PROW 100: Foundations of Composition

Final Blog Post, Jennifer Kerr

2009-12-07T16:50:00.003-07:00

Word Power, Jennifer Kerr

2009-12-07T16:30:00.002-07:00

Words are the most direct way in which people communicate, and as such they have a tremendous amount of power. They can be used directly and indirectly to convey almost any thought, idea or emotion. Much can be learned about a person just from their choice of words. Words can be used as weapons, masks and tools of manipulation. They are powerful, which is why they should be used carefully.

Rosalie Maggio wrote an essay entitled “Bias-free Language: Some Guidelines” in which she makes plain her opinion that using biased language can be damaging to people by demeaning or dehumanising certain groups. “Bias-free language is logical, accurate, and realistic. Biased language is not,” she wrote. This is valid point; when someone uses sexist or racist language, they not only oppress and exploit a group of people, but they often fail completely at getting their point across. It is important that a writer think very carefully about his or her word choice, to make sure that they are not using habitual terms that don’t fully describe their intent.

While it is true that writers need to be careful to avoid disclusive or biased language in their writing, it is possible to take ‘political correctness’ too far. Michiko Kakutani argues in her essay “The Word Police,” that bias-free language doesn’t solve the problems of bias in the first place, and that being too careful about making language completely bias-free can lead to absurdities. She warns against taking political correctness too far.

Words are powerful, and they must be used carefully; however, if they are used too carefully, they lose much of their power. As Loren Wozny points out in her “Word Power” post, a balance must be found when using unbiased language.

This is the End...

2009-12-07T16:16:00.010-07:00

At the beginning of Prow 100, blogging was a mystery to me. I had never written, nor had I read a blog. During our first blogging class I felt completely overwhelmed and inadequate. I was confused by the linking to other websites , the embedding of an image, and the general purpose of a blog. I have come a long way since the first class, and am grateful that I have been able to overcome the major insecurities I felt about using modern writing technology. I know now that I am capable of learning the technology, and using in whatever capacity I can.

I agree with Ramona that it has also been interesting to read the blog posts of my classmates, and to feel connected to them within the context of our blogging experiences. Creating an online portfolio was a very unique and, at times, challenging process for me. I learned that I still have much to learn about writing, and that the English language is constantly evolving. There were times when it was difficult to post a blog, knowing that it probably contained proofreading errors that others would notice. I will continue to learn about the writing technology of today, as I strive to write creatively and to come up with fresh ideas.
My Blog Posts:
Between Generations
The Respite of the Semicolon
Grammar Detective
People First
Power to the Bias Free Language
Wired Teens
My Comments:
The Importance of Being Like Earnest
Lets Talk Lexicography
The Last Post
The Comma
Starting to Notice
The Dictionary
Grammar Detective

Reflection

2009-12-07T15:42:00.006-07:00

Like many of my classmates, when we first started blogging as part of class I was a little sceptical. I have followed blogs for many years, and even tried my hand at keeping a few, but I never considered blogging to be an educational tool. I am glad to have been proven wrong. Blogging as well as having an online portfolio of my writing via the class blog has given me a new outlook on scholarly writing. It has also shown me how even grammar, something that is typically seen as static and unchanging, can be molded into a format consistent with the modern age we live in.

Blogging and its scholastic value is not the only pleasant surprise I received from this class. As I said in our initial blog post, students are often only given one chance to learn grammar in elementary school and once learnt there is no refresher course. The very basics of grammar tend to get pushed to the back of students' minds and slowly forgotten as more relevant information is learnt. I was surprised as we worked our way through the Foundations of Composition coursework at how much grammar knowledge I had once I dug it out from the dark corner of my mind it had been hidden in. Not only did I brush the layers of dust of off my long-neglected grammar skills, but I also developed new knowledge that I feel has and will continue to benefit my writing.

All in all, this class has helped my writing develop into a format that is much more technically correct. I don't think, like I may have at the beginning of term, that this development of grammatical correct writing will negatively affect the tone of my writing. If anything, being grammatically correct will only improve the tone of my writing as I am much more able to express myself in ways that make sense to everyone, not just me. I have also developed a tool box of online resources, such as the Grammar Girl website, to help me continue to develop my writing.

My Blog Posts:

Introductory Post

2 b, or nt 2 b?

Is Spelling a Thing of the Past?
Grammar Detective or Why Lizards Have Powerful Magic

Word Power

Myths of the Comma

My Comments:

Go Fish! An analysis of our spell check society by Brieanne Graham

Grammar Detective by Andrew Heck

Grammar Detective by Brieanne Graham

Txt Spk - Convenient or just sloppy? by Sarah.Rachel

Grammar Detective by Kayla Gaffney

Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Editing? by Sarah.Rachel

Proof Reading by Jennifer Kerr

Summing up, Final blog post, Caleb Caswell

2009-12-07T15:38:00.003-07:00

Editing one-self is time consuming, aggravating, and can feel like you are dragging a sack of iron fillings across a beach on the way to the pillow factory: it is hard work and you are not sure why you're doing it in the first place. The struggle and can be even worse when you are unsure as to the rules of grammar.

Luckily, through time invested and attention paid, this struggle has become much easier throughout the term. Instead of looking at a sentence and knowing that it is incorrect, but not knowing why, I can now see the evident error in thinking and technical misuse of phrasing. Creative projects and classmate help aside, I have matured in my ability to discover proper usage of grammar, the importance of being certain in language usage, and how in-depth knowledge of basic structure can help to take one's writing to new editorial heights.

Surely it is our victory as a class. As a faction of writers and editors to-be, we will walk into offices and jobs that require the utmost scrutiny and bias in our view of language. Not just as professional writers, but as lovers of the language which we have spoken and expressed ourselves with.

God Bless Canadian Grammar!

Should anyone need any more help though, here's a handy site.

How to Lose Friends, Caleb Caswell, grammar detective

2009-12-07T15:02:00.002-07:00

The grammar enthusiast must be one of incredible social ability to keep their friends. Wrong spellings and punctuation stand out and scream to us. A decision of such moral magnitude must be made that many find themselves willing to avoid it all together. The decision is this: does one correct a friend after having made a typographical error, or, leave them to stew in their ignorance?

In an age of typing, texting, and typography typical of today's tendencies towards technology, more punctuation and spelling is being left at the wayside for the sake of speed and style. In many cases, these are flippant remarks that hold little to no effect on the grander scheme of our lives, but when a writer should see a friend text him "My woman think's you're cute, and wants to find you a girl," we have little to do but hold our opinions in our cheeks and let the room stop spinning of its own accord.

These comments are everywhere. As writers, we must make a moral decision as to whether we value the sanctity of our friendships or the sanctity of our friends freedom to be grammatically ignorant.

But where do these issues stop? and will they not effect language as a whole should we let the go uncorrected? Blockbuster carries "movie's" instead of "movies." You can purchase 'apple's, orange's, and banana's" from your local grocery store, although what belongs to these fruits remains a mystery. Should we let the country as a whole become so unconfident in its typographical ability that they start making errors out of the fear of making errors? Or as a community of dedicated snobs, should we take hold of the issue and sacrifice our friendships for the cause of proper signage and speech?

I have made my decision, and my birthday parties have been getting lonelier with every year that passes.

Here is a nifty site to help with five major errors made in grammar.

Here's something Ramona wrote that will be sure to be some fun.

Reflection by Kayla Gaffney

2009-12-07T14:44:00.004-07:00

I came into this class with a very bleak outlook. PROW 100 Foundations of Composition sounded extremely dull to me. Learning the rules and applications of grammar scared me as well because I knew certain rules were complicated. When we were asked to make a blog about our journey through grammar, I was skeptical. In questioning another another student in our class, Sarah Maludzinski also had similar feelings. Blogging seemed to be a waste of my time. As I began to make different blog posts, I noticed that the class blog was helping my grammatical skills instead of hindering them as I had predicted.

The format of writing that I was accustomed to was either a simple pen and paper approach or writing in Microsoft Word. The blogging term project was a different way to write. My skepticism came to a halt when I began to comment other blog posts written by my peers. Every student had something different to say, even though most of the blogs were based upon a singular subject. The blog provided the students in our class with an outlet to view and critic each others work.

I feel that my writing style has not changed very much, but the way that I proofread my work has benefited from this class. I have realized that there are so many things that a simple spell-check is not able to detect, so proofreading is essential. I now see the many grammar mistakes around me, including the lack of punctuation in my picture. Jessica also provided many different websites based on common grammar errors which helped me to see the error of my ways, literally. The grammatical mistakes that I have made in the past should hopefully be erased by this class.

Blog Posts

Introductory Blog Post by Kayla Gaffney

Grammar Detective by Kayla Gaffney

Let's Talk Text-Speak by Kayla Gaffney

Proofreading is Essential by Kayla Gaffney

Let's Talk Lexicography by Kayla Gaffney

Word Power by Kayla Gaffney

Reflection by Kayla Gaffney

Comments

Grammar Detective by Sarah Maludzinski

Mysteries of the English Language by Brieanne Graham

Is Spelling a Thing of the Past

Grammar Detective of Why Lizards Have Powerful Magic

What Happened to the Dot

Can Proofreading Be Fun?

A Time and Place for Txt Spk by Murriel Mapa

Thanks, That Was Fun. By Ramona Korpan

2009-12-07T14:41:00.003-07:00

In the few short months that I have been a part of PROW-100, I feel I have learned a great deal about the foundations of composition. As much as I enjoy writing creatively and stylistically, I have really enjoyed the challenge of mastering the many ru

les of spelling and grammar. I feel that being given boundaries to work within is an opportunity for me to streamline my style, and to really understand writing as a marriage between creative expression and skilled craft.

Keeping a class blog was an interesting way to collaborate with and learn from my classmates. Being able to see the varying opinions on the topics we covered allowed me to open my mind to new ideas about writing, style, and composition. Many others, including Shawna, felt the same way. The skills I have obtained in this class will undoubtedly help me in future classes. My understanding of grammar and composition is the foundation upon which I can build and develop my style, perspective, and voice as a writer.

Blog posts I have commented on:

How to Lose Friends, Caleb Caswell, grammar detective

"Senseless" Brent Stempfle

The Comma

Spell-Off, Caleb Caswell

Don't Dissect Your Sentences

Grammar Detective by Muriel Mapa

Too Many Modifiers, Jennifer Kerr

Wired Teens

2009-12-07T14:32:00.005-07:00

In Prow 100 this term, we have discussed the phenomenon of text messaging to a great extent, and one of our assigned readings was Kris Axman's "r u online: The Evolving Lexicon of Wired Teens." In his essay Axman quotes, "This is really an extension of what teenagers have always done: recreate the language in their own image" (248). When I was a teenager we used to pass notes back and forth in the hallways and in the classrooms, and yes the words that we spoke were different than the seemingly dull and conservative tones of our parents. The telephone was also a preferred means of communication, and I remember talking for hours at a time to my friends.

When I purchased a cell phone with a text messaging plan for my teenage son, I had no idea what I was getting him into. I wasn't really aware that text messaging had replaced the phone or the written note, but it definitely has. Kayla also addresses the issue of texting in her blog "Let's Talk Text Speak." My son gives me daily tips on how to avoid being caught text messaging in class, and how to actually send him a discernible text message. On an afternoon that I had planned to take him shopping for a Halloween costume I texted him: wll b fn 2 go lk @ Hlwn cstms! He texted me back: Why do u want to go lick @ Hllwn cstms?

Despite all the changes that my son's cell phone has ushered in, one thing remains the same: he is still the smart-ass he always was!

Spell-Off, Caleb Caswell

2009-12-07T14:22:00.002-07:00

The day we held a spelling-bee in class, I did not have much confidence in my spelling ability. I assumed that I would be eliminated with relative ease and would sit after a question, or two. To my surprise, my word recollection ability was greater than I had presumed. After several turns at the board, my confidence grew in my ability. Rather than thinking through the phonetic properties of the word, the proper spelling would appear in my mind's-eye as soon as the word was said.

Where had I gained this knowledge? I rely on spell-check as much as any other individual, and oftentimes find numerous mistakes in the editing of my work. It is very possible, however, that through constant reading over a period of several years, I have subconsciously registered spellings for further use. Also, if much time is spent writing, one can get used to mentally 'visualizing' words, therefore helping them to recall them quickly and fluently. This can be invaluable to a writer, for as Cassiby has posted, "Spell-checkers on word processors are only so smart, and often cannot distinguish between verb tenses and other grammar mistakes." This can also extend into the spelling of words with several homonyms, such as there, their, they're, etc.

If ever in need of a site with helpful instruction in the way of homonyms, be sure to reference this site. Its extensive knowledge on the subject can be incredibly insightful.

Word Power

2009-12-07T12:36:00.013-07:00

Michiko Kakutani's essay "The Word Police" provides a critical look at language and its ability to inspire certain feelings in a reader. She claims that, "the mood of political correctness has already made firm inroads into popular culture." This is so true. Much of the informative media that we process in such a materialistic culture is a product of the over-sensitive aspects of our popular culture. Most writing and "information" that comes from these spheres is centred around celebrities--movie stars, professional athletes, and internet sensations (a hint at our movement towards dependency on web media for information). As this type of journalistic trite is so readily available and consumed, so is the style of language used by the writers.

She also points out that, "no decent person can quarrel with the underlying impulse behind political correctness... but the methods and fervor of self-appointed language police can lead to rigid orthodoxy." Again, this is reflected in the same template-based articles of popculture writers. With little originality and incredible predictability, they spread the latest gossip (both good and bad), and simply outline the details of a celebrity's recent affairs, such as their professional work, the constant instances of relationship infidelity, and the latest nightclubs that were frequented by these people in a drunken and embarrassing state. How stimulating. I'm not a fan of this kind of writing, as I believe that it is only an attempt for a writer to fill words on a page in order to collect their paycheque. But I don't blame the writers for their creative crimes (they work for the Man too!), I blame a society that prides itself more on its elitist morons than its integral politicians (at least the ones that are still around) and innovative thinkers. Sure, publications that cater to everyone's interests exist, but how often do we hear in local news media about these people? Right now, the only things remotely political or science oriented that are talked about are the doomsday threat of global warming and President Obama's latest plane ride/photo op.

When we learn to accept the language for what it is, not what it can be, we might finally be able to shake this thin-skinned attitude towards certain words or expressions that are seen as unfavourable. Sarah Maludzinski also raises this point in one of her posts.

Word Power by Kayla Gaffney

2009-12-07T12:11:00.003-07:00

Words have the power to change the way that people think. Politicians spin their words in speeches to make people want to vote for them. Bias-free language is a way to respect all cultures and ways of life while still maintaining the writers core subject. In "Bias-Free Language: Some Guidelines" by Rosalie Maggio, Maggio explains that one of the objections to bias-free writing is that it will be used to a point of absurdities. Critics say that using bias-free language would lead to extreme changes in words, such as using personhole cover instead of manhole cover. Changing these words to keep bias out of writing would lead to the need for new dictionaries to be to be re-wrote.

I agree with a post that Muriel Mapa made on the same subject. There are already multiple restrictions on how writers are supposed to write. Taking word choice away from writers would lead to books and articles being what they were not meant to be. A writer who wanted to write in a different time period would not be aloud to use terms that were popular in that day and age because people might find them offensive. I stand with Michiko Kakutani, who is the writer of "The Word Police." In this article, Kakutani agrees with the fact that writing should not discriminate, yet also believes that radical changes in certain words takes away the fundamental meaning of that word. Are we really going to take to extreme measures so that Pet Cemetery becomes Animal Companion Graves.

Reflection by Sarah Maludzinski

2009-12-07T11:58:00.003-07:00

I, truthfully, began this term not looking forward to the beginning of PROW 100, as I had only ever heard horror stories about how difficult all of the grammar was. This, I soon found, was not particularly true, and I will acknowledge that this blogging term project probably had something to do with that. When we were first assigned this blogging term project, I was skeptical as it didn't seem like something I would enjoy doing. After having done six blog posts, however, my views have changed. It is an original and fresh approach to grammar, and reading through blog posts by my classmates have put things that we have learned throughout the lectures into a different perspective.

Before this blog I had no idea what infinitives or gerundives were, but thanks to a post from a fellow classmate the definition has been cleared up, and is now much easier to understand. Furthermore, after our assigned grammar detective posts, I have a hard time not picking out spelling or grammar errors in everything from novels to signs. Finally, a site that I learned about through posts and lectures by Jessica is Grammar Girl. This site has a unique approach to grammar. Grammar is made fun, easy, and relatable through all sorts of media such as podcasts, writing, or videos.

