Lesson 11: Writing
Here are brainstorming questions that can help explore punctuations and types of sentences:
- How can different types of punctuation marks (e.g., commas, semicolons, colons, dashes) change the meaning or tone of a sentence?
Example: Consider the sentence “Let’s eat, Grandma!” versus “Let’s eat Grandma!” How does the comma or lack thereof affect the interpretation? - In what ways can varying sentence structures (simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex) influence the clarity and emphasis of ideas in writing?
Example: How does breaking a complex idea into multiple simple sentences compare to presenting it in a single complex sentence? - How might the use of punctuation and sentence types differ in formal writing versus informal writing, and what impact does this have on reader perception?
Example: How do punctuation and sentence structure vary between a scholarly article and a casual email, and how does this affect the effectiveness of communication in each context?
Short Note I
A simple sentence is a sentence that has only one clause. In another way, It is a single statement. It can be written in four different ways:
- with a single subject and a single verb Example:
Halefom visited Wolaita Sodo town yesterday.
2. with compound subject and single verb
Example:
Halefom and Wegaso visited Wolaita Sodo town yesterday.
3. with single subject and compound verb
Example: Halefom visited Wolaita Sodo and went back to Addis Ababa.
4. with compound subject and compound verb
Example: Halefom and Wogasso visited Wolaita Sodo and went back to Addis Ababa
Short Note II
A compound sentence is a sentence that consists of two sentences(independent clauses) joined by connectors
such as and, but, or, for, yet, for, nor
Examples:
- Ujulu likes reading and Megersa prefers to listen to TV.
- The former likes to eat fish but the latter is allergic to it.
- Today they did not go out of the campus to visit the sides of River Baro for they are busy with their assignments.
- Both of them like to visit Addis Ababa; yet, they do not have enough money for the fair and accommodations.
- They are known in the campus for their good manners.
- They never offend people unless things are beyond their capacity nor overlook others’ cultures and religions.
Short Note III
A complex sentence is a sentence that consists of one main clause and one or more subordinate clause. Subordinate clause is often introduced with subordinating conjunctions such as: although, even if, as if, after, when, since, as, while, who, that etc.
Examples:
An example with a relative clause as the dependent clause:
1. The dog that was in the street howled loudly.
2. A student who is hungry would never pass up a hamburger.
An example with a subordinating conjunction creating the dependent clause (note the
various positions of the dependent clause):
1. The dog howled although he was well fed.
2. Because the dog howled so loudly, the student couldn’t eat his hamburger.
3. The dog, although he was well fed, howled loudly.
4. Even if her niece loves Ethiopia, she often behaves as if she were a foreigner.
5. When she goes to mosque, she always keeps some amount of money and gives to the poor who cannot live by their own.
Compound-complex sentence is a sentence that often carries at least two main (independent) clauses and one or more dependent (subordinate) clauses.
Examples:
- As the dog howled, one cat sat on the fence, and the other licked its paws.
- Reading is an important language skill in our life for different reasons but it is difficult to achieve it unless we practise it continuously.
- If students once achieve this skill, they cannot make unreasonable decisions ;yet, they are in emotional situations.
Summarizing a Text
Short Note
A summary is the short form of the original text written in the writer’s own words. It is an important skill that you, as a student, should develop so as to be successful in your academic activities ranging from secondary school to university. When you write a summary of a text, do not try to insert any of your own opinions, interpretations, deductions or comments. Instead, understand the main points in the original text and write them in your own few sentences. The last sentence of your summary should wrap up or give conclusion to summarized ideas in your own words. Mostly you can summarize a text if only you know what the original text is all about. To do this, read the original text until you grasp the main ideas. Even if you have memorized all the facts in the original text, it does not necessarily mean that you have understood the original text. That is why academically outstanding students always manage to read a text and attempt to summarize it as they engage themselves in the reading task. For example, if they are able to write a one- or two-sentence summary of a paragraph while reading it, then that is a good sign that they have correctly understood the text.
Example: Let us see how the following text has been summarized.
Plagiarization is an act of taking someone’s words or ideas as if they were your own. Plagiarism can result in your work being destroyed. It is a serious theft that degrades you and destroys the value of your work. It can result in expulsion from your academic institution, in some cases, permanently. In some countries it can result in legal actions such as penalties by money or being imprisoned. Nowadays it is a pressing problem across the world so take care of yourself when you write essays, assignments or researches. If you borrow ideas, try to acknowledge the owners appropriately.
The above text can be summarized as follows:
Plagiarization is one of the criminal acts in the academic world. It reduces the credit for your works thus keep yourself away from such illegal act as much as you can by acknowledging the writers from whom you have borrowed ideas.
