Sentences and Socks: Mixing and Matching
In the past few years, I have noticed a phenomenon sweeping
the pre-teen female population: mismatched socks. I must admit that I am a bit
disappointed to have missed out on this fad—I love fun socks! Yet there is
still something to be said for order in the chaos. While mismatched socks are
fun for a while, there is still something satisfying to me about matching up my
socks together when they come out of the laundry.
I feel the same way about parts of sentences. Allow me to
explain.
Whether we realize it or not, our speaking and our writing follow certain patterns. For example, in the English language, simple sentences usually have a subject (who or what the sentence is about), a verb (action word), and then an object (the word or phrase receiving the action). Thus we end up with a sentence like this: He threw the ball. Sentences such as Threw he the ball do not sound right, nor does The ball threw he. These sentence patterns may be used in other languages, but they do not exist in English.
There are some sequences of matching patterns that are tricky
to differentiate. While there are multiple ways that sentences can be
mismatched, this post will cover one of the most commonly mismatched combinations
of two different sentence patterns.
Mixed Construction
If someone sneezes, many people respond with “bless you” or
“gesundheit.” When someone sneezes,
people are expected to respond; it is, to some extent, the expected pattern of
behavior. Sentences work in a similar way. When you have certain beginning of a
sentence, a specific and aligning ending is expected.
Example of mixed sentence
construction: By providing students
with more engaging curriculum will motivate students to participate in
class.
The problem here is that the underlined phrase is being
pulled in two different directions because there are two parts of two patterns,
and they do not work together.
Pattern 1:
Usually, sentences that begin with the word by have a certain pattern, like this: By running fast, I won
the race.
Notice the pattern. First you have a descriptive phrase,
explaining how something happened (by
running fast), and next you have the complete sentence that this phrase is
modifying or describing. In the example above, the
complete sentence after the descriptive phase is a simple one, made up of a
subject (I), verb (won), and object (the race). Another
grammar term to note is predicate, which
means the words or phrases that come after the subject to convey information
about that subject.
So any time a sentence starts with by, this is the pattern to follow:
[Descriptive phrase +
Comma] + [Subject +
Predicate]
All these sentences are examples of a correct way to use
this by phrase:
By keeping low to the ground, he was able to escape the fire.
By slowing her pace, she was able to run farther.
By being a good student, he was accepted into the University of Minnesota.
Here is another way to look at this type of sentence:
Here is another way to look at this type of sentence:
[By] + [-ing word + phrase] + [comma] + [independent clause (complete sentence)]
Example: By completing the project, the researchers discovered how to best address the problem.
View the pattern and the sentence in this table to see how they align:
| [By] | [-ing word + the rest of the connected phrase] | [comma] | [independent clause (complete sentence)] |
| Completing the project | allowed the researchers to discover how to best address the problem. |
,
| the researchers discovered how to best address the problem. |
Let’s take another look at the
original mixed construction sentence:
By providing students with more engaging
curriculum will motivate students to participate in class.
Now, you can see that the
sentence does not follow this pattern. The –ing
word and the rest of the phrase should work with only by in this sentence. Instead, that phrase is trying to function in
another way, and the sentence starts to go into another pattern.
Pattern 2:
This next pattern begins with –ing words. Instead of using those –ing words to describe the subject, this pattern actually uses
those –ing words as the subject of the sentence. Here’s
an example: Knowing how to cook is
important for everyone.
What is important for everyone? Knowing how to cook. This is your subject. See how this phrase can
work as a subject, and the rest of the sentence works as the predicate? Notice how the verb (is) comes directly after the full subject, so this is the pattern
that this kind of sentence follows:
[-ing word
(This is the subject of the sentence)] + [no comma] + Verb + Predicate
Here are a few other
examples where the –ing word and
phrase work as the subject of the sentence:
Brushing your teeth is something you should do twice a day.
Running was his favorite hobby.
Playing the saxophone makes me happy.
Here is another way to break it down:
[-ing word + phrase] + [predicate (verb and object, etc.)]
Example: Completing the project allowed the researchers to discover how to best address the problem.
[-ing word + phrase] + [predicate (verb and object, etc.)]
Example: Completing the project allowed the researchers to discover how to best address the problem.
