The importance of commas! A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air. “Why?” asks the confused waiter as the panda exists. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual “I’m a panda,” he says. “Look it up.” The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation. “Panda. Large black-and-white bear- like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.”

Efficient English Adjective Punctuation Outlines and Abstracts?” Lecture 5 Spring 2012

Adjective Punctuation a highly regarded experimental scientist a new high tensile strength polystyrene butadiene block polymer a new, high-tensile-strength, polystyrene- butadiene block polymer a new high-tensile-strength polystyrene-butadiene block polymer

Adjective Punctuation a low surface area gold alumina catalyst a low-surface-area gold-alumina catalyst the by-product forming terminal step in the process the by-product-forming terminal step in the process

Adjective Punctuation the easily accessible intermediate the polymer derived hydrogenation catalyst the polymer-derived hydrogenation catalyst

Controlling Meaning - 1 little used car dealerlittle used car-dealer a small busy person who sells cars little, used car dealerlittle, used car-dealer a small and busy person who sells cars (comma is confusing and extraneous, unless reversing order emphasizes you have coordinate adjectives ) used, little car dealer SIZEPARTICIPLE

Controlling Meaning-2 little used, car dealerlittle used, car-dealer business is bad for person selling cars (Comma is misleading with compound noun) little-used car dealerlittle-used car-dealer business is bad for person selling cars

Controlling Meaning - 3 little-used, car dealer business is bad for people who sell cars Comma is extraneous because adjectives are cumulative little used-car dealer little used-car-dealer small person who sells pre-owned cars

Controlling Meaning - 4 little, used-car dealer small person who sells pre-owned cars Comma is extraneous because adjectives are cumulative little-used-car dealer person sells low mileage, previously owned cars

Outlines and Abstracts (14-21) Five stages in developing an outline for an abstract Four components to an abstract

Three Types of Precis Executive Summary Informative Summary Technical Abstract

Abstracts (ACS Style Guide) 1.Briefly state the problem or the purpose of the research. 2.Indicate the experimental plan used. 3.Summarize the principal findings. 4.Point out the major conclusions. Include safety information if applicable. Do not supplement or evaluate the conclusions

Outlining Process 1. Develop a complete database 2.Organize the topics into a logical flow 3.Restructure the topics if necessary 4.Consider style at the sentence level 5.Write the first draft ACS Webinar suggests 80% of time should be spent on these components.

Develop a complete database All inclusive - include VERBS with the ideas Linear, or diagram (concept map), - any way you can get the ideas down Inadequate databases cause writer’s block 200 words at words/sentence  sentences and ~18-20 ideas in database

Organize the database Logical flow of main ideas How will you present the argument and ideas? Place each item from the database in one of the topics What is your topic sentence? What is your closing sentence?

Restructure the outline Regroup the ideas so that each is in context Look for balance and well-developed arguments

Consider style Decide if ideas can be combined in sentences to give balance and/or emphasis. Plan a short sentence if there are several long ones.

Write Write the first draft from your outline Double or triple space, print Read it aloud Edit for clarity and conciseness

Assignment for April 16 Write an abstract of EITHER the article on page 64 of the manual OR the handout. Limit your abstract to no more than 200 words. Turn in your database list, organized and annotated outline, and first and last draft.

Friday April 13 Individual appointments Bring work and “book” with you I will have an analysis of your “ideal lab” essay.

Adjectives, Predicate Adjectives, and Adverbs An ideal lab is equipped well. (passive) An ideal lab is well-equipped. (linking) A well-equipped lab facilitates efficient research. (active, specific word choice defines what the author means by “ideal”)