ESSAY/MLA GUIDELINES

Online MLA and essay resources used to compile this document:http://www.rhetcomp.gsu.edu/~jlawrence/MLA.htm-http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/03/- http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/endings.htm -

All papers are required to conform to these guidelines:

1- FORMATTINGa. HEADER: All pages must be numbered. These page numbers must follow MLA format: placed

in the upper right hand header, preceded by your last name. E.g. Trujillo 1 b. HEADING: Use the standard MLA heading for the first page of your paper (see example

below for contents)c. DOUBLE SPACE: All papers must be typed and double-spaced, including the heading.

Sometimes the problem is the line spacing before and after each line. Be sure to highlight your paper, then go to line spacing option and select “0 points” for before and after and double space. This should ensure you are truly double spaced.

d. MARGINS: Margins on papers should be set at 1 inch per side (no more, no less)e. FONT: Use 12 pt. Candara or Ariel font (This is my requirement. MLA requires Times New

Roman)f. SPACING and FONT: Added spacing and larger fonts are NOT ACCEPTABLEg. PARAGRAPH SPACING: Do NOT skip extra lines between paragraphsh. INDENTING: Indent each paragraph

Stephen 1

Nathan Stephen

Ms. Trujillo

British Literature 4th Period

7 October 2012

YOUR Essay Title

Indent each paragraph. The first paragraph is your Introduction. It should include a hook, background information, and thesis

that includes san essay preview. The essay preview should have good parallelism. Make sure to provide enough information to set up

the thesis.

The next three paragraphs are body paragraphs. They should include transitions and main idea/topic sentences. You need to

provide quotes to support your body paragraphs. The quotes should be embedded or introduced. The quote should be properly cited

and explained. The last sentence should be a concluding sentence that summarizes your paragraph.

2- ESSAY TITLEa. All papers should have an original title, centered above the first paragraph (below the

heading).b. Your title should be the same size and font as the rest of your paper. It should NOT be

underlined, italicized, ALL CAPITALS, boldfaced, or in “quotation marks.” c. Your title CANNOT be the title of the book you are analyzing; it must be original, unique, and

clever. It should relate to the paper's main idea. Thus, for a paper on Macbeth, the title is not Macbeth or Macbeth's Ambition (boring!) but something like To Be or Not to be King: Indecision in Macbeth.

d. Capitalization Rules for titles:Capitalize

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o The first word of the title [and of the subtitle if one is included] The Future Fair: A Fair for Everybody

o All nouns and pronouns The Future Fair: A Fair for Everybody

o All verbs America Eats Its Young

o All adjectives and adverbs The Future Fair: A Fair for Everybody

o All subordinating conjunctions — for example, after, although, as if, as soon as, because, before, [etc.]

Look As If You're Busy: The Psychology of the Modern WorkplaceTo Sleep In contrast, do not capitalize any of the following [unless the first word of a title or subtitle]:

o Articles [a, an, the] Look As If You're Busy: The Psychology of the Modern Workplace

o Prepositions — for example, by, for, on, to, [etc.] as in The Future Fair: A Fair for Everybody

o Coordinating conjunctions [and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet] as in Young and Angry: The Rise of Punk Culture

o The word to when used as part of an infinitive verb phrase [to run, to find, to investigate] Mister, Want to Buy a Bunny?

3- HOOK/ATTENTION GRABBERA hook/attention grabber can be a statement, quote, fact, or question that catches the audience’s attention. It MUST relate to the essay! Examples:

o Identification—show that the speaker and audience have something in common:As Seniors at Solon High School, all of us have something in common. We were all able to write down our Social Security number on our college applications and scholarship applications. For 65,000 seniors across the United States that was not possible; they are illegal immigrants who will graduate from a U.S. high school without immigration papers, and thus, without a Social Security number. Without that number, they will not be able to apply to most colleges and will not be in the running for most scholarships.

