eng102 critiquewriting verbs prepositions pronouns

How to Write a Critique

Proofreading Marks, Verbs,

Prepositions, Pronouns

What is a critique? Builds upon a summary

a formalized, critical reading of a passage that includes a personal response

purpose is to turn a critical reading of a passage into a systematic evaluation to deepen a reader’s understanding of that passage

Addresses two broad questions

To what extent does the author succeed in his/her purpose?

To what extent do you agree with the author?

How to Organize a Critique

1. Introduction identify the article title and author

provide background information that answers one or

more of the following questions:

Why is the subject of current interest?

How or why is the subject of the passage controversial?

What is the author’s background?

Under what circumstances was the passage written?

include a specific thesis statement


2. Summary

summarizes the author’s main points and purpose for

writing

is brief, complete, objective, and avoids plagiarism


3. Assessment of presentation

essay objectively assesses the validity of the

author’s presentation by commenting on the author’s

success in achieving his/her purpose by reviewing 3

or 4 specific points


3. Assessment of presentation

The specific points are based upon the following

criteria:

Is the information accurate?

Is the information significant?

Has the author clearly defined terms?

Has the author used and interpreted information

fairly? Has the author argued logically?


4. Personal response to the

presentation

Essay responds to the author’s views

Essay discusses reasons for agreement and/or

disagreement

Questions to answer include:

With which views do you agree? Why?

With which views do you disagree? Why?


5. Conclusion states conclusions about the overall validity of the

article

assesses author’s success at achieving aims

mentions personal reactions to author’s views

restates the thesis by mentioning the

weaknesses/strengths of passage

Active verbs

Whenever possible avoid the passive voice

and use the active voice

Makes writing crisper, more lively, more

concise

Avoid or replace be verbs

be, am, is, are, was, were, being, been

The fly ball was caught by Hernando.

Hernando caught the fly ball.

Active Verbs

Use the active voice unless you have a good

reason for choosing the passive.

In active, the subject does the action

In passive, the subject receives the action

Mostly scientific writing

The settlers stripped the land of timber.

The land was stripped of timber by the settlers.

Active Verbs

Replace be verbs that result in dull or wordy

sentences

As a rule, choose a subject that names the

person or thing doing the action.

Active or passive? If it’s passive, make it

active. If it’s active, make it passive.

1. Thomas fed his dog.

2. The dog is fed by Thomas.

3. The family went to the beach.

4. The letter was written by Marshall.

5. The game had been won by the blue team.

6. The problem was solved.

7. The stunt man risked his life.

8. The fire was extinguished.

9. The car was being cleaned by its owner

10. It gets cold here during the winter.

Grammar Task

Write five sentences that use active verbs.

Write five sentences that use passive verbs.

Prepositions

Parts of Speech Preposition

indicates the relationship between the noun or

pronoun that follows it and another word in the

sentence

At, by, for, from, in, of, on, to , with

The road to the summit travels past craters from

an extinct volcano.

Prepositions

Can you end a sentence with a preposition?

Where are you at?

Where are you?

She displayed the good humor she’s known for.

She displayed the good humor for which she is known.

I want to know where he came from.

I want to know from where he came.

Prepositions

She is a person I cannot cope with.

She is a person with whom I cannot

cope.

If the restructured sentence sounds contrived and

unnatural, simply rewrite the sentence:

It is behavior I will not put up with.

It is behavior up with which I will not put.

It is behavior I will not tolerate.

Grammar Task

Restructure or rewrite five sentences that end

in a preposition. Make sure to include the

original sentence.

Pronouns

Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement

What is a pronoun?

Substitutes a noun

He, she, it, her, him, they, we, us, them

What is an antecedent?

Noun or pronoun that a pronoun refers to

Dr. Berto finished her rounds.

The hospital interns finished their rounds.

Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement Do not use plural pronouns to refer to singular

antecedents

3 Ways to correct

When someone travels outside the US for the first time, they need to apply for a passport.

Replace plural pronoun with he or she (his or her)

When someone travels outside the US for the first time, he or she needs to apply for a passport.

Make antecedent plural

When people travel outside the US for the first time, they need to apply for a passport.

Rewrite sentence to correct problem

Anyone who travels outside the US for the first time needs to apply for a passport.

Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement Do not use plural pronouns to refer to singular

antecedents

These indefinite pronouns are all singular

Anybody anyone anything each

Everybody either everyone

everything

Nobody no one neither nothing

Somebody someone something

Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement Treat collective nouns as singular unless the

meaning is clearly plural

Collective nouns are treated as a group and functions as a unit

Jury committee audience couple

Crowd class troop family team

The committee granted its permission to build.

