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Academic WritingFormalities

ENGLCOM V28Austria|Tan|Mendiola|Duana|Tanaka|Tabing

June 21, 2012

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What will be tackled in this presentation

1. Formalities in Academic Language

2. Fragments

3. Run-On Sentences

4. Active Verbs

5. Passive and Active Comparison

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FragmentsPrepped by Claudine Mendiola

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Examples: For Incomplete Sentences:

Fragment: She needs to move schools. Becauseshe failed too many subjects

Possible Revision: She needs to move schoolsbecause she failed too many subjects

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Examples For No Subjects:

Fragment: By taking down notes and studying forevery test.

Possible Revision: By taking down notes andstudying for every test, she got a high grade for thatsubject.

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Examples: For No Main Verbs or Predicates:

Fragment: A team that has passion

Possible Revision: A team that has passion willhave a higher chance of winning the league.

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A RUN-ON SENTENCE (sometimes called a "fusedsentence") has at least two parts, either one ofwhich can stand by itself (in other words, twoindependent clauses), but the two parts have been

smooshed together instead of being properlyconnected.

When two independent clauses are connected

by onlya comma, they constitute a run-on sentencethat is called a comma-splice.

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Comma Splicing

a comma splice is the attempt to jointwo independent clauses with acomma, but without a coordinator.

When two independent clauses arenext to each other, you have only two

choices: you can either join them, oryou can separate them.

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Comma Splicing1. To join two independent clauses, you must use acoordinator. The coordinators are the correlatives andthe coordinating conjunctions.

2. To separate two independent clauses, you must usesome form of end-stop punctuation. Here are all of yourpossible choices: the period [.], the exclamation point[!], the question mark [?], and the semicolon [;].

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Example: Run-on sentences happen typically under the following

circumstances:

When an independent clause gives an order or

directive based on what was said in the prior

independent clause:

This next chapter has a lot of difficult information in it,

you should start studying right away.

(We could put a period where that comma is and start a

new sentence. A semicolon might also work there.)

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Example: When two independent clauses are connected

by a transitional expression (conjunctive

adverb) such as however, moreover,

nevertheless.

Mr. Nguyen has sent his four children to ivy-league

colleges, however, he has sacrificed his health

working day and night in that dusty bakery.

(Again, where that first comma appears, we could

have used either a period and started a new

sentence or a semicolon.)

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Example: When the second of two independent clauses

contains a pronoun that connects it to the first

independent clause.

This computer doesn't make sense to me, it came

without a manual.

(Although these two clauses are quite brief, and the

ideas are closely related, this is a run-on sentence.

We need a period where that comma now stands.)

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Sources:Blue, T. (2000, August 11). Retrieved June 20, 2012,from Grammar Tips Web Site: http://

grammartips.homestead.com/splice.html

Houghton , H. M. (1999). Sentence sense: a writer.Retrieved from http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/

grammar/runons.htm

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/

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Active Verbs vs. Passive

VerbsPrepped by Aiko Tanaka and Joe Tabing

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Active Verbs The actions of a subject are performed by

active verbs.

Active verbs are used when one wants toemphasize an action or to create interestin a sentence.

Active verbs give an order to the

sentence.

Active verbs are commonly used inspeeches

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Comparison to Passive

Active voice- The voice in which thesubject is the PERFORMERS the verb.

Passive voice- The voice in which thesubject is the RECEIVER of the action.

Active:Performer::Passive:Receiver

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Example:1. We did not write on the wall.

2. My sister dropped my laptop.

3. I made the dinner yesterday night.

Passive Comparison:

1. The writing on the wall was not written by us.

2. My laptop was dropped by my sister.

3. The dinner yesterday night was made by me.

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Sources: Jerz, D. G. (2011, April 04). Setonhill, Retrieved

from http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/grammar-and- syntax/active-and-passive-verbs/

http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/grammar-and-http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/grammar-and-http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/grammar-and-http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/grammar-and-http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/grammar-and-http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/grammar-and-http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/grammar-and-