o Statistic—an unexpected or startling fact, example, or detail:Did you know that every year 65,000 students graduate from U.S. high schools without immigration papers? That is more students than have ever graduated from Solon High school in its entire history. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, the nation’s immigrant population (legal and illegal) reached a record of 37.9 million in 2007. Immigrants account for one in eight U.S. residents, the highest level in 80 years. Illegal aliens account for an estimated 11.3 million of the total, or almost one in three foreign born residents. Since 2000, 10.3 million immigrants have arrived — the highest seven-year period of immigration in U.S

o Story/anecdotes—a story to draw the audience in:Imagine graduating from high school and not being able to attend college, apply for a scholarship, or get a legitimate job because you don’t have a Social Security number. For 65,000 graduating high school seniors who are illegal immigrants, this is a stark reality.

o Comparison—compare something with your topic:Imagine that you are staying with a relative who is living in a fine, luxury apartment building with a spa, a heated pool, a fine restaurant, valet parking, even a laundry service. It has every amenity that you ever dreamed existed. Can you picture it? Now imagine that because you are not a resident of the building, you cannot use any of these fine amenities. Everyone around you is enjoying the perks of living there; swimming in the pool, dining at the restaurant, getting a massage. For you, no matter how long you stay there, no matter how much you are willing to pay, there is no swimming, no dining, no massages. This is what it is like to be an illegal immigrant in America. Without a Social Security card, an illegal immigrant will never be able to enjoy the luxuries that Americans enjoy, regardless of how long he or she lives here.

o Rhetorical question—a question that does not need an answer but makes the audience think about your subject:

Out of necessity, our parents make choices for us long before we have the ability to voice our opinions. Some decisions are relatively easy, like choosing a preschool, while others are more complex, like picking a community that will offer the amenities that will make a childhood complete. How would you react if your parents made a decision that afforded you a better life, but that decision involved breaking the law?

o Quotation—a quote that leads into your subject:2

Presidential candidate Barack Obama in June 2008 on the issue of immigration:“Ultimately, the danger to the American way of life is not that we will be overrun by those who do not look like us or do not yet speak our language. The danger will come if we fail to recognize the humanity of [immigrants]--if we withhold from them the opportunities we take for granted, and create a servant class in our midst.”

Do not just plop the quote in the beginning of your essay. You must introduce the quote as it was done in this example.

4- LITERARY WORK and AUTHOR REFERENCEYou must introduce the author and literary work. You will also need to follow these typing conventions:

a. TITLES: titles of books, plays, and long poems are italicized, such as The Crucible, Song

of Myself titles of short stories, poems, and essays are placed in quotation marks, such as

"The Minister's Black Veil," "Self Reliance," "The Road Not Taken."b. AUTHOR:

When referring to a person, author, or character do NOT use titles (Mr., Dr., Mrs., etc.)

Use the full name (e.g., Emily Dickinson) ONLY the FIRST time you refer to that person. After that, use the last name only (e.g., Dickinson)

5- THESIS and PREVIEWClearly state your thesis at or near the end of your introductory paragraph. Remember to answer: WHAT is the author doing (e.g., "uses figurative language") and WHY does the author do that (e.g., "in order to reveal…")? 

A good thesis statement: fits the whole argument of your paper into a single sentence demands documentation and support; it requires/obligates further discussion clearly defines the scope and intent of the discussion and fits the length of the assigned

paper (not too broad; not too simple) reveals a thoughtful reading and understanding of the work under discussion interests both the reader and the writer by being clever, insightful, and intriguing 

A good thesis statement IS NOT: based on a misreading or misinterpretation of the work too broad/too narrow in scope vague (because vague terms are used) making a statement that is perfectly obvious (e.g., Thoreau uses nature imagery. Note

also that this example is bad because it is too broad and too vague.) expressed in the first person ("I believe," "I think," "I feel," "In my opinion," etc.) 

Your thesis should preview the essay by briefly listing what you will discuss in the body paragraphs in the order they will appear in the body. This preview should have good parallelism.

6- PARALLELISMParallel structure means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level. The usual way to join parallel structures is with the use of coordinating conjunctions such as "and" or "or."

Parallel Words and Phrases With the -ing form (gerund) of words:

Parallel: Mary likes hiking, swimming, and bicycling.

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With infinitive phrases:Parallel: Mary likes to hike, to swim, and to ride a bicycle.

ORMary likes to hike, swim, and ride a bicycle.

(Note: You can use "to" before all the verbs in a sentence or only before the first one.) Do not mix forms.

