Passage A
1 Did you know that until May 5 of every year, you're not really working for yourself?
2 A group in Washington, D.C., has learned that it takes workers an average of four months and four days to earn enough to pay their taxes.
3 The group found in its study that taxes eat up 34 percent of all the income in the United States.
4 So, if workers used their entire income for taxes, they would not be threw paying them until May.
5 Being that May 5 is the first day people really work for themselves, the study group has some advise.
6 It would like a bill passed naming May 5 “Tax Freedom Day.”
7 On that day, you would give yourself a break, regardless of how hard you worked.
8 For, from May 5 on, you would finally be yourown boss.
Passage B
1 Did you ever daydream about writing your life story?
2 Do you think that your life is too dull, or you can’t write?
3 Anyone’s life story is filled with fascinating events, and writing them down in the best way you know can give you a sense of accomplishment and, perhaps, leave a valuable inheritance to your family.
4 The first thing to do is to buy a loose-leaf notebook.
5 Each page of the book should be titled with a significant milestone in your life—from your first dog to your proudest moment.
6 You should then jot down a few key words in the book whenever a memory comes back to you. 7 The idea is not to begin with “I was born . . .” and try to write a chronological history of your whole life.
8 Just delve into your passed at random; one memory will trigger another.
9 It will become quite easy after a while.
10 It's also important to write in your own language.
11 Plain, honest writing is the goal.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
In class writing
1. That singer, whoever he is, really knows how to sing the blues.
2. The woman, sitting at the back table, is a well-known restaurant reviewer.
3. When conditions are right, that horse can run just like its father.
4. His four favorite artists are Monet, Renoir, Degas, and Manet.
5. Let Warren and Andrea, our most skillful speakers, present our proposal.
6. Long regarded as a leading newspaper, the Washington Post boasts an outstanding staff of reporters.
7. Slowly, slyly, and cautiously Eric slid the wallet across the table.
8. What we need is creative leadership, leadership that will encourage experimentation.
9. During high school he read Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, and Hamlet.
10. Song of Solomon, I believe, is the professor’s favorite.
11. I believe that should the eggs break, we will have a mess.
12. Sometimes, I think that people are extremely foolish.
13. I believe that a computer breakdown is a common excuse for late papers.
14. The elephant that stands on the drum is Maggie.
15. The elephant which is a hard worker, and a talented performer is found in most zoos and circuses.
Commas 2 -Insert all necessary commas into the following sentences:
1. Heeding all too well the admonition of Genesis 1:26 man has clearly established dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and all the earth.
2. In fact man has gone far toward destroying all members of the animal kingdom including, of course, himself.
3. In the last 150 years man has increased his extermination of mammals alone by fifty-five-fold and, if the killing continues at the present rate, man may well destroy all 4062 species of mammals within thirty years.
4. Even today there are 835 endangered species with more being added each year.
5. In India where 40000 tigers roamed in 1930, there are now only 2500 left and the lion population currently estimated at 175 has been depleted even more severely.
6. Australia a land of energetic sports-minded individuals has treated its animal population no better than India has.
7. Consequently animals, like the kangaroo, for which Australia is famous are fast disappearing as are koala bears, Tasmanian wolves, and emus.
8. Because Australians were not concerned about their wildlife in 1930, the government machine-gunned 20000 emus at one time.
9. In the United States, too several species of wildlife have disappeared and many others are close to extinction.
10. The Eastern elk and the passenger pigeon once so plentiful in this country are now forever gone.
11. Other animals such as the alligator, the Southern Bald eagle, and the ivory-billed woodpecker may be fated to join the growing list of species we will see no more.
12. Although alligators are protected by law, men continue to kill them for their skins only the belly portion of which are used.
13. As long as Americans want their expensive alligator belts, handbags, and shoes the poachers will continue to supply the skins.
14. The profit motive, of course, has led to the wholesale slaughter of animals like the alligator and the tiger, but many other animals have been killed for whim or pleasure.
More Parallelism
We were dirty, hungry, and without a penny.
My roommate liked to repair things around the house, and his own cooking.
During the day, we went on long hikes, rowed around the lake, and enjoyed just leisure time.
She returned to pay the rent, and also came because she had left some of her things.
Two things that I found hard to learn as a freshman were to get enough sleep, and trimming expenses.
He asked me about my courses, and where I was planning to be next year.
The doctor said that I should rest and not to get excited or upset.
Hitler’s followers considered other nations to be racially inferior and were fit only for slave labor.
The best way to combat juvenile delinquency is not to set up more social agencies, but by restoring old-fashioned discipline in the home.
The book told how to build a gun cabinet, how to build a bookcase, and all types of furniture that you can make.
When I was a member of the basketball team, everyone met me with a happy smile, made lively conversation, and I was invited to many parties.
Fires, caused by unheeding persons, have destroyed valuable forests and thereby decreasing our lumber resources.
In basketball, there is never a dull moment, any team can win, and a fine display of teamwork.
My parents liked peace and quiet and to relax in the evening at home.
Esther is a helpful person and who makes friends easily.
Yosemite is a park with spectacular scenery and which has half-tame bears.
My friends were always going off to jog in the park or a game of tennis.
The manager asked me to file an application and would I leave my number.
We went to rallies to protest against pesticides, oppose nuclear power, or other current auses.
My roommate was a smart dresser, a good student, and really knew how to talk.
