Monday, April 27, 2009
CHELSI READ THIS!!!!
I was just letting you know that i didnt know your cssutton email so i sent my Writing Center things to your chelsilynderman email so its there. I talked to you about this in class but i hope you didnt forget it was a long class today. And just a reminder Swen Kyle and Kael couldnt get their video posts but you said it was ok. Well this year has been awesome keep teaching good your awesome.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Extra Credit The Crucible
I recently went and saw the play performed at the college known as the Crucible. It was really good I have to admit I was questioning it after i saw that we sat on the stage. I was expecting it to be in the auditorium but we sat on the stage with the actors it was pretty small. But when it started it got really good. I cant believe the actors are able to remember all of those lines there are so many of them in this play. The play was really good about halfway through i got really into it. The church people were being so stupid i was ready to just like throw my shoe at them or run up and tell them how stupid they sound. Their logic on hanging witches was just stupid admit to it or die wow i wonder why people were lying and claiming they were doing it that is the dumbest thing i have ever heard. They call that justice wow and to say that they were murdering all those women because they were at fault to God well that is dead wrong. I bet during that time period God was just like wow you guys are really wrong on this i can just see him putting his hand over his eyes with his head down just thinking wow these guys have got my plan really wrong. It was good in the end but sad how he had to die but i was glad he didnt lie he stayed true to his point even if it meant death it was really cool. I liked the actors I thought they were all actually really good. All in all this play was really good. I was really glad that i decided to go it was fun.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Last Grammar Post Heck Ya
So since it is my last grammar post ever which is awesome i have to say sorry chelsi no offense but i dont really enjoy the grammar posts so it is nice to see them be done. Anyways since its the last one i figured i would do mine on the one thing i have never really understood and it has been taught to me since 5th grade. The hard thing i am speaking of is Adjectives and Adverbs maybe to all you they are easy but they have never been explained to me very good. Wehn searching i found this which helped me a lot: What is the Difference between Adjectives and Adverbs?
The Basic Rules: Adjectives
Adjectives modify nouns. To modify means to change in some way. For example:
"I ate a meal." Meal is a noun. We don't know what kind of meal; all we know is that someone ate a meal.
"I ate an enormous lunch." Lunch is a noun, and enormous is an adjective that modifies it. It tells us what kind of meal the person ate.
Adjectives usually answer one of a few different questions: "What kind?" or "Which?" or "How many?" For example:
"The tall girl is riding a new bike." Tall tells us which girl we're talking about. New tells us what kind of bike we're talking about.
"The tough professor gave us the final exam." Tough tells us what kind of professor we're talking about. Final tells us which exam we're talking about.
"Fifteen students passed the midterm exam; twelve students passed the final exam." Fifteen and twelve both tell us how many students; midterm and final both tell us which exam.
So, generally speaking, adjectives answer the following questions:
Which?
What kind of?
How many?
The Basic Rules: Adverbs
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. (You can recognize adverbs easily because many of them are formed by adding -ly to an adjective, though that is not always the case.) The most common question that adverbs answer is how.
Let's look at verbs first.
"She sang beautifully." Beautifully is an adverb that modifies sang. It tells us how she sang.
"The cellist played carelessly." Carelessly is an adverb that modifies played. It tells us how the cellist played.
Adverbs also modify adjectives and other adverbs.
"That woman is extremely nice." Nice is an adjective that modifies the noun woman. Extremely is an adverb that modifies nice; it tells us how nice she is. How nice is she? She's extremely nice.
"It was a terribly hot afternoon." Hot is an adjective that modifies the noun afternoon. Terribly is an adverb that modifies the adjective hot. How hot is it? Terribly hot.
So, generally speaking, adverbs answer the question how. (They can also answer the questions when, where, and why.)
Some other rules:
Most of the time, adjectives come before nouns. However, they come after the nouns they modify, most often when the verb is a form of the following:
be
feel
taste
smell
sound
look
appear
seem
Some examples:
"The dog is black." Black is an adjective that modifies the noun dog, but it comes after the verb. (Remember that "is" is a form of the verb "be.")
"Brian seems sad." Sad is an adjective that modifies the noun Brian.
"The milk smells rotten." Rotten is an adjective that modifies the noun milk.
"The speaker sounds hoarse." Hoarse is an adjective that modifies the noun speaker.
Be sure to understand the differences between the following two examples:
"The dog smells carefully." Here, carefully describes how the dog is smelling. We imagine him sniffing very cautiously.
But:
"The dog smells clean." Here, clean describes the dog itself. It's not that he's smelling clean things or something; it's that he's had a bath and does not stink.
Ya so there it is my last post it helped me out a lot i understand it better it would have been nice to have that a long time ago. Yay grammar posts are done
The Basic Rules: Adjectives
Adjectives modify nouns. To modify means to change in some way. For example:
"I ate a meal." Meal is a noun. We don't know what kind of meal; all we know is that someone ate a meal.
"I ate an enormous lunch." Lunch is a noun, and enormous is an adjective that modifies it. It tells us what kind of meal the person ate.
Adjectives usually answer one of a few different questions: "What kind?" or "Which?" or "How many?" For example:
"The tall girl is riding a new bike." Tall tells us which girl we're talking about. New tells us what kind of bike we're talking about.
"The tough professor gave us the final exam." Tough tells us what kind of professor we're talking about. Final tells us which exam we're talking about.
"Fifteen students passed the midterm exam; twelve students passed the final exam." Fifteen and twelve both tell us how many students; midterm and final both tell us which exam.
So, generally speaking, adjectives answer the following questions:
Which?
What kind of?
How many?
The Basic Rules: Adverbs
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. (You can recognize adverbs easily because many of them are formed by adding -ly to an adjective, though that is not always the case.) The most common question that adverbs answer is how.
Let's look at verbs first.
"She sang beautifully." Beautifully is an adverb that modifies sang. It tells us how she sang.
"The cellist played carelessly." Carelessly is an adverb that modifies played. It tells us how the cellist played.
Adverbs also modify adjectives and other adverbs.
"That woman is extremely nice." Nice is an adjective that modifies the noun woman. Extremely is an adverb that modifies nice; it tells us how nice she is. How nice is she? She's extremely nice.
"It was a terribly hot afternoon." Hot is an adjective that modifies the noun afternoon. Terribly is an adverb that modifies the adjective hot. How hot is it? Terribly hot.
So, generally speaking, adverbs answer the question how. (They can also answer the questions when, where, and why.)
Some other rules:
Most of the time, adjectives come before nouns. However, they come after the nouns they modify, most often when the verb is a form of the following:
be
feel
taste
smell
sound
look
appear
seem
Some examples:
"The dog is black." Black is an adjective that modifies the noun dog, but it comes after the verb. (Remember that "is" is a form of the verb "be.")
"Brian seems sad." Sad is an adjective that modifies the noun Brian.
"The milk smells rotten." Rotten is an adjective that modifies the noun milk.
"The speaker sounds hoarse." Hoarse is an adjective that modifies the noun speaker.
Be sure to understand the differences between the following two examples:
"The dog smells carefully." Here, carefully describes how the dog is smelling. We imagine him sniffing very cautiously.
But:
"The dog smells clean." Here, clean describes the dog itself. It's not that he's smelling clean things or something; it's that he's had a bath and does not stink.
