Online Class — December 7

I’m sad to report that this is our final online class.  I’m sure you’ll happy to hear that there are no assignments due for Monday (our last face-to-face class). Be sure to come to class, bring your portfolios, and fill out the evaluation forms.

 For those who still don’t know what a portofolio is or what should be in it, read the information below:

1. Portfolio — a manila envelope or folder.

2. Portfolio Contents — both drafts of each of the graded essays, plus the self-reflective essay. Optional: graded exercises.

How to Evaluate Web Pages

This is a terrific website from Ithaca College that I recommend you bookmark. You can copy the text on each page and paste it into a Word document. Read it, understand it, use it. There is a lot of bogus info on the Web, so you have to be armed to your teeth with knowledge and skills, or you will be fooled, or worse — taken advantage of.

http://www.ithaca.edu/library/training/think.html

CONFUSING WORDS
from http://www.grammarbook.com

a vs. an	Rule. Use a when the first letter of the word following has the sound of a consonant. Keep in mind that some vowels sound like consonants when they’re sounded out as individual letters. Examples: a finger a hotel a U-turn (pronounced Yoo-turn) a HUD program a NASA study Rule. Use an when the first letter of the word following has the sound of a vowel. Remember that some consonants sound like vowels when they’re spoken as individual letters. Examples: an FBI case (F is pronounced ef here) an honor (H is silent here) an unusual idea an HMO plan (H is pronounced aych here) an NAACP convention (N is pronounced en here) Deciding whether to use a or an before abbreviations can be tricky. The abbreviation for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) causes confusion because it can be pronounced as a word (fak), or one letter at a time (F-A-Q). Using the guidelines above, one would say a FAQ when it is pronounced as one word, and an FAQ when it is pronounced one letter at a time.
accept except	to agree but, with the exception that
ad add	advertisement to perform addition
ades aides AIDS aids	fruit drinks people who help; assistants acronym for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome helps, assists
adverse   averse	unfortunate; strongly opposed (refers to things, not people) Examples: an adverse reaction to the medication                 adverse weather conditions having repugnance (refers to people) Example: He is averse to a military draft.
advice (noun) advise (verb)	recommendation the act of giving a recommendation
affect vs. effect	Rule 1. Use effect when you mean bring about or brought about, cause or caused. Example: He effected a commotion in the crowd.   Meaning: He caused a commotion in the crowd. Rule 2. Use effect when you mean result.  Example: What effect did that speech have? Rule 3. Also use effect whenever any of these words precede it: a, an, any, the, take, into, no. These words may be separated from effect by an adjective.   Examples:  That book had a long-lasting effect on my thinking.                    Has the medicine produced any noticeable effects? Rule 4. Use the verb affect when you mean to influence rather than to cause.  Example: How do the budget cuts affect your staffing? Rule 5. Affect is used as a noun to mean emotional expression. Example: She showed little affect when told she had won the lottery.
ail ale	to be ill; to cause pain or distress malt beverage more bitter than beer
air err heir	what we breathe make a mistake one who inherits something
aisle I’ll isle	passageway contraction for I will a small island
all awl	entire, everything a tool
allot a lot	to parcel out always two words meaning many
allowed aloud	gave permission to said out loud; spoken
all ready already	means all are ready Example: We are all ready to go. refers to time Example: Is it summer already?
all together   altogether	refers to a group; all of us or all of them together Example: It is wonderful to be all together to celebrate your birthday. entirely Example: It is not altogether his fault.
altar alter	pedestal, usually religious Example: They exchanged wedding vows at the altar of the church. to modify Example: Please don’t alter your plans until we have the final schedule approved.
allude elude illude	to refer indirectly Example: He alluded to his past as a spy. avoid capture Example: The fugitive eluded the police for a month. mislead Example: He illuded her about his age.
allusion illusion	an indirect mention of something false perception
ambiguous ambivalent	to have more than one meaning Example: The law was ambiguous. to have mixed feelings Example: She is ambivalent about her wedding dress.
amicable amiable	friendly (refers to things, not people) friendly (refers to people) Example: The amiable couple had an amicable divorce.
among between	involves three or more Example: Who among us has not lied? involves just two Example: She couldn’t decide between Chinese and Thai food.
amount number	used for things not countable Example: We couldn’t handle that amount of ill will. used for things that can be counted Example: The number of accidents increased by ten percent.
ant aunt	a bug the sister of a parent
ante auntie	a bet placed before playing affectionate term for a parent’s sister
anxious eager	to have anxiety or worry Example: She is anxious about taking the test. excited Example: She is eager to get a puppy.
any more anymore	something additional or further Example: It didn’t rain any more this year than last year. any longer, nowadays Example: Harry doesn’t travel anymore.
appraise apprise	to put a value on something to notify
arc ark	arch, crescent, half moon a vessel or a refuge
ascent (noun) assent (noun or verb) consent	movement upward enthusiastic agreement; to agree agreement
assistance (noun) assistants (noun)	help people who help
assumption presumption	an idea not based on evidence an idea based on evidence
assure ensure insure	to promise or say with confidence to make sure something will/won’t happen to issue an insurance policy
ate eight	past tense of eat the number after seven
aural oral	having to do with hearing having to do with the mouth
averse	(see adverse)
awed odd	in a state of amazement unusual; opposite of even when referring to numbers
aye eye I	yes organ one sees with pronoun
bald bawled	having no hair cried
ball bawl	a sphere to cry or wail loudly
band banned	a group, sometimes a group of musicians forbidden
bare bear	naked, unconcealed, plain the animal
base bass	the bottom; vulgar; headquarters (singular) low vocal or instrumental range (pronounced like lace); a type of fish ( pronounced like lass)
based baste	be dependent or supported to moisten; to criticize or lash out at
bases (noun, verb) basis (noun)	headquarters (plural of base); builds on foundation; belief
be bee	to exist or live insect
beach beech	sandy area with water type of tree with smooth, gray bark
beat beet	to strike violently; to flutter or flap; to pound as with a drum; to defeat; to stir vigorously a plant with a fleshy red or white root
beau bough (noun) bow (noun) bow (noun, verb)	boyfriend (pronounced like owe) branch of a tree (pronounced like cow) part of a set with arrows (pronounced like owe) boat front, a male’s form of curtsy, bending at the waist; comply (pronounced like cow)
because vs. since	Rule. Because and since can be used almost interchangeably although because always indicates cause and effect and since is used for a relationship or time. Example: Since I have some extra money, I will buy shoes. (not cause and effect) Example: I will go to the game because my daughter is on the team. (cause and effect) Example: I have wanted to talk to you since yesterday. (time)
been bin	form of be used with has or have container
bell belle	chime or alarm; a signal beautiful or charming woman
berth birth	a boat dock; bedroom or bed being born; beginning
better bettor	of higher quality someone who places bets
between	(see among)
biannual biennial semiannual	twice a year every two years twice a year (same as biannual)
bite byte	to use one’s teeth to tear food computer term for eight bits of information
billed build	charged a fee construct
blew blue	past tense of blow the color
bloc block	a group united for a particular purpose city street; a cube-shaped object
boar bore	male pig someone or something not interesting
board bored	piece of wood; a group of people uninterested
boarder border	someone who pays for room and food perimeter; boundary
bode bowed	predict bent (pronounced like owed)
bold bowled	daring to have gone bowling; knocked over
bolder boulder	more daring a large rock
boos booze	sounds made by disapproving audience alcohol
bough	(see beau)
bow	(see beau)
boy buoy	male child a naval beacon or marker
brake break	stop separate into pieces
bread bred	a food; slang for money past tense of breed; raised
brewed brood (verb, noun)	fermented mull over; a cluster or family
brews bruise	ferments a black-and-blue mark, contusion
bridal bridle	relating to brides a harness, usually for a horse
bring take	you bring something towards you take something away
broach brooch	to raise a topic a bauble; a piece of jewelry
brows browse	the hairs in the arch above the eyes search for, peruse
but butt (noun/verb)	except bottom; joke object; to ram
buy by bye	purchase, acquire near, next to short for goodbye
cache cash	hidden stash money
calendar colander	chart of days and months sieve to drain off liquids
can may	able to permission to
cannon canon	large, mounted gun rule, commandment
canvas canvass	awning cloth, tarp to poll; a poll
capital capitol	assets; essential; main city statehouse
carat caret carrot karat	unit of weight in gemstones a proofreading mark to show insertion (^) edible root a unit for measuring the fineness of gold
cast (noun, verb) caste	group of actors; to throw a social class, a rigid system of social distinctions
cay key quay	a small, low island (also spelled key) a small, low island; instrument for opening locks (pronounced key) wharf, dock, pier
cede seed	to surrender reproductive germ
cell sell	prison room; basic structural unit of an organism to exchange for money
censor (verb, noun) censure sensor	disallow; person who disallows Example: The soldier’s letters were censored before mailing. to disapprove of; criticize strongly Example: The children were censured by the principal. a device that measures heat, light, etc. and transmits a signal to a control or measuring instrument
cent scent sent	a penny a smell, aroma transmitted
cereal serial	breakfast food a series or array
chance chants	accident(al) chorus, melody
chased chaste	went after pure, virginal
chews choose	how one eats food with teeth to pick
childish childlike	immature innocent
Chile chili chilly	a country in South America a type of pepper; a dish with peppers in it cold, brisk
choral coral chorale corral	a cappella, singing without instruments material that makes up reefs; orange color a hymn, a choir horse pen
chord cord cored	three or more musical tones sounded simultaneously; line segment joining two points on a curve a rope or strand of flexible material removed the center of something
chute shoot (verb, noun)	an inclined shaft to discharge from a weapon; a stem
cite sight site	to assert; to quote from; to subpoena vision, the power to see a location or position
classic classical	important; fundamental having to do with Greek or Roman antiquity; pertaining to eighteenth-to nineteenth-century music
clause claws	in grammar, a group of words containing a subject and verb; part of a contract an animal’s nails
click clique	a sound a group
climactic climatic	having to do with the climax having to do with the climate
close (verb, adjective) clothes	to shut (pronounced like rose); nearby (pronounced like dose) apparel
coarse course	rough, lacking in fineness of texture; crude a class; a path
colander	(see calendar)
colonel kernel	an officer in the military a seed
complement compliment	completing part of an order praise
confidant confident	someone confided in certain, sure
connote denote	to suggest, infer Example: A roaring fire in the fireplace connotes a cozy winter night. to be a sign of Example: Certain clouds denote rain on the way.
consent	(see assent)
continual   continuous	repeated but with breaks in between; chronic Example: The continual problem of our car not starting forced us to sell it. without interruption in an unbroken stream of time or space Example: The continuous dripping of the faucet drove me crazy.
core corps corpse	center or crucial part trained group dead body
cosign cosine	to sign along with a trigonometry term
council counsel (verb, noun)	a group of people meeting for a purpose advise; advice, an attorney
creak creek	a sound a stream
crews cruise	many groups a trip or vacation by sea
criteria criterion	plural of criterion a standard for evaluating or testing something
cue queue	a hint; a stimulus a line of people waiting
currant current	type of small berry up to date
curser cursor	someone who swears or wishes misfortune on another a blinking symbol indicating position on a computer screen