In conclusion, this blogging term project may have seemed tedious and frustrating at times, but I also feel that it has taught me many things: from what an infinitive actually is to how to blog properly. From the first introductory blog post, where I approached the blog with trepidation, to this current post, where I type, link, and insert a picture with ease and confidence, this blog has taught me a lot.

Blog posts:

1. Introductory Blog Post

2. Txt Spk - Convenient or Just Sloppy?

3. Grammar Detective

4. Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Editing?

5. Modifiers

6. Word Power

7. Reflection

Comments:

1. Billie's post

2. Cassiby's post

3. Brieanne Graham's post

4. R. Traxel's post

5. Andrew Heck's post

6. Cassiby's post

7. R. Traxel's post

Power to the Bias Free Language!

2009-12-07T11:42:00.016-07:00

I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a door mat or a prostitute. ~Rebecca West, "Mr Chesterton in Hysterics: A Study in Prejudice," The Clarion, 14 Nov 1913, reprinted in The Young Rebecca, 1982

In Rosalie Maggio’s “Bias Free Language” essay, she answers the question: “Isn’t is silly to get upset about language when there are so many more important issues that need our attention?” (444). Maggio’s answer is a resounding no, and she explains that one’s speech is interconnected with one’s thoughts and behaviour. I agree that it is important to consider our word choice, and the power that we have to influence, offend or hurt another person with the language we use. I know that there have been times in my life when I have been quick to speak, and in doing so have unintentionally hurt or offended someone. I also agree with Maggio’s statement “Language both reflects and shapes society” (443). I am sure that there are major historical catastrophes that could have been avoided if someone had taken the time to rethink his or her word choice and the effect that it could have on another person or people. When I consider the power that language has to manipulate or dehumanize, Hitler’s treatment of the Jewish people comes to mind; the language he used within his hate propaganda greatly contributed to the holocaust.

“The Word Police” by Michiko Kukutani is a sarcastic rebuttal to Maggio’s essay, and does make some good points about “the excesses of the word police”: “The ‘pseudogeneric he’ we learn from Ms. Maggio, is to be avoided like the plague, as is the use of the word ‘man’ to refer to humanity…The politically correct lion becomes the ‘monarch of the jungle,’ new-age children play ‘someone on top of the heap’, and the Mona Lisa goes down history as Leonardo’s “acme of perfection” (454-455). Humour aside, Kukutani’s main point is that “intolerance (in the name of tolerance) has disturbing implications” and distracts attention from “the real problems of prejudice and injustice that exist in society at large, turning them into mere questions of semantics” (455-456). Although I agree that we shouldn't let our perplexing over "questions of semantics" take our focus away from societal problems, I think what Kukatani fails to acknowledge is that language does lead to prejudice and injustice. Lauren discusses the importance of striking a balance between bias-free language and a ridiculous censorship of speech in her "Word Power" blog.

As a woman I am grateful that a more politically correct climate of language has been ushered in. I have cringed when I have heard some of the more blatant sexist stereotyping and language. I have been called “little lady,” “sweetheart,” or “honey” by men I don’t know. I have heard men curse under their breath at a “woman driver,” I have been asked by potential employers if I have children, and how will I handle this sort of job with a family, and because I do have a family I have been asked by acquaintances if I have ever heard of birth control. When I hear someone use the word hysterical to describe a woman, I am reminded that the origin of the word is connected to an ancient Greek belief that women were diseased “because blood from the grotesquely misshapen uterus somehow infected a woman’s brain.” I am grateful that Albertan women were given the right to vote in 1916, and in 2009 we should be given the right to a bias free language. I would hold up my demonstration sign with Nellie McClung any day!

Let's Talk Lexicography by Kayla Gaffney

2009-12-07T11:40:00.002-07:00

One of our in-class exercises was to watch a video of Erin McKean. She added a new word to my internal dictionary, which was lexicography. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines lexicography as the editing or making of a dictionary. When McKean first introduced this word I had no clue to what it was. McKean brought to light that dictionaries are becoming a dying force. People are using online forms of dictionaries to fulfill what a simple paper-back version could. People are getting lazy when it comes to their education by taking the easy way out. Picking up a dictionary and actually learning what a word means, or how to spell it is the only way to properly learn.

Shawna Blumenschein makes a similar statement in her own blog post. She states that "Learning from errors is the key to avoiding them in the future." Searching for the correct spelling of a word online makes it easier to forget the journey after you have found what your looking for. The speed of online dictionaries take away any actual learning ability. I realize I have contradicted myself because I used an online dictionary to define lexicography. While these dictionaries take away the journey of learning a word, they are extremely accessible. As I type away at this blog post, I can simply open up another tab and find a specific word extremely quickly. I may not remember the definition of lexicography a few days from now, but at least I know it for this blog post.

The Last Post by Shayna Fehr

2009-12-07T10:02:00.003-07:00

Over this last term, I feel I’ve grown so much in my writing. I believe this is because of my newly found knowledge in grammar. Unlike Jennifer Kerr, blogging is not a new phenomenon for me. I’ve started a few blogs before, but as soon as I found myself a little busy, I dropped my regular blogging regime. However, as this semester grew more and more hectic, I didn’t have the luxury of dropping this blog. I’m glad I didn’t. I enjoyed this project, for it made me use my new skills in grammar.

Most people who know me, know I’m not a great speller. I remember back to elementary, when I had to take a weekly spelling test. Every Friday my teacher would hand out the class’ tests. This brought with it an anxiety attack like none other for this sixth grader. Those feelings came rushing back when Jessica asked us to line up in the middle of our classroom to perform a similar testing. I remember wanting to hide under my desk. Not only has this class made me use grammar, but perfect my spelling. When I’m typing furiously, and make a spelling error; I don’t reach automatically for spell check instead I inspect the word. Maybe I could fix it on my own? Most times, you know I’m right. I can fix the word without any help from technology. This class has been a great help with both spelling and grammar.

My posts:

Introductory Blog Post

Grammar Detective

Importance of Punctuation

Add a little Spice

Learning is a process

Word Power

My comments:

http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/11/mysteries-of-english-language-by.html

http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/12/word-power.html

http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/12/joy-of-spelling-in-english-by-ramona.html?showComment=1260214345235_AIe9_BGwn3lKfOThWnOEzmngsIqWOdz2DO3Y7TyjuhE9oUylkbPGLdzXPScrdFbh76spE5hwPYrQYYlIuYdl0LQbXn07BIo0JP1rrps1Nvv3jSfFwZtxuUTx3K0Wx4YAhrMMgKkjLOwyk_KQQlXl4BytaTPNgRwD-dGhMe1EFVCbrCkbcPjUNHXJutN6_6t6meUY2XiJthqxUhpheswKqMs8M86Za9k1b-1f3_EjftJ4FwCWkxXwGDLmC92LSurBXrov8RKuiWiV#c373485068949818689

http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/12/too-many-modifiers-jennifer-kerr.html?showComment=1260214535906_AIe9_BH2suD_kkFt3toxJToNjg9shISwIOs9BbdEKsTzi01tZDvDeKj41Sm_k7rKm0m9qgYjj8U1JZbE6OaBKtFDQphM883GPW5V_Ry3jP4zHz2LqFwncPjiDR-0ssKTccCEUGKokFkpMlf6pg6kQExzOHn5hHa28Rp4Fb_wxATPMrGxVRf7Y3C_lEFo-RX5DRM5uB9x4EanLOu4xnwaxTAXfG3BRWWiE_h6adgammydcMZHhx3f49I#c399828923772550784

http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/12/sentence-structure.html?showComment=1260214738784_AIe9_BFPrE4plr0YaoEa--nVLBazEm1JxVd0mjuWBn9u_Rd9gnqefhT3BvIp5YmRX6aNoAZy4phlMD4pda1Swo6Cl7EtDAum2zmfatsgwS4DY94JRQGpbJPpze_wkq9KahmLy2bNYLMo7qYQC1m4AcO_cAu_qPCB0TEfcGxnI6orp4fcI7hn7GNh1zpP9X5WQjGDg8dHezmLq5JjuafgAmwLi1142zQFTvaJUClc8xtq_P73WoPFRyw#c6723712138763651168

http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/12/comma.html?showComment=1260214895328_AIe9_BELppeMpgW3S4UVumh_kZm9XV7dE68xnJ9AGzu3Pq0QtyM16NR1OzQLi-qYD3_hweXD1KUiQrMBdgPTcXQ_Ay0hhdrjbPwj36QuwHafFoXdQGOYGB81MBv3j9K2KD52UplgKtdHcAZnQvqbbrlKrI3LlYqRUnNZD8AbqQcPOzN4spjQ32eKcuBGRcMmCPABVoa6_b7GoAin8LV885fbMD2OTSy7RQ#c6051416829106514535

http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/12/word-power-by-kayla-gaffney.html?showComment=1260215135267_AIe9_BHsg7T7lBxNEd_d9ddMo6Zqnf6JeUCuNZIcAmVMOrWek0-Z1CZ6ZV8oo8pvyfDBKrXDr5EcNpVXSX4zvOUVwnx6PwXCXaQvdS3jL1o0RAmqITi8w-lwAlnfkEHBJQmOPhaawMe-T0QwsjG_YqPmgmWt63UU-3ZsqN4myDmGCWrxoJvE792EXjjZB0ORdlNoxhJXY0lipXnPe4xOpgyju2Ad-ubCTkS_yIJ3EX14whEz2kX5J2A#c2551157435730616660

Word Power by Shayna Fehr

2009-12-07T09:38:00.003-07:00

Words are strong force that anyone can use. Their power lies in their ability to change minds, inspire, provoke emotion, enable us to communicate, and even deeply wound others. Words can be written, spoken, or signed. They are multicultural, they are used every minute of everyday, and they powerful. One word can crush the soul, or lift it to greater heights; when we use words we need to remember this principle.

Cassiby has a great point, “Not the definition of a word, but what the speaker or writer is actually referring to.” Words are only the vehicle a person uses to evoke a particular feeling inside his/her listener or reader. Therefore, as writers we need to take extra care when dealing with words. One word can have several meanings, and might even offend our readers. It is up to us to pick the right one in the context we need it to work. In “Bias-Free Language: Some Guidelines,” Maggio touches on this, “So if we have to think a little, if we have to search for the unbiased word, the inclusive phrase, it is not any more effort than we expend on proper grammar, spelling, and style.” Maggio’s mission to make language bias-free; Kakutani’s arguments are very strong for leaving language the way it is. He says, “Calling the homeless ‘the underhoused’ doesn’t give them a place to live; calling the poor ‘the economically marginalized’ doesn’t help them pay the bills. Rather, by playing down their plight, such language might even make it easier to shrug off the seriousness of their situation.”

Perhaps the lesson to be learned by both writers is to be careful of the language/words you use. Be aware of your audience by using the type of language they would like to read. Honour the words you use, by choosing the write ones.

Lecture 13: Final Thoughts

2009-12-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

As I read all your interesting blog-term-project posts I see a common theme emerging. Many of you find following grammatical *rules* and proofreading arduous work...however, you all recognise their importance.

The Elements of Style by Strunk & White is a classic to which those aiming for elegant prose continually turn. Have a look at this video rendition by Maria Kalman. Her sentences are examples of what we have learnt (comparatives, pronoun/antecedent, etc...).

On this note, have a read of this blog post on *proofreading* ideas by writer Amy K. Nichols. I think her thoughts will resonate with you.

"Oh, the wonders of the human brain.

Did you know there are about 100 billion neurons in your brain? That’s the same number as there are stars in our galaxy.

Did you know your brain generates more electrical impulses in one day than by all the telephones in the world?

Did you know that on an average day, your brain generates 70,000 thoughts?

Awesome.

Also awesome: These three-pound masses of grey matter are efficient machines, firing off synapses to conjure up in a nanosecond a word for your Scrabble game, the phone number of the friend you need to call, the next scene in your novel.

This efficiency can work against us, though, as writers.

While you write, your brain supplies you with ideas, words and images. But being the efficient machine it is, your brain uses the synaptic pathways of least resistance. It selects the images and words it’s seen and used many times. Like reaching into the front of a filing cabinet, your brain reaches for the easiest, most familiar thing first.

Need a bank robber in your scene? I bet your first thought involves a ski mask and a note slipping across a teller’s counter.

How about a businessman? Did you think clean-shaven, dark suit, power tie, carrying a briefcase and a medium latte?

Or perhaps a high school cheerleader. Is she blonde with perfect hair, legs and teeth? Is she in love with the quarterback of the football team?

This idea applies not just to character, but to plot, setting, dialogue, diction…pretty much every aspect of your work. If you’re not careful, your brain will lead you to write the book you (and everyone else) have read a million times.

What can you do to avoid writing the overdone? Examine each image, detail, plot point your brain offers. In other words, filter your ideas. Reject your ideas.

When you need a bank robber and your brain gives you ski mask with gun in pocket, you must stop and consider. Is that image too familiar? If yes, reject and go to the next image. If the next idea is also too familiar, reject again and go for the third idea. The fourth. The fifth. And so on.

If you run with the first idea that comes to mind, you’ll end up writing what you already know, what readers have already read, what agents and editors see too often. You’ll write the overdone, the tired, the familiar, the stereotype, the cliche.

Instead, train your brain to reach further back into the filing cabinet of your subconscious until you find a fresh idea. Sometimes you’ll succeed at this while writing your first draft; sometimes you’ll catch them on the rewrites. If you do this — if you reject the first, second, third, even fourth ideas that come to mind — you will write unique stories. Interesting stories. Stories that capture readers. Stories that get published."

Blogging

2009-12-07T07:11:00.010-07:00

It seems odd that unlike Brieanne Graham, I had never blogged before in my life, and it seems so simple to me now. Originally the concept of internal and external links, hyperlinking, and embedding photos and videos was completely foreign to me. Despite this inexperience that besieged me four months ago, I believe that I have managed to develop into a very competent blogger, although that is certainly not difficult, as after gaining some experience with blogging, I have come to realize that it is certainly not very difficult at all. It's certainly been a very good learning experience which I am certainly grateful for. Undoubtedly, blogging can be learned very easily, and there are tutorials available. Blogging is a very easy and useable form to express onesself to a public forum.

My Posts:

1. Introductory Blog Post

2. Senseless

3. Starting to Notice

4. Better Writing

5. Super Superlatives

6. Fun With Words

My Comments:

1. http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/12/too-many-modifiers-jennifer-kerr.html

2. http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/12/comma.html

3. http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/12/sentence-structure.html

4. http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/12/proofreading-is-essential-by-kayla.html

5. http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/12/learning-is-process-by-shayna-fehr.html

6. http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/12/word-power-by-sarah-maludzinski.html

7. http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/12/grammar-detective-by-ramona-korpan.html

Fun With Words

2009-12-07T03:09:00.003-07:00

One of the most interesting things about writing is the opportunity to create a mental image based on the words that you have chosen to print. It is a proverbial canvas for mental creativity, and it is often supplemented by a healthy amount of descriptive words. These words, which can bring immense amounts of life to a literary work, are often known as adjectives and adverbs. An adjective can help to add new dimensions to a noun, the standard person place or thing. A house is always easier to imagine when it is described as being a "big blue house."

Adverbs fulfil the same perpose for verbs. By mentioning that someone is walking "slowly," it is easier for a reader to mentally envision that person's actions. Though using too many can be complete overkill, as Jennifer Kerr mentions here, the use of at least some adjectives and adverbs is crucial to prominent writing.

Super Superlatives

2009-12-07T02:44:00.002-07:00

Thanks to this PROW 100 course, I have recently discovered an interest in one particular grammatical tool, the superlative, though as Lauren mentioned in her post, they can be intimidating to learn at first. Superlatives can be used in a variety of ways, but most notably they are used to express excess in a sentence. Words like "most," "happiest," "fastest," etc. are all very good examples of superlatives. This makes sense, as the definition of the word superlative is "of the highest kind, quality, or order" (in the case of this sentence, the word "highest" is the superlative).

Perhaps it is society's desire for things to be bigger and more extravagant (or in the superlative sense, most extravagant) that causes me to find the words that exemplify the extremeties of the subjects that are being written about to be so interesting.

The Joy of Spelling in English. By Ramona Korpan

2009-12-06T22:58:00.003-07:00

Spelling can be a challenging task in the English language. We have so many borrowed words from other languages, that any English spelling rule we may come up with is bound to have numerous exceptions, often ones that don't really seem to make any sense.