Ya so there it is my last post it helped me out a lot i understand it better it would have been nice to have that a long time ago. Yay grammar posts are done
Sunday, April 19, 2009
America the Beautiful
A lot of times when people from other countries look on americans they sometimes claim that we are proud or think we are better than the rest of the world and a lot of the time this is what causes the rest of the world to not like us very much. I know personally a lot of times i have said that we are better than the rest of the world and thats why they hate us cause were just so much better, or that we are better and the rest of the world is just dumb they should bow down to us cause we are better than any of those other stupid countries. Ya those are exactly the thoughts that have caused our country to make enemies. We stand for truth and liberty but a lot of times we dont look at the very people who are robbing that away from us. Those thieves are us, we do not a lot of times value the rest of the world a lot of times we do tend to think we are better than them. We cannot run a country with this attitude we need to all become united enemies are no good no matter who they are eventually if your not watching out they will destroy us. And we need to start embracing what every culture can bring and become as one. We need to let go of our pride to make a better world a better future. It cant be done with attitudes like this and we should all be a little more humble. Its great to be proud to live here this is one of the greatest places to live but we cant be so prideful to demean everyone else.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
grammar post 12
I was looking up some grammar things to write about and i can across verb tenses. I have never heard of what these were before so i chose to write about it. When i looked at it i realized i have used these all the time i just never realized it so ya it was cool to learn fun stuff. Passive Verb Tenses
Simple Present
Active:
Passive
The company ships the computers to many foreign countries.
Computers are shipped to many foreign countries
Present Progressive
Active:
Passive:
The chef is preparing the food.
The food is being prepared.
Simple Past
Active:
Passive:
The delivery man delivered the package yesterday.
The package was delivered yesterday.
Past Progressive
Active:
Passive:
The producer was making an announcement.
An announcement was being made.
Future
Active:
Passive:
Our representative will pick up the computer.
The computer will be picked up.
Present Perfect
Active:
Passive:
Someone has made the arrangements for us.
The arrangements have been made for us.
Past Perfect
Active:
Passive:
They had given us visas for three months.
They had been given visas for three months.
Future Perfect
Active:
Passive:
By next month we will have finished this job.
By next month this job will have been finished.
Modals
Active:
Passive:
You can use the computer.
The computer can be used.
Ya i hope those may be of some help to you. Learning is just so much fun.
Simple Present
Active:
Passive
The company ships the computers to many foreign countries.
Computers are shipped to many foreign countries
Present Progressive
Active:
Passive:
The chef is preparing the food.
The food is being prepared.
Simple Past
Active:
Passive:
The delivery man delivered the package yesterday.
The package was delivered yesterday.
Past Progressive
Active:
Passive:
The producer was making an announcement.
An announcement was being made.
Future
Active:
Passive:
Our representative will pick up the computer.
The computer will be picked up.
Present Perfect
Active:
Passive:
Someone has made the arrangements for us.
The arrangements have been made for us.
Past Perfect
Active:
Passive:
They had given us visas for three months.
They had been given visas for three months.
Future Perfect
Active:
Passive:
By next month we will have finished this job.
By next month this job will have been finished.
Modals
Active:
Passive:
You can use the computer.
The computer can be used.
Ya i hope those may be of some help to you. Learning is just so much fun.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
grammar post 11
So over the past how ever many years of school i have been in school i never got really what a dangling motifier was so i found this and i hope that it can be a little helpful.
Definition:
A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence. A modifier describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about a concept.
Consider this sentence:
"Having finished" states an action but does not name the doer of that action. In English sentences, the doer must be the subject of the main clause that follows. In this sentence, it is Jill. She seems logically to be the one doing the action ("having finished"), and this sentence therefore does not have a dangling modifier.
Now consider this sentence:
Having finished is a participle expressing action, but the doer is not the TV set (the subject of the main clause): TV sets don't finish assignments. Since the doer of the action expressed in the participle has not been clearly stated, the participial phrase is said to be a dangling modifier.
Examples of dangling modifiers and revisions:
dangling modifier:
(The article--the subject of the main clause--did not read the original study.)
possible revisions:
-or-
The article remains unconvincing in light of the original study. (no modifying phrase)
dangling modifier:
(Your home--the subject of the main clause--is not relieved of your responsibilities.)
possible revision:
Characteristics of dangling modifiers:
They most frequently occur at the beginning of sentences (often as introductory clauses or phrases) but can also appear at the end.
dangling modifier at end of sentence:
(The experiment--the subject of the main clause--is not supposed to study the lab manual.)
possible revision:
They often have an -ing word (gerund) or a to+verb (infinitive) phrase near the start of the sentence.
Squinting modifiers:
Related to dangling modifiers, squinting modifiers occur when the word modified is not clear or could be more than one word. These problems can usually be solved by rearranging the elements already present in the sentence.
squinting modifier:
possible revisions:
Strategies for revising dangling modifiers:
1. Name the appropriate or logical doer of the action as the subject of the main clause:
dangling modifier:
Who arrived late? This sentence says that the written excuse arrived late. To revise, decide who actually arrived late.
possible revision:
The main clause now names the person (the captain) who did the action in the modifying phrase (arrived late).
2. Change the phrase that dangles into a complete introductory clause by naming the doer of the action in that clause:
dangling modifier:
Who didn't know his name? This sentence says that "it" didn't know his name. To revise, decide who was trying to introduce him.
possible revision:
Because Maria did not know his name, it was difficult to introduce him.
The phrase is now a complete introductory clause; it does not modify any other part of the sentence, so is not considered "dangling."
3. Combine the phrase and main clause into one:
dangling modifier:
Who wanted to improve results? This sentence says that the experiment was trying to improve its own results. To revise, combine the phrase and the main clause into one sentence.
possible revision:
He improved his results by doing the experiment again.
Ya so hopefully by reading this you could understand it.
Definition:
A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence. A modifier describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about a concept.
Consider this sentence:
"Having finished" states an action but does not name the doer of that action. In English sentences, the doer must be the subject of the main clause that follows. In this sentence, it is Jill. She seems logically to be the one doing the action ("having finished"), and this sentence therefore does not have a dangling modifier.
Now consider this sentence:
Having finished is a participle expressing action, but the doer is not the TV set (the subject of the main clause): TV sets don't finish assignments. Since the doer of the action expressed in the participle has not been clearly stated, the participial phrase is said to be a dangling modifier.
Examples of dangling modifiers and revisions:
dangling modifier:
(The article--the subject of the main clause--did not read the original study.)
possible revisions:
-or-
The article remains unconvincing in light of the original study. (no modifying phrase)
dangling modifier:
(Your home--the subject of the main clause--is not relieved of your responsibilities.)
possible revision:
Characteristics of dangling modifiers:
They most frequently occur at the beginning of sentences (often as introductory clauses or phrases) but can also appear at the end.
dangling modifier at end of sentence:
(The experiment--the subject of the main clause--is not supposed to study the lab manual.)
possible revision:
They often have an -ing word (gerund) or a to+verb (infinitive) phrase near the start of the sentence.
Squinting modifiers:
Related to dangling modifiers, squinting modifiers occur when the word modified is not clear or could be more than one word. These problems can usually be solved by rearranging the elements already present in the sentence.
squinting modifier:
possible revisions:
Strategies for revising dangling modifiers:
1. Name the appropriate or logical doer of the action as the subject of the main clause:
dangling modifier:
Who arrived late? This sentence says that the written excuse arrived late. To revise, decide who actually arrived late.
possible revision:
The main clause now names the person (the captain) who did the action in the modifying phrase (arrived late).
2. Change the phrase that dangles into a complete introductory clause by naming the doer of the action in that clause:
dangling modifier:
Who didn't know his name? This sentence says that "it" didn't know his name. To revise, decide who was trying to introduce him.
possible revision:
Because Maria did not know his name, it was difficult to introduce him.
The phrase is now a complete introductory clause; it does not modify any other part of the sentence, so is not considered "dangling."
3. Combine the phrase and main clause into one:
dangling modifier:
Who wanted to improve results? This sentence says that the experiment was trying to improve its own results. To revise, combine the phrase and the main clause into one sentence.
possible revision:
He improved his results by doing the experiment again.
