“Stuff” to Avoid

1. “Stuff” to Avoid • Second-Person Pronouns (you, your, yours) • Contractions • Rhetorical Questions? • Poor Word Choice (get/got/getting/gotten, stuff, very, extremely, so, thing) WHAT IS THE EXCEPTION?

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

3. Comma Splice/Run-On (CS/RO) 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.

4. Three Ways to Fix a RO/CS • 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, because we wanted to buy some chips. 3. Insert a semicolon. We went to the store; we wanted to buy some chips.

5. Practice • Judy leads a charmed life she never seems to have a serious accident. • Mark always knew his way around the woods this is something he could always depend on. • Kimberly sat on the bleachers and cheered for the team, Tom watched her as he vigorously defended the goal. • The professor stated that he especially favors personally connected papers, these papers reflect the most emotion.

6. Fragments (FRG) 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.

7. How to Correct an FRG • 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.

8. Practice 1. Although he had been an often decorated soldier during World War II and had fought many battles for the losing cause of liberalism in Congress. 2. Perplexed by the rising rates of inflation and alarmed by the decline in major construction projects. 3. Working far into the night in an effort to salvage her little boat.

9. 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.

10. Common Apostrophe Errors A. Mixing up it's and its ---Wrong: The dog wagged it's tail. Right: The dog wagged its tail. ---Wrong: Each program has it's own quirks. Right: Each program has its own quirks. B. Pluralizing words with apostrophes ---Wrong: Piano's for Sale! Right: Pianos for Sale! ---Wrong: I design web site's. Right: I design web sites.

11. 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

12. 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.

13. PRACTICE • The Prestons have four girls in their family. 2. Each computer has its own quirks. 3. Travis antics offended the Taggarts. 4. The judges decision is final.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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:

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

18. 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.)

19. PRACTICE 1.  My grandmother really loved Juan. She left all her money to Federico and _______ . hehim 2.  A student in that all-women's college should have no fears about ________ future. hertheir 3.  He was so worried about ________ he should ask to the big dance, that he ended up not asking anyone. whowhom 4.  Neither Tashonda nor _____ am responsible for this mess. Ime 5.  This is a matter for you and _______ to decide. Ime. 6.  Everybody in this class has completed ________ homework already. his or hertheir 7.  No one on this bus seems to know ______ way around this part of New York City. theirhis or her

20. 1. Either the classrooms or the auditorium must have _________ floor refinished. theirits 2. Every coat on this rack has outlived _________ usefulness. itstheir 3. Tate George scored in the final two seconds, and the crowd roared ________ approval. theirits 4. When the committee submitted _________ four versions of the document, it was clear to us that the committee members had acted as individuals, not as a group. itstheir 5. Saul's brother left the matter entirely up to _______ and _______ . he --- Ihim --- Ihe --- mehim --- me 6. _____ voters must learn to vote in our own self interest. WeUs 7. The voters have chosen _______ and _______ to be their representatives. she --- heher --- him 8. He didn't seem to care much about ______ voters. weus 9. I'm very tall, but guess what! My sister is taller than _____ . meI 10. At first, I wanted to split the money between Jo-Jo and ________ . I ended up giving the money to ___________ . myself --- meme --- myself I --- myself