Transcript Writing Effectively

Writing Effectively
Overview
•
How can you make your writing
effective and powerful?
•
What is the three-part structure?
•
What are common style and substance
errors?
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Overview
•
What is voice?
•
What is subject-verb agreement?
•
What are the proper uses of pronouns?
•
What are the basic of e-mail protocol?
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Quick Write
• Why is effective writing important in almost
any field?
• Why would a pilot, a computer engineer, or
a biologist need to be able to write
effectively?
Write down your thoughts and then share with
a partner or discuss with the class
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Effective and Powerful Writing
• Follow the process you’ve learned—the basic
checklist—and work on your style
• Style is how you communicate through the
words you choose, the order in which you
place them, and their level of formality
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Tone
• One element of style is tone. Controlling your
tone in writing means picking the right words
• Words are a lot like fruits and vegetables:
Some are like sweet like apple slices, and
some are as hot as chili peppers
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
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Clarity
• Clarity lets the reader understand your
meaning quickly
• One of the enemies of clarity is jargon
• Jargon is specific or technical language used
by people within a specialty or cultural area
• Using jargon simply to try to seem smart is
unfair to readers and may confuse them
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Continuity
• Effective writing holds together in a natural
way—it has continuity
• Every part of the writing piece works toward
the goal of communicating meaning clearly
and quickly
• Understanding the three-part structure of a
paper will help your writing’s continuity
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Three-Part Structure of Papers
Introduction
Body
Conclusion
Captures audience
attention
Sequence of ideas
Summarizes main
points in the body
States your
purpose
Flows logically in a
series of paragraphs
Brings the writing
to a smooth close
Heart of your
message
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Paragraphs
•
A paragraph presents a single major idea or
point
•
A topic sentence announces your intent for a
single paragraph
•
Transitions are words, phrases, or sentences
that bridge gaps between ideas or paragraphs
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Paragraphs and Transitions
Topic Sentence
Paragraph
Transitions
Topic Sentence
Paragraph
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Sentence Fragments
Most sentences have:
Subject – noun/pronoun
Predicate – action/verb
A sentence fragment is a piece of the sentence that comes
before it or the sentence that follows
Example:
We were ready to go, but couldn’t find James anywhere.
Until we looked behind the bleachers.
He was sitting there tying his shoes.
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
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Run-on Sentences
Our van was overheating the muffler smoked
(no comma)
Our van was overheating, the muffler smoked
(improper use of comma)
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
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To Fix Run-On Sentences
• Divide the sentence in two
• Use a comma and a coordinating
conjunction
• Use a semicolon or a colon
• Use a semicolon and a transitional
phrase
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Choosing Words
• Strive for originality and accuracy
• Avoid clichés—expressions that people use to
add color to writing
• They’ve lost their impact because of overuse
• Choose correct words—many words in the
English language look and sound similar but
have completely different meanings
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Common Clichés
benefit of the doubt
last but not least
better late than never
leaps and bounds
bury the hatchet
more than meets the eye
crack of dawn
never a dull moment
cutting edge
stick out like a sore thumb
dream come true
sweep under the rug
drop in the bucket
vanish in thin air
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
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Voice
Active Voice
Subject is the actor or
doer of the action
Passive Voice
Subject receives the
action or is acted upon
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Recognizing Passive Voice
Find
Then Look For…
the verb =
What’s happening?
the preposition by after the
verb and before the actor
Forms of the to be verb:
am, is, are, was, were,
be, being, been or
main verb ending in -ed or -en
the actor =
Who’s doing it?
The blue ribbon was given by
the awards committee to Holly.
The gift was received by Tom.
