Impressions Count, to the Formatting

¶ … impressions count," to the formatting of an assigned paragraph or essay.

You never have a second chance to make a first impression -- this is true in a job interview and also true in when writing an essay. One way to ensure that someone will NOT want to read a book is to assure him or her that the book is good, 'but the first 20 pages or so are kind of boring.' It is essential that the introduction of any piece of writing draws the reader into the text and incites his or her interest, making the reader want to read further. Of course, in some situations, such as when a student is reading a textbook or a teacher is grading a written assignment, the reader has no choice but to finish the essay. But a strong opening sentence that provides a 'map' of the essay's basic thesis that can provide clarity and ultimately result in better comprehension on the part of the reader. Clarity is an essential stylistic element of any written document meant to convey coherent meaning and information.

Summarize how the five steps to writing a successful narrative can truly make a difference in the written document.

A narrative is simply a story. To write a successful narrative, the writer must first begin by brainstorming different ideas. This will help with the second step, that the writer must have a clear sense of purpose as to why he or she is writing the story. Second, something has to 'happen' during the story -- that is, there must be a conflict between two opposing forces. Thirdly, the effective use of dialogue, whether internal or external, can heighten this sense of conflict, arouse the reader's interest, and humanize the characters. And fifthly, having a strong conclusion (which can be clarified during the final step of the revision process) is essential to bring the conflict to a satisfying end.

Referring to the assigned essay, "The Game of My Life," by Jeff Obafemi Carr (page 542), give examples of, and assess Mr. Carr's attention to the last three steps of writing a successful narrative: center on conflict; use of dialogue; and know your purpose.

Carr begins with an arresting first sentence that shows the reader why the conflict between his team and the opposing team is so compelling. He explains why the ordinary game means so much to a former non-athlete. The essay does not use much dialogue, but this makes the final phrase "you played a good game, son" all the more effective.

Summarize the three types of examples, which can be used as a writing technique, to add specific detail to paragraphs.

A so-called best or positive example indicates a typical manifestation of a particular phenomenon, like McDonald's is a type of fast food. A "non-example" shows the opposite of what is being talked about, like "someone who drives a Hummer is an example of someone who does not care about his or her carbon footprint." A negative example illustrates what happens, if for example, certain directions are not followed: "without proper disaster planning you get a situation like what occurred in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina."

Compare the importance of the tools of a writer (description, narration, and example) to those of a carpenter.

For a carpenter to create a home he must have basic materials (like wood), his tools (like a saw or hammer), and technical expertise. A writer is also a craftsperson, using basic materials (words and basic grammatical structure) and the tools of story-telling such as description, narrative, metaphors, and similes to make such basic materials convey meaning, be persuasive, or invoke a particular emotion. Different tools and different materials are required on different 'writing construction jobs.' Also, technical expertise, whether constructing a sonnet, an essay, or a short story, is required to use these materials and tools in the best possible manner.

Using the run-on sentence that follows, explain how you would correct the grammatical error, applying each of the five methods. (5 methods: Period and Capital Letter, Comma and FANBOYS Conjunction, Semicolon, Semicolon and Transitional Expression, and Dependent Word)

Period and capital letter:

At the family reunion, Ellen enjoyed seeing her aunts, uncles, and cousins. She had not seen them in years. Her teenage children became quickly bored. They were glad when it was time to go home.

Comma and FANBOYS Conjunction:

At the family reunion, Ellen enjoyed seeing the aunts, uncles, and cousins that she had not seen in years, but her teenage children became quickly bored and were glad when it was time to go home.

Semicolon:

At the family reunion, Ellen enjoyed seeing aunts, uncles, and cousins that she had not seen in years; her teenage children became quickly bored and were glad when it was time to go home.

Semicolon and Transitional Expression

At the family reunion, Ellen enjoyed seeing aunts, uncles, and cousins that she had not seen in years; however her teenage children became quickly bored and were glad when it was time to go home.

Dependent Word:

At the family reunion, Ellen enjoyed seeing aunts, uncles, and cousins that she had not seen in years while her teenage children became quickly bored and were glad when it was time to go home.

Referring to the assigned reading, "The Brutal Business of Boxing," by John Head, does the author make more use of single example, sentence-length example, or extended example? Justify your answer.

Head makes use of an extended example from a boxer's life, using one man's struggle with the sport to represent all of the abuses that can occur in boxing.

Summarize the five types of sentence fragments that were presented in Unit 6 and explain the method/s for correcting each type. (5 Types: Dependent Clause Fragments, Verbal Phrase Fragments (to, -ing, -ed), Missing-Subject Fragments, Example and Exception Fragments, and Prepositional Phrase Fragments).

Dependent Word Fragment: group of words that do not express a complete thought, to correct either finish the thought or link with a conjunction.

Verbal Phrase Fragments (to, -ing, -ed): these verbs need 'helper' verbs to complete a thought.

Missing-Subject Fragments: sentences without a subject that need to have a subject connected to the verb or connected by a linking word to another sentence.