Grammar Power Point

Grammar Power Point Response to Writing Diagnostic November 16, 2005

Transparent Pedagogy – My Rationale and Objectives • Practice for your mid-session and final exams • Help you add to your heuristic (I have a tendency to…) • Realize how long it takes to compose this assignment

Portions of this Grammar Presentation is Brought to you by… • Troyka, Lynn Quitman, ed. Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers. 3rd ed. Toronto: Prentice Hall, 2002.

Your mission was to use the following: • Question • Semi-colon • Colon (list) • Incorporate a quote • Use a signal phrase • Specify what “this” is • Identify the work • Try using the dash

Welcome to the Dash—Highly Addictive! • The dash, or a pair of dashes, lets you interrupt a sentence to add information. Such interruptions can fall in the middle or at the end of a sentence.

The Dash… • Using a dash or dashes to emphasize the following: • 1. An example • 2. A definition • 3. An appositive (a word or group of words that renames a preceding noun or noun phrase) • 4. Contrast • 5. An aside

Think of using the dash in the following ways: • It’s a way of saying, “hey look at this!”. • It’s very dramatic • It’s not very subtle • Don’t overuse the dash—your writing may become sloppy

Example • Urban centres in Canada—Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver—share problems of crime and prostitution in core areas.

Definition • These Michael Ondaatje texts on which I am writing—In the Skin of a Lion, The English Patient, Running in the Family—address a central theme of loss.

Appositive • We should model ourselves after our national animal—the beaver—because of its hard-work ethic.

Contrast • Could Mrs. Dalloway be the most pleasurable—or the most painful—text you will ever read in your life?

Parentheses • Let writers interrupt a sentence’s structure to add various kinds of information • Like dashes, in setting off extra or interrupting words • Unlike dashes, which tend to make interruptions stand out, parentheses tend to de-emphasize what they enclose (more like a slight nudge to your reader)

Parentheses continued… • Use sparingly • Overuse can be very distracting for your readers (I’m serious)

Colon Review • Using a colon after an independent clause to introduce a list or a quotation. • After phrases such as the following, or as follows • A colon is NOT CALLED FOR with words such as or including • INDEPENDENT CLAUSE aka FULL SENTENCE

Colon • In this narrative, he poses a question of identity to his readers: How does one feel to be different? • This narrative dives into the life and mind of an Aboriginal who identifies himself as an ‘Occasion’: half Ojibway and half Caucasian.

As we assume for the moment that love develops in three distinct stages: (1) a realisation (2) a physical connection—stating you love that person (3) taking love into an emotional and spiritual form. It can be argued that love develops in three stages: a realisation; a physical connection—stating you love that person; taking love into an emotional form. Pull in the text and be in dialogue-examples, colon, semi-colon

Raising the question • Jamaica Kincaid also displays the role of a respectable woman in society that is expected to perform a certain role when she writes, “You mustn’t speak to wharf-rat boys, not even to give directions; […] this is how to give directions; […] this is how to set a table for lunch; […] this is how to smile to someone you don’t like at all.” So, should we fill the roles that society expects of us, or should we live life by what we want to do and what our hearts tell us?

These orders raise the question… • Jamaica Kincaid also displays the role of a respectable woman in society that is expected to perform a certain role when she writes, “You mustn’t speak to wharf-rat boys, not even to give directions; […] this is how to give directions; […] this is how to set a table for lunch; […] this is how to smile to someone you don’t like at all” (477). These orders raise the question: Should we fill the roles that society expects of us, or should we live life by what we want to do and what our hearts tell us?

The strict directions given to the person revolve around household duties she is to follow; from how to wash the clothes—to the proper techniques of sewing as well as how to concoct cold medicine. The strict directions given to the person revolve around how to perform various household duties: how to wash clothes; how to sew; how to concoct cold medicine. List – colon / semi-colon

This piece really helps—I feel—to exemplify how a parental figure may be the most difficult to resist because of its constant presence and authority. This piece demonstrates how a parental figure is the most difficult to resist, because of its constant presence and authority. Concision

The mother’s voice in this writing is constantly offering information such as, “this is how you sweep a house”… The mother constantly offers advice to her daughter: “this is how you sweep a house”… Weave in quote & be concise

The story speaks to me in a way where I can see an unhappy woman or a woman falling into a basic routine—the typical housewife. The short story shows an unhappy woman trapped in a basic routine—the life of a conventional housewife. Dash – Definition

Smooth incorporation of title • Exploring my Scottish birth also causes an awkward situation—I was talking with a Scotsman the other day and when I mentioned I was born in Scotland he told me, “Prove it. Let’s see your birth certificate.” Drew Hayden Taylor has similar problems getting others to understand his cultural background as he explains in “Pretty Like a White Boy: The Adventures of a Blue Eyed Ojibway.”