Ya so hopefully by reading this you could understand it.
grammar post 10
So since we are writing essays right now i think this might help a little in teaching when to write and how to write with an active or passive voice.
Active Voice
In sentences written in active voice, the subject performs the action expressed in the verb; the subject acts.
In each example above, the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed in the verb.
Would you like to see examples of all the verb tenses in active voice?
Passive Voice
In sentences written in passive voice, the subject receives the action expressed in the verb; the subject is acted upon. The agent performing the action may appear in a "by the . . ." phrase or may be omitted.
(agent performing action has been omitted.)
Sometimes the use of passive voice can create awkward sentences, as in the last example above. Also, overuse of passive voice throughout an essay can cause your prose to seem flat and uninteresting. In scientific writing, however, passive voice is more readily accepted since using it allows one to write without using personal pronouns or the names of particular researchers as the subjects of sentences (see the third example above). This practice helps to create the appearance of an objective, fact-based discourse because writers can present research and conclusions without attributing them to particular agents. Instead, the writing appears to convey information that is not limited or biased by individual perspectives or personal interests.
You can recognize passive-voice expressions because the verb phrase will always include a form of be, such as am, is, was, were, are, or been. The presence of a be-verb, however, does not necessarily mean that the sentence is in passive voice. Another way to recognize passive-voice sentences is that they may include a "by the..." phrase after the verb; the agent performing the action, if named, is the object of the preposition in this phrase.
Would you like to see examples of all the verb tenses in passive voice?
Choosing Active Voice
In most nonscientific writing situations, active voice is preferable to passive for the majority of your sentences. Even in scientific writing, overuse of passive voice or use of passive voice in long and complicated sentences can cause readers to lose interest or to become confused. Sentences in active voice are generally--though not always-- clearer and more direct than those in passive voice.
passive (indirect)
active (direct):
Sentences in active voice are also more concise than those in passive voice because fewer words are required to express action in active voice than in passive.
passive (more wordy)
active (more concise)
Changing passive to active
If you want to change a passive-voice sentence to active voice, find the agent in a "by the..." phrase, or consider carefully who or what is performing the action expressed in the verb. Make that agent the subject of the sentence, and change the verb accordingly. Sometimes you will need to infer the agent from the surrounding sentences which provide context.
Passive Voice
Agent
Changed to Active Voice
most of the class
agent not specified; most likely agents such as "the researchers"
the CIA director and his close advisors
agent not specified; most likely agents such as "we"
Choosing Passive Voice
While active voice helps to create clear and direct sentences, sometimes writers find that using an indirect expression is rhetorically effective in a given situation, so they choose passive voice. Also, as mentioned above, writers in the sciences conventionally use passive voice more often than writers in other discourses. Passive voice makes sense when the agent performing the action is obvious, unimportant, or unknown or when a writer wishes to postpone mentioning the agent until the last part of the sentence or to avoid mentioning the agent at all. The passive voice is effective in such circumstances because it highlights the action and what is acted upon rather than the agent performing the action.
active
passive
The dispatcher is notifying police that three prisoners have escaped.
Police are being notified that three prisoners have escaped.
Surgeons successfully performed a new experimental liver-transplant operation yesterday.
A new experimental liver-transplant operation was performed successfully yesterday.
"Authorities make rules to be broken," he said defiantly.
"Rules are made to be broken," he said defiantly.
In each of these examples, the passive voice makes sense because the agent is relatively unimportant compared to the action itself and what is acted upon.
Changing active to passive
If you want to change an active-voice sentence to passive voice, consider carefully who or what is performing the action expressed in the verb, and then make that agent the object of a "by the..." phrase. Make what is acted upon the subject of the sentence, and change the verb to a form of be + past participle. Including an explicit "by the..." phrase is optional.
Active Voice
Agent
Changed to Passive Voice
The presiding officer
The leaders
The scientists
In each of these examples, the passive voice is useful for highlighting the action and what is acted upon instead of the agent.
Some suggestions
1. Avoid starting a sentence in active voice and then shifting to passive.
Unnecessary shift in voice
Revised
Many customers in the restaurant found the coffee too bitter to drink, but it was still ordered frequently.
Many customers in the restaurant found the coffee too bitter to drink, but they still ordered it frequently.
He tried to act cool when he slipped in the puddle, but he was still laughed at by the other students.
He tried to act cool when he slipped in the puddle, but the other students still laughed at him.
2. Avoid dangling modifiers caused by the use of passive voice. A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence.
Dangling modifier with passive voice
Revised
To save time, the paper was written on a computer. (Who was saving time? The paper?)
To save time, Kristin wrote the paper on a computer.
Seeking to lay off workers without taking the blame, consultants were hired to break the bad news. Who was seeking to lay off workers? The consultants?)
Seeking to lay off workers without taking the blame, the CEO hired consultants to break the bad news.
3. Don't trust the grammar-checking programs in word-processing software. Many grammar checkers flag all passive constructions, but you may want to keep some that are flagged. Trust your judgement, or ask another human being for their opinion about which sentence sounds best.
Hopefully that is helpful it helped me actually quite a bit.
Active Voice
In sentences written in active voice, the subject performs the action expressed in the verb; the subject acts.
In each example above, the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed in the verb.
Would you like to see examples of all the verb tenses in active voice?
Passive Voice
In sentences written in passive voice, the subject receives the action expressed in the verb; the subject is acted upon. The agent performing the action may appear in a "by the . . ." phrase or may be omitted.
(agent performing action has been omitted.)
Sometimes the use of passive voice can create awkward sentences, as in the last example above. Also, overuse of passive voice throughout an essay can cause your prose to seem flat and uninteresting. In scientific writing, however, passive voice is more readily accepted since using it allows one to write without using personal pronouns or the names of particular researchers as the subjects of sentences (see the third example above). This practice helps to create the appearance of an objective, fact-based discourse because writers can present research and conclusions without attributing them to particular agents. Instead, the writing appears to convey information that is not limited or biased by individual perspectives or personal interests.
You can recognize passive-voice expressions because the verb phrase will always include a form of be, such as am, is, was, were, are, or been. The presence of a be-verb, however, does not necessarily mean that the sentence is in passive voice. Another way to recognize passive-voice sentences is that they may include a "by the..." phrase after the verb; the agent performing the action, if named, is the object of the preposition in this phrase.
Would you like to see examples of all the verb tenses in passive voice?
Choosing Active Voice
In most nonscientific writing situations, active voice is preferable to passive for the majority of your sentences. Even in scientific writing, overuse of passive voice or use of passive voice in long and complicated sentences can cause readers to lose interest or to become confused. Sentences in active voice are generally--though not always-- clearer and more direct than those in passive voice.
passive (indirect)
active (direct):
Sentences in active voice are also more concise than those in passive voice because fewer words are required to express action in active voice than in passive.
passive (more wordy)
active (more concise)
Changing passive to active
If you want to change a passive-voice sentence to active voice, find the agent in a "by the..." phrase, or consider carefully who or what is performing the action expressed in the verb. Make that agent the subject of the sentence, and change the verb accordingly. Sometimes you will need to infer the agent from the surrounding sentences which provide context.
Passive Voice
Agent
Changed to Active Voice
most of the class
agent not specified; most likely agents such as "the researchers"
the CIA director and his close advisors
agent not specified; most likely agents such as "we"
Choosing Passive Voice
While active voice helps to create clear and direct sentences, sometimes writers find that using an indirect expression is rhetorically effective in a given situation, so they choose passive voice. Also, as mentioned above, writers in the sciences conventionally use passive voice more often than writers in other discourses. Passive voice makes sense when the agent performing the action is obvious, unimportant, or unknown or when a writer wishes to postpone mentioning the agent until the last part of the sentence or to avoid mentioning the agent at all. The passive voice is effective in such circumstances because it highlights the action and what is acted upon rather than the agent performing the action.
active
passive
The dispatcher is notifying police that three prisoners have escaped.
