ENG 3CI Mr. Banks
WRITING WITH STYLE BOOT CAMP
Diction – A writer’s choice of words
Levels of Diction – Generally
-avoid pretentious, overly formal language
-do not confuse your reader or yourself with big, important sounding words
-be clear and concise!
Slang
- often trendy
- makes writing seem artificial and lazy. Avoid it!
Exercise #1
List 3 slang terms for each of the following:
a)good looking
b)cool, fun, hip, the best
c)kissing
d)stupid person
Informal or Colloquial Language
-not as weak as slang but still should not be part of formal writing
-avoid contractions, abbreviations, and txt speak
Exercise #2
Provide more formal substitutes for each of the slang or informal terms below:
1.Out of the blue
2.Hit the nail on the head
3.Cross my heart
4.Big Mouth
5.A piece of cake
6.Go bananas
7.Bite the bullet
8.Get off somebody’s back
9.Super-sick
10.Homeboy
Fine Writing
-unnecessarily pretentious diction that is hard to understand
-usually backfires and “clouds” meaning
-sounds fake, fake, fake
Translate:
It was felicitous that the canine in question was demonstrably more exuberant in emitting threatening sounds than in attempting to implement said threats by engaging in actual physical assault.
Answer:
Punctuation
Run-on Sentences – A run-on sentence has two or more complete thoughts, or independent clauses, which run together without correct punctuation.
Comma Splice – A comma splice occurs when two independent sentences are joined by a comma.
Sentence Fragments – A sentence fragment is a phrase or a clause that does not express a complete thought because it is missing a subject or a verb.
Exercise #3
Correct the following run-on sentences and comma-splice errors.
1.Justine plays Hockey, she plays for a team that tours Canada.
2.The rock star cancelled his performance it was the second time in two weeks.
3.Buying a house in Toronto is too expensive for most people the cost is discouraging.
4.Hannah was surprised and enthusiastic, her design won a prize at the Science fair.
5.The ice has melted it’s spring at last.
Exercise #4
Identify the sentence fragments in the following paragraph. Then, rewrite the paragraph using complete sentences.
Fall. My favorite season of the year. In fall I can do a lot of my favorite things. Hike, play touch football, watch the baseball playoffs. During fall in Waterloo County, there are special events. Fall fairs, cross-country runs, maple syrup festivals. Just drive in the country. You’ll see a panorama of colours. Reds, browns, oranges, brilliant yellows. Reflecting off the water. What a sight.
Commas - Commas are punctuation marks that separate items in a list. They also separate two independent clauses joined by a conjunction (and, or, but) in a compound sentence. Lastly, a comma is used after the introductory dependent clause in a complex sentence.
Semicolons – Most writing does not require semicolons for they tend to make paragraphs and essays look staple-gunned. The rule is if you are not sure, do not use one! Nothing gums up the pacing of a good essay like unnecessary semi-colons.
Exercise #5
Correct these sentences by adding commas in the appropriate places.
1.If you go to the store buy a litre of milk.
2.Check the tires the oil and the battery.
3.The office building will be torn down and a parking lot will replace it.
4.After the game the whole team went out for ice cream.
5.We picked them up early but they still missed their plane.
Exercise #6
Rewrite the following sentences by taking out the semicolons and adding either a comma or a period.
1.In case of emergency; break the glass.
2.The player approached the batter’s box; took a few swings and hit the ball.
3.Do you want fries, fish sticks; or onion rings with your order?
4.I drank coffee all night to finish my essay; I was so jittery the next morning!
5.We bought a computer four years ago but it’s already obsolete.
Common Word-Usage and Apostrophe Errors
i) It’s vs. its
Error: The dog lost it’s collar.
The word its is the possessive form, the one that shows ownership. The other word it’s is a contraction of two words, it is.
Correct form: The dog lost its collar.
ii) Who’s vs. whose
Error: I am not sure who’s crayons these are, but they are all broken.
Again, the word whose indicates possession; who’s is a contraction for who is.
Correct form: I am not sure whose crayons these are, but they are all broken.
iii) You’re vs. your
Error: The brown dog ran away with you’re raincoat.
Use the word your to show possession or ownership. You’re means “you are.”
Correct form: The brown dog ran away with your raincoat.
iv) They’re, their, there
Error: Their not going to the movies until tonight.
The word their shows possession; they’re means “they are”; there indicates location or a state of being.
Correct: They’re not going to the movies until tonight.
Exercise #7
Please choose the correct word in the following sentences.
1.If you think (your, you’re) going to the movies, (your, you’re) mistaken!
2.The boy (who’s, whose) dog was missing cried all day.
3.(Its, it’s) never as good a deal as the salesperson makes it out to be.
4.(Their, they’re, there) not going to the carnival and (your, you’re) mother says you have to stay home too.
5.Do you know (who’s, whose) coming to the party next week?
6.The game came to (its, it’s) conclusion.
7.My friends cannot find (their, they’re, there) jackets.
8.You can have one more cookie if (there, their, they’re) is one more left.