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February 20, 2001
EXPOSITORY PATTERNS--PART III
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DIVISION AND CLASSIFICATION
Like comparison and contrast, this strategy uses either one or both techniques to develop a theme. It is especially helpful with complex subjects. Division separates a large entity into several smaller parts, while classification explains similarities of and differences between the smaller units.
For example, country music in the U.S. can take several forms, including (but not limited to) bluegrass, folk, and "rockabilly" (the last refers to music that is appreciated both by country and rock music fans). If someone were to write a paper about his or her music preference, it would be helpful to group certain styles separately to help readers understand the distinctions of each.
Another broad example is Christianity. Many individuals or groups refer to themselves as "Christian," but the practice of Christianity takes many forms, including (but not limited to) such groups as the Christian militia, Catholicism, Protestantism, Lutheranism, etc. Members of such groups often are protective of the uniqueness of their views.
When using a broad term in your writing, be sure to consider a variety of possible applications, and, if warranted, divide and classify that information for your reader to enhance understanding of your main theme.
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SPELLING OR WRITING TIP
You've probably heard of the "Seven Wonders of the Ancient World," but do you remember what they are? More importantly from a writing standpoint, do you know how to spell them correctly?
1. Colossus of Rhodes, a huge statue standing at the harbor of Rhodes
2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon, a network of terraced gardens
3. Lighthouse of Alexandria, a very large lighthouse on Egypt's coast
4. Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, a tomb of elaborate design
5. Pyramids of Giza, three tombs of the Egyptian rulers
6. Statue of Zeus at Olympia, a large statue of the god in a sitting position
7. Temple of Artemis, an enormous temple dedicated to this ancient goddess
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NEW WORD OF THE WEEK:
CAS-TI-GATE (verb): to punish or criticize severely
Bertha's supervisor castigated her for frequent absenteeism.
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YOUR GRAMMAR AND WRITING QUESTIONS
QUESTION: Why is grammar so dumb?
GRAMMARCHECK: Grammar may seem dumb to those who find its many rules tiresome--especially the guidelines that overlap or cancel each other. However, the study of grammar can be fruitful in helping speakers and writers correctly and clearly express themselves to others in ways that make sense.
English grammar has its own special set of problems since today's English evolved over several centuries from a mixture of languages like German, French, and Spanish. Technological terminology further complicates the mix.
In your (enforced?) study of grammar, take what you need and leave the rest. Don't sweat the small stuff that you're unlikely to use.
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QUESTION: In your last issue, a question was raised about verb tense in a telephone caller's message from this example:
"On January 17, 2001, the caller reported that there are unsafe chemicals stored in the basement."
How could the caller of January 17 possibly know what is in the basement today, February 20? She reported what was there then. She didn't report what is there now. Shouldn't the verb be past tense? (My intent is not to disagree, but to try and understand the verb shift.) Thanks for the clarification.
GRAMMARCHECK: Your point makes sense from the perspective of the person receiving this message. In other words, if several days have elapsed since the chemicals were reported, how could the caller correctly use present tense (are stored) rather than past tense (were stored) in predicting whether the chemicals would still be there several days from the time of the message?
Let's examine it further. The caller provided information from the present tense of his or her observation--no doubt assuming that the unsafe chemicals would remain in the basement until the recipient of the message was informed and removed them. Thus, the caller reported a current situation as he or she observed it--not as he or she predicted it would remain days later. It is up to the message's receiver to change the status of the stored chemicals.
Think about it: if you were to call the weather bureau to report threatening clouds that could mean a heavy storm tomorrow morning, would you use past, present, or future tense in your message? To correctly report an occurrence, we generally use present tense to indicate its status at the time of our observation.
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QUESTION: How would you put the following statement into reported speech:
"Let's go," he said.
Thank you.
GRAMMARCHECK: Direct speech refers to quoted speech exactly as expressed in the speaker's words:
"Let's go," he said. "I'll try not to cry," Lisa promised, as Jarrod hissed, "I'll make you regret this!"
But reported speech rearranges the language to explain something that's already been stated, not show it as stated:
Since "let's" does not translate smoothly into reported speech, your example could be reported in a slightly different fashion:
He said we ought to go. [-or- He told me to go with him.] Lisa promised not to cry, as Jarrod threatened to make them regret it.
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QUESTION: Does a comma always come after the Latin abbreviation, "i.e."?
GRAMMARCHECK: Yes. Commas force readers to slow down and consider what they've just read--in this case, a "foreign" expression representing the Latin "id est," or "that is," as in the following example:
Claire's tardiness causes problems at work, i.e., many jobs are not completed on time.
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QUESTION: Which is correct:
She picked the book up off the table.
-or-
She picked the book up off of the table.
Here's another one:
He got up off the couch.
-or-
He got up off of the couch.
GRAMMARCHECK: All of the above expressions mean just about the same thing. The "of" in such structures tends to be optional.
You also can choose to say both sentences another way:
She picked up the book from the table.
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