Mastering the Mechanics of Writing Part 3: Beyond Basics

Mastering the Mechanics of Writing Part 3: Beyond Basics Kayla Skarbakka Writing Instructor Coordinator of International Writing Instruction and Support Walden University Writing Center

Housekeeping • Muting • Questions • Tech trouble? http://support.citrixonline.com/en_US/GoToTraining • Recording: http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/415.htm

Agenda ? • Verbals • Prepositions & prepositional phrases • Conjunctions • Practice !

Disclaimer Grammar geek vocabulary ahead! No need to memorize. Goal: address issues that cause sentences to “just sound wrong”

Verbals • Words that take the form of verbs but act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs • Participles • Gerunds • Infinitives

Verbals: Participles Words that look like verbs in the -ed, -en, or -ingforms, but act as adjectives. Verb: The test scores concerned the teachers, so the principal called a staff meeting. Participle: The principal called a staff meeting for the concerned teachers. Verb: Customers complained that too many people were smoking in the restaurant. Participle: The manager issued a smoking ban.

Verbals: Gerunds Words that look like verbs in the –ing form, but act like nouns. They can be either the subject or object of a sentence. • Following APA style is sometimes frustrating. • (Following is the subject of the sentence) • The students enjoyedplaying the game. (Playing is the object of the verb enjoyed) • The patient was nervous aboutundergoing the operation. • (Undergoing is the object of the proposition about) Tip: Gerunds take a singular verb

Verbals: Infinitives Words that look like verbs in this form: to + simple verb. They act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. • The nurses were eager to learn the new protocol. • To learn acts as a noun; it is the object of the phrase were eager. • The student had many obstacles to overcome. • To overcome acts like an adjective; it modifies the noun obstacles. • The applicant brought his résumé to show the interviewer. • To show acts as an adverb in this sentence; it describes why the • applicant brought his résumé.

Verbals: Common Errors • Parallel structure Incorrect: She likes to swim and biking. Correct: She likes to swim and to bike. She likes swimming and biking. • Subject-verb agreement with a gerund Incorrect:Planning a lesson that meets the needs of all my students, who are so different, are difficult. Correct: Planning a lesson that meets the needs of all my students, who are so different, is difficult.

Verbals: Common Errors Using the wrong verbal or mixing verbals Incorrect: I am excited to attending the conference next week. Correct: I am excited to attend the conference next week. Incorrect: I asked all interesting teachers to take the survey. Correct: I asked all interested teachers to take the survey. Incorrect: The client had difficulty to express his emotions. Correct: The client had difficulty expressing his emotions. Incorrect: She is nervous about to interview for the job. Correct: She is nervous about interviewing for the job. Tip: See the handout “Prepositions and Verbals: Dictionary of Common Expressions” for more information on verbal usage!

Prepositions & Prepositional Phrases • Definition • Functions (adjectives and adverbs) • Examples

Prepositions • Tell the location of something in space or time. • I hid my shoes under the bed so the dog wouldn’t eat them. • The weather in December is too cold; I think I could hibernate through the whole winter. • Mark relationships among elements in a sentence. • I am so happy for my sister who just graduated from college! • I am attending the graduation with my family.

Prepositional Phrases Preposition + its object (noun, pronoun, gerund, or phrase) • I received an e-mail frommy cousin. • The teacher gave his students the test, and then he walked amongthem to answer questions. • She wants to get a good grade withouttrying hard. • James, along with the majority of his coworkers, feels that the new policy is unfair.

Avoid “Stacking” Prepositional Phrases Using many prepositional phrases in a single sentence can cause confusion or ambiguity. Confusing: The author chose the mixed-method design to explain that the purpose of the study was to explore the leadership qualities of the principals in the schools as a means to gauge teacher satisfaction in the first year of teaching. Clear: The author chose the mixed-method design to explore the principals' leadership qualities and their impact on first-year teachers' satisfaction.

Common Preposition Errors • Subject-verb disagreement Incorrect: Abuseof prescription drugs are quite common. Correct: Abuseof prescription drugs is quite common. • Using the wrong preposition Incorrect: She was capable for completing the assignment. Correct: She was capable of completing the assignment. Incorrect: He seemed satisfied of my work on the project. Correct: He seemed satisfied with my work on the project. Prep. phrase Verb ↓ Subj ↓ Tip: See See the handout “Prepositions and Verbals: Dictionary of Common Expressions” for more information on when to use certain prepositions.

Conjunctions • Coordinating • Paired • Subordinating

Coordinating Conjunctions Connect words, phrases, or clauses that serve the same grammatical purpose in a sentence. F:for: The teachers were frustrated, for the school cut more funds. A: and: I will write a literature review and a case study. N: nor: They did not study, nor did they pass the tense. B: but: The study is old but still valuable. O: or: I want to study accounting or marketing. Y: yet: She was in pain, yet she refused treatment. S: so: I finished early, so I have time to revise. Tip: For is rarely used as a conjunction in modern English

Paired Conjunctions Two words or phrases that make a point or establish alternatives. • both…and • The project requires investments of both time and money. • Both the students and the teachers were satisfied. • not only…but also • The students received not only a poor grade but also a warning. • Not only did the writer plagiarize full sentences, but he also failed to cite paraphrased material. • either…or • Either the students were unprepared or the test was poorly written. • Participants could eitherchoose from a list or write their own responses. • neither…nor • Students who did not finish received neither praise nor rewards. • The staff neither followed the new policy nor asked for clarification. Tip: Paired conjunctions can get wordy, so use them sparingly!

Subordinating Conjunctions Join a subordinate clause to a main clause and establish a relationship between the two. Examples:

Subordinating Conjunctions There are two main ways to structure a sentence using a subordinating conjunction:

Common Conjunction Errors • Using the wrong conjunction Confusing: It is raining today, but there might be a thunderstorm. Clear: It is raining today, and there might be a thunderstorm. • Beginning a sentence with a conjunction Informal: And it is going to rain tomorrow. Formal: Also, it is going to rain tomorrow. • Using a subordinating conjunction as a transition Incomplete: Although the forecast for Thursday looks good. Complete: However, the forecast for Thursday looks good.

Common Conjunction Errors • Using only one part of a paired conjunction Incomplete: On Thursday I will not only go to the beach but wash my car. Complete: On Thursday I will not only go to the beach but also wash my car. • Using too many conjunctions to form a run-on sentence Run-on: I dislike rain, but I know that it is good for the farmers, but it has ruined my plans this week, and I am looking forward to nicer weather so that I can spend time outside. Stronger: I dislike rain. I know that it is good for the farmers, but it has ruined my plans this week. I am looking forward to nicer weather so that I can spend time outside.

Practice

Final Thoughts • There are many ways to write grammatically correct sentences. You have options as you develop your authorial voice. • To proofread and develop your voice, read your writing out loud or ask someone else to read out loud to you.

Resources • Website: http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/ • Guides and resources • Exercises and quizzes • Webinars • Writing courses • Grammarly • writingsupport@waldenu.edu • One-on-one paper reviews

Resources: http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/ • Guides and resources • Exercises and quizzes Automated grammar checker • Webinars • Description of one-on-one tutoring • Writing courses

Thanks for joining us! Questions? writingsupport@waldenu.edu

Mastering the Mechanics of Writing Part 3: Beyond Basics