Writing for Multicultural Literature

Writing for Multicultural Literature What Not To Do

“Stuff” to Avoid • Second-Person Pronouns (you, your, yours, we, us, our, ours) – Avoid the overuse of these. • Contractions • Rhetorical Questions? • Clichés (tried and true) • Poor Word Choice (get/got/getting/gotten, stuff, very, extremely, so, thing, there is, there are, lots, a lot) WHAT IS THE EXCEPTION?

Serious Writing Errors • Comma Splice/Run-On • Fragment • Apostrophe Error • Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Error • Homonym Error • Subject-Verb Agreement Error • Passive Voice

Comma Splice/Run-On (C. Splice/Run-On) Definition—Combining two complete sentences with a) no punctuation or b) a comma. Example: We went to the store, we wanted to buy some chips.

Four Ways to Fix a RO/CS 1. Insert a period. We went to the store. We wanted to buy some chips. 2. Add a comma (if necessary) and conjunction. We went to the store, and we wanted to buy some chips. 3. Insert a semicolon. We went to the store; we wanted to buy some chips. 4. Use a conjunctive adverb. We went to the store; therefore, we wanted to buy chips. Common conjunctive adverbs - accordingly, furthermore, moreover, similarly, also, hence, namely, still, anyway, however, nevertheless, then, besides, incidentally, next, thereafter, certainly, indeed, nonetheless, therefore, consequently, instead, now, thus, finally, likewise, otherwise, undoubtedly, further, meanwhile.

Fragments (FRAG) Definition: An incomplete sentence EX: Coach Dietz exemplified this behavior by walking off the field in the middle of a game. Leaving her team at a time when we needed her.

How to Correct an FRAG • Combine the fragment with another sentence: Coach Dietz exemplified this behavior by walking off the field in the middle of a game, leaving her team at a time when we needed her. • Add a subject and/or verb to the fragment: She left her team at a time when we needed her.

APOSTROPHES Definition: Punctuation used to show possession or to replace letters in contractions. EX: • This is Mike’s new car. • Please don’t leave me here.

Common Apostrophe Errors C. Using improper contractions ---Wrong: Your going to be in trouble. Right: You're going to be in trouble. ---Wrong: He let's his son run wild. Right: He lets his son run wild. D. Pluralizing Names ---DO NOT ADD AN APOSTROPHE a. The Smith family = the Smiths b. The Jones family = the Joneses (Add -es to pluralize words that already end in s; the same is true with family names.) ---Notice: NO APOSTROPHES ARE NEEDED TO PLURALIZE NAMES

Common Apostrophe Errors E. Making Plural Names Possessive • Follow the same rules for other possessive plurals: an apostrophe after the final s. • A house owned by all the Smiths is the Smiths' house. • A car owned by all the Joneses is the Joneses' car. • A dog owned by the Garn family is the Garns' dog. F. Making Singular Names That End in –s Possessive • Treat them the same as any other singular word: add 's to make them possessive. • James has a web page, so it is James's web page. • Charles has a computer; it is Charles's computer. • Travis has a cow that we call Travis's cow. • To make a singular word possessive, just add 's.

PRONOUN-ANTECEDENTAGREEMENT Definition: A pronoun usually refers to something earlier in the text (its antecedent) and must agree in number — singular/plural — with the thing to which it refers. EX: • Every passenger was required to show his or her ticket. • Any student who wishes to be excused should raise his or herhand.

Common Pronoun Errors • The indefinite pronouns anyone, anybody, everyone, everybody, someone, somebody, no one, and nobody are always singular. The same is true of either and neither, which are always singular even though they seem to be referring to two things. EX: Everybody grab their coats. Someone has left their bag on the floor.

Pronouns 1. Choosing between the various forms of the pronoun who: who, whose, whom, whoever, whomever. Note: It might be useful to compare the forms of who to the forms of the pronouns he and they. Their forms are similar:

Pronouns Subject Form Possessive Form Object Form Singular he his him who whose whom Plural they their them who whose whom

Pronouns 1. Who do you think is responsible? (Do you think he is responsible?) 2. Whom shall we ask to the party? (Shall we ask him to the party?) 3. Give the box to whomever you please. (Give the box to him.) 4. Whoever shows up first will win the prize. (He shows up first.)

Passive Voice (P. Voice/PV) A “to be” verb + a past tense verb = passive voice (It’s a style issue NOT a grammar issue.) • am hated • is instructed • are stolen • was eaten • were killed • be • being • been • It is cleaned. (This is passive voice. – Who cleaned it?) • John cleaned it. (Give the action to the person who actually cleaned it by putting them in the subject position of the sentence. – This is active voice. ) • **As a rule, you should limit your use of to be verbs in your writing (whether active or passive). • **To correct passive voice, you’ll need to reword the sentence to put it into active voice; it’s not as easy as replacing the verb.

Passive Voice Examples DO NOT DO THIS IN YOUR WRITING. • It is cleaned. • It was cleaned. • It will be cleaned. • It has been cleaned. • It had been cleaned. • It will have been cleaned.

Special notes: • It is best to avoid the overuse of the following verbs as well to make your essays sound more sophisticated. - has, have, had, could, should, would, may, might, must, do, does, did Ex. She had been thinking about the boy all the time. (BAD) She thought about the boy all the time. (GOOD) She has a red car. (BAD) The red car belongs to her. (GOOD)

Writing for Multicultural Literature