Transcript Slide 1

Grammar Games
With
Heidi Rivers Marshall, MFA
Jamie Patterson, MA
Writing Specialists
January 2010
Agenda
•
•
•
•
•
•
Introductions
Rule Review
Jeopardy
Sentence Structure Rules
Bingo
Other Nuances of APA
Introductions
• Objective:
– Find your battle partner & learn a grammar
rule
– Describe yourselves to the group
Review
That (APA p. 55)
Restrictive clauses.
Essential to the meaning
That defines one in a bunch.
The dip that Sally brought was the
best.
That (APA p. 48)
That for things.
The book that was found was
valuable.
Which (APA p. 55)
Nonrestrictive clauses.
Add more information
Set off with commas
Further describes a lone object.
The dip, which sally bought, was the
best.
Who (APA p. 48)
Who for people.
The student who found the book got
a reward.
Review
While (APA p. 56)
While links events occurring
simultaneously
Heidi took a nap while Jamie talked about
grammar.
Because (APA p. 48)
Since is used to indicate time.
Because should be used in all other
instances.
You left because I wasn’t breathing.
Although (APA p. 56)
Use although, whereas, and, or
but in place of while.
Although the argument seemed
solid, there were holes in his
reasoning.
Since (APA p. 48)
Since=time. Meaning: after
that.
Since you’ve been gone I can
breathe for the first time.
Review
Farther
Use farther for physical distances.
I ran farther than him.
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.
Review
May
May=permission
May I go to the bathroom?
Can
Can=ability
Can I go to the bathroom?
Might
Might=possibility
I might go to the bathroom before we go.
Review
Lay
Something I do to something (or
someone) else.
I will lay the book on the table.
Less
For things you can’t count.
I had less confidence after I fell
on my face.
Lie
To lie: something I do to myself.
I’m going to go lie down.
Fewer
For things you can count.
He went to the 10 items or
fewer lane at the grocery store.
What Else Does APA Have To
Say?
You talkin’
to me?
Serial Commas (APA 3.02)
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.
More Punctuation
Also use commas (pp. 88-89) to:
Set off nonessential information
Jamie has a date with John, who is the nicest guy she has
ever met, and she wants to make him dinner.
Separate two independent clause joined by a conjunction
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, which was three blocks
away.
More Punctuation
Use semicolons (pp. 89-90) to:
Separate two independent clauses
Jamie went to the grocery store; she bought dinner.
Separate two independent clauses with a sentence modifier
Jamie went to the store; however, she forgot to buy candles.
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.
More Punctuation
Use colons (p. 90) to:
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.
More Punctuation
Use a dash (pp. 90-91) 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!
Parallel Construction (APA 2.11)
According to APA (2001), “present parallel ideas in parallel
or coordinate form. Make sure that all elements of the
parallelism are present before and after the coordinating
conjunction” (p. 57).
But what does that mean?
In other words, each part of a sentence needs
to match, and a compound list or series
within a sentence needs to match the
beginning of the sentence.
Parallel Construction
Break your sentence down in to multiple sentences.
Split the sentence at the coordinating
conjunction…
This is wrong:
Neither the responses to the written test nor the oral exam were complete.
So break it down:
The responses to the written test were not complete. The responses to the
oral exam were not complete.
Write it as it should be:
Neither the responses to the written test nor the responses to the oral
exam were complete.
Or….
Parallel Construction
Split the sentence at the commas.
This is wrong:
The researcher told the participants to find a chair, to read the survey,
and that they should ask questions as needed.
So break it down:
The researcher told the participants to find a chair. The researcher told
the participants to read the survey. The researcher told the
participants to ask questions as needed.
Write is as it should be:
The researcher told the participants to find a chair, to read the survey,
and to ask questions as needed.
Jeopardy
Say goodbye to your partner
Jeopardy
• Objective:
– Find the errors in the signs
• Rules of the game:
– First person to raise his or her hand will have
a chance to answer for his or her team
– If he or she answers incorrectly, the other
team will have a chance to get it right
"Me and her mother feel like the
luckiest two people alive right now."
Nicole Richie and Joel Madden
Dear fans,
Today is a very joyful and special day for Jordan and I
as we welcome our first son into this world.
With all my love,
Christina
More rules?!
Editorial we (APA 2.04)
According to APA (2001), “restrict your use of we to
refer only to yourself and your coauthors…Broader
uses of we leave your readers to determine to
whom you are referring” (p. 39).
But what does that mean?
Do not direct your writing at the reader, and
do not assume universality. Your reader
may not want to be included in your
assumptions.
Avoid the second person!
Avoid the Second Person
Use the third personal plural (a noun)
instead.
This is awkward for any reader who is not a lacrosse
coach:
We coaches know it is best for lacrosse athletes to lift
weights, but we find it hard to convince high school girls of
this.
This is better:
Lacrosse coaches know it is best for athletes to lift weights,
but some find it hard to convince high school girls of this.
Verb tenses (APA 2.06)
Past Tense
According to APA (2001), “Use the past tense to express
an action or a condition that occurred at a specific,
definite time in the past, as when discussing another
researcher’s work and when reporting your results” (p.
42).
But what does that mean?
If it was done in the past, use the past tense. The study was
written in the past. The research is done. You read the
article yesterday. None of this is still going on.
(Note, however, that you will use the present tense for
findings that still hold true today.)