Sometimes they act as individuals though

The committee put their signatures on the document.

Simplify by adding a clearly plural antecedent

The members of the committee put their signatures on the document.

Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement Treat most compound antecedents joined with

and as plural

In 1987, Reagan and Gorbachev held a summit

where they signed the Intermediate-Range

Nuclear Forces Treaty.

With compound antecedents joined with or or

nor (or with either…or or neither…nor), make

the pronoun agree with the closer antecedent

Either Bruce or Tom should receive first prize

for his poem.

Neither the mouse nor the rats could find their

way through the maze.

Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement With compound antecedents joined with or or

nor (or with either…or or neither…nor), make

the pronoun agree with the closer antecedent

*if one antecedent is singular and the other

plural, put plural one last to avoid

awkwardness

*If one antecedent is male and the other female,

do not follow the traditional rule

Either Bruce or Elizabeth should receive first

prize for her short story.

The prize for best short story should go to

either Bruce or Elizabeth.

Exercise 7.2 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

1. Meteorology has made many advances in the past

few decades, but they still cannot answer a number

of questions about tornadoes.

Meteorology has made many advances in the past

few decades, but it still cannot answer a number of

questions about tornadoes.

2. Every tornado has their own unique

characteristics.

Every tornado has its own unique characteristics.


3. The science of tornado watching has its own

system, the Fujita scale, for measuring storms from

weakest (F0) to strongest (F5).

correct

4. An F4 tornado or an F5 tornado can destroy

everything in their path.

An F4 tornado or an F5 tornado can destroy

everything in its path.


5. Scientists cannot yet predict how strong any

tornado will be before they happen.

Scientists cannot yet predict how strong any tornado

will be before it happens.

6. One mystery about tornadoes involves the last step

when it forms.

One mystery about tornadoes involves the last step

when they form.


7. Specialists do not know if a tornado forms in a

cloud and travels to the ground or if they begin on

earth and spiral upward.

Specialists do not know if a tornado forms in a cloud

and travels to the ground or if it begins on earth and

spirals upward.

8. Improved meteorological technology and the skill

to interpret data have made their contributions to

tornado prediction.

correct


9. Either a few extra minutes of warning or more

information about a storm’s power would prove

their effectiveness in saving lives.

Either a few extra minutes of warning or more

information about a storm’s power would prove its

effectiveness in saving lives.

10. People who live in a tornado zone should always

know where his or her nearest safe area is.

People who live in a tornado zone should always

know where their nearest safe area is.

People who live in a tornado zone should always

know the location of their nearest safe zone.

Pronoun References Avoid ambiguous or remote pronoun reference

Occurs when pronoun could refer to 2 possible

antecedents

When Gloria set the pitcher on the glass-

topped table, it broke.

Which object broke – the pitcher or the table?

The pitcher broke when Gloria set it on the

glass-topped table.

Tom told Sam that he had won the lottery.

Who won the lottery – Tom or Sam?

Tom told Sam, “You have won the lottery.”

Pronoun References Generally, avoid broad reference of this, that,

which, it

By advertising on TV, pharmaceutical

companies gain exposure for their prescription

drugs. Patients respond to this by requesting

drugs they might not need.

What are patients responding to – ads,

companies, prescription drugs?

By advertising on TV, pharmaceutical

companies gain exposure for their prescription

drugs. Patients respond to the ads by

requesting drugs they might not need.

Pronoun References Do not use a pronoun to refer to an implied

antecedent

A pronoun should refer to a specific

antecedent, not to a word that isn’t actually in

the sentence

After braiding Ann’s hair, Sue decorated them

with ribbons.

What is the antecedent for the pronoun them?

After braiding Ann’s hair, Sue decorated the

braids with ribbons.

Pronoun References Avoid the indefinite use of they, it, you

A pronoun should refer to a specific antecedent,

not to a word that isn’t actually in the sentence

In June, they announced that parents would have

to pay a fee.

In June, the board announced that parents would

have to pay a fee.

In the encyclopedia it states that male moths can

smell female moths from several miles away.

The encyclopedia states that male moths can

smell female moths from several miles away.

Pronoun References Avoid the indefinite use of they, it, you

A pronoun should refer to a specific antecedent,

not to a word that isn’t actually in the sentence

Ms. Pickersgill’s book stipulates that you should

not arrive at a party too early or leave too late.

Ms. Pickersgill’s book stipulates that a guest

should not arrive at a party too early or leave too

late.

Pronoun References To refer to persons, use who, whom, whose NOT

which, that

Use which, that to refer to animals or things

All thirty-two women in the study, half of which were unemployed for more than six months, reported higher self-esteem after job training.

All thirty-two women in the study, half of who were unemployed for more than six months, reported higher self-esteem after job training.