Here's another way to view this pattern and the sentence
in this table to see how they align:
| [-ing word + the rest of the connected phrase] | [predicate (verb and object, etc.)] |
| Completing the project | allowed the researchers to discover how to best address the problem. |
To allow your readers to best understand your ideas,
remember to consider and then follow these required sentence patterns as well
as others. As you proofread, look at your sentences carefully. Ask yourself, Does this part of the sentence have a pattern
that requires a corresponding part? Go ahead and mismatch your socks, but
if you want to communicate clearly, remember to avoid mismatching sentence
patterns.
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Rachel Grammer is a writing instructor and the coordinator of student messaging at the Writing Center. A self-professed grammar nerd, she loves discovering the social interests of Walden students and hearing the stories that shine through their writing.
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The Easiest Way to Avoid Plagiarism
As you
can tell from this post’s title, this week, I want to share with you the easiest
way to avoid plagiarism in your writing. Here it is:
WriteCast Episode 11: "Doesn’t Meet Requirements"—Strategies for Following Your Assignment Instructions
This month, Nik and Brittany talk about strategies for understanding and following your assignment instructions.So, you may have had this experience...where you feel really, really strong about something that you turn in into your course. You've spent a lot of time on this assignment, you've put a lot of effort into it, and you're probably feeling really proud of it. And then you get it back with your instructor's comments on it, and you find that you've lost points because your instructor says that the paper doesn't meet the requirements or follow the assignment instructions. Now, if you've ever had an experience like that, I think you'll find this episode really helpful. - Host Brittany
To download the episode to your computer, press the share button on the player above, then press the download button. Visit the Writing Center's WriteCast page for our episode archive and transcripts. Happy listening!
WriteCast is hosted by writing instructors Nikolas Nadeau and Brittany Kallman Arneson and produced by writing instructor Anne Shiell. Check out the podcast archive for more episodes.
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Dissertation and Scholarly Research: Simon and Goes Provide Recipes for Success (Book Review)
If you are writing a dissertation, doctoral or project
study, or any other doctoral-level capstone research project, chances are it is
the first time you have done anything of the kind. While you have years of
practice with what it means to participate in the classroom, complete
proscribed assignments, and even conduct original research, the doctoral
capstone research project is a unique document and a unique task. Why not take
advantage of any number of excellent resources available for helping you
through the various steps and stages of tackling a project of this size?
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| Image (c) www.dissertationrecipes.com |
Authors Marilyn K. Simon and Jim Goes have done just that, and
they just happen to be Walden faculty to boot. In their resource, Dissertation and Scholarly Research: Recipes for Success—A Practical Guide to Start and Complete Your Dissertation, Thesis,or Formal Research Project, Simon and Goes (2013) have crafted a guidebook
that addresses students working outside of traditional brick-and-mortar
institutions to complete their degrees. Their use of metaphor (specifically,
food) helps make what could otherwise seem like a dense and complex process
more, well, digestible.
The mnemonic devices, “cutting board” exercises, and links
to outside resources offer practical and accessible advice, and the guide
offers help with everything from how to formulate your research questions to
what to do when it comes time to format your document for final submission to
ProQuest.
While you could certainly sit down and read this book cover to
cover, one of the guide’s strengths is in offering a breadth and specificity of
information, so you could just refer to the table of contents and read those
sections that pertain to your current needs.
One thing that can be frustrating at times when conducting
this level of research in a virtual space is how to know where to go for the
right information and how to get a hold of who can answer your questions. This
guidebook is particularly relevant to Walden student needs in this regard
because it addresses content and design as well as APA and scholarly style. Simon
and Goes did a particularly thorough job really explaining to the reader how
everything fits together and how the way you craft and express an idea can support and inform your research.
As with any comprehensive guide, the sheer amount of
information can seem daunting at first, but everything is organized and
presented in such a way that a reader will not feel overloaded. Dissertation and Scholarly Research: Recipes
for Success should be high on the list of any Walden student looking
for that extra bit of guidance and support while beginning this next step as a
scholar-practitioner.
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Lydia Lunning is a dissertation editor and the coordinator for Capstone Resources in the Writing Center. Lydia also helps oversee the Walden Capstone Writing Community, a place where doctoral students working on their proposals and final studies can connect with colleagues and get support through the capstone writing process. Outside of Walden, Lydia enjoys literature for children and young adults, writing pedagogy, contemporary cinema, and cooking.
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Defining a Gap in the Literature: On Proving the Presence of an Absence
It’s standard in any study to point out the gap in the
literature you're seeking to fill. (Else why do the study—unless it’s a
replication study?) Like the hole in the donut, the gap is defined by what surrounds
it. Yet it’s common to read statements in the literature review such as (a) “I could
not find anything on [the issue] in the literature” or (b) “Very few studies,
if any, talked about [the issue].”
