Lecture 10: Spelling and Proofreading

"In order to proofread effectively, how- ever, one must suspend this anticipation [to read sense]. Rather than looking at just a few words on each line, as an efficient reader does, good proofreaders force themselves to attend to the text closely and deliberately-looking specifically at each word and mark of punctuation, carefully noting not only what is there but also what is not there. Proofreading is thus not only a writing skill, it is also a reading skill. Ironically, it is a reading skill that involves a deliberate effort to counteract the "normal" process of reading. Unless a student understands this necessary modification of her normal reading process, she will continue to read rather than proofread."

Quote from: "Proofreading: A Reading/Writing Skill" by Jeanette Harris
College Composition and Communication, 38. 4 (Dec., 1987): 464-466
Published by: National Council of Teachers of English
Read the article here: http://www.jstor.org/stable/357642

Today we will be doing the proofreading exercise (worth 10%) so the lesson will give you two practise opportunities before writing the *real* thing.

We'll begin today's lesson with a review of commonly misspelt words (see Chapter 24 in Correct Writing) and then move on to our proofreading practise. Things to look out for when proofreading:

• spelling
• punctuation
• sentence fragments
• run-on sentences
• verb tense
• subject-verb agreement

The video we'll be watching and "live-blogging" as part of our proofreading practise:




The second proofreading practise requires you to correct errors in this text:

Remember, as Harris notes, "...proofreading, like other reading/writing skills, is neither simple nor mechanical. It is, in fact, a highly developed verbal skill that involves competence in both reading and writing."


*****Homework*****
Essay due next week
Read Chapter 14 and Chapter 15 in Correct Writing

Mind mapping and De-Txt Spking, Kristen Harris and Murriel Mapa

Garret: Salutations to you, Joshua. It’s been quite some time now, hasn’t it?

Josh: How do you do, Garrett? What is it that you have been occupying your time with?

Garret: You know me, Joshua, I’ve just been trying to unwind from the chaos of life

Josh: I would have to concur with you on that one, Garret. It’s best to allow oneself to breathe every once in a while.

Garret: Have you contemplated your plans for this fine evening?

Josh: I haven’t any clue of what will engage my precious moments of this night.

Garret: That is quite interesting, for I believed you were a man of very demanding duties that took up most of your time. Nevertheless, I should bid you adieu. As always, it has been a pleasure.

Mind Mapping and De-Text Spking, Shayna Fehr

Garret: Hello Josh.

Josh: Hi Garret. I'm so happy you came online to talk with me tonight. How are you? What have you been doing today?

Garret: Oh, not a lot. I went to school, and then came home and had a lovely meal with my family. How about yourself?

Josh: That sounds a lot like my day! I also went to school, and ate dinner with my family - poached salmon with spring peas, over a base of a flavorful celery root puree. It was very tasty.

Garret: That sounds incredible! I wish my mother was an amazing cook like yours. What are your plans for the rest of the evening?

Josh: I don't have anything planned; however, the hockey game is on tonight.

Garret: You're right, it is. I'll be watching it too. I'm sorry to have to cut our conversation short, but my sister wants the computer. I'll talk to you more tomorrow. Have a great evening.

Josh: You too. Go Oilers go!

Mind Mapping and De-Txt Speaking by Andrew Heck

Rewritten instant message dialogue (pg. 247):

Garret: Hello, Josh.

Josh: Hello, Garret. What are you doing right now?

Garret: I'm just relaxing at home.

Josh: I'm doing the same thing.

Garret: What are you doing tonight?

Josh: I don't have any plans, at the moment.

Garret: That's respectable.

Subject-Verb Quiz, Shawna Blumenschein and Jennifer Kerr

Sam the Acrobat, the most renowned performer in Canada and his brother, Billy the Fire-breather, IS/ARE touring this summer.

Everyone in Sam’s travelling circus IS/ARE practicing from sunup to sundown in preparation for the big show, which is happening in May.

Each of the performers HAVE/HAS their own special trailer, where they like to relax and plan new tricks.

Sam, along with Billy and their friend Daisy, IS/ARE excited for the show, which will be their first since the tragedy in 1956 when a tornado destroyed their tents.

