tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30775095057390764482024-03-19T06:09:29.135-07:00WRITING WIZARDSStaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07832356097167181718noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3077509505739076448.post-1712145782749206302010-08-03T12:54:00.000-07:002010-08-03T16:08:07.522-07:00The Unreliable NarratorOne literary device that teachers refer to, and which students sometimes write essays to analyze, involves the concept of the unreliable narrator, someone reporting the details of the story who is in some way not trustworthy as the sole "explainer" or interpreter of events. The person's version of the situation becomes clear, quickly or gradually, as full of holes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbu7EyRNa3oad6uzd0pfJM4FboK8xSfrcE_9mk1mOKLyyvsAErpoCH5__sIlC_dudMdx9I8hpE8Qozzbxi_UB08kffnJVFnKy94TrqBODNRYqA9cKHYytPfD8W_g5eVkiJf0eIdXIKCII/s1600/Unreliable+Narrator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbu7EyRNa3oad6uzd0pfJM4FboK8xSfrcE_9mk1mOKLyyvsAErpoCH5__sIlC_dudMdx9I8hpE8Qozzbxi_UB08kffnJVFnKy94TrqBODNRYqA9cKHYytPfD8W_g5eVkiJf0eIdXIKCII/s320/Unreliable+Narrator.jpg" /></a></div>The narrator can be deemed unreliable as a credible witness and reporter because of various compromising factors--insanity, mental defects, extreme youth and naivete, a moral blind spot, egomania, and various other limitations. Whether the narrator knows or recognizes this in him- or herself is a related question and can be relevant in interpreting the author's point in having chosen this character as speaker.<br />
<br />
One short story many have read, in which the narrator clearly cannot be believed, is <a href="http://xroads.virginia.edu/%7Ehyper/poe/telltale.html">"The Tell Tale Heart"</a> by Edgar Allen Poe. The main character's frequent protestations of his sanity and cleverness show up shockingly against the information he then provides about what he does and why he is doing it. Such discrepancies several times in the story lead the reader to determine that indeed the narrator suffers from a severe delusional disorder and mania.<br />
<br />
At times, a reader scratches his or her head when a short story comes to a surprising ending, and it is only then that the narrator's unreliability becomes apparent, if the story is to have any clear meaning or aspects are to be reconciled. It can be argued that the narrator of "Charles," a woman whose son comes home with tales of a beastly new boy in his kindergarten class, does not fully explain matters because she remains oblivious to the reality of the situation until the end, at which point the ironic ending makes this clear.<br />
<br />
When an author employs a child to act as reporter, this narrator is almost certain to understand less of what occurs around him or her than the reader will. <i>The Adventures of Tom Sawyer</i> provides an example of this situation.<br />
<br />
A narrator who has severe mental limitations, such as Charley Gordon in <i>Flowers for Algernon</i>, brings to life aspects of what occurs around him by expressing puzzlement and confusion about them. This novel works particularly well partly because he <i>becomes </i>a reliable narrator for a time, when he gains more intellectual strengths; later, as his condition deteriorates to even less than what he was capable of before, we see again, this time even more markedly, that he doesn't interpret or understand what goes on around him as fully as we the readers can.<br />
<br />
Many consider Nick Carraway, the narrator in <i>The Great Gatsby</i>, to be unreliable because he is infatuated with the image that Jay Gatsby projects, to the point that he does not process the novel's events with any moral response. Only as the reader begins to note his lack of outrage, shock, concern for others, or disgust does it become clear that his representation of events surrounding this iconic man is tainted by his adulation for Gatsby.<br />
<br />
The uses of the unreliable narrator often connect in some way to theme; discover an underlying statement about human nature that the author seems to be making, and the use of an unreliable narrator will make sense in that context. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote about people in the Roaring Twenties who were morally bankrupt, and Nick is no exception, no matter how he holds himself as separate from the others. The fact that he seems to see himself as outside the the group actually verifies that he interprets the situations without objectivity that they all face and therefore cannot be depended on to explain matters fairly.Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07832356097167181718noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3077509505739076448.post-32041526110672035212010-06-17T10:14:00.000-07:002010-06-17T10:14:30.354-07:00Discipline and Writing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1WEszdHsmqGWkkDLjMshaMG0tqTP9tdUM4cXbAumOFPYN2QWOg7wAhda5S2ihiNa_2VzAj2g1nchuegxStZxAtyeUha1pSFxF_RgR_QkCSE_EAfxCJnxUeQWxV0wNm9vnSkPT5vxIPE/s1600/disciplineCoverMed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1WEszdHsmqGWkkDLjMshaMG0tqTP9tdUM4cXbAumOFPYN2QWOg7wAhda5S2ihiNa_2VzAj2g1nchuegxStZxAtyeUha1pSFxF_RgR_QkCSE_EAfxCJnxUeQWxV0wNm9vnSkPT5vxIPE/s320/disciplineCoverMed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>When it comes to most pursuits at which we want to improve, people understand that incorporating that activity into our regular life is vital. Even more, performing it with a real effort to meet the requirements of that pursuit is something we accept, though children learning to play an instrument, for example, may well resist and resent that discipline.<br />
<br />
Without an effort to learn the nuances and work within the stylistic bounds, a student is only banging on the piano, perhaps playing a single song loudly and repeatedly. Everyone has heard this, no doubt. The lack of grace, subtlety, and accuracy in the execution is usually not apparent to the child who is "playing" but, without a doubt, can be heard by the child's audience. Indeed, it is only when the child begins to take on the many skills required--through learning scales, understanding terminology, a growing awareness of a composer's intent with regard to mood, efforts at modulation, so many aspects--that the student can begin to become the pianist he or she has the potential to become. Adhering to these learned expectations is part of the discipline of playing an instrument well.<br />
<br />
For effective essay writing, the concept of discipline applies when we consider the value of dedicated, focused effort to make the words and sentences grammatically correct, to choose the right forms of punctuation, to perform several straightforward and consistent tests that help ensure a smooth, undistracting piece of writing.<br />
<br />
Many young writers resist the requirements of proofreading because they home in on the content and are far more committed to their ideas than to the technicalities of the way they express them. Effective content is a worthy goal! However, mechanics is equally important, and ignoring or skipping half-heartedly through a check for correctness is doing a disservice to those very ideas.<br />
<br />
Taek these section for example When i write stuff with out cheking it for for the teknikalities, the Reader bcomes focussed on the rong thing.<br />
<br />
Rather than torture you, here are my four suggestions for the basic proofreading exercises to perform on all formal writing, step by step. Because you are typing your paper using Word or a similar program, familiarize yourself with and use the proofing features of the software to make this go quickly.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1. Check for words you should avoid (remove!) </span>Use the edit/find mode to quickly type through <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/16641992/Avoid-These-Words">this list</a> of words that make writing vague, weak, or casual. As for the fix, note that in some cases, the word merely needs removal. Other times, you will need to say it more formally, change that part of your sentence, or fix a contraction. A few of the No-No's are punctuation forms that are not suited to the essay. Changing them to what is acceptable is usually easy; instead of an exclamation point, use a period. Instead of dashes, use parentheses.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. Read it aloud to yourself . . . slowly!</span> The value of reading out loud is difficult to convince students of. Yet every single time one of them reads his or her work to a group or to the class, the student must stop and correct mistakes and the value of the step immediately becomes obvious--now the student can "see" a missing word or reversed phrase, a repetitive word choice or lack of punctuation.<br />
<br />
Take a deep breath. Read it aloud to yourself slowly. Rather than decode for meaning, as we usually do when we read, instead revert to reading as a young child does, word by word. Only in this way can most of us disengage our brains from the meaning and focus on the execution.<br />
<br />
(When it is just not possible or reasonable to read it aloud, I recommend reading it aloud <i>in your head</i> slowly and in a strange accent--robotic, or upper-crust British, or like your grandpa from Kentucky.)<br />
<br />
PS: Anyone on Facebook knows how often we type the wrong word or leave out a word and render our posting incomprehensible. If we read it aloud, we could avoid some embarrassment!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. Follow MLA format. </span>This means 1" margins all around, a running head with your last name and the page number on the upper right, and a heading that needs to be in a specific order. Since all English essays are going to be written in the Modern Language Association's required format, the easiest thing you can do is set up your normal template in the MLA format.<br />
