Ideas and Details

Week 3, Part 2

Today

1. Ideas and Details

Word of the Day

Disseminate-to spread widely, to pass out, to distribute

She disseminated her proposal to the committee as well as the public.

Punctuation

Commas Colons Semi-colons Hyphens Brackets Quotations

Comma

Only seven main uses No mystery about it More comma errors

Comma Use #1

Separates items in a list (three or more items)

Always put comma before the co-con (and/or)

Examples: My running training includes hills, intervals, and

distance. The mix CD included music by Fiona Apple, T.

Pain, and Sly and the Family Stone . The team ordered chocolate, raspberry, vanilla

and banana ice cream cones.

Comma Use #2

Separates independent clauses ONLY joined by a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS)

The comma comes before the coordinating conjunction

Examples: Dogs should never be hit, and I will never

use this as an example in class again. I respect dogs, but I do not own a dog.

Comma Use #3

Separates parts of dates and addresses

Examples If The Hills is still on the air May 31, 2020,

the show will celebrate its fourteenth birthday.

If The Hills is around for fourteen years, mail me a request for that bet money I owe you at 1234 Maple Street, Victoria, British Columbia V8L 1G1.

Comma #4

Separates an introductory element from the independent clause.

Examples: If you have ever been to Disneyland, you know how

long the lines can be. Although they want the family to be vegan, their

children are violently resisting. Identified as violent, the children were reprimanded. While the man in the van down by the river ate an

apple, I chuckled.

Comma #4 Continued

Examples of the Optional Comma: Last night, I went to the movies. Thursday, she appeared at my door. Heartless, the thief even stole her wedding

dress.

Comma #5

Separates non-restrictive clauses What’s the difference between restrictive

and non-restrictive?

Example My sister who lives in Vancouver is a writer. My sister, who lives in Vancouver, is a writer.

If you put in one comma, you have to put in the other also.

Comma #5 Continued

The article, by Said, features a response to Huntington’s article.

Huntington’s article, “The Clash of Civilizations,” sets out a binary.

Comma #6

Separates transitional or parenthetical expressions, direct address, and interrogatives.

Examples She is, secondly, a great listener. The bird, sure enough, was stuffed. He is a good person, right? Molly, it is now time to leave the playground.

Comma #7

Acts as “that” before a quotation Example

The famed author said, “the internal artist wanted an escape.”

The famed author said that “the internal artist wanted an escape.”

“Sometimes I am the hydrant, and sometimes I am the dog,” responded the boyfriend.

Places you should never use a comma Never separate the subject from its verb,

no matter how long the subject is. Example:

The part in the movie Burn After Reading where Brad Pitt is waiting in his car is very funny.

A famous basketball player with millions of dollars like Kevin Garnet owns many houses.

Never use a comma

Between elements that are not independent clauses.

Example: Jenny always walked along the shore and

often went to the local Curves Centre for circuit training.

Good writing

Balance of ideas (25%) and details (75%)

What’s wrong with this sentence? The identification and classification of

the various types of impediments to change within our company are vital steps toward the introduction of new strategies and solutions.

Details

Page 31: two paragraphs for comparison

Ideas

Summarize Conclude Highlight Generalize Are abstract Are a thesis

Implied Direct

Ideas

Unusual/fresh Avoid cliches like

the plague Complexity non-polarizing Competing ideas

Details

5 senses Facts Descriptions Stories Examples

Details

Specific Dramatic Direct New (not second-

hand) Name names Refer to single

instance Use

statistics/numbers Direct quotation

Practice 2-3 (page 27)

Start with details, move to idea

Practice 2-3 (page 27)

In 1971, 62% of new college freshmen said the purpose of college was to “develop a philosophy of life.” In 2009, 30% agreed.

There are many more cells in each human than are known stars in the universe.

Only accidents kill more college students than suicides.

Strangers commit 16% of the murders in New York City.

Practice 2-3 (page 27)

Start with ideas, move to details

Example of Ideas to Details

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Writing an essay without an outline will come across as disorganized.

Not researching ahead of time will mean not enough books at the library

Not planning your school schedule ahead of time will mean waitlists, breaks in the middle of the day, and not the courses you really want.

Blogged Group Work

Take a strip of paper—an idea Make a list of three vivid details that support/illustrate this

idea Think of one counter-argument Elect one group member to post this on the blog