Transcript Grammar Without the Drama - Faculty of Arts

Faculty of Arts
Grammar without drama
Grammar is:
• Not just right or wrong
• a powerful tool to help you communicate your points
• a suite of choices to help you guide the reader
• your friend, or at least not your enemy
As you read and write academic essays, you will learn more
about grammatical choices and their effects on the reader.
For now, we will go through some of the basics.
University of Adelaide
An English professor asked her students to punctuate
the following sentence:
A woman without her man is nothing
All of the males in the class wrote:
A woman, without her man, is nothing.
All the females in the class wrote:
A woman: without her, man is nothing.
PUNCTUATION IS POWERFUL!
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Grammarly.com
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University of Adelaide
In this presentation we
will go over key grammar
points:
Complete sentences
Punctuation
Apostrophes
Cohesive writing
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University of Adelaide
Sentence Fragments
Do you ever get that green wiggly line that asks you to consider
revising your sentence fragment?
Sometimes it can be hard to know
what a sentence fragment is.
The best way to understand sentence
fragments is to first look at what
makes a complete sentence.
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Complete sentence
• A ‘complete’ sentence needs a subject and a verb (or a doing
word).
• A sentence can technically just be a verb (Run!), but you will
be writing sentences with subjects and verbs in your academic
writing.
• Frank hates grammar.
• Judy loves grammar more than life itself.
• Benny is turning into a lizard.
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Sentence fragment
Without a verb and subject a sentence becomes a ‘fragment’.
Which of the following is a sentence fragment?
• Judy loves grammar. More than life itself.
• Judy loves grammar more than life itself.
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Quiz
Where is the subject in each of these sentences?
• Peter wanted to be a professional inline skater.
• Up the hill and down again ran the escaped ferret.
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Building Compound Sentences
A compound sentence is a sentence made up of simple
‘independent clauses’ that have been joined together
with conjunctions or semi-colons.
Conjunctions include and, but, both, for, therefore, however, yet.
• Barry was beginning to wish he hadn’t come to the O-Week Grammar
Tutorial. He was considering faking an asthma attack to escape.
• Barry was beginning to wish he hadn’t come to the O-Week Grammar
Tutorial and he was considering faking an asthma attack to escape.
• Barry was beginning to wish he hadn’t come to the O-Week Grammar
Tutorial; he was considering faking an asthma attack to escape.
HOW TO SPOT AN INDEPENDENT CLAUSE:
1. Independent clauses work as sentences by themselves.
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Comma Splice
• Independent clauses, or simple sentences, cannot be
joined by a comma alone. This is called a comma
splice.
• We are going to the ferret race, it will be smelly.
• We are going to the ferret race; it will be smelly.
• We are going to the ferret race and it will be smelly.
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Semicolons
• A semicolon is used when both parts of the sentence are
independent clauses, and are therefore ‘strong’ enough to
work as simple sentences.
• Semi-colons are especially effective when used to join two
clauses that are related in thought.
• I am still pumped about O-Week; it’s going to take more
than a grammar tutorial to bring me down.
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Colons
• A colon stands between a clause that raises some kind of
expectation and the clause/phrase/word that fulfils that
expectation.
• You use a colon when the two parts of the sentence aren’t
strong enough to stand alone.
• I realised immediately who had stolen all the jelly donuts: Dracula!
• Colons can also be used to introduce a quotation or
example or a list.
• I love three things: chocolate, bananas and chocolate bananas.
• When I asked the professor, he said: “The paper is due next Monday, not
tomorrow.”
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Commas are your friends!
The comma can be used to insert a pause into a sentence.
• The elephant is large, but he is friendly.
Commas can mark out a bit of a sentence, or ‘phrase’, that
you could remove from a sentence without affecting it.
• The elephant, although large, is very friendly.
Commas can be used to separate items in a list.
• The elephant was large, friendly, happy and pink.
