COMMON CORRECTION SYMBOLS for ASSIGNMENT ONE (DESCRIPTION PARAGRAPH) 

The symbols are referenced on p. 595 of Keys and refer by number to the chapter and section of your handbook which describes a concept or error.

 

PLEASE DO NOT TOSS OUT WHAT YOU WROTE (UNLESS IT’S NOT RELEVANT; INSTEAD, ADD PROOF (EVID. DEV.) TO SUPPORT EACH SENTENCE OR CLAIM IN YOUR DRAFT.

 

CONTENT SYMBOLS

• Ts.  (2b)  topic sentence (opens a paragraph with the main point)
• Ts = Subject + what you have to say about subject
• include name, relationship to you, and age of person (subject)
• limit to one adjective or phrase (what you have to say about subject)
•  (optional for ts:  qualifiers or subordinate clause with background information)
• remove “that I ever knew”
• Use right brain exercise for topic sentence (main point)

• Dev.   (2c) = development, support, proof, evidence

Different types of development (evidence): relevant details and objects (person not present) and/or behavior (person in action)

• Back up topic sentence and subpoints with vivid, specific details and/or statistics (7 to 10) template      Or
• Back up topic sentence and subpoints with a description of person in action--7-10 steps in a person's ongoing routine (present tense)  template Or
• Support  the topic sentence and subpoints with a minimum of three actual incidents involving the person (citing time and place (“for example, last Saturday” . . .)   template Or                                     
• Back up topic sentence and subpoints claims combining all types of evidence
• Use right brain exercise for examples and specifics

• U (2b)  unity (omit all facts or claims not relevant to the main point of the paragraph

• Tense  (verb tense) 
• use present tense for routine behaviors that continue to occur
• use past tense to narrate actual incidents from the past

 

ORGAN. (ORGANIZATION) SYMBOLS

• Trans. (2d)  transition needed between points in a paragraph (page

                  35, Keys)  “For example,” “Furthermore,” “Finally,”

• Order  (chronological, spatial, general to specific)

 

SYMBOLS FOR COMMON STYLE ERRORS (five aspects of style)

• Basic Skills  (high school level grammar and punctuation errors (see

               Keys, p. 595)   This includes spelling, verb, and sentence errors

•  “D” (33) Diction (word choice) Avoid, slang, colloquialisms,

                pretentious language; avoid the use of “you” (44g)

• Usage (ww 33) Incorrect use of a word

• Var.  (34)  Need sentence variety, varying lengths and patterns of   

               sentences