Transcript The Common Errors Workshop

THE COMMON
ErROrS
WORKSHOP
conjunctions
• NO ‘BUT’ with
although. Choose
one
AND, BUT,
BECAUSE, SO
Don’t start
sentences with
these.
WHAT CAN you USE INSTEAD? e.g.
but: however, nonetheless, yet
AND: in addition, furthermore, moreover
So: therefore, hence, as a result, subsequently
SUBJECT-VERB
AGREEMENT
Golden Rule
•Singular
Subject –
Singular Verb
•Plural Subject
– Plural Verb
PUNCTUATION
•Use Capital letters with Title
Case & Proper Nouns (names
of ppl, places).
e.g. Titles:
The Sun and Moon
A Man, an Orange and the Cow
The Role of Women in Society
;
The semi-colon is used when 2
sentences are INTIMATELY linked.
e.g. Oil prices soared (complete sentence); all other
commodity prices followed suit plunging many
national economies into recession (complete sentence).
Golden rule: Both sides of the semicolon must be complete sentences and
can stand alone.
If you aren’t sure how to use it, DON’T.
You can do without. Use a full-stop.
Don’t use Commas
with conjunctions
(and, but, or, so,
because)
Run-on
sentences
• The grammar crime: Run-on sentences
join two or more complete sentences with
no punctuation.
Michaela loves to draw horses she is a talented artist.
The airport is about to shut down because of the snow
and if the plane doesn't land soon it will have to go
on to Boston.
Marcellino always knew his way around the woods this is
something he could always depend on.
Run-ons
• 1. We can separate the two clauses
into two sentences.
• Outlaw: Miranda was the lead vocalist
in her band it was a punk rock band.
• Rehabilitated: Miranda was the lead
vocalist in her band. It was a punk rock
band.
Run-ons
• 2. We can replace the comma with a
semi-colon.
• Outlaw: Gordon laughed at Sandy's
joke it was lewd.
• Rehabilitated: Gordon laughed at
Sandy's joke; it was lewd.
Run-ons
• 3. We can replace the comma with a
co-ordinating conjunction (and, but, or,
for, yet, nor, or so).
• Outlaw: The night was cold we forgot to
bring our coats.
• Rehabilitated:The night was cold, and
we forgot to bring out coats.
Run-ons
• 4. We can replace the comma with a
subordinating conjunction (e.g., after,
although, before, unless, as, because,
even though, if, since, until, when,
while).
• Outlaw: Maria and John like skiing
Karen does not.
• Rehabilitated: Although Maria and John
like skiing, Karen does not.
Run-ons
• 5. We can replace the comma with a semicolon and transitional word (e.g., however,
moreover, on the other hand, nevertheless,
instead, also, therefore, consequently,
otherwise, as a result).
• Outlaw: I expected to pay ten dollars for the
bus ride to Halifax I was wrong.
• Rehabilitated: I expected to pay ten dollars
for the bus ride to Halifax; however, I was
wrong.
WANNA,
GONNA,
guys.
cool!
Colloquialisms/SLANG are not
for formal writing no
matter how cool they sound
TO BUY / FOR
BUYING
These boots are made for walking. (to state the
function only).
Use the infinitive ‘to buy’ in all other cases e.g. I
took money with me to buy those very
fashionable boots.
speling
‘I’ before ‘e’
except after ‘c’
With the /i/ sound
Conceive concieve
Receive receive
perceive percieve
believe believe
WHEN PRONUNCIATION
DOESN’T MATCH
spelling
Comparative Comperative
Sincerly sincerely sinciearly
Separate Seperate
Wednesday Wensday
Weird wierd
Friend freind
When it does
• puting (like puking) putting
• Swiming (like sun shining) swimming
• Studing (like pudding) studying
• Writting (like hitting) writing
• Suprise (like supper) surprise
• Thier (like cashier) their
• Responsability responsibility
• Than (taller than me) then (next)
DOUBLING UP
• possession
• Mississippi
• Commitment - YES, THAT’S CORRECT
• Committee
• TRY THIS: EMBARASSMENT?
EMBARRASSMENT?
confused
words
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Accept, Except
Affect, Effect
Advise, Advice
Conscious, Conscience
Idea, Ideal
Its, It's
Lead, Led
Than, Then
There, They're
To, Too, Two
We're, Where, Were
Your, You're
All ready/already
All right/alright
All together/altogether
Anyone/any one
Anyway/any way
Awhile/a while
Maybe/may be
MIXING PARTS
OF SPEECH
John is kindness(n. – should be an adj.), so
many people want to chat with him.
John is so kind that many people want to
chat with him.
tenses
• Randy, had you come to Korea ? NO
• Have you ever been to Korea, Randy ?
questions
• Direct: Where do you live?
(WH- + aux verb + subject + base verb)
Who is his sister?
(WHO + verb-to-be + subject)
INDIRECT QUESTIONS
• Can you tell me where the bank is? (not where is the
bank). Direct question: Where is the bank?
• I don’t know where he lives. (not where does he live –
this is for DIRECT questions)
I am agree
‘VERB TO BE’ AND OTHER VERBS
‘PRESENT CONTINUOUS’ – this gives you 2
verbs directly next to each other which is
incorrect.
e.g. of 2 verbs next to each other - incorrect
I'm heard music.
I am listen to some music now. (‘am listening’ is 1
verb although it uses 2 words)
I have go to Flekke Shop. (‘have gone’ is 1 verb)
Too cold
VERSUS so cold
• NOT SO GOOD
(slang)
How are you? Not
so good.
• NOT VERY GOOD.