Dash to illustrate funny thoughts • His funny thoughts—that he chooses “food and big tits” (100) for values he takes from his white background—are meant to break the ice and get his audience laughing.

The narrative is basically a list of societal expectations of a ‘proper’ girl; a constant torrent of instructions to force an identity to conform to a severe, unforgiving shape. The narrative contains a list of societal expectations—a constant torrent of instruction—thrust upon a girl to be proper; this list aims to conform her to a severe and unforgiving shape. Word choice – improper semi-colon use

Demonstrating textual support / providing supporting evidence / clarifying ‘this’ • She wants nothing but him, and without him life can hold absolutely nothing. Auden shows the reader this despair in the final stanza: The stars are not wanted now: put out every one; Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun; Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood; For nothing now can ever come to any good.

Drew Hayden Taylor is a card-carrying Indian; but he is half white. Being half Indian and half white Taylor realizes the “fact that physically (he) didn’t fit in” (P.4). Drew Hayden Taylor is a card-carrying Indian, but he is half Caucasian. Being half Indian and half Caucasian, Taylor recalls when he left the Reserve the “fact that physically [he] didn’t fit in” (97). Weaving in quote / changing of pronoun / semi-colon / recalls

Concise / bring it in / be to the point / weave in quote • In Drew Hayden Taylor’s “Pretty Like a White Boy: The Adventures of a Blue Eyed Ojibway” he uses humour to draw the readers in and assists them on relating and understanding Taylor’s point of view. In his article, he writes as if the reader was right in front of him, having an every-day conversation. His second paragraph starts off with “Yes, I’m afraid it’s true,” a blunt tone, sprinkled with a dash of humour.

Concise / bring it in / be to the point / weave in quote • Drew Hayden Taylor, in his article, uses humour to engage his audience in a discussion on his identity. He takes a casual approach to his writing style. For instance, he opens his second paragraph,—where he discloses that he is aboriginal—“Yes, I’m afraid it’s true.”

Concise / mention page #s • A situation where Taylor experienced racism was when a cab driver labeled Indians drunk. (p 13, line 6) The narrator responded with situational irony giving the cab driver a “dime tip” and offering to be an “undercover agent for one of the Native political organizations” Taylor used humor in line 6 to lighten up the situation, though racism being a serious one.

Concise / mention page #s • Taylor recalls a racist experience in a cab when the driver labeled Indians drunk (99). Ironically, Taylor responds by giving the cab driver “a dime tip.” He then comments that by the number of experiences like the cab incident, “[he’d] make a great undercover agent for one of the Native political organizations” (99). Here, Taylor uses humour to lighten up a situation where he experienced racism.

It loosens the mood of the text at the very start and displays the themes of his work by relating Kermit to Native tradition and by relating Kermit’s quote, “It’s Not Easy Being Green” to his own life. By Taylor using Kermit the Frog in his introductory paragraph, he loosens the mood of the text at the very start and displays the theme of his work. He applies Kermit to Native tradition by relating Kermit’s quote, “It’s Not Easy Being Green” to his own life. Incorporation of a quote

Dash • His use of wit to create a comical essay almost disguises the fact that he is concerned about how he is viewed as half Native—as well as half Caucasian—by others.

Challenging the narrator or narrative / raising doubt / showing its faults / raising a question • Despite all these instructions and advice about life, there are doubts in this short story. Surely not all things in life can be taught? For example, Kincaid mentions the way “to love a man” (477). Undoubtedly, there is no such thing in life as the right way to love a man.

In writing a love poem we also often see that the writer wants every one in the world to know about their love – or their broken heart – in order to give it validity and prolong the feeling it gave them. Auden obviously uses this method in the lines, “Let aeroplanes circling moaning overhead / Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead.” In writing love poetry, writers often want everyone in the world to know about their love—or their broken heart—in order to give it validity and prolong their feelings it gave them. Auden clearly illustrates this trait in the lines, “Let aeroplanes circling moaning overhead / Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead.” This / textual support / remember: “their” is plural

Signal phrase / concise / integrating the quotation into the body of your writing • The reader is first introduced to Taylor’s writing, immediately they become aware of his humorous personality. By comparing himself to Kermit the frog, Taylor is showing his audience that he is a funny person. Taylor mentions the famous song by Kermit, “It’s not Easy Being Green,” and then he parallels it by saying that if he sang his would be “It’s Not Easy Having Blue Eyes in a Brown Eyed Village.” That is hilarious.

