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Advanced Punctuation (Part 2)

12/24/2012

This is a continuation of Advanced Punctuation (Part 1). In Part 1, we talked about commas, colons and semicolons.

In Advanced Punctuation (Part 2), we will discuss specific details and rules that you may not know about:

Quotation Marks
Apostrophes
Slashes

Quotation Marks ("")
As you already know, quotation marks surround the words that are being spoken. Here are the rules for using quotation marks:

Begin quotations with a capital letter

Place all ending punctuation after the quote but before the closing quotation mark

Using quotation marks in a split quotation is a bit trickier. A quote separated by the person who spoke is called a split quotation. Begin the first part of a split quotation with a capital letter, and end with a comma. Begin the second part of a split quotation with a lower case letter. Enclose both parts of the split quotation with quotation marks.

For example:
“Okay class,” said the teacher, “tomorrow we will use the computer to learn more about continents.”
“No,” my mother replied, “you cannot go to Alana’s party!”
“Wait,” she interrupted, “how did you do that again?”

Use single quotation marks for quotations within quotations or direct speech within a text. Note that the period goes inside all quotation marks.

Example:
He said, “Karen said, ‘Do not treat me that way.’”
“Have you read ‘The Hunger Games’ yet?” he asked her.

Apostrophes (')
Apostrophes are used in the following circumstances:
1. With contractions. The apostrophe is always placed at the spot where the letter(s) has been removed.
Examples:
don't, isn't
You're right.
She's a great teacher.

2. To show possession. Place the apostrophe before the s to show singular possession.
Examples:
one boy's hat
one woman's hat
one actress's hat
one child's hat
Ms. Chang's house

NOTE: Although names ending in s or an s sound are not required to have the second s added in possessive form, it is preferred.
Examples:
Mr. Jones's golf clubs
Texas's weather
Ms. Straus's daughter
Jose Sanchez's artwork
Dr. Hastings's appointment (name is Hastings)
Mrs. Lees's books (name is Lees)

3. Where the noun that should follow is implied.
Example: This was his father's, not his, jacket.

Rules for using the apostrophe:

To show plural possession, make the noun plural first. Then immediately use the apostrophe.

Examples:
two boys' hats two women's hats
two actresses' hats
two children's hats
the Changs' house
the Joneses' golf clubs
the Strauses' daughter

Do not use an apostrophe for the plural of a name.

Examples:
We visited the Sanchezes in Los Angeles.(name is Sanchez)
The Changs have two cats and a dog.(name is Chang)

With a singular compound noun, show possession with 's at the end of the word.

Example:
my mother-in-law's hat

If the compound noun is plural, form the plural first and then use the apostrophe.

Example:
my two brothers-in-law's hats

Use the apostrophe and s after the second name only if two people possess the same item.

Examples:
Cesar and Maribel's home is constructed of redwood.
Cesar's and Maribel's job contracts will be renewed next year. (Indicates separate ownership)
Cesar and Maribel's job contracts will be renewed next year. (Indicates joint ownership of more than
one contract)

Never use an apostrophe with possessive pronouns: his, hers, its, theirs, ours, yours, whose. They already show possession so they do not require an apostrophe.

Correct: This book is hers, not yours.
Incorrect: Sincerely your's.

The only time an apostrophe is used for it's is when it is a contraction for it is or it has.

Examples:
It's a nice day.
It's your right to refuse the invitation.
It's been great getting to know you.

Use apostrophes with capital letters and numbers when the meaning would be unclear otherwise.

Examples:
Please dot your i's.
You don't mean is.
Ted couldn't distinguish between his 6's and 0's.
You need to use the apostrophe to indicate the plural of zero or it will look like the word Os.To be
consistent within a sentence, you would also use the apostrophe to indicate the plural of 6's.

Slashes (/)
A slash is used to indicate a choice between the words it separates. It is also called a slant, solidus or virgule. It is also used to separate lines in poetry.