Descriptive Writing: Describing People
- Describing People
Description is a type of writing that gives information about the physical appearance, personality, age, dressing style, hobbies and likes and dislikes of a person or the topography of a place or different events that have taken place in different situations. In brief, it is a type writing that gives you the picture of a person, place or event through words. When you write a descriptive paragraph or essay, it is a must to use different adjectives and adverbs. Therefore, you have to be familiar with most of them. As example, look at the adjectives and adverbs you use in describing a person
Example: hair: long, curly. Straight, bald, receding, trimmed, ringled, tousled, plaited, dressed. Pony-tails, etc
forehead: high, low, medium, etc.
nose: turned up, pointed, aquiline, flat, etc.
eyes: small, big, big, short, brown, red, blue
face: long, circular, oval, square, of dark complexion, of red complexion, with beard, mustache, wrinkled, mesmerizing, comely, attractive, gorgeous, pretty, haggard, gloomy…..
height: tall, short, medium, dwarf….
weight: fat, slim, plump, medium, over-weight, under-weight, etc
age: in my early twenties, mid-twenties, late twenties, young, adult, old, twenty years old, twenty years of age…
clothing: Ethiopian traditional, western, apron, scarf, blouse, skirt, sweater, jacket, suit, jeans trouser, gabi, kuta, overall, traditional dress, rob
personality: cheerful, sad, honest, cheat, genuine, diligent, patient, hasty, sociable (outgoing), gregarious, lonely, stingy, mischievous, spendthrift, reasonable, far-sighted, long-sighted, kind, cruel, cooperative, suspicious, trustworthy….
hobbies: gardening, playing football, discussing with people, visiting friends, reading, excursion, watching television, listening to hymn
likes and dislikes: favorite food, colour, music, person, etc
Punctuations
Using Full stop, Comma, Semi-colon and Colon
A. Use comma in the following situations:
- to separate independent clauses when they are joined by subordinating conjunctions such as therefore, moreover, however and the like
Example: Patience is an important quality of a person; however, it needs maturity and critical thinking.
2. to separate off the subordinate clause from the main clause but do not use comma when the main clause appears initially
Example:
- Because the situations are not convenient for him, he decided to disseminate pretexts. (correct)
- He decided to disseminate pretexts, because the situations are not convenient (incorrect)
3. To separate words given in series in a sentence
Example: To speak English fluently, it is a must to develop your listening, speaking, reading, writing and other sub-language skills as best as you can.
- 4. To separate introductory phrases in direct speeches
Example: Tihitina says, “Education is the most important activity in my life.”
- 5. Before sentences that are followed by tag questions
Example: I am sympathetic to children begging in streets, aren’t I?
- 6. In relative clauses to separate off the non- defining clause but do not use comma when the clause is introduced with “that”
.
Example:
- Those students, who frequently listen to English media,
significantly improve their listening skills. (correct)
- Those students, that frequently listen to English media,
significantly improve their listening skills. (incorrect)
- 7. To set off phrases at the end of the sentence that refers to the beginning or middle of the sentence.
Example: Nancy waved enthusiastically at the docking ship, laughing joyously.
Semi-colon
Use a semi-colon in the following situations
- 1. to join two related independent clauses in place of a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet).
Example:
- Our government wants different investors to involve in different investment activities in the country; important infra-structures have not yet been well constructed. This sentence can be rewritten with the same meaning:
- Our government wants different investors to involve in different investment activities in the country; however, important infra-structures have not yet been well constructed.
2. to replace a period (full stop) between related sentences when the second sentence starts
3. with either a conjunctive adverb or a transitional expression, such as, for example, for instance, that is, besides, accordingly, furthermore, otherwise, however, thus, therefore.
Example: Kapurie worked for many hours on all his homework; nevertheless, he was unable to finish all of it.
4. Courses in universities require students to write essays, research papers and reports; therefore, you must improve your writing skills from time to time.
Colon
Use colon in the following situations:
- 1. to introduce lists in a sentence.
Example: The following skills are important when you join a university: writing and speaking in English, taking important lectures, managing your time and cooperating with peers.
- 2. when the second sentence explains, illustrates, paraphrases, or expands the idea in the first sentence.
Example: He got what he worked for: his promotion is accepted by all of his colleagues.
- 3. to separate hours from minutes with no space before or after the colon.
Example: Our English teacher arrived at the classroom at 8: 20 a.m..
- 4. to separate chapter from verse in biblical references with no space before or after the colon.
Example: Psalm 17:25