See you Monday,

Prof. K

Online Class — November 30

Searching the World Wide Web

Before we go any further, let’s get our terminology straight. Is the Internet the same thing as the Web? The Web, short for World Wide Web, is part of the Internet, which is a network of interconnected computers that transmit data and carry various forms of information. The World Wide Web is a collection of websites (web pages), each having a unique URL (Uniform Resource Locator), connected together with hyperlinks.

There is almost a billion websites on the Internet now. Finding the information you need is getting more and more difficult. A simple search can return up to 10,000 hits. You’ll need several lifetimes to find the answers to your questions… unless you organize your search. To organize your search means making it simple and precise.While Google is the most popular search engine and has the largest database, it is certainly not the only search engine. Other popular search engines that use different algorithms to accomplish the same task are: Ask.com, Yahoo.com, Live.com, Clusty.com.

Note that most instructors get do not allow using results from web search engines. Can you guess why? Save your answer for our class on Monday. Some that do, ask that students carefully evaluate the websites they use. How do you evaluate information on the web? http://library.stfranciscollege.edu/evaluating.htm

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html

Boolean Operators

Click on the links below to read the tutorials. Don’t let the term “boolean” make you nervous. The term is named after the British 19th Century mathematician George Boole. Boolean logic is the base of digital electronics. You don’t need to know the details and intricacies of Boolean logic; but you should definitely learn the basics of using Boolean operators. All of the electronic article databases the library owns support Boolean searching. Knowing how to use Boolean operators properly will make your life much easier in your academic future.

Unfortunately, most Internet search engines do not support full Boolean. Yahoo.com and Live.com (to some extent) are the only two exceptions. There are many small search engines — AltaVista, AllTheWeb, etc. that do support some Boolean logic, but they use either Yahoo.com or Google’s databases.  For your research I recommend using Google.com, Yahoo.com (search.yahoo.com), Ask. com, and Clusty.com (metasearch engine).

Click on the two links below to read the tutorials on Boolean searching.

http://www.internettutorials.net/boolean.html

http://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu/inst/boolean.pdf

Now you should know how to use IMPLIED BOOLEAN OPERATORS (- or +), AND, OR, NOT (if NOT doesn’t work, try AND NOT), and NESTING (parentheses).

ASSIGNMENTS

But first, some hints:

1. You don’t need to capitalize words or letters;

2. Don’t put full sentences in the search box – only relevant keywords;

3. When using phrases (“bill clinton”) always put quotation marks around them, otherwise the search engine will look for “bill” and “clinton” separately.

4. You don’t need to put quotation marks around a single word.

ASSIGNMENT #1:

Using NESTING (parentheses) search for CRIME IN CHICAGO OR CRIME IN BROOKLYN on Yahoo.com (http://search.yahoo.com).  Print out the results page so I can see the words you used in the search box. (Note:  Google doesn’t support NESTING).

Using IMPLIED BOOLEAN OPERATORS  find results that have Bill Clinton but not Monica Lewinsky (Do not use ADVANCED Google page). Print out the first page of results so I can see your search string in the search box.