Police are being notified that three prisoners have escaped.
Surgeons successfully performed a new experimental liver-transplant operation yesterday.
A new experimental liver-transplant operation was performed successfully yesterday.
"Authorities make rules to be broken," he said defiantly.
"Rules are made to be broken," he said defiantly.
In each of these examples, the passive voice makes sense because the agent is relatively unimportant compared to the action itself and what is acted upon.
Changing active to passive
If you want to change an active-voice sentence to passive voice, consider carefully who or what is performing the action expressed in the verb, and then make that agent the object of a "by the..." phrase. Make what is acted upon the subject of the sentence, and change the verb to a form of be + past participle. Including an explicit "by the..." phrase is optional.
Active Voice
Agent
Changed to Passive Voice
The presiding officer
The leaders
The scientists
In each of these examples, the passive voice is useful for highlighting the action and what is acted upon instead of the agent.
Some suggestions
1. Avoid starting a sentence in active voice and then shifting to passive.
Unnecessary shift in voice
Revised
Many customers in the restaurant found the coffee too bitter to drink, but it was still ordered frequently.
Many customers in the restaurant found the coffee too bitter to drink, but they still ordered it frequently.
He tried to act cool when he slipped in the puddle, but he was still laughed at by the other students.
He tried to act cool when he slipped in the puddle, but the other students still laughed at him.
2. Avoid dangling modifiers caused by the use of passive voice. A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence.
Dangling modifier with passive voice
Revised
To save time, the paper was written on a computer. (Who was saving time? The paper?)
To save time, Kristin wrote the paper on a computer.
Seeking to lay off workers without taking the blame, consultants were hired to break the bad news. Who was seeking to lay off workers? The consultants?)
Seeking to lay off workers without taking the blame, the CEO hired consultants to break the bad news.
3. Don't trust the grammar-checking programs in word-processing software. Many grammar checkers flag all passive constructions, but you may want to keep some that are flagged. Trust your judgement, or ask another human being for their opinion about which sentence sounds best.
Hopefully that is helpful it helped me actually quite a bit.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
my 2 writing styles
I have been thinking that i wil write in either comparison contrast-When you choose a topic, be sure not to choose two totally unrelated subjects. You must start with subjects that have some basic similarities. For instance, you could choose to compare/contrast two movies, two authors, two modes of transportation, or two sports figures, but you would not want to try to compare train travel and Babe Ruth!
The other one i think is descriptive-More than many other types of essays, descriptive essays strive to create a deeply involved and vivid experience for the reader. Great descriptive essays achieve this affect not through facts and statistics but by using detailed observations and descriptions.
The other one i think is descriptive-More than many other types of essays, descriptive essays strive to create a deeply involved and vivid experience for the reader. Great descriptive essays achieve this affect not through facts and statistics but by using detailed observations and descriptions.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Grammer Post 9
So here is a few things that deal with pronouns. I never really understand like pronoun, adjectives, adverbs or any of those other things so I found this i dont know if it is helpful but i kind of like it so here is a few rules dealing with using pronouns. Using Pronouns Clearly
Because a pronoun REFERS BACK to a noun or TAKES THE PLACE OF that noun, you have to use the correct pronoun so that your reader clearly understands which noun your pronoun is referring to.
Therefore, pronouns should:
1. AGREE in NUMBER
If the pronoun takes the place of a singular noun, you have to use a singular pronoun.
If a student parks a car on campus, he or she has to buy a parking sticker.
(NOT: If a student parks a car on campus, they have to buy a parking sticker.)
REMEMBER: The words EVERYBODY, ANYBODY, ANYONE, EACH, NEITHER, NOBODY, SOMEONE, A PERSON, etc. are singular and take singular pronouns.
Everybody ought to do his or her best. (NOT: their best)
Neither of the girls brought her umbrella. (NOT: their umbrellas)
NOTE: Many people find the construction "his or her" wordy, so if it is possible to use a plural noun as your antecedent so that you can use "they" as your pronoun, it may be wise to do so. If you do use a singular noun and the context makes the gender clear, then it is permissible to use just "his" or "her" rather than "his or her." See our handout on Non-sexist Language for more information.
2. AGREE in PERSON
If you are writing in the "first person" ( I), don't confuse your reader by switching to the "second person" ( you) or "third person" (he, she, they, it, etc.). Similarly, if you are using the "second person," don't switch to "first" or "third."
When a person comes to class, he or she should have his or her homework ready.
(NOT: When a person comes to class, you should have your homework ready.)
3. REFER CLEARLY to a specific noun.
Don't be vague or ambiguous.
NOT: Although the motorcycle hit the tree, it was not damaged. (Is "it" the motorcycle or the tree?)
NOT: I don't think they should show violence on TV. (Who are "they"?)
NOT: Vacation is coming soon, which is nice. (What is nice, the vacation or the fact that it is coming soon?)
NOT: George worked in a national forest last summer. This may be his life's work. (What word does "this" refer to?)
NOT: If you put this sheet in your notebook, you can refer to it. (What does "it" refer to, the sheet or your notebook?)
so ya that is all about pronouns that i found so i hope it can be helpful to you all.
Because a pronoun REFERS BACK to a noun or TAKES THE PLACE OF that noun, you have to use the correct pronoun so that your reader clearly understands which noun your pronoun is referring to.
Therefore, pronouns should:
1. AGREE in NUMBER
If the pronoun takes the place of a singular noun, you have to use a singular pronoun.
If a student parks a car on campus, he or she has to buy a parking sticker.
(NOT: If a student parks a car on campus, they have to buy a parking sticker.)
REMEMBER: The words EVERYBODY, ANYBODY, ANYONE, EACH, NEITHER, NOBODY, SOMEONE, A PERSON, etc. are singular and take singular pronouns.
Everybody ought to do his or her best. (NOT: their best)
Neither of the girls brought her umbrella. (NOT: their umbrellas)
NOTE: Many people find the construction "his or her" wordy, so if it is possible to use a plural noun as your antecedent so that you can use "they" as your pronoun, it may be wise to do so. If you do use a singular noun and the context makes the gender clear, then it is permissible to use just "his" or "her" rather than "his or her." See our handout on Non-sexist Language for more information.
2. AGREE in PERSON
If you are writing in the "first person" ( I), don't confuse your reader by switching to the "second person" ( you) or "third person" (he, she, they, it, etc.). Similarly, if you are using the "second person," don't switch to "first" or "third."
When a person comes to class, he or she should have his or her homework ready.
(NOT: When a person comes to class, you should have your homework ready.)
3. REFER CLEARLY to a specific noun.
Don't be vague or ambiguous.
NOT: Although the motorcycle hit the tree, it was not damaged. (Is "it" the motorcycle or the tree?)
NOT: I don't think they should show violence on TV. (Who are "they"?)
NOT: Vacation is coming soon, which is nice. (What is nice, the vacation or the fact that it is coming soon?)
NOT: George worked in a national forest last summer. This may be his life's work. (What word does "this" refer to?)
NOT: If you put this sheet in your notebook, you can refer to it. (What does "it" refer to, the sheet or your notebook?)
so ya that is all about pronouns that i found so i hope it can be helpful to you all.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Grammer Post 9
So i couldnt really think of anything that i really struggle with right now but maybe someone out there will feel that they never learned this and maybe they need to learn it. I hope that by reading this it may help someone in the blogging world.
