Grammar

• SentencesneedasubjectANDaverbtobeconsideredsentences1. Incorrect:Amixtureofmediaandworldconnections.2. Correct:Readingresponsescontainamixtureofmediaandworldconnec-

tions.

Commas

2. CommasseparateitemsinaseriesIFthereare3ormoreitems.• Incorrect:ThismorningIateeggsbaconandtoastforbreakfast.• Correct:ThismorningIateeggs,bacon,andtoastforbreakfast.• Incorrect:Iamthebestthereisthebesttherewasandthebestthereeverwillbe.• Correct:Iamthebestthereis,thebesttherewas,andthebestthereeverwillbe.

2.Whenyou’reconnectingtwoindependentclauses/sentenceswithacoordinatingcon-junction(RememberFANBOYS:For/And/Nor/But/Or/Yet/So),useacommatoseparatethem(aclausehasasubject+averb).DoNOTuseacommaifthereisnosubjectinthesec-ondpart.

• Incorrect:IhavepassionandIhavemotivation.• Correct:Ihavepassion,andIhavemotivation.

• Incorrect:Ihavealicense,butnocar.• Correct:Ihavealicensebutnocar.

SubordinateConjunctions(before/after,because,since,until—thereareabunchofthem)DONOTneedacommaunlesstheyareusedtostartasentence.

• Incorrect:Ineedtotakemypills,beforeIeatcheese,becauseitgivesmetheruns.

• Correct:IneedtotakemypillsbeforeIeatcheesebecauseitgivesmetheruns.

• Incorrect:BecausecheesegivesmetherunsIhavetotakepillsbeforeeatingpizza.

• Correct:Becausecheesegivesmetheruns,Ihavetotakepillsbeforeeatingpiz-za.

3.Whenspeakingtosomeonedirectly,youneedtouseacommaaftertheirname.

• Incorrect:Michaeldidyouhandinyourworkontime?• Correct:Michael,didyouhandinyourworkontime?

4.Usecommastoseparatenonessentialphrases.

• Incorrect:Thisassignmentinmyopinionisboring.• Correct:Thisassignment,inmyopinion,isboring,

• Incorrect:AnAudiforexampleisbetterthanaBMW.• Correct:AnAudi,forexample,isbetterthanaBMW.

Semicolons

Semicolons(;)areusedinbetweentwocompletesentences;aslongasthesentencesarerelated,thesemicoloncanjointhemtogether.

• Incorrect:IwatchedtheCanadiensgame,I[lippedatablewhentheylost.• Correct:IwatchedtheCanadiensgame;I[lippedatablewhentheylost.• Correct:IwatchedtheCanadiensgame.I[lippedatablewhentheylost.

Colons

Acolon(:)isusedtoprove,clarify,orexplainwhatcamebeforeit.Itcanalsobeusedtoin-troducealist.

• Incorrect:ThereisonlyoneoptionfortheNHLMVP,CareyPrice.• Correct:ThereisonlyoneoptionfortheNHLMVP:CareyPrice.• Incorrect:Ihavetwowordsforyou;suitup!• Correct:Ihavetwowordsforyou:suitup!

TrickyWords

1.Thenvs.Than

• Usethentomean“later”or“next”.Example:Iwon’tbeabletoplayhockeyun-tilthen.

• Usethantocomparethings.Example:TheNewYorkGiantsarebetterthantheNewEnglandPatriots.

2.Threwvs.Through• Usethrewtomeantoss.Example:EliManningthrewatouchdowninthefourthquarter.

• Usethroughtomean“bywayof”or“[inished”.Example:P.K.Subbanwentthrough[ivehockeysticksbeforethepowerplaywasthrough.

3.Losevs.Loose• Uselosetomean“misplace”or“tobedefeated”.Example:Ifyouloseyourwork,youwilllosethecompetition.

• Useloosetomean“nottight”.Example:Theshirtwasloose.

Plurals Singular Possessives Plural Possessives

The students did not do their homework.

That student’s homework was not done.

All the students’ responses were late.

4.Quitevs.Quietvs.Quit• Usequitetomean“rather”or“somewhat”.Example:Iwillbequitelateformy[irstclass.

• Usequiettomean“notloud”.Example:Thestudentswerequietfortheentireclass.

• Usequittomean“leave”.Iquitmyjobthisweekend. 5.Tovs.Twovs.Too

• Usetotomean“for”or“toward”.Example:Givethistotheteacherwhenyougotoclass.

