Clarity and Efficiency: How Syntax and Grammar Aid Plain Style

1. Clarity and Efficiency:How Syntax and Grammar Aid Plain Style • “Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.” • --William Strunk, Jr. Process--Sandwiching Sentence Logic Techniques to avoid common errors Commas! and other punctuation. Looking Forward

2. Key: Drafting Process 1. Problem Identification: Who is your audience? What do they know? What do they need to know? What effect do you want to have? 2. Research: What do you know? What do you need to know? What is the credible information you can use to make an engaging and ethical case? 3. Planning: What information do you have? How can it be organized? What strategies can you use to plan—outlining, flow chart, talking through, etc.? 4. Drafting: Get words on paper. Remember that these words are not (or should not be) what you turn in. Writing is a process of thinking. Embrace not being sure what you are saying.

3. Planning: Avoiding plagiarism and collusion • “’Plagiarism’ includes, but is not limited to, the appropriation of, buying, receiving as a gift, or obtaining by any means material that is attributable in whole or in part to another source without any indication of the original source, including words, ideas, illustrations, structure, computer code, and other expression or media, and presenting that material as one’s own academic work being offered for credit or in conjunction with a program course or degree requirements.” • --UT Honor Code • --can be intentional or unintentional • --can be caused by poor paraphrasing • --can check using turnitin

4. Planning: Avoiding plagiarism and collusion • “’Collusion’ includes, but is not limited to, unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing academic assignments offered for credit, and collaboration with another person to commit a violation of any section of the rules on academic dishonesty.” • “’Misrepresenting facts for academic advantage’ to the University or an agent of the University or The University of Texas System includes, but is not limited to, providing false grades or résumés; providing false or misleading information in an effort to receive a postponement or an extension on a test, quiz, or other assignment for the purpose of obtaining an academic or financial benefit for oneself or another individual; and providing false or misleading information in an effort to injure another student academically or financially.”

5. Avoiding Academic Dishonesty(from the Dean of Students) • “…you and other students are expected to maintain absolute integrity and a high standard of individual honor in scholastic work undertaken at the University…. At a minimum, you should complete any assignments, exams, and other scholastic endeavors with the utmost honesty, which requires you to: • acknowledge the contributions of other sources to your scholastic efforts; • complete your assignments independently unless expressly authorized to seek or obtain assistance in preparing them; • follow instructions for assignments and exams, and observe the standards of your academic discipline; and • avoid engaging in any form of academic dishonesty on behalf of yourself or another student.”

6. Key: Revision Process 5. STRUCTURAL REVISION Big picture revision requires putting the key ideas up front through a new introduction, reorganizing paragraphs as needed, and revised topic sentences to improve paragraph structure. Think sandwiching. 6. SENTENCE-LEVEL EDITING Editing entails rewriting paragraphs, sentences, or phrases to improve clarity and conciseness 7. PROOFREADING Proofreading means identifying common mechanical problems, such as commas.

7. 5. Structural Revision--Sandwiching Delicious, Delicious Topic Sentences (t.s.)

8. Are these satisfying? • The proposed project points to a number of technical problems. • The team will also research ethics and previous designs.

9. Better? • The main technical problems the team will research are sensor parameters, signal strength, and data processing. • We will also research safety and privacy as our key ethical concerns, as well as intellectual property concerns posed by previous solutions to this problem .

10. T. S.—Do not be afraid of specifics • Bob researched the technical requirements of the project, specifically sensor parameters, signal strength, and data processing. • Bobertaresearched safety and privacy as our key ethical concerns, as well as intellectual property concerns posed by previous solutions to this problem.

11. What is the “bottom bun”?

12. What is the “bottom bun”?

13. What is in anIntroduction & Scope Statement? • Introduce your subject • Consider audiences and goals of assignment • State your research topic and central research questions • Relate research to the team’s larger research plan, including what each team member researched (go beyond basic topic) • Give detailed scope statement of key content—sandwich key takeaways

14. What is a good scope statement? • “In my research on teaching hardware skills to high school students, I found that the main concepts we should teach should be the physical aspects of DC circuits, Energy, and Ohm’s Law using a combination of virtual and real labs. For teaching software skills, my source shows that the focus should be in understanding basic program construction, command operations, and loops using a block-based programming environment. Overall, my research showed that our team should strive a balance between technical activities, potential career path workshops, and free time.” • Ask yourself? What are the most important findings. Put those into plain language.

15. Strategies for Structural Revision • 1. Review assignment: What are the constraints and requirements of the paper? How does the paper meet them? • 2. Read aloud: Imagine yourself as a reader. • 3. Reverse Outlining: See what is there, not what you think is there. • 4. Peer Review: Get outside feedback.

16. 6. Sentence-Level Editing

17. Logic of Sentences • subject+ action + modifications • Independent clause (IC) = • Can exist on its own • Dependent clause (DC) = • Cannot exist without IC

18. Grammar: Sentence Structure • Simple sentence—Complete thought, one independent clause: • Draculawrote a paper. • Compound sentence—Two independent clauses joined by conjunction or semicolon: • Draculawrote a paper, and Dr. Frankenstein performed an experiment.

