technical writing – part 3 english iv. today is november 5 th ! agenda of the day: standards &...

Technical Writing – Part 3

English IV

Today is November 5th!Agenda of the Day:

Standards & Objectives L.12.1 Demonstrate command of

the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. “I can accurately correct a run-on

sentence.” “I can correct sentence fragment.”

RI.12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem. “I can identify structure of

PowerPoint.”

Expectations of the DayPlace phones in the vaultSeating in assigned seatRespectful manner

Speaking one at a timeEyes on the speaker

Think-It-OverA black dog stands in the middle of an intersection in a town painted black. None of the street lights are working due to a power failure caused by a storm. A car with two broken headlights drives towards the dog but turns in time to avoid hitting him. How could the driver have seen the dog in time?

LISTENING IS AN ACT OF LOVE

A Informal Video for PowerPoint

Gold Rules of PowerPoint Presentations

1. 5 BY 5: Each slide should have no more than 5 lines; each line should have no more than 5 words.

2. Fonts: Use font size 24+ for titles and 20+ for body, and no more than two fonts per slide.

3. Pictures: A picture is worth a thousand words.

4. Body Language: Use body language to show people where to look.

5. Timing: Keep your presentations under 15 minutes.

5 BY 5

Why? People cannot listen and read at the same time. Don’t put them in a situation where they have to choose between listening to you and reading the screen.

How? Use phrases, not whole sentences. Make your phrases your prompts – just enough to remind you of the point. Save the detail for your voice.

FONTS

Why? People need to read it quickly. More than two fonts look untidy and make the area of emphasis unclear.

How? Set up a template for each slide before you begin.

PICTURES

Why? Pictures reduce explanation time by 40% and increase the ability to remember points by up to 50%. They are more likely to evoke an emotional response and lead to behavior change.

How? Use photos, cartoons, graphs, pie charts and diagrams where possible.

BODY LANGUAGE

Why? As with using pictures, gesturing engages your audience and saves time.

How?

Your body language: The audience understands:

Presenter moving around Look at presenter!

Presenter looks at screen Look at screen!

Presenter gestures at screen Keep looking at screen!

Presenter moves around again Look at presenter!

TIMING

Why? The average attention span of an adult is 17 minutes.

How? Give your audience a break after 15 minutes – this could be a short pair work exercise, a round of questions, an audience-led review of what you have covered so far, or simply ask them to change seats! Using two presenters is a good idea as people’s concentration increases every time they change their focus to a new speaker

Organization Have a very clear introduction, to motivate what you do and to present the problem you want to solve. The

introduction is not technical in nature, but strategic (i.e. why this problem, big idea). If you have a companion paper, mention it during the talk and recommend it for more details. Don't put all the

details in the talk. Present only the important ones. Use only one idea per slide. Have a good conclusions slide: put there the main ideas, the ones you really want people to remember.

Use only one "conclusions" slide. The conclusion slide should be the last one. Do not put other slides after conclusions, as this will weaken

their impact. Having periodic "talk outline" slides (to show where you are in the talk) helps, especially for longer talks. At

least one "talk outline" slide is very useful, usually after the introduction. Don't count on the audience to remember any detail from one slide to another (like color-coding, applications

you measure, etc.). If you need it remembered, re-state the information a second time. Especially if you have to present many different things, try to build a unifying thread. The talk should be

sequential in nature (i.e. no big conceptual leaps from one slide to the next). Try to cut out as much as possible; less is better. Help the audience understand where you are going. Often it's best to give them a high-level overview first,

and then plunge into the details; then, while listening to the details they can relate to the high-level picture and understand where you are. This also helps them save important brain power for later parts of the talk which may be more important.

Remember . . . “Less is More”

Always use a font without seraphs such as Arial, Verdana, or Tahoma

Never use more than 4 colors per presentation, including black

Font size for a large screen – no smaller than 28 pt.

Always change at least 2 things to distinguish the title from the text

No more than 4-5 words per bullet if speaking with presentation

Backgrounds:◦ Should be the same on all

slides◦ Should not detract from

message◦ Counts as part of the 4-

color rule◦ Avoid “too colorful”

backgrounds Slide Transitions:

◦ Should be the same on all slides

◦ Should not detract from message

Animations:◦ Should be the same on all

slides◦ Should only be placed on

bulleted lists◦ No animations on titles or

pictures◦ Should not be distracting

Moving on to focus on GRAMMAR!

Correcting Grammar: Sentence Fragments and Run-Ons

What is a sentence fragment?

A bad habit in modern writing.An imbalanced sentence. A sentence fragment does

not have all the basic parts of a complete sentence.