<br />
This is possible on Word 2010 (PC) by completing these steps:<br />
<br />
File / new (the <i>word </i>"new," not the folder icon) / more templates (folder is at the very bottom) / papers / MLA research. Now choose this template and open it (double click).<br />
<br />
With the template doc open on your desktop, now go to the page layout ribbon and click the little arrow in the bottom right of "page setup." When it opens, at the bottom on the left is a "set as default" option; click this and say "yes" when it wants to know if you want this to be your default. Now your baseline document is always in MLA format.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. Do spell check / grammar check. </span>Spell check is a feature most of us already rely on. Also learn how to use your <a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/automatically-correct-spelling-and-insert-text-and-symbols-by-using-words-in-a-list-HA010354277.aspx?CTT=1">Autocorrect feature</a> (though with care!) because this tool makes simple, common corrections instantly, such as, your "teh" becomes "the." You can improve Autocorrect by adding to your dictionary carefully when asked during a spell check, especially your name(s) and those of proper nouns you will frequently include in your writing. <br />
<br />
Grammar check is another kettle of fish, but here are some fine-tunings you can employ that will help you make grammar check more effective for you, as well as a few helpful hints.<br />
<ul><li> Choose options in grammar check that set the filters at the highest (formal) level. Go to: File / options / proofing / Click on the following boxes:</li>
</ul> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-lyt8UJBhtKkffYwVYz2xHtHq9B5d4aaOocfk9KcUzv_n1NsgoTjDJscb1n41XFQq4r9uyLxPQcxVO_5Tl7BvCt6GhFEjygTpRLu4pTervRFyiSWjhxwRCPPtvOZ7ePT9y-XzbuzDKzY/s1600/screen+capture+grammar+check.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-lyt8UJBhtKkffYwVYz2xHtHq9B5d4aaOocfk9KcUzv_n1NsgoTjDJscb1n41XFQq4r9uyLxPQcxVO_5Tl7BvCt6GhFEjygTpRLu4pTervRFyiSWjhxwRCPPtvOZ7ePT9y-XzbuzDKzY/s640/screen+capture+grammar+check.png" width="640" /></a><br />
<ul><li>Note that here the setting for "Writing Style" is "Grammar and Style." This means you will be notified of more possible errors.</li>
<li> It's important to understand that Grammar Check is extremely limited in its ability to give your prose correct structure. All it can do in many cases is note that you have used problematic words or phrases, and then it alerts you: "Consider <i>accept</i>" it may say, when you used "<i>except</i>." But the point is to <b>consider </b>switching it. The grammar check doesn't know which is right in this instance and relies on you to verify your choice. A similar message uses the term "Suggestion" but is no more precise about what you should or should not do. In fact, it is not uncommon for a message to imply your writing is incorrect when it most definitely is not.</li>
<li> Thus, when the grammar check message indicates something you doubt, or which you do not understand, you have two choices. First, you can look it up online at a place such as <a href="http://owl.net/">Owl.net</a> to find out what rule to follow or ask someone who's confident at grammar and writes a lot. Or you can ignore it and hope for the best. As I mentioned above, grammar check is often wrong. </li>
</ul>After you reset your grammar filters, try downloading <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/33181453/Practice-Editing">this document</a> and running grammar check (the icon for spell/grammar check in Word 2010 is found on the "Review" ribbon). It will NOT catch many obvious errors, it will helpfully suggest you correct several real errors, and it will indicate that some parts have errors that are in fact correct. For now, use grammar check, but use it very cautiously. (Note: This passage demonstrates that a thorough read-aloud can be as effective in catching errors, if not more so, than running grammar check.)<br />
<br />
Though these steps all require familiarizing yourself and doing some background setup work, once you have the routine in place, you can work through the steps rather quickly--in less than five minutes for a timed writing of 45 minutes. As it becomes second nature to you, you gradually use the empty words less often, catch yourself on punctuation mistakes you used to make, and become more aware of the value of reading your work aloud to catch other errors.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYd6ZDI1zTDkj9ErHZMpZG7aEQ79KLcRAKxxrgBymuXilzh7F0X24aDxX6EyLXU7CDNd7PCAQQ3M2JOKQDXumYLARGmInxgL7TgvS82Ggs_x3-7zVHUd3X6XnklxBF2uddPlR1YK1lS60/s1600/roosevelt_self_discipline_postcard-p239175537940708321qibm_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYd6ZDI1zTDkj9ErHZMpZG7aEQ79KLcRAKxxrgBymuXilzh7F0X24aDxX6EyLXU7CDNd7PCAQQ3M2JOKQDXumYLARGmInxgL7TgvS82Ggs_x3-7zVHUd3X6XnklxBF2uddPlR1YK1lS60/s320/roosevelt_self_discipline_postcard-p239175537940708321qibm_400.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>So discipline becomes a matter of training yourself to maintain your standards in a given pursuit, with the goal of becoming better and better in your execution of that activity.Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07832356097167181718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3077509505739076448.post-62879191711387705472009-10-06T14:35:00.000-07:002009-10-06T14:40:15.647-07:00Essential Skills for Using Quoted Passages in Your Middle or High School Essay (U.S. Format)Whenever you write a literary analysis essay, it is assumed that you will use quoted material from the literature you are examining. The way you choose what to include, skillfully include it, and properly take the reader to the next idea determines the effectiveness of the quote in your essay as a whole.<br /><br />First, choose the example from your source that helps demonstrate, clarify, or exemplify the point you are making in the essay. If your topic is Kay Thompson’s representation of a little girl’s typical behavior, you will want to choose effective references to Eloise’s actions. Here is an example:<br />-----------------------------------------------------------------<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">as Eloise does. Thompson gives her protagonist, who lives with her parents in a New York City hotel, a conversational tone and the attitudes of a normal child of six: “I am a city child. I live at The Plaza. There is a lobby which is enormously large with marble pillars and ladies in it and a revolving door. . . . I am a nuisance in the lobby. Mr. Salomone said so. He is the manager” (8-11), Eloise explains in a chatty manner. By showing us the world through a small girl’s eyes, with her extremely honest observations on it, Thompson helps the reader remember what it is like to be young; she also blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.</span><br />-----------------------------------------------------------------<br />When incorporating prose quotations into your paragraph, remember that there are essentially two types, “snippet” quotes of less than a full independent clause, usually included for the vibrant language or phrasing, and “full” quotes that include an entire idea, often more. Full quotes can be introduced with a comma or a colon. As you become a more skilled writer, you will be freer to use quoted material in a few other ways, but for now, you may do any of the following three: snippet; formally introduced quote with a comma; or formally introduced quote with a colon. Here are examples of each:<br /><br />Snippet: <span style="font-style: italic;">Eloise’s exuberant antics extend through a full day, with the final pages indicating that she is getting ready for bed and that she hopes to “pour a pitcher of water down the mail chute” tomorrow (65). </span><br /><br />Note that, when you use snippets, you should punctuate the sentence the same way you would if the snippet were just a regular part of your sentence.<br />---------------------------------------------------------------<br />Formal, comma:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">reasons for halitosis. In </span>Your Disgusting Head<span style="font-style: italic;">, the authors explain, “Your breath smells bad because you’ve been eating food that smells bad” (10). One co-writer, Dr. Doris Haggis-on-Whey adds, “When you put your nose to certain foods, they might not initially smell bad . . . . But what causes the apple, once in your mouth, to smell not-so-good?”(10). It is in determining the answer to this latter question that the explanation for this social problem becomes clearer. They write, “The fact is that the bad smell comes from you” (10). </span><br /><br />Note that when the quoted passage is an independent clause or more in length, it begins each time with a capitalized letter.<br />---------------------------------------------------------------<br />Formal, colon:<br />See first Eloise example above—there, a colon introduces the quotation.<br /><br />See: Thompson, Kay. <span style="font-style: italic;">Eloise</span>.<br /><br />Haggis-on-Whey, Dr. Doris and Mr. <span style="font-style: italic;">Your Disgusting Head</span>.Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07832356097167181718noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3077509505739076448.post-79347439595714698752009-09-22T10:14:00.000-07:002009-09-22T20:12:37.180-07:00Literature: Writing about ThemeDiscussions of literature nearly always turn to the question, "So what is the author's theme?"