Neither Sam nor Daisy ARE/IS expecting another catastrophic incident this time, because the show will be underground.

Subject-Verb Quiz, Kristen Harris and Murriel Mapa

1. Jason, as well as his brothers (IS/ARE) going to a movie tonight; however, one of his friends (IS/ARE) not coming.

2. Bacon and eggs (SEEM/SEEMS) to be a very popular breakfast item, along with pancakes and waffles.

3. The Edmonton Oilers, the number one team in the league, along with the Calgary Flames, currently in last place, (IS/ARE) starting a fundraising campaign targeted at fighting poverty.

4. Neither of the brothers, with curly golden locks of hair, (HAS/HAVE) gone to the State Championship Finals, and their dreams of trophy’s and awards will remain unfulfilled.

Title: Subject-Verb Quiz, Caleb Caswell, Ramona Korpan, Jenny Nielsen

Ransom Note: Kristen Harris

Ransom Note: Jenny Nielsen

Ransom Note - Shawna Blumenschein

Ransom Note - Jessica Lloyd

Lecture 4: Grammar - Focus on Subjects, Predicates & Complements

Outline

• Review Subjects and Predicates
• Activity
• Review Complements
• Activity
• Review Adjectives and Adverbs
• Newspaper Activity
• Homework

WebQuest Exercise– Jessica Lloyd

I’m not going to lie, just looking at the word ‘grammar’ gives me shivers, superlatives make me feel insecure, and when I think about interrogative pronouns my palms get all sweaty. Wait just a minute, I may have lied; grammar is only half as bad as I make it sound. Being able to understand the history of the English Language, and all its’ endearing quirks, enables you to use it to your greatest advantage (world domination, perhaps?). Our language has been used for centuries as a way to entertain, teach and as a tool in self-discovery. Chances are, you’ll be able to enjoy great works of literature even if you’re unsure of the differences between adjectives, adverbs and verbs. However, if you're like me and dream of changing the world one sentence at a time, you better hit the books.

Grammar Webquest by Murriel Mapa

There are many different ways to convey a thought, help someone understand a concept, or just communicate with someone. Writing is just one of the ways that this is achieved. Writers have many tools that help them express their ideas and thoughts. The English language has numerous tools that help them do this. Without these tools that we use today, we would never evolve from cave dwellers to the sophisticated and eloquent speakers we are today. The English language dates all the way back to 450 AD, where "Old English" was established, soon after began "Modern English". The history of English is vital in understanding just how much we, as a society, have progressed. An example of this progression is in the use of adjectives and adverbs. Adjectives and adverbs are used in almost every piece of writing; therefore, are very important to understand. The English language requires sentences that include subjects and verbs, which are important to identify because they almost always cooperate together. The verb is referring to the subject, and the subject is performing the verb. This link on how to classify subjects and verbs is very helpful, and when you’re confident in your abilities to recognize the two, there is a quiz at the end of the website, see how well you do!

Grammar Webquest: Jennifer Kerr

A basic understanding of English grammar is important in clearly communicating. Attention to details in mechanics, such as capitalization and hyphenation is instrumental in clearly expressing a point through writing. The language is governed by many rules which help to clarify the meaning of words and sentences. For example, with proper capitalization, proper nouns like names can be distinguished from common nouns. To understand why all of these rules are important, an understanding of the history of English grammar is necessary. Grammar has been studied and taught for hundreds of years, and is constantly evolving. The parts of speech are another important part of English language. Knowing what the different words in a sentence are used for will help in understanding the meaning of the sentence. A sentence is always comprised of a subjects and a verb, which work together to give the reader information. Words such as adjectives and adverbs help to describe the subject and verb, clarifying or enriching their meaning. Once an understanding of grammar is reached, communicating clearly with the English Language is much easier.