Verb Tense: Past
The verb that immediately follows the mention
of a researcher’s name will most likely be in
the past tense.
Rivers (1997) wrote…
Rivers (1999) found…
Rivers (2000) indicated…
Often, you will have both the past and the present tense in
the same sentence:
Rivers (1999) found that athletes do not usually have trouble
with time management.
Active Voice
According to APA (2001), “use the active
rather than the passive voice” (p. 41).
But what does that mean?
The passive voice is when the object receives the action of
the verb or, in other words, you turn the object of your
sentence into the subject. Using the passive voice puts
the emphasis on the object, which is beneficial at times,
but too much use of the passive voice can weaken your
scholarly voice.
Active Voice
Use lively, active sentences where the subject
initiates an action that affects the direct object. In
other words, put the subject of the sentence at
the beginning immediately followed by an action
verb.
Flip your sentences around.
Avoid linking verbs (“to be” verbs)
Passive Voice: The apple was despised by William Tell.
Active Voice: William Tell despised the apple.
Passive Voice: The survey was conducted after school.
Active Voice: The researchers conducted the survey after school.
BINGO
• Objective:
– Learn where to locate common APA rules
• Rules of the Game:
– Cross off the numbers on your card as they
are called out
– Yell Bingo when you have five consecutive
spaces filled in
Other Nuances of APA
Seriation (APA 3.33 & APA 5.12)
According to APA (2001), “Enumerate elements in a
series to prevent misreading or to clarify the
sequence or relationship between elements,
particularly when they are lengthy or complex” (pp.
115-116).
But what does that mean?
You will use a letter to identify elements in a
paragraph or a sentence, and numerals to
itemize conclusions or convey steps in a
procedure.
Other Nuances of APA
Coach Rivers (2006) found that:
1. High school girls like to talk.
2. Players work hard when they are provided positive feedback.
3. Men should most definitely not coach high school girls in sports about which
they know nothing.
*USE LISTS ONLY FOR ITEMIZED CONCLUSIONS OR SUCCESSIVE STEPS Within a
Paragraph (APA 5.12)
Coach Rivers decided that players will make the varsity team if they can (a) pass
and catch without dropping the ball, (b) run a mile in 7 minutes or less, and
(c) maintain a positive, hardworking attitude throughout the season.
*USE A SEMICOLON TO SEPARATE COMPOUND PHRASES
Other Nuances of APA
BUT!!!
You want to turn your lists in to narrative text when there is no
chance the list could be misread, or there is no particular
sequence to your list. In general, lists of questions do not
need letter or number identifiers. Neither do short lists of
nouns or noun phrases that have no particular order. Also, if
the punctuation doesn’t make any sense, then don’t force it!
If the sentence makes more sense without seriation, then
kick your letters and numbers to the curb!
This: Jamie liked to make pies with apples, cherries, or peaches.
Does NOT need to be this: Jamie liked to make pies with (a) apples, (b)
cherries, or (c) peaches.
Unless it is this: Jamie liked to make her pies in this order: (a) apple, (b)
cherry, and then (c) peach.
Other Nuances of APA
Likewise…
This: The questions I will address in this study include whether
students do their homework, how often students do their
homework, and whether homework is beneficial to student
achievement.
Does not have to be this: The questions I will address in this
study are: (a) Do students do their homework?; (b) How
often do students do their homework?; and (c) Is homework
beneficial to student achievement?
Other Nuances of APA
Quotation Marks (APA 3.06)
According to APA (2001), ONLY use quotation marks:
“for material quoted directly from a source” (p. 82).
“to introduce a word or phrase used as an ironic comment, slang, or as an
invented or coined expression” (p. 82).
“to set off the title of an article or chapter” (p. 82) when mentioned in the text.
“to reproduce material from a test item or verbatim instructions to participants”
(p. 82).
But what does that mean?
Only use quotation marks to reproduce
something someone else has said or written.
Other Nuances of APA
That is it!
Do not use quotation marks for any
other reason!
Not even if you think it would be “right”
to do so.
Other Nuances of APA
Smoothness of expression (APA 2.02)
According to APA (2001), “Devices that are often found in
creative writing – for example: setting up ambiguity,
inserting the unexpected, omitting the expected, and
suddenly shifting the topic, tense, or person – can
confuse or disturb readers of scientific prose” (p. 33).
But what does that mean?
Write in clear, concise statements and aim
for logical communication. The simpler
the better.
Other Nuances of APA
– Avoid repeating words
– Use pronouns discretely
– Use transitional words and phrases
– Make sure your verb tenses agree
– Don’t switch back and forth from first to third
person
Other Nuances of APA
Economy of expression (APA 2.03)
According to APA (2001), “the author who is frugal with
words not only writes a more readable manuscript but
also increases the chances that the manuscript will be
accepted for publication…You can tighten long papers
by eliminating redundancy, wordiness, jargon,
evasiveness, overuse of the passive voice,
circumlocution, and clumsy prose.”
But what does that mean?
Short words and short, simple sentences are best.
Leave out irrelevant observations, your opinion,
and embellishments.
*This does not mean you can shorten technical terms.
Other Nuances of APA
Say only what needs to be said.
It is that simple.
The reader does not care about how you feel, what you
believe, or whether you think something to be true.
I feel that students learn best when…
I think the best solution to the problem is…
I believe the students will…
Be authoritative!