Google Special Syntaxes

intitle:	This syntax restricts a search to titles of Web sites; it can be effectively combined with other syntaxes to customize a search.  An alternative syntax, allintitle: looks for all the words in the title of a Web site; allintitle: does not mix well with other syntaxes.	Example: intitle:”bob marley” “popular music”
inurl:	This syntax restricts a search to the URLs of Web sites.  It can be an effective way to find sites from within a domain, directory or path; it can also be effectively combined with other syntaxes to customize a search. See site: below.	Example: intitle:”civil liberties” terrorism inurl:cnn Example: intitle:turkey intitle:carve inurl:help Example: inurl:butterflygardening
site:	This syntax allows you to limit a search to a site or a top level domain.  It is similar to inurl: but will not search for a site within a subdirectory (i.e., anything beyond the /).  Some advantages to using inurl: over site: are:       You can use inurl: by itself without using any other search terms or       syntaxes.        You can use inurl: to search subdirectories.	Example:  intitle:”hate crimes” site:gov Example:  intitle:”hate crimes” OR “gay bashing” site:org Example: intitle:”binge drinking” site:edu
intext:	This syntax searches for words in only the text of a Web site.  It ignores link text, URLs and titles which makes it a useful syntax for finding search words that are commonly used in URLs or links.  It can be effectively combined with other syntaxes to customize a search.	Example: intext:html site:edu Example: intext:google.com inurl:help
inanchor:	This syntax searches for text in a Web site’s link anchors (i.e., the text you click on get to a Web site).  Since the anchor text for a link is usually descriptive of the page it links to, the inanchor: syntax can be a useful way to limit a search to relevant sites.  It can be effectively combined with other syntaxes to customize a search.	Example:  inanchor:”Google Help” Example:  inanchor:AIDS inanchor:grants site:gov For a fun experiment, try typing your name as a phrase with the inanchor: syntax!
link:	This syntax returns a list of Web sites linking to a specific URL.  The link: syntax can not be combined with another syntax.	Example: link:www.linccweb.org
daterange:	This syntax allows you to limit a search to a specific date or range of dates that a site was indexed by Google (this is not the same as the date the site was created.) The only drawback to this syntax is that it works with the Julian Calendar, not the Gregorian Calendar (the one we use).  To use daterange: first go to the Julian Date Converter at the U.S. Naval Observatory (http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/JulianDate.html).	Example: intitle:”george bush” daterange:2452389-2452389 (this would search for April 24, 2002)
filetype:	This syntax searches for specific filename extensions.  Google searches for PowerPoint (.ppt), Excel (.xls), and Word (.doc) documents as well as Adobe Acrobat (.pdf), Adobe Postscript (.ps) and Rich Text Format (.rtf).	Example: intitle:”hate crimes” filetype:pdf Example: intitle:google filetype:doc Example: intitle:”date rape” site:edu filetype:ppt
related:	This syntax searches for Web sites related or similar to a specified URL.  This is a good way to retrieve categories or types of Web sites.	Example:  related:google.com Example:  related:www.linccweb.org
info:	This syntax provides a page of links to more information about a specified URL including a link to the page’s cache, a list of Web sites that link to the specified URL, a list of Web sites related to the specified URL and Web sites that contain the specified URL.	Example:  info:cnn.com

Sample Search on the Role of Women in Ancient Greece

Google Search Statement	Results (February 2006)	Search Strategies
women ancient greece	24,300,000	Default Boolean AND search.
women “ancient greece”	4,710,000	Default Boolean AND and phrase search.
(women OR woman) “ancient greece”	5,170,000	Boolean OR, default Boolean AND and phrase search.
~women “ancient greece”	4,800,000	Synonymous terms for women and phrase search
“role +of women” “ancient greece”	299,000	Two phrases with forced stop word and Boolean AND search.
intitle:women “ancient greece”	60,100	Women must be in the title, Boolean AND and phrase search..
women “ancient greece” inurl:pbs	124	Site must be from PBS.
women “ancient greece” site:edu	204,000	Site must be from an educational institution.
“role +of women” “ancient greece” site:org	703	Site must be from an organization.
women “ancient greece” site:edu filetype:ppt	87	Site must be a PowerPoint presentation from an education institution.

Assignment #2:

Using Google syntax search for the phrase “evaluating a website”. The phrase has to appear in the title and be part of an educational institution’s website.

Print out the first page of results so I can see your search string in the search box.

See you Monday.

Prof. K.

Online Class — November 26

Greetings,

I hope you enjoyed your holiday.  Last time we met online I asked you to study a few grammar rules. I’m sure you did. So this time I’m asking you to do a few exercises.

ASSINGMENT:

1. Write a paragraph about anything your heart desires. The only requirement is that you use all of the rules (whom/who; double possesive; colon; parenthesis) from the previous online lesson in your paragraph. The paragraph should be no longer than ten sentences and no shorter than four sentences. 

All right, if you can’t come up with a paragraph, write a stand-alone sentence for each rule.
Due Wednesday, Nov. 28th. TYPED. No exceptions.

2. Print out this file and follow instructions.
Due Wednesday, Nov. 28th. No exceptions.

exercises.doc

Onlines Class — November 16th

GRAMMAR RULES 

 There are no exercises this time, just the rules. Study them and memorize them; first, because the more rules you know the easier it will be for you to navigate the wide world of words; and second, because you’ll be given exercises on Monday, November 26th (REMEMBER: We’re not meeting the Monday after Thanksgiving; instead, we’ll have an online class.)

WHO & WHOM

Who is correct? Yes, though it may depend on whom you ask!

“Who” and “whoever” are subjective pronouns; “whom” and “whomever” are in the objective case. As simple and important as that distinction is, many people have difficulty deciding on the proper usage of  “who” and “whom” in sentences.   The two sentences below illustrate the easy usage in which “who” is clearly the subject and “whom” is clearly the object. In such simple cases, virtually everyone can determine the proper choice:     Who is that masked man? (subject)      The men, four of whom are ill, were indicted for fraud. (object)     When “who” is not the main subject of the sentence, however, many people become confused. They tinker and change who to “whom.” It was Thomas Jefferson, I think, who was the third president of the United States.     Notice that “who,” not “whom,” is still the correct form as the subject of the clause that follows. The proper name, Thomas Jefferson, could be substituted for “who” to make a perfectly good sentence:  Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States.     As a ready check in such sentences, simply substitute the personal pronoun “he/him” or “she/her” for “who/whom.” If he or she would be the correct form, the proper choice is who.” If  “him” or “her” would be correct, use “whom.”  This technique of substituting a personal pronoun for the relative pronoun works nicely whenever you have difficulty deciding whether to use “who” or “whom,” assuming that you have no difficulty using the proper form of personal pronouns.      Even when the word order must be altered slightly, you can use the technique:    Mrs. Dimwit consulted an astrologer whom she met in Seattle. (She met him in Seattle.)   Jones is the man whom I went fishing with last spring. (I went fishing with him.)  Joyce is the girl who got the job. (She got the job.)   Whom can we turn to in a time of crisis? (Can we turn to her?)     The delegates differed as to who they thought might win. (Not whom. Here the entire clause is the object of the preposition. Substitution is particularly helpful in cases such as this. They thought he might win.)    Who is that masked man? (subject)  The men, four of whom are ill, were indicted for fraud. (object)      And, now, for a really tough test (or, at least, most people trip up on it):      I decided to vote for whoever called me first.      Give it to whoever deserves it.        It’s “whoever” in both cases. Even though you can read the first sentence as “I decided to vote for him” (which would make it “whomever”), the entire phrase “(he) called me first” is the object of the preposition “for.” So, it’s “whoever.” It’s the same for the second example: “…he deserves it” wins out.  Three “easy-to-use” rules so you’ll always get it correct      Rule #1: Substitute “he/him” or “she/her”: If it’s either “he” or “she,” then it’s “who;” if it’s “him” or “her,” then it’s “whom.”     Rule #2: Every verb with a tense in a sentence must have a subject. And that word is always in the nominative case, so it’s “who.” For example: In this sentence, “I decided to vote for whoever called me first”:       • “I” is the subject of “decided”       • “he” (whoever) is the subject of the verb “called.”      In the sentence, “Give it to whoever deserves it”:([You] give it to whoever deserves it.)       • “he” (whoever) is the subject of the verb “deserves.”       This rule supersedes the first rule as it relates to who” and “whom.”      Note: Related to this rule is one that says: The subject of a phrase is always attached to that phrase — no matter what. For example:              Ask whoever reads that book to answer the question.     Break down the sentence thusly:      (You) ask him (he reads that book) to answer the question.     In the phrase “he reads that book,” you cannot separate the subject “he” from the phrase to which it is attached.     If you remember these two rules — substitute “he/him” or “she/her,” and that every verb with a tense must have a subject — you should solve the “who/whom” quandary every time.      If you apply those two rules and you’re still not sure, apply the all-important Rule #3.     Rule #3: Give it a sincere and honest effort to determine is it’s “who” or “whom.” If it takes more than a 30 seconds to figure it out, pick the one that sounds best to the ear (read it aloud) and move on. Why? Because even grammarians are likely to squabble over which to use. But always — always — apply rules #1 and #2 before using Rule #3.     OK, a quick test. Pick the correct word:      Ask whoever/whomever comes this way for directions.

