a guided workshop for suny sullivan students april 2012
TRANSCRIPT
Grammar & Punctuation
A guided workshop for SUNY Sullivan students April 2012
PunctuationPart One
They shopped for cookies, fruit lunch meat milk and bread.
What is wrong with this sentence?
They shopped for cookies, fruit, lunch meat, milk, and bread.
The sentence needs serial commas (commas in a list or series).
WRONG: They shopped for cookies, fruit lunch meat milk and bread.
CORRECT:
The weather was hot and dry there was no sign of rain.
What is wrong with this sentence?
The weather was hot and dry; there was no sign of rain.
The sentence needs a semi-colon to avoid a run-on situation.
WRONG: The weather was hot and dry there was no sign of rain.
CORRECT:
I should have chosen the red car said Sharon regretfully.
What is wrong with this sentence?
“I should have chosen the red car,” said Sharon regretfully.
The sentence needs quotation marks and a comma before the quote begins.
WRONG: I should have chosen the red car said Sharon regretfully.
CORRECT:
GrammarPart Two
Thelma drunk a cup of coffee.
What is wrong with this sentence?
Thelma drank a cup of coffee.
The sentence needs the proper form of the past tense of the verb “drink.”
Thelma drunk a cup of coffee.
CORRECT:
I use to live in New York.
What is wrong with this sentence?
I used to live in New York.
Use the correct tense of the verb – the PAST!
WRONG: I use to live in New York.
CORRECT:
Yesterday, she reports the dog missing.
What is wrong with this sentence?
Yesterday, she reported the dog missing.
We need to use the correct verb tense (timing). We need the PAST.
WRONG: Yesterday, she reports the dog missing.
CORRECT:
Everyone have a favorite dessert.
What is wrong with this sentence?
Everyone has a favorite dessert.
The noun (“everyone”) needs to agree with the verb (“have” or “has”).
WRONG: Everyone have a favorite dessert.
CORRECT:
Marsha scolded the boy. Calling him an ungrateful brat.
What is wrong with this?
Marsha scolded the boy, calling him an ungrateful brat.
A fragment cannot be a sentence on its own.
WRONG: Marsha scolded the boy. Calling him an ungrateful brat.
CORRECT:
She was late for work today, she overslept again.
What is wrong with this?
She was late for work today because she overslept again.
These are really two sentences. We need a period or a semi-colon.
She was late for work today, she overslept again.
CORRECT:
Like the waning moon, hope diminished with each passing day.
What is the meaning of the underlined word, based on the rest of the sentence?
Waning means decreasing, or becoming smaller.
Like the waning moon, hope diminished with each passing day. Based on the sentence,
The guide reiterated the possibility of danger and repeated the warning again and again.
What is the meaning of the underlined word, based on the sentence?
Reiterate means “to say again.”
The guide reiterated the possibility of danger and repeated the warning again and again.
Spelling
There’s a right way and a wrong way …
neicerhythymreconizeliterture
attendencecarraigeimaginery
These words are misspelled.
comitteerefrencearguement
definatecompletlyseperate
These words are misspelled, too.
niecerhythmrecognizeliteratureattendancecarriageimaginary
committeereferenceargumentdefinitecompletelyseparate
Here they all are, nice and right.
Test of Essential Academic Skills: Pre-Test Study Manual, Assessment Technologies Institute, Edition 2.0
Click to the Next Slide, There’s More!
Source for Part One:
Commonly Confused WordsA lot of these are homonyms; they sound alike but have different meanings
More on whacky words …
It’s / ItsThere / They’re / TheirAffect / EffectThen / ThanBy / Buy / ByeCite / Sight / SiteCouncil / Counsel
To / Too / TwoWho’s / WhoseFarther / FurtherLay/Lie and Sit/SetAll Right / A lot
Because they sound alike, they are often misused and confused
There / They’re / TheirThere is an adverb meaning “in or at that place.” Example: “The hotel is over there.” Note the similarity between here and there.
They’re is a contraction for they are. Example: They’re not coming to the party.” It should be used sparingly. In formal writing, it is generally better to spell out they are.
There is an adjective meaning “of or relating to them.” It shows possession. Such as “Their shoes are black.”
Source: The Elements of News Writing. James W. Kershner. Allyn & Bacon: 3rd edition.
Let’s examine one of these.
End of this presentation.
Thank you !