<br />
<br />One point worth stopping to consider is that there are usually at least two themes apparent in any work.
<br />
<br />Another way to ask this question is, "What does the author seem to be saying about human nature?"
<br />
<br />Answers to such questions need careful framing. It's not the same to state a theme as to identify the "moral of the story," since "morals" are provided in fables, not standard fiction. So avoid language that involves "should, must, always" etc. or sounds like it is giving advice to the reader. Instead, here is a method for coming to an understanding of what at least one theme may be, in a given work.
<br />
<br />1. Ask yourself what are the conflicts? Who is in battle? In the case of a short story that involves mostly an internal struggle, look at what parts of the character are in opposition.
<br />
<br />2. How could each of these combatants be characterized in a concept noun?
<br />
<br />3. Who/what wins the conflict?
<br />
<br />4. What framing language will help you explain this? "The author indicates that humans . . ." or "The author speaks of . . . " are sometimes useful starters for this part.
<br />
<br />5. Often, the easiest way to express the theme involves use of a clich<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:donotshowcomments/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Garamond; panose-1:2 2 4 4 3 3 1 1 8 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Garamond","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:12.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family:Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Garamond;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]-->é . If this is the case, it's an intermediate step, but move onto your own language for a rendition of that idea in original language.
<br />
<br />Let's try it with "The Sniper," by Liam O'Flaherty.
<br />
<br />1. One of the unnamed protagonist's conflicts is his struggle not to die at the hands of his opponent, who is positioned on the roof across the street.
<br />
<br />2. Our sniper represents Life and to him, his opponent represents Death.
<br />
<br />3. A clich<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:donotshowcomments/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Garamond; panose-1:2 2 4 4 3 3 1 1 8 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Garamond","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:12.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family:Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Garamond;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]-->éd version of this: Kill or be killed.
<br />
<br />4. "The author speaks of the need in wartime to kill others if one wants to stay alive."
<br />
<br />A second conflict he faces is internal and grows from the broader conflict.
<br />
<br />1. He must kill another human being, someone he might well know, and this horrifies him.
<br />
<br />2. On one hand he is Survival, and the other he is Humaneness (I feel this is different from the idea represented by Humanity).
<br />
<br />3. A cliché may not exist for this one. I often point out that a broad theme in literature is "War is hell." That is too broad here though.
<br />
<br />4. "The author addresses the inevitable split a soldier feels in a war zone: to protect his own life and yet to preserve all human life in general. In order to live, he must do things to others that would never otherwise be acceptable in his moral code."
<br />
<br />Try this 4-step process and see if you can then explain an author's theme more clearly. Happy writing!
<br />
<br />
<br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07832356097167181718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3077509505739076448.post-68130330850774896792009-08-30T09:15:00.000-07:002009-08-30T15:56:25.155-07:00Effective Quoting Skills: Part II<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="Edit-Time-Data" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_editdata.mso"><!--[if !mso]> <style> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} </style> <![endif]--><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:donotshowcomments/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Garamond; panose-1:2 2 4 4 3 3 1 1 8 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Garamond","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:12.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family:Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Garamond;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Garamond","serif";"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t136" coordsize="21600,21600" spt="136" adj="10800" path="m@7,l@8,m@5,21600l@6,21600e"> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="sum #0 0 10800"> <v:f eqn="prod #0 2 1"> <v:f eqn="sum 21600 0 @1"> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @2"> <v:f eqn="sum 21600 0 @3"> <v:f eqn="if @0 @3 0"> <v:f eqn="if @0 21600 @1"> <v:f eqn="if @0 0 @2"> <v:f eqn="if @0 @4 21600"> <v:f eqn="mid @5 @6"> <v:f eqn="mid @8 @5"> <v:f eqn="mid @7 @8"> <v:f eqn="mid @6 @7"> <v:f eqn="sum @6 0 @5"> </v:formulas> <v:path textpathok="t" connecttype="custom" connectlocs="@9,0;@10,10800;@11,21600;@12,10800" connectangles="270,180,90,0"> <v:textpath on="t" fitshape="t"> <v:handles> <v:h position="#0,bottomRight" xrange="6629,14971"> </v:handles> <o:lock ext="edit" text="t" shapetype="t"> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t136" style="'width:327pt;" fillcolor="#fc9"> <v:fill src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\StacieN\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.jpg" title="White marble" type="tile"> <v:shadow color="#868686"> <o:extrusion ext="view" backdepth="10pt" color="#630" on="t" viewpoint=",0" viewpointorigin=",0" skewangle="180" brightness="4000f" lightposition="-50000" lightlevel="52000f" lightposition2="50000" lightlevel2="14000f" lightharsh2="t"> <v:textpath style="'font-family:" trim="t" fitpath="t" string="Paraphrase"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Quoting significant passages from a source requires that a writer be on top of several requirements and details. In fact it actually includes, to some degree, use of the other two methods for incorporating others' ideas and words, summarizing and paraphrasing. They can, of course, also be used separately at different times, as can a direct snippet quote.
<br />
<br />So one needs to understand what is different about these three techniques.
<br /></span>
<br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-family: verdana;font-size:180%;" >Summarizing </span>means to provide the gist of a piece of writing. It's much shorter than the original and covers the main ideas only. An entire article, story, play, or novel might be summarized, or just a smaller component part of it.</span>
<br />
<br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51); font-family: lucida grande;font-size:180%;" >Paraphrasing </span>is a sort of translation into one's own terms what someone else has said. In using sources from earlier eras in the English language, it may well include real translation. It is also restating the information another way.</span>
<br />
<br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Summarizing </span>requires restraint and a representation of the big picture. Articles in professional journals begin with an "abstract" that corresponds directly to the summary. It provides readers with just enough information to know whether this particular research report or article provides information relevant to the reader's interests and professional area of expertise.</span>
<br />
<br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);">Paraphrasing </span>requires a responsibility to fairly represent the source material without leaving out anything or confusing the information. It is approximately the same length as the original it restates.</span>
<br />
<br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Here is a <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">summary </span>of the short story, "Charles," by Shirley Jackson.</span>
<br />
<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:georgia;" >The narrator only slowly grasps that her son, newly started in kindergarten, has been having trouble adjusting to the changes in his life, and that he is dealing with his stress by misbehaving in school. His creation of an imaginary friend, named Charles, provides him with a way to explain what has happened at school so that his parents don't punish him. Various clues along the way show the reader what is happening more clearly than the narrator sees it, and only in the ironic ending does she suddenly realize that Laurie is the child who has been causing so much trouble in his class.</span>
<br />
<br />Clearly, this is an overview of the story's thrust and focus. Nearly all the specifics of the narrative are missing, but the main idea has been clearly explained.