Example 1Not Parallel: Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle.Parallel: Mary likes hiking, swimming, and riding a bicycle.Example 2Not Parallel: The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurate ly, and in a detailed manner.Parallel: The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and thoroughly.Example 3Not Parallel: The teacher said that he was a poor student because he waited until the last minute to study for the exam, completed his lab problems in a careless manner, and his motivation was low.Parallel: The teacher said that he was a poor student because he waited until the last minute to study for the exam, completed his lab problems in a careless manner, and lacked motivation.

Parallel ClausesA parallel structure that begins with clauses must keep on with clauses. Changing to another pattern or changing the voice of the verb (from active to passive or vice versa) will break the parallelism.

Example 1Not Parallel: The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and to do some warm-up exercises before the game.Parallel: The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and that they should do some warm-up exercises before the game.— or —Parallel: The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, not eat too much, and do some warm-up exercises before the game.Example 2Not Parallel: The salesman expected that he would present his product at the meeting, that there would be time for him to show his slide presentation, and that questions would be asked by prospective buyers. (passive)Parallel: The salesman expected that he would present his product at the meeting, that there would be time for him to show his slide presentation, and that prospective buyers would ask him questions.

Lists After a ColonBe sure to keep all the elements in a list in the same form.

Example 1Not Parallel: The dictionary can be used to find: word meanings, pronunciations, correct spellings, and looking up irregular verbs.Parallel: The dictionary can be used to find: word meanings, pronunciations, correct spellings, and irregular verbs.

7- PARAGRAPH TRANSITIONS Transitional devices are like bridges between parts of your paper. They are cues that help the reader to interpret ideas a paper develops. Transitional devices are words or phrases that help carry a thought from one sentence to another, from one idea to another, or from one paragraph to another (notice the nice parallelism used in this sentence). And finally, transitional devices link sentences and paragraphs together smoothly so that there are no abrupt jumps or breaks between

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ideas.

There are several types of transitional devices, and each category leads readers to make certain connections or assumptions. Some lead readers forward and imply the building of an idea or thought, while others make readers compare ideas or draw conclusions from the preceding thoughts.

Here is a list of some common transitional devices that can be used to cue readers in a given way. In sophisticated writing, many of words are used as part of a clause to transition from one idea to the next.To Add:again, and then, besides, equally important, finally, further, furthermore, nor, too, next, lastly, what's more, moreover, in addition, first (second, etc.)To Compare:whereas, but, yet, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, on the contrary, by comparison, where, compared to, up against, balanced against, but, although, conversely, meanwhile, after all, in contrast, although this may be trueTo Prove:because, for, since, for the same reason, obviously, evidently, furthermore, moreover, besides, indeed, in fact, in addition, in any case, that isTo Show Exception:yet, still, however, nevertheless, in spite of, despite, of course, once in a while, sometimesTo Show Time:immediately, thereafter, soon, after a few hours, finally, then, later, previously, formerly, first (second, etc.), next, and thenTo Repeat:in brief, as has been notedTo Emphasize:definitely, extremely, obviously, in fact, indeed, in any case, absolutely, positively, naturally, surprisingly, emphatically, unquestionably, without a doubt, certainly, undeniably, without reservationTo Show Sequence:first, second, third, and so forth. A, B, C, and so forth. next, then, following this, at this time, now, at this point, after, afterward, subsequently, finally, consequently, previously, before this, simultaneously, concurrently, thus, therefore, hence, next, and then, soonTo Give an Example:for example, for instance, in this case, in another case, on this occasion, in this situation, take the case of, to demonstrate, to illustrate, as an illustration, to illustrateTo Summarize or Conclude:in brief, on the whole, summing up, to conclude, in conclusion, , hence, therefore, accordingly, thus, as a result, consequently

8- TOPIC SENTENCEA topic sentence usually comes at the beginning of a paragraph; that is, it is usually the first sentence in a formal academic paragraph.  Not only is a topic sentence the first sentence of a paragraph, but, more importantly, it is the most general sentence in a paragraph. I.e., there are not many details in the sentence, but that the sentence introduces an overall idea that you want to discuss later in the paragraph. 

Furthermore, the topic sentence should clearly reference the thesis and the ideas presented in the topic sentences should mirror the order of the essay preview in the thesis.

9- QUOTATIONS and CITATIONExamples:

Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).

