Grammar Review THE COLON PARALLELISM GRAMMAR REVIEW Hyphens

Grammar Review THE COLON & PARALLELISM

GRAMMAR REVIEW Hyphens Dashes Commas in a Series (a, b, and c) Fused Sentences and Comma Splice Errors Semicolons Affect vs. Effect Everyday vs. Every Day Colons* Parallelism*

COMMA SPLICE – MOST FREQENTLY MADE GRAMMATICAL MISTAKE! This is still a problem in your written work. Please carefully read your essays with an eye for comma splice errors.

THE HYPHEN VS. THE DASH One mistake I’m seeing is confusing the hyphen (-) with the dash (—). The physical difference between a hyphen and a dash is its length: ◦ A hyphen is shorter. ◦ A dash is longer. -- The practical difference between a hyphen and a dash is that a hyphen is used to combine words, while a dash is used to separate parts of a sentence. ◦ Ex. yellow-bellied snake, three-fourths, self-sufficient ◦ Ex. I needed several items to make a birdfeeder—a toilet paper roll, peanut butter, and birdseed—but I didn’t have time to go to the store.

GRAMMAR GIFT: COLONS : A colon can be used after a complete, independent sentence to direct the reader’s attention to a list, an appositive (renaming), or a quotation. 1) A LIST: The routine includes the following: twenty knee bends, fifty leg lifts, and five minutes of running in place. 2) AN APPOSITIVE: (=a noun phrase that renames the previous noun) My roommate is guilty of two of the seven deadly sins: gluttony and sloth. 3) A QUOTATION: Consider the words of Benjamin Franklin: “There never was a good war or a bad peace. ”

MISUSE OF THE COLON A colon can only be used when it is preceded by a complete, independent sentence. Some important vitamins found in vegetables are: vitamin A, thiamine, niacin, and vitamin C. WRONG! The heart’s two pumps each consist of: an upper chamber, or atrium, and a lower chamber, or ventricle. WRONG! The NCAA regulates college athletic teams, including: basketball, baseball, softball, and football. WRONG!

OTHER USES FOR THE COLON 1) Use a colon after the greeting in a formal letter: To whom it may concern: 2) Use a colon to indicate hours and minutes (duh): 5: 30 p. m. 3) Use a colon to show proportions or ratios: The ratio of women to men was 2: 1. 4) Use a colon between a title and a subtitle: Have you read Alvin Ailey: A Life in Dance? 5) Use a colon to separate city and publisher in a bibliographic entry: Boston: Bedford, 2014 6) Use a colon between chapter and verse in citations of religious texts: Luke 2: 14, Qu’ran 67: 3

GRAMMAR REMINDER: SEMICOLON ; Semicolons, like commas, separate elements of a sentence. However, semicolons separate only EQUIVALENT elements, like two independent clauses. Ex. Donald Trump promised to make America great again; he now has the chance to make that promise a reality. When one or more of the items in a series already include commas, separate the items with semicolons. This makes it easier to follow. Over spring break, I visited Athens, Greece; Venice, Italy; and Paris, France.

COLONS VS. SEMICOLONS : ; The simplest way to remember the difference between a colon and a semicolon is that a COLON ANNOUNCES something that is about to follow (a list or a quotation), while a semicolon SEPARATES two independent clauses within the same sentence. COLON: Donald Trump promised many things to the American people: more jobs, a great wall dividing the United States and Mexico, and a national return to glory. SEMICOLON: Donald Trump promised to make America great again; he now has the chance to make that promise a reality.

GRAMMAR GIFT: PARALLELISM A parallelism (or parallel structure) is the use of matching nouns, verbs, phrases, or clauses to express the same or similar ideas. A faulty parallelism is using items that are not parallel in a context in which parallelism is expected. In addition to just “sounding wrong, ” a faulty parallelism will make your ideas difficult to follow and will likely confuse your reader. FAULTY PARALLELISM: Men speak more than women in public, but at home less talking is done by them. CORRECTED PARALLELISM: Men speak more than women in public but less than women at home.

