English Final

Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices

A resume should be directed to a specific audience. It should emphasize the applicant's potential value to the company. To evaluate a chairty, you should start by examining its goals. Then you should investigate its management practices. Specialty products are unique items that consumers take time purchasing. These items include cars, parachutes, and skis. Studies have shown that male and females managers have different leadership styles; as a result, workers may respond differently to each. Closed-minded people often refuse to recognize opposing views, and they reject ideas without evaluating them. Some educators support home schooling, but others oppose it vehemently. Because facial expressions are very revealing, they are an important commnuication tool. Medieval peasants in Europe - having a simple, hearty diet - relied almost totally on agriculture. Distributors open big-budget movies late in the week, hoping moviegoers will flock to the theaters over the weekend. Although the remote fishing lodge has no heat or electricity, it is a popular vacation spot. A deadly nerve poison is found on the skin of some Amazon tree frogs; native tribes use the poison on the tips of thier arrows when they hunt. Because nearly every American child dreams of going to Diseny World, it has become one of the most popular family destinations. Shopping through online bookstores is convinient, but some people miss the atmosphere of a traditional bookstore. Openness is one way to built trust in a relationship; another is to demonstrate patience. In the 1960s sine Americans treated Vietnam vetrans disrespectfully, a situation that has changed dramaticlly since that time. William Faulkner wrote classical novels about life in the U.S. South, and Eudora Welty has also written vividly about southern life. With large bodies and tiny wings, bumblebees have long been a puzzle. How do they fly? Glowing in the moonlight with unearthly beauty, the Taj Mahal is aptly called the Pearl Mosque. The Supreme Court often makes controversial decisions because the justices must decide how to interpret the Constitution. Although the clours were threatening, the storm had not yet struck, However, most the boats turned toward shore. Restoring a painting is, indeed, delicate work, and too much enthusiasm can be dangerous. Pages 730-35

Verb Forms

Many designers visit Milan for fashion shows each year. Sarah visited her best friend in Thailand. Students have visited the state capital every spring for decades. His cousin from Iowa is visiting this week. Maria visits her grandmother in Puerto Rico as often as possible. Mr. King teaches English. She wants to be a veterinarian. None of the townspeople understands him. She claimed to be the czar's daughter, Anastasia.. They used to order lattes every morning. Our dog likes to lie on the couch all afternoon. Let me sit in this chair for awhile. The Mississippi River flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The computer file was deleted. The colonist threw tea into Boston Harbor. No one is allow to sell illegal drugs. Several historic buildings had been torn down. The poem "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning was discussed in class. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales depicts a tremendously varied group of travelers. Roberto had finished three research papers when the semester ended. (Students had) The United States entered the Spanish-American War in 1898. When the nineteenth century changed into the twentieth, many people in the United States became eager to expel Spain from the Americas. Cuba, an island that lies ninety miles off the Florida coast, provided them with an excuse to do so. Cuban rebels were trying to free themselves from Spain, and many Americans wanted to help them. In addition, many people in the United States had wanted to take over Spain's territories for a long time. The United States won the war very quickly and assumed control of Cuba, the Philippines, Gaum, and Puerto Rico. Cuba was allowed to take control of its own affairs right away. Puerto Rico became a commonwealth 1952, a position that placed in between statehood and independence. In a 1998 election, the people of Puerto Rico were offered the option of full statehood. They rejected it. Many Puerto Ricans are worried that statehood would destroy the native culture of their island, and none of them wants that to happen. Page 739-42

Method of Organization

Most-to-Least - used to entice readers. start with the most important, familar, or intereting information first. Chronological Order - arrange supporting deatials in the order of time that they have or will happen Spatial Order - organize details about your subject by location. usually used in descriptive essays

Words as Modifiers

The empty classrom was unlocked.(adjective) The office runs smoothly. (adverb)