The film was not
very good.
Relative
clauses
The research what she is currently working on is the
most important in the University.
• The research that she is currently working on is the
most important in the University.
The research she is currently working on is the most
important in the University, what is remarkable.
• The research she is currently working on is the most
important in the University, which is remarkable.
passive
Many students is support by their parents.
• (subject-verb agreement + two verb error)
• Many students are supported by their
parents.
ARTICLES
Go online and do exercises
till you crack this one.
The Title
1. Use Title Case – see punctuating
titles in earlier slide
2. A title should not say
‘Comparative Commentary’ or
‘Critical Essay’. Name the THEME
or ISSUE to be discussed
Introducing Texts
• AUTHOR
• TYPE OF TEXT (e.g. biography,
poem, play/dramatic
presentation, article)
• TITLE OF TEXT
Punctuating Titles of Texts
UNDERLINE full works , books, novels,
anthologies, plays
Somehow Tenderness Survives
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Use ‘inverted commas’ for short stories and
poems
‘A Rose for Emily’
‘Lady Lazarus’
The Introduction
• Start w a few interesting, general
comments on the topic (2-3 sentences,
don’t be long-winded)
• Lead in to the Thesis Statement (1
sentence only. Let it be concise)
• Starting an introduction with the thesis is
a harsh beginning.
• Let the thesis stmt be the last sentence in
the introduction.
Write in Paragraphs
• Leave a line between paragraphs to make it
obvious that you are starting a new one.
• Start each paragraph with a TOPIC
SENTENCE (a detailed, concise mini-thesis
for the paragraph).
• Discuss ONE idea per paragraph and do it
thoroughly so you won’t repeat the same
points later in other paragraphs.
REDUNDANT SENTENCES
• Would you lose anything if you took out that
sentence or phrase? If your answer is ‘no’, take
it out.
• Why say something if it doesn’t mean much?
• Why point out something if you don’t relate it
to the theme or issue?
• Ah, a cup! (Great. So what?)
WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU
TALKING ABOUT?
“This shows that there are different points of
view which sometimes overlap with one
another and at other times differ although
they both highlight the theme.” - pointless
This (what?) shows that there are different
points of view(what are they?) which
sometimes overlap with one another (how?)
and at other times differ (when?) although
they both highlight the theme(what theme?).”
Is the Pope Catholic?
DON’T STATE THE OBVIOUS. IT IS AN
INSULT TO INTELLIGENCE.
“There are differences between the two
works.”
(Hell, yeah.)
Each sentence counts!
Make every sentence MEANINGFUL
(RICH WITH MEANING)
Avoid short or vague sentences. You can
easily connect them to the previous sentence
or add more detail to give them more weight.
Formal Register
• Avoid writing in first or second person – I,
you, we. ‘We’ is a little more forgivable but
aim to write in 3rd person as far as possible in
academic writing
• Write in full – Cannot, not can’t. Do not, not
don’t.
• Say ‘no’ to colloquialism, slang and informal
expressions. (say ‘man’, not ‘guy’)
I didn’t say that!
• Don’t put words into the
character’s/author’s mouth.
• If you can’t prove it from the text
either directly or indirectly, you’re
making it up and the
author/character is not going to like
that.
THE READER CAN READ
If you are going to re-tell the story,
don’t bother.
The reader of your essay can read the
story himself.
Your job is to INTERPRET THE
MEANING of what happened in the
story.
This might seem contradictory but….
Assume the reader
hasn’t read the text.
Now what? You can’t re-tell the story
but you have to assume the reader
hasn’t read it. What do you do?
Go on and interpret but give sufficient
detail about the character or events
while you do this so that the reader can
put two and two together even
without reading the text.
INTERPRETATION FIRST
State the argument in the topic
sentence of the paragraph and use
details/events from the texts as
EVIDENCE. (not the other way
around)
avoid
rhetorical
questions
THE SHOPPING
LIST
You recognise all the stylistic devices in the book!
That’s great BUT can you explain how they each
support theme/purpose of the text? If you can’t,
don’t mention the device in the first place.
Where should you discuss them?
Immediately after you quote evidence in each
paragraph. Analyse the evidence’s style.
Use the
simple present
tense
“First person narration is
subjective”
Generalisations about devices that don’t tell
you about the theme specifically are
useless.
The more relevant question is:
So what if you get a subjective p.o.v. or if it is
more objective? What’s the difference in
relation to this THEME in particular? If you
can’t answer that question, don’t mention the
device.
“Quote, end quote”
• Don’t use brackets.
• e.g. X describes Y as “ …” continue with
your interpretation
• As X says, “…..”, it can be argued that ..
• The narrator makes a complaint: “……”.
OVERQUOTING
You know you’re overquoting when most of the
paragraph is in inverted commas than in your own
words.
When should I “quote directly”?
a) if you plan to analyse the quote’s stylistic devices
b) when your INTERPRETATION is more complicated than it
is obvious.
You don’t have to quote directly if it’s more or less
obvious. Paraphrase but cite line e.g.
Billy feels like he is flying (line 19) when he is able to create
spontaneous comedy.
The blue phrase says what is written in the text but not ad verbatim
and doesn’t need to be, since the meaning is direct.
The Conclusion
• Reiterate the Thesis Stmt
• Don’t waste time summarising all the points
you just made in the body. You’ll end up
sounding like a broken record
• Think broadly and engage in a ToK
discussion on the topic, even when writing a
personal response. Be insightful. Don’t just
say something that more or less means this:
“I thought it was interesting” or “I like it”
AHEM…THAT REALLY WAS THE CONCLUSION