Shawna Blumenschein pointed out in her blog post "Is Spelling a Lost Art?" that many of us rely on our computer spell-check to to correct our spelling errors, without taking the time to really master the art of spelling in English ourselves. Many of us realized this a couple of weeks ago in PROW-100, when asked to spell random words on the whiteboard without the aid of a computer or dictionary. I was surprised by how many times I found myself guessing at the correct spelling of words that don't follow typical or obvious rules, because I had never taken the time to actually memorize them. I have always allowed the computer to just do the work for me. I realized that with so many spelling-rule-breaking words in our language, it is necessary to not only memorize the rules, but the words that are notable exceptions.

This point was reiterated to me over the last couple of weeks at home as well. I am currently teaching my fo

ur-year-old son how to read, and recently, I have been trying to teach him all of the rules pertain

ing to vowels. This is proving to be quite difficult, as the rules all have so many exceptions. He is a very bright child who picks up on language concepts quickly, but even he looked a bit confused when I tried to explain to him that vowels at the end of the word usually make a long vowel sound, except for "a" which makes more of a short "u" sound at the end of a word. And then there was that bit about "y" only sometimes being a vowel, and "e" only sometimes being silent at the end of a word, and how the "oo" in "boot" sounds different from the "oo" in "look," despite the words being structures the exact same way. I ended up just as confused as he was.

Trying to explain spelling rules made me realize that it is in our best interest to slow down when we are reading, and really take in the spelling of words. It is also helpful to study the etymology of words that we have difficulty spelling, as knowing the language of origin may help us apply some rules or reason to how to spell it. There is no simple to trick to understand why the "au" in "gauge" sounds so different than the one in "dinosaur," so the best we can do is make an effort to study our language, and to try to understand the many unique and eclectic words it is composed of.

The Importance of Being Like Ernest: A Case for Fewer Adjectives. By Ramona Korpan

2009-12-06T20:58:00.005-07:00

A balanced use of adjectives and adverbs can be a tricky skill to master. While these parts of speech can be crucial in conveying a message, they are so often over-used. In an attempt to paint an exact picture of the stories and scenery that they see in their minds, many writers will use every words possible to describe every last detail, leaving nothing to the imagination. As Jennifer Kerr pointed out in her post, "The actual word that is modified by the adjectives or adverbs can lose their significance if the writer feels the need to prop them up with too many descriptive words." She also points out that the entire message of the story can end up lost or diluted when too many unnecessary words are used.

I think that this is one of the reasons why it is important for aspiring writers to study the work of successful, acclaimed writers. Many people think that if they are born with a natural writing gift, they will be able to sit down and effortlessly and intuitively just write something without consciously applying any learned skill or form. This type of writer may think that over-using adjectives and adverbs is a good way to show off his or her extensive vocabulary. However, upon studying the masters of the craft, one will discover that a sense of restraint and very selective word choice are crucial skills to learn.

My favourite writer of all time is Ernest Hemingway. It was through reading his novels and short stories

that I discovered the importance and power of tightening up a description. His descriptions of scenery and characters are never superfluous or full of lengthy adjectives, but short, terse, and straight-to-the-point. Despite (or perhaps, because of) a lack of modifiers, he always paints a clear and powerful picture of the setting, the plot, and the characters involved, to the point where you feel like you are actually there. His use of spare and plain descriptions makes the story more approachable and realistic, allowing the reader to relate to every aspect of it. Stripping away the unnecessary syllables allows his characters to become the focus of the story, not his vocabulary. I may not ever be skilled enough as a writer to bring to life such vivid, hard-hitting stories in so few words the way that Hemingway did,

but I do feel as though I've learned a lot about the power of word selection by studying his work. I would recommend his collection of short stories to any aspiring writer interested in learning about narrative, character development, and writing spare, but effective, descriptions.

Better Writing

2009-12-06T20:45:00.003-07:00

Over the course of the semester, I have learned a great deal about writing that I was unfamiliar with before. Much like Shayna Fehr mentioned, completing the verb was a small part of this. Though even beyond verbs, adverbs, nouns, adjectives, etc., I have learned how to properly form sentences and paragraphs in ways that I didn't know before. I had always thought that I was an exceptional writer, but until now, my writing, while very competent, was every so often subject to run on sentences and comma splices. Fortunately, I feel that thanks to this course, I am on my way to becoming a very competent writer.

Too Many Modifiers, Jennifer Kerr

2009-12-06T20:30:00.003-07:00

Adverbs and adjectives are undoubtedly an important part of language. These words help to form clearer and more vivid images in a reader’s mind, and as Shayna Fehr points out in her “Add a Little Spice” post, they “allow writers to expand their imaginations.” However, less-than-desirable effects can be had when these descriptive words are overused.

Too many adjectives or adverbs can slow down reading and make a piece of writing confusing. When a writer uses long strings of adjectives to describe a noun, or of adverbs to describe a verb, the reader can become bored or confused by the time he or she reaches the word that is being modified. The actual word that is modified by the adjectives or adverbs can lose their significance if the writer feels the need to prop them up with too many descriptive words.

Additionally, some readers may find that by having every last detail filled in for them by the writer is an insult to their imaginations. It isn’t necessary to provide every detail of a tree, from the exact shade of its bark to the texture of its leaves, when most readers of the work are familiar with trees and could have formed the image in their minds without being told. Having to read about the details of the tree can merely be irritating, and distract from the true intent of the piece of writing.

Descriptive language such as adverbs and adjectives is important in any piece of writing, but writers should be careful not to overuse them. Most writers try to convey an idea or set of information with their work, but by bogging down their writing with excessive descriptive modifiers, they risk diluting their message, and boring their readers.

Reflecting

2009-12-06T19:58:00.003-07:00

I began our Foundations of Composition class with a deep seeded fear of all things grammar, and the thought of blogging scared me just as much. As if my lack of grammatical skills weren’t enough of a burden, the fact that I would be publishing them for all the world to see seemed to be social suicide. Feelings of intimidation and fear set aside, I feel like I have grown up and matured as a writer in this class. I approached the introductory blog and our first grammar exam with little confidence, and I feel it was directly reflected in my work. However, as we draw closer to the end of the semester, I feel my confidence has increased exponentially.

Before this class things like dangling modifiers and superlatives sounded like a foreign language to me, and I was reluctant to learn it. But I figured if I was going to be in the Professional Writing Program it would be something I would have to learn in order to succeed. It was a bit of a bumpy ride at some points along the way, and some things did not go the way I would have liked them to, but it was a learning experience. Boy, I’ve learned a lot. I feel like grammar is starting to become somewhat of a second language to me, and I believe a lot of the class can agree. It is especially evident in our grammar detective blog posts where we have easily identified public displays of grammatical error.

However, I feel like this is just the beginning for my grammar journey. I have begun to develop only a basic understanding and comfort within the rules and regulations, and I believe it is something I can still improve on through my years. One can never be too correct. After all, I believe our grammar skills are a direct reflection of who we are. One can be careless within their writing and convey the same message about their character to their peers, or one can be responsible and edit their writing. I chose the latter, and I chose to keep learning to improve my skills!

Links to blog comments:

http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/12/grammar-detective-by-murriel-mapa.html
http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/11/spelling.html
http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/11/mysteries-of-english-language-by.html
http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/11/what-happened-to-dot.html
http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/11/grammar-detective-or-why-lizards-have.html
http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/11/grammar-detective_28.html
http://prow100.blogspot.com/2009/11/grammar-detective_30.html

Grammar Detective

2009-12-06T19:50:00.003-07:00

As Sheyna Fehr mentioned in her Grammar Detective blog post, the local newspaper seems to be a breeding ground for grammatical errors.Some days it can be a little hard to digest that those people who are responsible for relaying the day’s headlines to the public aren’t exactly communicating it correctly. However, I can empathize with newspaper journalists somewhat. It’s not like they’re given a few days to write up articles; most of the headlines are the product of only a few hours leeway. For example, the article I put under scrutiny was published at 1:49 pm this afternoon, and the events took place just 9 hours earlier at 4:00 am. The daily newspaper aims to be as current as possible, and in some cases time doesn’t seem to be an option, so of course there will be a few lose ends left untied.

That said I was able to look past the poor use of capitalization and reoccurring comma splices in the article. There were a few offensive mistakes made in the article that I felt shouldn’t have been missed. First of all, the title of the article read, “Edmonton cabbie assaulted by passenger.” Let’s forget the fact that the title is clearly missing a was or has been, because we all know that newspaper titles are rarely grammatically correct and function only to relay the message to readers with as few words as possible. What I was more concerned with was the liberal use of the word cabbie. I know this word has become common slang to most, but since when is a formal publication like the Edmonton Journal allowed to use an informal, somewhat biased, slang job description such as cabbie? The Edmonton Police Service was clearly defined as their formal title through the whole article. There was no mention of the word cops, the fuzz or any other street slang title for them anywhere. Shouldn’t the cab drivers of Edmonton have the same privilege? If that isn’t the least bit offensive, perhaps the double meaning of the word cabbie is. Urban Dictionary has defined the word as, not only the driver of a cab, but a blunt with cocaine sprinkled on it. I don’t think the city’s cab driver’s would like to be getting their profession confused with a highly illegal narcotic, would they?

Similarly to the misuse of cabbie, the article contains yet another confusing slang reference. The man accused of attacking the cab driver is described in one word; native. The article reads, “Edmonton Police say the taxi driver picked up a native man …” Native to where? While the picture accompanying the article clearly indicates he is a Native American, there is nowhere in the article that states it. Without the picture the man could just have easily been a native Scotsman or a native Russian instead of Aboriginal descent. Formal titles should be used; otherwise the newspaper is just reinforcing bias and slang terminology.

The Comma

2009-12-06T19:43:00.003-07:00

The comma. It can be described in many words such as: elusive, abused, misunderstood and confusing just to name a few. The use of the comma may be one of the first grammar rules we learn, but it is more often the first rule we forget. When used properly it can signal breaks in a sentence and the pasting of two independent clauses together, but when used incorrectly it can cause mass chaos. One comma error that has caught much public, and has been included in many funny email montages, is the “Slow Children Crossing” road sign. While it is supposed to serve as an indication that decreasing your vehicle’s speed would be a good idea because of a nearby park or school, the absent comma implies that the children are mentally handicapped. Cleary, this offensive mistake could have been avoided with one thing; a comma.

It is in unfortunate, yet humorous, mistakes such as that one that we can see the colossal importance of one of the tiniest characters in the English language. Due to the obvious fact that the comma has been abused repeatedly over time with no remorse, many people have surfaced that have made it their own personal battle to re-establish respect for the comma. Perhaps one of the more public crusades is that of Lynn Truss; the author of the novel Eats Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. The cover of Truss’ book playfully displays a panda, to which the first chunk of the title refers to, walking away with a gun while another panda on a ladder paints over the misplaced comma between Eats and Shoots. Yet another example of the sort of havoc a misplaced comma can cause; a panda that eats, shoots and leaves. It is a slightly scary, but logically unsound sentence. Truss also takes a shot at the plight of the apostrophe; an issue further discussed here by Brieanne Graham. Truss makes a point of re-educating the masses on previously relaxed punctuation rules. Similarly to Truss’s waging of war on ignorant punctuation, the Imperial College in London has launched a petition to save the comma and there are several Facebook groups dedicated to the same cause.

To avoid the wrath of these punctual dictators one would do well to review the rules of comma use. It may even help school grades and the overall perception of one’s writing capabilities. No one wants to include a “slow children playing” like error in a business report or a high school essay. You never know just who you might be offending.

Grammar Education

2009-12-06T19:36:00.004-07:00

Recently in a lecture we had in class last month I was introduced to a topic that I wasn’t familiar with, and a set of rules I didn’t know existed. This rule was something that perplexed me so much that I brought it up on several different occasions with people from outside our Foundations of Composition class. What I found was that there was a staggering amount of people that, along with me, didn’t know that this grammatical rule existed. Apparently the rules of use behind superlative and comparative adjectives aren’t common knowledge, and thinking back on it this was definitely one rule I was guilty of breaking on several occasions. It’s instances like this that make me wish grammar wasn’t just briefly touched on in high school so that maybe in College and University the comma splice wouldn’t be such a scary thing.

Many people today think that grammar isn’t exactly on the top of the educational priorities list, and I found this blatantly evident in my transition from high school English class to College English class. I entered my first College English class with a very basic knowledge of the comma, and almost no idea what a semicolon was actually used for. Grammar was something that scared me and still does. I have this terrible feeling that maybe if the curriculum had allotted significant space for teaching the proper use of grammar in Jr. High through High School, it wouldn’t seem that intimidating. Instead it feels like we’re making up for lost time. I read an interesting blog the other night on this subject. It focused mainly on the lack of previous grammatical education students attending the University of Victoria had, and how it was effecting their present education. The blog opened up with a rather perturbing third person account of an English Professor asking his fourth year English class what the difference between a semicolon and a colon was, and their hesitant reply of, “But aren’t they the same thing?”. Later on the same English professor, among others including the head of the English Department at UVic, credited most of the University students, English majors included, “grammatically clueless.”

At this time one can only wonder what exactly happened to the curriculum to make it this way. Why are students being sent into their post secondary education ill prepared for one of our most basic and impressionable skills? We are given the notion our grammar is a direct reflection to our peers of our personality. University entrance essays have a hefty grammatical weight, and quarterly reports and proposals in the business world are constantly scrutinized. So why skimp on a life skill? According to the same blog, a quick read through the Ministry of Education’s English Language Arts Curriculum Guide for grades 8 to ten in British Columbia shows the mention of the word “grammar” only a few times. Through personal experience I can almost guarantee the Alberta curriculum would show chilling similarities. Oddly enough, the same curriculum in 1941 displayed an astounding 7 pages devoted to grammar. It’s funny how things change. Even comparisons of present day BC provincial exams and those from 30 years ago show a decline in grammatically geared English classes.

I know I can’t be the only one feeling the weight of a grammatically incorrect high school education on my shoulders. This is a skill that is highly valued by future employers and post secondary institutions alike, so it demands a little respect. If not, at least a spot in the High School curriculum.

Curtain Call by Shawna Blumenschein

2009-12-06T19:33:00.006-07:00

I will admit that at the beginning of the term I dreaded this class. Grammar has always seemed incredibly boring to me and the prospect of long three hour lectures discussing the finer points of dangling modifiers or such was yawn inducing. Thankfully, this class ended up being far more interesting than I expected and definitely not boring.

On the whole I appreciated the opportunity to refresh, review, and clarify certain elements of grammar. The collaboration with classmates and the various exercises in the computer lab made the material more interesting and engaging. As a writer, this class has brought into focus a variety of things: when it is and is not appropriate to break the rules; the value of thinking about my own writing and why I make certain decisions; and that there is always something else to learn or improve upon.

The blog project was a welcome opportunity to do some actual writing and see my fellow classmates’ opinions on a variety of issues. In addition, the blog highlighted the immense power and role of the Internet in writing. Not just the ability to create a blog and have it read by people the world over, but the greater realization that by doing that we were all contributing to a larger discourse and global community of writers, teachers, editors, et cetera. A blog is invaluable as a tool to showcase a writer’s work as well as his or her familiarity and comfort with the online world. As such, this project was helpful for pushing all of us into that world, especially for those classmates of mine such as Kristen who had not previously experimented with blogs.

Given the growing importance of the Internet for corporations as well as freelance writers, I plan to stay on top of developments in the cyber world. Staying abreast of such trends as blogging, social networking, and whatever innovation emerges next will only aid me in the future. It is best to grow with these advances rather than play catch-up a few years down the road.

Comments:

One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven

Sentence Structure

2009-12-06T19:19:00.004-07:00

As tacky as it sounds, I like to think of a sentence like any good meal. Every good meal has a recipe and so does every good sentence. Although the specifics change, the basics are always the same. The subject and predicate can be considered the meat and potatoes of the sentence. There really isn’t much of a meal without protein or carbohydrates, so respectively there isn’t much of a sentence without both the subject and the predicate. Here’s a basic subject and predicate “meal”:

Bob and his sister ran to the store.
Subject /Predicate

Pretty boring isn’t it? No one really wants to eat the meat and potatoes just as they are, so that’s when we decide to spice things up a little bit. Those spices, such as adjectives and adverbs, help to add a little kick to an otherwise dull meal. That’s why adverbs and adjectives are called modifiers; they help us modify the basic recipe. But just as every chef is different, every chef’s choice in spices will be different also. Here’s what happens to our sentence after we’ve done some modifying:

Bob and his older sister ran quickly to the closest store.
Subject/ Predicate
adjective/ adverb /adjective

Now things have started to get and little bit more interesting. We can continue to add things in to our sentence, like independent and dependant clauses, to make it's recipe more complex if we want to. That’s when we being creating compound and complex sentences.