A" goes before all words that begin with consonants.
a cat
a dog
a purple onion
a buffalo
a big apple
with one exception: Use an before unsounded h.
an honorable peace
an honest error
"An" goes before all words that begin with vowels:
an apricot
an egg
an Indian
an orbit
an uprising
with two exceptions: When u makes the same sound as the y in you, or o makes the same sound as w in won, then a is used.
a union
a united front
a unicorn
a used napkin
a U.S. ship
a one-legged man
Note: The choice of article is actually based upon the phonetic (sound) quality of the first letter in a word, not on the orthographic (written) representation of the letter. If the first letter makes a vowel-type sound, you use "an"; if the first letter would makes a consonant-type sound, you use "a." So, if you consider the rule from a phonetic perspective, there aren't any exceptions. Since the 'h' hasn't any phonetic representation, no audible sound, in the first exception, the sound that follows the article is a vowel; consequently, 'an' is used. In the second exception, the word-initial 'y' sound (unicorn) is actually a glide [j] phonetically, which has consonantal properties; consequently, it is treated as a consonant, requiring 'a'.
A" goes before all words that begin with consonants.
a cat
a dog
a purple onion
a buffalo
a big apple
with one exception: Use an before unsounded h.
an honorable peace
an honest error
"An" goes before all words that begin with vowels:
an apricot
an egg
an Indian
an orbit
an uprising
with two exceptions: When u makes the same sound as the y in you, or o makes the same sound as w in won, then a is used.
a union
a united front
a unicorn
a used napkin
a U.S. ship
a one-legged man
Note: The choice of article is actually based upon the phonetic (sound) quality of the first letter in a word, not on the orthographic (written) representation of the letter. If the first letter makes a vowel-type sound, you use "an"; if the first letter would makes a consonant-type sound, you use "a." So, if you consider the rule from a phonetic perspective, there aren't any exceptions. Since the 'h' hasn't any phonetic representation, no audible sound, in the first exception, the sound that follows the article is a vowel; consequently, 'an' is used. In the second exception, the word-initial 'y' sound (unicorn) is actually a glide [j] phonetically, which has consonantal properties; consequently, it is treated as a consonant, requiring 'a'.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Media Influence and Power
I really enjoyed these two essays they were really powerful to me. The first one i read was Framing Class this spoke of how our society is divided into the many different class systems based on how much money we have. I think it is really messed up how the media has made it seem like we need to have money and be educated in things that really dont matter like how to set a table properly and things that really serve as no importent purpose in your life. The media makes it seem like your life is so horrible if you are in the lower class when really it may not be that bad. It makes everyone feel like they need to do whatevedr they can to make money just to be happy and its sad to see many people fall for this stupid idea and see their lives ruined over it. The second article was Two Ways Women Can Get Hurt it is a really sad fact to see how women are being portrayed in our media and our life. Through songs and advertisements along with movies and commercials women have been degrated and are constantly looked at for only sexual things or other horrible things. Women have been reduced to being treated as this because in almost every advertisement seen the women have some sort of sexual thing about them that is trying to lure them in. Women should not be treated like this but sadly through things such as this women are getting put into a sad hole.
20 questions
1. How many tabloids are actually true?
2. Do violent video games affect behavior?
3. Do movies affect our behavior?
4. Does music affect our behavior?
5. How does rap music compare to other types of music in the way that it effects us?
6. How bad do magazines really influence us?
7. Do magazines cause eating disorders?
8. How many lies do they put in an average magazine article?
9. How one-sided are politics in the media?
10. Does each candidate get a fair shot in press coverage?
11. Do subliminal messages affect us at all?
12. How many subliminal messages are in an average ad?
13. How are logical fallacies used to persuade us in the media?
14. How many logical fallacies are in a report or magazine?
15. How do movies use advertisements?
16. Do reporters get the whole story when interviewing?
17. Who is the main target of advertisers?
18. Do cigarette companies want teens to smoke?
19. How many ads does an average person watch per day and how does it affect them?
20. Does the media try to control us to get us to think the way they do?
2. Do violent video games affect behavior?
3. Do movies affect our behavior?
4. Does music affect our behavior?
5. How does rap music compare to other types of music in the way that it effects us?
6. How bad do magazines really influence us?
7. Do magazines cause eating disorders?
8. How many lies do they put in an average magazine article?
9. How one-sided are politics in the media?
10. Does each candidate get a fair shot in press coverage?
11. Do subliminal messages affect us at all?
12. How many subliminal messages are in an average ad?
13. How are logical fallacies used to persuade us in the media?
14. How many logical fallacies are in a report or magazine?
15. How do movies use advertisements?
16. Do reporters get the whole story when interviewing?
17. Who is the main target of advertisers?
18. Do cigarette companies want teens to smoke?
19. How many ads does an average person watch per day and how does it affect them?
20. Does the media try to control us to get us to think the way they do?
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Grammer Post 9
Sometimes prepostitions can be a bit confusing in certain circumstances. I never even thought that they could be used for times and places so here is how to put them in and to recognize them when they are used in a sentence. On is used with days:
I will see you on Monday.7
The week begins on Sunday.
At is used with noon, night, midnight, and with the time of day:
My plane leaves at noon.
The movie starts at 6 p.m.
In is used with other parts of the day, with months, with years, with seasons:
He likes to read in the afternoon.
The days are long in August.
The book was published in 1999.
The flowers will bloom in spring.
Extended time
To express extended time, English uses the following prepositions: since, for, by, from—to, from-until, during,(with)in
She has been gone since yesterday. (She left yesterday and has not returned.)
I'm going to Paris for two weeks. (I will spend two weeks there.)
The movie showed from August to October. (Beginning in August and ending in October.)
The decorations were up from spring until fall. (Beginning in spring and ending in fall.)
I watch TV during the evening. (For some period of time in the evening.)
We must finish the project within a year. (No longer than a year.)
Place
To express notions of place, English uses the following prepositions: to talk about the point itself: in, to express something contained: inside, to talk about the surface: on, to talk about a general vicinity, at. For more detail, see our handouts on Prepositions of Location and Prepositions of Direction.
There is a wasp in the room.
Put the present inside the box.
I left your keys on the table.
She was waiting at the corner.
Higher than a point
To express notions of an object being higher than a point, English uses the following prepositions: over, above. For more detail, see our handout on Prepositions of Spatial Relationship.
He threw the ball over the roof.
Hang that picture above the couch.
Lower than a point
To express notions of an object being lower than a point, English uses the following prepositions: under, underneath, beneath, below. For more detail, see our handout on Prepositions of Spatial Relationship.
The rabbit burrowed under the ground.
The child hid underneath the blanket.
We relaxed in the shade beneath the branches.
The valley is below sea-level.
Close to a point
To express notions of an object being close to a point, English uses the following prepositions: near, by, next to, between, among, opposite. For more detail, see our handout on Prepositions of Spatial Relationship.
She lives near the school.
There is an ice cream shop by the store.
An oak tree grows next to my house
The house is between Elm Street and Maple Street.
I found my pen lying among the books.
The bathroom is opposite that room.
To introduce objects of verbs
English uses the following prepositions to introduce objects of the following verbs.
At: glance, laugh, look, rejoice, smile, stare
She took a quick glance at her reflection.(exception with mirror: She took a quick glance in the mirror.)
You didn't laugh at his joke.
I'm looking at the computer monitor.
We rejoiced at his safe rescue.
That pretty girl smiled at you.
Stop staring at me.
Of: approve, consist, smell
I don't approve of his speech.
My contribution to the article consists of many pages.
He came home smelling of alcohol.
Of (or about): dream, think
I dream of finishing college in four years.
