BestEditorPartI

Slide1: 

Become Your Own Best Editor

Three Levels of Analysis: 

Three Levels of Analysis Grammar: putting words together with punctuation as the glue Syntax: structure of larger units of discourse—phrase, sentence, paragraph, section, essay Semantics: meaning—from the level of the individual word to the discourse as a whole

Slide3: 

Meaning determines grammar, punctuation, and syntax on every level.

Article Use: A/AN versus Theversus No Article: 

Article Use: A/AN versus The versus No Article An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Mountains are beautiful. The mountains in the western part of the state are beautiful. What are the semantic differences between the subjects of these sentences?

Article Use: 

Article Use The semantics of article use revolves around the basic distinction between the general/abstract and the specific/concrete An apple = any one apple; can be counted; concrete but not specific Mountains = all existing mountains in general; cannot be counted; abstract but not specific The mountains = a group of mountains existing in one location; can be counted; concrete and specific

Article Use: 

Article Use Article choice makes a big semantic difference! “Lymphochip” is the name given to a microarray developed by Lou Staudt and colleagues. “Lymphochip” is the name given to the microarray developed by Lou Staudt and colleagues. What does a imply in sentence 1? The in sentence 2?

Article Use: 

Article Use Article use makes a big semantic difference! The library has room for readers. room = space The library has a room for readers. room = a specific, circumscribed location, usually inside a building Like room, many nouns have several distinct meanings. Articles help signal which meaning is appropriate in a given context.

Article Use: 

Article Use Some special categories of nouns do not require the indefinite article Abstractions*: democracy, education, equality Emotions: anger, love, confidence, respect, hostility Natural substances/events: air, blood, oxygen, rain Categorical nouns, which refer to many objects under one designation: clothing, furniture, equipment, garbage Fields of study: architecture, biology, literature, chemistry *Some abstractions can be used concretely: “Democracy is one political system”; “The U.S. is a democracy”

Subject-Verb Agreement: 

Subject-Verb Agreement Identify the sentences in which the subject and verb disagree in number (singular versus plural) Either the twins or Jim is waiting near the gate. Neither Jim nor the twins is waiting near the gate. There are no contingencies we have not considered. The primary support mechanism for most graduate students are fellowships. Fellowships are most graduate students’ primary support mechanism.

Subject-Verb Agreement: 

Subject-Verb Agreement The tight semantic relationship between the grammatical subject and the grammatical verb constitutes the core meaning of the sentence. A singular subject requires a singular verb. Plural subjects require plural verbs. Lack of agreement between subject and verb results in semantic disjunction—the sentence falls apart on the most fundamental level of meaning.

Subject-Verb Agreement: 

Subject-Verb Agreement The Key Strategy Identify the noun or pronoun that acts as the grammatical subject of the sentence Determine whether that subject is singular or plural

Subject-Verb Agreement: 

Subject-Verb Agreement Unusual or complex syntactic constructions can make identifying the grammatical subject tricky! Inverted word order: What is our main priority? What are our priorities? Among the investigators presenting papers was Dr. Shosh Segal. The grammatical subject is followed by a subordinate noun or pronoun that differs in number: A very large number of people passes through the Clinical Center every day, even every hour. Constantly running in circles keeps me busy.

Subject-Verb Agreement: 

Subject-Verb Agreement Unusual or Complex Syntactic Constructions Conflicts in number between subject and predicate nouns: A prime requirement in any experimental scenario is carefully controlled conditions. Carefully controlled conditions are a prime requirement in any experimental scenario. Multiple subject nouns linked by and, either/or, neither/nor: One man and three women are walking by. Three women and one man are walking by. Either three women or one man is walking by. Either one man or three women are walking by. Neither three women nor one man is walking by. Neither one man nor three women are walking by.

