Activities for Writing3

Activities for WritingAn Introduction to Writing1. Writing Vs. Speechwriting is more formal than speech: 1) speech involves informal & abbreviated forms and construction.in writing, we avoid those. 2) in speech, speakers do not worry precision in expression. in writing, writers organize ideas well. 3) speech can be telegraphic. (e.g., He car. My car. Bong Bong. He car broken. My car all right.) 4) speech is temporally ephemeral (短暂的). 5）repetition of a phrase or sentence is allowed in speech.Part One Manuscript FormI. ArrangementUse the checklist to locate the seven mistakes in format in the following lines from a student paper. Explain the mistakes in the spaces provided. One mistake is described for you as an example. (p.487)“Being alone”This is something that I simply cannot tolerate, and I will predi-ctably go to great lengths to prevent it. For example, if I know 1. Hyphenate only between syllables (predict-ably, not predi-ctably)2._ III. CapitalizationCapital letters are used witha) All his life, Father has been addicted to gadgetsb) I contributed to Senator McGraths campaign fund.c) The college offers evening sections of Introductory Psychology I, Abnormal Psychology, and Educational Psychology.d) My grandfathers Polish accent makes his English difficult to understand.e) He grew up in the Midwest but moved to the South to look for a better job.f) During the Middle Ages, the Black Death killed over one-quarter of Europes population.g) Tanya has lived on army bases in Germany, Italy and Spain.h) Dear Sir: Sincerely yours,IV. Punctuatione.g.,1. I laughed. Badly frightened by the explosion, the boy rushed out of the laboratory.2. His head tilted at an angle, and his eyes half closed.His head tilted at an angle; his eyes half closed.补充：Apostrophe1. used in contractions to show where letters are omitted. e.g., Im whos2. used to show ownership or possession. E.g., Marks umbrella Toms car Note: Rosss car Or Ross car The boys car Or the boyss carNumbersRule 1: In Jodys kitchen is her collection of seventy-two cookbooks. Jody has a file of 350 recipes.Rule 2: After the storm, maintenance workers unclogged 46 drains, removed 123 broken tree limbs, and rescued 3 kittens that were stuck in drainpipe.Rule 3: The burglary was committed on October 30, 2003, but not discovered until January 2, 2004. Before I went to bed, I set my alarm for 6: 45 a. m. (But: seven oclock) The library is located at 45 West 52nd Street. When you take the skin off a piece of chicken, you remove about 40 percent of the fat. The name of the murderer is revealed in Chapter 8 on page 236.Part Two DictionI. Levels of WordsRewrite the following sentences, replacing the italicized slang words with more formal words. (p.544)1. I didnt realize how messed up Joey was until he stole some money from his parents and split for a month.2. Greg was so bummed out the day he got fired that he didnt do anything except veg out in front of the TV.3. The entire town was psyched that the corrupt mayor got busted.Underline the clich in each of the following sentences. Then substitute specific, fresh words for the trite expression. (p.547)1. When I realized Id lost my textbook, I knew I was up the creek without a paddle.2. My suggestion is just a shot in the dark, but its better than nothing.3. Janice got more than she bargained for when she offered to help Larry with his math homework.Cross out the inflated words in each sentence. Then substitute clear, simple language for the inflated words. (p.549)1. When my writing implement malfunctioned, I asked the professor for another.2. The meaning of the movies conclusion eluded my comprehension.3. The departmental conference will commence promptly at two oclock.Part three The SentenceI. Complete Sentence and Sentence FragmentsTo find a subject: Who is the first sentence about? The boy. What is the second sentence about? That fish.To find a verb: What does the first sentence say about the boy? He cried. What does the second sentence say about the fish? It smells.Common Types of Fragments:Dependent-word fragments:(p.415-6)1. After I cashed my paycheck. I treated myself to dinner. a._ b._ 2. I wont leave the house. Until I hear from you. 3. Rick finally picked up the socks. That he had thrown on the floor days ago. 4. I drove past the old brick house. The place where I grew up.-ing and to fragments:(p.418-9)1. Ellen walked all over the neighborhood yesterday. Trying to find her dog Bo. Several people claimed they had seen him only hours before. 2. We sat back to watch the movie. Not expecting anything special. To our surprise, we clapped, and cried for the next two hours. 