---

(courtesy of  Wonderful World of Editing)

DOUBLE POSSESSIVE

July 25, 2007 at 10:41 pm.  This is an article from World Wide Words (www.worldwidewords.org) on double possessive (it’s also called post-genitive). Double possessive has been around since the fifteenth century, and is widely accepted. It’s extremely helpful, for instance, in distinguishing between “a picture of my father” (in which we see the old man) and “a picture of my father’s” (which he owns). Native speakers will note how much more natural it is to say “He’s a fan of hers” than “he’s a fan of her.” DOUBLE POSSESSIVE[Q] From Frances Pack: “You recently wrote ‘a friend of Pope’s’. What? Do I not remember correctly that Pope’s is already possessive — so the use of of before it makes a double possessive? That was drummed into my ears when I was a freshman in high school in Latin I class. Curious — because I sometimes slip and write it that way — then have to go back and “correct” it. Is this no longer the rule?”[A] It never was. You’ve been led into a misunderstanding, as some grammarians of the eighteenth century were, by trying to apply the rules of Latin to English, where they don’t fit. It must be said that disputes about it are unrelated to effective communication, since nobody would ever fail to understand “a friend of Pope’s”.You can immediately see that the construction is valid in English by replacing the noun with a pronoun. You wouldn’t say or write “a friend of you” or “a friend of me” — that is, not if you wanted to be thought capable of composing acceptable standard English. If “a friend of mine” is good English, why not “a friend of Pope’s”?The technical name for this construction is double genitive or double possessive (it has also been called the appositional of-phrase, and the post-genitive). It’s of great age — examples are to be found in writings of the fourteenth century; by the eighteenth century it was common and unremarkable. This instance, picked pretty much at random but showing both forms of the idiom, is from Charles Dickens’s novel David Copperfield: “An aunt of my father’s, and consequently a great-aunt of mine, of whom I shall have more to relate by and by, was the principal magnate of our family.”In particular, grammarians say a double possessive is essential to avoid giving the wrong meaning when a word indicating ownership is placed after of, as “a bone of the dog’s”. The extra possessive is required because “a bone of the dog” means, not a bone in the possession of the dog, but one inside the dog. “A picture of Jane” means an image of Jane, whereas “a picture of Jane’s” is a picture of any sort that happens to be owned by Jane.But there are some limitations. The phrase has to be indefinite — “a friend of Pope’s” is OK, but if I meant a particular one I would have had to write “the friend of Pope” or “Pope’s friend”; also, “a friend of ours” is idiomatic, but not “the friends of ours”, which would have to recast as “our friends”. And the second noun must be human, or at least animate, and also definite — so you can’t say “a friend of the British Library’s” or “a lover of the furniture’s”.What’s fascinating about all this, and one reason why I’ve gone into so much detail, is that the rules are precise and strict and are understood and followed by every speaker of idiomatic English, even though they’re not usually taught in school. Fluent speakers don’t know they know them and couldn’t explain them, say to someone learning the language, but they know immediately when they’ve been broken. Native speakers pick up the rules for using such idioms by example and experience and only suffer confusion when these real-life rules conflict with the ones that grammarians of an earlier period would have had us believe were correct.

If you feel these rules to be arbitrary and unreasonable, the only response I can make is that it’s an idiom and that’s just the way things are. Robert Burchfield says at the end of his entry on it in the Third Edition of Fowler, “It is not easy to explain why such constructions are idiomatic: one can only assert that they are.”

THE COLON: 

Definition:  The colon is used to introduce a strong pause within a sentence. It is the longest pause short of a full stop.  

Examples:The colon is used to introduce a list: The car has a number of optional extras: sun roof, tinted windows, rear seat belts, and electrically operated wing mirrors.  The colon is also used before a long quotation or a speech: Speaking at Caesar’s funeral, Anthony addresses the crowd: “Friends, Romans, countrymen …” It is also used before a clause which explains the previous statement: The school is highly regarded: academic standards are high, the staff are pleasant, and the students enjoy going there. Use The colon can be used to provide emphasis, or to create dramatic effect: There can be only one reason for this problem: his total incompetence. It is also used at the end of a statement which is followed by an illustration: The vase contains beautiful flowers: roses, tulips, and daffodils. Notice that the items which follow a list are punctuated with commas if they are a succession of individual words. You will need four ingredients: flour, butter, milk, and sugar. If the items in the list contain clauses or phrases these may be punctuated with semicolon: You will need the following materials: some scrap paper; a pen, preferably blue or black; some envelopes; and some good, white, unlined writing paper. The colon requires careful handling. If you are in any doubt, use separate sentences. The colon is also used between the title and the sub-title of a book: Magical Realism: Latin-American fiction today.      

 PARENTHESIS 

 