19. Complex sentence—One independent clause and one dependent clause: • Although The Mummy wrote the section by herself, sheworked with a zombie at the writing center to edit the material. • Compound-complex sentences—Two independent clauses joined to one or more dependent clauses: • The Mummywrites the papers, but Mothra, who has an eye for detail, enjoys the editing process.

20. 1. Determine the key action; use that as the verb (7.2) Strategies for Sentence-Level Editing • ex. • Superman made an attempt to create documentation of the problem. (10)

21. Superman documented the problem. (4) • Superman attempted to document the problem. (6)

22. Efficiency of action leads to effectiveness • Readers show a preference for simplicity and do a skimming of difficult material. (13)

23. Readers prefer simplicity and skim difficult material. (7)

24. 2. Make sure you have the right subject to go with the action • Stormwas successful in her attempt to be persuasive to the professor regarding approval of the project.

25. Storm succeeded in persuading the professor to approve the project. • Storm persuaded the professor to approve the project. • Professor X approved the project.

26. 3. State what the subject does, not what it is (7.1) • The surgeon is in vigorous opposition to the procedure to insert a brain in a robot.

27. The surgeon vigorously opposes inserting a human brain in a robot.

28. 4. Reveal the action early • That the software, despite its cost and the time it takes for Werewolves to master, will be beneficial is probable.

29. The software will probably benefit the team, despite the cost and time it will take for Werewolves to master. • The team will probably benefit from the software, despite the cost and time it will take for Werewolves to master.

30. 4. Avoid “It ,” “there,” and “this” constructions. (7.5) • It was believed that the vampires would probably destroy the village.

31. The zombies believed that the vampires would destroy their village. The vampires are unavoidable.

32. The vampires are unavoidable, except during the day.

33. This is the key to solving the problem.

34. Avoid piggybacking sentences • Since vampires are hunting only at night, it is recommended that zombies stay indoors at night. This is the key to solving the problem. There appear to be no other solutions.

35. You should hunt and kill “it,” “this,” and “there” constructions like Van Helsing hunts vampires… • Since vampires hunt only at night, zombies can solve the problem by staying indoors at night. Zombies should purchase their brains during the day. • It is important that you try to avoid sentences that start with “it is important” or “it is essential” or similar constructions. This causes fluff.

36. 5. Give proper credit where it is due. In other words, be active when needed. (6.1)

37. Monsters will need to be researched.

38. Karinawill research monsters.

39. In order to eliminate the possibility of cost overruns, it is necessary to understand the technical details of the monster’s electrical circuits. (22) • Miranda will research the monster’s electrical circuits in order to avoid cost overruns. (13) • In order to eliminate cost overruns, Miranda will research the monsters electrical circuits. (13)

41. 6. Avoid make, do, give, have, provide, and perform (7.4) • The team did research on zombie RFID. • The team gave a briefing on their project to the ant people. • She made her professor grumpy by writing with a lot of words.

42. 7. Avoid smothered verbs: ending in–ion, -ment, -ance, -ence, or -ive (7.3) • Wonder Woman made the announcement that she did an investigation of the incident. • For instance, authorization, extension, suggestive, compliance, investigative, etc.

43. Wonder Woman announced that she investigated the incident. (39%)

44. Limit use of doubled terms (7.9) • i.e. “Your paper will be assessed and evaluated by an alien.” • i.e. “A more thoughtful and considered ranking and ordering of our long-term goals is both necessary and essential.” • Limit use of “not” (6.5, 7.10) • i.e. “did not remember” means “forgot” • i.e. “not only does this sentence annoy, but it also is wordy” • Put lengthy conditions after the main idea (6.6) • i.e. “Even though it is good to vary the style and construction of sentences when you write and starting with a dependent clause can help at times, you should focus on the key idea of each sentence to promote clarity and efficiency.”

45. Commas, who needs them? Grandma, your reader, and you!

46. 1. Use comma to join ICs joined by conjunction: • The Bride of Frankenstein informed her team of her progress, but she was not as clear as she could have been. • 2. Do not use commas with conjunctions joining an IC to a DC: • Frankenstein’s Monster talked to his teammates on Thursday and informed them of his progress.

47. 3. Use commas to set of non-essential DCs from and IC without conjunctions: • “Even in the summer, the Abominable Snowman wears his hair long.” • “The empty castle is haunted by ghosts, which is one reason it is not selling.” • “The empty castle, haunted by ghosts, is now reduced for a quick sale.” • “Dracula, of all the monsters in the world, terrifies me the most.”

48. 4. Use a comma to set off an introductory element: • “Of course, the haunted house is not ideal for everyone.” • “Additionally, some monsters do not get along with ghosts, and they would have to hire the Ghostbusters before moving in.” • (Hint: use “Additionally” instead of “Also” as an introductory phrase)

49. 6. To distinguish between list items (always use the serial or “Oxford” comma): • “We purchased Skittles, Mars Bars, Snickers, and Milky Ways.”