Subject-Verb Agreement: 

Subject-Verb Agreement Determining the number of indefinite pronouns can be tricky too! Group 1—always singular anybody, somebody, nobody, everybody anyone, someone, everyone anything, something, everything, nothing one, no one each, either, neither much none* * This one is the real killer! None of these options is bad. [Of these options, none is bad.] No one knows the trouble I’ve seen. Each of these alternatives is bad. Much is expected, but little is realized.

Subject-Verb Agreement: 

Subject-Verb Agreement Indefinite Pronouns Group 2—always plural both few many several Many are called, but few are chosen. Several are planning to leave their e-mail addresses after the lecture ends. Both are agreeable to me. [Contrast to: “Neither is agreeable to me.]

Subject-Verb Agreement: 

Subject-Verb Agreement Indefinite Pronouns Group 3—singular or plural depending on context all any more most some All of the money is in the group’s bank account. All of the funds are in the group’s bank account. More [of anything] is always better than less. More [postdocs] have been unhappy working with that principal than have been happy.

Subject-Verb Agreement: 

Subject-Verb Agreement Nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning are the trickiest of all! This class of nouns requires a singular verb. semantics news economics politics statistics wages genomics proteomics metabolomics Economics is known as the dismal science; statistics is its handmaiden. Special case: Measurements and figures ending in –s take a singular verb when the quantity to which they refer is a unit. Three years is a long time. Three-fourths of the library consists of journals.

That versus Which: 

That versus Which Affymetrix, which manufactures gene chips, is located in California. A company that manufactures gene chips is sending representatives to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). What is the semantic difference between these two sentences?

That versus Which: 

That versus Which That introduces a subordinate clause essential to the meaning of the sentence. Which, with commas, introduces a subordinate clause NOT essential to the meaning of the sentence. A Two-Step Test Identify the element. Remove the element—does the fundamental meaning of the sentence change or become less precise?

That versus Which: 

That versus Which THE TEST Analyze these sentence pairs Affymetrix, which manufactures gene chips, is located in California. Affymetrix is located in California. A company that manufactures gene chips is sending representatives to the National Cancer Institute. A company is sending representatives to the National Cancer Institute.

That versus Which: 

That versus Which Choosing that instead of which radically changes the meaning of the same basic sentence. The schools that educate our children should be supported. The schools, which educate our children, should be supported. What is the semantic difference between these two sentences?

That versus Which: 

That versus Which Punctuation Point: Comma Use Commas indicate that a subordinate clause is NOT essential to the meaning of the sentence. Never use a comma with clauses introduced by that. Always use commas with clauses introduced by which. Using commas with phrases introduced by who varies, depending on meaning.

That versus Which: 

That versus Which Punctuation Point: Comma Use Analyze the meaning of these sentence pairs*: He who hesitates is lost. He, who hesitates, is lost. Janet Smith, who works in Dr. Barrett’s lab, lives next door. The Janet Smith who works in Dr. Barrett’s lab lives next door. Who is used only for persons; that and which for objects, animals, emotions, concepts, events—anything nonhuman

Finale: 

Finale Almost all sentences involve several grammatical issues simultaneously! It is microbial components that stimulate dendritic cells to mature. Grammatically AND semantically defective versions It is [are] the microcrobial components, which stimulate the dendritic cells to mature. Microbial components is what stimulates the dendritic cells to mature.

Grammar Resources: 

Grammar Resources Books Grammar handbooks: The Little, Brown Handbook, 8th ed. New York: Little, Brown, 2001 ESL guides: The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 6th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. Style guides: W. Follett, Modern American Usage: A Guide. New York: Hill & Wang, 1984. W. Strunk, E.B. White. The Elements of Style, 4th ed. New York: Longman, 2000.

Grammar Resources: 

Grammar Resources Courses The Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES) offers: Engl 305—Advanced English Structure I Engl 306—Advanced English Structure II Each course examines the grammar, syntax, and semantics of extended discourse; stresses vocabulary building; and offers writing practice.

Slide27: 

I would like to thank the members of the Fellows’ Editorial Board for their invaluable assistance in preparing this presentation. --Kay Fleming, Ph.D.