PARENTHESIS? A parenthesis adds more information to a sentence. For example: Kent Oliver won his first race on Tuesday.       (no parethesis in this example) Kent Oliver – the only professional jockey from Jersey – won        his first race on Tuesday.       (The words “the only professional jockey from Jersey”        add more information.  In this example, the parenthesis is        between two dashes.) 1.    A parenthesis is separated from the rest of the sentence by commas, dashes or brackets (all called parentheses).  When a parenthesis is completely removed, the sentence is still grammatically correct.  (Try reading each sentence below with its parenthesis removed.)Examples (parenthesis in bold): Jamie Buxton, who fainted in church during his wedding, apologised to        his wife by booking two tickets to New York.       (The parentheses chosen by the writer were commas.  However, brackets or        dashes could equally have been used.) At Midnight last night, Skip (a guard dog for Bonds Ltd in Bury) hospitalised         two burglars before returning to eat the steaks they had thrown him.          (The writer has chosen brackets, because there is already a comma in         the sentence.) Dave Jenkins’ best friend, Adam Wright-Smith, stabbed him through the        heart whilst testing a knife-proof jacket; Dave is expected to make a full        recovery.        (The writer has chosen commas, possibly because there are already two         hyphens in the sentence, and dashes look similar to hyphens.) 2.   Additional comments such as “however”, “therefore”, “as a result”, “as far as I am concerned”, “for all intents and purposes”, “subsequently”, “so to speak”, etc. fall into the category of parenthesis too.  (As a rule, brackets are not used with these.)Examples: The slow cooker I purchased at your store is, for all intents and purposes,        utterly useless. Darius, on the other hand, writes his own songs. It rained all day and, as a result, the hut collapsed. On a happier note, her latest song - Wind Me Up Baby - is, according to        those in the know, expected to enter the charts in the top 5.       (“Wind Me Up Baby” is parenthesis, and so is “according to those in the know”.       Try reading the sentence with them removed.  It still makes sense.)    HELP – WHICH ONE? It is your choice whether to use commas, brackets or dashes for parentheses.  Below are some guidelines: Dashes – parenthesis easily seen, but dashes look a little stark Commas – normal looking sentence, but commas are often        confused with other commas in the sentence Brackets – parenthesis easily seen, but brackets make official        letters look a little unorganised     END THE PARENTHESIS Always remember to end a parenthesis. When using commas or dashes, writers often forget to end the parenthesis. This is as wrong as not closing a pair of brackets. Danny, however had sharp features and greasy hair.       (another comma required after “however”)  The zander – one of the fastest fish in British waters often school        together around the edges of lakes.  (Mini Test)        PARENTHESIS IN APPOSITION The term “in apposition” just means “the same”.  When a parenthesis is the same thing as whatever it follows, it is called “parenthesis in apposition”. Kent Oliver - the only professional jockey from        Jersey – won his first race on Tuesday.         (Kent Oliver is the professional jockey. This is parenthesis in         apposition.) At midnight last night, Skip (a guard dog for Bonds Ltd in        Bury) hospitalised two intruders who broke in the company yard.       (Skip is the guard dog. This is parenthesis in apposition.) Jamie Buxton, who fainted in church during his wedding,        apologised to his wife…        (This is not parenthesis in apposition.) From http://www.grammar-monster.com/index.html

See you Monday.

 Prof. K                

Online Class — 11/9/07

WHAT IS MLA STYLE?

MLA (Modern Language Association) style concerns itself with the mechanics of writing, such as punctuation, quotation, and documentation of sources. MLA style has been widely adopted by schools, academic departments, and instructors for nearly half a century.

MLA guidelines are also currently used by over 125 scholarly and literary journals, newsletters, and magazines with circulations over one thousand; by hundreds of smaller periodicals; and by many university and commercial presses. MLA style is commonly followed not only in the United States but in Canada and other countries as well; Japanese translations of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers appeared in 1980, 1984, and 1988, and a Chinese translation was published in 1990.

Although in this class we will not be writing a research paper that requires outside sources, all other English writing and literature classes you will be taking next, with the exception of creative writing, will require you to write a research essay.

Every time you use an outside source (journal, book, website, etc.) to support your thesis, you have to cite it in-text and on the Works Cited page, which will be the last page of your paper.

The St. Francis Library website offers examples and helpful tips on how to use MLA style (http://library.stfranciscollege.edu/mla.htm)

Basic MLA Style Format for Works Cited Page.

Arrange the citations in alphabetical order by the first element of the citation, usually the
author’s last name.
Hanging Indents are required for citations in the bibliography, as shown below. That is, the first line of the citation starts at the left margin. Subsequent lines are indented 5 spaces.
As with every other part of an MLA formatted essay, the bibliography is double spaced, both within the citation and between citations. Do not add an extra line between the citations.
The right margin is the normal right margin of your document

For a tutorial on IN-TEXT citation click here: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/02/

For a tutorial on Works Cited page format click here: http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/legacylib/mlahcc.html

For a sample of a Works Cited page click here: http://www.iusb.edu/~sbeng/sh/mlawc.pdf

For a sample MLA paper click here. http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/hacker/pdf/mla.pdf

 

Note: If you’re not familiar with MLA style you should click on all of the links and study the material, or you will not be able to do the exercises.

EXERCISES — DOWNLOAD THE FILE OR PRINT IT OUT. exercises.doc

ASSIGNMENTS FOR MONDAY

1. Final Draft of the Narrative Essay. Hard Copy. STAPLED.

2. Exercises. Hard Copy. Stapled. I will not accept these exercises AFTER Monday, Nov. 12th.

 

Prof. K.

Online Class — November 2

NARRATIVE ESSAY

Think of a story that either happened to you or someone you know. Why do you remember it?  Probably because it has a sequence of events that builds to a conclusion.  Something happened that caused something else to happen, etc. A story is a chain reaction.

Remember that if the events you’re describing in your third paragraph have no connection to the events you’re describing in your first or second paragraphs, then you have no story.  

Read Chapter 14  in your textbook. Note that just because we’re writing an essay that has a story, doesn’t mean that we should ignore the essential elements of the five-paragraph essay structure, such as a thesis statement, topic sentences, etc.
  

Remember that what we’re writing an essay, not a short story. Below are some helpful hints from Daniel Kies (College of DuPage) http://papyr.com/hypertextbooks/comp1/narrativ.htm 

1. Build your essay around a central point, a main idea that your story then supports and explains. This is crucial, and perhaps the defining characteristic between a narrative-as-story and a narrative-as-essay. This main idea will be the thesis of your essay, will say something that the story itself then illuminates and shows to be true. This generalization can be quite personal; it does not have to capture a truth about humanity as a whole or about the essence of the human condition. It simply needs to capture a truth about your life and use the story, the narrative experience, to illustrate its importance to you. In this way, it then has meaning to the readers as well.  

2. You are writing an essay, not simply telling a story. Remember to incorporate details of your story that not only illuminate your thesis, but also engage your readers’ imaginations and make the story “real” for them as well.  

Below is a very simple five-paragraph narrative essay.
 

 The Birthday Party 

         The biggest, best birthday ever…that would describe my eighth birthday!  My parents surprised me with a party at the zoo.  Grandmother baked my favorite cake.  There were many gifts from friends and family. It was a wonderful celebration that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.. 
        It all began with a surprise party at the zoo thrown by my parents. No one mentioned my birthday all morning so I figured everyone had forgotten it. I was shocked when my mom drove me to the zoo parking lot, and everyone jumped from behind cars shouting, “Surprise.” Only close family was invited.  
          After that we went to my Grandma’s house. She had made my favorite cake. It was a triple-layer chocolate delight. I blew and blew at the candles until I finally realized they were trick candles. Grandma gave me the biggest piece! Later my parents gave me the best gift of all.  It was a fuzzy golden retriever puppy.  I named him Goldy.  He is still my best friend today.  
          My eighth birthday was a most memorable celebration.  The party at the zoo, a delicious cake, and a very special gift made it a memorable birthday.  I think it was a superb way to remember the day I was born.  

I don’t want you to be this simplistic, but notice how this essay, written by a child, hits all the points we’ve discussed in class.
 

GRAMMAR 

Note: The grammar exercises below are NOT DUE UNTIL WEDNESDAY. For Monday concentrate on writing the first draft of your essay. DO NOT FORGET to print out at least one copy of  your essay and TWO copies of the FEEDBACK FORM (one for each member of your group) and bring them to class. 

The exercises below WILL BE GRADED! Before you do the exercises, click on the ADJECTIVE and ADVERB hyperlinks to refresh your knowledge. 

  What is an ADJECTIVE? http://www.arts.uottawa.ca/writcent/hypergrammar/adjectve.html 

What is an ADVERB?
http://www.arts.uottawa.ca/writcent/hypergrammar/adverbs.html 

Exercises

exercisesduewednesday.doc 

ASSIGNMENTSNarrative Essay. 1^st draft due in class on Monday.
Hard copy. Copies of Feedback Form.

Three Grammar Exercises (see file attached). Due in class on WEDNESDAY.    

