Punctuation
Punctuation is a collection of marks and signs which break words up into groups and give other useful information to help us write in a good way.
The most common punctuation marks are:
1. full stop . Shows the end of a sentence
2. comma , Shows a short pause in a sentence
3. exclamation mark ! Shows surprise, humour or excitement
4. question mark ? Used to denote a question
5. colon : Used before a list or before giving evidence to prove a point
6. semi-colon ; Shows a longer pause
7. speech mark “ ” Show direct speech/a quotation/to show irony/sarcasm
8. apostrophe ’ Shows a missing letter or possession
9. hyphen and dash - Can be used to show a pause, or to link two words
10. parentheses/brackets ( ) Used around an aside, or less important point
11. Capital letters are also used to help us organise meaning and to structure our writing.
To expand this lesson, go to:
Practice:
April 20
In order to start to write our project, we are going to analyze how a text is written. Let's continue with our model: Cleanup project.
1. Analyze the sections of the text
Each text has main sections; for example, introduction, description of a problem, solution.
Task: Check the Cleanup Project Website and identify each section of the Website. Which is the purpose of each section?
2. Analyze grammatical choices
Each text uses a range of verb tenses, word choices, or grammatical structures that correspond to the genre and purpose of it.
The following are some important tips to improve our writing skills. Please analyze each tip and do the proposed task.
Basic writing tips
Image retrieved from: http://mrsardon.blogspot.com.co/2013/06/chapter-7-be-efficient-and-integrate.html
When we write a composition, it is not enough to have good ideas or persuasive arguments.
It is important to express them correctly.
It is important to express them correctly.
1. Word order: Subject + Verb + Object + Complements (manner - place - time)
I found the book easily at the library yesterday
I found the book easily at the library yesterday
2. Passive voice:
We use the passive for different reasons. We sometimes use it to give focus to something. We can also use it because we don’t know the identity of the ‘doer’ or because it’s not important to know who or what did the action. In addition, we use it to be impersonal and create distance.
We often use passives without agents in academic and technical contexts when the process or actions are more significant than who or what did them:
A sample was taken and injected into a tube.
In this study, children’s eye movements were recorded while they listened to a series of messages.
3. Time expressions can come at the beginning or at the end of a sentence.
Ex: I play tennis at weekends.
Nowadays I live in a small town.
4. Don´t separate the verb from its object.
Practice: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/verb-patterns-with-and-without-objects
5. Frequency adverbs (often, always, never) often come before the main verb.
6. If a sentence has a direct object and an indirect object, we often place the indirect
object first: "She wrote him a letter" ( "She wrote a letter to him", is possible).
7. Some nouns are always followed by a singular verb (everything, news, furniture, information ...)
Some nouns are followed by a plural verb (people, children, police, trousers ...)
Task to post in comments:
Write down in comments examples of each grammar topic found in the story
Task: All these grammar topics are not only used in academic texts, you can also find them in literature. Read the Caterville ghost story in https://www.ego4u.com/en/read-on/literature/canterville-ghost?part1 and analyze the main verb tenses (time) , word order, time expressions, passive voice, etc..
Write down in comments examples of each grammar topic found in the story
Activity prepared by Alejandra Jiménez and adapted by Deisa Gómez
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