Slash rules and usage:

The slash can be translated as or

Examples:
We’ll go to the beach if/when your brother finishes his homework.
When one has to return to the store, he/she must take the receipt.
When the knight shows up, he/she must prove his/her worth to the King.

Slashes should not be used where the word or could not be used in its place

There is no space between the slash and the letters on either side of it when indicating a choice
In poetry, slashes are used to indicate a line-break. In quoted poetry, there are spaces between the slash and letters at both sides of it.

Example:
Whose woods these are I think I know / His house is in the village though;

Using slashes to indicate line breaks in poetry is limited to only four or five lines of verse. If the verse is more than four or five lines, the poem is written out as it appears in its original form, without using line breaks or quotation marks.

Example:
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near

(As you can see, there are no slashes or quotation marks and the lines are written like they are in the
original poem)

Slashes are also used in internet URL’s. There are no spaces in this case.

Example: http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/

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6 Tips to Improve Your Vocabulary

12/24/2012

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One of the most vital attributes of a successful writer is having a high vocabulary. But with such a seemingly endless amount of words, it seems almost impossible to remember every single word that we hear.

Here's a list of tips that will ensure that you are able to learn and memorize new words without difficulty. I even included a Glossary of Words at the end to help you on your educational journey.

The most important and simple way to improve one's vocabulary is to look things up! How many times do we come across an unfamiliar word? Whether we are at school, reading, watching the news, browsing the web, or chatting, we are bound to come across a word that is foreign to our eyes. Many of us, especially when we are reading, tend to ignore words that we don't know and will focus rather on the context in order to guess the meaning. Even though guessing the word based on surrounding words is not a bad technique, the best and most effective approach for your memory would be to look up the word. I guarantee you that grabbing a dictionary and figuring out what the word means will save you a lot of turmoil in the future if you ever come across the word again.
Speaking of reading, another way that will without a doubt improve your vocabulary is to simply read a lot! That includes novels, newspapers, magazines, etc. I can assure you that no matter how rich one's vocabulary may be, they will almost always come across a new word when reading. Alternatively, it is also important to not only keep your eyes open for new words, but also your ears. When you are talking to somebody, watching your favourite TV show/movie, or even watching the news, you will most likely hear a word that you don't know. Make sure to write it down so that you can look it up later.
You might be asking yourself, "what if I look up the word but forget the meaning in the future?" Well, a very easy way to avoid this problem is to write down the words that you've learned, along with the meaning. Take some time every day to study the words that you've learned. Incorporate them into your everyday life by trying to use them when you are talking or writing. This way, it will be less of a struggle to remember the new words you've learned.
A dictionary is an amazing tool for looking up and learning new words. But many of us tend to forget about the Thesaurus, another spectacular tool that can expand one's vocabulary. The thesaurus gives you synonyms of words that you already know. For example, you can look up the word "mad" in a thesaurus, and it will give you several other words that mean the same thing as "mad", such as "angry", or "furious". Writing a paper for an assignment can sound quite dull if you are repetitive with your words. For example,

This morning, I took a walk through a beautiful forest and spotted many animals. I really loved the fox and the beautiful parrot that I saw. The moon was out, which was very beautiful, and I loved the glow that it emitted on the beautiful river.

These few sentences sound extremely repetitive with the use of the word "beautiful" and "loved". In times like these, it is very useful to use a thesaurus in order to change the words.

This morning, I took a walk through a beautiful forest and spotted many animals. I really loved the fox and the gorgeous parrot that I saw. The moon was out, which was very stunning, and I adored the glow
that it emitted on the pretty lake.