In Hamlet, William Shakespeare writes, "Neither a borrower nor a lender be" (1.3.60).

a. When using quotation marks, periods and commas after the quote are placed inside 5

(e.g., "Yes." and "Yes,"). However, commas before the quote are placed outside (e.g., She said, “I am thrilled you are here.”).

b. When using quotation marks, colons and semi-colons are placed outside (e.g., "No": and "No";) 

c. If you have a reference at the end of a sentence with a quote, the sentence-ending period goes after the closing parenthesis of the citation (see examples below). There should only be one period.

d. All citations go at the end of the sentence. Therefore, if the quote is in the middle of the sentence, do not cite immediately after the quote but at the end of the sentence.

e. At the end of EVERY direct quotation, you MUST cite your source!Use of direct or indirect quotations from primary and secondary sources, AND paraphrases of ideas taken from secondary sources MUST be documented in the text. (Failure to properly document the source of quotations and/or scholarly interpretations is considered plagiarism, or theft of intellectual property. If you fail to document your sources, you will receive a failing grade. In college and the workplace, plagiarism is a cause for dismissal.)

i. AVOID PLAGIARISM—If you copy 3 or more words verbatim (word for word) from ANY source (this include online sources), you must use quotes around those words and immediately reference the source (use in-text citations).

f. Use the MLA format for documenting your sources. This requires that you indicate the author's last name and the page number where the quotation of idea is found in parentheses after the quotation or at the end of the paraphrase. E.g. (Miller 62). Other than the MLA Handbook, the OWL website is the best source for advice on how to format your paper.

i. If you are citing line numbers in a play, be sure to include the act and scene. E.g. If you are citing lines 45-50 in act one, scene 4 it should be (1.4.45-50).

ii. SEE example under #10 or reference OWL for your specific needs.g. Do NOT place a comma between the author's name and the page numberh. spacing must be uniform and follow these rules:

i. ONE space AFTER each closing parenthesis/quotation mark (at the end of quote after “”)

ii. NO spaces after each opening parenthesis/quotation mark (between “” and words in that quote)

iii. ONE space before and after dashes used to show line breaksi. The last page of your paper is your alphabetized list of Works Cited.

10- EMBEDDING QUOTES, IN-TEXT CITATION, and WORKS CITEDYou must embed your quotes into your essay. That means you must introduce the quote before and explain it after.

Pages 7-8 provides information and examples on embedding and citing quotes, as well as providing an example for how each would be cited in the Works Cited. Remember to always refer to the guideline that applies to your work/situation. See the Purdue OWL cite if this packet doesn’t have the information you need.

Below is an example of how a Works Cited page should be formatted:

Trujillo 3

Works Cited

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Last name, First name. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.

Medium of Publication.

Last name, First name. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.

Medium of Publication.

Last name, First name. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.

Medium of Publication.

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8

9

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11- CONCLUDING SENTENCESIn formal paragraphs you will sometimes see a sentence at the end of the paragraph which summarizes the information that has been presented.  This is the concluding sentence.  You can think of a concluding sentence as a sort of topic sentence in reverse. The concluding sentence summarizes the information in the paragraph.  It is similar to, but not exactly the same as, the topic sentence.

12- CONCLUDING PARAGRAPHYour conclusion should wrap up your essay, and it is a good idea to recap what you said in your thesis statement in order to suggest to your reader that you have accomplished what you set out to accomplish. It is also important to judge for yourself that you have, in fact, done so. If you find that your thesis statement now sounds hollow or irrelevant — that you haven't done what you set out to do — then you need either to revise your argument or to redefine your thesis statement. Do not, in any case, simply restate your thesis statement in your final paragraph, as that would be redundant. Having read your essay, the reader should understand your main thought with fresh and deeper understanding, and your conclusion should reflect what the reader has learned.

Finally, your conclusion should leave the reader with a final insight or assertion, such as connecting to larger ideas. It should provide a final interesting insight that leaves the reader with something to think about. Here is a brief list of ways that you might accomplish this in your concluding paragraph:

include a brief summary of the paper's main points. ask a provocative question. evoke a vivid image. call for some sort of action. end with a warning. universalize (compare to other situations). suggest results or consequences.

