Week Eleven – Quiz

This one was relatively easy. It was all in the book and could be reviewed quickly for reference as it was a very short chapter. All done in one (assonance in use).

In saying that, I think style will be the hardest thing to grasp. There are just so many different styles. It depends on the editor you have, the company you work for and even the type of writing you attempt. Style can change from one day to another depending on all of these things and many others.

But that’s the last quiz and I got 100% so …

This is onomatopoeia in action.

Should I do a victory dance…

or just stand with my foot on the book and raise my sword in the air?

Couldn’t find a picture for that one. This will have to do. Consider ‘English for Journalists’ … Vanquished!

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References:

BAM. (2016). [image] Available at: https://kowieskorner.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/bam.jpeg [Accessed 5 Oct. 2016].

Sword on book. (2016). [image] Available at: http://cliffordbeal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/swordbook.jpg [Accessed 5 Oct. 2016].

Victory Dance. (2016). [image] Available at: http://twistedsifter.com/2012/02/awesome-animated-gifs-series-dancing/ [Accessed 5 Oct. 2016].

Week Ten – Quiz

 

Week Ten quiz … what can I say? So close. Read the question Brian.

The ellipsis can do two things. Indicate a pause in speech, like a strong comma, or signal that there has been an omission. The omission can be a single word or sentence, or multiple sentences.

The question stated, ‘an ellipsis is used to indicate that something has been shortened within a sentence’. I chose true. Buzzzz. Wrong. I was reading shortened but thinking omitted.

If I keep slapping myself on the head over all the silly mistakes, I am going to end up with permanent damage. I had better start paying more attention.

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References:

Ellipsis abuse. (2016). [image] Available at: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjX5Kaf8rTPAhUEJ5QKHaX9AbAQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.grammarly.com%2Fblog%2Fellipsis%2F&psig=AFQjCNHyQqybvR47_U0A8IsPsG-mz8kK2g&ust=1475247695409226 [Accessed 29 Sep. 2016].

Week Nine – Quiz

I found this quiz quite straight forward, however, I still got one wrong. And here lies the problem; however. The rule applies that commas should surround ‘however’, front and rear, when used as a contrast such as: “The guard, however, said the cat had eaten the bird.” Though, not when used as ‘in whatever way’ such as: “However the guard thought of it, the cat still ate the bird.” I know this, but still clicked the incorrect button.

Slap-on-the-side-of-the-head.

This quiz was like proof-reading my own work. Read it aloud. Once read aloud, the correct sentence pops out. It is one of the things I drum into my children. Even if they are just writing a simple answer to a question. Read it aloud to yourself and listen to the words. If it doesn’t sound right, then chances are, it’s not. A little difficult to do in exams; but the problem here lies with the exam methodology, not with the technique. That’s another story for another time.

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References:

Oxford Dictionaries | English. (2016). Comma (,) | Oxford Dictionaries. [online] Available at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/punctuation/comma#commas_with_however [Accessed 23 Sep. 2016].

Commas save lives. (2016). [image] Available at: http://penultimateword.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/lets_eat_grandma_commas_save_lives1.jpg [Accessed 23 Sep. 2016].

Week Eight – Quiz

The quiz for this week was quite straight forward. It was common sense with a few figures thrown in.

Statistics can be confusing and I believe it is one of the most important jobs for journalists to break them down so that the layman can understand them.

A prime example was a discussion I had with a Bundaberg local during the floods of 2013/14. We were discussing the chances of it occurring and he said to me, “Well, you know they are one in fifty-year floods, so we won’t have to worry about it for another 50 years at least”.

This was terminology used on the Bundaberg council website and alluded, to the layman, that the floods were on some sort of schedule and only occurred once in fifty years.

Always remember that statistically, you are more likely to be killed travelling to the lotto store than you are of actually winning the lotto. Food for thought!

Week Seven – Quiz

100% – Finally! Had to refer to the book on a few though. And if you were to reference the page from Hicks that the quiz tells you to, you would be on the wrong page. Instead of pg.140, it is pg.124.