Just as I had mentioned before, a sentence isn’t much of a sentence without its meat and potatoes. You can’t really get away with having just the subject or just the predicate; you need both to have a complete sentence. Forgetting to add one or the other creates an incomplete sentence otherwise known as a fragment. These fragments tend to sound awkward and aren't really appreciated by readers. You wouldn’t serve your guests a lone potato for supper, so your readers deserve the same kind of respect. As long as you remember your subject and predicate you’ll be able to serve up a grammatically correct meal!

Word Power

2009-12-06T18:57:00.004-07:00

Language can be considered one of our most powerful characteristics. It has the ability to brand us as smart or stupid upon first impression, to offend entire nations, and may also have some influence over what career we end up in. Society loves to pass judgment on individual's speaking skills, which is evident in our willingness to throw celebrities, like professional athletes, under the bus after a lousy interview littered with grammatical and logical awkwardness. On the opposite side of the spectrum, when we aren’t laughing at celebrities unfortunate quotes, society also has a healthy appreciation for those who do have strong speaking skills as a result of an even stronger knowledge of language. Writing skills, along with public speaking, has become somewhat of a prerequisite for many occupations both elite and working class, so it is easy to see why proper language use can be a major advantage to its owner.

One of the most significant keys to discovering this advantage is the use, and more importantly the absence, of biased language. This one aspect seems to have the heaviest impact on how persuasive a speaker's or writer's work may be. We live in a time when things are constantly changing, and there is an ever present need to have the most current of everything. Times have changed and so has what is considered politically correct, so to date our language by using racial and sexist terminology seems thoughtless. Biased language is such a large issue ,due to the offense that it can create, that Rosalie Maggio has made it her own personal vendetta to right the many wrongs in biased language. She presents many of the obvious, and not so obvious, biased faux pas made in everyday language in her essay Bias-Free Language: Some Guidelines. She strongly states that the use of biased language is, “…communication gone awry” with such arguments as, “Biased language communicates inaccurately about what it means to be male or female: black or white: young or old; straight, gay or bi …” Maggio makes a very valid point with her essay. Inaccurate communication has become the basis for creating offensive, misunderstanding and unrest in much of the public, and there is no better way to black list ones language skills than creating any of those environments via the use of biased language. One of the most memorable examples Maggio uses in her essay to illustrate this issue is President Bush Senior’s word choice in describing events that had taken place in Iraq during 1990. He had used the word hostage for the first time, and up to that point he had used the word detainee. As Maggio states, “The difference between two very similar words was of possible life-and-death proportions.” A simple word swap such as the President’s can cause public panic, and ultimately even cause mistrust. The public may have been led to believe that the President was purposely misinforming them about the seriousness of the situation by hiding behind a less somber word.

Though the use of bias free language appeals to the masses, there is always the chance that the over-use and improper application of it will also discredit ones skills. Michiko Katutani highlights these shortcomings in his essay The Word Police. Bias free language has the ability to create euphemisms, and when it comes to calling the homeless “the under housed” and the poor the “economically marginalized” Katutani points out that it, “… doesn’t help pay the bills. Rather, by playing down their plight, such language might even make it easier to shrug of the seriousness of their situation”; an argument that can be applied to many bias free terms. Katutani also brings to light the absurdities of adopting this language as the norm. He retorts against Maggio’s essay with arguments such as, “ It’s equally hard to imagine people wanting to flaunt their lack of prejudice by giving up such words and phrases as ‘bull market,’ ‘Kaiser roll,’ ‘lazy susan,’ and ‘charley horse,’ and “The dictionary includes such linguistic mutations as ‘womyn’ and ‘waitron’.” These instances can also be classified as inaccurate communication and the awkwardness of the terminology might lead the audience to question the author's /speaker's validity.

It is apparent that a balance in the use of unbiased writing and speaking must be found in order to create a persuasive argument within one's work. The relationship between Maggio’s and Katutani’s essays is further explored in the collaborative critical reading blog of Shawna and Jennifer . Both Maggio’s and Katutani’s essays create valid arguments, and highlight the reasons why the balance between both worlds is needed to create credible work.

Word Power by Shawna Blumenschein

2009-12-06T18:47:00.002-07:00

Words are the most powerful tool available to humanity. Anyone can wield words whether they be physically weak or strong, male or female, young or old. Speech levels the playing field between all people because it is available to everyone. As such, it is vital to understand the power of words; they can move a country to war, foster peace, drive someone to suicide, and express even the most personal of human emotions.

Given this, it is little wonder that the political correctness movement has targeted language. The endeavour to use, promote, and spread awareness of bias-free language has its merits. As discussed in “Bias-Free Language: Some Guidelines” by Rosalie Maggio, language “reflects and shapes society.” (443) Prejudiced terms such as “nigger” for African-Americans, “gooks” for Asians, and “savages” for Native Americans created a distance between those groups and the dominant, usually white society that killed, enslaved, and brutalized them. Distance made treating other humans in such a disgraceful way easier because it created a firm us versus them mentality; by virtue of such derogatory nicknames these racial groups became something less than human. The same trend can be seen in World War II when Germans were called “Krauts” and the Japanese “Japs.”

Besides eliminating such hurtful words, the bias-free language movement seeks to lessen the impact of labels. The people first rule is incredibly important in this respect. This rule states that people with a disease or disability should be referred to first, for example “a person with diabetes” rather than “a diabetic.” (451) Such phrasing prevents the person from being reduced to “a disease, a label, [or] a statistic.” (451)

Despite the merits of the movement there is the potential for it to be taken too far. As discussed in “The Word Police” by Michiko Kakutani, such a fanatical focus on words and phrases can “distract attention from the real problems of prejudice and injustice.” (455) Indeed, eliminating biased and derogatory words will not eliminate prejudice and discrimination but it is definitely a step in the right direction. Only by making people aware of what they are saying, the meaning in such terminology, and the power of those words will such people start to think about and re-examine their opinions and word choice. As Cassiby discusses, words themselves are not to blame, it is the intent with which they are used that matters. Awareness must come before change can happen and the bias-free language movement is the best way to highlight the stunning power of words.

Proofreading is Essential by Kayla Gaffney

2009-12-06T17:03:00.003-07:00

Mistakes are common in all forms of writing. Our in-class proofreading exercise required us to watch a video of Erin McKean and transcribe what we could. After finishing our assignment, we were asked to review our work and correct our mistakes. After finishing my own assignment, I could not believe the range of mistakes that had made their way into my writing. From wrongly capitalized letters to incorrect paragraph indents, proofreading is essential to writing. Without perfecting proofreading skills, individual pieces of writing would be riddled with mistakes.

Jennifer Kerr makes a profound closing statement in her blog post regarding proofreading by stating that "It's a lot less frustrating to proofread when the task is rewarded abundantly by a large quantity of errors to be corrected." Jennifer may have come across another point without realizing it. Reward is a wonderful incentive to make anyone do more work than they want to. Creating a personal reward after proofreading will make proofreading an enjoyable activity, thus improving skill and releasing endorphins. Creating a "feel-good" effect will make a writer want to take part in proofreading more often. This will increase the grades of students and help editors screen for grammatical flaws.

Myths of the Comma

2009-12-06T16:26:00.005-07:00

The comma is an important building block in the construction of grammatically correct writing; unfortunately, it is common for the comma to be misused. Before entering the Professional Writing Program at Grant MacEwan University, the comma was a complete mystery to me. I must have been sleeping when we learnt about commas in Elementary school, because I had absolutely no idea what I was doing when it came to the comma. I had many different ideas about how one might use a comma depending on the situation, but none were actually correct.

A favoured tactic of mine was to add a comma every time I imagined a breath or a pause in my writing. For instance, I would write sentences like this: "The third dog, is my favourite." The comma after "dog" is completely unnecessary and makes the sentence rather difficult to comprehend, but in my mind it made sense. Another common misuse of the comma is to place commas periodically in ones writing. This is a mistake that I would also occasionally make. I would read over my writing, decide a sentence was too long, and add a comma. This was because, in my mind, commas fixed everything, especially if there were lots of them.

Now that I've learnt to properly use a comma, reading over some of my past writing is almost painful. There are commas thrown in everywhere, almost all of them unnecessary or incorrectly placed. As Lauren Wozny said in her blog post on commas, "When used properly [the comma] can signal breaks in a sentence and the pasting of two independent clauses together, but when used incorrectly it can cause mass chaos." My writing was definitely an example of how commas could create mass chaos when improperly used, as I'm sure my Grade Twelve English teacher would attest to.

Now that I have developed a better grasp of grammar and grammar rules, I am glad to say that my writing is no longer an exercise in comma excess. The comma is one writing tool that I feel confident using, as should most writers. Those who are feeling a little wobbly in their comma usage can easily review comma rules at this grammar website. While small in size, the comma is aspect of grammar that can throw off even the most grammatically correct sentence.

The Last Word By Kristen Harris

2009-12-06T14:47:00.012-07:00

Before I knew our class would be creating its own blog this semester I was always very curious about how blogs worked. I am not gifted in computer technology or design so the thought of actually beginning my own blog was a little intimidating. Luckily, I got to learn what blogging is all about in a friendly and supportive environment. This term we have covered a variety of composition parts that are necessary in professional writing. Creating posts that review what we have learned in class has been a great tool; it has allowed me to retain more than what I would have in just a pure lecture session.

Through this process I have learned some of my own limitations as a writer. I have also been able to experience new challenges that have made my writing stronger. Now I have the courage to begin using the internet as a platform for my future writing. I think the majority of my future work will find its way to the internet, after many hours of proofreading that is. If this does happen, I may use this website to know where to start! From here the world is my oyster, and I am a pearl peeking out of my shell. We have come a long way since our first project together. I look forward to reading everyone’s final posts and I wish everyone luck in their future endeavors.

My Posts:

1. Introductory Blog Post
2. Grammar Detective
3. Agreement of Pronoun and Antecedent
4. Dangling Modifiers
5. Word Power
6. The Dictionary

My Comments

1. Murriel Mapa
2. Cassiby
3. Brieanne Graham
4. Sarah and Rachel
5. Ramona Korpan
6. Jennifer Kerr
7. Jessica Lloyd

Lecture 13: Final Class

2009-12-06T11:29:00.000-07:00

Come to class to collect the exam outline AND to collect some marked work.

You will then be able to go to the library or to a computer lab to complete your blog term projects which are due by 5:00pm on Monday.

This way, hopefully, we'll avoid the "blah blah blah" as noted in the cartoon.

PROW-100-2 Foundations of Composition Exam CAC 435 14-Dec-2009 13:00 - 16:00

Note: Cartoon from Abdur Rahman’s Corner

Learning is a Process By Shayna Fehr

2009-12-06T11:08:00.002-07:00

Brieanne Graham said this in one of her posts, “Although “knowledge is power”, I believe that there is also power in learning new words, new tenses or new facets of English grammar.” I agree with her. I’ve learned much throughout this term, most of which has been about grammar. While some concepts came easily, others did not. Perhaps some of the most complicated subject matter for me to master was complements. Don’t ask me why, but it took me a while to grasp the concept of completing the verb. Even now, after typing it out, it seems so simple.

To review lets go over what complements are what their role is in speech. Complements are pronouns, nouns, and adjectives. They are used to complete the verb in a sentence. A complement can be a predicate noun, a predicate adjective, direct object, indirect object, or an objective complement. To view a video, and learn more about these types of complements go to this website.

We also need to understand that we may not know everything, but we can come a little closer after accepting that learning is a process, and being open to new material is a great first step.

Starting to Notice by Brent Stempfle

2009-12-06T06:02:00.005-07:00

Ramona's post on poor grammar in public locations certainly made sense to me. I myself have noticed on several occasions that billboards, advertisements, etc. are severely lacking in grammatical expertise. Certainly the use of proper grammar is secondary in marketing to the success of the advertisements. Certainly marketing firms don't care about grammar, and there's no reason for them to care.

It is just very interesting to spend my days learning proper grammar in this professional writing course, and to then see billboards using the wrong form of the words their, there, they're, your, you're, to, too, its, it's, and countless others. Beyond this, whenever I visit home, I often happen to notice a number of these errors, and being the only one of my friends taking a professional writing course, I am often the only one who notices them. I am then faced with a dilemma: play the nerd card and criticize the error with people who don't care, or keep quiet. If only people could just use proper grammar all the time, life would be so much simpler.

What is Atilla doing on Facebook? By Ramona Korpan

2009-12-06T00:51:00.004-07:00

We have spent a great deal of time in PROW-100 discussing the issue of txt spk and types of language people use to communicate digitally. Examining the slang terms and abbreviations that are often used in text messaging and social networking has made me wonder what the people of the future will conclude about us. Hundreds or thousands of years from now, when historians examine some of these typed conversations, will they understand what was being said? There is so little consistency in how people abbreviate or creatively (and by "creatively" I actually mean "incorrectly") spell words that it may be difficult to decipher what we were talking about.

My greatest (and most irrational) concern is the word "hun." Girls on Facebook seem to think it a suitable abbreviation of "honey." Log onto any teenage girl's page and you'll see it everywhere: "Hey hun, how's it going?" or "Hun, you look so cute in this picture!" and if you're really unlucky, you might even come across an eloquent "luv ya hun!!!!" These people see "hun" and think "honey," a term of endearment. I see "hun" and I think Atilla.

I know it's a silly concern, and one that is of no real consequence, but what if future historians don't make the distinction between various types of hun? What if they think that circa 2000 a.d., there was a resurgence of actual Huns (as in the Eurasian nomads who tyrannously ruled much of the world around 400 a.d.) who proceeded to take over the entire world, or at least every cheerleading squad in North America? Does such disregard for proper spelling have the power to rewrite our entire history? Probably not, but it amuses me to think that it does.

Word Power by Sarah Maludzinski

2009-12-06T00:27:00.002-07:00

There is no doubt that words have extraordinary powers. They can change the world, for better or for worse. They can compliment, insult, heal, harm, or offend a person. Words are powerful, but only in the way that they are used, as Cassiby mentions in her post.

Rosalie Maggio, in her essay "Bias-Free Language: Some Guildlines," addresses the differences between certain words. She uses the example of using the word hostage, as opposed to detainee. "The difference," Maggio says, "between two very similar words was of possible life-and-death proportions." But why? The answer to that questions is simlpy the connotations behind the word. Simply choosing a different arrangement of letters makes no difference, but it is what we understand the words to mean.

Michiko Kakutani also addresses this issues in his essay, "The Word Police." She says that "calling the homeless 'the underhoused' doesn't give them a place to live; calling the poor 'the economically marginalized' doesn't help them to pay the bills." The words are different and original, but they still mean the same thing.

However, despite the lack of actual difference between certain words and language, a lot of people still take offence to certain language. It is still inappropriate to use racial slurs, sexist language, and other offensive words or phrases. In the end, it really may not be the words themselves that carry so much power, but the connotations behind them. The meaning is what makes them powerful, but that does not lessen their power. Words, no matter the reason, can still inspire, teach, degrade, abuse, or do any number of other things to someone. As Ira Gassen has said, "Be careful of your thoughts; they may become words at any moment."

"Senseless" by Brent Stempfle

2009-12-05T23:31:00.004-07:00

There are a number of different forms of writing that populate the internet. Shawna made an interesting post covering a number of these phenomena. Despite the large number of intelligent, coherent writers, the advent of public internet use has provided a haven for complete and utter idiocy. I am referring to what is known as "leet speak," or, as it is written in it's own form, "1337 $P34I<."

This has been found across the internet, most notably on public sites such as facebook and youtube. The main question is why. It doesn't make things any simpler to write as txt spk does, in reality it makes things harder to write. It is extremely difficult to read, and yet not hard enough to read to be used as code. It seems as though leet speak is used by people who need to feel different, regardless of how.

Word Power By Ramona Korpan

2009-12-05T23:27:00.004-07:00

Language is a powerful thing. The process of selecting which words we will use to express a thought or feeling often takes only a few seconds or less, but the impact of these choices can last a lifetime. Often it is not what you say, but how you say it, that will have the strongest

(or weakest) impact on others. Language has the power to en

courage, empower, enrage, and hurt the people around us. As Cassidy pointed out in her post, as children we are taught that "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." This, like many of the things we are taught as children, simply is not true. Words have the power to cause far greater harm than sticks or stones.

In her essay "Bias-Free Language: Some Guidelines," Rosalie Maggio

discusses the the power of words, particularly how the many gender-biased terms we use are hurtful to the success of women. She claims that using masculine pronouns as pseudo-gender-neutral terms (such as "mankind" instead of "humankind" or "people") not only speaks of a long history of women being oppressed, but subliminally conditions us to allow this tradition to be continued.

