 88).
In the forest, there are lions, tigers , and bears. You can make the pie with apples, pears , or bananas.
At practice today, the players will work on catching the ball, shooting with accuracy , and defending set plays.
Commas
Also use commas (pp. 88-89) to do the following:
Set off nonessential information
Jamie has a date with John , ever met , who is the nicest guy she has and she wants to make him dinner.
Separate two independent clauses joined by a conjunction (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)
Jamie went to the grocery store , and she bought dinner.
Set off nonessential clauses at the end of a sentence
Jamie went to the grocery store , away.
which was three blocks
Semicolons
Use semicolons (pp. 89-90) for the following:
To separate two independent clauses
Jamie went to the grocery store; she bought dinner.
To separate two independent clauses with a sentence modifier
Jamie went to the store; however, she forgot to buy candles.
To separate elements in a series that already contain commas
Jamie went to the store to buy lettuce, tomatoes, and croutons for a salad; pasta, chicken, and sauce for an entrée; and ice cream and brownies for dessert.
Colons
Use colons (p. 90) to do the following:
Introduce a list at the end of an independent clause
Jamie had everything she needed to make the perfect dinner: a salad, an entrée, and a dessert.
Introduce an illustrative or amplifying phrase or clause at the end of an independent clause
Jamie knew there were just two things she needed to complete her meal: candlelight and romantic music.
Periods
Periods are used at the end of complete sentences (independent clauses). Periods are also used in citations.
In the case of a citation, the period should be placed as follows: After the parentheses in an in-text citation.
“Grammar may be difficult to master, but it is fun to learn” (Grammer, 2012, p. 14).
Before the parentheses in a block quote.
“Long block quote of 40 words or more....” (Grammer, 2012)
Dashes
Use a dash (pp. 90-91) for the following:
To indicate a sudden interruption in the continuity of a sentence
.
These two things —candlelight and romantic music— would set the mood for her third date with John.
That’s it! Don’t use dashes for anything else!
Also, be sure to use long dashes —not hyphens.
Hyphens
Hyphens are used to link together words that work together to describe something if those words come before the object described.
The good-looking man walked away.
Here, good and looking work together to describe the man, and they both occur in the sentence before the word man.
That man is good looking.
Notice here there is no hyphen.
Hyphens
In APA format, most words with prefixes such as non, semi, pre, post, anti, multi , co, and inter are not hyphenated:
pretest, posttest, antibiotic, antisocial, nonprofit, semipro, multiphased, subsample.
However, there are a few words that are still hyphenated:
self -esteem, self concept.
Hyphen Examples
• Coworker • Pretest • Posttest • Nontraditional • Multinational • pre-Kindergarten
Possessive Nouns
To make a proper noun that ends in s possessive, add ’s :
Roger s’s love of APA, Jone s’s hatred of APA The ladies ’ restroom is located on the first floor.
Do not use an apostrophe to make a year or abbreviation plural:
In the 1960s; ESLs
Word Choice
That
Restrictive clauses. Essential to the meaning That defines one in a bunch.
The dip that Sally brought was the best.
That
That for things.
The book that we found was valuable.
Which
Nonrestrictive clauses.
Add more information Set off with commas Further describes a lone object.
The dip, which Sally bought, was the best.
Who
Who for people.
The student who found the book got a reward.
Word Choice
While
While links events occurring simultaneously
Heidi took a nap while Jamie talked about grammar.
Because
Since is used to indicate time. Because should be used in all other instances.
You left because I wasn’t breathing
.
Although
Use although, whereas, and, or but in place of while.
Although the argument seemed solid, there were holes in his reasoning.
Since
Since=time. Meaning: after that.
Since you’ve been gone I can breathe for the first time
.
Word Choice
Farther
Use farther for physical distances.
I ran farther than he.
Everyday
A routine occurrence, common, usual
That’s an everyday shoe she’s wearing.
Other than the monkeys escaping their cages, it was a normal everyday scene at the zoo.
Further
Use further for figurative distances.
She couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Every day
Each day
She gets coffee every day.
He missed her every day she was gone.
May
May=permission
May I go to the bathroom?
Word Choice
Can
Can=ability
Can I go to the bathroom?
Might
Might=possibility
I might go to the bathroom before we go.
Word Choice
Lay
To lay= to put
I will lay the book on the table.
Lie
To lie= to rest or be at rest.
I’m going to go lie down
. Exception=
lie
in the past tense:
I lay down yesterday for a nap.
Less
For things you can’t count.
I had less confidence after I fell on my face
.
Fewer
For things you can count.
He went to the 10 items or fewer lane at the grocery store.
Word Choice
Affect
Affect=Action
The study was about how the earthquake in Japan affected the entire world.
Effect
Effect=Event (hint: it will usually be used with
the
or
a
.)
I wonder what the effects of the earthquake in Japan will be.
Clauses
Misplaced clauses: When a subordinate clause is embedded in the middle of a sentence
This is awkward:
Use of the Writing Center at Walden, because of recent marketing strategies, is increasing rapidly.
Instead, place the subordinate clause at the beginning or end of the sentence:
Use of the Writing Center at Walden is increasing rapidly because of recent marketing strategies.
Because of recent marketing strategies, use of the Writing Center at Walden is increasing rapidly.
Misplaced Modifiers
The client was sent to the clinic with many medical conditions
.
Which one had many medical conditions? The client or the clinic?
Right now it sounds as thought the
clinic
has medical conditions. However, the writer meant for the description to be attached to
the client.
How can we change it? Make sure to put the modifier directly next to the word it is describing.
The client with many medical conditions was sent to the clinic
.
Modifiers
Dangling Modifiers Reviewing the literature, a correlation emerged between obesity and the number of hours spent sitting. Who or what is reviewing the literature? That person or thing should be the word that comes directly after the comma. Reviewing the literature, the researchers discovered a correlation emerged between obesity and the number of hours spent sitting.
Modifiers
Putting the hat on her head, her cat began to meow.
Putting her hat on her head, the woman heard her cat begin to meow.
As the woman put her hat on her head , her cat began to meow.
Other Academic Writing Nuances: Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism: The study suggested that the sky was blue.
Corrected version: In his study, Timmerman (2002) suggested that the sky was blue.
Other Academic Writing Nuances: Active and Passive Voice
Passive
The participant was interviewed and the survey results were compiled.
Active
I interviewed the participant and compiled the survey results.
Passive
A trend was shown that proved ice cream makes one’s intelligence increase.
Active
The research showed a trend that proved ice cream makes one’s intelligence increase.
Other Academic Writing Nuances: Parallelism
Using
parallelism
is the same as being consistent in your writing style, especially in lists. When you have ideas that are of equal value, you need to present them in a way that shows they are equal or parallel. INCORRECT: To obtain Magnet status, hospitals must maintain high standards of service, implement evidence based practice, and allowing staff input. REVISED: To obtain Magnet status, hospitals must maintain high standards of service, implement evidence based practice, and allow staff input .
Website Resources
This information can be found on our Grammar page on our website Check out our many other resources as well!
Grammarly
Let me introduce you to my good pal, Grammarly
Grammarly
• An automated grammar and revision tool • Appropriate for a draft in need of grammar review, submitted before the use of one on-one Walden tutoring • Accessible through the Writing Center website
Grammarly
Does not “fix” paper but instructional and shows patterns.
Requires critical thinking by the student; much like MS Word grammar check, not all suggestions will be appropriate. Supplements rather than replaces the live tutors, who can focus on other issues.
Wow, that was a lot of information!
Questions?