Can you think of a number between one and ten?
I am thinking about this problem.
For: call, hope, look, wait, watch, wish
Did someone call for a taxi?
He hopes for a raise in salary next year.
I'm looking for my keys.
We'll wait for her here.
You go buy the tickets and I'll watch for the train.
If you wish for an "A" in this class, you must work hard.
Its a bit long but it helped me so i figured i would just post it all.
I will see you on Monday.7
The week begins on Sunday.
At is used with noon, night, midnight, and with the time of day:
My plane leaves at noon.
The movie starts at 6 p.m.
In is used with other parts of the day, with months, with years, with seasons:
He likes to read in the afternoon.
The days are long in August.
The book was published in 1999.
The flowers will bloom in spring.
Extended time
To express extended time, English uses the following prepositions: since, for, by, from—to, from-until, during,(with)in
She has been gone since yesterday. (She left yesterday and has not returned.)
I'm going to Paris for two weeks. (I will spend two weeks there.)
The movie showed from August to October. (Beginning in August and ending in October.)
The decorations were up from spring until fall. (Beginning in spring and ending in fall.)
I watch TV during the evening. (For some period of time in the evening.)
We must finish the project within a year. (No longer than a year.)
Place
To express notions of place, English uses the following prepositions: to talk about the point itself: in, to express something contained: inside, to talk about the surface: on, to talk about a general vicinity, at. For more detail, see our handouts on Prepositions of Location and Prepositions of Direction.
There is a wasp in the room.
Put the present inside the box.
I left your keys on the table.
She was waiting at the corner.
Higher than a point
To express notions of an object being higher than a point, English uses the following prepositions: over, above. For more detail, see our handout on Prepositions of Spatial Relationship.
He threw the ball over the roof.
Hang that picture above the couch.
Lower than a point
To express notions of an object being lower than a point, English uses the following prepositions: under, underneath, beneath, below. For more detail, see our handout on Prepositions of Spatial Relationship.
The rabbit burrowed under the ground.
The child hid underneath the blanket.
We relaxed in the shade beneath the branches.
The valley is below sea-level.
Close to a point
To express notions of an object being close to a point, English uses the following prepositions: near, by, next to, between, among, opposite. For more detail, see our handout on Prepositions of Spatial Relationship.
She lives near the school.
There is an ice cream shop by the store.
An oak tree grows next to my house
The house is between Elm Street and Maple Street.
I found my pen lying among the books.
The bathroom is opposite that room.
To introduce objects of verbs
English uses the following prepositions to introduce objects of the following verbs.
At: glance, laugh, look, rejoice, smile, stare
She took a quick glance at her reflection.(exception with mirror: She took a quick glance in the mirror.)
You didn't laugh at his joke.
I'm looking at the computer monitor.
We rejoiced at his safe rescue.
That pretty girl smiled at you.
Stop staring at me.
Of: approve, consist, smell
I don't approve of his speech.
My contribution to the article consists of many pages.
He came home smelling of alcohol.
Of (or about): dream, think
I dream of finishing college in four years.
Can you think of a number between one and ten?
I am thinking about this problem.
For: call, hope, look, wait, watch, wish
Did someone call for a taxi?
He hopes for a raise in salary next year.
I'm looking for my keys.
We'll wait for her here.
You go buy the tickets and I'll watch for the train.
If you wish for an "A" in this class, you must work hard.
Its a bit long but it helped me so i figured i would just post it all.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Serving in Florida
Wow this essay totally speaks to me. I realize why I am in college now at times it may seem like a really hard thing and i dont really feel like going but after seeing this and learning of what its like i know why i am here. You always here all these statistics about earning money from going to college and not but its cool to see someone who actually got out there and tried it out themselves to get the truth. This story makes me really feel bad for a friend of mine. Just recently him and his girlfriend got married and now they have a kid. Obvioulsy those are not the most ideal conditions of going to college in. However the part that makes me feel the worst for him is when we asked him about 5 months ago if he was planning on going to college anywhere he told us no. You see right now he already had a job its not the best but its not horrible he does graphic design. We asked him why he wasnt going and he said it was not needed he was already making good money, then he told us college was pointless and said we probably havent even learned anything yet beyond what we learned in high school. It was a sad thing to hear especially now that the economy is getting worse after reading this it makes me feel even more sad for him. This essay is very powerful and i now know i want to finish college and get a good career.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Socratic Method
I really like the section about the socratic method. I really liked how it talked about oppostition if you want to see how much someone really has learned or how well their skills are in the debating world you cant just give them something easy. As it is put in this paradigm the best way to evaluate someone's work is to "subject it to the strongest or most extreme opposition." This statement totally speaks to me, if you want to prove something works or make someone be the best they can be, you need to put it in the most extreme conditions to prove its worth. Through playing sports my whole life i have practiced a lot and ya it has not been that much fun. The things we do are completely and utterly hard and not fun at all. However, if you want something to be the best working they need to go through the pain to reach the joy afterwords you cant just simply sit around and hope to become great. Also in proving if something is good you cant just not test it with strong things, i know if i bought a car that is tested to be safe I really would like that car to have been through the most opposition and extreme conditions to ensure that it is the safest and best working there can be. To help prove someone they must be tested no one can really improve themselves if all they have to be is average. There must always be a goal worth working towards. The content with being average is what will destroy a hardworking top country. We all should push ourselves to be the best we can be.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Grammar Post 7
So here is a few rules of how to use a hyphen in the correct places. I know that this may not be the most complex thing of all but as I was looking through all the rules there were a few i never heard of using before so i thought it would be a useful thing to post.
1. Use a hyphen to join two or more words serving as a single adjective before a noun:
a one-way street, chocolate-covered peanuts, well-known author
However, when compound modifiers come after a noun, they are not hyphenated:
The peanuts were chocolate covered.The author was well known.
2. Use a hyphen with compound numbers:
forty-six, sixty-three, Our much-loved teacher was sixty-three years old.
3. Use a hyphen to avoid confusion or an awkward combination of letters:
re-sign a petition (vs. resign from a job)semi-independent (but semiconscious)shell-like (but childlike)
4. Use a hyphen with the prefixes ex- (meaning former), self-, all-; with the suffix -elect; between a prefix and a capitalized word; and with figures or letters:
ex-husband, self-assured,mid-September, all-inclusive, mayor-elect, anti-American, T-shirt, pre-Civil War, mid-1980s
5. Use a hyphen to divide words at the end of a line if necessary, and make the break only between syllables:
pref-er-ence, sell-ing, in-di-vid-u-al-ist
For line breaks, divide already hyphenated words only at the hyphen:
mass-producedself-conscious
For line breaks in words ending in -ing, if a single final consonant in the root word is doubled before the suffix, hyphenate between the consonants; otherwise, hyphenate at the suffix itself:
plan-ning, run-ning, driv-ing, call-ing
1. Use a hyphen to join two or more words serving as a single adjective before a noun:
a one-way street, chocolate-covered peanuts, well-known author
However, when compound modifiers come after a noun, they are not hyphenated:
The peanuts were chocolate covered.The author was well known.
2. Use a hyphen with compound numbers:
forty-six, sixty-three, Our much-loved teacher was sixty-three years old.