While it is true that the use of male-oriented language may ha

ve the power to oppress women, it is important to realize that it is not the words themselves that hold the power. It is the women who continue to focus on such technicalities that give the power to these words. We have the power to look past the literal definitions of words like "mankind," and "mailman," and the use of masculine pronouns when speaking of any person in general ("his" instead of "his/her") and acknowledge that these terms are intended to be inclusive to us. Getting caught up in semantics instead of looking at the bigger picture only holds back our progress, as we are allowing ourselves to feel attacked and vulnerable, instead of equal and powerful.

Language is indeed a powerful thing, but not because various com

binations of letters and words actually contain some sort of physical or magical power. Language is powerful because of the power we choose to give it, and the way we choose to let it affect us.

Grammar Detective By Ramona Korpan

2009-12-05T22:44:00.003-07:00

It is an absolute shame that on shopping trips I never remember to take photos of the many grammar blunders I encounter. Commercial sign-makers apparently do not need to have an understanding of grammar and spelling to be permitted a business license. Some of the worst offenders are definitely grocery store express lanes. Almost any supermarket you visit features a sign above the express lane reading "15 items or less" when it should read "15 items or fewer." The difference between "fewer" and "less" is a rule frequently pointed out in various grade-school classes, and was quickly reiterated in many of my first-year college classes. It is a well-known rule, leaving no excuse to ignore it. I thought I was the only one bothered by this, but apparently some of my classmates feel the same way.

Another error that drives me crazy can be found at a manicure stand in West Edmonton Mall. It says ":10-minute manicure." Putting the colon before the 10 makes it look like the manicure takes only ten seconds, when it really takes ten minutes. It frustrates me that they took the time to add in unnecessary extra punctuation. I hope when they had the signs made, they didn't pay per-character!

It is very frustrating to think that we live in a time when dictionaries and other spelling/grammar tools are available at the push of a button on our computers, phones, and i-pods, but people seem to be getting lazier than ever with ensuring their signs are error-free! What does this say about our culture? It seems as though most people would rather appear uneducated than actually have to do the work of proofreading. It would be nice to live in a society free of obvious grammar errors, but until that day comes, we might as well let ourselves be entertained by them.

Let's Talk Text-Speak by Kayla Gaffney

2009-12-05T20:48:00.003-07:00

Text-speak is defined as a way of conveying longer words and phrases by using substitutive letters, numerals or characters. Oddly, this new form of writing can not be translated easily into a verbal format. As demonstrated in the assignment asking us to re-type articles into text-speak, this form of language comes with it's own form of difficulty. Young students are incorporating text-speak words into formal essays. As Shawna Blumenschein writes is her own text-speak blog,"The habit of using text speak in one's writing is a mistake." It is a strong belief that shortening the English language ruins the beauty that words express.

John Humphrys speaks about how slang words are affecting the English language in a negative way in his article I h8 txt msgs: How texting is wrecking our language. He expresses his view on how dictionaries are becoming a thing of the past and that without searching for a word in a dictionary, there is no voyage in writing. While I agree that text-speak has no place in settings that are formal, such as schools or an office environment, I believe that using this form of language is sufficient for sending personal messages. It adds variety to language while not resorting to a thesaurus. Text-speak creates its own art by taking letters, numbers, and symbols and turning them into pictures. Text-speak may not be ruining our language, but it has no place in formal environments.

Add a Little Spice – Shayna Fehr

2009-12-05T17:44:00.003-07:00

Adjectives and adverbs bring a special element to writing. They bring something no other part of speech can – spice. We learned this in our very first class in PROW 100. These two types of words modify, or change a word’s meaning.

First, let’s take a look at adjectives. This website has a detailed definition of adjectives. As I mentioned before, adjectives modify the meaning of a noun. Take this sentence for example, “The best men are kings.” In this sentence, “best” modifies men. Adverbs are very similar to adjectives in the way that the modify words. The difference between the two is which words they modify. Adverbs modify verbs. Go here to learn more about adverbs.

Kristen Harris used the phrase in one of her post, “The greatest resource writers have is their own minds.” I’d really have to agree strongly with her thought here, but adjectives and adverbs are also a powerful resource to use. They allow writers to bring a broader scope to their writing, by enlarging their parts of speech toolbox. They also allow writers to expand their imaginations. All of a sudden a fence can be blue, red, or pink! Use adjectives or adverbs to bring an interesting aspect to your writing.

Text Speak, Net Speak, and Slang! Oh My! by Shawna Blumenschein

2009-12-05T17:35:00.004-07:00

Recent generations have grown up with the Internet in their homes, social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter at their fingertips, and cell phones and PDAs as common accessories. It is little wonder that a shorthand developed for the digital world. Whether it is called text speak or net speak both are essentially the same thing: slang. As defined by Merriam Webster, slang is “non-standard vocabulary composed typically of coinages, arbitrarily changed words…” Text speak is certainly non-standard and while some of the terminology makes sense such as “c u” for “see you”, the deeper one delves into text speak the more arbitrary the dropping of letters seems to get. Furthermore, regardless of how much sense the above example makes, that does not make it an acceptable abbreviation outside of informal situations.

There are a variety of views and definitions of slang but all professional authorities agree that the language of the internet, texting, and instant messaging has no place in the work world. Take, for example, this article from Monster or this overview of appropriate language from The OWL at Purdue. Both answer the question of whether or not it is appropriate to use slang and text speak in the professional world with an emphatic “no.” With its status as slang terminology clarified, it should become obvious that text speak is wholly inappropriate for the working world. An employee would not use terms found on sites such as Urban Dictionary and SlangSite when speaking to their boss or writing a formal proposal. Indeed, as discussed by Murriel, there is a time and place for text speak that most definitely does not include professional communications.

Getting into the habit of using text speak in one’s writing is a mistake with the potential to hinder job prospects and job retention. For those who use “c u” reflexively it is time to start breaking the habit. Standard English should be embraced, not only because it is expected but because it allows for nuance and subtly in meaning that simply does not exist in stripped down text speak.

The Dictionary By Kristen Harris

2009-12-05T17:00:00.005-07:00

The greatest resource writers have is their own minds. But when that isn’t enough, a dictionary comes in pretty handy. At the beginning of the term Jessica went over the class syllabus with us, and I noticed on certain days we were required to bring a dictionary to class. I didn’t own a dictionary at that point. I know odd right? A Professional Writing student who doesn’t own a dictionary? I headed off to Chapters shortly after class and picked up my beautiful Student’s Oxford Canadian Dictionary, Second Edition. Up until that point I didn’t have much use for a dictionary, and if I did I would use the online version. Once I had it though, I found myself referring to it all the time. Over 185,000 words, phrases and definitions, how could any writer resist?

During our November 16, 2009 class, we did a live blogging exercise where we wrote ferociously while watching Erin McKean’s video about lexicography and the evolution of the dictionary. I have since watched that video again - I fear I missed some important parts while live-blogging. I noticed Erin was trying to help her audience see dictionaries in a new way. Everyone is used to see a paper dictionary that looks like a book. The future of the dictionary though will be stepping away from paper. As Erin says herself: paper is the enemy of words. I had never thought about this before, but I believe it to be true now. A paper dictionary cannot be updated or changed without the printing of a whole new dictionary. In this age of information, that is just not good enough.

The future of dictionaries will be more inclusive, more forgiving and more immediate. I am excited to be a part of the evolution of dictionaries and of words. As writers, we are the masters of words; we can bend them to our will and create new ones if needed. The future is definitely exciting for the English language and I encourage my fellow students to not constrain themselves to what paper dictionaries allow – just because it is not in the dictionary yet, doesn’t mean the word isn’t worth using. Write on!

The Last Hurrah by Murriel Mapa

2009-12-05T12:09:00.004-07:00

From ransom notes to spelling bees, and all of the grammar a person could handle in-between; it has been quite an interesting term. When we were told in the very first class of PROW 100-2, that we would be participating in a blogging project, I didn’t know what to think. I have kept several blogs and mainly joined them for curiosity purposes; however, I found that being free to write whatever I desire in whichever format I wanted was exhilarating. Therefore, when approaching this project, I believed I would be very restricted in what I wished to write, and that this blog would be treated more like homework than leisure. Though I would have enjoyed more free-reign on the topics we were to blog about, it was also an excellent practice in learning the tools a writer requires. As a writer, I believe that reading the blogs of my peers about the material we covered in class to be very helpful. The concepts I couldn’t quite grasp and the grey areas were all clarified just upon one reading of a fellow blogger’s post.

The role of technology in my writing personally has become a huge aspect in how I perceive how I express my thoughts. With the constant use of social-networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter, it has become such a widely-known form of communication. People would rather use mobile phone text-messaging than writing letters, or e-mailing a friend in place of using the telephone because that is just how the modern lifestyle is now. Instead of ruling against technology and its various flaws, we should embrace just how far we have come as a society. Technology has allowed us, as a class, to share all that we have learned throughout this term with others who may even be interested in applying to a program which requires this class.

In my next endeavors, I believe I will keep up with the blogs I already currently belong to, but this time around I may pay more attention to my grammar and punctuation. I’ve discovered while take this course, that as a writer, the little things such as spelling errors or simple punctuation mistakes can take a profound and thought-provoking piece of writing and turn it into just another piece of writing to disregard. The power that writing and the perception of it by viewers is very important. Receiving comments and suggestions, and also offering comments to others for the duration of this blogging project has helped me immensely in my writing. Feedback and advice from classmates has probably been one of my favourite aspects of this assignment and I hope to embrace more thoughtful comments in my own blog in the future.

Links to Comments:

"Spelling" by R. Traxel

"Txt Spk - Convenient or just sloppy?" by Sarah.Rachel

"Trouble With Proofreading" by Andrew Heck

"People First: A Response to 'Bias Free Language' " by Jenny Nielsen

"Is Spelling a Lost Art?" by Shawna Blumenschein

"Grammar Detective" by Kayla Gaffney

"Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Editing?" by Sarah.Rachel

Blog Posts

Introductory Blog

Response to Lecture 4

A Time and Place for Txt Spk

Word Power

Can Proofreading Be Fun?

Grammar Detective

The Last Hurrah

Mechanics and Punctuation, Jennifer Kerr

2009-12-04T21:17:00.004-07:00

In our third class (September 28), we reviewed mechanics. The proper use of capital letters and punctuation marks is absolutely vital in any form of writing. Without the correct placement of commas, periods and other punctuation, any sentence can lose its intended meaning. These punctuation rules exist for a straightforward reason; they give readers clues as to the relationship between sentences, phrases and clauses. The EduFind website provides a good overview of punctuation in its many forms.

When a person is speaking out loud, he or she pauses in certain places, or adds a different inflection to their words to better convey their intended meaning. In writing, the only way to convey these patterns of speech is through punctuation. A misplaced comma or semicolon can completely change the way a reader perceives a sentence. This is a problem that many people who doubt the importance of grammar do not recognise.

Many people see grammar as an oppressive force which tries to dictate what they are saying, when in reality the rules of punctuation and grammar exist to make written language diverse and understandable. With full knowledge of grammar, a writer can convey his or her thoughts in much more concise and clear way than a writer who knows less about it can.

In Andrew Heck’s “Grammar Detective” post, he included a link to a website showing pictures of signs where mistakes had been made in translating other languages into English. Translation of one language to another can result in the original meaning being lost without full understanding of the second language; the translation of spoken word into written word can result in the same thing if the rules of grammar, mechanics and spelling are not understood.

Modifiers by Sarah Maludzinski

2009-12-04T20:03:00.003-07:00

In Lecture 11 we learned about dangling and misplaced modifiers. A modifier is an adjective, adverb, or phrase that gives information about another word or phrase within the sentence. It needs to have something else to modify, hence being called a modifier. A dangling modifier, however, cannot logically modify any other word or phrase within the sentence. The Owl at Purdue website gives this sentence as an example of a dangling modifier: "having finished the assignment, the TV was turned on." It is not clear who turned on the TV as, logically, it could not have been the assignment or anything else within the sentence. Furthermore, another common error with modifiers is the misplaced modifier. A misplaced modifier is a modifier that is not placed close enough to the word or phrase that it modifies and, therefore, causes confusion. An example from About that was published in The New Yorker is: "her only full-time paid employee is a pleasant young woman with a nose ring named Rebecca, who sits at the front desk." This sentence is unclear and confusing, and maybe even slightly amusing. Is the nose ring named Rebecca, or are they referring to the employee?

Kristen Harris makes a good point about unclear modifiers in her post, "Dangling Modifiers by Kristen Harris." She states that a reader will become confused if modifiers are not used correctly and may stop reading altogether. This is the last thing that most writers would want to happen. We generally aim to create literature for others to read and enjoy, not become annoyed with and potentially abandon. Therefore, it is important that modifiers are used correctly, and the only way to do that is to practise until it becomes second-nature. Furthermore a good tip is to remember that modifiers should almost always be placed as close as possible to the word or phrase it modifies.

Before Lecture 11 I had never really given much thought to modifiers, but now I notice them used incorrectly all the time. Dangling or misplaced modifiers seem to stand out from a piece of writing now that I have learned what exactly it is that is wrong about the sentence. For example, when you see something like: "you are welcome to visit the cemetary where famous Russian composers, artists, and writers are buried daily, except on Thursdays" (from a guide on a Russian Orthodox monastery) the error is made extremely obvious once you know the rules about modifiers. How can someone possibly be buried daily?

Final Blog Post

2009-12-04T16:41:00.010-07:00

PROW 100: Foundations of Composition has taught me a few things: that I really don't enjoy analyzing the more critical aspects of language, but, at the same time, how effective knowledge of proper grammar can be in one's own writing. In this way, the class was both a burden and a blessing; although, in hindsight, it will likely serve me well in my future pursuits. Creating such a portfolio is a good habit, but I can't see it being incredibly useful in my development as a writer. The entire concept of blogging seems so loose and unprofessional. I may like to use it as a way to vent my personal beliefs, but with so much available online these days, is it really worth it? From the standpoint of a future career, I don't think so. I've also learned that I'm not particularly fond of the movement towards online, "new" media for writers. It is very convenient, but a distinct change from the conventional ways of sharing and publishing information. Blogs, social networking sites, and internet news media might be very common and accessible ways to gain this information, but they have contributed to a loss of the art of human communication. There is still much more to be gained by person-to-person interaction than by cyber-connection.

There is no denying, however, that this movement will continue to grow, which is why it is wise for any writer to become familiarized to it. To me, it represents a growing social trend of impersonal communication and liberalization. (I might just be too staunchly conservative to see past the negative elements of social liberalism, but that is how I feel). As the world grows and becomes much more globalized, this can be useful, but has, without question, shifted the way we think, act, and communicate. I have always been more of a traditionalist when it comes to most things. I have a disdain for many aspects of modernity. Our society has grown foul, as a result. So, to sum things up, the class represents credits on a transcript, not much else. I guess it is just a stepping stone of sorts. It is a cynical view, but what's left to say?

Blog comments:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

Proofreading, Jennifer Kerr

2009-12-04T15:53:00.003-07:00

In class on November 16th, we did a proofreading exercise. We watched a video of a speech given by Erin McKean. In this exercise we typed as much of what Erin was saying as we could while she was speaking. As there was no time to correct typos and grammar problems during this “live blogging,” the result at the end of the video was a large block of text with a multitude of errors and mistakes to correct. This was a similar experience to one I had a couple years ago when I was responsible for transcribing the meetings of an organization I was part of. After the meetings I would spend a large amount of time correcting my spelling, sentence structure and punctuation before the transcript was ready to be archived.

The experience of writing without correcting any errors is an interesting one. In that same November 16th class, we did another exercise in which we were to write a few paragraphs without deleting or correcting any of our errors until we were finished. Without the time constraints that we had in the first exercise, this was difficult. I noted in my analysis at the bottom of the post that it was hard for me to keep from subconsciously backspacing and automatically rewriting any sentence that I wasn’t happy with. It was a different experience from the live blogging one, because it was not necessary to move forward and ignore mistakes; there was no need to keep up with an external source of information.

Despite the difficulty that I found in saving all edits for the end in the second exercise, I found it very satisfying and enjoyable to go through both of these posts and edit. This was probably because of the abundance of errors in my work. Because there were so many errors, there was no choice but to go proofread and edit. When there are few errors, those that do exist are often overlooked, because the writer does not take the time to go over his or her work and check for them.