GRAMMAR GIFT: PARALLELISM FAULTY PARALLELISM: Authors spend a great deal of time thinking about the power of language—the way it can evoke an emotion, visual images, or complex ideas can be suggested, or communicate a simple truth. CORRECTED PARALLELISM: Authors spend a great deal of time thinking about the power of language—the way it can evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth.

Sample from Grammar Practice 1) Learning a new language as an adult is more difficult than to learn one as a child. FIX: Learning a new language as an adult is more difficult than learning one as a child. FIX: Learning a new language is more difficult as an adult than as a child. FIX: Learning a new language as an adult is more difficult than as a child.

3) Formerly, science was taught in the textbook method, while now the laboratory method is employed. FIX: Formerly, science was taught in the textbook method, while now it is taught in the laboratory method.

6) Cross-training involves a variety of exercises, such as running, swimming, and weights. FIX: Cross-training involves a variety of exercises, such as running, swimming, and lifting weights.

9) Thomas Edison was not only a prolific inventor but also was a successful entrepreneur. FIX: Thomas Edison was not only a prolific inventor but also a successful entrepreneur.

10) It is easier to speak in abstractions than grounding one’s thoughts in reality. FIX: It is easier to speak in abstractions than (to) ground one’s thoughts in reality.

Grammar Review – 10 minutes!

Faulty Parallelisms: #1 -5 1. Caelan is not only an accomplished weightlifter but is also known for being an excellent student. 2. When Isaiah grows up, he either wants to be a New York Yankee or becoming a CEO of a dog food company. 3. Kasydi likes to play volleyball, nap, and eating snacks (usually tacos-in-a-bag). 4. The perks of being friends with Mary include constant dance parties, free knitting lessons, and loyalty she is very loyal. 5. Cody and Sydney spent the day arguing with one another rather than working together to find common solutions.

Colon or Semicolon (#6 -10) 6. Daniel has three favorite poets: Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, and himself. 7. Bryanna likes to ski; Twila prefers to dance. 8. If Payton wants to make a friendship bracelet, he’ll need the following things: Scotch tape, three different colors of string, and patience. 9. Eamonn wasn’t sure what he wanted to do over winter vacation: snowboarding in Colorado or pottery camp at the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts? 10. Christmas at the O’Mara household is so jolly; Amber and Madi spend their days decorating cookies and singing carols.

Colon and Semicolon – CORRECT OR INCORRECT? 11. I love carbs and keep my pantry stacked with the essentials: Goldfish crackers, Chips Ahoy cookies, and lots of bread. CORRECT! 12. Jade spends his free time skateboarding; while Brock can usually be found watching birds. X 13. Trevor spends a lot of time thinking about what will happen after he graduates high school. In the middle of class the other day, he blurted out; : “What does my future hold? Who am I? What does it all mean? ” X 14. Malin’s favorite school supplies include: highlighters, multicolored sticky notes, and gold pens. X 15. Bryce is going to teach everyone how to tame lions; we all hope he knows what he’s doing. CORRECT!

Model Essay: “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” Takeaway #1: TITLE What is the EFFECT of the title Amy Chua has chosen? “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” How would the effect of the title been different is she had instead chosen: “Are Chinese Mothers Superior? ” “The Difference Between Chinese and Western Parenting” “East vs. West: A Cultural Comparison of Parenting Values”

TOPIC, SUBJECTS, PURPOSE TOPIC: Parenting Styles SUBJECTS: “Chinese” Parents and “Western” Parents PURPOSE: By highlighting the differences between these two parenting styles, Chua hopes to demonstrate and explain the superiority of the Chinese methods of raising children. She clearly believes that “tough love” leads to successful children. She wants Western parents to see the error of their ways. This is not merely an informative essay; it does not simply provide facts and perspectives in order to let the reader decide for him- or herself. It is a biased, persuasive essay; Chua wants to convince you that the Chinese style of parenting is superior.

