Transcript Mastering the Mechanics of Writing Part 2: Structuring

Mastering the Mechanics of Writing
Part 2: Structuring Sentences
Rachel Grammer
Writing Instructor
Walden University Writing Center
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Housekeeping
• Muting
• Questions
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ing
• Recording:
http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/415.htm
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Agenda
•Phrases
•Clauses
•Sentences and Word Choice
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Why grammar, anyway?
To move clearly from
internal thought to
external
communication.
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Phrases
NO SUBJECTS OR
VERBS ALLOWED
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What is a phrase?
A phrase is a group of
words working
together that has no
subject and verb within
them.
It is one of the building
blocks of a sentence.
A phrase cannot stand
by itself.
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Types of phrases: Adjective
Phrases can describe nouns:
Filled with joy, the girl jumped up and down.
The man with the red jacket is my father.
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Types of phrases: Adverb
Phrases can also describe verbs (or adverbs):
He performed the research to see if the embryo
would react to changes in external lighting.
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Phrases and fragments
A phrase by itself is considered a sentence fragment.
After the experiment
According to Johnson
Running down the road
Revisions:
• Running down the road, the athlete completed the race.
• After the experiment, the researcher slept.
• According to Johnson (2013), the sun is bright.
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Phrases and citations
If you use an author in the text, often you will
use a phrase to introduce your citation:
• According to Zuckerman’s (2013) study, APA is
considered fun by most students.
• As a result of Grammer’s (2013) research, the
leadership quality increased.
• In Nadeau et al.’s book (2013), the authors
discussed the correlation between rap music
and motivation.
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Clauses
SUBJECT + VERB
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Definitions
A clause is a
group of words
working together
that has a
subject and a
verb within it.
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Types of clauses: Independent/Dependent
Clauses can be both independent and
dependent.
• An independent clause can stand by itself as a
complete sentence.
• A dependent clause must be connected to an
independent clause or complete sentence. It
cannot stand on its own.
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Connecting Clauses
Words such as after, because, though, since,
before, if, when, although, while, as, and so on
are words that often connect clauses.
The study failed because the research was
invalid.
While the snow was blowing, someone told
me it was the first day of spring.
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Clauses AND Phrases
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Types: Introductory
• Provide additional information
• Not part of main structure or idea of sentence
after
before
despite
etc.
CLAUSE: After they had attended the faculty meeting, the
department chairs agreed to submit their requests to the dean.
PHRASE: According to Mendez (2003), 67% of college freshman
at resident universities experience some degree of
homesickness.
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Clauses, phrases, and citations
Clauses and phrases can help you to introduce intext citations in APA.
Phrase: According to Grammer’s (2013) study comparing
speaking and writing discourse strategies, language is fluid.
Clause: Though Nadeau (2013) argued that chocolate is good
for human beings, other sources claimed that it is
unhealthy when eaten in bulk quantities.
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Clauses/Phrases and heads*
If your phrase or clause has a
“head,” be sure that it is attached.
The man who did the research
studied frogs.
The man studied frogs who did the
research.
*Based on concepts presented by Black, K. (2005). Guide for the
advancing grammarian: An exploration of English for writers
and teachers. St. Paul, MN: Kitelko Publishing
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Misplaced modifiers
When a head is separated from its clause,
this is a misplaced modifier:
 The study that was extremely difficult was
eventually published by a famous researcher.
 The study was eventually published by a famous
researcher that was extremely difficult.
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Dangling modifiers
When you begin a sentence with a description
of an action, the very next word must be the
head.
Dangling: Racing across the finish line, her shoe
fell off.
Revision: Racing across the finish line, she lost
her shoe.
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Run-on sentences
Run-on sentences occur when you have multiple
clauses and phrases that are not connected.
The man completed the study by
researching the disease that was
unpreventable the man discovered
a preventative injection.
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Fragments
Phrases or dependent clauses that are not
connected to an independent clause.
Being a child, he felt inadequate to compete.
Although he was small, he was strong.
Because he wanted to run, he signed up for the
race.
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Mixed Sentence Construction
Mixed sentence construction happens when
the beginning of the sentence does not
match the end.
Introductory Phrase
• By implementing the study completed the
research process.
Fragment
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Mixed Sentence Construction
Revision: By implementing the study, the
researcher was able to better predict the
behavior of red-winged blackbirds in wetlands
in Illinois.
Revision: A distribution of a final survey
completed the research process.
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Exercise Time!
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Sentences and word choice
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Types of Sentences
•Simple
•Compound
•Complex
•Compound-Complex
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Structure and Parts
• Simple: Made up of an independent clause
– He performed research.
• Compound: Made up of two or more
independent clauses.
– He performed the research, and he won an award
for his strong work.
*Sentence type definitions adapted from Purdue OWL
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Structure and Parts
• Complex: Made up of an independent clause
and one or more dependent clauses.
– Although he had never been a good student in
high school, he graduated from university summa
cum laude.
• Compound-complex: Made up of two or more
independent clauses and one or more
dependent clauses.
– The rain was falling, and the weather was cold,
though it was supposed to be spring.
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Parallelism
Parallelism in writing is similar to mathematics.
Parallel list: The men, women, and children were all
enthralled by the fireworks.
Not parallel: The men with hats on, women were sitting
on blankets, and the eyes of the children were all
enthralled by the fireworks.
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Parallelism
• Not parallel: The girl with the green hair, the boy who had
freckles, and the too-skinny girl were the test subjects.
• Parallel: The girl with the green hair, the boy who had
freckles, and girl who was too skinny were the test subjects.
• Not parallel: The researcher read the data, performs the
study, and wrote his dissertation.
• Parallel: The researcher read the data, performed the study,
and wrote his dissertation.
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Agreement
Number and gender must agree
Pronoun agreement:
• The student has to take his or her test.
• The team won its prize.
• Teachers are role models to their
students.
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Agreement
Verb agreement:
• The idea for electric light
bulbs as they exist today was
from Edison.
• The group of children was
prominent in the research
results.
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Passive voice
Indicators:
• Form of “to be” (am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been)
• -ed or –en form of the verb
• “by” phrase
Passive: The research was completed, the surveys were
finished, and the results were written by the author.
Active: I completed the research, finished the surveys, and
wrote the results.
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Varying Sentence Structure
You get to choose!
Original: In my research, I studied the effects of sleep
deprivation. I did an exhaustive literature review first.
I determined a quantitative focus second. I began to
create a survey.
Revision: In my research, I studied the effects of sleep
deprivation. After performing an exhaustive
literature review, I chose a quantitative focus and
began to create a survey.
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Exercise Time!
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Resources
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