Showing posts with label English. Show all posts
Showing posts with label English. Show all posts

Friday, December 7, 2012

Learning The Basics Of Proper Writing Techniques In English Composition

English Composition is a course always encountered in college. It may be known as ENC 1101 and ENC 1102. These are required courses for all college students. Those who are getting ready to take them may be curious about the content, the purpose, and the benefits of such courses.

Students are expected to be able to write with good grammar and sentence structure, with the ability to create understandable and creative essays. These skills will be enhanced in an English Composition course. There are two levels of composition that are both required; the second course in English Composition, Composition 2, builds upon the skills gained in Composition 1.

Learning to write well will be one of the most important aspects of college students' careers. The writing skills taught in English Composition courses may be relied upon in many other college classes. Students will find that there may be fewer multiple choice exams; essay exams will take their place, as well as short answer questions in which students will have to explain in writing a particular concept or idea. Students will have to write papers galore for class after class, and English Composition will teach them how.

Learning The Basics Of Proper Writing Techniques In English Composition

Not only are the writing skills learned in English Composition useful in college, but they are necessary in everyday life. Communication skills are sliding into the forefront of everything we do. They are required in order to be successful in most careers. They are even expected to be top-notch when applying to positions. Resumes and cover letters are now the norm, and they must be well-written in order to impress future employers. Not only that, but the writing of documents, letters, presentations and emails are done in almost every career.

Before taking English Composition classes, students can prepare for them in a few ways. First, they must get a handle on grammar, and make sure they are using proper and correct English. They can browse websites and writing handbooks to review these rules. They should also review essays - their expected content and structure. Students even have the opportunity to see tutors, often available on campus in writing centers. This way, they may address any confusion or issues they may have in the basics before they start the hard stuff.

In English Composition 1, students will be introduced to composition. Essay forms and functions will be discussed, and an overview of grammar may be provided. Students will write countless essays, usually short ones. By the end of the course, they should be much better writers.

English Composition 2 will teach students the basics of research writing. This will require that they be instructed in document citation styles, such as APA and MLA. The elements of writing literature papers may be discussed, and plenty of practice papers will be written.

Learning The Basics Of Proper Writing Techniques In English Composition
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Taking an English Composition class is very beneficial to students' futures. Therefore, it is important that they understand the concepts taught, for they will assist them enormously both in the remainder of their education and in their future careers. In addition, these classes can actually be quite enjoyable, and are even offered through a multitude of online universities.

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Monday, December 3, 2012

Technical Writing - A Short Summary of Basic Grammar Rules in English

We technical writers usually do not stop and think about any grammar rules the way a driver never thinks about how the carburetor or alternator works. But sometimes I get letters from my readers asking various grammar questions. So let's review some of the basic rules of English grammar for a refresher.

Subject-Verb-Object

A full sentence in English does not get simpler than this. I love you. I is the Subject. Love is the verb. You is the Object. Best sentences in technical writing stick to this basic format, although it's not always possible to write in such a simple straightforward manner.

Technical Writing - A Short Summary of Basic Grammar Rules in English

A PRONOUN is a "place holder" for a noun. When you refer to yourself as "me" instead of using your full name and last name you are using a pronoun.

A PREPOSITION is the connective tissue between two words or clauses. There are dozens of prepositions in the English language like "on," "under," "before," "after," "with," "without," "in," "at," "for," "until," etc.

The VERBS "to be" and "to have" must agree with the case of the SUBJECT

Subjects are singular or plural. If we are using personal pronouns, they also split into first, second, and third person cases, each with its singular and plural variations. The verb of a sentence must agree with the case of the subject.

The shop IS closed. [But] The shops ARE closed.
I AM okay. [But] We ARE okay.
The building HAS a window. [But] The buildings HAVE windows.

An ADJECTIVE describes/qualifies a NOUN.

The bus made a SUDDEN stop [Noun].
She made an URGENT appeal [Noun] for more funds.

An ADVERB describes/qualifies a VERB.

The bus stopped [Verb] SUDDENLY.
She URGENTLY appealed [Verb] for more funds.

INFINITIVE form of a verb is the one that starts with "to," without any inflections. "To write" is the infinitive form. "Wrote" is its simple past inflection.

SPLIT INFINITIVE is what strict grammarians caution against all the time. It happens when an adverb is used after the "to" of an infinitive.

"To QUICKLY summarize the issue..." [Correct: "To summarize the issue quickly, ..."]
"We agreed not to SUMMARILY dismiss his argument..." [Correct: "We agreed not to dismiss his argument summarily..."]

GERUND form of a verb is the one that ends with "-ing" and usually acts as a noun. "Shopping," although used as a noun, is actually the gerund form of the verb "to shop."

PARTICIPLE is the present or past participle form of a verb which is used as an ADJECTIVE.

"His DEPLETED bank account..."
"Our SOARING ambition..."
"The COOKING instructions..."

DANGLING PARTICIPLE happens when we cannot tell the correct subject of a verb due to the improper placement of the "participle" in a sentence.

"Burnt down to a rubble, the fireman sifted through the ashes of the house." What is "burnt down to a rubble" is of course the house, not the fireman. A better sentence would be: "The fireman sifted through the ashes of the house burnt down to a rubble."

Technical Writing - A Short Summary of Basic Grammar Rules in English
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If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"

Dr. Ugur Akinci is a Fortune 500 Sr. Technical Communicator http://www.technicalcommunicationcenter.com/

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