Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Gram Post- Capitalization
In every paper I've gotten back so far this summer I have misused a capitalization at one point or another. So I decided, it would be fitting for my last grammar post to be about the proper use of Capitals. According to the Owl at Purdue, these are the rules regarding Capitalization.
*The first words of a sentence
*The pronoun "I"
*Proper nouns (the names of specific people, places, organizations, and sometimes things)
*Family relationships (when used as proper names)
*The names of God, specific deities, religious figures, and holy books
-Exception: Do not capitalize the non-specific use of the word "god."
*Titles preceding names, but not titles that follow names
*Directions that are names (North, South, East, and West when used as sections of the country, but not as compass directions)
*The days of the week, the months of the year, and holidays (but not the seasons used generally)
-Exception: Seasons are capitalized when used in a title
*The names of countries, nationalities, and specific languages
*The first word in a sentence that is a direct quote
*The major words in the titles of books, articles, and songs (but not short prepositions or the articles "the," "a," or "an," if they are not the first word of the title)
*Members of national, political, racial, social, civic, and athletic groups
*Periods and events (but not century numbers)
*Trademarks
*Words and abbreviations of specific names (but not names of things that came from specific things but are now general types)
The URL of the site I got these rules from is: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/592/01/
*The first words of a sentence
*The pronoun "I"
*Proper nouns (the names of specific people, places, organizations, and sometimes things)
*Family relationships (when used as proper names)
*The names of God, specific deities, religious figures, and holy books
-Exception: Do not capitalize the non-specific use of the word "god."
*Titles preceding names, but not titles that follow names
*Directions that are names (North, South, East, and West when used as sections of the country, but not as compass directions)
*The days of the week, the months of the year, and holidays (but not the seasons used generally)
-Exception: Seasons are capitalized when used in a title
*The names of countries, nationalities, and specific languages
*The first word in a sentence that is a direct quote
*The major words in the titles of books, articles, and songs (but not short prepositions or the articles "the," "a," or "an," if they are not the first word of the title)
*Members of national, political, racial, social, civic, and athletic groups
*Periods and events (but not century numbers)
*Trademarks
*Words and abbreviations of specific names (but not names of things that came from specific things but are now general types)
The URL of the site I got these rules from is: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/592/01/
Sunday, July 12, 2009
America the Beautiful
I really loved a lot of the thing D'souza has to say about America. I sometimes feel like we live in a country that hates itself but D'souza argues that it is because as a country we lack self-confidence. Part of that does lie in the fact that most American's are in pursuit of the greater good. We constantly question whether or not we are doing the right thing locally, nationally, and internationally.There are not many other countries that do that. D'souza says at one point "compulsion cannot produce virtue". That is so true, doing something because it is required is totally different than doing something because it is simply the right thing to do. With all that being said, I feel like D'souza stated a lot of personal opinion in this peice. I'm not sure if this was taken out of a larger text or what, but I felt like D'souza opened up a few cans of worms with some seemingly biased statements that could have been given some back up. There were little to know references to credible sources to back up a lot of his statements about the Muslim world. I do like how he differentiates between fundamentalist Islamic extremism and other, more liberal Muslims. One of the greatest pet peeves of my friend from Saudi Arabia is when people assume that all Muslims hate America. She is Muslim and she was born in the middle east. She loves her homeland and her faith but considers herself half American too. She loves America and everything it stands for and so do a lot of her friends and family. I hate when people assume that Muslims as a whole hate America and view us infidels with a mission to corrupt the world. That would be like saying all Mormons are like the Fundamentalist LDS, Or that all Christians are like the Amish. All in all, this was not my favorite reading, but I like the way D'souza makes me feel about America and I like the fact that he doesn't label the entire middle east as a bunch of America haters out to destroy all freedom.
Then and Than-Grammer post
I am horrible at knowing where to use then and where to use than. My English 101 professor constantly got on my case about but I still had never really taken the time to figure out the proper usage. Well here are the rules from a post on WSU link I found through google.
When comparing one thing with another you may find that one is more appealing “than” another. “Than” is the word you want when doing comparisons. But if you are talking about time, choose “then“: “First you separate the eggs; then you beat the whites.” Alexis is smarter than I, not “then I.”
URL: http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/than.html
When comparing one thing with another you may find that one is more appealing “than” another. “Than” is the word you want when doing comparisons. But if you are talking about time, choose “then“: “First you separate the eggs; then you beat the whites.” Alexis is smarter than I, not “then I.”
URL: http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/than.html
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Im Black, You're White, Whos Innocent?
