Monday, February 1, 2010
Real World Gramatical Errors
I believe that the grammatical errors made in the real world advertisements were intentional. Advertisements need to catch the reader’s eyes. If an ad is boring, readers will just turn the page. Most of the advertisements were short, so the explanations had to be direct and to the point. A lot of the sentences were not complete and things were listed in bulleted form. The ads were written to match a specific discourse community. If the ads were intended for a formal and proper discourse community, then the writer would have written complete and perfect sentences. For example, the Jack and Coke ad is cool, mellow, and traditional. It proves to the reader that Jack Daniels is genuine. It speaks exactly the language it is supposed to for the discourse community it is after; it is persuasive. The Marie Callender’s ad is more formal. The sentences are longer, and more descriptive. The reason the writer did this was to introduce the history of Marie Callender. The information in the ad is more believable, and it tugs at a different emotion while reading it.
Practice Sentences
1. The flooding was worst at the point where New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania meet.
2. Because he loved to read, to write, and to edit, Mr. Diamond was considering a career in library work, marketing, or publishing.
3. Salinger’s first novel, The Catcher in the Rye, captures the language and thoughts of teenagers.
4. He has only one ambition, to produce a Broadway musical.
5. If you blow out all your candles, your wish will come true.
6. The district managers represent four regions: Terry Smith, Rochester, NY; Chris Adler, Superior, WI; Kim Young, Chimayo, NM; and Pat Golden, Tallahassee, FL.
7. The weather report predicted high winds, freezing rain, and snow; the highway patrol advised caution when driving, yet the storm blew out to sea.
8. My boss, who wears bright colors, is a cheerful person.
9. He hires people who are energetic, efficient, and polite.
10. When asked what she wanted to be later in life she replied, “An Olympic swimmer.”
11. The governor issued this statement, “I have done nothing wrong; the IRS will find that my tax returns are all in order.”
12. Scientists spotted large numbers of dolphins, nurse and great white sharks, and blue, gray, and humpback whales near the offshore station.
13. She loves her car, a red Toyota.
14. If you drop by the doctor’s office without an appointment you can be sure of one thing, an icy reception.
15. His dog, a big Labrador retriever, is afraid of mice.
16. His recent painting, which is hanging in our local restaurant, shows dogs in various disguises.
17. His recent painting that is hanging in our local restaurant shows dogs in various disguises.
2. Because he loved to read, to write, and to edit, Mr. Diamond was considering a career in library work, marketing, or publishing.
3. Salinger’s first novel, The Catcher in the Rye, captures the language and thoughts of teenagers.
4. He has only one ambition, to produce a Broadway musical.
5. If you blow out all your candles, your wish will come true.
6. The district managers represent four regions: Terry Smith, Rochester, NY; Chris Adler, Superior, WI; Kim Young, Chimayo, NM; and Pat Golden, Tallahassee, FL.
7. The weather report predicted high winds, freezing rain, and snow; the highway patrol advised caution when driving, yet the storm blew out to sea.
8. My boss, who wears bright colors, is a cheerful person.
9. He hires people who are energetic, efficient, and polite.
10. When asked what she wanted to be later in life she replied, “An Olympic swimmer.”
11. The governor issued this statement, “I have done nothing wrong; the IRS will find that my tax returns are all in order.”
12. Scientists spotted large numbers of dolphins, nurse and great white sharks, and blue, gray, and humpback whales near the offshore station.
13. She loves her car, a red Toyota.
14. If you drop by the doctor’s office without an appointment you can be sure of one thing, an icy reception.
15. His dog, a big Labrador retriever, is afraid of mice.
16. His recent painting, which is hanging in our local restaurant, shows dogs in various disguises.
17. His recent painting that is hanging in our local restaurant shows dogs in various disguises.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Inventing the University
I do not want to be known as just a basic writer. Bartholomae describes a basic writer as someone who does not quite understand the discourse he or she is writing for. He explains that it is very hard for a basic writer to take a role when writing a paper. It is common that he or she will switch from one person to another in their writing. I want to be able to recognize who the group is I am writing for; understand the language they use, take on a specific role and stick with that role. I want to be able to please every discourse I write for. I do not want to enter a discourse and not successfully execute it. He describes a successful writer as someone who can successfully manipulate an audience, accommodate their motives to the reader, and imagine and write from a position of privilege. I need to understand how to be an “insider” like Bartholomae describes. An insider is granted a specific right to speak inside an established and powerful discourse.
Monday, January 11, 2010
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