<br />
<br />Here is a <span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);">paraphrase </span>of a short passage from the story.
<br />
<br />First the original:
<br />"The day my son Laurie started kindergarten he renounced corduroy overalls with bibs and began wearing blue jeans with a belt; I watched him go off the first morning with the older girl next door, seeing clearly that an era of my life was ended, my sweet-voiced nursery-school tot replaced by a long-trousered, swaggering character who forgot to stop at the corner and wave good-bye to me.</span>"
<br />
<br />A <span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);">paraphrased </span>representation of this passage:
<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 51, 51);">On his first day of school, Laurie refused to wear his formerly typical outfit of corduroy overalls and insisted on denim pants and a belt. He went off happily to school with the girl from next door, and I realized then that his babyhood was over: the little boy who spoke sweetly had become a big kid who insisted on different clothes and acted confident, even a little cocky. He didn't even even stop to wave goodbye to me when he got to the corner.</span>
<br />
<br />Note the important differences between the original and the paraphrased version:
<br />1. Nearly all important words--nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs--have been changed.
<br />2. The information is provided in a similar order but the parts of speech are not in the same order. Many students believe that to paraphrase is to pull one word, insert a synonym, repeat a few more times, and that's it. No, the <span style="font-style: italic;">syntax </span>of the sentences must not be the same. That qualifies as plagiarism.
<br />3. The punctuation, the divisions of each sentences, can vary from the original, as long as all the information shows up in the paraphrase.
<br />
<br />For more information on summary skills, see <a href="http://tipsforresearchpapersandessays.blogspot.com/2008/11/how-to-summarize-book.html">this </a>site.
<br />
<br />For more on paraphrasing, go <a href="http://tipsforresearchpapersandessays.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-to-paraphrase-direct-quote-from.html">here</a>.
<br />
<br />Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07832356097167181718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3077509505739076448.post-38351264104799215042009-08-09T16:28:00.000-07:002009-08-27T17:26:46.694-07:00Effective Quoting Skills: Part I<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-ZV2YHuEYE2ZWs84jHbna4GQhyphenhyphen5rNQoxJ5tGpLRVtZoqSxv1bSFb-ay8Jmb3F0f-Jos1csNvp_rG8yE0kwnODcXYHL5YAcDNdh-TWdZt75oi3io9RjLILUF20iMdk0Idn2WK1wAwMMw/s1600-h/MotorcycleJump_Good.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 99px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-ZV2YHuEYE2ZWs84jHbna4GQhyphenhyphen5rNQoxJ5tGpLRVtZoqSxv1bSFb-ay8Jmb3F0f-Jos1csNvp_rG8yE0kwnODcXYHL5YAcDNdh-TWdZt75oi3io9RjLILUF20iMdk0Idn2WK1wAwMMw/s320/MotorcycleJump_Good.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368111492931299442" border="0" /></a><br />Everyone knows that quoting from an outside source provides evidence and examples for an effective essay. Quotation serves a vital role in the process, yet its two siblings, summarizing and paraphrasing, play just as important a part. As a writer of essays, you need the ability to do all three, and to know when each is required. This blogpost explains aspects of effective quotation.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Basics</span></span><br />You will either quote small "snippets" of another source or formally introduced sections of at least an independent clause in length. With snippets, you incorporate them into the framework of your own sentence and use the exact punctuation you would if the words were your own. With formal quotes, you ready the reader for what's coming, providing information and background that makes the quoted material clear.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Examples</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Snippet </span>quoting (refers to the short story "Charles," by Shirley Jackson):<br />Jackson, in describing Laurie's actions, mentions that he "yelled all the way up the hill" and that his voice was "raucous" (Jackson 1*)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Formally-introduced major quotation:</span><br />Jackson introduces irony when she characterizes the parents' lack of awareness of Laurie's deception. The narrator and Laurie's father discuss their concerns about the negative influences the misbehaving boy may be having on their child: “Do you think kindergarten is too unsettling for Laurie? . . . this Charles boy sounds like such a bad influence,” his mother worries (Jackson 1). Her husband's reply ironically reflects their total obliviousness about what Laurie is actually doing: “Bound to be people like Charles in the world. Might as well meet them now as later,” he says (Jackson 1).<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*For the purpose of demonstrating quotation skills, I am only listing the citation in a rudimentary way, to avoid complication. The actual page number listed will always depend on what source you use, and repeated references to the same author/page will usually be indicated after the first reference with the term Ibid, which means "in the same place." </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Importance of Leading In and Out of a Quotation </span><br />For snippet quoting, your own comments usually provide all the explanation that is needed so that the snippet makes complete sense. However, with a formally introduced quote, you need to both prepare the reader beforehand and move forward to interpretation afterward.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Evel Knievel and the Motorcycle Jump** </span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqta8wdFkESvN6d9tJ4Q_rZ3u1iA1HEKOWggrU-IWV7yysSZ6HT9KTA2JNCSc8mzP9utVUxvd4DvCMWx6XCFbhocmTSi8OnLqkfcVYgtCEjpOs6uT_k2j0BPpF8CNjkr3ON2PNxZfTYU/s1600-h/evel.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 90px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqta8wdFkESvN6d9tJ4Q_rZ3u1iA1HEKOWggrU-IWV7yysSZ6HT9KTA2JNCSc8mzP9utVUxvd4DvCMWx6XCFbhocmTSi8OnLqkfcVYgtCEjpOs6uT_k2j0BPpF8CNjkr3ON2PNxZfTYU/s320/evel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368111842949774930" border="0" /></a>Stunt motorcyclist Evel Knievel was famous for finding longer and longer obstacles to propel himself over, atop his stunt bike. He and his crew set up elaborate ramps before and after the obstacles that would ensure he both crossed completely and landed safely on the other side. When he didn't, and he <span style="font-style: italic;">often </span>didn't, he was injured in the resulting crash. Fortunately, he lived to the ripe old age of 69.<br /><br />What does all this have to do with quotation incorporation? What Evel did is akin to what a writer does when placing quoted material in an essay. First, build a ramp up that will guide your reader safely across the quoted passage, and then on the other side, build a ramp down that gets the reader back to your main point and on to the next point. Without preparing your reader with context and background, you fail to "ramp up." Without a transition out that interprets the quote's implications, you fail to guide your reader down, and the lack of a ramp results in a terrible crash. Be kind to your readers! Use adequate ramps!<br /><br />**I owe my colleague, Mark Gelineau, a huge thank-you for introducing me to this metaphor. It works so well!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next:</span> Paraphrasing and summarizing, and the role each plays in the use of direct quotation, as well as in citing source materials more indirectly.Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07832356097167181718noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3077509505739076448.post-55642411007612730272009-07-27T14:16:00.000-07:002011-06-18T08:52:22.566-07:00Aagh! It's a timed essay!<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">When most people think of timed writings, sometimes also called "day essays" or "in-class essays," their stomach performs strange gymnastic maneuvers. Writing under pressure might be one of the least favored forms of exam known to humankind. However, as always, there are tips and tricks for breaking the process down that can help students feel more prepared and less worried. Here are some of those:</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">1. If you are typing your essay, ask your instructor if you can also open a timer that helps you keep track of your remaining time. This is available on the gadget at the top right of this blog. Set it for the total number of minutes remaining in your class period, or as your instructor indicates.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">2. When you receive the topic/prompt, if you do not have time to think about it overnight, but must begin writing now, read through the question and sketch out a quick idea of structure. Ask the teacher any questions you have about the nature of the question and your plan to write about it, so that you will stay within the bounds of the assignment. Some teachers and all standardized test proctors refuse to answer these questions, but as you are becoming more familiar with the timed writing, you can probably ask your teacher a question or two.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">3. Assess how much time you will have for these stages of the writing:</span> <br />
<link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_editdata.mso" rel="Edit-Time-Data" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"></link><style>
<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Garamond; panose-1:2 2 4 4 3 3 1 1 8 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Garamond","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family:Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family:Garamond;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->
</style><span style="font-family: "; font-size: 12;"></span><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List" style="font-family: arial;"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData" style="font-family: arial;"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping" style="font-family: arial;"></link><style>