In normal life, our vocabularies are relatively limited. The average person has a vocabulary of between 20,000-35,000 words (Economist.com, 2016). That is only 9-16% of the 218632 words found in the Oxford English Dictionary (Oxforddictionaries.com, 2016). We know around 10,000 words by the age of eight.

When looking at the variations, mistakes and confusing pairs in “English for journalists”, it is easy to see how we can be mistaken in the everyday use of English.

But…the more we read, the better we get and fiction rules-the-roost when it comes to expanding the vocabulary. So read, read and read some more.

As if we needed to be told!

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References:

Economist.com. (2016). Vocabulary size: Lexical facts | The Economist. [online] Available at: http://www.economist.com/blogs/johnson/2013/05/vocabulary-size [Accessed 4 Sep. 2016].

Oxforddictionaries.com. (2016). How many words are there in the English language? – Oxford Dictionaries (US). [online] Available at: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/words/how-many-words-are-there-in-the-english-language [Accessed 4 Sep. 2016].

 

Week Six – Quiz

Upon completing the quiz, I had two questions wrong. The first was the spelling of minuscule. Etymologically, spelling it as miniscule instead of minuscule, is incorrect. Although, in many dictionaries, it has become accepted as a variant of the word. Teachers at schools, newspapers and scientific journals all use both variations. Yet, I have to admit that because of the etymology of the original word, miniscule, although more commonly used, is wrong. I reference the Oxford English Dictionary for British English and the Merriam-Webster for American/International English. Both accept the variant of “miniscule”, but refer to it currently, as an error. I humbly bow before the great OED.

The other was principle instead of principal. The principal requirement, is the main principle of the entire question. Adjective, not a noun. Should have read it aloud!

Week Five – Quiz

The book “English for journalists” is a little vague in many areas and does not give a strong analysis or rule for its grammar or punctuation. Yet, I still got all but the last answer correct. Instinct said the correct answer but I swayed and took the wrong road. There are many other guides that are better, although the above book may have a journalistic lean. I recommend Steven Pinker’s The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century. Easy and fun to read with analysis on why the rules exist.

Week Four – Quiz

The week four quiz was a little more challenging. The answers were close and it took a particularly discerning eye in some cases to answer the questions correctly. Getting three wrong on the first attempt, I had to go through the book again to verify some things. I admit I am still baffled on the rules and they appear to change depending on what you are reading. In some cases, also where and from whom the writing originates.

Week Three – Quiz

Grammar: problems and confusions

As I did last week, I took the quiz without reading the complimentary reading. This allowed me a comparison of previously unknown and newly gained knowledge.

I got the second question incorrect. I felt that ‘more perfect’ was redundant, even though you could construe the other answers as correct.

Perfect is one of those words that does not always get used in its proper form. My own opinion is that it is an absolute and thus a superlative without the ‘est’. If something is perfect, you cannot make it better. There cannot be a perfectest or perfecter.

I am sure that many grammarians would disagree. Even if only with my terminology.

After reading the chapter in the book I had time to reflect. Growing up in poor surroundings, with a parent whose education was no more than eighth grade, my grammar was lacking to say the least. The influences we have throughout our lives shapes our entire being. The grammar we use is often a direct consequence of our parents and peers.

Now, much older (and wiser), I have begun the arduous task of undoing my childhood grammatical syntax.

Writing is easier as I can review, fix, and review again. Still getting it wrong as I do not always ‘hear’ the errors.

Abundant reading has been my saviour and has kept me above the line (my line in the sand).

I instil a love of reading, for the sake of reading, in my children and I hear the benefits they gain from it.

Now all I have to do is try and absorb all that I am learning.

Week Two – Quiz

The first attempt at the quiz, I did without reviewing the book as I wanted to test my knowledge as it was. I got three questions wrong:

• Have seen as a past completed tense, should be present completed tense.
• An intransitive verb instead of an inactive verb.
• The comma question fooled me as it asked for the “most correct answer”. The two that matched the question confused me and I decided to go with all of the above.

Disappointed with myself. Admittedly, these are not things one needs to consider in everyday life. I guess now I do.