Proofreading, as Murriel points out in her post “Can Proofreading Be Fun,” is often a laborious and tedious process. For many writers, it is considered to be a chore. Is it better to leave all editing and correcting until the end, or to do these things constantly throughout the writing process? I find that it’s too difficult for me to continue writing if I’m not happy with the sentence or paragraph that I’ve just finished. It’s impossible for me to develop a style of writing and a flow to the content in any piece of work if I am not constantly adapting and changing what I’ve written to fit what I want to come next. On the other hand, it’s a lot less frustrating to proofread when the task is rewarded abundantly by a large quantity of errors to be corrected.

Word Power

2009-12-03T23:39:00.003-07:00

There is no doubt that words are powerful. Almost everyone has heard the iconic rhyme "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." It is repeated to children by teachers, parents or other adults all the time when name calling becomes a problem, but most children soon realise that words can hurt. Words can not only hurt, but heal, offend, compliment, or insult. Words can really do just about anything. The fact that children use name-calling at all proves that the power behind words is known from a young age. But words alone are not always so powerful, it is how words are used that puts meaning and connotation behind them.

Some people are particularly sensitive to the meaning behind words. Not the definition of a word, but what the speaker or writer is actually referring to. Rosalie Maggio in her article "Bias-Free Language: Some Guidelines," says, in reference to choosing the correct wording, "Bias-free language is logical, accurate, and realistic. Biased language is not." Maggio goes on to suggest that sexist, racist, and other possibly offensive terms be replaced with more generic terms. Unfortunately for Maggio, some terms, while potentially offensive, do not have a bias-free synonym that makes sense. Calling Santa Clause by his Italian female alter-ego Belfana in order to battle sexism hardly seems like a winning argument, as Michiko Kakutani points out in his article "The Word Police." You can find a guide to bias-free language at this site, along with a list of suggested alternative words.

It is of my opinion that some words can be offensive, and that a bias-free alternative can be useful, but not in all situations. For instance, classic works of fiction should not have all terms deemed offensive removed, nor should titles be changed to reflect a more politically correct view. As Brieanne Graham said in her blog post of the same topic, use the English language with "discretion and common sense."

Grammar Detective by Murriel Mapa

2009-12-03T20:55:00.004-07:00

Waiting in the line-up at a grocery store should not normally lead one to think about grammar, should it? I didn’t think so either until I read the sign above the cashier’s head which read, “10 items or less.” This is a very common miscommunication seen in grammar: fewer or less? In this case, the word less is incorrect and should read, “10 items or fewer.” The word less refers to something that you can have less of, if it is singular thing, such as: less sugar, less hair, and less time. You can only have fewer items of a plural something, for example: fewer men or fewer shoes. In case you are still confused about which to use, Grammar Girl gives an excellent tutorial on exactly how to use the words “less” and “fewer.”

I agree with Sarah Maludzinski’s opinion that some mistakes can be humorous if you don’t understand the true meaning behind the statement. The picture above is taken from an article from the Daily News Tribune in Waltham, Massachusetts, and it seems to be a very serious article, but with the lack of correction in grammar, it can actually be construed as somewhat comical. Does this man have sixty lives? Or did he come really close to death sixty times and happened to keep count? After asking a few fellow peers about the meaning of this headline, many were very unsure and a few even asked if this was actually a phony article. Proper grammar and spelling is vital, especially in main titles or headlines because this is the most important piece of information that is supposed to convey exactly what the article will be about prior to reading it. Taking that extra bit of time to look over obvious errors in your work is something that everyone can manage to do, and it will almost always pay off in the end.

Don't Dissect Your Sentences

2009-12-02T22:30:00.008-07:00

I, like many fellow writers, have come to know a great dislike for grammar dissection (parsing). (I call it "dissection," because the process is as ugly and blatant as the word itself). Somewhat related to proofreading, it is a process that is done to make sure that every word, phrase, and clause is in perfect accordance with the laws of language. How nice. It sounds too much like censorship for my liking. It is a novel concept (one should never overlook proper linguistic structure), but one that seems very arbitrary and subject to far too much over-analysis. Sarah Maludzinski makes a very good point about over-cautious writing in one post. My subjects and predicates might not always agree, but they sure do put up one hell of an entertaining fight on the page.

And isn't that the most basic function of all writing as art? For it to inspire? There might be a few loose technical odds and ends here and there, but who cares anyways? The scholars? Nobody likes the scholars. They're too busy with their heads in books to see that language is about more than purist doctrines of words. Language is not mathematics. If language was mathematics, I might be studying to become some kind of über-intelligent, lab-coat-wearing rocket scientist. We as writers resent such branding. So what if I like to write how I speak? So what if I like to say something that others don't agree with or might be offended by? So what? The last time I checked, speaking your mind in which ever fashion you please is not a crime.

Is Spelling a Lost Art? by Shawna Blumenschein

2009-12-02T00:08:00.005-07:00

Spelling used to be an essential skill. Before the age of personal computers when a person’s only recourse was a typewriter, or pen and paper, or quill and ink, making a spelling error meant one of a few things. In the case of handwritten documents it meant either messily scratching out the error, letting it stand, or starting over. In the case of typewriters, and before the invention of whiteout, it meant either starting over or letting the error stand. Leaving a spelling mistake in a document is never an attractive choice because at best it presents a sloppy image and at worst compromises the document’s coherency.

Now, though, when more homes have personal computers than do not and the very nature of word processors allows for automatic corrections at any time, there is little impetus to learn to spell new and complex words. Given this perfect storm of circumstances it is not outside the realm of possibility that spelling could at some point be considered a complete waste of time. With the rationalization that machines can and will perform in this arena as well or better than the average person, would time not be better spent on other subjects?

Abandoning spelling to rely solely on technology would be a grave error, if only because technology is a human construct. People compose the dictionary files that spell check programs consult and people write the algorithms that determine what words should be suggested to correct an error. Because of the nature of their creators, neither of these things can be considered exhaustive, infallible, or error-free. The most potent example of the pitfalls of spell check is the auto-correct feature that can make incorrect corrections, as discussed by Rena. Furthermore, given the speed at which the English language constantly changes and evolves – one must only look to the advent of text speak and slang words such as those housed at Urban Dictionary – it is not long before static spell check dictionaries become out of date and thus mark perfectly legitimate words or names as errors.

Despite how convenient and easy it is to depend on a spell check program, it is a mistake to become complacent in regards to spelling. For every piece of paperwork that might be required by a job, every hand-written exam a student will take, and every casual note or e-mail a person will write, having the ability to check and correct one’s own spelling independent of anyone or anything else is worth the effort.

Grammar Detective by Kayla Gaffney

2009-12-01T19:31:00.002-07:00

Books based on vampires are flocking the worlds book shelves. I am one avid reader of the supernatural. A series that I have been reading is the Blue Bloods series. After I had finished reading the fourth book, I realized that it was covered in mistakes. Most of the books in this series are first editions, so many errors escaped the editors. This takes into consideration a topic that Sarah Maludzinski raised. Even though spell-check is a simple way of correcting mistakes, human judgement is imperative in discovering errors regarding the English language. Grammar errors are around every bend and it does not take a trained eye to see them. Just look outside to the nearest Tim Hortons sign. My spell-check is telling me to add an apostrophe, yet I can not.

Published works are riddled with mistakes, as are signs, billboards, e-mails, and even promotional campaigns. This excerpt was taken from an instruction manual for a Timex stereo C.D. clock: "The INDIGO night-light will shut off in bright light to prolong it's life." This just does not make sense. If the stereo is shutting down, how can it be lighting up? Large corporations should take time in making their statements grammatically correct, as it leads the readers to believe that the corporation does not have a solid grasp on the English language. The only way to master your corrections is to take time in your writing. Try not using spell-check for a day. Reaching for a dictionary and learning our mistakes first hand makes it possible for us to eliminate that individual mistake for good. As Valentine Sterling once said, "Grammar stops at love, and at art." Grammar mistakes happen all the time, but the people who take time to correct themselves are the real geniuses.

The Importance of Punctuation by Shayna Fehr

2009-12-01T09:56:00.002-07:00

Punctuation is one of the most important things to get right when you are writing. It is the markings a writer uses to convey their ideas with structure and clarity, without them a reader wouldn’t know where to take a pause while reading. Punctuation can also provide different meanings for the same words used in a sentence. Take this one for example, “Let’s eat cheese tomato sandwiches soup and cake.” This is certainly different than, “Let’s eat cheese, tomato sandwiches, soup, and cake.” In the first sentence, you couldn’t tell whether cheese and tomatoes were both in the sandwiches, or maybe the author meant cheese tomato sandwiches soup. For all the reader knew, this was a new soup out on the market; the name might have been unappealing, but it might indeed have been the name of a soup.

So now that we know punctuation can change the meaning of the words we use in a sentence, what about if a writer over punctuates his/her work? This is also a common grammatical error. When a writer uses too much punctuation it can make his/her writing choppy, and difficult to read. Here’s an example, “After all is said and done, grammar is important for writers to learn about, since it is, after all, necessary to write correctly.” Although this may not be technically wrong, it is unpleasant to read. This may be a better option, “After all is said and done, grammar is important for writers to learn about, since it is, after all necessary to write correctly.” Taking out one of the commas makes it easier to read; therefore, making it more effective. You can take a test here to identify how well you know how to use commas.

Andrew Heck made an excellent comment in this post. He mentioned that writers often get a sudden surge of creativity, and during that surge, very little thought is taken to ensure grammatical correctness. Although this is understandable, one must take the time to go back and study his/her work for errors. The minutes of concentration this might take are worth the end result – a clean, sound piece of writing.

Grammar Detective by Shayna Fehr

2009-12-01T09:51:00.002-07:00

I definitely agree with Jenny Nielsen, when she said, “Since September I have had a higher sensitivity to errors in published material, and have found myself mentally correcting the written mistakes of others.” Over the past few months, I feel that I’ve grown immensely when considering my knowledge of grammar, and how to use it properly. Grammatical errors make writers seem incompetent to perform their profession. These mistakes make it difficult for readers to understand a writer’s work, and they can be made in several different ways. They can be as simple as a misspelled word, or a run-on sentence. The way to avoid making grammatical errors is just as simple as making them. They are easily avoided by proof reading one’s work, a simple step that can make all the difference when trying to be clear and professional.

Newspapers are notorious for printing grammatical errors. Our very own Edmonton Journal prints errors that are easily avoidable. I went out in search of these errors to provide support for my case. The second article I looked at, provided me with several violations of correct writing. The author of this article did not use quotations when referring to something their source has “said.” This is a serious offense. The author must give proper citation when quoting a source, if they do not, it could be seen as plagiarism. Even if the author was simply paraphrasing the sources own words, using the phrase, “she said,” is confusing since there were no quotations. Was this sentence a direct quote, or was the author paraphrasing? By the way he punctuated the sentence, and by his word choice, it isn’t clear. The author should have phrased his sentence in a different way, making his point a little clearer.

Grammar Detective or Why Lizards Have Powerful Magic

2009-11-30T23:37:00.002-07:00

Mistakes can be found many different books, newspapers, magazines and journals. The problem with being aware of those mistakes is you often can't help but notice them. I've found since starting in the Professional Writing Program, and gaining a better grasp on grammar I notice mistakes left and right. Misused semi-colons, extra commas, and incorrect modifiers are all things that will make me pause and take a moment to mentally insert corrections. Fortunately, if a book is very interesting nothing short of the book disappearing will distract me from the plot.

Of all the possible mistakes, incorrect spelling is often the most amusing grammatical error that can be found in a book, magazine, or other written work. I am often amused by the unintentional meaning when words are mis-spelled, or mis-used. For instance, in one of the early editions of Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling there is a line that is obviously wrong but rather amusing: "He tried to make a sound, even a grunt, but it was impossible. Then he remembered that some lizards, like Dumbledore, could perform spells without speaking." As most people are aware, Dumbledore is a wizard and not, as this sentence claims, a very talented lizard.

Comma splices are another common error found in written work. I have recently re-read the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. There is no doubt that Wilder is a well known author and her books have been read by generations of children. Unfortunately, the books are absolutely filled with comma splices. Of course, there is the fact that these books were written quite a few years ago to take into consideration. It is possible that some of the rules have changed since then, but in my opinion some mistakes are simply that, mistakes. Take, for example, this sentence: "And they were all clean, for Sunday." This sentence is taken from Little House in the Big Woods, the first book in the series, which explains the disjointed feeling of the sentences for the narrator is young and is recollecting faint memories. However, a young narrator does not excuse a comma for being somewhere a comma has no reason for being.

Typographical and grammatical errors in published works just go to show that no one is perfect. Errors can be made at any moment, and, like Kayla Gaffney says in her blog post of a similar topic, "The only way to master your corrections is to take time in your writing." If writers take the time to give their work the time it deserves than major errors can be avoided. However, no one is perfect and errors that are amusing can still pop up. For more hilarious written goofs take a look at Funny Typos, a blog devoted to the funny errors found in written English. A personal favourite is a Harvard University mug that reads "Harvard Universty." Maybe the "i" was cut due to budget cuts?

Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Editing? by Sarah Maludzinski

2009-11-30T23:27:00.004-07:00

I have been battling "over-editing" for as long as I can remember, and, because of this, can never seem to actually finish a piece of writing in a timely manner. I constantly edit as I write and sometimes end up with little more than a line in an entire hour. My grade 12 English teacher once told me that I just need to write and leave the editing for later. He assured me that I was the only student that he was ever going to tell this to, but I needed to edit less. Even as I write this blog post, I find myself scanning over each individual line and word immediately after I write it, causing my writing to take much longer than necessary.

I've also been told that writer's block "does not exist," and that you just need to put pen to paper and write. Easier said than done, I'm sure, but it actually seems to work. Sometimes the information just needs to be allowed to "spill" before any kind of formal rules are applied to it. Sometimes it needs to be remembered that first drafts need to be just that: first drafts. Editing can come later, but in the beginning the thoughts and the words just need to flow. Grammar, spelling, mechanics, and all the rest can come after, after the information is free form it's confines within the writer's brain. That is exactly what the entire class did in the free-writing exercise involving Erin McKean's lecture. We wrote, got all of the information down, and then proceeded to edit.

That being said, proofreading is always an important part of any writing process and should never be ignored. The University of Arkansas' Online Writing Lab site even includes some potentially useful and creative tips or techniques for proofreading. The last step of any piece of writing should always be the proofreading. Editing as the piece is being written should be kept to a minimum as often as possible and the ideas should simply be allowed to flow.

Grammar Detective, Jennifer Kerr

2009-11-30T19:50:00.003-07:00

I see grammar mistakes in published work on a regular basis. More commonly, I see mistakes in things like church bulletins and hand written signs or emails from friends. In everyday conversation, I can constantly pick up ways in which people I talk to misuse English language. While I do notice mistakes, I try not to point out everyone’s mistakes, because I don’t want to be perceived as a “Grammar Nazi,” and I do believe that errors are understandable and generally don’t affect how understandable something is. However, there are certain common errors that drive me crazy, and I see them startlingly often.

One example of a common mistake that I find irritating is the misuse of the contraction “there’s”. In her Grammar Detective post, Jenny Neilson talked about a journalist who said “I hope there is some Albertans there.” She pointed out that “there is” is used incorrectly in this sentence. The verb “is” does not agree with the plural subject. It seems obvious to me, and yet this mistake is made constantly, especially when “there is” is made into the contraction “there’s.”

“There’s” is the shortened form of “there is” or “there has”. What is not short for is “There are,” and yet I constantly find instances where writers use “there’s” where “there are” is the correct phrase. As an experiment, I searched the Edmonton Journal website for the contraction “There’s.” I came up with several examples of headlines using “there’s” incorrectly. As another example, consider the title of the book pictured below. It is possible that this grammar mistake was intentional, but nonetheless, it irritates me.

Grammar errors are common and to be expected. In many cases, they are forgivable and can be attributed to keyboard mistakes or simply not feeling the need to be grammatically correct. However there are certain common mistakes that can become extremely annoying, and when they appear in published work, I feel that they are unforgivable.

Grammar Detective

2009-11-30T17:06:00.010-07:00

I was compelled to respond to a photograph that Shawna Blumenschein included in her Grammar Detective blog post. Such mindless errors occur quite frequently in signage, which I find to be incredibly irritable. With limited space to express a simple communication, an error such as writing "personel" instead of "personnel" can be very distracting, even to the relatively unaware mind. The general sentiment is still clear on the sign, but such an error is almost like an ugly focal point for the passer-by, who would not have likely used that particular door anyways. (What exactly is the attraction of entering a mall basement storage room? Who would do that? Maybe an ex-Soviet spy, that's all).

