DUE TO OVERWHELMING DEMAND, THERE WILL NOT BE AN ESSAY ASSIGNED REGARDING BRAVE NEW WORLD. 

 

 

 

 

 

Please keep in mind that much of what we are doing during this Grammar unit is discovering or reinforcing ways to write sentences and paragraphs that read well. In other words, you are writers who have achieved competence with respect to the basics of formal written expression (although that is often obscured by inadequate editing and proofreading), but are displaying occasional difficulty with higher-level, more elegant constructions. A key aspect of producing pieces that read well is infusing your compositions with variety. If there are 100 ways to say something, how do you choose to say it? And what do you do further along in your paper to ensure that your manner of saying X isn't repeated when you say Y? And likewise, how do you make certain that Z doesn't look like it's a formula matching X or Y? So variety is important. It doesn't necessarily matter, in fact it doesn't really matter at all, if you know the academic terminology (except maybe for a test), but you do need to know that excellent writing reflects a rich repertoire (range of skills) of language formulations.

 

A bit about Modifiers: Modifiers are words or phrases that enhance the sentence by adding information or tone; they can make the difference between a sentence like "Dick and Jane ran up the hill" and "With a sense that their lives were on the line, Dick and Jane ran up the hill."

 

Thus, to reiterate what we covered in class, this: 

 

1-Changing "Quite a few students have been taking performing arts classes recently" to "Recently, quite a few students have been taking performing arts classes" adds variety and emphasis (we know that the speaker is mainly talking about how this has been happening recently). 

 

So, "Recently" is a single-word modifier (almost always found at the beginning of a sentence). 

 

2-Changing "Joe lived in Chicago when he received his Master's degree and decided to become a teacher" to "Living in Chicago, Joe received his Master's degree and decided to become a teacher" replaces the subject at the beginning of the sentence with a participial phrase, adding variety and emphasis.

 

So, "Living in Chicago" is a phrase modifier. 

 

3-"Shara sings in the shower" is simply an adverbial phrase with the phrase "in the shower" modifying the verb "sings." (In other words, it serves to modify that verb, telling us where she sings. This is an example of an adverb modifying a verb.)

 

4-"He is respectful of his elders" is simply an adverbial phrase with the phrase "to his elders" modifying the adjective "respectful." (The phrase explains to whom he is respectful.)

 

5-"The ship listed far to the starboard" is simply an adverbial phrase with the phrase "to the starboard" modifying the adverb "far." ("Far" is an adverb that modifies the verb "listed" and "to the starboard" is an adverbial phrase that modifies (explains further) the adverb "far" (as in where is it listing toward?)

 

6-"Before a race, Liam stretches" is simply an adverbial phrase with "Before a race" coming at the beginning of a sentence, modifying the verb "stretches." This serves to provide some variety in the writing. 

 

7-"When he heard the announcer introducing the band, the roadie worked quickly to tune the guitar" is simply a clause-"When he heard the announcer introducing the band"-serving as a modifier, but coming at the beginning of the sentence. 

 

Remember*:

 

-A phrase is a grouping of words that do not contain both a subject and a verb. A clause is grouping of words that does contain both a subject and a verb, and it may be dependent or independent. 

-An adverb (or adverbial phrase) can modify a verb, and adjective or another adverb. 

 

-Verbals fall into Participles and Participial Phrases (verb form used as an adjective, or noun, often ending in "ing"), Gerunds and Gerund Phrases (verb form used as a noun, often ending in "ing") and Infinitives and Infinitive Phrases (verb form with root of the verb preceded by "to" and used as an adjective, noun or adverb).

 

-Appositives and Appositive Phrases are nouns or noun phrases used to explain another noun.

 

*See notes and worksheets for examples. 

 

If you miss any classes from 5/13 on, be certain to collect any handouts that were distributed during class. 

 

ALSO, remember that you are responsible to check Aeries to discover any missed work and make arrangements to make up those assignments; failure to submit that work will result in a zero for the assignment. 

 

The final exam will be a multiple-choice test that will focus exclusively on the following technical elements of good writing: Punctuation, Syntax, Structure, Transitions, Subject-Verb agreement, Noun-Pronoun agreement, Modifiers, Use and Identification of Verbals, Avoidance of Awkward Sentences. 

 

Note: All of these realms of writing skills will be reviewed over the remaining 6 class sessions. 

 

Note further: In that there is a lot to cover towards the end of having you leave this course as excellent formal writers, persons talking without permission during any of these classes will be asked to go to the library or the front office and work individually. 

 

 

1-Examine Huxley's use of descriptive language and imagery* in the section describing the arrival of the children at the hospital. Which descriptions are especially effective or evocative**?

 

* Imagery means to use figurative language to represent objects, actions, and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses. Usually it is thought that imagery makes use of particular words that create visual representation of ideas in our minds. The word “imagery” is associated with mental pictures.

 

**Evocative means bringing strong images, memories, or feelings to mind.

 

 

II. Be prepared on this date to know the definitions of, and be able to use in a sentence, any words that appear in Chapters 14 and 15. There is a great deal of advanced vocabulary in this novel; you need to seek out the definitions of any word you do not understand, e.g., peremptorily, bestial, wanton, reparation, ardor, undefiled, ordure, irresolute, etc.