It does not express a complete thought and are missing important information.

What is a run-on?A bad habit in student writing.A lengthy story by a six year oldA run-on sentence is two or

more complete sentences run together into one.

It can be confusing because they do not show where one idea ends and another begins.



A bad habit in modern writing.An imbalanced sentence. A sentence fragment does

not have all the basic parts of a complete sentence.

It does not express a complete thought and are missing important information.

Has horns shaped like corkscrews.(no subject)

The kudu, a type of antelope, in Africa.(no verb)

While it stands five feet high at the shoulder. (not a complete thought)

Examples

To identify sentence fragments, use a simple test:

1. Does the group of words have a subject?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, you have a fragment.

2. Does it have a verb?

3. Does it express a complete thought?


On Your Own

[End of Section]

Determine whether each group of words is a fragment or a complete sentence. If the item is a complete sentence, write C. If a subject is missing, write S. If a verb is missing, write V. If the item has a subject and a verb but expresses an incomplete thought, write I.

___ 1. Nina Otero-Warren excelled as an educator, writer, and public official.

___ 2. Was an important influence in her life.

___ 3. Descended from a long line of political leaders.

___ 4. She was one of the first Mexican-American women to hold important public posts in New Mexico.


Four kinds of phrases are often mistaken for sentences:

• Verbal phrasesTaking photographs.

• Appositive phrases

A well-known peak.

• Prepositional phrases In a remote valley.

Correcting phrase fragments

• Absolute phrases The extra prints having been made.

There are two ways to fix a phrase fragment:

Strategy 1: Add words to form a complete sentence.

• Verbal phrases

Taking photographs.


A well-known peak.

I enjoy taking photographs.

The Matterhorn, a well-known peak, awed me.


In a remote valley. This picture shows a village in a remote valley.

Strategy 1: Add words to form a complete sentence (continued).

• Prepositional phrases


• Absolute phrases

The extra prints having been made. The extra prints having been made, I framed a copy for each of my friends.

The Matterhorn looms over the village. A well-known peak.

Strategy 2: Combine the fragment with a sentence.

• Verbal phrases

I spent my vacation. Taking photographs.


That is the Matterhorn. A well-known peak.

I spent my vacation taking photographs.

That is the Matterhorn, a well-known peak.


I hiked up the trail. Taking photographs.Taking photographs, I hiked up the trail.

The Matterhorn, a well-known peak, looms over the village.

The village was situated between two mountains. In a remote valley. The village was situated in a remote valley between two mountains.

Strategy 2: Combine the fragment with a sentence (continued).

• Prepositional phrases

We visited a beautiful village. In a remote valley. We visited a beautiful village in a remote valley.


• Absolute phrases

I framed them as presents for my friends. The extra copies having been made. The extra copies having been made, I framed them as presents for my friends.

An independent clause (or main clause) expresses a complete thought and can stand by itself as a sentence.

Subject

A barometer measures the pressure of the atmosphere.Verb

A barometer measures the pressure of the atmosphere.A barometer measures the pressure of the atmosphere.

A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb.

Correcting subordinate-clause fragments

A subordinate clause (or dependent clause) cannot stand by itself as a sentence.

Subject

when the game finally ended

who scored the winning run

Verb

Subject Verb

when the game finally endedwhen the game finally ended


A subordinate clause has a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought.



Subordinate clause fragments suggest questions that they do not answer.

Although he is a sophomore.

Who scored the winning run.


What happened although he is a sophomore?

To whom is this statement referring? It would be complete if it ended with a question mark.When the game finally ended.

What happened when the game finally ended?

There are two ways to fix a subordinate clause fragment:

Who scored the winning run.

Strategy 1: Add words to form a complete sentence.

Strategy 2: Combine the fragment with a sentence.

Although he is a sophomore. He is our best pitcher.Although he is a sophomore, he is our best pitcher.

He was the batter who scored the winning run.



ExamplesLighting flashes in our

eyes thunder sounds in our ears.

We cannot hear and see both at the same time, we sense these events separately.

The sculptor hears bronze until it liquefies then the sculptor pours molten bronze into the mold.

What is a run-on?A bad habit in student writing.A lengthy story by a six year oldA run-on sentence is two or

more complete sentences run together into one.

It can be confusing because they do not show where one idea ends and another begins.

[End of Section]

Identify the following items as correct sentences (C) or run-ons (R). Be prepared to explain your answers.

___ 1. Exercise can increase the efficiency of your muscles, as well as your muscles’ strength and size.

___ 2. Aerobic exercise helps your heart pump more efficiently, then the number of blood vessels in your muscles increases.