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Quizzes
Which of the following sentences is not correct?
A. I knew who was following me, what could I do?
B. I knew who was following me but what could I do?
C. I knew who was following me; what could I do?
D. I knew who was following me: what could I do?
This is an example of a comma splice.
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Which of the following sentences is correct?
A.
B.
C.
D.
We need a few things; chocolate, movies and a room.
We need a few things: chocolate, movies and a room.
We need a few things, chocolate, movies and a room.
We need a few things; chocolate; movies; a room.
Remember: Colons are used to start a list.
Semi-colons divide ‘independent’ clauses (with subjects and
verbs).
Commas separate items in a list (but don’t come before one).
Apostrophes
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Apostrophes - Singular
• Apostrophes are used to show who owns something.
• You put an apostrophe before the s to show one person owns
something.
– The dog’s mobile phone.
– Mr. Baker’s bowtie.
• Sometimes, when something or someone’s name already
ends in s, you can just put an apostrophe after the name,
without an extra s (this is a personal preference, to an extent).
– Mr. Dickens’ lengthy novels
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Apostrophes - Plural
Apostrophes go after the s when you are indicating more than
one person or thing owns something.
– The dogs’ joint bank account.
– The boys’ boxed sets of Games of Thrones.
• Note: sometimes you will encounter a word that acts as a
plural, such as ‘children’ or ‘women’. In this case, you place the
apostrophe before the s.
– The children’s playground.
– The women’s boxed sets of Breaking Bad.
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Which of the following is correct?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The dog’s off it’s leash
The dog’s off its leash
The dogs off it’s leash
The dogs off its leash
The apostrophe shows possession (the leash of the
dog). If you wrote out A, it would be ‘The dog is off
it is leash.’
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Which of the following is correct?
A. A Room of Ones Own is a popular womens book.
B. A Room of Ones Own is a popular women’s book.
C. A Room of One’s Own is a popular womens’ book.
D. A Room of One’s Own is a popular women’s book.
Both apostrophes show a ‘single’ person or thing owns
something. The room belongs to ‘one’; ‘women’ is
singular.
Tips:
Use active voice as much as you can:
The English language was learned by Celia.
Celia learned the English language.
Keep your subjects and verbs as close as possible:
Charlie, who was from South America and moved to Australia
ten years ago, learned English recently.
Charlie learned English recently, even though he moved to
Australia from South America ten years ago.
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Cohesive writing
Readers need to follow the connection between your ideas.
Cohesive devices help explain and connect those complex ideas in your
writing.
Use cohesive devices to add information, present opposing ideas, and
come to conclusions.
To join ideas and sentences, use cohesive devices:
Scholars have posited various views on the role of tradition within
developing countries. Beck, Giddens and Lash (1994) have argued that
modernity destroyed tradition. Similarly, anthropological accounts
have stated that some groups have willingly rejected tradition in
pursuit of the ‘modern.’
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Cohesive devices
time
Before, meanwhile, later, soon, at last, earlier, thereafter,
afterward, by that time, from then on, first, second, third, next,
now, presently, shortly, immediately, finally, at this time,
thereafter, formerly, previously, at this point, during, before,
after
to compare
Likewise, similarly, once again, once more, like, likewise, by
comparison, similar to
to contrast
But, yet, however, although, whereas, though, even so,
nonetheless, still, on the other hand, on the contrary, besides,
conversely, in contrast, instead, nevertheless, regardless,
whereas, while, yet, although, despite, unlike
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Cohesive devices
to conclude
As a result, consequently, therefore, hence, for this reason, in
summary, in other words, on the whole, thus, in conclusion,
hence, ultimately, finally
to add
Again, also, and, and then, besides, equally, further(more), in
addition (to...), indeed, next, in fact, moreover, too, what is
more, finally, additionally, further
to contradict
However, whereas, while, still, alternatively, nevertheless, on the
other hand, instead, inspite of, in contrast, even though
to give an example
For example, for instance, to illustrate, such as, specifically, to
demonstrate
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Examples:
Early empires had many common characteristics. For example,
many empires promoted themselves as holding greater size and
power than the historical reality.
