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Patterns for College Writing Chapter 5 - Coggle Diagram
Patterns for College Writing Chapter 5
Editing for Grammar
some grammatical errors are more prevalent than others
focus on editing for the types of grammar one struggles with
Be Sure that Subjects and verbs agree
a singular subject takes one verb
a plural subject takes a plural verb
Be Sure Verb Tenses Are Accurate and Consistent
they should be the same unless they are being referred to two different time periods
Be Sure Pronoun References Are Clear
all pronouns take the places of nouns
they must refer to specific antecedents
pronouns and ancients must agree in number
Be Sure Sentences Are Complete
avoid fragments
Fragments are incomplete sentences
to correct fragments supply the missing part of the sentence
Be Careful Not to Run Sentences Together Without Proper Punctuation
the two run-on sentences are comma splices and fused sentences
comma splices are errors that occur when two independent clauses are connected by just a comma
a fused sentence is an error that occurs when two independent clauses are connected without any punctuation
Be Careful to Avoid Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
Modifiers are words and phrases that describe other words in a sentence
misplaced modifiers appear to modify the wrong word because of incorrect placement
Dangling modifiers "dangle" because they cannot logically describe any word in the sentence
Be Sure Sentence Elements are Parallel
Parallelism is the use of matching grammatical elements to express similar ideas
Faulty parallelism uses items that are not parallel in a context in which parallelism is expected
Editing For Punctuation
Learn When Commas Should Be Used
commas should not be used if a dependent clause follows an independent clause
To separate an introductory phrase or clause from the rest of the sentence
To separate two independent clauses that are joined by a coordinating conjunction
To separate elements in a series
do not use commas to set off restrictive clause
Learn When Semicolons Should Be Used
semicolons separate certain elements of a sentence
they only separate grammatically equivalent sentences
Learn When Apostrophes Should Be Used
Apostrophes have two uses
they indicate missing letters in contradictions
They indicate possession or ownership
Be careful not to confuse contractions with similar sounding possessive pronouns.
Learn When Quotation Marks Should Be Used
Quotation marks are used to set off quoted speech or writing
Commas and periods are always placed before quotation marks.
Colons and semicolons are always placed after quotation marks.
Question marks and exclamation points can go either before or after quotation marks, depending on whether or not they are part of the quoted material.
Learn When Dashes and Colons Should Be Used
Dashes are occasionally used to set off and emphasize information within a sentence
Dashes should be used in moderation for college writing
Colons are used to introduce lists, examples and clarifications
colons should always have a complete sentence follow them
Editing for Sentence Style and Word Choice
sentences should make the essay clear, readable, and convincing
they should be concise and diverse
there should be no clichés
Eliminate Awkward Phrases
remove any awkward phrases that are encountered
check carefully for awkward phrasing
Be Sure That All sentences are Concise
concise sentences are efficient
to make concise sentences repetition, redundancy, empty words and expressions should be deleted
Be Sure Sentences Are Varied
sentence structure should be
varied in length
add long sentences
add short sentences
varied in structure
include Simple Sentences
Include Compound Sentences
Include Compound Complex Sentences
Choose Your Words Carefully
use specific language
Use words that develop specific supporting examples and explanations
avoid clichés
Proofreading The Essay
check for surface errors like
commonly confused words
Misspellings
faulty capitalization
incorrect italic use
typographical errors
Check the Paper's Format
checklist
Format
Spacing
Type Size
Paragraphing
Visuals
Documentation