Subject-Verb Agreement

The number of farm workers has remained constant over several decades. A dot and a dash represent the letter A in Morse code. Basketball star Shaquille O'Neal, comedian D.L. Hughley, and actor Tom Arnold were all born on March 6. Math or accounting appear to be a suitable major for you. Either the waiter or the customer has misplaced the bill. Neither the doctor nor the patient is pessimistic about the prognosis. Neither the sialors nor the boat was harmed by the storm. Neither the boat nor the sialors were harmed by the storm. Either my daughters or my wife waters that plant daily. The school committee has voted to increase the teachers' salaries. The family is living in a cramped apartment. The team members are traveling by train, bus, and bike. The members of the jury are divided and unable to reach a consensus. Everyone in this room is welcome to express an opinion. Neither of the candidates has run for office before, Every year many succeed in starting new small businesses. Several of you jog at least three miles a day. Most of the water goes into this kettle. Some of the children in the study choose immediate rather than delayed rewards. Toni Morrison, who enjoys unique success as both a popular and literary author, won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1993. Look for stores that display this sign. A pigeon is one of the two birds that drink by suction. The cheetah is the only one of the big cats that has nonretractable claws. There is a false panel somewhere in this room. Under the stairs lurks a solitary spider. The bluebell is any of several plants in the lily family. The issue discussed at the meeting was the low wages earned by factory workers. Gulliver's Travels is a satire by the eighteenth-century British writer Jonathan Swift. Linguistics deal with the study of human speech. Most of the people in the world believe that learning a second language is important. Many members of the international business community communicate by speaking English, the international language of business. A student in most non-English-spealing industrialized nations expects to spend six or more years studying English. The United States is different. Working for laws the require all Americans to speak English is a fairly common U.S. political tactic. In American schools, often neither a teaching staff nor enough money has been available for good foreign-language programs. Some linguists joke that a person who speaks two languages is called bilingual, while a person that speaks one language is called American. Some states around the country have begun to change this situation. If a class is given lessons in a foreign language, the students feel that htye will be better prepared for the new gloabl economy. In a Spanish or French class, children of immigrants for whom English was a second language learn a new language and perhaps gains a new application of their parents' accomplishments. Everyone who studies a foreign language is likely to benefit.

Strong Introduction

1. Ask a provocative or disturbing question, or pose a series of related questions to direct readers' attention to your key points. 2. Begin with a dramatic or engaging anecdote or an example that is relevant to your thesis. 3. Offer a quotation that illustates or emphasizes your thesis. 4. Cite a little-known fact or shocking statistic 5. State a commonly held misconception, and correct this misconception in your thesis 6. Describe a hypotheitcal situation 7. Compare your topc with one that is familiar or of special intrest to your readers. Page 166

Effective Conclusion

1. Take your readers beyond the scope and time frame of your essay 2. Remind readers of the relevance of the issue or suggest why your thesis is important 3. Offer a recommendation or urge your readers to take action 4. Dicuss broader implications not fully addressed in the essay (but do not introduce a completly new issue) 5. Conclude with a fact, quotation, or example that emphasizes your thesis Page 167

Writing Process

Choose a topic Narrow the topic Determin your purpose and consider your audience Choose a point of view Consider the genre and medium Discover ideas to write about Develop and support your thesis Draft Revise Edit and proofread Page 99

Pronoun-Antecednet Agreement

Each of the experiments produced its desired results. If anyone wants me, give him or her my email address. Everyone in American should exercise his or her right to vote so his or her voice can be heard. People should check their credit card statements monthly. Everyone should check his or her credit card statement monthly. No one should lose a job because of family responsibilities. Of the tropical plants studied, some have proven their usefulness in fighting disease. The water was warm, and most of it was murky. The walrus and the carpenter ate their oysters greedily. As a father and a husband, he is a success. Every nut and bolt was in its place for the inspection. Either the panda or the sea otters should have their new habitat soon. The wolf pack surrounds its quarry. After the false alarm, members of the bomb squad returned to their homes. Every scientist has his or her own idea about the state of the environment. Neither the many species of dinosaurs nor the flightless dodo bird could prevent its own extinction. A team of researchers might disagree on their conclusions about the disappearance of the dinosaurs. However, most believe that their findings indicate the dodo died out because of competition from other species. In one way, animals resemble plants: Some are "weeds" because they have the ability to thrive under many conditions. Any species that cannot withstand its competitors may be doomed to extinction. When a "weed" and a delicate native species compete for their survival, the native specie usually loses. If the snail darter and the spotted owl lose their fight to survive, should humans care? People should be more concerned about the extinction of plants and animals than they seem to be. Every extinction had its effect on other species. The earth has experienced several mass extinctions in its history, but another would take its toll on the quality of human life. Pages 745-747

Point of View

First Person - (I, me, mine, we, ours) - narrating an event you participated in. Not meant for formal essays. Second Person- (you, your, yours) - good to use for giving directions (how to tutorials) Third Person - (he, she, it) - less personal and more formal, for academic writing, the writer reports what he sees Page 105

Shifts and Mixed Constructions

I discovered that I could touch some of the museums exhibits. The virus mutates so quickly that it develops resistance to most vaccines. The city's crime rate continues to drop, but experts disagree on the reasons. The researchers gave one group of volunteers a placebo, and they treated another group with the new drug. Drought and windstorms made farming impossible, and the specter of starvation forced many families to leave Oklahoma. The judge signed the restraining order. "Where were you on the evening of May 10?" The defense attorney asked where I was on the evening of May 10. Sal asked what he could do to solve the problem. Don't expect to learn ballroom dancing immediately, and remember that even Fred Astaire had to start somewhere. First, find a qualified instructor. Then, don't be embarrassed if everyone else seems more graceful than you are. Finally, keep your goal in mind, and practice, practice, practice. For some reason, people seem to enjoy gathering together in public spaces. Experts continue to break new ground in child psychology and many parents have studied their research. We wondered whether our professor knew of the new theory and whether she agreed with it. Pages 750-753

