Punctuation Quick Fixes

Comma splices and run-on sentences have one thing in common: they need stronger punctuation. Three quick ways to fix either—comma splice or run on—depend on the above mentioned stronger punctuation.

The following diagrams may help you to remember three basic options you have:

1. Use a semicolon between the two sentences, especially when the ideas are closely related:

Sentence; sentence.

2. Use a comma and conjunction between the two sentences—both, not just the comma:

Sentence, and (but, nor, for, etc.) sentence.

3. End one sentence with a punctuation mark, usually a period (not always—what if you are asking a question?) and begin the next sentence with a capital letter.

Sentence. Capital letter of first word of new sentence.

Definite punctuation between sentences provides clarity for the reader. A lack of punctuation can and does lead to confusion. One way to keep in mind that the right punctuation is in place between sentences is visual. All three of the above solutions actually look larger than a tiny comma or no punctuation at all between sentences.

You might also think of it as the difference between hoping your boat left untied at the dock will not float away (run on, or no punctuation);  tying your boat to the dock with a slight piece of string (comma splice); or  using a solid rope to keep the boat in place (correct punctuation). Your chances of finding your boat when you go back to it are better with the stronger connections to the dock. Your odds of giving your readers a clear idea of what you say are much, much better with good punctuation.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

Footprints in the Sand

Sometimes, a walk through the beach can be a learning experience. Tracks in the sand might indicate who has recently been there, and perhaps, how many people have been through recently. The location of the sun and the tides of the ocean might suggest the time of day. You might recognize birds by the sounds they make or by their appearance. Still, you may get the sense that the beach is peaceful by the relative calm of the waters or other telltale clues. If you’re attentive to detail and thinking critically about those details, you can learn much about any kind of place.

In fiction, the use of setting works in a similar way. As literary elements go, setting seems not to matter so much as more active elements of a story such as character, conflict, or theme. While setting is passive in the sense that it exists and often serves only as a backdrop to the story, it often reflects the actions of the story. The details of setting can often help establish the background of the story and understand the forces that drive the story.

By decoding the elements of setting, a literary critic can create a larger understanding of a particular time and place and how it influences the course of a story. Remember that setting isn’t just where things happen; it can also include time periods, environments, as well as cultural elements.

Often, the morality and values of the characters are deeply shaped by setting. Hester Prynne’s behavior in The Scarlet Letter might be more acceptable in other societies, but in the Puritan society of Hawthorne’s novel, it was a sin punishable by public shame. This punishment, a scarlet letter, becomes the centerpiece of the book as well as its titular symbol. Ultimately, the societal beliefs of that time and place drive the central conflict of the story.

Similarly, many stories flow from the conflicts brewed through setting. For instance, modern readers might not be concerned with family reputation, but it would have mattered to one of Jane Austen’s heroines in 19^th Century England. This societal preoccupation with reputation contributes to Austen’s larger message about pride. So while setting appears to be a backdrop, it also contributes to the societal pressures that influence the story’s outcome.

Setting also contributes to other literary elements that you might be asked to explore. Setting can be a symbol that represents an idea, as with Kate Chopin’s short story “The Storm.” In some cases, setting can be treated as a character, or as a reflection of a person in the story. Setting can even be used to illustrate theme, provided that you can show how the setting ties into the author’s main idea.

Setting is arguably one of the more overlooked elements of literary analysis. However, setting is also a useful tool in the literary critic’s toolbox. When used effectively, setting can provide depth and context to your interpretation of the story.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

Resuming the Résumé

The process of composing a résumé isn’t so different from learning how to dive in the water—it’s all about putting your best foot forward. There’s not necessarily any one way to swim either, since there are so many kinds of strokes that will take you where you need to go. Your challenge is to find the best way for you.

That’s an incredibly simplistic way of looking at the résumé, of course. There are many factors that will be out of your control, simply because you can’t always predict that a résumé will necessarily get you hired by the company you’re looking at. It may even be possible that you can have the best résumé in the world, but not be hired because the potential employer is looking for something specific, or that person has someone in mind, or any of a number of other reasons. Sadly, there is no guaranteed winning formula to getting the job you want, even if your résumé writing skills are superb.

However, there are some things you can control with an effective résumé. A good résumé can maximize your chances of being considered for a position, which may be enough to get your foot through the door in some cases. Think of the employer as your audience; you want to persuade the employer that you would make an effective employee.