3. I telephoned the balloon store. It being the day before our wedding anniversary. I knew my wife would be surprised to receive a dozen heart-shaped balloons. 4. At the Chinese restaurant, Tim used chopsticks. To impress his date. He spent one hour eating a small bowl or rice.Added-detail fragments:(p.421)1. Before a race, I eat starchy food. Such as bread and spaghetti. The carbohydrates provide quick energy. 2. Bob is taking a night course in auto mechanics. Also, one in plumbing. He wants to save money on household repairs. 3. My son keeps several pets in his room. Including hamsters and mice. Missing-subject fragments:(p.423)1. Alicia loved getting wedding presents. But hated writing thank-you notes. 2. Mickey has orange soda and potato chips for breakfast. Then eats more junk food, like root beer and cookies, for lunch. 3. Every other day, Kara runs two miles. Then does fifty sit-ups. She hasnt lost weight, but she looks trimmer and more muscular.How to correct run-ons?Method 1: period and a capital letter (p.430)Correct the following run-ons:1. In the summer, ants are attracted to water they will often enter a house through his dishwasher.2. Humans have managed to adapt to any environment they can survive in Arctic waste, tropical jungles, and barren deserts.3. A five-year-old child knows over six thousand words he or she has also learned more than one thousand rules of grammar.Method 2: comma and a joining word (p.431)Insert the joining word (and, but, for, so) that logically connects the two thoughts in each sentence:1. Teresa works full-time for an accounting firm, _ she takes evening classes.2. I turned to the wanted ads, _ I knew my dream job wouldnt be listed.3. Lizards become sluggish at night, _ they need the suns warmth to maintain an active body temperature.4. The canoe touched bottom, _ Dave pushed it toward deeper water.Method 3: semicolon (p.434)Insert a semicolon where the break occurs between the two complete thoughts in each sentences: (p.435)1. The children stared at the artichokes on their plates they didnt know how to eat strange vegetable.2. I changed that light bulb just last week now its blown again.3. Maya curled up under the covers she tried to get warm by grasping her icy feet with her chilly hands.Choose a logical transitional word to fill in the blanks. Use a semicolon before the connector and a comma after it:(p.437)1. Jackie suffers from migraine headaches _ her doctor has advised her to avoid caffeine and alcohol.2. Rays apartment is always neat and clean _ the interior of her car looks like the aftermath of a tornado.3. I try to attend all my math classes _ Ill get too far behind to pass the weekly quizzes.4. B.J. was singing Aretha Franklin tunes in the shower _ his toast was burning in the kitchen.Method 4: subordinationCorrect the following run-ons by using logical subordinating words to combine the two clauses in each sentence: (p.437)1. The library has just closed I couldnt get any of the reserved books.2. The canoe touched bottom Dave pushed the craft toward deeper water.3. I didnt make good time driving to work today every traffic light along the way was red.4. The exam room was very quiet I still couldnt concentrate.Misplaced modifiers:1. George couldnt drive to work in his small sports car with a broken leg.(The sports car had a broken leg?)With a broken leg, George couldnt drive to work in his small sports car.2. The toaster was sold to us by a charming salesman with a money-back guarantee.(The salesman had a money-back guarantee?)The toaster with a money-back guarantee was sold to us by a charming salesman. Rewrite the sentences, placing related words together and thereby making the meaning clear. (p.478)1. Frozen shrimps lay in the steel pans that were thawing rapidly.2. The speaker discussed the problem of crowded prisons at the college.3. The patient talked about his childhood on the psychiatrists couch.4. Vonnie put four hamburger patties on the counter which she was cooking for dinner.Dangling modifiers:Look at the opening words in each sentence and ask, who? The subject that answers the question should be nearby in the sentence. If it is not, provide the logical subject using either method of correction described earlier.