Sentence Fragments

More people are going to college every year, especially young women. In the past, higher education was only accessible to a small number of people. In the United Statesm for examplem colleges and universities provide education to Americans of all calsses and backgrounds. At first, state universities were publicly funded schools that trained students in fields such as enginneering, education, and agriculture. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, graduates of state univeristies played a key role in America's development as an industrial and economic power. The number of students in college increased greatly in the years after World War II. Federal funding from the 1944 GI Bill made it possible for millions of returning veterans to attend colleges. Many people credit this program wuth helping to create a strong middle class in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s. Now, about two-thirds of high school graduates will attend college because on average, those with bachelor's degrees earn over $20,000 a year more than people with only high school diplomas do. Most people agree that America needs an educated workforce to compete globally. However, as education costs continue to rise, some wonder whether a traditional four-year college is always worth the expense. Page 729- More on Page 730

Nouns

Noun- a person, place, thing, or idea. (waiter, classroom, beach, textbook, computer, girlfriend, excitment, or beauty) Proper Noun- names specific people (Professor Powers), places (Texas), things (Playstation), of ideas (Marxism). *** James drove to Williamsville in a Toyota in March. *** Common Nouns- name one or more of a genreal class or type of person, place, thing, or idea. (are not capitalized) *** A holiday is a celebration of an event. *** Collective Nouns- name groups: class, jury, or team. Concrete Nouns- name tangible things that can be tasted, seen, touched, smelled, or heard: instructor, exam, desk. Abstract Nouns- name ideas, qualities, beliefs, and conditons: love, faith, trust. Count Nouns- names items that can be counted: one telephone, three speeches. Non-Count Nouns- such as water, anger, courage, and knowledge. Page 107

Verb Forms

Page 711

A Summary of Verb Tenses

Page 713

Sentence Fragments

Phrases or incomplete sentences missing either a subject, predicate, or a complete thought. Jessica speaks Spanish fluently. She also reas French well. The college is install a furnace to heat the library. I plan to transfer next semster to live closer to home. Robert. E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant met on April 9, 1865, bringing an end to the Civil War. Linda was reluctant to go our alone at night. She was unwilling to walk across campus from the library. Kyle was determined to do well on his math exam. He studied during every available hour. Annie has always wanted to become an orthopedist - that is a bone specialist. The students stared spellbound while the professor lectured. Until Dr. Jonas Salk invented a vaccine, polio was a serious threat to public health. The 800 area code for toll-free dialing is overused. New codes-888 and 877- have been added. My contemporary fiction instructor assigned a novel by Stephen King, whose work I admire. The dodo is an extinct bird. It disappeared in the seventeeth century. Page 729

Clauses as Modifiers

The baseball that flew into the stands was caught by a fan. When the exam was over, I knew I had earned an A.

Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

The contestant smiled delightedly. Pretending to be surprised, he greeted the guests. The mayor angrily chided the pedestrians for jaywalking. The press reacted with horror to the story leaked from the Pentagon. In its attempt to portray war accurately, the film depicts a survivor's anguish. The film accurately depicts a survivors's anguish, in its attempt to portray war realistically. After Kelly sang a thrilling balled, the crowd surged towards the stage. Laying an average of ten eggs a day, his prize chickens give the neighboring farmer reason to be proud of his henhouse. Hoping to get a message from outerspace, scientists have built a huge telescope.

Pronoun Problems

The hip-hop radio station battle the alternative rock station for the highest ratings. Eventually, the alternative rock station won. On the Internet, a blog claimed that an asteroid would collide with the earth. When political scientists study early political cartoons, they gain insight into historical events. In Florida, people often talk about hurricane threats of previous years. He became so depressed that he was unable to get out of bed. The stock market's rapid rise mad stocks appear to be an attractive investment. Lake-effect storms hit cities along the Great Lakes. These storms make winter travel treacherous. Innovative codes are important because they are hard to break. A country ar war must be able to convey information to military personnel. That need for communication is always a challenge. Because of the importance of the information, it must often be transmitted secretly. Military strategists use codes for these transmissions because encoded messages baffle the enemy. "Invisible ink," which can not be seen until the paper is heated, wasonce a popular way to communicate secretly. Lemon juice and vinegar are good choices for invisible ink becayse they are invisble unless burned. During World War II, U.S. government code specialist hired Navajo Indians becayse Navajo is a difficult and little-studied language. Early code writing involved substituting letters throughou the message. Because these cryptograms are so simple, they are no longer used to transmit messages. Its complexity was an enormous problem for the Allied forces. Alan Turing, a British civil servant and mathmatical genius, finally solved the Enigma code. Page 743-44