<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"MS Mincho"; panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4; mso-font-alt:"MS 明朝"; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:modern; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:-1610612033 1757936891 16 0 131231 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Baskerville Old Face"; panose-1:2 2 6 2 8 5 5 2 3 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"\@MS Mincho"; panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:modern; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:-1610612033 1757936891 16 0 131231 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Baskerville Old Face","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language:JA;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->
</style> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff6666;">∞ </span>reading prompt and brainstorming, pre-writing, listing ideas, etc. </div><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List" style="font-family: arial;"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData" style="font-family: arial;"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping" style="font-family: arial;"></link><style>
<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"MS Mincho"; panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4; mso-font-alt:"MS 明朝"; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:modern; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:-1610612033 1757936891 16 0 131231 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Baskerville Old Face"; panose-1:2 2 6 2 8 5 5 2 3 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"\@MS Mincho"; panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:modern; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:-1610612033 1757936891 16 0 131231 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Baskerville Old Face","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language:JA;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->
</style> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff6666;">∞ </span>writing the intro and conclusion paragraphs (unless it is a one-paragraph paper) </div><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List" style="font-family: arial;"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData" style="font-family: arial;"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping" style="font-family: arial;"></link><style>
<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"MS Mincho"; panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4; mso-font-alt:"MS 明朝"; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:modern; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:-1610612033 1757936891 16 0 131231 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Baskerville Old Face"; panose-1:2 2 6 2 8 5 5 2 3 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"\@MS Mincho"; panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:modern; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:-1610612033 1757936891 16 0 131231 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Baskerville Old Face","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language:JA;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->
</style> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff6666;">∞ </span>writing each body paragraph</div><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List" style="font-family: arial;"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData" style="font-family: arial;"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CStacieN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping" style="font-family: arial;"></link><style>
<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"MS Mincho"; panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4; mso-font-alt:"MS 明朝"; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:modern; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:-1610612033 1757936891 16 0 131231 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Baskerville Old Face"; panose-1:2 2 6 2 8 5 5 2 3 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"\@MS Mincho"; panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:modern; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:-1610612033 1757936891 16 0 131231 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Baskerville Old Face","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language:JA;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->
</style> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff6666;">∞ </span>carefully re-reading it for grammar and content mistakes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4CxdTyLd6VhrMJZVLNfCa9wv7LNs8JQuBOFybVDWxRgewRv_ntODpLB0qn1mEvBUmRhXTnnsYPQQpOzYf5SCrFkV9A5357L2FqoR3sKEv0uxEpHPT__sH24d78frGA9NwWrOHOhXooE/s1600-h/Hourglass_drawing.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363256186698070466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4CxdTyLd6VhrMJZVLNfCa9wv7LNs8JQuBOFybVDWxRgewRv_ntODpLB0qn1mEvBUmRhXTnnsYPQQpOzYf5SCrFkV9A5357L2FqoR3sKEv0uxEpHPT__sH24d78frGA9NwWrOHOhXooE/s200/Hourglass_drawing.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 150px;" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" face="arial"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" face="arial">Since you have--by definition--a limited span of time, you need to budget it carefully. Most of it should go to the body paragraphs and proofreading. However, you need to plan adequately and frame the writing with an intro and conclusion for effective results. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">So, if your class period is 50 minutes, try to give 5 minutes or so to the reading/planning; 5 minutes to the intro; 15 minutes per body paragraph; 3 minutes to the conclusion; and 5-7 minutes to self-editing for mistakes.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">As you can see, this will be tight! Setting up the timer may be the best way to monitor your progress; however, take heart!--you also may find yourself needing less and less planning time as you become accustomed to the type of writing your instructor expects.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">Now, a suggestion most of you will not find enticing: Practice this at home. When you have an hour, set yourself up on the computer, use your timer, and begin working on one of these topics:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">1. Which is more important, talent or effort?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">2. What are the two most important qualities in a friend?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">3. What two places should everyone visit?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">4. Should PE be a required course?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">5. What season is your favorite?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">6. What are the benefits of having a pet?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">7. What are the benefits and drawbacks of the internet?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">8. What are the most important qualities in a leader?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">9. To paraphrase, Mark Twain once said that someone who will not read has no advantages over someone who cannot read. Do you agree?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">10. Is year-round school preferable to the standard 9-month plan? </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">When you are practicing timed writings, keep these benefits in mind:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">*You will benefit from learning to budget your time.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">*You will be better prepared for real writing situations if you are surprised by the topic. Sometimes, ask someone to choose one for you.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">*You do not have to stand behind your words as if they were sworn testimony in court. Just write something sensible if you find yourself getting "blocked."</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">As you <u>finish </u>writing, put a sensible title on the essay. Do not do this first! It's easier when you know what you are summing up. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">To effectively proofread, you need to take four steps--<span style="font-weight: bold;">correct </span>any repeated first words in a paragraph (N2SSWTSW); <span style="font-weight: bold;">spell check</span> and grammar check effectively; use "edit/find" to <span style="font-weight: bold;">locate Nasty No-Nos</span> and remove/replace them; slowly <span style="font-weight: bold;">read the essay aloud</span> to yourself (or in your head), touching each word as you say it, to verify that you removed edited out words and put in all the words you intended. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">Ideally, you will find your stomach feeling less and less queasy on timed writing days as you become more experienced and expert at writing in this high-pressure mode. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07832356097167181718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3077509505739076448.post-52064520251150221302009-07-16T14:31:00.000-07:002009-07-22T19:07:07.996-07:00Write Powerfully With Verbs!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ku71zAVOEBbEz3ofm5T7taISTKtw_fnyjokxHNazqx596mhdF7mxZMokYBjozqyjGwJUaEoCYX6LBIBhb2UyHvpzwHlOUYWOKJFloGRDUZoYBcIOvL-_TG8dX1n2HW0bzrTU2dvAg4Q/s1600-h/whats-your-verb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ku71zAVOEBbEz3ofm5T7taISTKtw_fnyjokxHNazqx596mhdF7mxZMokYBjozqyjGwJUaEoCYX6LBIBhb2UyHvpzwHlOUYWOKJFloGRDUZoYBcIOvL-_TG8dX1n2HW0bzrTU2dvAg4Q/s320/whats-your-verb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359474451099534322" border="0" /></a><br />If you've ever thought that something you needed to read was total drudgery, perhaps it lacked effective verbs*. Verbs constitute, arguably, the most important words in a sentence, and without powerful, precise verb choices, prose feels pallid, wimpy, and dull to read. Use meaningful verbs! Then, construct your sentences using the verbs actively, and you will keep your reader's attention even more completely.<br /><br />*Or alternatively, perhaps it was <span style="font-style: italic;">Moby Dick</span>. If so, you have my deepest sympathies.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"To be" or not "to be"</span><br />As you check the last draft of something to present or turn in for review, take ten minutes to skim it for words such as <span style="font-style: italic;">is, am, are, was, were, has, have, had</span>. These words originate from two verb infinitives, <span style="font-weight: bold;">"to be"</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">"to have."