With a Thesaurus in hand, you can easily change your words around to one with the same meaning, and you will be learning something new in the process. "Gorgeous", "stunning" and "pretty" all mean the same thing as "beautiful", and "adored" means the same thing as "loved". However, look at how much better the sentence sounds when you use a variety of different words. Just make sure to look up the word that you learn from the Thesaurus to make sure that you know how to use it correctly.
Play lots of word games! This is a very fun and productive method of improving your vocabulary. Popular games such as Scrabble can provide you with hours of educational yet entertaining game play that will surely boost your skills.
Associating words with mental pictures in your mind may prove to be surprisingly helpful when it come to remembering words. By creating an image of that word in your head, you'll have no problem recalling the word. For example,

The word boisterous means noisy and mischievous. You can associate this word with an image of a bunch of noisy little kids, running around and being naughty. Now, whenever you see or hear this word, the image of the noisy kids will pop into your head.

Make sure and follow these tips as you go about your day-to-day routine, and you’ll definitely notice changes in how quickly and efficiently you’ll remember new words. But above all, know that the most important tip is to make the effort to look for, learn and memorize new words. Your passion for learning vocabulary is the key that will automatically allow you to remember what you've learned.

Glossary of Words

Attribute

A feature or characteristic of a person. For example, Sensitivity is one of his attributes.

Foreign

Something unfamiliar or different. For example, Politics is a foreign subject to me.
From another country. For example, I think his car is foreign.

Turmoil

A state of great commotion or chaos. For example, My house was in great turmoil when my dog ran away from home.

Incorporate

To include or combine. For example, I like how you incorporated the song I wrote into your skit

Synonym

A word that means the same (or nearly the same) thing as another word in the same language. For example, synonyms of happy would be: Joyful, cheerful, content, elated

Emit

To give forth or release sound, heat, light, etc. For example, The sun emitted an orange light on the water as it was setting / He emitted one cry and then was silent.

Boisterous

Noisy and mischievous. For example, My triplets were extremely boisterous today

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Advanced Punctuation (Part 1)

12/20/2012

1 Comment

There are many different punctuation marks and it can be difficult to distinguish between them all. Here’s a comprehensive list of rules and examples for using various punctuation marks. This list will help those who have already have a general understanding of punctuation but need further guidance when using them. Furthermore, we will expand on things mentioned in Basic Punctuation for Beginners. In Advanced Punctuation (Part 1), we will discuss specific details that you may not know about:

Commas
Colons
Semicolons

Commas (,)
When properly placed, commas clarify meaning by helping readers organize information. Without it, sentence parts can collide into one another and cause confusion. However, too many commas can cause distraction.

Rules for comma usage:

Commas with numbers:

-Use commas to separate off the thousands, millions and billions in numbers.
Example: 2,460,558
- Don’t use commas in decimals.
Example: $4534.79
- Use a comma before the year if the date is given as follows: month, day, year.
Example: January 11, 2004
- Don’t use a comma if only two elements of the date are given (e.g. month and year).
Example: I was born in August 1989.

2. Commas with series (lists):
-Use a comma to separate items in an enumeration.
Example: Mrs. B had a dog, a cat, a fish and a pig.
- Don’t use a comma before and if two items are a unit. Ham and eggs as a dish is a unit and should therefore not be separated by a comma.
Example: Mrs. B had soup, ham and eggs, juice, and an apple pie for lunch.
- Don't use a comma if all items in an enumeration are separated by and, or, nor etc.
Example: Mrs. B had a pig and a dog and a cow and a horse.

3. Commas with Salutations:
- Use a comma if the sentence starts with an address to someone.
Example: John, may I talk to you for a second?
- Use a comma with salutations in private letters.
Example: Dear Alexandria, ...
- After the greeting, the comma is optional.
Example: Sincerely, or Sincerely

4. Commas with "please":
- Use a comma if "please" is at the end of a request.
Example: Send me a letter, please.
- Don't use a comma if "please" is at the beginning of a request.
Example: Please send me a letter.

5. Commas with Affirmatives, Negatives and Question Tags:
- Use a comma after yes and no.
Affirmatives: Yes, I can help you.
Negatives: No, I can't help you.

-Question Tag: Use a comma before question tags.
Positive main clause - Negative question tag
Example: You are Scottish, aren't you?
Negative main clause - Positive question tag
Example: You aren't Scottish, are you?