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Changing Passive to Active
Put the actor (doer) before the verb
or
Drop the part of the verb that ends in –ed or –en
or
Choose a different verb
or
Eliminate form of to be verb
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Subject-Verb Agreement
• Agreement means that the subject and verb are
the same number
• The word number refers to singular or plural
• For example, The boy eats the candy bar
(singular subject, singular verb form)—or The
boys eat the candy bars (plural subject, plural
verb form)
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Compound Subjects
• If two nouns are joined by and, they usually
take a plural verb
• If two nouns are joined by or, nor, or but, the
verb agrees in number with the subject
nearest it
• Use a singular verb for a compound subject
that is preceded by each or every
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Compound Subjects
• Use a singular verb for a compound subject
whose parts are considered a single unit
• Use a singular verb with collective nouns
(and noun phrases showing quantity) that are
treated as a unit
• But, use a plural verb when a collective noun
refers to individual items
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Pronouns
• A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun
• The noun that a pronoun refers to or replaces is
the antecedent
• Personal pronouns can be first person, second
person, or third person
• Pronouns can also be singular or plural
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Pronouns
Person
Singular
Plural
First Person
I, me, my, mine
we, us, our, ours
Second Person
you, your, or yours
you, your, yours
Third Person
he, she, it, him, her,
his, hers, its
they, them, theirs
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Pronouns
• Pronouns must agree in person and number
with their antecedents
• With a compound subject joined by and, use a
plural pronoun
• When parts of an antecedent are joined by or
or nor, make the pronoun agree with the
nearest noun
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Pronouns: Example Sentences
• John and Steve should have raised their hands
• John or Steve should have raised his hand
• Neither my parents nor my sister has stayed on her diet
(awkward)—verses:
• Neither my sister nor my parents have stayed on their
diet (better)
• Instead of: Everyone should bring his or her book to
class
• Use: All students should bring their books to class
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
E-Mail
• Effective writing is still an essential part of
composing e-mail
• Your teachers and future employers will expect
you to communicate electronically with skill
and forethought
• E-mail is not as private as you might think—
the e-mail network is subject to other people’s
monitoring
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Three Advantages of E-Mail
Paperless
Ine
t
s
Fa
xp
e
ns
ive
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
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Disadvantages of E-Mail
• An inaccurate, hastily written e-mail can feed
as many fires as it extinguishes
• Too many copies of e-mails can clog the server
network and can end up in the wrong hands
• E-mail leaves an electronic trail, and power
surges can make your work vanish
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Six Rules of E-Mail Protocol
Rule #1: Be clear and concise
Rule #2: Watch your tone
Rule #3: Be selective about what messages you send
Rule #4: Be selective about who gets the
message
Rule #5: Check your attachments and support
material
Rule #6: Keep your e-mail under control
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Professional E-Mail
•
Use appropriate greetings and closings
•
State your purpose at the beginning of the
message
•
Write in brief, clear paragraphs
•
Give your readers a clear call to action—tell
them what you want them to do
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Professional E-Mail
•
Put your phone number at the end of your
message
•
Always thank the receiver
•
Avoid “cc-ing” (courtesy copy) a large group
•
List “cc” recipients alphabetically to avoid
hurt feelings or political issues
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Safe E-Mail
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
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Safe E-Mail
•
Never give your password to anyone,
even close friends
•
Don’t open, download, or answer emails from senders you don’t recognize
•
Never give out personal information on
the Internet without the supervision of a
parent or guardian
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Review
• To make your writing effective and powerful, follow
the basic checklist and work on your writing style
• Controlling your tone in writing means picking the
right words
• Clarity is the quality of clearness that lets the reader
understand your meaning quickly
• Effective writing holds together in a natural way—it
has continuity
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Review
• In most cases, you’ll organize your draft in a
three-part structure—an introduction, a body,
and a conclusion
• Transitions help move your reader from one
idea to another
• You should avoid sentence fragments, run-on
sentences, and clichés
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Review
• Use active voice to make your writing clearer
and more direct
• Follow the rules for subject-verb agreement
and pronouns
• E-mail has three great advantages: it’s fast, it
can get to huge numbers of people at little
expense, and it’s paperless
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Review
• These advantages can backfire, so be careful
• Follow the six rules of e-mail protocol
• Never give out your password or personal
information over e-mail or the Internet—
protect yourself from unsafe e-mail
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Summary
•
How can you make your writing
effective and powerful?
•
What is the three-part structure?
•
What are common style and substance
errors?
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Summary
•
What is voice?
•
What is subject-verb agreement?
•
What are the proper uses of pronouns?
•
What are the basics of e-mail protocol?
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
Next
• Done—how to write effectively
• Next—speaking effectively
Chapter 2, Lesson 2
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