I think Shelby Steele brings an interesting perspective to the issue of race. I like how he elaborates the fact that racial tension is the result of by a power struggle. His Innocence Vs. Guilt idea was something I had not thought to much about but could relate to. I think that some of the ideas get a lost in his terminology at some points however. I think some of his examples were a little on the weak side, namely his reference to the Crosby show. I felt like he could have elaborated on his ideas and their correlation to the TV show a little clearer. Its true that the issue of race wasn't ever discussed on the show but the issue of race isn't brought up on any other sit-coms, and I wonder why the fact that the Crosby's would be any different, other than the fact that they were black. On the other hand, I found his personal experiences fascinating. I like the objective tone he seems to use. Hes really good at sticking to a middle ground without dismissing the fact that racism is still an issue. I liked his labeling of Jesse Jackson as a "challenger by instinct and Bargainer by political ambition."I thought it was a better example then the crosby show and gave me a better understanding of what each term meant. All in all I enjoyed the piece, I really enjoy reading about ideas that I haven t heard before. Steele's take on Racism and Class was unique and got me thinking.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
"Two Ways a Women Can Get Hurt"
Jean Kilbourne seems to have a lot of bias in her essay and comes off a little on the feminist side. At first I thought she was going to be one of those far fetched feminist who equate shaving legs with the slavery of the feminine race. Though she seems quick to point out any hint of objectification, she does point out a lot frightening and disgusting ads and she brings up a lot of really good points, even taking the side of men at some points. The more I read into the essay the more I realized Kilbourne might very well be on to something in her essay. As a women, I am so used to taking every precaution I know of for my safety. I am so used to it, I thought men probably did it too. I asked my husband if he did any of the things I do (checking under the car as I approach it at night, having my keys ready, looking over my shoulder, not walking at night unless with a group, ect...) and he laughed at me and said, "why would I need to?". Kilbourne points out similar senario in her essay. Jackson Katz begins his lecture by asking men what they do to protect themselves from sexual assault and the men are often left puzzled or surprised. While this is the reality of the world we live in, isn't it also a red flag indicating that something is wrong?
Kilboure also depicts 25 disturbing ads in her piece, all depicting women in a way that is very degrading. A lot of these ads aren't just by some off the wall company, they are big name, often designer brands. A lot are advertisements for alcohol. Kilborne points out just how disturbing that is by citing the fact that "between one third and three quarters of all sexual assault involve alcohol consumption." One ad I found particularly upsetting had a caption that said "If your date won't listen to reason try a velvet hammer", what is the message in that? Hello! How many times do you drive through Las Vegas and see similar messages on billboards? How often do you see nearly nude women, advertising completely unrelated things? I have even seen a billboard with a naked women on it advertising a dental office. This type of advertising really does dehumanize and degrade women. It's no wonder that America, according to a 1998 study by the federal government Kilborne cites, has the highest amount of sexual assault out of any industrialized nation. The surprising thing as that women aren't seeing the harm its causing to themselves. The William Kennedy Smith cited in this essay is a prime example as that. The jury, made up of mostly women, acquitted Smith because the victim wore Victoria secret underwear.
Kilbourne also covers the objectification of men, though she seems to feel that the issue is not as big of deal because men are not as vulnerable. Though I resented at first the point she makes here, after thinking about it, she is right. Women, in a lot of ways, are more vulnerable then men. This idea however, has a very negative affect on men who are victims of assault. It is much harder for men to come forward when they are the ones being abused. The objectification of men seems to be trivialized though Kilbourne obviously does not feel that it is acceptible.
All in all Kilbourne, tho obviously opinionated raises many valid points. She brought things to my attention I hadn't given much thought to and because of that I found the essay informative and intriguing.
Kilboure also depicts 25 disturbing ads in her piece, all depicting women in a way that is very degrading. A lot of these ads aren't just by some off the wall company, they are big name, often designer brands. A lot are advertisements for alcohol. Kilborne points out just how disturbing that is by citing the fact that "between one third and three quarters of all sexual assault involve alcohol consumption." One ad I found particularly upsetting had a caption that said "If your date won't listen to reason try a velvet hammer", what is the message in that? Hello! How many times do you drive through Las Vegas and see similar messages on billboards? How often do you see nearly nude women, advertising completely unrelated things? I have even seen a billboard with a naked women on it advertising a dental office. This type of advertising really does dehumanize and degrade women. It's no wonder that America, according to a 1998 study by the federal government Kilborne cites, has the highest amount of sexual assault out of any industrialized nation. The surprising thing as that women aren't seeing the harm its causing to themselves. The William Kennedy Smith cited in this essay is a prime example as that. The jury, made up of mostly women, acquitted Smith because the victim wore Victoria secret underwear.
Kilbourne also covers the objectification of men, though she seems to feel that the issue is not as big of deal because men are not as vulnerable. Though I resented at first the point she makes here, after thinking about it, she is right. Women, in a lot of ways, are more vulnerable then men. This idea however, has a very negative affect on men who are victims of assault. It is much harder for men to come forward when they are the ones being abused. The objectification of men seems to be trivialized though Kilbourne obviously does not feel that it is acceptible.