13- WRITING STYLEo NEVER…

a. discuss the assignment in the introductory paragraph…or anywhere else! (e.g., "In this paper, I am going to show that…") 

b. use the first person (I, we, our) or 2nd person (you) (unless paper is informal or personal essay)

c. use contractions of any kindd. use numbers (e.g. There were 5 examples of…), instead write out the word for

the number (e.g. There were five example of…).e. use informal, "spoken" English form such as slang or colloquialisms (e.g., not

"Romeo and Juliet got married and then they croaked" but "Romeo and Juliet were married and later died tragically"; not "Tom Joad is beaten up by the cops" but "Tom Joad is battered by the police")

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f. tell when you can SHOW; always let the evidence and discussion do the talking. (Avoid resorting to phrases such as: "it is clear," "this quote tells the reader that," this paper will prove that," "the author means that," etc.). By using "telling" statements, you create the impression that the paper and its evidence is not strong enough or good enough to speak for itself.

g. Below is a list of commonly used words that you should avoid.

14- WORDINESSa. Create concise sentences that are direct and easy to follow.

Wordy: It is the opinion of our professor that we have failed to meet his expectations.Better: Our professor believes we have failed to meet his expectations.

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usingInstead try…

ShowExemplify

ExhibitIllustrate

HugeBig

Enormous

CriticalCrucial

SignificantCentral

Important

A lotReally

ManyFrequentlyRepeatedly

Very SignificantlyExtremely

GotSo

Like

Best: We have failed to meet our professor’s expectations.b. Reduce wordy verbs, unnecessary pronouns, and to be verbs.c. Eliminated repeating yourself. E.g.: Macbeth loses his humanity because of this greed. His

greed caused him to lose his humanity. (Yes, this really does happen. These two sentences are saying the same thing.)

d. Avoid generic clichés or corny sayings. E.g.: “Lady Macbeth wore the pants in the relationship.”

15- FRAGMENTS All complete sentences must have a subject, verb, and complete thought.

Fragments do not have all the components of a complete sentence (usually missing either the subject or the verb).

Fix fragments by developing into a complete sentence (add whatever is missing)

16- RUN ONSRun-ons consists of two or more complete sentences that run together as one.

Two types include o comma splice: sentences are linked with only a comma

fix by adding a conjunction and keep comma or remove comma and add period or semicolon

o fused sentence: sentences have no punctuation between them fix it by adding a period, semicolon, or comma with conjunction

17- COMMASa. Always use commas to separate independent clauses when they are joined by

any of these seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet.b. Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) phrases, or c) words that come

before the main clause.c. Use a pair of commas in the middle of a sentence to set off clauses, phrases,

and words that are not essential to the meaning of the sentence. Use one comma before to indicate the beginning of the pause and one at the end to indicate the end of the pause.

d. Do not use commas to set off essential elements of the sentence, such as clauses beginning with that (relative clauses). That clauses after nouns are always essential. That clauses following a verb expressing mental action are always essential.

e. Use commas to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses written in a series.

f. Use commas to separate two or more coordinate adjectives that describe the same noun. Be sure never to add an extra comma between the final adjective and the noun itself or to use commas with non-coordinate adjectives.

g. Use commas to set off all geographical names, items in dates (except the month and day), addresses (except the street number and name), and titles in names.

h. Use a comma to shift between the main discourse and a quotation.

18- SEMICOLONS You can use a semi-colon to join two independent clauses. Joining two independent clauses

this way implies that the two clauses are related and/or equal, or perhaps that one restates the other.Examples:

o Seinfeld was definitely my favorite television show during the 1990s; in fact, it is my favorite television show of all time.

o I am going to visit Anna in St. Louis next weekend; we’ll get to see the Arch, Busch Stadium, and the Landing.

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Use semi-colons between items in a list that already involve commas.Examples:

o I have lived in Chicago, Illinois; Kansas City, Missouri; and Omaha, Nebraska.o The sweaters I bought today were purple, blue, and green; yellow, white, and red; and pink,

black, and grey.

19- COLONS Use a colon after an independent clause when introducing a list.

Example:o The catering facility offers the following entrees: fried catfish, grilled chicken, pan-seared

salmon, and sirloin steak. Use a colon after an independent clause when introducing a quotation.