It’s not easy to prove a negative: This does not exist. Therefore, to define a gap, a precise and
exhaustive search is needed to identify all the studies around—but not
touching—your topic. Reporting what you did find, what is known (the donut) implies
what is not known (the hole in the
donut). The unknown is the gap, your topic.
The problem with (b) is that it leaves readers wondering
about what you know; it asks them to just accept your claim with no support. If
your search were thorough, you would know whether any or just a few studies
talked about your issue. If there were none, then, just as in (a), you’d define
the gap by identifying the studies around—but not touching—your precise topic. The
number of studies required to make that point could vary. However, if there
were some studies, then you'd need to
discuss only those studies in order to confirm for your readers that something was
indeed missing—your angle on the
issue.
If your search was precise—if you named all the databases you used (not just the names of portals, such as ProQuest or EBSCO), if you listed all the keywords (not phrases) you used, and if you specified your time range—then your committee (and future readers) could have confidence that you were in the right ballpark. If you then described what was known—using a broad set of studies or a handful of specific studies—then your readers could have confidence in your claim because they could see your process, and judge the data adduced, to “prove” a negative and reveal the presence of an absence.
If your search was precise—if you named all the databases you used (not just the names of portals, such as ProQuest or EBSCO), if you listed all the keywords (not phrases) you used, and if you specified your time range—then your committee (and future readers) could have confidence that you were in the right ballpark. If you then described what was known—using a broad set of studies or a handful of specific studies—then your readers could have confidence in your claim because they could see your process, and judge the data adduced, to “prove” a negative and reveal the presence of an absence.
.png "Tim McIndoo author image")
Tim McIndoo, who has been a dissertation editor since 2007, has more than 30 years of editorial experience in the fields of medicine, science and technology, fiction, and education.
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A Match Made in Heaven: Reference Entries and Citations in APA
To me, knowing how and why rules apply to me always makes them
more relevant and makes me more inclined to learn and use them. This approach makes sense when talking about APA Style because APA rules can seem so
arbitrary. So, with the approach of helping students understand the reasoning
behind the APA rules, let’s start at the beginning: the reference list.
What is a reference list?
The
reference list is the foundation for citing sources in APA. In APA, writers
include all sources they use within the body of the paper, but only those sources, in the reference
list. This is a little different from a works cited or bibliography (lists of
sources used in other citation styles, like MLA and Chicago),
which sometimes include sources the author consulted but did not end up using
in the paper.
In APA, if you cite a source anywhere within the paragraphs
of the paper, it should also appear in the reference list. Similarly, only
sources used within the body of the paper are included in the reference list.
It’s always a good idea to proof for this relationship before finishing your
paper. If you take just one thing away from this post, remember this: Every source cited in your paper must have an entry in the reference
list, and your reference list should not contain any sources that you didn’t
cite in your paper. This rule applies for almost
every source you cite in-text. The only exception to this rule is personal communication citations, which do not have corresponding entries in the reference list.
What is its purpose?
The reason you need to list all of the sources you cite in the body of your paper in the reference list is so the reader can trace the information you used to inform your writing. Imagine that you incorporate a statistic regarding high school graduation rates in your paper; you include a citation to your source in the sentence that uses the statistic. The reader could then use that citation to find that source and its full publication information in your reference list, allowing the reader to find the source itself.
This function of the reference list is also why citations
are structured the way they are. Because sources are listed alphabetically by
author in the reference list, citations include the author(s) of a source and
the source’s publication year.
How do you create reference entries?
Because the purpose of the reference list is to help
the reader track the sources you used, a reference entry must include enough
information for the reader to find the original source. This includes the
following basic information:
- Author(s) of the source
- Publication year of the source
- Title of the source
- Publication information of the source
Check out these great resources to help you create reference entries:
- Common Reference List Examples page on our website
- Recordings of the APA Citations webinar series
- APA Style Blog
And, of course, if you ever get stuck creating a reference
entry, simply let us know via e-mail at writingsupport@waldenu.edu.
Now that you know the reasoning behind a reference list and
how it relates to the in-text citations in your writing, I hope you’ll have a
better understanding of why the
reference list is so important.
.png "Beth Oyler author image")
Beth Oyler is a Writing Instructor and the Webinar Coordinator for the Writing Center. She lives in Minneapolis and recently graduated with her MA in English.
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