Grammar Webquest: Shawna Blumenschein

To comprehend and use any language effectively it is vital to have a firm understanding of the rules that govern the language and the elements of a sentence. The parts of speech - such as an adjective and adverb - are the building blocks of English sentences and thus it is important to understand what function they have in a sentence. Another vital part of a sentence is a verb, the action that's being performed, and the subject, the person who does or receives the action. There are some tips that will help identify the subject and verb of a sentence. Of course, one must follow these rules as well; not adhering to common conventions - such as capitalizing the first word of a sentence and proper nouns - or including all the necessary parts of speech runs the risk of not being understood by others. But where and how did these rules develop? Such a question can be answered by looking at the history of English grammar. Since the language and its rules evolved over time, understanding that history has the potential to convey additional understanding of why certain rules exist or why certain words are spelled the way they are.

Grammar Webquest: Kayla Gaffney

English is a universal language. Most countries in the world have some knowledge of how to speak English. To speak English; however, you must learn the fundamentals of grammar. The English language has evolved since it's beginnings. This website shows a time line of how the English language progressed. This link shows key events that lead to English being a commonly used language and how it was formed.
The basic pieces of English are the noun and the verb. The noun is capitalized if it is a proper noun such as Canada, Peter and/or England. The first word at the beginning of a sentence is always capitalized. Verbs are the action of a sentence. They are what the subject is doing. Verbs are words like run, jump and kick. They give movement to a sentence. Subjects and verbs make a sentence complete. Adjective and adverbs describe, respectively, nouns and verbs. Adverbs tend to end in "ly" like the word quickly. Adjectives can be anything from colors to other descriptive words.

In-Class Assignment - Webquest - Cassidy Munro

The English language is complex and diverse language that can be difficult to learn as a second language. The use of important mechanics such as capital letters, italics, the apostrophe, the hyphen and numbers all help in the proper use of the language and can aid a new learner in proper grammar use. When someone is aware of and able to use proper grammar it makes them a better listener, reader, thinker, writer and communicator. For instance, you can use a hyphen to distinguish between recovering a book from someone or somewhere, and physically re-covering the book. Understanding how English grammar developed can be important when understanding how to properly use grammar. The ESL in Canada website contains a very useful article that quickly and briefly describes the history of English grammar. Adjectives and adverbs are also an important aspect of the English language; they colour and describe the world we live in. A helpful article on the proper use of adverb and adjectives can be found on the University of Victoria website. Another important skill to have when using proper English Grammar is the ability to locate verbs and subjects in a sentence. It can be difficult to pinpoint whether or not grammar is correct without being able to properly identify what part of the sentence is what. Tips and a short quiz on locating the verbs and subjects in sentences can be found on the GrammarBook website.

Grammer Webquest: Kristen Harris

If your first language is not English, you probably feel intimidated learning all of the grammar and mechanics of a new language. Depending on which is your first language you may be able to find similarities between the English language and your own. Many of the worlds major languages: English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and French are derived from Latin, and so they contain many similarities. To get a good understanding of this and to use it to your benefit follow this link. When trying to write your own work, it would be valuable to you to have a couple of examples of good writing to work from. Start with the basics: Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives and Adverbs. You can find many good resources of proper grammar from numerous books. A list of many of these can be found here. Once you have a grasp of the basics it’s time to start writing! Be sure to use dictionaries, thesauruses and encyclopedia's to enhance your writing and remember it takes many years to become a good writer, and many more to be a good writer in a new language so when you make mistakes, don't be discouraged. If you find yourself still struggling with located things like verbs and subjects in your sentences, this site may help you.

Introduction to the English Language Webquest by Andrew Heck

The English language can be as complicated or as simple as you make it. Like many other languages, it has evolved over time to include new words whose origins can be found in old languages, or in other contemporary languages that have exercised cultural transmission, which can be understood by identifying the definition of the word, the root of the word, and the word's etymology. This procedure can assist in streamlining your basic comprehension skills and maneuverability within the oral and written worlds.

The proper and efficient use of grammar, punctuation, and correct spelling are very necessary in conveying clear messages that others will read, interpret, and evaluate. It is also useful to be able to recognize the structure of sentences and the parts of speech. This will help ensure that you are communicating in an effective manner, which will ease the burden of deciphering otherwise-confusing critical information for the person trying to understand what you are saying.