Hi everyone– a very quick post.  Last week in my SAT writing class, I introduced Jack Hart’s A Writer’s Coach: The Complete Guide to Writing Strategies that Work. As a class, we’re going to work our way through the sections of the book, focusing on the parts most relevant to the SAT essay.  The twelve chapters covers pretty much every aspect of writing:

1. Method

2. Process

3. Structure

4. Force

5. Brevity

6. Clarity

7. Rhythm

8. Humanity

9. Color

10. Voice

11. Mechanics

12. Mastery

We’ll be starting at the beginning, with Method, which Hart breaks down as I. The Writing Process, II. Ideas, III. Finding A Focus, and IV. Method and Process.  Of most concern to us for the SAT essay are ideas and focus, so our next in class assignments will address those.  Check back here soon for Method, Part 2, where I will post the classroom assignments and some additional things to think about as you do them.

In the meantime, if you really want to get the most out of this, I would suggest finding Hart’s book at the library (as I did) or a bookstore.  This is one book I’m sure you’ll want to refer to again and again– it is full of useful information and practical ways to approach the challenges of writing.  Since Hart is a journalist and editor, his advice as pragmatic and straightforward, easy to both understand and apply.

Good luck!

So, in Part One, we covered parts of speech (noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection). In Part Two, we went through parts of a sentence (phrase, clause, subject, predicate, modifier, etc.). Now, we should be ready to bring it all together with Part Three: Sentence Types.

Now that you know how to identify dependent and independent clauses, you can combine them (and phrases) to create several types of sentences.

A simple sentence is one that contains only a single independent clause.

Example: This is a simple sentence.

A compound sentence is one that connects two independent clauses together with a coordinating conjunction, or a semi-colon.  Remember FANBOYS?  For, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so are all coordinating conjunctions.  They link items of equal importance, like independent clauses.

Example: This is a compound sentence, + and + it has two independent clauses=

This is a compound sentence, and it has two independent clauses.

or

This is a compound sentence; it has two independent clauses.

A complex sentence is one that combines an independent clause with a dependent clause using a subordinating conjunction (too many of those to list, but some are: with, because, despite, while, although…).  Another way to think of this is that it has two ideas (clauses) linked by a subordinator– something that makes one clause less important than the other.  In the case below, it is the word because.

Example: This is a complex sentence + because + it has a dependent clause linked to an independent clause=

This is a complex sentence because it has a dependent clause linked to an independent clause.

or

Because it has a dependent clause linked to an independent clause, this is a complex sentence.

Finally, a compound-complex sentence is one that links at least 3 clauses, at least one of which is independent.

Some examples:

Dependent + Independent+ Dependent=

Because the dog bit him severely, the man was forced to go to the doctor for a shot, which made his arm very sore.

or

Independent + Independent + Dependent=

I am going outside to enjoy the sunshine, but will try not to get sunburned, because I have very fair skin.

or

I am going outside to enjoy the sunshine; however, I will try not to get sunburned, because I have very fair skin.

In this final case, the word however seems like it is a subordinating conjunction.  Close, but no.  Instead, it is what is called a conjunctive adverb.  It is a type of modifier that somewhat like a conjunction (usually appearing between clauses), but it is not one, which is why the sentence above needed the semi-colon.  Conjunctive adverbs really deserve a post of their own, though.  That’s coming soon, along with a follow-up to this one about proper punctuation use in the kinds of sentences above.

Essentially, you can link together unlimited amounts of clauses and phrases, so long as you do so following the rules above.  To sum it up, here’s what you need to know:

Simple Sentences contain one independent clause and no conjunctions.

Compound Sentences contain who independent clauses linked by either a semi-colon or a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS).

Complex Sentences contain two clauses linked by a subordinating conjunction (which makes the clause that follows it dependent on or subordinate to the other clause; that is to say, it is less important than the main clause).

Compound-Complex Sentences contain three or more clauses and both types of links (semi-colon/coordinating AND subordinating).

That’s it!

Hi guys– sorry for the delay in posting the assigment.

So, as a reminder, here is the essay assignment:

“Destiny is not a matter of chance.  It is a matter of choice.  It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.”  –William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925)

Assignment: Do you think that a destiny achieved by the decisions and choices you have made is preferable to a destiny that comes from chance or luck?  Plan and write an essay that develops and supports you views on this issue.

So, things that I want you to consider in writing and editing your essay:

1. Deal with the assignment.

You need to properly address the assignment by taking a side.   This means that you need to carefully read it first, to understand what they are asking you.  What does “preferable” mean?  What is “destiny”?  How are decision and choice different from chance or luck?   You must take a side and construct a thesis to support it.  It’s important to  make sure that you don’t just restate the assignment word for word– you really need to find your own way of saying which side you are on and why.

2. Develop Your Ideas.

When you are asked to “develop and support your point of view,” you should think about how you can incorporate your own ideas into the assignment.  This means several things. First, you need to develop your argument.  When writing a thesis, ask yourself, “which side do I agree with?” , “why?”, and “why else?”  Keep going.  Try to find as many reasons as you can.

