Common Problems

What are the four elements of a title

Category, topic, author, and text

What is the difference between cardinal and ordinal numbers?

Cardinal means 1 while ordinal is 1st

What’s the 4 lines in MLA nameblock

Your name

Class

Teacher Name

Date

How much do you indent the first line of each paragraph?

5 M spaces

1 Tab

Proper way to cite a source in text

(Author pg. #)

What are some examples of transitions and why is it so important?

Signposts and Thematic bridge are examples. Transitions contribute to overall text flow.

What’s wrong with “I think” or “I believe”

Author is already thinking or believing when writing the text.

1st person pronoun vs. 2nd person pronouns.

1st: I, Me

2nd: you, Your

What are substantives

Adjectives acting as a noun

What is a dangling verb and linking verb? Where should verbs appear in a sentence

Dangling: end of sentence

Linking: to be, to have

The verb should be after the subject and before the object

Difference between compound sentence, compound verbs and compound subjects

Compound sentences ate 2 independent sentences linked together. Compound subjects are 2 nouns in a sentence while compound verbs are two verbs In a sentence

What is the difference between simple, progressive and perfect verb aspect?

Perfect: already happened

“I taught”

Progressive: something going on or happening

“I will be teaching”

Simple: neither completed nor continues

“I teach”

Verb aspects tell us if action is done or still happening

What is subjunctive and conditional mood and what words indicate conditional mood?

Subjunctive: not real

“If I were to win the lottery”

Conditional: would happen

“I might buy a car”

The conditional mood is indicated with the words Might, Would and Could

What is the difference of imperative vs. Indicative mood? When is imperative used?

Imperative: commands

“Go to your room”

Indicative: facts or questions

“What do you mean”

Imperative is used in 2nd person writing

Weak bs. Strong verbs

Weak= specific Swimming, Jumping

Strong= Not Specific. Have, Do, Get

What is a pronoun, when should it be used and what is a generic plural vs. pronoun referent?

Pronouns are used to replace proper and specific nouns. Always use a referent. Generic plural is both masculine and feminine.

What is apposition? When do you use appositions? What is the punctuation?

Equal terms within a clause.

“ The competition consists of the following soft drinks: Pepsi, Coke, Sprite and Fanta”

A colon is used to separate the 2 terms

What is a verbal marker? What punctuation is used?

Yelled, shouted and exclaimed are verbal marker examples. They are used to indicate the beginning of a quotation. Use commas and periods for punctuation within the parentheses.

What is amorphous and what is discrete? What is the the difference?

Discrete: Number—> fewer

Amorphous: amount—> less

Size is not equal to degree. What does that mean?

She has a big problem = X

She has a serious problem = correct

What is the function of a semicolon? What are two uses of a semicolon

Show 2 sentences are related

“ The dog was crazy; it had killed everyone”

Separate 2 independent clauses

“I am now POTUS; without citizens we are nothing”

How do subjects and verbs agree? What about pronouns and antecedents?

A subject and verb agree In the SVO subject structure. Pronouns and antecedents must agree in number and person.

What is parrallelism?

To reuse grammar elements from multiple sentences into one. When connecting 2 clauses look out for parallelism

What are the 3 fatal flaws of English grammar? What message do writers convey when they use these flaws?

Comma splice, sentence fragment and run-on sentence. The writer seems lazy and unprofessional when writing these flaws.

How does one punctuate an initial prepositional phrase? What about a terminal prepositional phrase?

Place a comma after the initial phrase for the initial prepositional phrase

“During the past 10 years,…”

A terminal prepositional phrase doesn’t require a comma because it is at the end of the sentence.

What are the margins for MLA format?

1-1.25 inches towards the middle and double space with an MLA block

What is verbatim? When should you use Verbatim quotes?

Verbatim means word for word. It is used within quotations and adds legitimacy to a text. At least 80% of a text should have verbatim in it. You shouldn’t use verbatim on secondary sources because nobody cares about what the secondary source says.

What spacing should be used in all academic papers? Why should it?

Double spacing; it is used so comments can be made in- between lines

What is a compound prepositive adjective?

2 words before a noun describing the noun itself. Should have hyphens if before the subject

What is the rule for capitalizations in titles?

Articles like The, An

What is the difference between underlines and italics? Should underlines be used in any papers?

Underlines don’t exist in modern MLA format. Instead, one should use italicizations

What is the rule of slashes in MLA? What is used instead?

No slashes in MLA. Use Or instead.

What is juxtaposition in composition and why to avoid it?

Juxtaposition is when the same word is used in 2 sentences and can be combined. Should avoid juxtaposition because it sounds staccato

How must you present abbreviations in a text?

First appearance: full name and then abb. in parentheses

Next appearances: just abbreviations

What does switching person In a sentence mean?

Switching between 1st, 2nd and 3rd person in a sentence. Don’t switch persons

What’s the difference in using a pre positive compound adjective and an postpositive adjective?

Pre positive Compound adjective: beginning of sentence( hyphens allowed)

Postpositive adjective: end of sentence: no hyphens

What is an embedded clause and why should they be avoided?

Embedded clauses follow the OVS sentence structure which is worse compared to SVO structure. It makes the writer sound lazy and unprofessional.

What is a directive verb? why should you use a directive verb when you support your points?

A directive verb refers to what the author says or does. Writers should use it because it clears up a text.

What is the difference between active and passive voice? What’s wrong with passive voice?

Active voice is in the SVO sentence structure while passive voice is in the OVS sentence structure. Passive us bad because it has too many words and is unclear.

What is the one exception to using passive voice?

During scientific or mathematic topics. Nobody cares who performed an experiment, they only care what is being done.

What is an acceptable font to use in MLA format? What is the maximum possible font?

11-12 font is acceptable in MLA 14 is the maximum one should use in MLA.

How do you emphasize a point or phrase in a sentence?

Through Italicization

What is a paragraph and what are the 4 elements of a body paragraph?

A paragraph is a group of sentences focused on on one specific point or cause. The 4 components of a body paragraph is a topic, reasoning and two pieces of evidence.

What’s wrong with using conversational tone in an academic paper?

It’s unprofessional and lazy

Why should you always use quotes and specific evidence to support reasoning and claims?

People want to know what the author says.

How does one state an authors name in a text?

First appearance should be the full name while the next appearances should just be last.

What are the three verbals and what sort of pronoun should always precede a gerund in a sentence?

The theater verbals are Infinitive ( acts a noun), gerund (needs a possessive pronoun), and a participle ( acts as an adjective)