___ 3. ATP is a complex molecule scientists consider it the cell’s fuel.

On Your Own

What is a run-on sentence?

Correcting a run-on sentence

To fix a run-on sentence, you need to do one of two things:

OR

Cut it apart.

Join it properly.

How you revise a run-on sentence depends upon the relationship you want to show between the ideas.

If then

and

ideas are NOT closely related

make two sentences

ideas ARE equally important

ideas ARE closely related

make a compound sentence


How you revise a run-on sentence depends upon the relationship you want to show between the ideas.

If

then

but

the ideas are NOT equally important

ideas ARE closely related

make a complex sentence


[End of Section]

• separate sentences flow better in the paragraph in which they appear

Correcting a run-on sentenceSeparate sentences

Strategy 1: Make two sentences

Break a run-on into two separate sentences when

Ernest Hemingway based many of his stories on his experiences during World War I, before the United States entered the war, Hemingway worked as an ambulance driver for the Italian army.

Ernest Hemingway based many of his stories on his experiences during World War I. Before the United States entered the war, Hemingway worked as an ambulance driver for the Italian army.

• the ideas are not closely related or

• at least one sentence is long or complex or


Strategy 1: Make two sentences

To make two separate sentences

Next door to the school, a new building was under construction, trucks and construction materials covered much of the parking lot.

• Put an end mark after the first complete sentence.

• Then, capitalize the first word of the next complete sentence.

Next door to the school, a new building was under construction. Trucks and construction materials covered much of the parking lot.

[End of Section]

Revise the following sentences by making each into two separate sentences. Be prepared to explain your answers.

1. The weather was terrible yesterday we had to cancel band practice.

2. Next summer I will travel to Argentina on a study program the program requires students to stay with a local family.

3. Domestic canaries are usually yellow, if red peppers are part of their diet, canaries may be bright orange.

On Your Own


Correcting a run-on sentenceCompound sentence

Strategy 2: Make a compound sentence

When the complete thoughts in a run-on sentence are closely related and are of equal importance, you may want to make a compound sentence.

There are three common ways to make a compound sentence.

You can make a run-on sentence into compound sentence by using a comma and a coordinating conjunction.

Jaya ran to catch the train she missed it by two minutes.Jaya ran to catch the train, but she missed it by two minutes.



You can make a run-on sentence into a compound sentence by using a semicolon.



Jaya ran to catch the train she missed it by two minutes.Jaya ran to catch the train; she missed it by two minutes.

You can make a run-on sentence into a compound sentence by using a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb followed by a comma.



Jaya ran to catch the train she missed it by two minutes.Jaya ran to catch the train; however, she missed it by two minutes.

Revise the following run-on sentences by making each into a compound sentence. Be prepared to explain your answers.

1. This book is taking a long time to read the characters are really interesting.

2. Send me an e-mail about the club meeting I might not remember to come.

3. Karla is making a fruit salad for the party I’ll bring some raw vegetables and dip.

4. Maya trained hard all summer she won her event in the cross-country meet.

On Your Own


Correcting a run-on sentenceComplex sentence

Strategy 3: Make a complex sentence

When the complete thoughts in a run-on sentence are closely related but are not equally important, you may want to make a complex sentence.



Step 1: Break the run-on into two independent clauses.

Bats are usually harmless creatures, some people think they are dangerous.

Bats are usually harmless creatures.

Some people think they are dangerous.



Step 2: Decide which idea is more important (or which idea you want to emphasize).

Bats are usually harmless creatures.

The more important idea will be the independent clause in the sentence.

Some people think they are dangerous.

the harmlessness of bats

some people’s fear of bats

If you want to focus on… Use this as your independent clause.



Step 3: Make the less important clause a subordinate clause.

Although bats are usually harmless creatures, some people think they are dangerous.

Subordinate Clause = LESS important idea

Independent Clause = MORE important idea

A subordinating conjunction begins this subordinate clause and connects it to the independent clause.

[End of Section]

On Your Own


Revise the following run-on sentences by making one of the clauses into a subordinate clause. Be prepared to explain your answers.

1. The baseball game was stopped in the seventh inning heavy lightning began.

2. I got up early this morning, I was still late for school.

3. The Spanish explorer Cortes landed in Mexico, he and his men marched to the Aztec capital.

4. The baby stopped crying his mother fed him a bottle.

On Your Own

Before you go--

There is a quiz on Edmodo you must complete.

On Monday, a retest over grammar will be administered.

technical writing – part 3 english iv. today is november 5 th ! agenda of the day: standards &...

Documents

powerpoint slide

english iv slide

act of love slide

time eyes

explanation time

use body language

structure of powerpoint

sentence fragment