</span> Though the occasional "is" may be exactly what you need as you make a statement, we tend to overuse it. Similarly over-used, "have" creates the same problems. At times, you need one of these words in a verb phrase as a helping verb, such as "is winning" or "has tried," but if that word stands alone as the verb in that part of the sentence, revise the sentence. It can require you to rearrange the order a bit, but the effort will pay off.<br /><br />Read the following passage:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">am </span><span style="font-style: italic;">from Buffalo, and I </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">was </span><span style="font-style: italic;">sixteen the first time I ever left New York state. We </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">were </span><span style="font-style: italic;">in the car one day when I </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">had </span><span style="font-style: italic;">a realization that I will only </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">have </span><span style="font-style: italic;">one life, and this </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">is </span><span style="font-style: italic;">it. I </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">was </span><span style="font-style: italic;">certain that the most important thing I </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">have </span><span style="font-style: italic;">is the will to improve my options by becoming a college student.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Now I </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">am </span><span style="font-style: italic;">a senior at Podunk University.</span><br /><br />Aside from some repetitive language, the main problem with these sentences is their lack of precision and conciseness. Not only "to be" and "to have" forms water it down, but a "verbish" thing, a gerund, "becoming," is also nearly as weak as "to be." So another verb to keep out of your writing as often as possible is <span style="font-weight: bold;">"to become."</span> But what do you write instead? you ask.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">From Buffalo, I </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">left </span><span style="font-style: italic;">New York state for the first time at age sixteen. While riding in the car one day, I </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">realized </span><span style="font-style: italic;">that I only </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">have </span><span style="font-style: italic;">this one life, and that I </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">wanted </span><span style="font-style: italic;">to improve my options by going to college. Now I </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">attend </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Podunk University and </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">will graduate</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> this year.</span><br /><br />With the exception of one "have," stronger verbs replace the weak ones. This sentence reads as bolder and more action-oriented. You may wonder about those "verbish" sounding words, actually called "verbals," such as "riding," in this latter version. These are, as mentioned before, not actual verbs, but ones whose form changed to serve in other parts of speech. They are either participial, gerund, or infinitive. When even the verbals come from strong verb sources, this adds additional power to your phrasing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Active and Passive Voice</span><br />The typical sentence pattern in English is Subject followed by Verb, followed by Direct Object or other material; this leads to <span style="font-weight: bold;">active voice,</span> in which the subject is easily identified. For some situations, people tend to reverse or otherwise mess with this order to be vague about the identity of the subject. This can lead to <span style="font-weight: bold;">passive voice</span>. For example, let's say that Klezmer kicks the dog. His mother comes in after hearing the yelp, and says, "What happened?" If Klezzie answers, "The dog got kicked," he may stay out of trouble.<br /><br />Realistically, we have incorporated a great deal of passive voice into our cultural language, particularly in the governmental and political realms, and for much the same reason as Klezmer used it. We all recognize the "Mistakes were made" model for avoiding responsibility. Look carefully at this sentence--its order is reversed, <span style="font-style: italic;">and then some</span>.<br /><br />"Mistakes" is actually the direct object of the verb "were made." AND THERE IS NO SUBJECT IN THE SENTENCE AT ALL! Clearly no one is to blame. The dog situation echoes this. Mom now knows that Buffy received the action of kicking but there is no do-er in the statement to put into a good, long time-out.<br /><br />A second form of passive voice includes the agent of action (often vaguely described) but puts it after the verb in a "by" construction: "Mistakes were made <span style="font-style: italic;">by my staff</span>." "The dog was kicked <span style="font-style: italic;">by a little boy</span>." Even then, we see demonstrated some effort to cloud perceptions, but--more important for our purposes--stylistically, the sentence galumphs along, and the out-of-order syntax jars the reader.<br /><br />Admittedly, there are certain occasions when avoiding passive voice renders an idea ridiculous, and when, therefore, using passive voice suffices. Even so, assume that you need to use active voice, S + V + DO (etc.), because you probably do!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">*%#! Expletives Lead to Missing Subjects too</span><br />In English we use a few constructions called "<span style="font-weight: bold;">expletives</span>." These are not words that should be erased from top-secret taped conversations, but rather set-ups that allow general ideas' expression. The two most common are "There is/are" or "It is," and their past tense forms. Here is such a sentence:<br /><br /><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">There are</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> a number of ways to skin a cat, but the method I use most frequently is much like that for skinning rabbits; </span><span><span style="font-style: italic;">moreover</span></span><span><span style="font-style: italic;">,</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> it is</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> important to make sure that the knife is sharp.</span><br /><br />Note that the resulting abomination--ah, I mean, <span style="font-style: italic;">creation</span>--also leads to an "is" verb; it is quite <span style="font-weight: bold;">wordy </span>too. But alas, another Writing Wizards blogpost will have to address that.<br /><br />So, to recap, nearly always, your writing will convey your ideas directly and effectively when you start with the actual subject and then use the verb. Use strong verb choices in sentence patterns that include the agent of action before its verb/action. Your writing will improve, and you will find yourself standing just a little taller.Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07832356097167181718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3077509505739076448.post-6079889259302393702009-07-09T15:20:00.001-07:002009-07-13T08:48:13.178-07:00The Value of Annotation<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:donotshowcomments/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Garamond; panose-1:2 2 4 4 3 3 1 1 8 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Garamond","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family:Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family:Garamond;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Reading a piece of literature without a pen in hand is akin to attending a class but not taking notes. All “reception” and no “processing” (outside the brain, that is) can leave you with no material to refer to later when it’s time to study for an exam or write about the book. In addition, if you annotate, the interactions you have with the text as you absorb it, make sense of it, and question it help to shape your opinion about it, as well as fuel your future assertions about what the piece has to offer.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So read with a pen in your hand. In the most basic method of annotation, you can simply use exclamation points and question marks in the margins. As you become more comfortable with this, think about all the possible literary devices at work in literature and note when you see the author employing a metaphor or expressing irony. Keep a close eye on the plot line as you read a short story so that you can indicate when you see rising action, increasing tension, the climax of the story, and the outer stages of exposition and denouement. Using a simple set of initials works well, with E in the margin as you see exposition being offered, RA for rising action (and perhaps a little ↑ because tension is increasing), a C to denote the last point of tension (the “explosion”), and a D for the tying up of loose ends and details that denouement provides.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Keep a highlighter nearby (depending on the type of paper the literature is printed on) for noting new vocabulary. Put a synonym in the margin near it.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As time passes, you may find that you have questions when you read, and the margin provides room for short phrases such as, “Fishing at night—alone?” or “Why does he need to think before answering—lying?” You may also see connections between aspects of the story, as you delve further into the material, or recognize that a symbolic element is being used again, and why. Note these!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">If you are reading a certain genre (type of literature) in a weeks-long unit, you will want to note similarities between elements of this piece and another you have already read. When the assignment involves comparison of aspects of two short stories, you have some ready material to include in your paper.