1. Unacceptable Errors
2. Sample Q & C homework assignment
UNACCEPTABLE
ERRORS
In English 1A, students should already be very proficient in word usage. We do not have time for grammar
lessons. (I will, however, provide
short ‘mini’ lessons when I feel they are warranted.) The following errors that are commonly made on student
papers are considered unacceptable.
For out of class essays, each unacceptable error
takes ten points off your final earned grade. You may correct unacceptable
errors and receive the points back if you choose to revise. In class essays
that have unacceptable errors CAN
always be corrected to earn back the points lost.
1. there – place Put
it over there.
2. their – possessive pronoun That
is their car.
3. they’re – contraction of they
are They’re
going with us.
4. your – possessive pronoun Your
dinner is ready.
5. you’re – contraction of you are You’re
not ready.
6.
it’s – contraction of it is It’s
a sunny day.
7. its – possessive pronoun The
dog wagged its tail.
8. a lot – always two words I
liked it a lot.
9. to – a preposition or part of an
infinitive I
like to proofread my essays carefully.
10.
too – an intensifier, or also That
is too much. I will go too.
11.
two – a number Give
me two folders.
12.
In today’s society Instead
use “Today” or “In America” or “Now” etc
13. right(s)/write(s)/rite(s) rights are a set of beliefs or values
in which a person feels entitled: His rights were read to him before he
was arrested for stalking Dave Matthews. Writes
is a verb indicating action taken with a pen, pencil or computers to convey
a message: Michelle writes love letters to Dave Matthews in her sleep. Rites are a series of steps or events
which lead an individual from one phase in life to the next, or a series of
traditions that should be followed: The initiate began his rite of
passage ceremony at the age of thirteen.
14. definitely/defiantly This
error USUALLY occurs when a writer relies solely on spell-check. You really
must learn to become the final editor of your work. Definitely is an adverb and it means without a doubt. Mary will definitely
miss the Dave Matthews Band concert. Defiantly
means to show defiance. She was in a defiant mood. It is an adjective.
Or it could be used as an adverb. She was defiantly rude and sullen
towards the professor.
15. On your Works Cited page: you
MUST center and type at the top the heading just as it is here: Works Cited.
NOT ALL CAPS, NOT BOLDED, NOT UNDERLINED, NOT MISSPELLED, NOT IN A DIFFERENT
SIZED FONT, ETC.
***********************************************************************
An accumulation of the following
errors can affect your grade, but not one error, ten points down. The number depends on how serious the
error is, and how often you make it.
Some do not slow up the reader as much as others.
- Misuse of the word
“you”. You must actually mean
the reader when you use the word “you”.
- Avoid use of
contractions in formal expository writing. (can’t, shouldn’t, didn’t,
etc.)
- Agreement of subject
and verb. Both must be either
singular or plural.
- Fragmented sentences,
comma splices and run-ons. Be
sure to proofread your papers carefully before turning them in.
You
will not pass English 1A if you cannot write an intelligent sentence in correct
English.
******************************
Dave Matthews
Professor Fraga
English 1A, 1
2 February 2012
“Traveling through the Dark”
by William Stafford
Q: I have no question.
C: During a very brief event on a dark country road, poet
William Stafford chronicles a very somber and difficult decision the speaker
has to make; Stafford has written a very universal poem. Even if the reader has
never been in a similar situation, almost everyone has had to weigh the pros
and cons of a challenging decision. By the end of the second stanza, when we
learn that the dead deer is pregnant and her fawn is alive, we are drawn into
the dilemma the speaker and his friends face.
This poem reminds
me of what makes life so exciting and yet so frustrating at the same time.
Whenever we make a decision, we are never completely guaranteed we have made
the “right” decision; we just make the best decision we can based on the
information we have.
The
last two lines of the poem are especially effective and very visual. The
sadness seeps through the words: “I thought hard for us all…and then pushed her
over the edge into the river.” In fact, Stafford’s careful word choice
throughout the poem keeps the reader focused and tense. Sometimes living is
very much like “traveling through the dark” without any signs for direction.
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