Tài liệu Write better essays in just 20 minutes a day part 15 ppt

 Practice 1 Proofread the following paragraph for grammatical mistakes. Make changes to improve the clarity and structure of the sentences as well. Comic relief is important in tragedies, readers need a little relief from all of the sadness in the story. For example, Ham- let. Ophelia had just died. The next seen is with the gravedigger. Who is a very funny character. They dug up a skull and makes along speech about who the skull might have belonged to. Even though its about death. The scene is funny, it lets readers forget about the tragedy for a moment and laugh.  Proofreading for Mechanics Mechanics refers to the standard practices for the presentation of words and sentences, including capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. As with grammar, there are many rules for mechanics, but here we will cover the ones that cause essay writers the most problems. See the Appendix for more thorough grammar and mechanics resources. Capitalization Capitalization is necessary both for specific words and to start sentences and quotes. However, many writers over- use it. Only six occasions require capitalization: 1. the first word of a sentence 2. proper nouns (names of people, places, and things) 3. the first word of a complete quotation, but not a partial quotation 4. the first, last, and any other important words of a title 5. languages 6. the pronoun I, and any contractions made with it Punctuation There are dozens of punctuation marks in the English language. They’re used to separate ideas, form words, and make the meanings of sentence clear. Poor punctuation can confuse your readers and change your intended mean- ing. For example, one comma completely changes the meaning of this short sentence: Don’t call me, stupid! Don’t call me stupid! –PROOFREADING– 137 Here’s a quick punctuation review: IF YOUR PURPOSE IS TO USE THIS PUNCTUATION EXAMPLE end a sentence period[.] Use a period to end a sentence. connect complete sentences semicolon[;] or a comma [,] and A semicolon can connect two a conjunction [and, or, nor, for, sentences; it is an excellent way so, but, yet] to show that two ideas are related. connect items in a list comma [,] but if one or more items The table was overturned, the in that list already has a comma, mattress was torn apart, and the use a semicolon [;] dresser drawers were strewn all over the floor. The castaways included a profes- sor, who was the group’s leader; an actress; and a housewife. introduce a quotation or colon [:] or comma [,] Colons have three functions: explanation introducing long lists, introducing quotations, and introducing expla- nations. He said, “This simply won’t do.” indicate a quotation quotation marks [“ ”] “To be or not to be?” is one of the most famous lines from Hamlet. indicate a question question mark [?] Why are so many engineering students obsessed with Star Trek? connect two words that work hyphen [-] brother-in-law, well-known author together separate a word or phrase for dash [—] I never lie—never. emphasis separate a word or phrase that is parenthesis [( )] There is an exception to every rule relevant but not essential (including this one). information show possession or contraction apostrophe [’] That’s Jane’s car. –PROOFREADING– 138 Spelling Proofreading for spelling errors after you’ve run a spell-check program means looking carefully for real-word errors. If you typed tow instead of two, that mistake is still in your essay, waiting for you to find it. Use the professional proofreading tricks on page 133 (especially numbers 2, 4, and 6) to scan for mistakes.  Practice 2 Proofread the following paragraph for mechanical errors: Compact discs (CDs), which may be found in over 25 million american homes not to mention backpacks and auto- mobiles first entered popular culture in the 1980’s. But there history goes back to the 1960’s, when an Inventor named James Russell decided to create and alternative to his scratched and warped phonograph records, a system that could record, store, and replay music without ever whereing out.  In Short Proofreading is the final step in the writing process. Begin by running spell- and grammar-check programs, being mindful of their shortcomings. Then, using the professional proofreaders’ tips, study your essay for errors in gram- mar. In particular, look out for confused words, agreement mistakes, and run-on sentences and fragments. Finally, check your mechanics. Have you used capital letters and punctuation marks correctly? Are there real-word or other spelling errors that spell check missed? –PROOFREADING– 139 Get a good grammar handbook that includes practice exercises (see the Additional Resources for sug- gestions) and review the rules of grammar and mechanics. Do you remember the pretest at the begin- ning of the book? Note the areas that give you trouble. Work through the appropriate sections of the book to address your weak points. If you tend to write sentence fragments, for example, spend extra time working through the exercises on complete sentences. Skill Building until Next Time . than 25 states, including California, Alaska, North Carolina, and Texas, require a passing grade on an exit exam to be eligible for high school graduation in that list already has a comma, mattress was torn apart, and the use a semicolon [;] dresser drawers were strewn all over the floor. The castaways included