Grammar & AP Style Review

Today…

Grammar Review

AP Style

Writing Process

Word Choice

Check the spelling and meaning of your words

It’s/itsAffect/effect

See page 117 in your textbook

What’s wrong with these statements?

The building was totally destroyed.

Their traditions are completely unique.

Both President Obama and Vice President Biden will attend.

Avoid redundant words and empty phrases.

Be a wordsmith.

What’s wrong with this statement?

We were required to write a persuasive letter to raise money for a charity. You were graded on

your application of persuasive writing principles.

Shift in Point of View

We were required to write a persuasive letter to raise money for a charity. We were graded on

our application of persuasive writing principles.

You were required to write a persuasive letter to raise money for a charity. You were graded on

your application of persuasive writing principles.

Point of View

First PersonEmphasizes the writer

Second PersonEmphasizes the reader

Third PersonEmphasizes the subject

What about this one?

She and her friends is at the fair.

The books is in the drawer.

Subject-Verb Agreement

In the present tense, verbs agree with their subject in number and person.

Back to our example:

She and her friends is at the fair.She and her friends are at the fair.

The books is in the drawer.The books are in the drawer.

The book is in the drawer.

Active/Passive Voice

As a rule, use active verbs to express meaning more vigorously

(A)A surge of power was responsible for the destruction of the pumps.

(B) A surge of power destroyed the pump.(C) The pumps were destroyed by a surge of

power.

Active/Passive Voice

(A) Burying nuclear waste in Antarctica violates an international treaty.

(B) Burying nuclear waste in Antarctica would be a violation of an international treaty.

Active/Passive Voice

(A)The debris was removed from the construction site.

(B) The contractor removed the debris from the construction site.

Other Grammar Issues to Review

Irregular VerbsAdjectives/Adverbs

Using ModifiersSentence Fragments and Run-On Sentences

See Handout

AP Style

Abbreviations & Acronyms

Abbreviate Gov., Lt. Gov., the Rev., Sen., Rep., Dr., Mr., Mrs., and Ms. before a person’s nameUse the context of the sentence as a guide for

abbreviationsIn running text, use AP abbreviations for states

not postal abbreviationsAvoid alphabet soup

Addresses

Use figures in addressesEx: 605 Woodside Drive

Abbreviate Ave., Blvd,. & St., and direction cues when used with a numbered address

Ex: 101 N. Grant St.If the street is a number 1-9 spell out, 10th or

higher use figuresEx: 101 First St./101 S. 10th St.

Ages

Always use figures for agesThe girl, 9, has a brother, 13. The student is 21 years old.

When an age is an adjective or substitute for a noun, then it should be hyphenated

A 21-year-old student…Do not use apostrophes when describing an age

rangeHe is in his 30s.

Books, Periodicals, Compositions

Use quotation marks: books, songs, movies, TV shows, computer games, etc.

“Breaking Bad”, “Suit and Tie”, “Candy Crush”

Do not use quotation marks: magazine, newspapers, the Bible, or books that are catalogue reference materials

The Washington Post, the Bible

No italics

Dates, Months, Years, Days of Week

Capitalize days of week but do not abbreviateUse figures with dates

Do not use st, nd, rd, or th with dates (i.e. Sept. 1)Use comma to set off a year only

Ex: Aug. 9/Aug. 9, 2013Decades/centuries use “s” no apostrophe

1800sUse an apostrophe before decade when numbers are left

outThe ‘80s

Names

First mention – use first and last namesSecond mention – use only last name

Do not use courtesy titles unless they are part of direct quotation or are needed to differentiate

between people

Numbers

Never begin a sentence with a number, unless it is a year.

Ex: Two hundred seniors attended convocation.Ex: 1776 was an important year.

Spell out numbers below 10 and use figures for 10 and above

Ex: the woman had four children and 11 grandchildren.