What’s the THESIS? Which of the following BEST represents thesis of “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior”? ◦ A) “A lot of people wonder how Chinese parents raise such stereotypically successful kids. They wonder what these parents do to produce so many math whizzes and music prodigies, what it’s like inside the family, and whether they can do it too. Well, I can tell them, because I’ve done it. ” (Paragraph 1) ◦ B) “When it comes to parenting, the Chinese seem to produce children who display academic excellence, musical mastery, and professional success—or so the stereotype goes. (Paragraph 5) ◦ C) “The fact is that Chinese parents can do things that would be unimaginable—even legally actionable—to Westerners. ” (Paragraph 9) ◦ D) “The Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they are capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits, and inner confidence that no one can ever take away. ” (Paragraph 22) HINT: The thesis is an encapsulation of the whole argument. In this case, it will also provide an answer to the title: “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior? ”

What’s the THESIS? D) “The Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they are capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits, and inner confidence that no one can ever take away. ” (Paragraph 22) This is a DEFERRED THESIS = a thesis that is only fully articulated later on in an essay, usually toward the very end. *A thesis DOES NOT HAVE TO GO IN YOUR INTRODUCTION. *What are some possible benefits of deferring your thesis until the end of the essay? ◦ Allows argument to BUILD naturally—the reader has to wait and see how all of the pieces come together. ◦ Avoids repetition. ◦ Adds an element of sophistication.

INTRODUCTION TECHNIQUES Paragraph 1: Incite interest and establish credibility. “A lot of people wonder how Chinese parents raise such stereotypically successful kids. They wonder these parents do to produce so many math whizzes and music prodigies, what it’s like inside the family, and whether they could do it too. Well, I can tell them, because I’ve done it. ”

INTRODUCTION TECHNIQUES Paragraph 1: Why does Chua start with a list of what Chinese children are never allowed to do? “Here are some things my daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were never allowed to do: ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ attend a sleepover have a playdate be in a school play complain about not being in a school play watch TV or play video games choose their own extracurricular activities get any grade less than an A not be the No. 1 student in every subject except gym and drama play any instrument other than the piano or violin not play the piano or violin”

INTRODUCTION TECHNIQUES Paragraph 2: What does the author accomplish here? “I’m using the term “Chinese mother” loosely. I know some Korean, Indian, Jamaican, Irish, and Ghanaian parents who qualify too. Conversely, I know some mothers of Chinese heritage, almost always born in the West, who are not Chinese mothers, by choice or otherwise. I’m also using the term “Western parents” loosely. Western parents come in all varieties. ”

ORGANIZATION POINT BY POINT Unless your essay is super short and simplistic, a point-bypoint method of organization is really the only way to go. “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” is too complex to be written in the subject-by-subject style; it would be really hard for the reader to hold in his or head all of the information about the first subject while reading about the second subject.

CONCLUSION (Paragraphs 21 -22) Paragraph 21 “There all these new books out there portraying Asian mothers as scheming, callous, overdriven people indifferent to their kids’ true interests. For their part, many Chinese secretly believe that they care more about their children and are willing to sacrifice much more for them than Westerners, who seem perfectly content to let their children turn out badly. I think it’s a misunderstanding on both sides. All decent parents want to do what’s best for their children. The Chinese just have a totally different idea of how to do that. ” -How does Paragraph 21 address a likely concern? -How does Paragraph 21 reach out to the audience?

CONCLUSION Paragraph 22 “Western parents try to respect their children’s individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passion, supporting their choices, and providing positive reinforcement and a nurturing environment. By contrast, the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they’re capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits, and inner confidence that no one can ever take away. ” -Summary of styles -Ends with how the Chinese style of parenting leads to lasting success -How does Chua kind of sneakily insult American parenting?

COMPARISON & CONTRAST PROPOSAL Type up and share with me! 1. Name 2. Topic 3. Subjects 4. Purpose 5. Points of Comparison 6. Thesis

PROPOSAL SAMPLE 1. Amy Scheck 2. TOPIC: The Family Meal 3. SUBJECTS: The American Meal vs. The French Meal 4. PURPOSE: By comparing these two styles of family meals, I hope to show that French dining values offer a lot to Americans who are hoping for more meaningful family meals. 5. POINTS OF COMPARISON: I will discuss composition (what the meals typically consist of), duration (how long the meals typically last), and cultural values (what the family dinner means to each culture). 6. THESIS: Although both American and French families value the idea of the family dinner, the composition, duration, and tradition of the typical French meal enhance enjoyment and community to a greater extent.

See Patterns for ideas… P. 415 - Writing Workshop #1 P. 432