During the two-day festival El Dia de los Muertos, Mexican families celebrate loved ones that have died.

During the two-day festival El Dia de los Muertos, Mexican families celebrate loved ones who have died.

Exercise 7.1 Pronoun Reference

1. In much political analysis, they say that public

distrust of the US government began with Watergate.

Many political analysts say that public distrust of the

US government began with Watergate.

2. That scandal’s continuing legacy may make it one of

the most influential American events of the twentieth

century.

That scandal’s continuing legacy may make Watergate

one of the most influential American events of the

twentieth century.


3. Since the early 1970s, political scandals have rarely

interested Americans; they often seem to have very

little effect.

Since the early 1970s, political scandals have rarely

interested Americans; the scandals often seem to

have very little effect.

4. Journalists provided the American people with a lot

of information about the Iran-Contra hearings, but

they could not have cared less.

Journalists provided the American people with a lot of

information about the Iran-Contra hearings, but the

public could not have cared less.


5. Most people were indifferent; could it have been the

result of post-Watergate trauma?

Could the indifference of most people have been the

result of post-Watergate trauma?

6. If Americans expect politicians to be corrupt, it will

not surprise or even interest them.

If Americans expect politicians to be corrupt,

government scandals will not surprise or even

interest them.


7. Ironically, the media’s coverage of scandals seems to

have made the public suspicious of them as well.

Ironically, the media’s coverage of scandals seems to

have made the public suspicious of journalists as

well.

8. Cynicism about political and journalistic motives,

leads to apathy and it can spread contagiously.

Cynicism about political and journalistic motives, which

can spread contagiously, leads to apathy.


9. Many people are so apathetic that it makes them

refuse to vote.

Many people are so apathetic that they refuse to vote.

10. If people do not believe that they can make a

difference in the political process, it makes the

country less democratic.

If people do not believe that they can make a difference

in the political process, the country becomes less

democratic.

Grammar Tasks

Create a mad lib in which players have to apply

each pronoun reference rule and each pronoun &

antecedent agreement rule.

Link to define madlib

http://www.itsamadlibsworld.com/



How to create a Madlib

Choose a topic (I chose hippos)

Write one sentence illustrating each rule.

(No one wants to be eaten by a hippo while wearing his or her dirty underwear. A family of hippos was drinking from its watering hole. The male and female hippo knew that they must stay hydrated.

*continue for all rules written in blue; there are 10*)

Underline each pronoun and its antecedent Submit the paragraph with the pronouns and antecedents

underlined

Erase each underlined word or phrase

Create a list indicating which type of pronoun or antecedent is needed to complete the blank Submit these steps as well

How to create a Madlib

___1___wants to be eaten by a hippo while wearing ___2___ dirty underwear. A ___3___ was drinking from ___4___ watering hole. The ___5___ hippo knew that ___6___ must stay hydrated.

*continue for all rules*

1. Singular antecedent

2. Singular pronoun

3. Collective noun antecedent

4. Singular pronoun

5. Compound antecedent

6. Plural pronoun

For Thursday...

Write a one page summary about what this

PowerPoint taught you about critique writing,

verbs, prepositions, and pronouns

On Thursday, class will be held in the Writing

Lab which is located in room N-306.

For Tuesday…

Read the following articles from chapter 14, Happiness and Its Discontents (pgs. 523-568)

Answer critique questions for assigned article (listed on following slide)

“In Pursuit of Happiness” by Mark Kingwell

“The Dalai Lama’s Ski Trip: What I Learned in the Slush with His Holiness” by Douglas Preston

“A Balanced Psychology and a Full Life” by Martin Seligman, Acacia Parks, and Tracy Steen

“Finding Flow” by Mihaly Csizszentmihalyi

“Yes, Money Can Make You Happy” by Cass R. Sunstein

“Happiness: Enough Already” by Sharon Begley

For Tuesday… Answer critique questions for assigned article

“In Pursuit of Happiness” by Mark Kingwell

Cyan, Reese, Jennifer, Nigel

“The Dalai Lama’s Ski Trip: What I Learned in the Slush with His Holiness” by Douglas Preston

Travis, Destinie, Serena, Dalton

“A Balanced Psychology and a Full Life” by Martin Seligman, Acacia Parks, and Tracy Steen

Lily, Anisa, Jason, LaBrayla

“Finding Flow” by Mihaly Csizszentmihalyi

Martinea, Kayoda, Bryce, Morganne

“Yes, Money Can Make You Happy” by Cass R. Sunstein

Olabisi, Ric, LaTionna, Raya

“Happiness: Enough Already” by Sharon Begley

Brock, Josh, Tyler

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