Mixed Constructions

The marathon is twenty-six miles long, which is why I have never finished it. The most valued trait in an employee is loyalty. Rising health-care costs decrease the number of people that can afford health insurance. Gravitation is the attraction of one body for another. Indigestion is the inability to digest food. I enjoy jogging because it provides me outdoor exercise. Internships are valuable because they give students real-world experiences. Many interns earn college credit for their work, but they also gain practical experience and important contacts. Surveys show that college graduates who intern receive higher salary offers than their classmates who do not. Students must be careful, as all internships are not created equal. The most important qualities in an intern are curiosity and a good work ethic. A good internship provides knowledge and skills in a professional environment. Some companies provide little guidance so interns do not learn much from their experience. Other companies may use unpaid interns for free labor instead of hiring full-time employees. The U.S. Department of Labor has strict guidelines that apply to unpaid internships. When companies do not meet these federal requirements, they must pay minimum wage or face lawsuits. Some worry that strict federal standards will cause companies to eliminate internship programs rather than risk any legal problems. Pages 754-55

Phrases as Modifiers

The student in the back raised his hand. Schools should not have the right to mandate community service.

Adjectives and Adverbs

Those pants are awfully expensive. The headlights shone brightly. Our watier looked slow. Our waiter looked slowly around for some menus. Einstein was not a good student. Einstein did not perform well in school. He did badly in the leading roles. The disease was in remission, but the patients were not yet well. The produce was crisp and really fresh. The company is not doing anything to promote its incentive plan. No one under eighteen can vote in the presidential election. Athletics sportswear is not uncommon as casual attire. This is a unique solution to the pollution problem. For sending correspondence and documents, the Internet works more efficiently than the postal service. The catcher sustained the most crippling knee injury of his career. The hypothesis must be clearer. Wikipedia is probably the most popular reference source in the world. The site is an open source, online encyclopedia where anyone can contribute, even if he or she writes badly or inaccurately. Wikipedia has many advantages that reflect well on it as source. There is nothing more convenient for getting information really quickly. In a way, encyclopedias are unique because websites can grow to include any subject that anyone finds interesting. Wikipedia relies heavily on the knowledge and interests of millions of people, rather than on the choices of a small group of experts. The site has some real downsides too. Some of the information on Wikipedia can be awfully inaccurate. Many teachers and professors don't allow students to use Wikipedia for research. When students rely entirely on the site, their papers usually don't get good grades. If they choose to use the site, students should make it more clear to their professors that they have researched their subjects thoroughly. Pages 756-759

Modifiers

Words (adjectives or adverbs), phrases, or clauses that describe or limit another part of the sentence (noun, pronoun, very, phrase, or clause) Page 202

Pronoun Case

Yolanda and I graduate from high school last year. The mayor presented the citizenship award to Mr. Alvarez and me. The leader is he. The best singer in the group is she. If we hikers frighten them, the bears may attack. The older children never paid attention to us kindergartners. Diedre is a better athlete than I (am). The coach likes her better than (he likes) me. She photocopied the article. Who photocopies the article? To whom is that question addressed? It is addressed to him. Aphra Behn's Oronooko dramatizes the life of a slave who came from African royalty. The leader whom we seek must unite the community. His moralizing has never been welcome. Teenagers across the United States watched her singing on American Idol. The professor discovered their cheating on the final exam. Cave explorers, who are called spelunkers, sometimes find underground rooms no one has seen before. Whoever discovers a large cave is usually able to attract tourist. Much of Kentucky's Mammoth Cave was explored in the 1830s by Stephen Bishop, a slave who worked as a cave guide. Few spelunkers today are better known that he. Following the success of Mammoth Cave, many Kentucky cavers hoped to make a fortune from their spelunking. Floyd Collins was one Kentucky native who searched his property for caves. In January 1925, a falling rock trapped Collins and they worked unsuccessfully to free his trapped leg. For several days, he was the most famous man in Kentucky. The plea to rescue Floyd Collins was answered by whoever could travel to rural Kentucky. Their failing to save Collins was a terrible tragedy for his family and the rescuers. Page 747-750

Verb Tense

expresses time, past, present, future Simple Tense- indicates whether an action occurs in the present, past, or future. Perfect Tense- indicates that the action was or will be finished by the time of some other action. Progressive Tense- indicates that the action does, did, or will continue. Page 712

Thesis Statment

the main point of an essay. usually expressed in a single sentence that should be supported with evidence. should accomplish three goals: 1. introduce your narrow topic 2. reveal what your essay is about 3. state the point you will make about that topic Page 119

Transitions

words or phrases used to connect ideas together see chart on Page 149