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Remember that your own personal reactions have a place in your annotations. It would be impossible to read <i style="">The Great Gatsby</i> and not have a reaction to at least one of the characters or his or her actions, for example. And annotation does not require formal language. Perfectly fine notes in the margin for Tom or Daisy Buchanan might include, “Shallow! Pretentious! Brute!” etc. When Nick makes certain statements as narrator, I might write, “Contradicts himself—hypocrite.” A student of mine after reading the short story “The Lady, or the Tiger?” was so angry that the author didn’t reveal the ending that she wrote a few sentences of her frustration that he had left her hanging, including many exclamation points.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">More power to her, and to you, to get emotionally involved when you are reading literature.</p>Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07832356097167181718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3077509505739076448.post-49184565596084067242009-07-05T15:33:00.000-07:002009-07-05T15:42:53.598-07:00Why Follow the N2SSWTSW Rule?<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:180%;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">N 2 S S W T S W</span></span><br /></div><br />When you are becoming a more skilled writer in the formal style, following the rule that No 2 Sentences Start With the Same Word in a given paragraph means that your writing will immediately improve. It accomplishes two critical goals of effective writing:<br /><br />1. You immediately vary your sentence structure since each sentence has to begin with a different word. Realistically you might still end up with sentences that all begin with a subject followed by a verb, but the greater likelihood is that you will rearrange parts of the sentences so that a prepositional phrase begins one, rather than the word "the." A bit further, you may begin a sentence with a one word introductory element, such as "However." The result for any one paragraph is likely to be a much more interesting writing style that doesn't distract your reader.<br /><br />2. You immediately avoid repetitive wording. Repetition is usually a style detriment, when it comes to formal essays. Sentences that all begin with "I" or "The" or "Then" prevent your reader from focusing on your content, and that is not the goal!<br /><br />Remember that this rule applies by paragraph. You can start fresh every time you have a new paragraph. And like so many rules of this type, the more capable you become, the more you naturally vary your sentence openers and word choices, the freer you will be to actually allow two sentences to start with the same word in a paragraph, just very far apart!Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07832356097167181718noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3077509505739076448.post-70273892899573566672009-06-29T10:21:00.000-07:002009-06-29T12:23:27.218-07:00Five Comma Rules for Essay Writing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7dBMQ1vLUAz4VCCZEuHH94hft8u_SQeb0Q6buzcCrvTFAJpsmZt82JuVTZVP4PyrKFvL0zuSEeT0SebFpRwdeFU6Z2CK33Ce-AmMjQB39DmemZuH_StaqhZi4TPaQcv5Ao-NxH8iHcY/s1600-h/comma.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 83px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7dBMQ1vLUAz4VCCZEuHH94hft8u_SQeb0Q6buzcCrvTFAJpsmZt82JuVTZVP4PyrKFvL0zuSEeT0SebFpRwdeFU6Z2CK33Ce-AmMjQB39DmemZuH_StaqhZi4TPaQcv5Ao-NxH8iHcY/s400/comma.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352831765719260690" border="0" /></a><br />As you become more able to express your ideas clearly and in sufficient depth, you will probably also become more adept at catching your own mechanics errors. This post is focused on one type of punctuation that serves several useful purposes and in the end makes it easier for your reader to understand you--the comma.<br /><br />Here are the five situations in which you should use a comma:<br />1. In a compound sentence before the coordinating conjunction<br />2. To set off introductory elements, even a single word, from the main clause<br />3. To separate items in a series, following the <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">A, B, and C</span> model<br />4. To set off interrupting elements in the middle of the sentence<br />5. When two adjectives come before a noun<br /><br />1. Compound sentences in fact don't always have a coordinating conjunction, what at our school we refer to as the FANBOYS (an acronym for the conjunctions thus used: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). That's because two independent clauses can be joined with a semicolon instead. However, when you do use the conjunction, it requires a comma. I call this the "married couple" rule for commas, as in, "The conjunction and the comma are a married couple. Put the comma with its spouse."<br /><br />2. When you have an introductory word, phrase, or dep. clause ahead of your main clause, separate the two parts with a comma, so that the reader can easily follow your ideas as the sentence unwinds. This can begin to seem silly with single words such as "Then," or "Now," but for the present, follow the rule, so that you can become attuned to the general need for the comma there.<br /><br />3. Believe it or not, there's a bit of controversy about the serial comma, since some stylistic experts feel quite strongly about which way to do it, as you come to the last item in your series. Follow the A, B, and C approach (with the comma before the last element--before the simple conjunction actually) for now, and as you become more confident as a writer, you can decide if you need that last comma or not.<br /><br />4. Interrupting elements--what are those? Typically, they are phrases (or words) that could be placed elsewhere, but are being set here for emphasis, and require commas to keep the sentence's ideas clear. The key with these commas is that a writer must put one at the <span style="font-style: italic;">beginning</span> and the <span style="font-style: italic;">end </span>of the interrupting element.<br /><br />Here are a few examples, some simple, some more complicated:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Martin Luther King<span style="font-weight: bold;">, a civil rights activist,</span> was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Some in the movement criticized him; King decided<span style="font-weight: bold;">, therefore,</span> that he would write an essay to explain why he had been involved in the activities for which he was jailed.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">He wrote a now-famous letter to other clergymen to explain why<span style="font-weight: bold;">, under the circumstances,</span> he had felt it necessary to lead protests in Birmingham at that time.</span><br /><br />Some possible interrupting elements that might require commas include the following: appositives, conjunctive adverbs ("therefore" is one of them), restrictive clauses, and prepositional phrases. There are, of course, others.<br /><br />One last important note about using interrupting commas. You will know you have placed the commas properly if everything inside the two commas could be pulled away, and the rest of the sentence still would make sense. The examples above pass this test.<br /><br />5. Use a comma to separate two adjectives that come before a noun. This can be tricky, since sometimes one adjective really modifies the next adjective. If you can read the sentence with just one of the adjectives, and each time it makes sense, then you need the comma.<br /><br />Example: <span style="font-style: italic;">He wore a fashionable, sporty outfit to the party.</span><br /><br />BTW: Don't stack up more than two adjectives before a noun! It gets clunky.<br /><br />I give you these guidelines with the understanding that, as with many such "rules," this advice is important to learn, but that gradually you may find you don't always need a comma in every case. What matters is that you know when a comma is technically called for, so that if you decide to leave it out, you know why stylistically it is acceptable, and that you are not creating confusion in so doing.Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07832356097167181718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3077509505739076448.post-56696464896705644772009-06-24T17:52:00.001-07:002009-06-24T17:56:25.230-07:00Reading in Prep for Writing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhquWYyplvuWnglTi5wiqRnlzJLdF7SP5LB7kAKnS6ICAWNrrhad8dbkuoWw7vJ1Mz5d9b8ENjfrrWypqmOjCXlHdFEBWqy4BEMg7AwiwRXmYSPn02Qoit4MZtsB4JUqwU6s-6KgaEa4/s1600-h/student+reading.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 127px; height: 83px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhquWYyplvuWnglTi5wiqRnlzJLdF7SP5LB7kAKnS6ICAWNrrhad8dbkuoWw7vJ1Mz5d9b8ENjfrrWypqmOjCXlHdFEBWqy4BEMg7AwiwRXmYSPn02Qoit4MZtsB4JUqwU6s-6KgaEa4/s400/student+reading.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351062508792545042" border="0" /></a><br />If you are reading a short story as assigned, here are reminders about the steps.<br /><br />1. Find the story by following the link. Read it there, print it from there, or capture it and paste into a Word doc to read and/or print. At this stage, it doesn't matter if you print it out or read it on the computer.<br />2. Note around 5 vocab words you find, and look them up so you can see which definition makes most sense in that context. You can write or type this.<br />3. Be prepared to discuss the story, ask questions about it, and write on it.<br /><br />Note: If at any time you find the link doesn't work, Google the title and see if you can find it at another location. Let me know if you have any troubles beyond that.Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07832356097167181718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3077509505739076448.post-53906541609910160562009-06-21T15:59:00.000-07:002009-06-21T17:28:15.068-07:00Definition of Writing--GRP<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3pxu3Z6HHcMiWaZQFhnL3Y2RKISooDhIy5FQQ4l30CPVGe2Pik_epNJF95vvLt8TescQV6RHsztzNEEaRVPSa6ssXwe8r8dUZ_ebNI7lCivRb3qAxlRjUxOFUab9sfZ4I9GfvAtHzkg/s1600-h/quill+pen.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3pxu3Z6HHcMiWaZQFhnL3Y2RKISooDhIy5FQQ4l30CPVGe2Pik_epNJF95vvLt8TescQV6RHsztzNEEaRVPSa6ssXwe8r8dUZ_ebNI7lCivRb3qAxlRjUxOFUab9sfZ4I9GfvAtHzkg/s400/quill+pen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349921241832869618" border="0" /></a><br />If only "writing" were just a task involving putting words down on the paper (or typing onto the screen). In fact, most students (and some adults) believe that this <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> the only step involved in writing. However, effective writing usually requires three skills:<br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight: bold;">G</span>enerate and express ideas. This is mostly where the "writing" part happens.