The Writing Centre Nancy Marenick

The Writing Centre Nancy Marenick

What My Gramar Didn’t Teach Me

What My Gramar Didn’t Teach Me

http://www.mystfx.ca/resources/writingcentre/

We Learn …We Learn …

10% of what we read20% of what we hear30% of what we see50% of what we see and hear70% of what we discuss80% of what we experience95% of what we teach others.

William Glasser

Communication Skills are Crucial Communication Skills are Crucial

Students must have the ability:

To solve problems

To examine ideas carefully and support them with evidence

To incorporate and synthesize information

(Sully,1995, Malaspina University-College’s Writing-Across-the-Curriculum Project) http://www.mala.bc.ca/www/wac/proj.htm

One can write….. only as well as one reads.

One can write….. only as well as one reads.

Kurland (2002) Reading and Writing Ideas As Well As Words www.criticalreading.com

SyntaxisSyntaxis

http://www.syntaxis.com/index.php/grammar_quiz/

ResourcesResources

The Writer’s Toolkit:

http://thewriterstoolkit.com/

Guide to Grammar and Writing:

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/

What’s the difference?What’s the difference?

Time flies like an arrow

Fruit flies like an orange

Sentences are complete thoughts.Sentences are complete thoughts.

Time flies like an arrow.

Complete thought -independent clause (subject verb other words)

Fruit flies like an orange

Not a complete thought - no verb

You Tube ClipsYou Tube Clips

Coordinating Conjunctions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlPnBBoca7s

Commas:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua197s8d2TA&playnext=1&list=PLA168DC33D4297BD2

Language Tools and ReferencesLanguage Tools and References

Visual Thesaurus:

http://www.visualthesaurus.com/

Pocket Basics:

http://www.pocketbasics.com/Downloads.aspx

Dictionary Resources:

http://dictionary.reference.com/

Manuela is Ramon’s lifeline, he doesn't appreciate all she does for him.

Common ErrorCommon Error

__________________ . _________________

__________________ , and ______________

__________________ ; _________________

__________________ ; however, _________

Complete sentence Complete sentence

_ . _ . _ . _ ._ . _ , _________________Dependent clause independent clause

Manuela is . . . . He doesn't . . ..

Manuela is. . . , but he doesn't . . . .

Manuela is . . . ; he doesn't . . ..

Manuela is . . . ; however, he doesn't . . ..

Although Manuela is . . . , he doesn't . . ..

SolutionsSolutions

Affect/EffectAffect/Effect

Affect = Action = Verb

The researchers’ results affected later studies.

Effect = Result = Noun

The effect of the drums added suspense.

Then/ThanThen/Than

He ran faster th_n his friend.

He ran faster than his friend.

Th_n she went to the store.

Then she went to the store.

comparison

sequence

Its/It’s (it is)Its/It’s (it is)

___ your turn to present your proposal.

It’s your turn to present your proposal.

The dog wagged _____ tail.

The dog wagged its tail.

contraction

possessive

There/Their/They’reThere/Their/They’re

There is. . . Expletive construction and not the subject of the sentence

Put it there. In that place

They argued their case.

Possessive, belongs to

They’re going… Contraction for they are.

Solution: no contractions in academic writing.

Misplaced ModifiersMisplaced Modifiers

The professor posted the notes for the students covered in class.

Barbara’s husband walked the dog, who had worked until 8 p.m.

Yesterday I found a five-dollar bill walking behind the school.

I shot a bear in my pajamas.

Grammar and New York TimesGrammar and New York Times

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/5-easy-ways-to-learn-grammar-with-the-new-york-times/

http://escherdax.wordpress.com/tag/grammar/

Vigorous writing is concise. Vigorous writing is concise.

William Strunk’s

Elements of Style

William Strunk’s

Elements of Style

http://www.bartleby.com/141/

Punctuating ProperlyPunctuating Properly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm2OzAX86JU

Quick AccessQuick Access

http://shopping.sympatico.msn.ca/prices/quick-access-reference-for-writers-third-canadian-edition/itemid19598759/?itemtext=itemname:quick-access-reference-for-writers-third-canadian-edition

ISBN: 0132384213

The Grammar LadyThe Grammar Lady

http://www.aacton.gladbrook.iowapages.org/id3.html

Helpful LInksHelpful LInks

http://www.chompchomp.com/

http://english-zone.com/index.php?ID=1

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/parts.htm

http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/

http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/editing.html

http://www.teachmeteamwork.com/