Online Class — October 26

Examples Essay – FINAL DRAFT

Points to keep in mind for the final draft of your essay:

1) The Five-Paragraph Essay chart. Keep it handy as you work on your
final draft.

2)Avoid repeating the same sentences.

3) Stick to the points you’re making in your paragraphs. Do not digress.

4) Examples should be clear and part of the main idea of the essay.

Grammar

A lot of students have problems with Dangling/Misplaced Modifiers and Faulty Parallelism. Below are TWO tutorials. Please read them carefully and do the exercises.

Dangling Modifiers

(courtesy of Literacy Education Online http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/grammar/modifiers.html )

We often use phrases to describe words within sentences, and we determine the meaning of our sentences by placing these descriptive phrases next to the words they point to or “modify.” For example, the sentence, “I saw a boy running down the street,” indicates that the “boy” was doing the running. However, if we wrote, “Running down the street, I saw the boy,” we would be suggesting to readers that “I” was doing the running.

Misplaced Modifiers

Sometimes we become careless and place descriptive phrases far away from the words they modify, making our sentences unclear or inaccurate. We call these phrases misplaced modifiers. For example, in “I was told that I had been awarded the scholarship by my professor,” does the underlined phrase mean that the professor did the telling or the awarding? If the professor did the telling, we could make the meaning of this sentence clearer by repositioning the phrase: “I was told by my professor that I had been awarded the scholarship.”

Dangling Modifiers

Other times we write descriptive phrases that point to or modify words that are not clearly stated in our sentences, making our sentences illogical. We call these phrases dangling modifiers. For example, in “Walking to college on a subzero morning, my left ear became frozen,” the underlined phrase modifies “my left ear.” This doesn’t make sense; some person must have been doing the walking. We can clarify the sentence by putting a logical word after the phrase: for example, “Walking to college on a subzero morning, I froze my left ear.” Or, we can change the phrase so that it has a logical subject and verb in it: “When I was walking to college on a subzero morning, my left ear became frozen.”

The following table includes sentences with dangling and misplaced modifiers, as well as a possible revision for each and an explanation of why the revision is necessary.

Examples of Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers	Revisions
On July 20, 1969, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin landed on the moon, watched by nearly a fifth of the world’s population.	Watched by nearly a fifth of the world’s population, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. (The world was not watching the moon; the world was watching the astronauts.)
After seeing the benefits of reduced employee turnover, absenteeism, and lateness, onsite daycare is being provided more frequently as a perk for working parents.	After seeing the benefits of reduced employee turnover, absenteeism, and lateness, more and more companies are providing onsite daycare as a perk for working parents. (Onsite daycare is not seeing the benefits of reduced turnover, absenteeism, and lateness; companies are seeing these benefits as a result of onsite daycare.)
An author who did not receive much attention until after her death, readers of all ages enjoy Emily Dickinson’s poetry today. or Readers of all ages enjoy Emily Dickinson’s poetry today, an author who did not receive much attention until after her death.	Today, readers of all ages enjoy the poetry of Emily Dickinson, an author who did not receive much attention until after her death. (The phrase, an author who did not receive much attention until after her death, should modify Emily Dickinson rather than readers or Emily Dickinson’s poetry.)
Cost-efficient and convenient, many of today’s corporate employees are being trained through computer-assisted instruction.	Cost-efficient and convenient, computer-assisted instruction is being used by many companies to train employees. (The descriptive words, cost-efficient and convenient, modify computer-assisted instruction rather than today’s corporate employees.)
Having submitted the conference registration form after the deadline, special permission by the chairperson was needed before she could give her presentation.	Having submitted the conference registration form after the deadline, Susan needed special permission from the chairperson before she could give her presentation. (The example doesn’t make sense as it is written. Someone must have submitted the form late. According to the revision, Susan submitted the form late.)
When purchasing a cellular phone, the wide variety of calling plans and features overwhelms many people.	When purchasing a cellular phone, many people become overwhelmed by the wide variety of calling plans and features. (The calling plans and features aren’t purchasing cellular phones. People purchase cellular phones.)
New York Stock Exchange members shout out opening bids and offers, acting on behalf of institutions and individual investors.	Acting on behalf of institutions and individual investors, New York Stock Exchange members shout out opening bids and offers. (Members of the New York Stock Exchange–rather than opening bids and offers– act on behalf of institutions and investors.

 

The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University provides an excellent tutorial on dangling modifiers. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_dangmod.html

Faulty Parallelism:
(courtesy of http://ace.acadiau.ca/english/grammar/parallel.htm)

The grammar crime: Faulty parallelism distracts the reader and disturbs the flow of the writing.

When two elements of a sentence are similar in meaning, you should express them in parallel form. In other words, all linked words should match in form.

By using parallel structure, we both clarify the meaning of our writing, and add pleasing symmetry to it. Parallel structure joins and emphasises equally important ideas.

Question: How do we know we know if a sentence has faulty parallelism?

Outlaw

Shakespeare wrote comedies, tragedies, romances, and the plays based on historical figures.

This is a list; therefore, all of the linked words should be in the same form. Do any of the following not belong?

	comedies
	tragedies
	romances
	the plays based on historical figures.

The fourth does not belong; change it.

Rehabilitated

Shakespeare wrote comedies, tragedies, romances, and history plays.

Question: How do we catch faulty parallelism outlaws?

Look for comparisons and lists. Make sure all of the linked items are in the same form. For example, they should all be nouns, they should all begin with matching articles, or they should all be verbs.

The clues: There are five main situations in which parallelism may be an issue.

1. Co-ordinating conjunctions (and, or, but, for, so, yet, or nor)

Outlaw

financial independence: noun to find love: infinitive verb

Outlaw	Do the linked words match?		No, so rehabilitiate
Hal seems to be an irresponsible prince, but Hotspur was the traitor.	seems to be	present tense	Hal seems to be an irresponsible prince, but Hotspur is the traitor.
	was	past tense	Hal seemed to be an irresponsible prince, but Hotspur was the traitor.

2. Correlative Conjunctions

	either A or B
	neither A nor B
	both A and B
	not only A but also B
	whether A or B

With these conjunctions, A and B are linked; therefore, they must be parallel in form.

Outlaw	Rehabilitated
In Hemingway’s “Cat in the Rain,” we do not know whether the husband sees the original cat or a new cat.	In Hemingway’s “Cat in the Rain,” we do not know whether the husband sees the original cat, or he sees a new one.

3. Words in a series

Outlaw	Rehabilitated
Throughout The Diviners, Laurence uses memory bank movies, lists, songs, and some inner films.	Throughout The Diviners, Laurence uses memory bank movies, lists, songs, and inner films.

4. Comparisons and contrasts using than or as (i.e., more than, as much as)

Outlaw	Rehabilitated
Joan does not like Chuck Brewer as much as she seemed to like the Royal Porcupine.	Joan does not like Chuck Brewer as much as she likes the Royal Porcupine.
In The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, we empathise with Billy the Kid, more than Pat Garrett.	In The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, we empathise with Billy the Kid, more than we empathise with Pat Garrett.

5. Function words:

	prepositions (to, by, in, for)
	articles (a, an, the)
	the infinitive (to)
	introductory words (that, who, which, because, when)

A function word that begins one clause must begin the others.