Although not meant for professional criticism, the website Engrish-funny.com (a pun that ridicules the tendency for Oriental Asian translators to mistake the letter "l" for an "r") has some wonderful and hilarious examples of meaning lost through translation and poor grammar. (Check it out late on a Friday night after a few stiff beverages for maximum entertainment). The site is refreshed with new material daily and is sure to have some gems of improper language use. For example, a sign warning people with heart disease of potential risks for going onto the Great Wall of China reads, "Heart cerebral disease sufferer, ascent the Great Wall to please watch for." Upon close inspection, the meaning can be deciphered, but not without mentally coding some awkward diction, improper verbal tense, and misplaced modifiers. Another example that comes with a different problem is the sign, "Deformed Man Toilet," again, courtesy of China. Although not incorrect, such a sign might rouse anger in handicapped tourists, who are used to seeing "Handicapped Washroom(s)," or simply the universal symbol for such a facility.

No translation is done with complete accuracy, but, if done directly, can severely complicated communication. Many examples exist in our own society; however, I find the ones at Engrish-Funny.com to be particularly amusing. (Is it right that I find this website funny, or just distasteful?).

Can Proofreading Be Fun?

2009-11-29T19:25:00.004-07:00

Proofreading has never been my idea of fun, especially when it came to my own work. In Lecture 10 (Monday, November 16th, 2009), we did a live-blogging exercise in which we watched a video-clip and had to jot down as many facts and notes we possibly could about the clip. After reading the result of the quick live-blogging exercise, it was obvious that it needed plenty of revision. This is just one example of where proofreading becomes more of a chore than anything, in my opinion. Spelling, proper agreements, and regular grammar problems are just a few of the things that one must watch out for when making corrections to a piece of work. Looking out for these errors can become very tedious and most often people become careless with proofreading and therefore, causing faults in their writing. Ghostwriter Dad has come up with 10 simple ways to stay on task when it comes to proofing your work.

Spelling has become such an ignored writing tool to correct that most people rely heavily upon the “spell-check” application that most computer writing documents come with to deal with the corrections. This can easily become an unreliable resource to take the place of actually reading the document and editing it because it may pick up on misspelled words but at the same time it can automatically change the word itself to be a completely different word. For example, Rena gives the example that when the word “definitely” is misspelt, it can be automatically replaced with the word “defiantly,” thus changing the meaning of the word and sentence completely.

Word Power by Murriel Mapa

2009-11-29T16:19:00.004-07:00

In our third lecture (Monday, September 28^th, 2009), we discussed the importance of critical reading when it came to biased language. I believe that yes, when developing a piece of writing it is important to watch the wording of specific words in order to avoid creating stereotypes or offending your reader. However, I agree with Michiko Kakutani’s essay, “The Word Police.” There are many restrictions in the English Language as is, and to put up a futile argument over a word like “man-kind” is what I would call extraneous. Kakutani even mentions the 1991 edition of the “Random House Webster’s College Dictionary,” which includes words such as “womyn” in order to avoid the perception of sexism in “wom-e-n,” and also the word “waitron” is included to create a neutral gender term for the words waiter and waitress. There are a plethora of words in the English language and many of them fall in the category of biased and may be perceived as offensive to some, but the English language is not meant to offend but to show just how much the language has evolved over the years.

The language of today’s modern age may be construed as vulgar or rude, but that is not to say that we shouldn’t be proud of the development of the language today. Dictionaries are still being added to, and therefore enhanced. This is a sign that the generations that follow will have something to look back on to observe just how much they have progressed over the years. In the essay by Jake Sylvester, “The Evolution of English,” he discusses the use of new words and slang that are called upon for commercial advertisements such as Tim Hortons and the show Seinfeld. Brieanne actually did a very interesting blog about the origin of the name Tim Hortons. The English language should be treated as a privilege, and should not be used to purposefully offend anyone. However, the language shouldn’t be portrayed as something with restricted usage either, but instead indications of the growth, we as a society, have been witnesses to.

The Case of Proofreading, Shawna Blumenschein

2009-11-29T15:50:00.007-07:00

Proofreading is an essential step for any piece of writing, whether it be a post to the writer’s personal blog or a document for their boss’s review. Despite how vital a step proofreading is, many people either do not bother or fail to spend the time required to do a thorough job. This is somewhat understandable since, as Andrew discusses, proofreading can be a laborious and repetitive task. Furthermore, with the reliance on computer spell check programs it is easy to assume that there are no errors if the computer declares it so.

However, it is a mistake to trust the computer and to shrug off the responsibility of proofreading. Indeed, in the computer age it is even more important to proofread because of the frequency of typos. There are many words in the English language that can be changed into other words with the simple addition of a letter. For example, “though” can easily become “thought” and “breath” can easily become “breathe.” More often than not the writer will know the difference between these words but because of the speed inherent in typing, that extra letter slips onto the end. All of a sudden there is an error within the copy that the computer will not pick up and a sentence that makes no logical sense. Thus it is necessary for writers to perform careful reviews of their written work.

Proofreading one’s own work comes with its own problems. Firstly, since the person proofreading the document also wrote it, he or she knows exactly what it is supposed to say. This leads to missing errors because the brain simply sees what it knows is supposed to be there. Secondly, writers can lack objectivity, especially with creative works. There are strategies to aid in proofreading but like anything else it mostly takes practice and careful attention to detail to succeed.

People First: A Response to "Bias Free Language"

2009-11-28T11:43:00.005-07:00

The first time I was introduced to the “people first rule” I was enrolled in a social work program at a community college in BC. We were learning about different groups of people, some of their struggles, and how to best support them in a client-worker relationship. I remember watching a video presented by the Association for Community Living; it discussed the ways that many people negatively label and view those who have developmental disabilities. A child may be labeled a “retard” by those who do not see him or her as real a person, or people might describe someone with a diagnosis of Down syndrome as “that Down syndrome kid”. Similarly, a person with a mental illness might be called “a crazy person”, “a schizophrenic”, or “a suicidal lunatic”. The video made a lot of sense to me, and afterward I committed to see the person first, and not the minor detail that made him or her different from me.
If we are speaking or writing about a person we should not call him or her “a schizophrenic” but if it is necessary to name their disease or disability we should say a “person with schizophrenia...” A child with Down syndrome is not “a Down syndrome kid” but rather “a child with Down syndrome....”
My three year old daughter attends a day care with many children from different cultural backgrounds. When I speak to her about her friends, I have made it a habit to describe her friends in terms other than their skin colour or other cultural differences: “Did you play dress up with the little girl who was wearing the white gown? What is her name?” I know it is something relatively simple, but I hope that it will help her to see the person first, and subsequently appreciate and admire differences. Kristen brings up some other points related to bias free language in her "Word Power" blog.
As a person who loves to write creatively, I acknowledge that the description of people is very important, but I think that it is more important to accurately describe a person and perhaps their behavior in the proper context and to leave out our own labels, prejudices and ignorance. After all, people are extremely complex, and what defines a woman, man, or child likely cannot be seen visually.

Grammar Detective

2009-11-28T10:12:00.022-07:00

I was listening to CBC radio a few days ago, and a popular Alberta based journalist covering the Grey cup festivities in Calgary commented, “I hope there is some Albertans there.” I was quite surprised that she had made this seemingly obvious mistake with her subject verb agreement (take a quiz), but I can only imagine how many similar errors I would make if my spoken word was under constant scrutiny.

Since September I have had a higher sensitivity to errors in published material, and have found myself mentally correcting the written mistakes of others. I am fairly happy that I have evolved to this point; when I began the program I felt quite overwhelmed with my inadequate editing and proofreading skills (I still have a long way to go).

I was most surprised with the errors that I found on a government site while I was doing some research on the H1N1 vaccination issues; however, when I went back to look at it again, it had been updated with more relevant information. I guess that saved the Ministry of Health and Wellness from ending up in a PROW 100 blog (sort of). I thought that of all sources, the government would be a little more diligent in their efforts to minimize error (ha ha).

Yesterday I was flipping through Jamie Oliver’s Happy Day’s with the Naked Chef cook book, and noticed that on every single page there were grammatical errors of some kind. It didn’t bother me too much, considering it’s not his grammatical ability that makes him so darn lovable (and no it’s not the naked factor either). He happens to have some pretty tasty recipes, and his books have interesting photography and anecdotes. Check out this page, and leave a comment of any errors you see.

Over the term I have noticed that the Social Science Research Methods text also contains numerous errors on many of the pages; what do you think about that?

Lastly, here is an example of a note that was sent home with my son from his after school program. I’m grateful that the care he receives there is no way correlated with their grammar mistakes (sorry guys)!
It's important to remember (as Sarah does in her "grammar detective" blog) that "to err 'truly' is human."

Word Power By Kristen Harris

2009-11-27T16:02:00.006-07:00

Language is the method at which we verbally communicate with each other. Though verbal communication accounts for only part of the way messages are transferred, the practice and study of language is very important in our society. Word choices can have unforeseen effects on a listener because some words can carry multiple meanings, just as slang terms often carry degrading meanings. In Bias-Free Language, Rosalie Maggio gives examples of slang terms that help oppress those of who the term is referring. She states calling “Native Americans ‘primitives’ and ‘savages’ made it [seem] okay to conquer and despoil them.” I agree that by taking away a person’s value, by giving them a derogatory name, it helps to manipulate the way they are perceived by society.

Censoring our own speech to accommodate other people's feelings is becoming regular practice is our conversations, and it isn’t always helpful. The word man has multiple meanings. It can refer to an adult male and in a largest context, all human beings. Some women feel when man is used in place of human beings, the term is sexist against females. However, sometimes it is the most effective word choice, even if it alludes to male domination. We haven't done anything in our blog relating to the Word Police that I could find, but Andrew Heck posted a great picture in one of his posts, that seems somewhat related.

Michiko Kakutani in The Word Police wages a word-war against those who would try to contain the use of words to only those that are politically correct. Kakutani often exaggerates her arguments though with examples like “All the King’s Men should be re-titled All The Rulers People [and] Pet Cemetery [becoming] Animal Companion Graves.” These are amusing arguments, and she is able to persuade readers with her hyperbole. Using words to argue against, or for, the use of words is amusing. A great example of this debate can be found here.

Grammar Detective by Sarah Maludzinski

2009-11-26T17:40:00.005-07:00

Grammar and spellings errors are not uncommon and sometimes simply cannot be helped. Alexander Pope puts it best in his famous quote, "to err is human" and these same standards can be applied to those who write and edit published material. While there is a point where mistakes are nigh unforgivable, most can empathize with not catching the odd mistake. Shawna Blumenschein also discusses forgivable human errors within longer published works in her grammar detective blog post. Just because they are human mistakes, however, does not mean that it's always wrong to point them out, as that is the only way some will learn to not rely solely on a computer spell checker.

Spelling or grammar errors can occasionally be humourous, as in the case of this newspaper article about anti-bullying. Admittedly, this is a serious subject, but the misspelled headline of "ant-bullying" does nothing to convey the proper message. They can also sometimes be just plain annoying, a prime example being this billboard for a gym. The mistakes are so numerous that it is even difficult to read. The most obviously incorrect line being "garanteed: fat lose." A computer spell checker would have been more than capable of fixing the first mistake, but "lose" is just another example of why human judgment is always necessary. That being said, human judgement by those that can actually spell is what's necessary here.

Dangling Modifiers By Kristen Harris

2009-11-25T16:39:00.011-07:00

A modifier must have a word or phrase to modify, and it is the writer’s task to make sure the audience understands this relationship clearly. It is important for the reader to be able to identify which word or phrase is being modified without having to think about it. If this is not accomplished, the reader becomes confused and then may stop reading altogether. An example of a dangling modifier, that is found in our Correct Writing work-book, is “Hearing a number of entertaining stories, our visit was thoroughly enjoyable.” This sentence is confusing to the reader because it is not clear what “Hearing a number of entertaining stories”, modifies.

To correct a dangling modifier in a phrase, it is possible to just change or re-word the subject to which the modifier is referring. Another way to correct sentences with dangling modifiers is to expand the modifier into a dependent clause. An example of this would be: Since my last trip up to the mountains, I haven’t been able go skiing. It is important to recognize dangling modifiers in your own work before trying to get it published or marked. A great over-view of modifiers done by the University of Ottawa can be found here.

As a general rule, it is best to have modifiers as close to the word they modify as possible. In some sentences that have a subject and an object, it is possible for a modifier to attach itself to either, so it is best to position it to indicate the intended meaning clearly. All writers must make sure to correct any dangling modifiers they find; a writer wouldn’t want to leave his readers hanging. Our class went over the importance of proof-reading in an exercise and Rena wrote a nice story which she then proof-read.

Grammar Detective, Shawna Blumenschein

2009-11-24T23:22:00.005-07:00

Grammatical and spelling errors in published, so-called professional material are distressingly abundant once a person starts looking for them. Errors appear in everything from newspapers, books, and academic papers to signs, pamphlets, and advertisements. The mistake may be as simple as a missing or misplaced apostrophe, an incorrect contraction, or a word error. Regardless of how small the error is, it presents an unprofessional and sloppy image to everyone who notices it.

In longer works, for example novels and textbooks, such errors are understandable. Computer programs do not have the ability to understand and correct for the rules of grammar and word meaning. As such, it comes down to fallible human editors to ensure a manuscript is flawless before it goes to print. Perfection is hardly a human quality and thus the odd mistake in lengthy documents is unavoidable.

It is the mistakes in short works that are most bothersome. Take, for example, the above photograph of a sign in Southgate mall. It contains a grand total of five words and one distressingly obvious error.

What does the abundance of such simple errors tell us? Have people simply become lazy and dependent on spell-check programs to the point that, if the computer says there are no problems, then it must be right? Or do examples such as Southgate’s sign simply indicate that not enough people are knowledgeable in matters of grammar, spelling, and word meaning? This problem could even be exacerbated by spell-check programs since, as discussed by Brieanne, spell-check removes the need to actually learn from one’s mistakes. Learning from errors is the key to avoiding them in the future. The learning process can be aided by the use of resources designed solely to clarify English’s tricky words.

The Importance of Clarity

2009-11-23T14:55:00.006-07:00

Misplaced modifiers are a reader's biggest headache and a writer's most dangerous grammatical crime. Even the simplest of sentences can be complicated by poor syntactical ordering of modifiers. Kristen Harris illustrates this point well in one of her posts. Because clear communication is the most basic goal of any piece of writing, it is imperative the writer is mindful of his or her wording of certain phrases. Consider how this sentence, using all homonyms, is incredibly confusing, but perfectly correct:

"Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo."

Words used:

"Buffalo:" Buffalo, New York. (Proper Noun).

"buffalo:" The animal. (Noun).

"buffalo:" To bully. (Verb).

Upon some editing/translating:

"[The] Buffalo (PN) buffalo (N) [whom] Buffalo (PN) buffalo (N) buffalo (V) [also] buffalo (V) Buffalo (PN) buffalo (N)."

Now, although correct in structure, the nightmares of "buffalo" still haunt the reader, even after a closer analysis. This is exactly the reason why effective word placement is necessary. Without careful phrasing of important sentences (and all other sentences), the words will become highly unattractive to most readers. This is not only a poor way to gain popularity among an audience, but also creates an unfortunate gap in communication. Without being clear and concise, a writer has not fulfilled his or her objectives.

A Time and Place for Txt Spk by Murriel Mapa

2009-11-23T12:31:00.006-07:00

In response to the “txt spk” exercise we did in Lecture 6 on October 19th, we were asked to rewrite an article in a newspaper using just abbreviations and slang that are commonly used when text messaging on mobile phones. This exercise proved to be very difficult because there were many words that aren’t normally seen as abbreviated or converted into a slang term. For example, Brent Stempfle’s example of his article in txt spk was a time-consuming and complicated read; however, it justifies the fact that txt spk should not be used for formal pieces of writing such as newspaper articles. In today’s society, there are cell phones and BlackBerry’s everywhere, and the popular form of communication is through means of technology. However, when communicating messages to professionals such as managers or professors, it is wise to leave out the “lol” or “ttyl” for a more appropriate time.

When we read Sarah E. Needleman’s essay, “Thx for the IView! I Wud ♥ to Work 4 U!! ;)” I took into consideration of just how much I used the language of txt spk in my own life. As far as I’ve noticed, I don’t usually use any forms of slang or abbreviations even when I text-message, let alone in my work. I also know well enough not to leave such informal messages such as text-messages or emails that contain any txt spk for any future employers of mine. Needleman actually points out that some hiring managers have based their rejection of a possible employee on a thank-you note that was ridden with words such as “hiya” and thanx” accompanied with smiley-face emoticons and exclamation marks (par. 1, Neeedleman). The professional world of writing should be something that is cherished and kept sacred for the English language is a complex form of communication. Colloquial writing versus formal writing can sometimes be a complicated subject to distinguish between. An easy way to remember if informal writing is alright is if you are positive that the person you are writing to will not take offense or have difficulty reading what you wrote, if this is the case than txt spk may be used, but in most cases, correct and formal writing is the best outlet.

