Transcript Grammar and AP Style

Grammar, Clarity and AP
Style
The Writing Process
• Research!
• Know who will receive your
communication and how to best reach
them.
• This means knowing your:
– Message
– Public
– Medium
Tips on Writing Well
How?
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Keep most sentences short.
BUT, vary sentence length.
Avoid too many clauses.
Cut out unnecessary words.
Use more periods and fewer words.
Avoid overwriting.
Cut out personal commentary.
Avoid long words if possible.
Tips on Writing Well
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Write clearly.
Make what you write interesting.
Simplify the complex.
Write for a 6th grade reader
Reading skills vary
When in doubt, use the readability tool in Word
Cut it Out!
• Cut out excessive words
– (ex. revolutionary,
outstanding)
• Cut out redundant words
– (ex. young children, ATM
machine)
• Cut out long words if
possible
Tips on Writing Well
• Simplify the complex.
– Give readers only the information they need
to know.
– Don’t use euphemisms.
– Avoid jargon.
– Introduce one new idea at a time, in a logical
order.
– Explain technical terms you can’t avoid.
– Explain the unfamiliar with the familiar.
Tips on Writing Well
• Make the main idea stand out.
• If possible, pretest drafts with intended
audiences.
• Edit, edit, edit!
Grammar
• Why use proper
grammar?
– Poor grammar damages
credibility.
– Poor grammar affects
readability.
– Good grammar reduces
ambiguity.
Grammar
Tips for good
grammar:
• Read and revise.
• Spell check misses
some errors.
• Learn the rules, but
break them if you
need to.
Some Basic Grammar Rules
• Proper Nouns
– Only capitalize proper nouns
Common Noun
Proper Noun
singer
Lady Gaga
cookie
Oreo
city
Tuscaloosa
restaurant
Pepito’s
Possessive Nouns
Possessive nouns are used to show possession
(owning, or having).
Add ‘s to the end of singular noun to make it
possessive:
• dog’s collar
• girl’s shirt
If a singular common noun ends in an “s”, add ‘s
• The boss's temper was legendary among his
employees.
• The boss' sister was even meaner.
Possessive Nouns
If a singular proper noun (a name) ends in s, or an
s sound, add an apostrophe only.
• Chris' exam scores were higher than any other
students.
If a noun is plural in form and ends in an s, add an
apostrophe only
• The dog catcher had to check all of the dogs' tags.
• It is hard to endure the Marine Corps' style of
discipline.
Possessive Nouns
If a plural noun does not end in s, add 's
• Many activists in Oregon are concerned with
children's rights.
• Everyone was disappointed with the American
media's coverage of the Olympics in Atlanta.
If there is joint possession, use the correct
possessive for only the possessive closest to the
noun.
• Clinton and Gore's campaign was successful.
• She was worried about her mother and father's
marriage.
Some Basic Grammar Rules
• That vs. Which
– That introduces essential clauses, which introduces
nonessential clauses
– If you use the word "which" to introduce a phrase or
clause, precede it with a comma.
– Do not precede the word "that" by a comma.
Some Basic Grammar Rules
• That vs. Which
– Use "which" to introduce non-essential phrases and
clauses, which can be eliminated from a sentence
without changing its essential meaning (such as in
this sentence).
– Use "that" when you want to use a phrase or clause
that cannot be removed from a sentence without
changing its meaning (such as in this sentence).
– Ex. The paper that won the award was mine. (tells
which one) Vs. The paper, which can be found online,
was interesting. (adds only a fact about the paper) Vs.
The paper (that) I wrote in class was a winner.
Some Basic Grammar Rules
• That vs. Who
– Who refers to people. That refers to groups or
things.
– Example:
• Kristen is the one who made this presentation.
• The Crimson Tide is the team that makes people
cry.
• We go to a school that makes others jealous.
• The students are the ones who make Alabama so
great.
Some Basic Grammar Rules
• Who vs. Whom
– Use the he/him method to decide which word
is correct.
• he = who
• him = whom
– Who/Whom wrote the letter?
He wrote the letter. Therefore, who is correct.
– For who/whom should I vote?
Should I vote for him? Therefore, whom is
correct.
Some Basic Grammar Rules
• Subject-Verb Agreement
– Helps avoid confusion
– Words that intervene between subject
and verb do not affect the number of the
verb.
– Ex. Growing vegetables is
interesting. Vs. Growing vegetables are
interesting.
Some Basic Grammar Rules
• Subject-Verb Agreement
– Use a singular verb form after:
• Each (is)
• Either (is)
• Everyone
• Everybody
• Neither
• Nobody
• Someone
Some Basic Grammar Rules
I vs. Me
If John and (I or me?) get married, we'll have two
kids.
If me get married? NO
If I get married? YES
Therefore, If John and I get married, we'll have
two kids.
Some Basic Grammar Rules
I vs. Me
He told Tom and (I or me?) to get ready.
He told I to get ready? NO
He told me to get ready? YES
Therefore, He told Tom and me to get
ready.
Some Basic Grammar Rules
Commas
• Limit the use of commas
• Non-restrictive clauses that don’t change the
meaning of the sentence should be set off by
commas (Ex. The celebrity, who was battling
addiction, finally went to rehab.)
• Restrictive clauses that change the meaning of the
sentence if left out, are not set off by commas. (Ex.
Fans who show up early win a prize.)
• Don’t set off short titles by commas. (Ex. Vice
president Dick Cheney did not run in the 2008
election.)
Some Basic Grammar Rules
Quotation marks:
• Periods and commas belong inside quotation
marks
• Exclamation points and question marks can be
placed according to the sense of the sentence.
• Ex. Did you see “The Daily Show”? vs. She said,
“Where’s the beef?”
• Ex. My thought was, “Who cares?” vs. What
company’s slogan is “We care”?
Breaking Grammar Rules
• You don’t always have to use the active
voice.
• Sometimes you should split infinitives. (Ex.
I can’t bring myself to really like vampire
movies. Vs. I can’t bring myself really to
like vampire movies.)
• It’s okay to end a sentence in a preposition
if you want to.
Commonly Confused Words
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All right
Alternate vs. Alternative
Among vs. Between
As yet and As to whether
Data
Disinterested
Effect vs. Affect
Farther vs. Further
Flammable
Gratuitous
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Irregardless
Lay
Nauseous vs. Nauseated
One
Secondly, thirdly
Shall vs. Will
They, he or she
Unique
Utilize
A lot
Toward
AP Style
• AP Style is used by most print journalism
organizations
• While publications differ, most use a style similar
to AP Style
• Writing with AP Style will give your piece a better
chance of being picked up by the press
• Only about 10% of the rules in the style book are
used 90% of the time
AP Style
Common AP Style Errors:
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Datelines
Dates
Comma before “and” in a list of items
Titles after names (should be lowercase)
• When in doubt, check it out.
• AP Style quick reference handouts
Some Resources
• Grammar Girl
• AP Style on Twitter
Just for fun:
• Unnecessary quotes
• Funny typos