6. Commas with Adjectives:
- Use a comma if the adjectives are equally important and give similar kinds of information.
Example: It was a cold, windy night.
- Don't use a comma if the adjectives are not equally important or give different kinds of information.
Example: She was a clever young woman.
Note: To check if adjectives give similar kinds of information or not, put and between the adjectives.

Example: It was a cold and windy night.
If adjectives give different kinds of information, the and between the adjectives doesn't sound right. (Example of wrong use: She was a clever and young woman.)

7. Commas with Adverbs:
- Use a comma after certain adverbs: however, in fact, therefore, nevertheless, moreover, furthermore, still, instead, too (meaning 'also').
- If these adverbs appear in the middle of a sentence, they are enclosed in commas.
Example: The boy, however, was very smart.
- The comma is optional for the following adverbs: then, so, yet.
Example: Then, she ran upstairs. Then she ran upstairs.

8. Commas between Main Clauses:
- Use a comma between two main clauses which are separated by and or but.
Example: We ran out of fuel, and the nearest gas station was 5 miles away.
- Use a comma to separate parts of a sentence in a sequence.

Example: She ran down the stairs, opened the door, saw her mom(,) and gave her a hug.
- Don’t use a comma if these parts of the sentence are separated by and or but.
Example: She ran down the stairs and opened the door and saw her mom and gave her a hug.

9. Commas with Conditional Sentences
- Use a comma if the if clause is at the beginning of a sentence.
Example: If I go to London, I will visit the Tower.
- Don’t use a comma if the if clause is at the end of the sentence.
Example: I will visit the Tower if I go to London.

10. Commas with Introductory Clauses:
-Use a comma after introductory infinitive clauses.
Example: To improve her Math, she practiced kwizNET Worksheets every day.
- Use a comma after introductory prepositional clauses.
Example: Before he went to New York, he had spent a year in Australia.
- Use a comma after introductory participle clauses.
Example: Having said this, he left the room.

11. Commas with Direct Speech:
- Use a comma after the introductory clause.
Example: She said, ''I was in England last year.''
- If the direct speech is at the beginning of the sentence, put the comma before the final quotation mark. (Don’t use a period here.)
Example: ''I was in England last year,'' she said.
- Don’t use a comma after direct speech if the direct speech ends with a question mark or exclamation mark.
Example: “Were you in England last year?” he asked. (The question mark replaces the comma because it is a question)

12.   Commas with interjections:
- Use a comma to separate an interjection or weak exclamation from the rest of the sentence.
Examples:
Wow, you really did it this time! (Wow is an interjection)
Hey, will you do me a favor? (Hey is a weak exclamation)

13.   Commas with Additional Information:
- Use a comma if the additional information is not part of the main statement.
Example: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for giving me the opportunity to speak to you today.
- Use a comma in relative clauses before who and which if the information is not essential for the understanding of the sentence.
Example: Her brother, who lives in Chicago, came to see her. She has only one brother. He lives in Chicago and came to see her.
- Don’t use a comma in relative clauses if the information is essential for the understanding of the sentence.
Example: Her brother who lives in Chicago came to see her. She has more than one brother. But she was visited by only one of them–the brother who lives in Chicago.
- Don’t use a comma if the relative clause starts with that.
Example: The book that I’m reading now is interesting.

14.   Commas with Opposites:
- Use a comma with opposites, even if they are separated by and or but.
Example: It was the father, and not the son, who went to the disco every Friday.

Colons (:)
Colons have a number of functions:

1.   To introduce an idea.
The colon is used to introduce an idea that is an explanation or continuation of the one that comes before the colon. The colon can be considered as a gateway inviting the reader to go on.

Examples:
You are left with only one option: Press on until you have mastered it.
There is one thing you need to know about coleslaw: it looks and tastes like slurry.

In the above examples you have some idea of what will come after the colon. It is important to note that the clause that comes before the colon can stand alone and make complete sense on its own.