Langston Hughes writes about loss and the pursuit of dreams in
his poem “Dream Deferred.” As a result, his poem has become a
memorable and inspirational text to many who have read it.
Some scholars have noted that there is a strong relationship
between gender and the nation. However, other scholars have
found that the strength of this relationship depends on the
cultural context of each nation.
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Pronouns: your friend and enemy
Sometimes, the pronoun and what it refers to is clear, and this
helps you avoid repetition in your writing.
Other times, the reference is unclear, because there are too
many nouns to choose from.
Try to avoid beginning sentences with the word “It.” “It” is the
most vague of the pronouns, and can refer to nearly anything at
all.
More often, use a concrete noun (such as ‘empire’, ‘the author,’
or ‘industry,’ instead of ‘it’) to improve clarity.
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Example:
In 18th century England, the idea of the companionate
marriage began. As a result, authors wrote about
marriage in new ways. It helped to establish
relationships based on mutual feelings. But it wasn’t a
cure for unhappy relationships. It created other
problems too.
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Example:
In 18th century England, the idea of the companionate
marriage began. As a result, authors wrote about
marriage in new ways. This new style of marriage
helped to establish relationships based on mutual
feelings. But these unions weren’t a cure for unhappy
relationships. Companionate marriages created other
problems too.
Keep clarifying your meaning in new ways, rather than
repeating ‘It.’
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Example:
Muslim women who wear headscarves are often widely
misunderstood in the West. Even though they can be
colourful and stylish, many still believe that wearing it
equals oppression.
Here, it’s unclear what ‘they’ refers to. It could be
‘Muslim women,’ ‘headscarves’ or ‘the West,’ as they
are all nouns in the previous sentence. Instead, repeat
the word ‘headscarf’ or use a synonym.
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Use cohesive devices:
• as a bridge between two ideas
• as signposts to signal what’s coming up
• to avoid abrupt stops between ideas
Industrialisation in England shifted ideas about gender roles in
three ways. First, the creation of mass production caused a
separation between home and work that did not exist before.
Second, … Third, …
Here, the writer is forecasting what is coming up in her paper,
creating signposts for the reader.
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Making connections
You can make connections between sentences and paragraphs
to lead the reader forward, compare ideas, and draw
conclusions.
Make these connections by using the rule ‘old before new.’ Put
‘old’ information in the beginning of your sentence, and ‘new’
information at the end.
Example:
Ann conducted a research study in the social sciences. In Dubai,
she interviewed twenty people.
Ann conducted a research study in the social sciences. As part of
her study, she interviewed twenty people in Dubai.
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Old before new
Ann conducted a research study in the social sciences. As part of
her study, she interviewed twenty people in Dubai.
While interviewing people, she asked them questions about
their national identity.
The interviewees answered that they felt pride in their national
language of Arabic.
And so on …
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Flow
Begin sentences with information familiar to your reader.
To you, everything is familiar, since you have worked out your ideas on
the topic. Remember to begin sentences with only information that is
familiar to your reader.
Globalisation is made up of flows of information, technology, capital,
culture and people. These flows have no single destination, but
instead include processes that are uneven and complex.
The Industrial age in England brought about many changes to work
and family life. The effects of this time period helped to create the
gender relations we recognise today.
You can use synonyms to avoid repetition.
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Further Resources
Consider ways in which your grammar journey can continue:
• Use our especially devised resources in the Academic Skills
Resources course on the homepage of Canvas: Grammar
Basics and Advanced Grammar: Cohesion.
• Visit English for Uni (www.adelaide.edu.au/english-for-uni).
• Join our Facebook Page to post your questions: ‘Uni Adelaide
Faculty of Arts Students’.
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