3. Use a hyphen to avoid confusion or an awkward combination of letters:
re-sign a petition (vs. resign from a job)semi-independent (but semiconscious)shell-like (but childlike)
4. Use a hyphen with the prefixes ex- (meaning former), self-, all-; with the suffix -elect; between a prefix and a capitalized word; and with figures or letters:
ex-husband, self-assured,mid-September, all-inclusive, mayor-elect, anti-American, T-shirt, pre-Civil War, mid-1980s
5. Use a hyphen to divide words at the end of a line if necessary, and make the break only between syllables:
pref-er-ence, sell-ing, in-di-vid-u-al-ist
For line breaks, divide already hyphenated words only at the hyphen:
mass-producedself-conscious
For line breaks in words ending in -ing, if a single final consonant in the root word is doubled before the suffix, hyphenate between the consonants; otherwise, hyphenate at the suffix itself:
plan-ning, run-ning, driv-ing, call-ing
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Grammar Post
something i think is hard to do and i sometimes struggle with is run on sentences. I usually will either have the wrong punctuation or none when there needs to be so this website seemed to help.
Run-ons, comma splices, and fused sentences are all names given to compound sentences that are not punctuated correctly. The best way to avoid such errors is to punctuate compound sentences correctly by using one or the other of these rules.
1. Join the two independent clauses with one of the coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet), and use a comma before the connecting word.
_________________________, and _________________________.
He enjoys walking through the country, and he often goes backpacking on his vacations.
2. When you do not have a connecting word (or when you use a connecting word other than and, but, for, or nor, so, or yet between the two independent clauses) use a semicolon (;).
__________________________;_____________________________.
He often watched TV when there were only reruns; she preferred to read instead.
or
__________________________; however,____________________.
He often watched TV when there were only reruns; however, she preferred to read instead.
So, run-ons and fused sentences are terms describing two independent clauses which are joined together with no connecting word or punctuation to separate the clauses.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/598/02/
Run-ons, comma splices, and fused sentences are all names given to compound sentences that are not punctuated correctly. The best way to avoid such errors is to punctuate compound sentences correctly by using one or the other of these rules.
1. Join the two independent clauses with one of the coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet), and use a comma before the connecting word.
_________________________, and _________________________.
He enjoys walking through the country, and he often goes backpacking on his vacations.
2. When you do not have a connecting word (or when you use a connecting word other than and, but, for, or nor, so, or yet between the two independent clauses) use a semicolon (;).
__________________________;_____________________________.
He often watched TV when there were only reruns; she preferred to read instead.
or
__________________________; however,____________________.
He often watched TV when there were only reruns; however, she preferred to read instead.
So, run-ons and fused sentences are terms describing two independent clauses which are joined together with no connecting word or punctuation to separate the clauses.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/598/02/
Sunday, February 8, 2009
My Great Teacher
When i was in 1st grade i had an amazing teacher. His name was Mr. Paget, he taught me everything i ever needed to know about math and reading and learning, along with values we all should have in our lives. His math methods were so effective on me that i still continue to use them when i am doing math today. He was an all around amazing teacher. He always taught me to believe in myself and never give up. Throughout the years as i have grown up i have always gone to visit him, or to help him teach kids to read, or just to show him what i have been doing in my life he has grown to be more than a teacher but rather a great friend. Forever will i remember the things he taught me which have given me that base of who i am today in the eductational system. I believe that early in our lives is when it can count the most and he gave me an excellent start, so if your out there reading this Mr. Paget thank you.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Grammar Post 5
Sometimes in grammar it can be complicated with all of the different rules. Here is how appositives work. All of my past years in high school i have never really understood this rule until about last year. Here is a list of how they are used and what they are:
An appositive is a noun or pronoun -- often with modifiers -- set beside another noun or pronoun to explain or identify it.
An appositive phrase usually follows the word it explains or identifies, but it may also precede it.
Punctuation of appositives
In some cases, the noun being explained is too general without the appositive; the information is essential to the meaning of the sentence. When this is the case, do not place commas around the appositive; just leave it alone. If the sentence would be clear and complete without the appositive, then commas are necessary; place one before and one after the appositive.
There it is for ya sometimes it can get tricky but by going over these rules its easier to understand and make sentences flow clearer.
An appositive is a noun or pronoun -- often with modifiers -- set beside another noun or pronoun to explain or identify it.
An appositive phrase usually follows the word it explains or identifies, but it may also precede it.
Punctuation of appositives
In some cases, the noun being explained is too general without the appositive; the information is essential to the meaning of the sentence. When this is the case, do not place commas around the appositive; just leave it alone. If the sentence would be clear and complete without the appositive, then commas are necessary; place one before and one after the appositive.
There it is for ya sometimes it can get tricky but by going over these rules its easier to understand and make sentences flow clearer.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
I Just Want to Be Average
In Rose's essay he speaks on the education system in America and the flaws it has. When I was finished with this essay i couldnt help but feel bad for this poor boy. His whole life he was told he wasnt good enough all because the education system was the one that wasnt good enough. His friend says he just wants to be average. How sad is this that he was placed in a class that had ruined what he thought of himself. It made him feel essentially like he was not good enough. When later on in his life he learns he was in the wrong classes his whole life. Wow what a system that was putting him in the wrong class.
This essay makes me think of a friend I have who signed up for college classes. When they decided they wanted to take math 1010 they were told they werent good enough to take it because their ACT score was not high enough to enroll in that class. However the thing that did not make sense to me was the fact that the year before in high school they took concurrent enrollment and had done just fine in the class it was not a problem, they just dropped out because they needed room for another class. The sad thing was they were just not having a good day during the ACT and got a bad score, not being informed that you needed a certain score on that test to take certain classes, they decided they were done with that test. When college enrollement came they were told they could not take math 1010 even though there grade the year before in the same class was a B before dropping out.
It is sad that one test score can help decide what we are supposedly supposed to do with our lives. One test can tell us all we are. I think this system has many problems and something needs to be done to help fix this. Or are we going to continue making kids feel less than average.
This essay makes me think of a friend I have who signed up for college classes. When they decided they wanted to take math 1010 they were told they werent good enough to take it because their ACT score was not high enough to enroll in that class. However the thing that did not make sense to me was the fact that the year before in high school they took concurrent enrollment and had done just fine in the class it was not a problem, they just dropped out because they needed room for another class. The sad thing was they were just not having a good day during the ACT and got a bad score, not being informed that you needed a certain score on that test to take certain classes, they decided they were done with that test. When college enrollement came they were told they could not take math 1010 even though there grade the year before in the same class was a B before dropping out.
It is sad that one test score can help decide what we are supposedly supposed to do with our lives. One test can tell us all we are. I think this system has many problems and something needs to be done to help fix this. Or are we going to continue making kids feel less than average.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Grammar Post 4
I always seem to have a hard time knowing what the heck an adjective and an adverb are. I mean we have learned them like our whole lives but i still couldnt tell ya what they are so here are a few rules on how to know when to use them and what they are:
1. Adjectives modify nouns; adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
You can recognize adverbs easily because many of them are formed by adding -ly to an adjective. Ex. He is careless when driving. (adj) He drives carelessly (adv.)
2. An adjective always follows a form of the verb to be when it modifies the noun before the verb.
3. Likewise, an adjective always follows a sense verb or a verb of appearance -- feel, taste, smell, sound, look, appear, and seem -- when it modifies the noun before the verb.
1. Adjectives modify nouns; adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
You can recognize adverbs easily because many of them are formed by adding -ly to an adjective. Ex. He is careless when driving. (adj) He drives carelessly (adv.)
