Grammar and Punctuation Louise Livesey Academic Skills Adviser This workshop will -Provide tips for the appropriate use of commas and apostrophes -Cover clause types for speakers of English; and passive and active voices -Provide practice and follow-on activities for you to continue to improve your use of punctuation and grammar by yourself

1.What a comma does 2.Apostrophes and their functions 3.Clauses 4.Use of passive and active voice Today’s Plan

Separation: 7 rules 1.What a comma does RuleExample 1 To separate the clauses in a sentence Society depends on its traditions, and the authority of the written text is one of those. 2 To separate the introductory element of a sentence from the main part (or subject) of it After the death of his wife, Hardy went in to a deep depression. 3 To separate an additional and final part of a sentence from the opening and main part (or subject) of it The sea is calm tonight, yet it raged fiercely all day. 4 To separate out essential/useful information from the main part (subject) of the sentence Charles Handy, in his book The Empty Raincoat, has argued that federalism is a way of making sense of large organizations. 5 To separate out nonessential words from the remainder of the sentence. The word ‘however’ is used as a signal to suggest a change of direction or to stress an exception to the rule There is, however, one mistake that many students make. RuleExample 6 To separate commands or interjections from the remainder of the sentence Stop, or I’ll shoot 7 To separate out a) adjectives, or b) list of items in a sentence a) It was a fine, dry and sunny day in my home town. b) Raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and gooseberries are all traditional English fruits

Insert any commas 1.What a comma does On July 20th 1969 having stepped onto the surface of the Moon’s surface Neil Armstrong uttered the famous words ‘One small step for man one giant leap for mankind.’ Although it had been hoped that the moon landing would lead to significant advances in space travel some of which may soon become a reality the scientific progress has generally been slow. However space research has done much to unite nations. The establishment of the International Space Station the Space Shuttle and the Hubble Telescope illustrates how much easier and more profitable it is for nations to work as a team rather than in isolation.

2.Apostrophes and their functions Substitution Possession

Shortened words using an apostrophe Don’tDo not Wasn’tWas not Can’tCannot It’s It is Not in academic work except… Quotations Acronyms and initialisms 2.Apostrophes and their functions

Its and it’s Use expansion: does it is make sense? Their/there/they’re Space and time: there Expansion: they’re Elimination: their 2.Apostrophes and their functions

Which words need correcting One of the problems that arises when your paying for something over the internet is that you never see whose receiving your details at the other end. We like to think that their trustworthy but its impossible to know whether that is the case. As anyone who has been the victim of credit card fraud will know, it can very difficult to regain you’re faith in online shopping once your identity has been stolen. Shops and restaurants may seem safer but just as much fraud goes on their as it does on the web. These days, customers need reassurance that they’re transactions are safe and banks need to raise there game with regard to financial security. For all it’s advantages, the online world can certainly have it’s downside. 2.Apostrophes and their functions

Possession/substitution The cat’s collar is red The cats’ collars are red For plurals, no second ‘s’ after the apostrophe 2.Apostrophes and their functions

Choosing the right words A.The beneficial effect of Vitamin D on children’s/childrens’s health has been noted in recent research findings/findings’s. B.Apparently Ferrari’s/Ferraris latest supercar can reach speeds/speeds’ of over 200 miles per hour. C.The development of teenagers/teenager’s/teenagers’s identities is heavily influenced by their peers/peer’s/peers’s behaviour. 2.Apostrophes and their functions

Words/terms made up of capital letters: NATO and WWF Generally no full stops in between letters Apostrophes do not act as substitutes, full stops do Treat an acronym/initialism like a word 2.Apostrophes and their functions

3.Clauses A clause is just a building block of a sentence with each one adding to the overall detail of a sentence. A clause is a group of words that may or may not have a complete meaning on their own. A sentence may contain more than one clause, but must have one main clause.

3.Clauses Main clauses: a sentence must have one a sentence may consist only of one clause Co-ordinated clauses: a sentence may consist of two main clauses that make sense of their own, linked by a conjunction – this is a compound sentence. Other clauses: a sentence may consist of a main clause and one or more other non-main clauses which would not make sense on their own; they may follow one another or one may be within another – this is a complex sentence. Other information: clauses are normally separated by commas a main clause does not does not have to begin a sentence a clause that is not a main clause does not have to have a verb or subject

3.Clauses A.A number of reasons why the ruling party might lose the next election. The state of the economy is probably the top one. Many people are losing jobs and businesses are unable to attract investment. A growing loss of faith in the government. Answer: There are a number of reasons why the ruling party might lose the next election, with the state of the economy probably being the top one. Many people are losing jobs and businesses are unable to attract investment generating a growing loss of faith in the government. B.TV watchers could not believe how many people the protest attracted. Despite one of the wettest days of the year. On every street in the city centre, hundreds of protestors. Carrying slogans and denounced the government’s policies. Answer: TV watchers could not believe how many people the protest attracted, despite it being held on one of the wettest days of the year. On every street in the city centre, hundreds of protestors carried slogans and denounced the government’s policies. Rewrite the paragraphs

4.Use of passive and active voice Active and Passive Voices  active voice is used when the subject is placed before the verb  passive voice is used when the subject is moved so the object is placed first

Quick summary of subject-verb-object sentence construction: A sentence must have a subject and a verb connected to it; it may also have an object. A SUBJECT ‘does’ the ‘doing’ or action of a verb, e.g. The DOG bit the cat – DOG is the subject as it is doing the biting. A VERB is the ‘doing’ part of a sentence, e.g. The dog BIT the cat – BIT is the verb as it is the action An OBJECT is the one that is having the ‘doing’ or action ‘done’ to it, e.g. The dog bit the CAT – CAT is the object as it is the thing that is being bitten. All ACTIVE: object before verb and subject 4.Use of passive and active voice

Change to passive voice: The cat was bitten by the dog. The dog is still the subject and the cat is still the object but now they are in a different order. Useful in academic writing as more formal and easier to write in third person. Both active and passive used at university: choose and be consistent 9.Use of passive and active voice

Active or passive? A) Keir Hardie was elected as the first Labour MP by the voters of Merthyr Tydfil in B) The voters of Merthyr Tydfil elected Keir Hardie as the first Labour Party MP in Use of passive and active voice

Active or passive? A. The proposed structure had novel features which were of considerable biological interest. B. The solution was heated to 90°C for approximately 30 minutes and then allowed to cool. C. The first edition of Freud's earliest writings on dreams was published in D. Physicists have examined the possibility of cold fusion for many years. E. Specialists refer patients after six months. F. Drosophila melanogaster has been one of the most extensively studied species in genetics research. 9.Use of passive and active voice

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Academic Skills Advice Service Where are we? Chesham Building B0.23 What do we do? Support undergraduate students with their academic skills by running clinics and workshops, having bookable appointment slots, and enabling students to drop-in for Instant Advice. Who are we? Michael and Helen specialise in Maths Support; Lucy and Russell advise students on study skills; and I (Louise) deliver the workshops When can you come for help? Everyday both face to face and on-line How do I get in touch? academic- or website skillsacademic-

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