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Mastering the Mechanics of Writing

Hillary WentworthWriting SpecialistWalden Writing Center

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Questions and Recording

• Type in the Questions box• Access captioning

• Download slides• View recordinghttp://

writingcenter.waldenu.edu/415.htm

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Session Overview

• Parts of a sentence• Punctuation• Problem Areas• Grammarly

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Parts of a Sentence

Subject + verb = sentence

Wilson (2012) researched.

Now let’s build on that foundation.

SubjectSubject

VerbVerb

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Parts of a Sentence

Core sentence: Wilson (2012) researched.

Wilson (2012) researched student motivation.

Wilson (2012) researched student motivation in a higher education setting.

Direct objectDirect object

PrepositionPreposition

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Parts of a Sentence

Core sentence: Wilson (2012) researched.

Because of low state test scores, Wilson (2012) researched student motivation.

Types of modifiers: adjectives, adverbs, phrases.

ModifierModifier

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Consistency

Subject-Verb Agreement

The number of recent patient falls have inspired Hospital X nurses to seek out greater training in prevention.

Cross out everything but simple subject and verb.

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Consistency

Noun-Pronoun Agreement

In the business world, a manager must demonstrate transformative leadership so that they retain employees and remain ethical.

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2+2+

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Consistency

VerbsA student reporting the literature:In his article, Jones (2011) stated that

cognitive-behavioral therapy is the most effective approach for bipolar disorder. He writes that counselors can retrain the pathways of the brain.

wrote

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Consistency

VerbsA student discussing proposed research:For this qualitative study, I will use a

phenomenological design. This design would allow me to research the lived experiences of coal miners in Ohio. will

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ClausesDependent Clause• phrase with a subject and verb BUT NOT a

complete thought• dependent on the core sentenceCommon DC signals: although, because, when,

whereas, while Although Jackson and Tudor (2010) found that

females perform better at mathematics than males, they acknowledged the limitations of their study.

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ClausesIndependent Clause• phrase with a subject and verb AND a

complete thought• forms the core sentenceAlthough Jackson and Tudor (2010) found that

females perform better at mathematics than males, they acknowledged the limitations of their study.

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Poll and Pause

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PunctuationCommas1.Serial Comma• Comma that appears right before the

and or or in lists of three or more items.

Educators use lesson plans to prepare content, guide instruction, and ensure alignment with standards.

,

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PunctuationCommas2. Comma w/ nonessential info• Common signals: which, who, --ing wordThe hospital, which treats 200,000 people

annually, is located in central Michigan.

The students responded well to the writing prompt, composing stories of two to three pages in length.

,

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PunctuationCommas3.Comma w/ introductory phrase

Despite improvements in the national health indicators, maternal health status remains unsatisfactory.

During the 2008 global financial crisis, retail sales plummeted.

Notice that a comma gets a pause.

,

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Punctuation

Commas4. Comma joining two independent

clauses with a conjunctionConjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so

I conducted semistructured interviews with each participant, and then I transcribed the recording.

,

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Punctuation; SemicolonsConnect two independent clauses:

no conjunction needed

A counselor uses both verbal and nonverbal communication to judge a client’s well-being; the body often reveals more than the voice does.

Common signals: therefore, however

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Punctuation: ColonsIntroduce a list—but only after a

complete thought.

To obtain Magnet status, hospitals must make continued progress in several areas: standards of service, evidence-based practice, and nurse leadership.

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Punctuation- HyphensLink two words to form a compound

adjective (a description)

At XYZ Middle School, the sixth-grade students rotate amongst four teachers.

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Punctuation- Hyphen Tips

Hyphen:All self words: self-esteem, self-conscious, self-

analysis

No hyphen:Prefixes non, pre, post, anti, semi, co, and moreExamples: Nontraditional, pretest, coworker

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Punctuation

ApostrophesHelp show ownership

‘

Jacobsen’s study• Meaning the study by Jacobsen

Students’ pretests• Meaning the pretests of the students

No apostrophe for plural nouns (including year and abbreviations)• In the 1980s, Gardner developed…

ELLs

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Poll and Pause

Questions?

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Common Problem AreasThat v. Which

That: Essential to sentence meaning•for instance, when defining one item

amongst others.The article that I read last night was most

closely aligned with my own study.Which: Nonessential info and asides. W/ commas.

The article that I read last night, which spanned 25 pages, was most closely

aligned with my own study.

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Common Problem Areas

That v. WhoThat: for objects and abstract things

The theory that informs my dissertation is Jean Watson’s theory of caring.

Who: for peopleStudents who are kinesthetic learners

internalize ideas by moving their bodies.

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Common Problem AreasAffect v. Effect

Affect: actionThe earthquake in Japan affected the

entire world.Effect: Event (hint: it will usually come with

the or a.) The effects of Japan’s earthquake will

be seen by future generations.

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Common Problem AreasSince v. BecauseSince: time

Since I was 10 years old, I have wanted to study public health and work at the CDC.

Because: cause-effect relationshipBecause I want to work at the CDC, I

have enrolled in the public health program at Walden University.

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Common Problem AreasClauses

Awkward: Use of differentiated instruction, because of recent studies in peer-reviewed journals, is increasing rapidly in middle-school classrooms.

Revised: Because of recent studies in peer-reviewed journals, use of differentiated instruction is increasing rapidly in middle-school classrooms.

Revised: Use of differentiated instruction is increasing rapidly in middle-school classrooms because of recent studies in peer-reviewed journals.

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Common Problem AreasModifiers

The patient went to the clinic with many medical conditions.

A clinic with medical conditions? That doesn’t sound good!

Revision: The patient with many medical conditions went to the clinic.

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Common Problem AreasListsNot parallel: To obtain Magnet status, hospitals must maintain high standards of service, implement evidence-based practice, and allowing staff input.

Parallel: To obtain Magnet status, hospitals must maintain high standards of service, implement evidence-based practice, and allow staff input.

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Common Problem AreasPassive Voice

Passive: The study participants will be given 20-question Likert-style surveys.Given by whom?

Active: I will give the participants 20-question Likert-style surveys.

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Poll and Pause

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Grammarly

• Automated grammar revision tool accessible from the Writing Center website.

• Free for Walden students.

• Does not “fix” paper; instead, provides instruction that corresponds to errors noted in the writing.

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GrammarlyGuide: http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/Documents/GrammarandELL/Grammarly_Tutorial.pdf

1. Copy from MS Word document.2. Paste into Grammarly box [Click “Allow”].3. A few minutes later, receive highlighted areas for improvement.Let’s try the program with a sample piece of writing…

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Did you know?

Webinar ArchiveWebinar Archive

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Questions

Now: Use the Q&A box onyour screen

Later: Email the tutors at writingsupport@waldenu.edu