Revised version… • The reader immediately becomes aware of his humorous personality by his comparison of himself to Kermit the Frog. Taylor mentions Kermit’s famous song, “It’s Not Easy Being Green,” and then he suggests that if he were to sing the song it would be, “It’s Not Easy Having Blue Eyes in a Brown Eyed Village.” This is hilarious.

In today’s society we have many stereotypes about aboriginal people and Taylor uses humour and comedy to show us how (almost) juvenile it is to have stereotypes. For instance, what an Aboriginal should look like. Or how they should, where they should live—… In contemporary society many stereotypes exist about Aboriginal people; Taylor uses humour to challenge these stereotypes and to expose them for how ignorant they are. For instance, he talks at length about the conceptions of what an Aboriginal should look like. Semi-colon / concise

Seven Co-ordinating conjunctions (remember the acronym, FANBOYS)-connects words, phrases, and clauses • For • And • Nor • But • Or • Yet • So

Co-ordinating conjunction • These commands are continuous throughout the story. By using the semicolon, Kincaid implies a never-ending list of duties. The narrator barely takes a breath as she spews out this list, and the reader is left feeling overwhelmed.

The whole article is full of warnings and instructions to the daughter. “Don’t walk barehead in the hot sun; … ; don’t eat fruits on the street – flies will follow you.” These sentences what starts with “don’t” are the warnings given by the mother and they include the life at home and the school life. The whole article is full of a mother’s warnings and instructions to her daughter—that start with “don’t”—such as, “Don’t walk barehead in the hot sun” and “don’t eat fruits on the street—flies will follow you.” Concise – such as,

In addition, the last stanza has illustrated the pain without her love. Her love is her whole world and everything. The last stanza illustrates the pain that she feels due to the loss of her love. [PUT QUOTE HERE] Her love is her whole world, and this sentiment is evident in the poem’s final line, “For nothing now can ever come to any good.” Textual support

Women may not want to believe they were pushed around or so to say brainwashed by men, but—”this IS how a man bullies you.” Women may not want to believe they were pushed around—or brainwashed—by men, but the text reminds its readers of the abuse: “this ishow a man bullies you” (477 italics, my emphasis). (98 italics, my emphasis)

The entire excerpt is a continuous list; and it shows the answers to how one should act, how one should behave, and how one should look. These expectations, or even commands, are evident such as the following: … The entire work is a continuous list; it poses the answer for how a girl should act, behave, and look. These expectations—or rather commands—are evident in the following orders: Semi-colon – dash

This… • My parents always preached to me the importance of being the only son of the family, and how I had to carry on my family name with honor, which is an old Chinese tradition. This honor was in the form of finding a good wife, getting a respectable and well-paying job, and not doing anything foolish which could bring shame on the family name.

Title in the opening / incorporation of a line • In W.H. Auden’s poem, “Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,” the meaning of love is explored through the death of a loved one. • While the act of loving is moving, it is the separation of lovers over which tears are shed. To the speaker in the poem, her lover was “[her] working week and [her] Sunday rest” and without him “nothing now can ever come to any good.”

This / parenthesis • In the case of Taylor, this individual would be Kermit the Frog—a seemingly odd choice, but one that makes sense. The reason for Kermit being a defining individual in his life is, as Taylor states, “It’s Not Easy Having Blue Eyes in a Brown Eyed Village.”

Semi-colon – connecting thoughts • To a girl, these roles seem vast and important; there are so many to remember and do.

This information generally seems to be directed solely at the female gender; the narrative comments “don’t squat down to play marbles—you are not a boy, you know.” This information is directed solely at the girl; the mother orders her daughter, “don’t squat down to play marbles—you are not a boy, you know.” Verb choice / signal phrase / be firm

Semi-colon • Their love means everything to them; the aftermath of the loss of love feels like their souls are dying out—”the stars are not wanted now: put out everyone.” • …;thus, when love dies, it is as the life of the soul wants to die as well. The speaker utters this despair, “the stars are not wanted now: put out everyone.”

Grammar Power Point