All in all Kilbourne, tho obviously opinionated raises many valid points. She brought things to my attention I hadn't given much thought to and because of that I found the essay informative and intriguing.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Grammer Post
Proper use of quotations. This is something we touched on in clas a little bit but I thought it would be interesting to find all the rules regarding proper quotation.
According to "The Owl at Purdue" http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/577/01/
the rules for using quotations are as fallows:
How to Use Quotation Marks
Using Quotation Marks
The primary function of quotation marks is to set off and represent exact language (either spoken or written) that has come from somebody else. The quotation mark is also used to designate speech acts in fiction and sometimes poetry. Since you will most often use them when working with outside sources, successful use of quotation marks is a practical defense against accidental plagiarism and an excellent practice in academic honesty. The following rules of quotation mark use are the standard in the United States, although it may be of interest that usage rules for this punctuation do vary in other countries.
The following covers the basic use of quotation marks. For details and exceptions consult the separate sections of this guide.
Direct Quotations
Direct quotations involve incorporating another person's exact words into your own writing.
1. Quotation marks always come in pairs. Do not open a quotation and fail to close it at the end of the quoted material
2. Capitalize the first letter of a direct quote when the quoted material is a complete sentence.
3. Do not use a capital letter when the quoted material is a fragment or only a piece of the original material's complete sentence.
4. If a direct quotation is interrupted mid-sentence, do not capitalize the second part of the quotation.
5. In all the examples above, note how the period or comma punctuation always comes before the final quotation mark. It is important to also realize that when you are using MLA or some other form of documentation, this punctuation rule may change.
When quoting text with a spelling or grammar error, you should transcribe the error exactly in your own text. However, also insert the term sic in italics directly after the mistake, and enclose it in brackets. Sic is from the Latin, and translates to "thus," "so," or "just as that." The word tells the reader that your quote is an exact reproduction of what you found, and the error is not your own.
6. Quotations are most effective if you use them sparingly and keep them relatively short. Too many quotations in a research paper will get you accused of not producing original thought or material (they may also bore a reader who wants to know primarily what YOU have to say on the subject).
Indirect Quotations
Indirect quotations are not exact wordings but rather rephrasings or summaries of another person's words. In this case, it is not necessary to use quotation marks. However, indirect quotations still require proper citations, and you will be commiting plagiarism if you fail to do so.
*Use direct quotations when the source material uses language that is particularly striking or notable. Do not rob such language of its power by altering it*
*Use an indirect quotation (or paraphrase) when you merely need to summarize key incidents or details of the text.*
According to "The Owl at Purdue" http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/577/01/
the rules for using quotations are as fallows:
How to Use Quotation Marks
Using Quotation Marks
The primary function of quotation marks is to set off and represent exact language (either spoken or written) that has come from somebody else. The quotation mark is also used to designate speech acts in fiction and sometimes poetry. Since you will most often use them when working with outside sources, successful use of quotation marks is a practical defense against accidental plagiarism and an excellent practice in academic honesty. The following rules of quotation mark use are the standard in the United States, although it may be of interest that usage rules for this punctuation do vary in other countries.
The following covers the basic use of quotation marks. For details and exceptions consult the separate sections of this guide.
Direct Quotations
Direct quotations involve incorporating another person's exact words into your own writing.
1. Quotation marks always come in pairs. Do not open a quotation and fail to close it at the end of the quoted material
2. Capitalize the first letter of a direct quote when the quoted material is a complete sentence.
3. Do not use a capital letter when the quoted material is a fragment or only a piece of the original material's complete sentence.
4. If a direct quotation is interrupted mid-sentence, do not capitalize the second part of the quotation.
5. In all the examples above, note how the period or comma punctuation always comes before the final quotation mark. It is important to also realize that when you are using MLA or some other form of documentation, this punctuation rule may change.
When quoting text with a spelling or grammar error, you should transcribe the error exactly in your own text. However, also insert the term sic in italics directly after the mistake, and enclose it in brackets. Sic is from the Latin, and translates to "thus," "so," or "just as that." The word tells the reader that your quote is an exact reproduction of what you found, and the error is not your own.
6. Quotations are most effective if you use them sparingly and keep them relatively short. Too many quotations in a research paper will get you accused of not producing original thought or material (they may also bore a reader who wants to know primarily what YOU have to say on the subject).
Indirect Quotations
Indirect quotations are not exact wordings but rather rephrasings or summaries of another person's words. In this case, it is not necessary to use quotation marks. However, indirect quotations still require proper citations, and you will be commiting plagiarism if you fail to do so.
*Use direct quotations when the source material uses language that is particularly striking or notable. Do not rob such language of its power by altering it*
*Use an indirect quotation (or paraphrase) when you merely need to summarize key incidents or details of the text.*
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