Lecture 11: Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers

2009-11-23T08:49:00.002-07:00

Outline
Misplaced Modifiers
Dangling Modifiers
Self-Test
Review
Activity
Story Activity

Background
Modifier:
a word or phrase whose function is to give information about another word or phrase in a sentence

Examples:

Tall man
Discouraged student
Flying birds
The bird on the fence
Left unsupervised, the child made a huge mess in the kitchen.
Laughing hysterically, she told her friends how she found her cat stuck in a jar.

Types of Modifiers:
Adjectives (modify nouns and pronouns)
the RED house
Adverbs (modify verbs)
he ran QUICKLY
Phrases (modify an action or an actor)
LOOKING AT THE CLOCK, he noticed that he was late

Misplaced Modifiers:

Occurs when readers can’t easily relate the modifier to the word it modifies
Example:
He served steak to the men on paper plates.
Correct: He served the men steak on paper plates.

Do the Quiz:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/modifier_quiz.htm

Dangling Modifier:
A word or phrase that cannot logically describe, limit, or restrict any word or word group in the sentence.
Using a variety of pedagogical techniques, the students were taught grammar.
To improve his essay, each page was proofread.
While reading the novel, the pages that contain important information should be marked

Dangling Modifiers:
Occurs when the verb in the main clause does not have the same subject as the verb in the dependent clause and the subject in the dependant clause is not mentioned.
The term "dangling" derives from the fact that the dependant phrase is missing its subject and it is left dangling. Then, based on proximity, the dependant phrase is attributed (by the reader) to the subject in the main phrase. Hence the humorous or confusing effect the dangling modifiers have.
Example:
Stored in the refrigerator, we can keep oranges for 6 weeks.
Correct: Stored in the refrigerator, oranges last for 6 weeks.

Take the Quiz:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/niu/niu9.htm

Review:
A misplaced modifier is found in sentences where an attempt is made to qualify part of that sentence but the reader is left unsure as to which part of the sentence is being referred to.
Dangling modifiers are very similar but taken logically actually render the sentence nonsensical.

Activity:
Take FIFTEEN minutes to write a paragraph - as long as possible - containing as many misplaced and/or dangling modifiers as possible. You should have at least 5 sentences.
Post your paragraph as a comment on today’s blog post. Include your names and add a title (first line of your comment)
Count up how many misplaced modifiers you have and how many dangling modifiers you have.

When FIFTEEN minutes are up, correct a paragraph from another student(from the comments). You have TEN minutes to rewrite the paragraph with NO modifier errors. Note the title of the paragraph you’re rewriting and include your names
Did anyone correct your paragraph? Give them feedback in the comments.

Create Your Own Comic Strip Story
http://www.pimpampum.net/bubblr/
Create at least TEN frames
Choose an image and then add a speech bubble
Each sentence you write must contain a dangling or misplaced modifier
When complete, click on “blog this,” grab the code and paste it into your OWN blog post (html view)
Title: Comic Modifiers, First Name Surname
Label: Lecture 10, Dangling Modifiers, Misplaced Modifiers

The Trouble With Proofreading

2009-11-19T14:30:00.006-07:00

I have always found proofreading works of writing of any kind, especially my own, painfully laborious. Not because of the amount of time and concentration that it takes to correct all of the little mistakes and debate over word choice, but because it feels like a repetition of thought. To quote an excerpt from Kurt Cobain's Journals, "When creativity flows, it flows." That free flow of thoughts is the life of any piece of writing, especially for someone whose thoughts fall to the paper faster than the speed of light. So, beyond ensuring correctness, why spend so much time proofreading? The only assured result will be the adaptation or censorship of one's own thoughts, which is something that no passionate writer should seek to do.

To make another allusion to Cobain's published journals, "I like to have strong opinions with nothing to back them up besides my primary sincerity. I like sincerity. I lack sincerity... censorship is very American." Artists at heart often share this sentiment, yet why is it that musicians, painters, and performers require no "proofreading" of their acts? Practice is a separate issue, as it is a part of training. Art cannot be fine-tuned by the creator with analytical intentions, only dissected and desecrated. It seems that far more often than not, my attempts at proofreading serve as a second-guessing of my own ideas and convictions, which is something that I strive to avoid, but inevitably must do in an academic setting.

I have to somewhat disagree with Jenny Nielsen's post on the "people first rule." Maybe if people weren't so hell-bent on being inoffensive and unbiased a lot more that needs to be said would be said.

Is Spelling a Thing of the Past?

2009-11-18T16:28:00.003-07:00

In class this week we did a spelling exercise. It was interesting to realise how few words I can actually spell correctly when put on the spot. In a computer era of Spell-check, online dictionaries, and word processors, is correct spelling becoming a thing of the past? As much as I, myself, depend on Spell-check, I still feel that spelling is an integral part of education. This is not to say spelling skills are absolutely necessary to be intelligent, but that spelling should continue to be an important part of the education process. Many students remember spelling tests and lists of words they needed to know by the next week as the bane of their existence, but those tedious tests may be the reason they are so successful in classes today.

Not only do spelling tests help young students develop a basic spelling skill but they also help introduce the English language. At an Elementary School level many children are not using very advanced language, but, as they grow up, students may have need of words that once seemed useless. While not true in Canada, in the U.S.A. high school graduates who wish to apply to college must write the S.A.T. or Scholastic Aptitude Test. This test is a range of questions on many subjects, and there is a large list of terms that may or may not be on the test at any time. You can see a list of 5000 S.A.T. vocabulary words here. Unfortunately, Spell-check is no help out in a situation like that.

There is also the issue of reliability. Spell-checkers on word processors are only so smart, and often cannot distinguish between verb tenses and other grammar mistakes. Another problem is if a word is correctly spelt but in the wrong context, spell-check is unlikely to pick up on it. Canadians have even more of a problem with spell-check. Because our spelling tends to differ from both the American spelling and the UK spelling in some situations, spell-check doesn't always recognise a word or auto-corrects it to something incorrect. Without a basic knowledge of spelling no one could successfully use spell-check in the first place. The Internet, when looking up spelling, is not always dependable either. As quoted by Brent Stempfle on his blog post about Erin McKean, “The Internet shows words, not context.” You may find the spelling for a word online but if you have the wrong context, you’re still wrong. So, despite spelling becoming less of a recognisable skill in today's society there is no doubt that learning it in the first place is necessary.

In Class Proofreading Exercise, Murriel Mapa

2009-11-16T16:28:00.008-07:00

When I was about 5(five) and a half, I had(experienced) a traumatic incident that truly defines who I am today. I have been (taking part) in competitive figure skating since I was seven, and I have loved every minute of it. From practicing my routines, to competing with many different skaters, it’s been a very memorable experience. Unfortunately(,) I have not always been so passionate about skating.(combine these two into one sentence using a semicolon) I used to skate at the local lake near my house in Windsor, ONT(Ontario no abbreviations), called Hallmark rink. At this time, it was nearly spring, but I really wanted to go on(onto) the lake just one last time before the snow melted. Thinking it would be okay, I joined my classmates on the ice, only to find the surface was beginning to crack.

Getting caught under the ice was dreadful(horrible) in a lot of ways, like scaring my friends and family, but the most awful part of this was being afraid to ever(being afraid that I'd never) lace up my skates again. A few years later, with the persuasiveness of my brother, I got back on the ice.(combine these two sentences with a comma or conjunctive adverb) Only this time, it was an indoor rink. I have now been in figure skating for about 12(twelve) years, and I hope I can continue (even) further.

Writing to express was a lot different than writing to evaluate. When writing to express, ideas are formulated and set out in paragraphs. The main purpose is to express the thoughts and theories that control the piece. However, when writing to evaluate, you're not looking to express thoughts or ideas, you're looking for ways to enhance the piece of writing, ways to correct it, and ways to clarify exactly what the writer is thinking.

In Class Proofreading Exercise: Billie Fleming

2009-11-16T16:00:00.045-07:00

I was once engaged to a very interesting woman. For the purposes of this writing we will call her Tonya. We had been going out for about a year and a half, and on my 20th birthday we got engaged. Even at 37, from behind Tonya looked like a 12 year old boy and at most times we must have looked like a very odd couple. Not to mentioned the social stigmas of being "out" lesbians.- followed us everywhere we went.(Changed wording of sentence)Even though at the time it felt like the whole world, including my family, was against us, we trudged on and and got engaged. We have since seperated separated, for the betterment of bth both parties. After my birthday is was when we starting making plans for our future together. We moved in with eachother each other and everything seemed perfect.

Tonya had always wanted children. Her determination and love made me believe that I wanted them too, so in october October of that year we started to talk about babies. The first issue we faced was that Tonya wanted to carry the child, and she was already pushing 40. So we started scoping out sperm donors, on the internet and in our circle of friends. After some lomg long and tumoltuous tumultuous discussions we decided that we wanted complete anonymity when finding a donor. We just wanted the child to be ours and no one elses, like a normal family. What can be considered normal nowadays is completly completely up for question though. When I started to make the phone calls to Calgay Calgary and Toronto, which are where the two biggest sperm banks are in Canada, I was met with some skepticism and sexist backlash. It wasn't until I called a gay rights group in Calgary and was directed to a special section of a hospital that dealt with same sex adoption and artificial-insemination, that I got some positive results.

There are many problems that same sex couple face raising children. Peoples opinions can be completly completely with just cause and the rights of the children themselves are not taken into account as much as one would like. Every child needs a home, and every loving person who wants to bear a child and can take care of it to the best of their ability desearves deserves that chance.

Proofreading this writing exercise showed me more in depth where my grammatical errors are. I think I know more now about what I will need to study about for the final. Also, I now have a better idea about the thesis for my essay on gay and lesbian parenting/adoption.

In Class Proofreading Exercise, Jenny Nielsen

2009-11-16T16:00:00.044-07:00

"When a neighbor loses his job it is a recession; when you lose your job it is a depression." (cite quote)

My husband got into "the trades" because the economy of the millennium was thriving, and there was a bold promise from the government, and the business sector that trades workers would never be out of work. Although Jay planned on a career in engineering eventually, working towards his Journeyman Welding ticket seemed like the perfect opportunity to get ahead until I graduated with my degree. Initially the money was plentiful, and we moved our family of five to Edmonton, so I could attend Macewan, and he could work in a Mod yard as an apprentice welder. The dream of attending the U of A's(University of Alberta) engineering (Engineering)program was ever present in his mind, and we were able to begin saving for his education. Our teenage son, who is an aspiring actor and musician, was thrilled to attend Victoria school of Performing and Visual Arts, and our younger children were happy with all of the parks and festivals that Edmonton has to offer.
Everything was going as planned, until a cold day in January of 2009(two thousand and nine). Jay called me on a regular work day at about noon to say that he had lost his job, and that he was on his way home. There was no warning, and we were completely dumbfounded. Yes, we had heard rumors that the economy had been in a state of decline, but we hadn't given too much heed to them. Jay was "out of work" for about 7 (seven)months. Writing cover letters, printing off resumes, and calling potential employers became a sadly discouraging pastime for both of us. He did eventually get a job, albeit in Fort McMurray for 18 (? spell out?)days at a time. Last week he was layed off again, with the promise of a phone call when things begin to pick up. (capital)how long can a family of five wait around for a phone call?
Our experiences bring up many important questions about the banks, the government, and the resource based economy of Alberta, and Canada.

I think that I need to review when to use capitals, and when to spell out numbers. Although, I still write with grammar and punctuation errors I feel that I have come a long way since the beginning of the term. I find that I am still slightly confused about some issues, and will most likely need to refer to my "Correct Writing" text while writing my essay. Writing to express is more descriptive creative, and personal; whereas, writing to evaluate is more objective and observational.

In Class Proofreading Exercise: Lauren Wozny

2009-11-16T16:00:00.041-07:00

My heart had always gone out to younger children who have (had) to go through their parents divorce. I thought that it must be hard at such a young age, when your (you're) so dependent on your parents, to watch mommy and daddy go their seperate (separate) ways. I found out first hand just a couple years ago that it doesn't matter how old you are. An event as pivital (pivotal) as divorce can still carry emotional damage even when your 18. My brother, father, mother and I had always been very family oriented. We had family game nights, family meetings and always seemed to be doing things as a family. Even though I was 18 I was still quite dependent on my family. My brother had become the best friend that never cancelled (canceled) his plans with me last minute. My mother became my teacher when life tossed some hard decisions at me. My dad became my should (shoulder) to cry on when the latest crush broke my heart.They helped to keep me grounded no matter what. Quite simply my family was the foundation of my life.

My strong ties with my family were possibly what made it so hard for me when my parents broke the news. My brother and I were blindsided by their decision. The turmoil had materialized over such a short period of time, and they were resorting to such a drastic measure. There had been no counceling (counseling) , no family talks or anything preventative (that would give a shread (shred) of hope at a chance for them to stay together) Awkward change to: (that could have given them a chance to stay together). It was done almost as quickly as it started. The only indication I had (remove-awkward) ever had that there was something wrong was when my father moved into the quest (guest) room two months earlier. No one outside the immediate family had any idea. It just happened. Both my parents have been candidly truthful with me about their decision since, and I know that neither of them consulted any sort of help until after the decision was made. To me it felt a bit hasty, but it was not my relationship to scrutinize. After my parents separation I began to notice just how many people I knew that went through, and were going through, the exact same thing as me. I remember when I was young and divroce was so uncommon in the small town I grew up in that the whole community was shaken up by it. It was the talk of the town for the whole year. However, now it seems that divorce has become much more common than that. Granted there are situations when the decision is for the best, but one can only wonder why there are so many haunting statistics floating around that state, "1 in 3 marriages ends in divorce" (and some people are on their third and fourth marriages) awkward change to: (Some people are even on their third and fourth marriages after a steady stream on divorces.) It seems as though the option of divorce might be being exercised a little too often, and the rising divorce rate is a testiment (testament) to it.

My sentences can get a little to wordy sometimes and one of by biggest corrections, other than spelling, was the cut back on how long some of my sentences were. I also realized how dependent I am on Microsoft's spell check. I had quite a few more spelling errors than I expected.

In Class Proofreading Exercise, Cassidy Munro

2009-11-16T16:00:00.039-07:00

My mom has always told me that she married her soul-mate, her one true love. Unfortunately, after ten years of marriage and the brith birth oif of three children her soulmate soul-mate oassed passed away. Left jobless, husbandless husband-less, and depressed, she had three young children all under the age of ten to raise. My mom had become a singl single parent literally over night. I don't remember much of it, but I know that the first week left her reeling. There was a funeral to plan, two kids to get to school and my youngest sister, still in diapers, to take care of. Now, I love my mother and she's done the best job she could but it's always been a running joke with our family that she makes a wonderful parent but not a very good single parent.

In a way, our family was luckily. Becuase Because my dad worked for the B.C. Government we recieve recieved Workers Compensation and Canadian Pension Plan every month which meant my mom never had to re-enter the workforce after eight years of staying at home, nor did she have to worry about childcare. She aslo also had a huge support system that helped her out. Both sides of my family consist of seven siblings, this meant a there was a veritable clan of caring family emebrs members ready to help after such a sudden tragedy. Not to mention the many family friends, teachers, and distant cousins who all pitched in to get my mom and us through though those first couple months. Eleven years later I still think my mom has given me and my sisters the best life possible considering the circumstances. Once she got back on her feet she put most of th the money from the government into trust funds for me and my sisters, which is what's now paying for my education, and I think my mom is happy even if she doesn't think she will ever love again. Unfortunately, many single mothers don't have the help and support that we had when tragedy stricks struck. Many women and their children are left destitute and without options when husband's die. Without the opportunities given to us there is a huge chance that my family could have become one of those that lived paycheck to paycheck with little to nothing to spare.

"Writing to express" is easier in a way because there are so many different ways to express yourself in words, as well as so many personal experiences to draw from. However, "writing to express" can also be hard because there are so many different ways to express yourself. I often have a hard time coming up with the right way to express exactly the feeling I want to evoke in the reader. An experience may leave me feeling a certain way and I want to express that in mt writing. "Writing to evaluate" can be easier for me because I simply have to work with what's given to me, there are few emotional choices to make. I actually do enjoy "writing to express" more than "writing to evaluate" even though I find the first harder at times.