Outlaw	Rehabilitated
Rohinton Mistry often writes about the Indian immigrant experience and Parsi community.	Rohinton Mistry often writes about the Indian immigrant experience and the Parsi community.
	Rohinton Mistry often writes about Indian immigrant experiences and Parsi communities.
Andrew believes that Jerry Bines is innocent, and Vera’s book does not characterise Jerry properly.	Andrew believes that Jerry Bines is innocent, and that Vera’s book does not characterise Jerry properly.

ASSIGNMENTS

Write the second and FINAL draft of your EXAMPLES ESSAY. Due on Monday, October 29^th. No exceptions. You only need to bring ONE copy to class.

Do the following EXERCISES. Download or print out the file (Click on the link).
Bring the pages to class. exercises.doc

The exercises WILL BE GRADED. Please read and reread the above
tutorials.

Questions?

sfcenglish@gmail.com

 

 

Online Class — October 19

FIVE-PARAGRAPH ESSAY Ch. 12-13 

What is a Five-Paragraph Essay?  

• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion 

You’re heard it all before from your Junior High teacher, your High School teacher, and now from me. You may even think that you can write a perfect essay on the first try and not worry about rewriting it.  Maybe. Perhaps all you need to do is refresh your knowledge a little, re-cement your skills. That’s what we’ll be doing for the rest of the semester.  So don’t think of our assignments and exercises as something that’s designed to  teach you how to write, but rather as something that’s designed to help you remember what you had learned in High School and have recently forgotten.  Some of you have never learned it and some of you have never forgotten it; so you’ll just have to slog through this class and be patient. You may even learn something along the way. 

Let’s revisit our Five-Paragraph Essay model.  

Outline for a Five-Paragraph Essay

Title: ____________________ Introduction Introductory statement Thesis statement: ____________________   Body First Supporting Idea (Topic Sentence): ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Second Supporting Idea (Topic Sentence): ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________     Third Supporting Idea (Topic Sentence): ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Conclusion Closing statement Restate thesis: ____________________

---

Introduction: 

It’s the first paragraph in your essay. It should tell your readers what the essay is about. A good introduction gets the reader excited about reading the essay. What comes at the end of the introduction paragraph? The THESIS STATEMENT? Most of the time, but not always. What is the Thesis Statement? It’s the main idea of your essay. Your theme. Let’s try to find the thesis statement in the essay called Three Africas (courtesy of Taft College Online Writing Lab) (http://www.taftcollege.edu/newTC/Academic/LiberalArts/owl/sampfive.html

The Three Africas

        When many people hear the word Africa, they picture steaming jungles and gorillas. Hollywood films have shrunk the public image of this immense, varied continent into a small segment of its actual diversity. To have a more accurate picture of the whole continent, however, one should remember that there are, roughly, three Africas, each with its distinct climate and terrain and with a style of life suited to the environment. The continent can be divided into the northern desert areas, the southeastern grasslands, and the tropical jungles to the southwest.
      The northern regions have the environment and living patterns of the desert. Egypt, Libya, Algeria, and Morocco have hot, dry climates with very little land suited to farming. Therefore, the population tends to be clustered into cities along rivers or the seacoast or into smaller settlements near oases. For thousands of years, people have lived in this vast region, subsisting partly on what crops and animals they could raise and partly on trade with Europe.
       The southeastern grasslands provide a better environment for animal life and for some kinds of crops. Many wild animals inhabit the plains in this region–elephants, giraffes, rhinoceros, antelopes, zebras, and lions. The people in this area have long been expert cattle raisers and hunters. Tea, coffee, cotton, cashew nuts, and tobacco are some of the main products grown in this region. Fishing also provides some food and income for people along the coast. The population here is less concentrated in cities and towns than in the north, but tends to be denser in areas where adequate rainfall and fertile soil make farming possible.
     West Africa is the region closest to the Hollywood image of mysterious jungles. As in the other two regions, the way people subsist depends upon their environment. This does not mean that most of the people live in grass huts in the jungle. Such nations as Nigeria have become highly modernized by income from oil, timber, and minerals. Most of the western countries have some farming that provides food and income; sugar cane, coffee, and tobacco are the important cash crops, while bananas, rice, and corn are raised for food. Fishing in the rivers and along the coast also accounts for food and income, and precious stones, especially diamonds, enhance the economy of Angola and the Ivory Coast.
     Even a superficial look at the major regions of Africa shows that it is a varied continent with several environments. Although most of the continent is tropical in its range of temperature, the climate ranges from deserts to rain forests. Similarly, human life-styles vary from the simplest rural villages to industrial cities, both new and ancient. Contrary to the myth, however, jungle life makes up only a very small portion of the whole of Africa.

Is the thesis statement the last sentence of the introductory paragraph? Who said “no”? You’re right. The thesis statement in this essay is the penultimate sentence. Why? Because it carries the main idea of the essay. The last sentence expands on that idea and takes it further by introducing the details for the three paragraphs in the body. 

Body: 

In a five-paragraph essay the body contains three paragraphs. The body of the essay provides support.  It buttresses the ideas introduced in the introductory paragraph. But most importantly, it provides details (examples in the case of this assignment) that bring your main idea to life.  Each paragraph has to have a topic sentence. It is almost always the first sentence of the paragraph. If a paragraph were an essay, the topic sentence would be its thesis statement. I know I’m not confusing you because we’ve talked about it in class. 

Conclusion: 

It summarizes the main points of your essay. Think of your main idea as a bell whose sound reverberates through your essay and quiets down in the very last sentence of the conclusion. 

A FEW THINGS TO REMEMBER: 

Essays are not written – they’re rewritten. Don’t forget to prewrite, brainstorm and outline. Without adequate preparation you will not be able to write a good essay. If you don’t know what you want to write about,  re-read Ch. 13 and choose a topic of one of the exercises at the end of the chapter. You can also browse the World Wide Web or flip through newspapers or magazines. Read an Opinion Page of the New York Times. Watch a reputable news program.  Somehow I’m sure that you abound with ideas. 

Below are the links to web pages that discuss the five-paragraph essay and may be of help to you.

http://www.tesltimes.com/essay.html#org 

http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:jntEtfyYUvQJ:www.dbu.edu/uwc/workshops/Basic%2520Five-Pargraph%2520Essay.ppt+%22five-paragraph+essay%22+give+examples&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=14&gl=us  

ASSIGNMENT 

Write an ESSAY THAT GIVES EXAMPLES.  It should be between TWO and FOUR pages long. DOUBLE SPACED.  Note that your assignment is to write an ESSAY not an outline.  You should definitely write an outline before you begin your essay, but keep it for yourself.   Put your name, my name, and the course number on the first page. Number each page of the essay.

NO HANDWRITTEN ASSIGNEMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Make a COPY of your ESSAY and a copy of the FEEDBACK FORM for each student in your group. You can find the FEEDBACK FORM on the classroom wiki (in the sidebar) right below the SYLLABUS. 

This assignment is due Monday, Oct. 22^nd. 

ONE FULL GRADE will be deducted from late assignments for each class. So if you decide to turn your assignment in on Wednesday and it’s a “B” essay, you will get a “C”. If you turn it in on Friday, it will be a “D”, and so on.  If you have any questions you can contact me any time.

sfcenglish@gmail.com or akustanovich@stfranciscollege.edu 

Phone: 718-489-3445   

Good Luck.

Prof. K. 

Online Class — October 12

Ch. 8

Comparison and Contrast

 

Major Points:

When we compare two things, we show how they are similar; when we contrast two things we show how the are different. The purpose of comparing and contrasting is to understand each of the things more clearly.

Note: Whether you choose to compare or to contrast, the Topic Sentence should introduce the two things, people, or ideas you plan to write about.

