Rules Conventions Stylepoints 1 Rules Conventions Stylepoints These

Rules, Conventions, Style-points 1

Rules, Conventions, Style-points These three are similar, but different, but serious writers must pay attention to all three. 2

Rules Basic points of grammar about which practically all native speakers will agree 3

Examples of rules • • • *He goes. *Susan didn’t know wear to go. Susan didn’t know where to go. *She is here makes me happy. Her being here makes me happy. 4

Conventions Habits and methods that languageusers have agreed upon, but there is no compelling reason why. 5

Examples of conventions • • • Wearing a necktie The fork at the left of the plate Shaking right hands Most points of etiquette and manners Nelson using dark green background with big yellow and small white letters with black shadows to the lower right 6

Examples of conventions in writing • • Five-space indents Double-spacing academic papers Beginning a letter with “Dear _____” Capitalizing a title in a certain way Using 12 -point Times New Roman Using white, 8. 5 x 11” paper Printed italics for handwritten underline 7

More conventions in writing • Spacing in academic writing – two spaces following a period – one space following a comma – two spaces following a question mark – two spaces following an exclamation point – one space following a semicolon – two spaces following a colon 8

Style points These are styles and habits that are specified by big organizations like book and magazine publishers, universities, or professional organizations. 9

Examples of style points • • • She delivered 6 books. She delivered six books. Johnson, A. K. (1998). How to cook snakes. Boston: Random House. • How to Cook Snakes. A. K. Johnson. Boston: Random House, 1998. • British spelling or American spelling 10

Rules, conventions, and style points are similar but different. If you want to be a nice person and be truly competent in writing and grammar, you must understand all three. 11

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