Mastering the Mechanics of Writing

Mastering the Mechanics of Writing Hillary Wentworth Writing Specialist Walden Writing Center

Questions and Recording • Type in the Questions box • Access captioning • Download slides • View recording http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/415.htm

Session Overview • Parts of a sentence • Punctuation • Problem Areas • Grammarly

Parts of a Sentence Subject + verb = sentence Wilson (2012) researched. Now let’s build on that foundation. Verb Subject

Parts of a Sentence Core sentence: Wilson (2012) researched. Wilson (2012) researched student motivation. Wilson (2012) researched student motivation in a higher education setting. Direct object Preposition

Parts of a Sentence Core sentence: Wilson (2012) researched. Because of low state test scores, Wilson (2012) researched student motivation. Types of modifiers: adjectives, adverbs, phrases. Modifier

Consistency Subject-Verb Agreement The number of recent patient falls have inspired Hospital X nurses to seek out greater training in prevention. Cross out everything but simple subject and verb.

Consistency Noun-Pronoun Agreement In the business world, a manager must demonstrate transformative leadership so that they retain employees and remain ethical. 1 2+

Consistency Verbs A student reporting the literature: In his article, Jones (2011) stated that cognitive-behavioral therapy is the most effective approach for bipolar disorder. He writes that counselors can retrain the pathways of the brain. wrote

Consistency Verbs A student discussing proposed research: For this qualitative study, I will use a phenomenological design. This design would allow me to research the lived experiences of coal miners in Ohio. will

Clauses Dependent Clause • phrase with a subject and verb BUT NOT a complete thought • dependent on the core sentence • Common DC signals: although, because, when, whereas, while • Although Jackson and Tudor (2010) found that females perform better at mathematics than males, they acknowledged the limitations of their study.

Clauses Independent Clause • phrase with a subject and verb AND a complete thought • forms the core sentence • Although Jackson and Tudor (2010) found that females perform better at mathematics than males, they acknowledged the limitations of their study.

Poll and Pause

, Punctuation Commas • Serial Comma • Comma that appears right before the and or or in lists of three or more items. • Educators use lesson plans to prepare content, guide instruction, and ensure alignment with standards.

, Punctuation Commas 2. Comma w/ nonessential info • Common signals: which, who, --ing word • The hospital, which treats 200,000 people annually, is located in central Michigan. • The students responded well to the writing prompt, composing stories of two to three pages in length.

, Punctuation Commas • Comma w/ introductory phrase • Despite improvements in the national health indicators, maternal health status remains unsatisfactory. • During the 2008 global financial crisis, retail sales plummeted. • Notice that a comma gets a pause.

, Punctuation Commas 4. Comma joining two independent clauses with a conjunction Conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so I conducted semistructured interviews with each participant, and then I transcribed the recording.

; Punctuation Semicolons Connect two independent clauses: no conjunction needed A counselor uses both verbal and nonverbal communication to judge a client’s well-being; the body often reveals more than the voice does. Common signals: therefore, however

: Punctuation Colons Introduce a list—but only after a complete thought. To obtain Magnet status, hospitals must make continued progress in several areas: standards of service, evidence-based practice, and nurse leadership.

- Punctuation Hyphens Link two words to form a compound adjective (a description) At XYZ Middle School, the sixth-grade students rotate amongst four teachers.

- Punctuation Hyphen Tips Hyphen: All self words: self-esteem, self-conscious, self-analysis No hyphen: Prefixes non, pre, post, anti, semi, co, and more Examples: Nontraditional, pretest, coworker

‘ Punctuation Apostrophes Help show ownership • Jacobsen’s study • Meaning the study by Jacobsen • Students’ pretests • Meaning the pretests of the students • No apostrophe for plural nouns (including year and abbreviations) • In the 1980s, Gardner developed… • ELLs

Poll and Pause Questions?

Common Problem Areas That v. Which • That: Essential to sentence meaning • for instance, when defining one item amongst others. • The article that I read last night was most closely aligned with my own study. • Which: Nonessential info and asides. W/ commas. • The article that I read last night, which spanned 25 pages, was most closely aligned with my own study.

Common Problem Areas That v. Who That: for objects and abstract things The theory that informs my dissertation is Jean Watson’s theory of caring. Who: for people Students who are kinesthetic learners internalize ideas by moving their bodies.

Common Problem Areas Affect v. Effect Affect: action The earthquake in Japan affected the entire world. Effect: Event (hint: it will usually come with the or a.) The effects of Japan’s earthquake will be seen by future generations.

Common Problem Areas Since v. Because Since: time Since I was 10 years old, I have wanted to study public health and work at the CDC. Because: cause-effect relationship Because I want to work at the CDC, I have enrolled in the public health program at Walden University.

Common Problem Areas Clauses Awkward: Use of differentiated instruction, because of recent studies in peer-reviewed journals, is increasing rapidly in middle-school classrooms. Revised: Use of differentiated instruction is increasing rapidly in middle-school classrooms because of recent studies in peer-reviewed journals. Revised: Because of recent studies in peer-reviewed journals, use of differentiated instruction is increasing rapidly in middle-school classrooms.

Common Problem Areas Modifiers The patient went to the clinic with many medical conditions. A clinic with medical conditions? That doesn’t sound good! Revision: The patient with many medical conditions went to the clinic.

Common Problem Areas Lists Not parallel: To obtain Magnet status, hospitals must maintain high standards of service, implement evidence-based practice, and allowing staff input. Parallel: To obtain Magnet status, hospitals must maintain high standards of service, implement evidence-based practice, and allow staff input.

Common Problem Areas Passive Voice Passive: The study participants will be given 20-question Likert-style surveys. Given by whom? Active: I will give the participants 20-question Likert-style surveys.

Poll and Pause

Grammarly • Automated grammar revision tool accessible from the Writing Center website. • Free for Walden students. • Does not “fix” paper; instead, provides instruction that corresponds to errors noted in the writing.

Grammarly Guide: http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/Documents/GrammarandELL/Grammarly_Tutorial.pdf 1. Copy from MS Word document. 2. Paste into Grammarly box [Click “Allow”]. 3. A few minutes later, receive highlighted areas for improvement. Let’s try the program with a sample piece of writing…

Did you know? Webinar Archive

Questions Now: Use the Q&A box onyour screen Later: Email the tutors at writingsupport@waldenu.edu

Mastering the Mechanics of Writing