Look at the two paragraphs below (courtesy of Exploring Writing: Sentences and Paragraphs, by John Langan).

Two Views on Toys

Children and adults have very different preferences. First, there is the matter of taste. Adults pride themselves on taste, while children ignore the matter of taste in favor of things that are fun. Adults, especially grandparents, pick out tasteful toys that go unused, while children love the cheap playthings advertised on television. Second, of course, there is the matter of money. The new games on the market today a re a case in point. Have you ever t ried to lure a child away from some expensive game in order to get him or her to play with an old-fashioned game of toy? Finally, there is a difference between an adult’s and child’s idea of what is educational. Adults, filled with memories of their own childhood, tend to be fond of the written word. Today’s children, on the other hand, concentrate on anything electronic. These things mean much more to them than to adults. Next holiday season, examine the toys that adults choose for children. Then look at the toys the children prefer. You will see the difference.

Mike and Helen

Mike and Helen, a married couple we know, look very much alike. They are both short, dark-haired, and slightly pudgy. Like his wife, Mike has a good sense of humor. Both Mike and Helen can be charming when they want to be, and they seem to handle small crises in a calm, cool way. A problem such as an overflowing washer, a stalled car, or a sick child is not a cause for panic; they seem to take such events in stride. In contrast to Helen, though, Mike tends to be disorganized. He is late for appointments and unable to keep important documents — bank records, receipts, and insurance papers — where he can find them. Also, unlike Helen, Mike tends to hold a grudge. He is slow to forget a cruel remark, a careless joke, or an unfriendly slight. Another difference between these two is how they like to spend their time; while Mike enjoys swimming, camping, and fishing, Helen prefers to stay inside and read or play chess.

• How are these paragraphs different?
• Which paragraph lacks a topic sentence?
• Which paragraph has a topic sentence that is too broad?
• Which paragraph contains almost no specific details?

Answer these questions for yourselves. Examine each paragraph to see not only how it’s constructed thematically, but also how it’s constructed grammatically. Notice semicolons and dashes. Why are they used there?

Steps to follow before writing a comparison/contrast paragraph:

Prewrite

You can first write a topic sentence and then add support; or you can think of supporting ideas and then come up with a topic sentence. Here’s an example of a topic sentence: My job as a manure stirrer was very different from my job as a chicken sushi chef at a Greek diner.

Come up with at least THREE strong points to support your topic sentence.

• The jobs differed in a physical setting
• The jobs differed in the skills they required
• The jobs differed in the people they brought me into contact with.

EDIT your paragraphs BEFORE you upload them to your wiki page! Check for typos and grammar/syntax errors. Reread each sentence a few times to see whether it’s well written and whether it contains any grammatical errors.

Let’s now revisit mother Grammar.

What is the difference between a COMMA SPLICE and a RUN-ON SENTENCE? (click on the highlighted words to read the tutorials)

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Write a COMPARISON or CONTRAST paragraph. Be sure to give you paragraph a title.

2. Identifying comma splices and run-ons

Copy the text below and paste it into a word processing program. Mark your answers, print them out and bring them to class on Monday.

---

Select whether each of the following items is a run-on (fused) sentence or a comma splice. If the item is neither a run-on sentence nor a comma splice, select “correct.”

---

1. Most people are familiar with chain letters, this type of correspondence requires a person to copy a letter and send it on to five or more friends.

• run-on sentence
• comma splice
• correct

---

2. Chain letters, which have existed for years, usually promise good luck or money for people who continue the chain and bad luck for those who break it.

• run-on sentence
• comma splice
• correct

---

3. Today, electronic chain letters are very common almost anyone who uses e-mail has seen at least one.

• run-on sentence
• comma splice
• correct

---

4. Many electronic chain letters appeal to the recipient’s good nature, the recipient often hopes for the best and sends the letters on to other people.

• run-on sentence
• comma splice
• correct

---

5. One popular e-mail chain letter described a young girl dying of cancer she was supposed to receive a few pennies for treatment every time the letter was forwarded.

• run-on sentence
• comma splice
• correct

---

6. There is, however, no way for any charity to find out how many times an e-mail is forwarded the e-mail was simply a chain letter.

• run-on sentence
• comma splice
• correct

---

7. One letter began as a legitimate request for help in finding a missing child, but the letter continues to circulate even though the child was found in 1997.

• run-on sentence
• comma splice
• correct

---

8. Some organizations that send out unsolicited e-mail get addresses from these chain letters, anyone who forwards a chain letter risks getting many more unsolicited messages.

• run-on sentence
• comma splice
• correct

---

9. When millions of chain letters are sent, e-mail servers slow down or crash this costs users time and money.

• run-on sentence
• comma splice
• correct

---

10. Time is money, the Department of Energy estimates that worktime worth over $40 million would be lost if every Internet user spent one minute reading and discarding a chain letter.

• run-on sentence
• comma splice
• correct

Questions?
sfcenglish@gmail.com
See you Monday,

Prof. K

 

 

 

Online Class — October 5

CH. 5

Major Points:

A DESCRIPTION is a picture in words. For a descriptive paragraph to be effective, you must describe specific details that appeal to the readers’ senses.

Use CLUSTERING to gather ideas and support (see Ch.5, p. 100 of your textbook)

Draft a topic sentence. It identifies what you are going to describe.

Add support. Remember that support means details. The more detailed your description is, the more interesting your paragraph will be.

The Blond Guitar

by Jeremy Burden

My most valuable possession is an old, slightly warped blond guitar–the first instrument I taught myself how to play. It’s nothing fancy, just a Madeira folk guitar, all scuffed and scratched and finger-printed. At the top is a bramble of copper-wound strings, each one hooked through the eye of a silver tuning key. The strings are stretched down a long, slim neck, its frets tarnished, the wood worn by years of fingers pressing chords and picking notes. The body of the Madeira is shaped like an enormous yellow pear, one that was slightly damaged in shipping. The blond wood has been chipped and gouged to gray, particularly where the pick guard fell off years ago. No, it’s not a beautiful instrument, but it still lets me make music, and for that I will always treasure it.
(from http://grammar.about.com/od/developingparagraphs/a/samdescpars.htm)

• Is the first sentence the topic sentence?
• Does the paragraph have a conclusion?
• How many descriptive examples are given?
• How many senses are used in describing the guitar?

An exercise: If I say “soup”, what comes to mind? An image of something liquid in a bowl? Or is it a can? Maybe it’s in a jar? What color is it? Can it be eaten with a fork? How does it taste? Is it hot? Is it thick or watered down? Maybe it’s spicy and will upset your stomach afterward?

Write a description of “soup” that utilizes all five senses. (No need to bring it to class. Use it as a warm up for your paragraph.)

Library Instruction

How to Search Academic Search Elite.
View the Basic and the Advanced presentations:
http://library.stfranciscollege.edu/instruction/Elite.htm
http://library.stfranciscollege.edu/instruction/advancedelite.htm

Assignments

1. Write a descriptive essay. Put the essay on your wiki page by Monday (although Monday is Columbus Day and we don’t have class, your assignments ARE DUE on Monday. Those of you who have problems using a computer can bring the assignments to class on Wednesday.)

2. Using Academic Search Elite find:

A) A primary source document written by Abraham Lincoln. Print it out and bring it to class. (It could be ANY primary source document whose author is Abraham Lincoln)

B) An article that has the words Five-Paragraph Essay in the title. Print out the article and bring it to class.

See you Wednesday.

Prof. K.