• Usetwotowritethenumber“2”.Example:Iamgoingtogiveyoumytwocents.

• Usetootomean“also”or“overly”.Example:OdellBeckhamistootalented,andhe’sathletic,too.

6.Yourvs.You’re• Useyourtoshowbelongingtosomeone.That’syourproblem.• Useyou’retomean“youare”.Example:You’rethebeststudentteacher.

7.Itsvs.It’s• Useitstoshowbelongingtosomething.Example:Thejuicelostsomeofits[lavour.

• Useit’stomean“itis”.Example:Doyouknowifit’sthelastdayofclass? 8.Therevs.Theirvs.They’re

• Usethereastheoppositeof“here”or“thatplace”.Example:Therearefreecomputersoverthere.

• Usetheirtoshowbelonging.Example:Theteacherswerelookingfortheirstudents.

• Usethey’retomean“theyare”.Example:They’reclosetograduatingfromhighschool.

9.Werevs.Wherevs.We’re• Usewereforthepasttenseof“be”.Example:TheCanadienswereclosetomakingacomeback.

• Usewheretoask“inwhatplace”.Wherearewegoingthisweekend?• Usewe’retomean“weare”.We’redonewiththesectionontrickywords.

GeneralWritingTips

• Makesureyoursentencesarenottoolong.Insteadofsaying:“Iwenttothestore,andIboughtgroceries,andthenIspentthewholedaycookingformyfamilyandthefoodwasdelicious…”trysaying,“Iwenttothestore,andIboughtgroceries.Later,Ispentthewholedaycookingformyfamily;thefoodwasdelicious.”

• Donotexerciseunnecessarilylabyrinthineappellationstodivulgesomethingthatcanbevocalizedunambiguously.Wasthathardtounderstand?WhatIamtryingtosay:Don’tuseunnecessarilycomplicatedwordstosaysomethingthatcanbesaidsimply.

• Yourpaperneedsanoriginaltitle.Thetitleshouldbedescriptiveandinteresting.• Thoughthereareno“formalrules”againststartingasentencewith“But/And/So/Or”,DON’TDOITANYWAY.Itlooksunprofessional.

•

ReadingResponses

Paragraph1/Introduction:• Whatisthetitleofthetext?Whoistheauthor?• Whatisthetheme?Whatistheauthor’smessage?• Givetwoexamplesofeventsfromthetextwhichsupportthethemeyouchoseandexplainhowtheysupportit.

• Whatistheauthor’spurpose?(Persuade,Inform,orEntertain)

Paragraphs2-4:• Oneparagraphneedstodiscusstheauthor’stechniques.Whattechniques(literaryelements)doestheauthorusetosupportthetheme?Nametwo,giveexamples,andexplainhow/whytheyareused.

• Theothertwoparagraphsareallaboutconnections(media/world/personal).Relatethetextwithanothertext/movie/song/storythatyouhaveread/seen.Makesuretoexplainhowtheyaresimilar.

Paragraph5/Conclusion:• Thereisn’tONEwaytowritetheconclusionofareadingresponse.ThesearethequestionsthatIgenerallyanswerinmyconclusion:

• Whatisthelesson/moralofthetext?• Howdoesitre[lectorimpactoursocietytoday?

Can’t Cannot Couldn’t Could not

Didn’t Did not Hadn’t Had not

Don’t Do not Hasn’t Has not

Haven’t Have not He’d He would

I’d I would I’m I am

I've I have Isn’t Is not

She’d She would They’d They would

We’d We would Where’s Where is

You’ve You have Wouldn’t Would not

Who’s Who is It’s It is

You're You are Let’s Let us

There’s There is We’re We are

ParagraphStructure

Inordertomakeaparagraphmoreimpactful,usethefollowingacronym:PEEineveryparagraph.

PisforPoint:Whatareyoutryingtosay?Thisislikeyourtopicsentence.It’salmostlikerestatingyouropinion/thesisindifferentwords,butittiesinwiththetopicofyourpara-graph.

EisforEvidence:Provideexamplesfromthetextthathelpsyouproveyourpoint.Thiscanbeaquote,paraphrase,author’stechnique,orevenastatistic.

EisforExplanation:Howdoesthisevidencesupportyourpoint?Explainhowtheexample(s)provethepoint/thesis/opinion/theme/topicsentence.

Note:ThisproductwascreatedbyMichaelGaglianoandErikMuoio.*Not-for-pro[it*re-productionofthistextisencouraged.