<br /><br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold;">R</span>evise. <span style="font-style: italic;">Revisit </span>the writing after some time has passed if possible. <span style="font-style: italic;">Re-read</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;">Re-think</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;">Rework </span>it for a different order of information, perhaps different choices of examples, clarity of expressed ideas. At times this requires re-reading source materials or searching for more information to include in a research paper. This revision step often takes more than one sitting, and some writers find it hard to ever stop revising their work.<br /><br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>roofread it. This step can happen more than once as well; some writers move back and forth between 2 and 3 several times. Regardless, the last step a writer should take, before submitting the work to the teacher, editor, boss, or etc., is to proofread it carefully. One strategy for careful proofreading involves reading it aloud to yourself, either in your head or vocally, depending on what you are free to do. When you read your work aloud, remember to go slowly, and it can help to read it like a robot, with a strange accent, or while touching each word as you say it. This makes you focus on each word on the page, rather than on the ideas being expressed.<br /><br />Some other steps to consider when in the <span style="font-weight: bold;">generating </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">revision </span>stages include talking about your writing to someone familiar with the subject (for feedback and ideas) and outlining what you have already drafted.<br /><br />"What?!" you ask, aghast. "Outline AFTER you write?"<br /><br />Yes. It can be more helpful to outline what you have created and then examine the outline for order and logic as well as balance of examples, etc. This doesn't preclude brainstorming or outlining before step 1. Some teachers require outlines before the essay topic is approved. Whether you do the pre-writing outline or not, identifying what you have created, idea by idea, can help you see if the logic flows, if you have left something important out, or if you may need more information. This outline can be jotted down on scratch paper--it's only for you.<br /><br />So the GRP method of writing, the real representation of what is meant by <span style="font-style: italic;">writing</span>, is a system you have been learning and will continue to improve in, throughout your writing experiences in high school, college, and your professional life.Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07832356097167181718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3077509505739076448.post-58258531643372852252009-06-06T09:13:00.000-07:002009-06-18T14:24:21.776-07:00Avoiding Skeleton<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmykXYQG49efg9AdJyO6iRzo4RgP_lgmKfRkWvGlfz0XHxpMe0CeS25SYJwmLjDH_UPnZyQnZDTF0OlYa6R4kh9ipXV6li8NTKFsYkqeQ6KNQrVzUw39cOiemT8kO1dQhMlGkxXdBA9u8/s1600-h/skelly+3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 285px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmykXYQG49efg9AdJyO6iRzo4RgP_lgmKfRkWvGlfz0XHxpMe0CeS25SYJwmLjDH_UPnZyQnZDTF0OlYa6R4kh9ipXV6li8NTKFsYkqeQ6KNQrVzUw39cOiemT8kO1dQhMlGkxXdBA9u8/s400/skelly+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344393360347657186" border="0" /></a>Here's a snippet from an "essay" that shows up on one of those "buy a paper" sites on the internet:<br /><br />"<span class="snippet"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Now I'm going to write about</span> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">where</span> Pip, a boy from a very humble background meets Miss Havisham, a rich but eccentric lady <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">and how</span> Charles Dickens wants the reader to feel sympathetic towards Pip."<br /><br />Lesson 1: WRITE YOUR OWN ESSAYS!<br />Lesson 2: This opening to a paper on <span style="font-style: italic;">Great Expectations</span> is pathetic.<br />Lesson 3: Announcing what you are about to do in an essay is exposing the structural elements of your paper, which is like showing your skeleton.<br /></span><br /><span class="snippet">And we all know that if people can see your skeleton, it's baaaaaad. Blech!<br /></span><br /><span class="snippet">So that's why I strongly urge you to avoid "skeleton phrases." No one wants to see the structure of your writing sticking out from the ideas.<br /><br />Not only do students sometimes announce what they are about to write on, but also they use skeletal language for situations such as these:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Another example of</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> when Smedley reveals his lack of intelligence </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >is when</span>--<br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"'Gee whillikers, Bob. Is this a bomb?' Smedley asked as he pushed a red button on the bundle of wires that protruded from the dynamite sticks." </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >This quotes shows how </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">little sense Smedley actually possesses.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">When you find you have used skeleton wording, you can often remove it and just fix the sentence so it's complete. In the earlier example, it would read: <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">"Smedley reveals his lack of intelligence when he . . ."</span> and in the latter, after the quoted passage, the writer needs only, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">"Clearly, he possesses little common sense."<br /><br /></span></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="snippet"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Just say 'No' to skeleton!"</span></span></span></span><br /><span class="snippet"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span></div>Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07832356097167181718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3077509505739076448.post-63881734772097436462009-06-01T10:49:00.000-07:002009-06-18T14:21:41.923-07:00Effective Formal Writing--Some Basic Thoughts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBcUEhtdOODWlqsRp_p1OhFlNPGectWUPaUCYT_7OVgLdT7VLyo4UjIzMLjVp5FXzCLlZk7tjcQ_jy28RKA2TCKqrx5OCOImow0HtD1-FDIzLYIt-AVBVrLdLQywzNjqsFXJ3EYsGkyU/s1600-h/fingers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 104px; height: 78px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBcUEhtdOODWlqsRp_p1OhFlNPGectWUPaUCYT_7OVgLdT7VLyo4UjIzMLjVp5FXzCLlZk7tjcQ_jy28RKA2TCKqrx5OCOImow0HtD1-FDIzLYIt-AVBVrLdLQywzNjqsFXJ3EYsGkyU/s400/fingers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342508787148586306" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Anyone writing for an academic class needs to know the standard expectations for writing in that subject's style. For example, a paper for a history assignment is somewhat different from one for English class.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Formal English writing, that is, the type used for composing essays, has certain rules and <span style="font-style: italic;">don'ts</span> which, when a writer is fully aware of them, make it easier for the student to create papers that meet the mark.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">In fact, if you remove, replace, or avoid constructions with the following words or elements, you automatically write more formally, and can then focus mainly on smoothness and clear content:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >Rules of organization: </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Clear statement of your overall idea</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> One subtopic per paragraph</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Specific examples, instances, proof, and evidence</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> The expectation that the reader is reasonably intelligent</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >"Don'ts" in choosing language and punctuation:</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> No contractions ("Do not use 'don't.'")</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> No exclamation marks or question marks (enough said!!)</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> No slashes or dashes (these are not part of formal writing--for now) </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Avoid Nasty No-No's:</span><br />you (second person pronoun, all forms)<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> mom, dad, kid, guy<br />a lot, lots, cute<br />fun, funny, stuff</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br />good, bad<br />nice, beautiful<br />thing, things<br /><br />get, got, gotten<br />really, very<br />stuff, how<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">These words and phrases suffer from one or more of the following problems. They are </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">either </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">too casual (colloquial language), too vague, or too frequently used. One need only look up "thing" in the dictionary to discover that it can stand for <span style="font-style: italic;">any </span>noun. That is a powerful example of its lack of specificity. (Just so you know, <span style="font-style: italic;">something, nothing, anything, </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">everything</span> are words that work well and have meaning in their context. Use them!)<br /><br />Having stated all these strict guidelines, I want you to remember this: you write various documents for various purposes. Just because these elements are not acceptable in an essay doesn't mean you can't use them at all. They work fine in an email or when talking with others. Simply avoid them if you are writing for a school subject.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Next: the concept of </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">skeleton </span><span style="font-style: italic;">(woooh! spooky!!)</span><br /></span></span>Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07832356097167181718noreply@blogger.com1