Punctuation

Single space after a period.Do not use a comma before a conjunction in a

simple series. Ex: I like apples, oranges and grapes.

Commas and periods go inside punctuation marks.

Ex: “I did nothing wrong,” he said.Ex: She said, “Let’s go to the softball game.”

Cities and States

Spell out a state when it stands alone Ex: He is from Mississippi.

Use the AP state abbreviation when city and state are used.

Ex: She is from Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Also see AP Style for stand-alone cities.

Time

Use figures for time, but spell out noon and midnight

Ex: 1 p.m.; 3:30 p.m.

Titles

Capitalize formal titles when they appear before a person’s name but lowercase if they are

informal or appear without a name

Ex: President ObamaEx: Robert Bentley, a governor from Alabama

Ex: deputy secretary of homeland security

The Writing Process

Step 1: Preliminary Questions

What do you want the audience to do with the message?

Who is the audience? What are the audience’s needs, concerns, and interests?

What is our message? Are we trying to inform or persuade?

What communication channel(s) will be more effective?

Who is our most believable spokesperson?

Step 2: Outline the Message

Introduction: roadmap to the document(1) Most important point(a) Supporting fact one(b) Supporting fact two

(c) Supporting fact three(2) Second important point

(d) Supporting fact one(e) Supporting fact two

(f) Supporting fact threeConclusion: Summarize and tell them what to do

Step 3: Write the Message

The outline should guide the writing process

Get words on paper – you can write and revise later

Writing Mechanics

Word Choice

Be cognizant of your word choiceWrite to your audience

Use active voice and present tense

Writing Mechanics

Sentences

Keep sentences clear and conciseAvoid long, compound sentences

Keep sentences 15-17 words

Writing Mechanics

Paragraphs

Keep paragraphs shortOne paragraph = one main idea

All sentences support that main idea6-8 typeset lines; lead paragraphs are even

shorter

Editing Your Writing

This is important. Very important.

Editing Your Writing

Rule Number 1:Pay attention to the details

Rule Number 2:Be prepared to go through several revisions

Steps to Editing Yourself as a Writer

Step 1: Clean up the word count

Step 2: Eliminate Jargon

Step 3: Check for grammar and punctuation errors

Step 4: Check for AP Style errors

Step 5: Check the facts.

Step 6: Review your narrative

Common Errors to Avoid

Pur Speling can cuz you too loose ur credability.

Avoid using jargon.

Poor Sentence Structure

Police will be looking for people driving under the influence of alcohol and distributing

pamphlets that spell out the dangers of drunken driving.

Poor Sentence Structure

The proposed budget provides salary increases for faculty and staff performing at a satisfactory

level of two percent.

Poor Sentence Structure

The student was charged with possession and consumption of an opened beer can, which is

against university rules.

Be careful about your word choice

Don’t make a $10,000 mistake like a pubic liberal arts college once made.

Proofreading Tips

Read your word backwards.Read your work out loud.

Always read a printed version.Read the copy with a fresh perspective after

taking a break.Don’t rely on spell check.

What’s wrong with these statements?

The building was totally destroyed.Their traditions are completely unique.

Both President Obama and Vice President Biden will attend.

During 2012, the corporation acquired 73 companies in 14 nations on five continents to

achieve revenue of $14.65 billion, up $3 billion from the $11.65 billion in 2011.

Writing with Numbers

Use a comma to separate thousands (575,000) and a decimal to separate millions (3.85 million)

Provide a comparison to accompany the number

Check your math

Spell out percent

Spell out numbers smaller than 10

Don’t use two numbers next to each other

“Our new handheld device is the next true revolution in man’s conquest of information.”

Avoid stereotypingDon’t create bias

Stay away from politically incorrect language

Writing Mistakes to Avoid (A Summary)

SpellingJargon

Poor sentence structureWrong words/word choice

RedundanciesToo many numbers

Avoid hype, bias, stereotypes, and politically incorrect language