Grammar & AP Style Review
Today…
Grammar Review
AP Style
Writing Process
Word Choice
Check the spelling and meaning of your words
It’s/itsAffect/effect
See page 117 in your textbook
What’s wrong with these statements?
The building was totally destroyed.
Their traditions are completely unique.
Both President Obama and Vice President Biden will attend.
Avoid redundant words and empty phrases.
Be a wordsmith.
What’s wrong with this statement?
We were required to write a persuasive letter to raise money for a charity. You were graded on
your application of persuasive writing principles.
Shift in Point of View
We were required to write a persuasive letter to raise money for a charity. We were graded on
our application of persuasive writing principles.
You were required to write a persuasive letter to raise money for a charity. You were graded on
your application of persuasive writing principles.
Point of View
First PersonEmphasizes the writer
Second PersonEmphasizes the reader
Third PersonEmphasizes the subject
What about this one?
She and her friends is at the fair.
The books is in the drawer.
Subject-Verb Agreement
In the present tense, verbs agree with their subject in number and person.
Back to our example:
She and her friends is at the fair.She and her friends are at the fair.
The books is in the drawer.The books are in the drawer.
The book is in the drawer.
Active/Passive Voice
As a rule, use active verbs to express meaning more vigorously
(A)A surge of power was responsible for the destruction of the pumps.
(B) A surge of power destroyed the pump.(C) The pumps were destroyed by a surge of
power.
Active/Passive Voice
(A) Burying nuclear waste in Antarctica violates an international treaty.
(B) Burying nuclear waste in Antarctica would be a violation of an international treaty.
Active/Passive Voice
(A)The debris was removed from the construction site.
(B) The contractor removed the debris from the construction site.
Other Grammar Issues to Review
Irregular VerbsAdjectives/Adverbs
Using ModifiersSentence Fragments and Run-On Sentences
See Handout
AP Style
Abbreviations & Acronyms
Abbreviate Gov., Lt. Gov., the Rev., Sen., Rep., Dr., Mr., Mrs., and Ms. before a person’s nameUse the context of the sentence as a guide for
abbreviationsIn running text, use AP abbreviations for states
not postal abbreviationsAvoid alphabet soup
Addresses
Use figures in addressesEx: 605 Woodside Drive
Abbreviate Ave., Blvd,. & St., and direction cues when used with a numbered address
Ex: 101 N. Grant St.If the street is a number 1-9 spell out, 10th or
higher use figuresEx: 101 First St./101 S. 10th St.
Ages
Always use figures for agesThe girl, 9, has a brother, 13. The student is 21 years old.
When an age is an adjective or substitute for a noun, then it should be hyphenated
A 21-year-old student…Do not use apostrophes when describing an age range
He is in his 30s.
Books, Periodicals, Compositions
Use quotation marks: books, songs, movies, TV shows, computer games, etc.
“Breaking Bad”, “Suit and Tie”, “Candy Crush”
Do not use quotation marks: magazine, newspapers, the Bible, or books that are catalogue reference materials
The Washington Post, the Bible
No italics
Dates, Months, Years, Days of Week
Capitalize days of week but do not abbreviateUse figures with dates
Do not use st, nd, rd, or th with dates (i.e. Sept. 1)Use comma to set off a year only
Ex: Aug. 9/Aug. 9, 2013Decades/centuries use “s” no apostrophe
1800sUse an apostrophe before decade when numbers are left out
The ‘80s
Names
First mention – use first and last namesSecond mention – use only last name
Do not use courtesy titles unless they are part of direct quotation or are needed to differentiate
between people
Numbers
Never begin a sentence with a number, unless it is a year.
Ex: Two hundred seniors attended convocation.Ex: 1776 was an important year.
Spell out numbers below 10 and use figures for 10 and above
Ex: the woman had four children and 11 grandchildren.
Punctuation
Single space after a period.Do not use a comma before a conjunction in a
simple series. Ex: I like apples, oranges and grapes.
Commas and periods go inside punctuation marks.
Ex: “I did nothing wrong,” he said.Ex: She said, “Let’s go to the softball game.”
Cities and States
Spell out a state when it stands alone Ex: He is from Mississippi.
Use the AP state abbreviation when city and state are used.
Ex: She is from Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Also see AP Style for stand-alone cities.
Time
Use figures for time, but spell out noon and midnight
Ex: 1 p.m.; 3:30 p.m.
Titles
Capitalize formal titles when they appear before a person’s name but lowercase if they are
informal or appear without a name
Ex: President ObamaEx: Robert Bentley, a governor from Alabama
Ex: deputy secretary of homeland security
The Writing Process
Step 1: Preliminary Questions
What do you want the audience to do with the message?
Who is the audience? What are the audience’s needs, concerns, and interests?
What is our message? Are we trying to inform or persuade?
What communication channel(s) will be more effective?
Who is our most believable spokesperson?
Step 2: Outline the Message
Introduction: roadmap to the document(1) Most important point(a) Supporting fact one(b) Supporting fact two
(c) Supporting fact three(2) Second important point
(d) Supporting fact one(e) Supporting fact two
(f) Supporting fact threeConclusion: Summarize and tell them what to do
Step 3: Write the Message
The outline should guide the writing process
Get words on paper – you can write and revise later
Writing Mechanics
Word Choice
Be cognizant of your word choiceWrite to your audience
Use active voice and present tense
Writing Mechanics
Sentences
Keep sentences clear and conciseAvoid long, compound sentences
Keep sentences 15-17 words
Writing Mechanics
Paragraphs
Keep paragraphs shortOne paragraph = one main idea
All sentences support that main idea6-8 typeset lines; lead paragraphs are even
shorter
Editing Your Writing
This is important. Very important.
Editing Your Writing
Rule Number 1:Pay attention to the details
Rule Number 2:Be prepared to go through several revisions
Steps to Editing Yourself as a Writer
Step 1: Clean up the word count
Step 2: Eliminate Jargon
Step 3: Check for grammar and punctuation errors
Step 4: Check for AP Style errors
Step 5: Check the facts.
Step 6: Review your narrative
Common Errors to Avoid
Pur Speling can cuz you too loose ur credability.
Avoid using jargon.
Poor Sentence Structure
Police will be looking for people driving under the influence of alcohol and distributing
pamphlets that spell out the dangers of drunken driving.
Poor Sentence Structure
The proposed budget provides salary increases for faculty and staff performing at a satisfactory
level of two percent.
Poor Sentence Structure
The student was charged with possession and consumption of an opened beer can, which is
against university rules.
Be careful about your word choice
Don’t make a $10,000 mistake like a pubic liberal arts college once made.
Proofreading Tips
Read your word backwards.Read your work out loud.
Always read a printed version.Read the copy with a fresh perspective after
taking a break.Don’t rely on spell check.
What’s wrong with these statements?
The building was totally destroyed.Their traditions are completely unique.
Both President Obama and Vice President Biden will attend.
During 2012, the corporation acquired 73 companies in 14 nations on five continents to
achieve revenue of $14.65 billion, up $3 billion from the $11.65 billion in 2011.
Writing with NumbersUse a comma to separate thousands (575,000) and a decimal to separate
millions (3.85 million)
Provide a comparison to accompany the number
Check your math
Spell out percent
Spell out numbers smaller than 10
Don’t use two numbers next to each other
“Our new handheld device is the next true revolution in man’s conquest of information.”
Avoid stereotypingDon’t create bias
Stay away from politically incorrect language
Writing Mistakes to Avoid (A Summary)
SpellingJargon
Poor sentence structureWrong words/word choice
RedundanciesToo many numbers
Avoid hype, bias, stereotypes, and politically incorrect language