2. The woman, sitting at the back table, is a well-known restaurant reviewer.
3. When conditions are right, that horse can run just like its father.
4. His four favorite artists are Monet, Renoir, Degas, and Manet.
5. Let Warren and Andrea, our most skillful speakers, present our proposal.
6. Long regarded as a leading newspaper, the Washington Post boasts an outstanding staff of reporters.
7. Slowly, slyly, and cautiously Eric slid the wallet across the table.
8. What we need is creative leadership, leadership that will encourage experimentation.
9. During high school he read Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, and Hamlet.
10. Song of Solomon, I believe, is the professor’s favorite.
11. I believe that should the eggs break, we will have a mess.
12. Sometimes, I think that people are extremely foolish.
13. I believe that a computer breakdown is a common excuse for late papers.
14. The elephant that stands on the drum is Maggie.
15. The elephant which is a hard worker, and a talented performer is found in most zoos and circuses.
Commas 2 -Insert all necessary commas into the following sentences:
1. Heeding all too well the admonition of Genesis 1:26 man has clearly established dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and all the earth.
2. In fact man has gone far toward destroying all members of the animal kingdom including, of course, himself.
3. In the last 150 years man has increased his extermination of mammals alone by fifty-five-fold and, if the killing continues at the present rate, man may well destroy all 4062 species of mammals within thirty years.
4. Even today there are 835 endangered species with more being added each year.
5. In India where 40000 tigers roamed in 1930, there are now only 2500 left and the lion population currently estimated at 175 has been depleted even more severely.
6. Australia a land of energetic sports-minded individuals has treated its animal population no better than India has.
7. Consequently animals, like the kangaroo, for which Australia is famous are fast disappearing as are koala bears, Tasmanian wolves, and emus.
8. Because Australians were not concerned about their wildlife in 1930, the government machine-gunned 20000 emus at one time.
9. In the United States, too several species of wildlife have disappeared and many others are close to extinction.
10. The Eastern elk and the passenger pigeon once so plentiful in this country are now forever gone.
11. Other animals such as the alligator, the Southern Bald eagle, and the ivory-billed woodpecker may be fated to join the growing list of species we will see no more.
12. Although alligators are protected by law, men continue to kill them for their skins only the belly portion of which are used.
13. As long as Americans want their expensive alligator belts, handbags, and shoes the poachers will continue to supply the skins.
14. The profit motive, of course, has led to the wholesale slaughter of animals like the alligator and the tiger, but many other animals have been killed for whim or pleasure.
More Parallelism
We were dirty, hungry, and without a penny.
My roommate liked to repair things around the house, and his own cooking.
During the day, we went on long hikes, rowed around the lake, and enjoyed just leisure time.
She returned to pay the rent, and also came because she had left some of her things.
Two things that I found hard to learn as a freshman were to get enough sleep, and trimming expenses.
He asked me about my courses, and where I was planning to be next year.
The doctor said that I should rest and not to get excited or upset.
Hitler’s followers considered other nations to be racially inferior and were fit only for slave labor.
The best way to combat juvenile delinquency is not to set up more social agencies, but by restoring old-fashioned discipline in the home.
The book told how to build a gun cabinet, how to build a bookcase, and all types of furniture that you can make.
When I was a member of the basketball team, everyone met me with a happy smile, made lively conversation, and I was invited to many parties.
Fires, caused by unheeding persons, have destroyed valuable forests and thereby decreasing our lumber resources.
In basketball, there is never a dull moment, any team can win, and a fine display of teamwork.
My parents liked peace and quiet and to relax in the evening at home.
Esther is a helpful person and who makes friends easily.
Yosemite is a park with spectacular scenery and which has half-tame bears.
My friends were always going off to jog in the park or a game of tennis.
The manager asked me to file an application and would I leave my number.
We went to rallies to protest against pesticides, oppose nuclear power, or other current auses.
My roommate was a smart dresser, a good student, and really knew how to talk.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Implicit vs explicit
Explicit: I don't think you should go out with him because I heard that he doesn't have a job and that he just broke up with his long-term girlfriend. Instead, you should look for someone who has a steady job and is looking for a new relationship. I think it will save you a lot of time, instead of wasting it on someone who doesn't want to be with you.
Explicit: Race is still an important consideration in American politics today. I recently heard Preseident Bush speal about hate crimes in school. People are still discriminated against just because of their background. I think everyone should be treated equal unless given a serious reason not to be.
Explicit: Argumentative essays are meant to show your views and opinions and sway your reader to the side you have taken. They want the reader to believe what you believe. My essay took an obvious side, but it just listed why capital punishment should be abolished. I want my reader to take my side and agree that capital punishment should be abolished.
Explicit: Reading "How To Say Nothing in Five Hundred Words," by Paul Roberts, was almost like sitting down and listening to a lecture. There was tons of great and useful information, but I had nothing to relate it to. I wish I could have enjoyed the reading more so I could better understand it and enjoy it.
Explicit: Race is still an important consideration in American politics today. I recently heard Preseident Bush speal about hate crimes in school. People are still discriminated against just because of their background. I think everyone should be treated equal unless given a serious reason not to be.
Explicit: Argumentative essays are meant to show your views and opinions and sway your reader to the side you have taken. They want the reader to believe what you believe. My essay took an obvious side, but it just listed why capital punishment should be abolished. I want my reader to take my side and agree that capital punishment should be abolished.
Explicit: Reading "How To Say Nothing in Five Hundred Words," by Paul Roberts, was almost like sitting down and listening to a lecture. There was tons of great and useful information, but I had nothing to relate it to. I wish I could have enjoyed the reading more so I could better understand it and enjoy it.
In Class Assigment
Many of us foolishly object to taking courses in writing. Our notion that only poets and novelists have to write is unrealistic. Students going into the technical or scientific fields, may think that writing is something they seldom have to do, but practicing engineers and scientists say they spend half of their time writing memos and reports. College students going into business think their secretaries will do their writing for them, yet young business people seldom have private secretaries. This attitude shows a naive faith in the competency of their secretaries. Other things being equal, a person in any field who can express ideas clearly is sure to succeed.
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