If the initial clause cannot stand alone and make complete sense, you should not use a colon.

2.   To introduce a list.
The second main use of the colon is to introduce a list. You need to take care; many people assume that a colon always precedes a list. This is not the case. Again it is important to remember that the clause that precedes the colon must make complete sense on its own.

Examples:
The potion contained some exotic ingredients: snails’ eyes, bats’ tongues and garlic.
The magic potion contained sesame seeds, bran flakes and coleslaw.

In the first sentence, the clause preceding the colon has a subject and a predicate and makes complete sense on its own 'The potion contained some exotic ingredients.' In the second sentence a colon should not be used, as the clause that would precede it would not make sense alone 'The magic potion contained'.

3.   To introduce quoted material.
The colon has other uses: it can also be used after a clause introducing quoted material.
Example: The girl often used her favourite quotation from Romeo and Juliet: “Oh Romeo, Romeo, where art thou Romeo?”

If the colon precedes a quotation, you should begin the language of that quote with a capital letter.

4.   For style.
Having mastered the correct use of the colon, it is useful to make it work for you in your writing. Using a colon can add emphasis to an idea. For example, consider the following two sentences:
Examples:
The one thing mankind cannot live without is hope.
There is one thing that mankind cannot live without: hope.

Both sentences are grammatically correct, but the second makes the point a little more forcefully. Now we are in the realms of style, it is important to emphasize that you, as the writer, have to decide how to make your newfound expertise with punctuation work for you. Do not be tempted to overuse colons. They are powerful but should be used with precision and care.

Semicolons (;)

Use a semicolon to join two independent clauses. (This eliminates the need for a comma and a conjunction.)

Examples:
With a comma and conjunction: My grandmother seldom goes to bed this early, because she’s afraid she’ll miss out on something.
With a semicolon: My grandmother seldom goes to be this early; she’s afraid she’ll miss out on something.

2. Use a semicolon to separate items in a series when those items contain punctuation such as a comma.
Example: We went on field trips to Topeka, Kansas; Freedom, Oklahoma; and Amarillo, Texas.

Topeka, Kansas is one place, Freedom, Oklahoma is another place, and Amarillo, Texas is another. The semicolon just makes it easier to tell that these are not all separate places.

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HE SAID SHE SAID - WRITING DIALOGUE

12/18/2012

3 Comments

Here are 5 useful tips for writing dialogue

*Every new speaker gets their own paragraph

“Okay, I think can remember that.” William said.

“Great, just keep reading and you will learn a lot more!”
responded Diana.

*Also, when two people are talking, you don’t need to attribute everything that is said. The reader should be able to remember who said what.

“I guess that makes sense.” William said, then opened his notebook and started writing. “So, what’s
next?”

*Remember to put quotations (“ “) around words that are spoken aloud and italicize words that are thoughts.

“That’s a great tip!” I better start writing this all down.

*Don’t forget that all punctuation goes INSIDE quotation marks.

“Okay, I will remember that.”

*Finally, if you feel like you have overused the verb SAID you can always try different verbs such as “replied,” “asked” or “responded.” Choose whatever makes the most sense for the dialogue you are writing.

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Basic Punctuation for Beginners

12/12/2012

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Periods, commas, quotation marks... the list goes on and on. It might be a little frightening at first for aspiring young writers to be faced with all these different forms of punctuation. At Voice K, we want to make learning and writing as painless as possible. So I put together a list of different punctuation exercises and examples to put your mind at ease.

Let’s start with the basics:

Basic Capitalization Rules
To capitalize a letter means to make it an upper-case letter. Capitalization is a very important part of grammar and punctuation.

The first letter of a sentence always needs to be in capital.
The first letter of a proper noun (name of a person , place, days of the week, months of the year, holidays) always needs to be in capital. For example:
a. My name is Elena.
b. My favourite day is Friday.
c. Last year, I went to England for the summer.
d. I wonder what I am getting for Christmas this year.
The first letter of each word in a title has to be capitalized. For example:
a. My favourite book is Warriors by Erin Hunters
The first letter of a quote should be capitalized.
a. He said, "I love ice cream!"