Second, you need to develop your examples.  You can do this in a few ways.  One is to think of one deep example that you can develop over several paragraphs.  There should be different sides to the example that can support many aspects of your argument.  Another way is to think of several different examples that you can link.  Maybe characters like Jane Eyre and Holden Caufield have similar motivations, or act in a similar way.  A third method is to have multiple examples that support very different parts of your argument.  In any case, you should keep going (keep asking yourself “Why?”) as far as you can with each one.  Make sure that your opinion statements and claims can be grounded with lots of real-life, factual, or literature-based details.

Ultimately, development means thinking of as many reasons as you can, showing how they fit together, and not repeating yourself.

3. Organize Your Essay.

Organization means using structure, from something as small as a transition word, to something as large as a paragraph, to show how your ideas fit together, and to make your argument more logical and convincing to the reader.  When people talk about “flow” in writing, they mean that the writing feels smooth and continuous, with one idea flowing into another without abrupt shifts or breaks.  Essays that flow are usually highly organized.  They use more paragraphs (to separate examples or elements of the argument).  They also contain key phrases that refer to the thesis statement in each paragraph (to show how each example connects to the thesis), and each paragraph starts and ends with transitions to the paragraphs around it (to show how the ideas and examples also connect to each other, not just to the thesis).

Remember last week, when we talked about reading like you are building a house, constructing your ideas piece by piece, and building the structure very intentionally?  You should write like this, as well.  Sometimes it is hard to make the structure from the start, so you should leave a blank line between your paragraphs so you can go back at the end and add the transitions– it will strengthen the frame of your essay’s “house”.

Good luck!

After author David Foster Wallace’s untimely death earlier this year, Harper’s Magazine made all the essays he wrote for them available online.  This is a treasure trove of brilliant, lively writing that oozes DFW’s unique blend of genius, logic, and humanity.  You should read all of them! However, if you’re looking for one in particular, and if you’ve ever wondered “Why do we need grammar, anyway?” or, “Who decides what is correct usage?”, or “Why can’t we all just write like we speak?”, he has an answer (or 40) for you.

This is quite possibly the only explanation of good grammar and usage (and how to find it) that you’ll ever need: http://www.harpers.org/media/pdf/dfw/HarpersMagazine-2001-04-0070913.pdf

If you’d like to see all the essays, go here: http://www.harpers.org/archive/2008/09/hbc-90003557

If you’re really ambitious, try his novels (like Infinite Jest) or short stories on for size.  There is no writer like him, and unfortunately, what we have from his is all we’re going to get– too little for such an overflowing mind and talent, but so, so rich.

If you’d like to learn more about DFW himself, check out this New Yorker piece: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/03/09/090309fa_fact_max

Enjoy.

Let’s get right in here and begin with the terms we want to define:

• comma ,
  
• colon :
  
• semicolon ;
  
• ellipsis …
  
• brackets [ ]
  
• parentheses ( )
  
• hyphen -
  
• en-dash –
  
• em-dash —
  

Part One of this topic is going to cover commas, semi-colons, and colons.  We’ll cover the others in Part Two (ellipsis, parentheses, brackets), and Part Three (hyphens, em-dashes, and en-dashes).

Commas:

Commas are used to connect and differentiate phrases and clauses.  They can be used alone to connect a phrase to the rest of a sentence.

e.g., With quiet steps, Marjorie snuck up on Jake.    OR  With quiet steps, trembling hands, and a queasy stomach,…

When connecting a clause to another clause, however, they must be used with a conjunction, which I’ve underlined below.  The first example has a subordinating conjunction; the second, a coordinating one.

e.g., Though I was very tired, I continued to swim.  OR Bill and I were tired, but we decided to keep going.

Do not simply use them everytime you, uh, pause, because, you’re not sure, what to say.  If you’re in doubt, refer to the post about phrases and clauses.

Colons:

Colons are used to alert the reader to information you want to list or define.  However, be sure that the colon is preceded by a complete sentence (or independent clause).  Here are a couple examples:

Correct:  I have three favorite artists: Van Gogh, Picasso, and Monet.

OR          I can tell you one simple fact: there is no way to get rich quickly.

Incorrect: My favorite artists are: Van Gogh, Picasso, and Monet.

Grammar Girl says that an easy way to remember this is that you should be able to substitute the word “namely” for the colon, and the sentence will still work.

Semicolons:

Semicolons are typically used to connect independent clauses to each other.  Basically, if you have two sentences that can stand alone and that are related, you can connect them with a semicolon instead of using a period.  Make sure you’re not using coordinating conjunctions, like “and” or “but”, which are used with commas.

e.g., Bill and I are cousins.  We are also best friends. –> Bill and I are cousins; we are also best friends.

One exception to this is when you have a list with of phrases that include commas already; in this case, semicolons sort the list out.

e.g. There were three winning teams: Mary’s, Jane’s, and Nancy’s team; Sam’s, Bill’s, and Sandy’s; and Joe’s, Adam’s, and Howard’s.

That’s it for now.  Check back soon!