English Homework Help

7 6 0 4 W2 Discussion

Written Communication and Choices

Each week, you will be asked to respond to the prompt or prompts in the discussion forum. Your initial post should be 75-150 words in length, and is due on Sunday. By Tuesday, you should respond to two additional posts from your peers. 

Written communication is a complex, and ever evolving process. Texting is an efficient way to communicate a message to someone in written form, and most of us do this daily! Pull out your phone, and look at some of your recent text conversations. Were you able to understand the message being conveyed, despite a lack of standard English writing conventions?

 Watch the following TED Talk, TXTING is killing language. JK!

The speaker argues that texting and writing are notably different, and that texting is another “language” that borrows from standard English. He describes people as being bidialectal (comparing it to being bilingual) when it comes to writing and texting.

Write two examples of how you would inform someone about an upcoming meeting:

• A text message to a friend (B informal, TXT as you truly would about MTG)
• An email to an upper-management colleague (be formal, use complete sentences, proper grammar, punctuation, and capitalization…no more than a few sentences here.)

Answer this question completely: How does knowing you are bidialectal change your thinking about being a writer, and applying the standard conventions of English?

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3….View your discussion rubric. 

0 0 0 0 W3 Discussion

The Impact of Proper Punctuation

Each week, you will be asked to respond to the prompt or prompts in the discussion forum. Your initial post should be 75-150 words in length, and is due on Sunday. By Tuesday, you should respond to two additional posts from your peers. 

A simple change in the punctuation of a sentence, or the placement of structure can alter the meaning of the sentence itself. Perhaps you have come across the following example before:

• Let’s eat, Grandma! (In this sentence, there is an excitement about eating with one’s beloved Grandma.)
• Let’s eat Grandma! (In this sentence Grandma is the main meal!)

Utilizing appropriate punctuation and mechanics ensures that the right message is received by a reader. Read the following article:

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20180723-the-commas-that-cost-companies-millions

Share your thoughts about this article, and the various examples given about how punctuation cost millions of dollars, as well as someone’s life. Did anything surprise you in the article? Can you share an example of how punctuation has perhaps confused a message you have written to someone, or perhaps confused you as a reader?

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4….W4 Discussion

Verbs in Action

Each week, you will be asked to respond to the prompt or prompts in the discussion forum. Your initial post should be 75-150 words in length, and is due on Sunday. By Tuesday, you should respond to two additional posts from your peers. 

“People who love to eat are always the best people. – Julia Child”

If you have ever attempted to follow a recipe then you know how important verbs, and their proper use are! Here are a few listed: whip, mix, grate, layer, slice, chop, stir, separate, add, roast, grill, sauté, spread, melt, peel, and hundreds more.

Sometimes the recipe directions are excellent, but there are times when those delicious instructions are unclear. Additional instruction, and knowing what action to take as a chef would be beneficial. 

Look up the following site:

https://www.youtube.com/user/allrecipes/videos?app=desktop

For this discussion, choose a video recipe to watch. Every video recipe has the written recipe link included in the information section. Analyze the video, and compare it to the written recipe. What four instructions would you add to the written instructions to provide clarity? Each instruction should be in written as a complete sentence, and of course utilize a verb.

Be sure to include a link of your specific recipe so that everyone else can view it!

In response to your peers, choose one instruction you felt added the most information or clarity. Explain to them why you would find it helpful in the kitchen.

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5….5 Discussion

Subject and Verb: Keeping Information Straight

Each week, you will be asked to respond to the prompt or prompts in the discussion forum. Your initial post should be 75-150 words in length, and is due on Sunday. By Tuesday, you should respond to two additional posts from your peers. 

Written communication is very different from verbal communication. When having a verbal conversation, a listener can ask clarification questions of the speaker when information is unclear.

In writing the communication is one-sided. The writer presents information, and the reader receives it, usually without immediate opportunity to ask for clarification.

For the Week 5 discussion, we are going to practice conveying information. Explore the Storycorps link provided below. Most clips are less than 4 minutes. Watch a few of them, and select one story that interests you.

For your initial post of 75-150 words, write a detailed paragraph sharing the story. Explain who they are, what their story or experience was about, and why it held significance for you. Include details! Don’t forget to include the link to your specific story chosen.  

https://www.youtube.com/user/storycorps/videos

View your discussion rubric. 

6……W6 Discussion

Pinpointing Pronouns and Point of View

Each week, you will be asked to respond to the prompt or prompts in the discussion forum. Your initial post should be 75-150 words in length, and is due on Sunday. By Tuesday, you should respond to two additional posts from your peers. 

Maintaining a consistent point of view in your writing helps a reader better follow the written presentation. In doing so, the correct corresponding pronouns are to be used.

• I think my experience as a writer has been interesting. (1st person point of view; I, my)
• Each time you write your confidence improves. (2nd person point of view; you, you)
• English 100 students should be proud of themselves in Week 6 of their course! (3rd person point of view; themselves, their)

Review page the graph on page 203 in the Pocket Keys for Writers text to help with your initial post. For your week 6 discussion, please watch the TED Talk in the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2tOp7OxyQ8 We need to talk about an injustice, Bryan Stevenson

First, respond to the talk in three ways using the proper pronouns, with a few sentences for each point-of-view:

• First Person (Reflect personally on Bryan’s thoughts)
• Second Person (Write a reply as though someone has inquired how they can make a difference on any of Bryan’s topics)
• Third Person (Write as a newspaper reporter about Bryan’s talk)

Second, explain what point of view is most challenging or easiest for you to write. Which do you prefer to read?

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7…W7 Discussion

Adjectives and Adverbs: It’s in the details

Each week, you will be asked to respond to the prompt or prompts in the discussion forum. Your initial post should be 75-150 words in length, and is due on Sunday. By Tuesday, you should respond to two additional posts from your peers. 

Writing in a concise manner is best generally speaking, however the used of adjectives and adverbs help connect a reader! Think about the use of descriptive words that appeal to your five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.

Jackson bought a book. vs. Jackson thoughtfully purchased a tattered book at the used bookstore.

Prison reform is needed. vs. The unfortunate reality is that America’s outdated prisons have systematically failed to yield positive results, so a reform is needed.

Adjectives, and adverbs better convey what is meant. Watch the TED talk link below:

Think of a personal experience you have had regarding your own culture, or encountering a culture unfamiliar to you. Write about this experience in your initial post giving detailed descriptions, so that a reader can connect with your writing. It can be as simple as a conversation you once had with someone of a different cultural background, or an experience had while traveling.

Your initial post should be no less than 75-150 words total.

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8…W8 Discussion

Reflection

Each week, you will be asked to respond to the prompt or prompts in the discussion forum. Your initial post should be 75-150 words in length, and is due on Sunday. By Tuesday, you should respond to two additional posts from your peers. 

“The point of writing is to have something to say, and to make a difference in saying it.” Grant Wiggins

Most students will not graduate to then write academic papers for a living. The writing that is required of many individuals in their careers and personal lives is usually more precise. Even so, being able to communicate effectively in writing using standard conventions demonstrates a level of competency, no matter what career is chosen. Bad grammar, though usually forgiven, can unfortunately be a distraction from a writer’s competency. Read the following two articles provided in the links below:

https://www.npr.org/2012/08/02/157616528/r-grammar-gaffes-ruining-the-language-maybe-not

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303410404577466662919275448

Reflect on these two articles, and our last seven weeks of study in EN100.

How has our study of grammar, and standard English conventions broadened your understanding? Why is effective written communication such a vital skill beyond the classroom? What does your writing ability potentially reveal about your other abilities to others (peers, employers, etc.)?

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