One way to do this is by focusing on your strong points when you build the résumé. If you have a strong record of work experience, but you’re shaky on education, focus on the work experience when you put together your résumé. If you don’t feel you have much experience, then you can always focus on your education, honors, extracurricular activities, or anything else where your record is stronger.

Also, be aware that you should only cite your last five years of work history. Employers tend to be primarily interested in what you’ve done relatively recently, so there’s no need to cite everything you’ve ever done. This can often help the résumé, especially if there are weak points in your long-term history or you don’t have a long employment history.

Before starting on the résumé, take some time to search through your own experience for details to strengthen the document. If you’ve ever been active in a non-profit organization, you could include this. If you’ve ever received awards or honors of any kind, you should include this. In some cases, you can include the coursework you’ve taken, provided that those courses are relevant to the position you’re applying for. Think about your life experience, and be creative about finding details to send to the employer.

Good luck in your journey through the hiring process. Although there are no guarantees of anything, knowing what to include in the résumé could potentially make a difference in getting the job.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

Searching for Starfish

Before I head to the beach to find a starfish, it would help totally if I know how they look, where they might be found, and when there is likely to be one washed up onto the sand.

The same approach is necessary when a student is given an assignment to discuss literary elements in a story or other written work. What are literary elements (what defines them) and how are they likely to be used by an author?

Finding definitions is the easiest part. Happily, the SWC has handouts on literary elements (Literature) which should help anyone who is not sure what literary elements are and what purpose they serve.

Reading a story or other piece of literature closely - paying extra attention to how the author uses language - is necessary when analyzing a piece of writing. If an author repeatedly describes objects in his story as being green, that might indicate the presence of symbolism.  If not symbolism, the color green or the object may be used metaphorically.  One repeated color or the presence of an object or activity might even set the tone of the story. Context provides clues and answers at times.

Before looking for anything, it is a good idea to have in mind a way to recognize it. Students of literature who add the definitions of literary elements to their storehouses of knowledge will understand what literary elements are and how they are traditionally used. Then, they’ll know them when they see them.  

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!

Honesty is the Best Policy

Even if it seems like a small thing, academic honesty is taken very seriously by most if not all institutions. When we see a lifeguard along the beach, we trust that person to help us in an emergency. That relationship is based on trust, and trust is based on a person’s credibility. If a lifeguard doesn’t help when there’s danger, we stop trusting him or her. Without that trust, we might not visit that beach again, since it’s much harder to believe that we would be kept safe.

In the academic world, plagiarism is one of the worst things that a writer can possibly do. There are, of course, policies against plagiarism, and Del Mar College has its own formal academic process to address issues of plagiarism. However, plagiarism should not be avoided simply because of the academic consequences. It should be avoided because any academic writer should strive for the highest possible academic standards, instead of taking easy shortcuts.

Plagiarism is taken so seriously because it damages the credibility of everyone involved in the act of plagiarism. Certainly, the writer of the plagiarized essay suffers the most, but not simply because of the penalties involved. The writer is now no longer trusted to deliver honest and accurate research and educated opinions.

Without that credibility, any academic results of the essay are now open to skepticism and mistrust. This undermines the process of scholarly inquiry that is so necessary to advancing discourse and new ideas. An academic audience must, first and foremost, be able to believe that the writer has conducted research in good faith. Part of that lies in knowing what is a new idea, and what was simply borrowed from elsewhere. Plagiarism erodes the integrity of the academic process, and this should be avoided at all costs.

Plagiarism also undermines the credibility of the institution that the student writer represents. An assignment does not just reflect a grade. An assignment embodies your own academic credibility, much as it also represents the academic integrity of the institution that you’re writing for. Plagiarized work reflects badly upon others as well, from the instructor to the department to the College as a whole. Think not just on how your work affects your own credibility, but the credibility of others as well.

That having been said, it is perfectly acceptable to use outside sources as long as you’ve followed the process of crediting them. We use citation styles like MLA and APA to give proper credit to the work of others. Quote as much as you need, but remember that your sources must reinforce your own ideas, not speak for you or substitute for your own original thinking. When cited correctly, the credibility of your sources adds to your own credibility, because you have honored those sources while creating your own work of independent scholarship.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!