2. An adjective always follows a form of the verb to be when it modifies the noun before the verb.
3. Likewise, an adjective always follows a sense verb or a verb of appearance -- feel, taste, smell, sound, look, appear, and seem -- when it modifies the noun before the verb.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Idiot Nation
Reading this essay i agreed with him on some of the things he said however, i think he came across a little harsh. I liked the part about how he said Americans need to be more educated, if we are practically running the world we need to know a little bit more about what is going on around us. I liked how he said how many Americans do not even know how to read above a 4th grade level and we that do read only read about 99 hours a year vs. 1400 hours of tv. We all need to get more involved in the knowledge of our country. The best way to learn more is to ask questions, rather than just listen to what is feed to us, we need to go out and learn for ourselves question what is going on and be humble to learn. I do agree with all of these facts he says however a do not agree with how he puts it across. He is so mean he basically says that we are all idiots in this country. It comes across as Im smart your dumb blah blah blah. Rather than simply just chew everyone out fot what they are doing wrong we need to just look at ourselves and figure out what we can do better. I know personally there is a lot I need to do to get involved. Like many others i would much rather watch an entertaining show long before the president, the fact is its pretty dull. No music, no real jokes, just a long speech. Like me many others are the same we need to change ourselves to make this country better, not just complain what is being done wrong. The fact is no one is perfect no matter who is in office we need to stand behind them and if we disagree we can do whatever we need to do to make the country better and vote in 4 years for a change. It is a simple fact, we all need to better ourselves to better the nation.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Reading this essay was just grand. I could enjoy it a little more by eating candy like you said and reading it at the same time. I really liked how she talked abo0ut all of the different systems of class. All the different positions of the family is great. With things like the Moynihan report sometimes our views of society can be a little different than what they really are. Like this report it shows how things can be like a little misunderstood. People seem to always assume that certain people in groups automatically assume that role. It speaks of the roles of African American families and shows what they are, when in reality a lot of them are not like that at all. In our nuclear families it seems as if people always assume that mother's are supposed to work in the home and take care of everything while the father's are supposed to work and earn and make money to support the family. We need to realize that people are different than how they appear we should not judge off of stereotypes or things that we have seen once and automatically assume that is the truth of it all. People are all different. In this essay it speaks of stratification and the different class systems. People in upper class seem to control a lot of the everyday society and want people families to stay in their class. Middle class is where most of America lies and we work to go up to the higher class. Lower class is the poor who try to work to get up by whatever they can do. With the black civil rights movement it gave a lot of change it gave people equal rights and has changed how our society views their culture as a whole. This essay was a bit challenging but it was interesting.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Grammar Post 2
Some of the time I seem to have a more difficult time knowing where to put a colon. After researching i have found that there are several times and places when it is appropriate here is a list of places to use it at:
in the following situations:
for example:
1. After a complete statement in order to introduce one or more directly related ideas, such as a series of directions, a list, or a quotation or other comment illustrating or explaining the statement.
The daily newspaper contains four sections: news, sports, entertainment, and classified ads.
The strategies of corporatist industrial unionism have proven ineffective: compromises and concessions have left labor in a weakened position in the new "flexible" economy.
2. In a business letter greeting.
Dear Ms. Winstead:
3. Between the hour and minutes in time notation.
5:30 p.m.
4. Between chapter and verse in biblical references.
Genesis 1:18
After reading these rules it makes it a little more clear on where and when to use colons.
in the following situations:
for example:
1. After a complete statement in order to introduce one or more directly related ideas, such as a series of directions, a list, or a quotation or other comment illustrating or explaining the statement.
The daily newspaper contains four sections: news, sports, entertainment, and classified ads.
The strategies of corporatist industrial unionism have proven ineffective: compromises and concessions have left labor in a weakened position in the new "flexible" economy.
2. In a business letter greeting.
Dear Ms. Winstead:
3. Between the hour and minutes in time notation.
5:30 p.m.
4. Between chapter and verse in biblical references.
Genesis 1:18
After reading these rules it makes it a little more clear on where and when to use colons.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
This cartoon made me laugh i little thinking about what our country has really become. Our citizens are so into what is popular on tv and in the media that American Idol is has more voter turnout than the actual presidential election. By not getting involved and simply sitting back and doing nothin this is what we will be. Unfortunatly the congress channels are not that exciting to watch but we need to get involved in other ways. We are becoming lazy and need to start thinking for ourselves and learning for ourselves.
This cartoon really speaks to me in the fact that during this previous election it seemed by far that Obama had all the press coverage and Mcain had almost none at all. It seemed everywhere you turned there was something about Obama even Mtv was strongly supporting him. What i get from this cartoon is that Obama had so much press coverage that it seemed as if someone was always with him, as if being tied to his little finger reporting everything that he ever did. The problem is we need to know of both candidates not just one. I think one of the main reason Obama won the election was the amount of press coverage he had.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Grammar Post
I seem to struggle with where to put commas. I always forget to put commas in the right places, there is just so many places they need to go. Its hard for me to know where they go. Here are eleven rules for comma placement: 1.Use commas to separate independent clauses when they are joined by any of these seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet. 2.Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) phrases, or c) words that come before the main clause. 3.Use a pair of commas in the middle of a sentence to set off clauses, phrases, and words that are not essential to the meaning of the sentence. 4.Use one comma before to indicate the beginning of the pause and one at the end to indicate the end of the pause. 5.Do not use commas to set off essential elements of the sentence, such as clauses beginning with that (relative clauses). That clauses after nouns are always essential. That clauses following a verb expressing mental action are always essential. 6.Use commas to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses written in a series. 7.Use commas to separate two or more coordinate adjectives that describe the same noun. Be sure never to add an extra comma between the final adjective and the noun itself or to use commas with non-coordinate adjectives. 8.Use a comma near the end of a sentence to separate contrasted coordinate elements or to indicate a distinct pause or shift. 9.Use commas to set off phrases at the end of the sentence that refer back to the beginning or middle of the sentence. Such phrases are free modifiers that can be placed anywhere in the sentence without causing confusion. (If the placement of the modifier causes confusion, then it is not "free" and must remain "bound" to the word it modifies.) 10.Use commas to set off all geographical names, items in dates (except the month and day), addresses (except the street number and name), and titles in names. 11.Use a comma to shift between the main discourse and a quotation. Use commas wherever necessary to prevent possible confusion or misreading.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
An American Citizen
The title of an American Citizen is indeed a great one. We live in a wonderful time with plenty of oppurtunities and excitement before us, and to live in a country where we have the freedom to be what we want to be is an amazing gift we have. By living in America and being an American Citizen we can indeed follow these oppurtunities and use the freedom we have to be whatever it is we want to be. By having freedom we also have the oppurtunity to vote for who we feel should be in power, which is another great gift. By being an American Citizen we all have a voice in what we would like to be done.
With these many oppurtunities also comes great responsibility. To be an American Citizen is much more than to simply just vote for the president and live your life. An American Citizen should take action in the government and world around them. Dont just simply listen to what the media speaks, figure it out your own. With the freedom comes the ability to recieve information to make better informed decisions on what you think is best for the country. Without the American Citizen, there is no America.
In the book Rereading America there is much information on critical thinking. By reading this book it will help to think past all the standards of culture we have been taught our entire lives. It will help to think about all the ends of something every last piece before deciding if it is right or wrong. By reading this it may indeed change some of my opinions i have had my whole life, by thinking critically rather than just believing what is said, I can better my knowledge and become an overall better American Citizen. Ask questions, learn, it is all part of ciritcal thinking.
With these many oppurtunities also comes great responsibility. To be an American Citizen is much more than to simply just vote for the president and live your life. An American Citizen should take action in the government and world around them. Dont just simply listen to what the media speaks, figure it out your own. With the freedom comes the ability to recieve information to make better informed decisions on what you think is best for the country. Without the American Citizen, there is no America.
In the book Rereading America there is much information on critical thinking. By reading this book it will help to think past all the standards of culture we have been taught our entire lives. It will help to think about all the ends of something every last piece before deciding if it is right or wrong. By reading this it may indeed change some of my opinions i have had my whole life, by thinking critically rather than just believing what is said, I can better my knowledge and become an overall better American Citizen. Ask questions, learn, it is all part of ciritcal thinking.
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