Example:o My teacher’s remark on my final essay was very complimentary: “This essay coherently

analyzes musical trends of the late 20th century.” Use a colon between two independent clauses when you want to emphasize the second

clause.Example:

o I don’t understand why everyone shops at that store: everything there is so expensive.

20- VOICE AND VERB TENSEa. AVOID weak verbs (e.g., forms of the verb "to be" or "to have," especially as helping

verbs (e.g., "There is…", "There are…", "It seems to be…", "It appears that…", "It has been shown that…", etc.) passive voice ("courage was shown by Proctor"); rephrase as ACTIVE VOICE ("Proctor shows courage")

b. Always write in the literary present: that is, you must use the present tense to refer to events in a novel or play (e.g., John Proctor has an affair with Abigail Williams, but he ultimately rejects her.) 

c. Do not shift in verb tensesUnnecessary or inconsistent shifts in tense can cause confusion. Generally, writers maintain one tense for the main discourse and indicate changes in time frame by changing tense relative to that primary tense, which is usually either simple past or simple present. Even apparently non-narrative writing should employ verb tenses consistently and clearly.

General guideline: Do not shift from one tense to another if the time frame for each action or state is the same.Examples:1. The instructor explains the diagram to students who asked questions during the lecture.Explains is present tense, referring to a current state; asked is past, but should be present (ask) because the students are currently continuing to ask questions during the lecture period.Corrected: The instructor explains the diagram to students who ask questions during the lecture.

2. About noon the sky darkened, a breeze sprang up, and a low rumble announces the approaching storm.Darkened and sprang up are past tense verbs; announces is present but should be past (announced) to maintain consistency within the time frame.Corrected: About noon the sky darkened, a breeze sprang up, and a low rumble announced the approaching storm.

3. Yesterday we walk to school but later rode the bus home.Walk is present tense but should be past to maintain consistency within the time frame (yesterday); rode is past, referring to an action completed before the current time frame.Corrected: Yesterday we walked to school but later rode the bus home.

General guideline: Do shift tense to indicate a change in time frame from one action or state to another.Examples:

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1. The children love their new tree house, which they built themselves.Love is present tense, referring to a current state (they still love it now;) built is past, referring to an action completed before the current time frame (they are not still building it.)

2. Before they even began deliberations, many jury members had reached a verdict.Began is past tense, referring to an action completed before the current time frame; had reached is past perfect, referring to action from a time frame before that of another past event (the action of reaching was completed before the action of beginning.)

3. Workers are installing extra loudspeakers because the music in tonight's concert will need amplification.Are installing is present progressive, referring to an ongoing action in the current time frame (the workers are still installing, and have not finished;) will need is future, referring to action expected to begin after the current time frame (the concert will start in the future, and that's when it will need amplification.)

21- CLEAR PRONOUN REFERENCEA pronoun must clearly refer to its antecedent. Anytime you use a pronoun in your paper, it must be clear what the pronoun is referring to.

22- POSSESSIVE , PLURAL, or CONTRACTIONSMake sure you are using apostrophes correctly. The chart below provides examples of properly used apostrophes.

Plural Noun The students wrote a play. Students is plural. I.e., many students.

Plural Possessive Noun

The students’ play is good. Students’ is plural AND possessive form. I.e., many students’ play.

Singular Possessive Noun

I saw the student’s performance. Student’s is singular AND possessive. I.e., one student’s performance.

Contraction The student’s the author. Student’s is singular and a contraction. I.e., student’s here stands for student is.

23- SUBJECT and VERB AGREEMENTA subject must agree with the verb. The following are rules and example from the OWL website.1. When the subject of a sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by and, use a plural verb.She and her friends are at the fair.

2. When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by or or nor, use a singular verb.The book or the pen is in the drawer.

3. When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is nearer the verb.The boy or his friends run every day.His friends or the boy runs every day.

4. Doesn't is a contraction of does not and should be used only with a singular subject. Don't is a contraction of do not and should be used only with a plural subject. The exception to this rule appears in the case of the first person and second person pronouns I and you. With these pronouns, the contraction don't should be used.He doesn't like it.They don't like it.

5. Do not be misled by a phrase that comes between the subject and the verb. The verb agrees with the 15

subject, not with a noun or pronoun in the phrase.One of the boxes is openThe people who listen to that music are few.The team captain, as well as his players, is anxious.The book, including all the chapters in the first section, is boring.The woman with all the dogs walks down my street.