However, if you divide a sentence in two, the second part would not be capitalized. For example:
b. "But no," said the mother, "that is not true."

The T in "that" is not capitalized because it is not the beginning of the sentence that she is saying.

The Period (.)
Also known as a full stop, a period marks the end of a sentence. It is the most common form of punctuation that is used to conclude a sentence. Here are some examples:

I took a walk through the forest.
It was snowing this evening.

Exclamation Mark (!)
Similar to a period, the exclamation mark is also used to conclude a sentence. However, it is only used when the sentence is said in an urgent, surprised, or excited tone. When you want to express an urgent or strong emotion, you use an exclamation mark. Here are some examples:

Watch out!
I love chocolate!

You can also end those same sentences with a period.

Watch out.
I love chocolate.

But as you can see, it doesn't have the same tone as it would if you had placed an exclamation mark. It sounds calm and dull. The exclamation mark shows that you are feeling a strong emotion.

Question Mark (?)
A question mark is used at the end of a direct question. It is only used when asking a question. For example:

How are you?
What is your favourite animal?

Be careful not to confuse direct questions with indirect questions. An indirect question is a statement, thus you would not put a question mark at the end of it.

He asked if he could borrow my pencil.
I wonder if the library has the book I want.

These are indirect questions.

The Comma (,)
A comma indicates a pause between parts of a sentence. There are several ways to use a comma

Use a comma to separate three or more items in a sentence.
a. Rather than saying “I have been to Italy and France and Slovenia”, you would say “I have been to Italy, France and Slovenia.”
b. Rather than saying “I have a cat and dog and parrot and hamster”, you would say “I have a cat, dog, parrot and hamster.”
Use a comma to separate two adjectives (words that describe something) in a sentence.
a. Rather than saying “It was a cute and fluffy cat”, you would say “It was a cute, fluffy cat.”
b. Rather than saying “The sweet and red apple was hand-picked from a tree”, you would say “The sweet, red apple was hand-picked from a tree.”
When you are introducing a person, for example My older brother and you want to introduce their name, you have to use a comma before and after their name.
a. My older brother, Vincent, is 19 years old.
b. My dog, Koga, likes to play outside.

Likewise, when you introduce someone's name and you want to describe them, you have to use a comma before and after the description.
a. Vincent, my older brother, is 19 years old.
b. Koga, my dog, likes to play outside.
Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year
a. I was born on October 25th, 2001
Use a comma when you start the sentence with a word that indicates time, such as “Today” or “Last week”. Separate the time from the sentence. For example:
a. Today, I went to the doctor.
b. Next week, I am going to Wonderland.
c. Whenever I come back home, my dog greets me at the door.
Always put a comma before a quotation, unless you are starting the sentence with a quote.
a. She said, "I love animals!"

Quotation Marks (“ ”)
Quotation marks are put around dialogue, or things that people say. For example:

He said, “I love to play soccer with my friends.”

All end punctuation goes before the closing quotation mark. For example, “I love to play soccer with my friends”. is wrong because the period is after the closing quotation mark.

Now that you have a better understanding of the different punctuation marks, try this exercise to see how well you remember what you've learned.

Correct the following sentences

I went swimming with my friends today
I can't wait until christmas!
I play the guitar and drums and flute.
Today I met my friend Matt at the mall
When I gave my sister a present, she said thank you!
My best friend Tyler loves wolves.
When I grow up I want to be a journalist.
my friend caroline is in the same class as me
What's your name
Today, I saw an adorable and brown dog
Watch out, you almost hit me
Why is the grass green and the sky blue

Click through to see how well you did!

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Advanced Punctuation (Part 2)

6 Tips to Improve Your Vocabulary

Glossary of Words

Advanced Punctuation (Part 1)

HE SAID SHE SAID - WRITING DIALOGUE

Basic Punctuation for Beginners

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