Class Notes Week 3

Writing
Clarity

• avoid long awkward sentences- break up
• no passive voice- often hard to follow

The Plain Style

• plain writing is more exposed, but it is okay to be plain
• a writer just wants to be understood

Concision

• do not be wordy
• “strong verbs”- more effective

Rhetoric

• Parallelism, when used right, can add grace to a passage
• Repetition can really get an idea through- rule of three. But do not be redundant
• do not change tenses
• beware of using humor- easy to look bad

Syntax
Subordinating Conjunctions- words that show the relationship of the dependent clause to the independent clause in complex sentence

• A few subordinating conjunctions (After, when, even though, although, whenever, if, as since, because, so that, until)

Coordinating Conjunction- words used with a comma to connect two independent clauses

• FAN BOYS (For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

Complex Sentence- has one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses
Compound Sentence- has two or more independent clauses, joined with a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon
Simple Sentence- sentence with only one independent clause
Independent Clause- a clause that fulfills:
·        can stand alone
·        has a subject and verb
·        makes a complete statement

Sentence Variety
Effects-

•  pace
•  tone - emotional feeling
•  emphasis/attention 

Techniques-

• Construction - how sentences are put together: how they are joined, word order,  verb tenses, etc.
•  Length – shorter sentences create effect. Do not ramble or rant