6. The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, and no one are singular and require a singular verb.Each of these hot dogs is juicy.Everybody knows Mr. Jones.Either is correct.

7. Nouns such as civics, mathematics, dollars, measles, and news require singular verbs.The news is on at six.Note: the word dollars is a special case. When talking about an amount of money, it requires a singular verb, but when referring to the dollars themselves, a plural verb is required.Five dollars is a lot of money.Dollars are often used instead of rubles in Russia.

8. Nouns such as scissors, tweezers, trousers, and shears require plural verbs. (There are two parts to these things.)These scissors are dull.Those trousers are made of wool.

9. In sentences beginning with there is or there are, the subject follows the verb. Since there is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows.There are many questions.There is a question.

10. Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but that are considered singular and take a singular verb, such as group, team, committee, class, and family.The team runs during practice.The committee decides how to proceed.The family has a long history.My family has never been able to agree.The crew is preparing to dock the ship.

24- SENTENCE STRUCTURESentences that are all simple make for choppy writing. To ensure more lively paragraphs, write sentences of varying lengths. This will also provide a greater emphasis.Try using a variety of basic sentence structures. We can categorize sentences into four main types, depending on the number and type of clauses they contain:

1. Simple (one independent clause): We drove from Connecticut to Tennessee in one day.2. Compound (more than one independent clause): We were exhausted, but we arrived in time for my

father's birthday party. 3. Complex (one independent clause and at least one dependent clause): Although he is now 79 years

old, he still claims to be 65.4. Compound-complex (more than one independent clause and at least one dependent clause): After it

was all over, my dad claimed he knew we were planning something, but we think he was really surprised.

25- EDITING MARKSYou must delete all self and peer editing marks for your final draft. Be sure to accept or deny changes. If a line appears in the margin, it’s because there is a change in that line that hasn’t been accepted. Click on the actual change to accept or deny.

26- USING QUOTATIONS MARKS FOR QUOTES, TITLES, and EMPHASIS Use quotation marks to enclose direct quotations. Note that commas and periods are placed inside the

closing quotation mark, and colons and semicolons are placed outside. The placement of question and 16

exclamation marks depends on the situation.He asked, "When will you be arriving?" I answered, "Sometime after 6:30."

Use quotation marks to indicate the novel, ironic, or reserved use of a word.History is stained with blood spilled in the name of "justice."

Use quotation marks around the titles of short poems, song titles, short stories, magazine or newspaper articles, essays, speeches, chapter titles, short films, and episodes of television or radio shows.

"Self-Reliance," by Ralph Waldo Emerson"Just Like a Woman," by Bob Dylan"The Smelly Car," an episode of Seinfeld

Do not use quotation marks in indirect or block quotations.

27-PRONOUN CASE (Possessive, Subjective, and Objective)There are three cases.

1. Subjective case: pronouns used as subject.2. Objective case: pronouns used as objects of verbs or prepositions.3. Possessive case: pronouns which express ownership.

Pronouns as Subjects

Pronouns as Objects

Pronouns that show Possession

I me my (mine)you you your (yours)he, she, it him, her, it his, her (hers), it (its)we us our (ours)they them their (theirs)who whom whose The pronouns This, That, These, Those, and Which do not change form.

Some problems of case:1. In compound structures, where there are two pronouns or a noun and a pronoun, drop the other noun for a moment. Then you can see which case you want.

Not: Bob and me travel a good deal.(Would you say, "me travel"?)Not: He gave the flowers to Jane and I.(Would you say, "he gave the flowers to

I"?)Not: Us men like the coach.(Would you say, "us like the coach"?)

2. In comparisons. Comparisons usually follow than or as:He is taller than I (am tall).This helps you as much as (it helps) me.She is as noisy as I (am).

Comparisons are really shorthand sentences which usually omit words, such as those in the parentheses in the sentences above. If you complete the comparison in your head, you can choose the correct case for the pronoun.

Not: He is taller than me.(Would you say, "than me am tall"?)

3. In formal and semiformal writing:Use the subjective form after a form of the verb to be.

Formal: It is I.Informal: It is me.

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Use whom in the objective case.Formal: To whom am I talking?Informal: Who am I talking to?

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