(p.483)1. Dancing on their hind legs, the audience cheered wildly as the elephants paraded by.2. Pouring out the cereal, a coupon fell into my bowl of milk.3. Escorted by dozens of police motorcycles, I knew the limousine carried someone important.Effective Sentences3. Conciseness (p. 153 肖)3.1 Eliminating unnecessary determiners and modifiersThese words or phrases include basically, really, kind of, sort of, type of, for all intents and purposes, actually, definitely, generally, individual, particular, or specific. E.g.,For all intents and purposes, American industrial productivity generally depends on certain factors that are really more psychological in kind than of any given technological aspect. American industrial productivity depends more on psychological than on technological factors.3.2 Changing phrases into single words Some wordy phrases can be converted into single words. E.g., Jeff Converse, our chief consultant, suggested at our last board meeting the installation of microfilm equipment in the department of data processing.At our last board meeting, Chief consultant Jeff Converse suggested that we install microfilm equipment in the data processing department. 3.3 Changing unnecessary that-, who-, and which- clauses into phrasese.g.,The report, which was released recently.All applicants who are interested in the job mustThe system that is most efficient and accurateThe recently released report.All job applicants The most efficient and accurate system 3.4 Avoiding overusing expletives at the beginning of sentences it + be + (n./adj.) +who/that there + be + (n.) + who/that/which e.g.,It was imperative that we break the stalemate (僵局) today.There was a big explosion, which shock the windows, and people ran into the street.We must break the stalemate today.A big explosion shock the windows, and people ran into the street.3.5 Rewording unnecessary infinitive phrases of结构， v. + complement结构e.g.,A shortage of tellers at our branch office on Friday and Saturday during rush hours has caused customers to become dissatisfied with service.A teller shortage at our branch office on Friday and Saturday during rush hours has caused customer dissatisfaction.3.6 watch out for redundant categoriesSome redundant categories: large in size, pink in color, heavy in weight, period in time, round in shape, at an early time, of cheap quality, honest in character, etc.4. Emphasis4.1 Using closing and opening positions for emphasis (p. 134 肖see Tb. p.61)Put the key words at the beginning of a sentence; providing new information at the end (for emphasis)e.g., All medical papers, whether initial investigation, presentation of final statistics, or reports on work in progress, must undergo rigorous scrutiny. All medical papers must undergo rigorous scrutiny, whether initial investigation, presentation of final statistics, or reports on work in progress.Whether initial investigation, presentation of final statistics, or reports on work in progress, all medical papers must undergo rigorous scrutiny.4.2 Using climatic order Arrange ideas in order of increasing importance, power, or drama: building to climax. e.g.,The presence of the Indian in these movies always conjures up destructive stereotypes of bloodthirsty war parties, horse thieves, and drunkenness.The presence of the Indian in these movies always conjures up destructive stereotypes of drunkenness, horse thieves, and bloodthirsty war parties.4.3 Using strong verbs for emphasisUse more effective words.e.g., To me, cleaning toilets, sinks, and bathtubs is not fun at all.To me, scrubbing toilets, sinks, and bathtubs is not fun at all.4.4 Using voice for emphasis (Tb. p. 62) In most cases, it is advisable to use the active voice whenever possible. e.g.,The image of American Indians has been totally distorted by Hollywood in most of its films about the West.Hollywood has totally distorted the image of American Indians in most of its films about the West.5. Varietyvariety in sentence lengthvariety in sentence typesvariety in sentence opening e.g.,He reversed the direction of the canoe. After a few seconds he stopped paddling. Slowly he made the canoe drift to the bank. When within a yard of the shore, he grabbed one of the overhanging branches.Inefficient SentencesPronoun Reference 1. Ambiguous referencee.g.,Albert told his uncle that his money had been stolen. (p. 39 Ma & Chen)When Jack put the sculpture on the table, it broke. (Ibid)2. Weak reference1) Implied reference e.g.,My mother was a musician; therefore, I have also chosen it as my profession. (p. 40)2) Unspecified reference e.g., I wished I had brought my raincoat, for it had become colder and I needed it. (p. 41)3. Broad reference e.g.,The new cashier was honest, she arrived at work on time, and she was well dressed. However, this was not enough to get her a permanent job. (p. 43)Unnecessary Shifts1. Unnecessary shifts in voice or subjecte.g.,After I finally discovered the tools, the dismantling of the engine was begun. (p. 63)Mary won the first prize, while her brother was awarded the second. (p. 64)2. Unnecessary shifts in tense e.g.,We parked our car at the harbor and rented one of the boats that we use to get to t