AP JOURNAL 2018 2019 UNDERSTANDING STYLE STYLE RULE

AP JOURNAL 2018 -2019 UNDERSTANDING STYLE

STYLE RULE #1. Specific Language The Rule: Always favor specific language when possible Bad: pants Bad: house Bad: car Good: Levi’s 501 Jeans Good: nineteenth-century log cabin Good: a green hatchback with a missing window Prompt: Write about your expectations for this school year. How will it be different or similar to last year? Use specific language.

STYLE RULE #2. Active Voice Avoid these passive verbs: is, am, are, was, were, been, being, be All other verbs are active verbs/active voice Prompt: Should plastic straws be outlawed? Write about it without using any passive verbs.

STYLE RULE #3. Strongest Word Last Strong writers create sentences in which the strongest word appears last. Bad: I received a snowmobile for my birthday. Good: For my birthday, I received a snowmobile. Prompt: Should members of congress have term limits?

STYLE RULE #4. No Adverbs Allowed BAD: The injury was very painful. GOOD: The injury was excruciating. Also avoid: extremely, completely, totally—any LY-ending word Prompt: should teachers be armed?

STYLE RULE #5. Positive Voice BAD: It would not be good to skip studying. GOOD: Studying is important. Avoiding words like “not” and “never” can improve your writing. Prompt: Should we switch to the metric system?

STYLE RULE #6. Long Sentence, Short Sentence EXAMPLE: We searched below the bench, along the river and between the white trees with black spots. We found nothing. Prompt: should San Diego have a New York-style subway?

STYLE RULE #7. Interjections “Telephones—are they an important part of life anymore? “We need to begin to eat vegetables—at least one a day—if we’re going to improve our heath. “ “Below the sink we found it—a wrench. “ Prompt: is it healthy for teenagers to watch cable news?

STYLE RULE #8. Parallelism “Edwin had a gift for each cousin--for Betty, a stuffed bear, for Edwin, a yo-yo, for Susan, a box of matches. ” “He loves skiing down strange mountains, fishing in unusual lakes, and hiking up bizarre trails. ” “At my family reunion, you will find my cousins arguing, my grandparents dancing and my parents cooking. ” Prompt: should the smoking age be raised to 21?

STYLE RULE #9. Comma of Omission ORIGINAL: “People tried different ways of getting on his good side. Steven used gifts; Sheila used flattery. ” COMMA OF OMISSION: “People tried different ways of getting on his good side. Steven used gifts; Sheila, flattery. ” ORIGINAL: “The twins were very unalike. George was tall; Gordon was short. ” COMMA OF OMISSION: “The twins were very unalike. George was tall; Gordon, short. ” Prompt: should students with bad grades be allowed to play sports?

STYLE RULE #10. Omit Needless Words BAD • “The reason why is that” • “In a angry way” • “His cousin, who is a celebrated doctor, arrived…” Prompt: should birth control pills require a prescription? Use sentences with seven words or fewer. GOOD • “because” • “angrily” • “His cousin, a celebrated doctor, arrived”