writing topic: rules for writers chapter 8

Chapter 8 is about using active verbs by pairing it with a subject that names the noun doing the action. Using an active verb can make a sentence express more meaning. As mentioned in the chapter when using a verb in the passive tone can require more structure or strength because their subjects receive the action instead of doing it. When you carefully select active verbs it can make the piece of writing come to life. For example: The goalie crouched low, reached swept out his stick, and sent hooked the rebound away from the mouth of the net. The chapter mentions using an active voice so that the sentence is more effective, simple and direct.

Ex.
ACTIVE-  Hernando caught the fly ball.
PASSIVE- The fly ball was caught by Hernando.

And the last thing is that some be verbs can result to dull or wordy sentences. For example using be verbs such as be, am, is, are, was, were, being, been. Only consider replacing it if your sentence needs to be more expressive.

I love to read stories or papers that is expressive. I want to be able to picture myself where ever their story takes place. This chapter was very short but helped in many ways. Now, I can definitely read through some of my papers to keep them from being so dull. No one wants to read a dull or wordy paper. I didn’t realize that sometimes using be verbs can make a paper boring.

“all i asking for is my body” part 1 dialogue

Who is the Narrator?  Where does he live?  What do his parents do for a living?

The narrator is a fourth grade boy name Kiyoshi who lives in Pepelau, Hawaii. The whole town would spend their whole day at the beach and if they had money they would watch movies at night. No one is Pepelau owned shoes because during the day they would go bare foot and at night they would wear a pair of Japanese zori.

Kiyo lived with is parents, older brother Tosh who is a seventh grader and kid sister. Kiyo’s father was a fisherman and his mother hand sewed kimonos. His parents taught him to be very respectful to others.    

Kiyo had two friends named Mit and Skats who were both the same age. In the summer Kiyo and his two friend met Makot who was an older boy about the same age as Kiyo brother Tosh. He would eat at Makot’s house because he was tired of eating fish and rice. He would do things Makot told him to because Makot would take him to the movies, or buy him ice cream, or candy. However, Kiyo’s parents do not approve of him playing with Makot. They told Kiyo that Makot’s home is bad and so are his parents.

essay 3 workshop

What role does media or schooling play in shaping Lovey's identity? How does she learn to view herself?

Identity is define as a person’s individuality. It is who they are as a person, their personality and what characteristics make up their image. Most little girls dress up as their favorite princess or favorite TV character. They love to play house because they can act like an adult and do the same as their mother would do. Some younger boys imagine themselves as their favorite superhero or video game character. They imagine themselves with super powers, saving the world. When kids pretend to be someone else, it means they are trying to find out who they really are. Many things throughout life have a role in creating your identity. Life at times make it hard to attain an image of yourself. Lovey learns to view herself through media, schooling and family. They all have a role in shaping Lovey’s identity which made it difficult for her to truly find herself.    

Have you ever wanted to be exactly like someone on t.v.? Lovey wanted to to be just like Shirley Temple. “...and I used to wish I was just like her, with perfect blond ringlets and pink cheeks and pout lips, bright eyes and a happy ending....” A lot of girls change the way they look only to look like someone else. Although the outside image has change, deep inside they still are the same person. As humans we tend to want things that we can’t have or like to be someone we are not. Shirley Temple live in a perfect world, which made Lovey want a life just like her. She wanted a “happy ending” because she wanted others to cry of happy tears with her. Lovey wanted others to watch her on t.v. She wanted to be on t.v. just like the rich Honolulu kids on The Checkers and Pogo Show.   

School is another aspect of shaping one’s identity. Teachers or other students could help determine who you are as a person. It really depends on who teacher or the student is. Are they fairly nice or bitter? For example, Lovey’s English teacher believes that speaking Standard English will make you successful in life. “Speak Standard English. DO NOT speak pidgin. You will only be hurting yourselves.” Mr. Harvey’s statement made Lovey ashamed of how she spoke, of her parents, the food they eat, where they live, and the list goes on. I believe that Lovey speaking pidgin is a part of who she is, and Mr. Harvey was trying to that identity away from her.   

Family definitely have a different perspective from others, but they still have an affect on who you become. In Oompah Loompah dialogue, love says, “...I want to look like an angel.” Lovey’s mother believes using the Toni perm box will make Lovey’s hair look just like Farrah Fawcett. 

 
More to come

writing topic: rules for writers chapter 19

Chapter 19 is about repairing sentence fragments. Sentence fragments is a group of words that pretends to be a sentence. For example, And immediately popped their flares and life vests. As mentioned in the chapter, in order for a word group to be a sentence, it must consist of at least one full independent clause. An independent clause has a subject and a verb, and it either stands alone or could stand alone. And immediately popped their flares and life vests is a fragment even if it includes a verb, it still lacks a subject. We don’t know who popped their flares and life vests.

Fragments can be easily repaired by pulling the fragment into a nearby sentence or turning the fragment into a sentence. For example, The pilots ejected from the burning plane, landing in the water not far from the ship. And They immediately popped their flares and life vests.

After reading this chapter, I had a hard time writing the summary. I felt like I would somehow include fragments even if I just learned how to repair them. This chapter was very helpful because fragments are very tricky. While writing an essay, people tend to ramble on without looking back. However, if you do look closely fragments could appear to look like a sentence. The rule is to remember it must include a subject and verb. I know it sounds so easy, but fragments can be easily disguised as a sentence.  

smoke signals, the movie dialogue

Thomas and Victor “were children born of flame and ash.” (3:23) Thomas lost his parents in a house fire on the 4th of July when he and Victor were still babies. Years later, Victor’s dad left because of all the guilt built up inside. The two boys grew up in the same Indian Reservation and developed an interesting relationship.  

Thomas is a sweet and caring person, but Victor is mean and always acted as if he didn’t care. At times Victor would tease Thomas, but in the end Thomas still stuck around. When Victor’s dad passed away, Thomas offered to help pay his way to Phoenix, Arizona. The only obligation was to let Thomas go with. Throughout their journey I believe Victor and Thomas developed a friendship. Victor believed that part of being a real Indian was to look like a warrior. “You gotta look like a warrior. You gotta look like you just came back from killing a buffalo.” (36:06) He also believed that an Indian man is nothing without his hair. Thomas wasn’t about looks, he believed that the only thing that mattered was the person you are inside. By the end of the trip, I think Victor realized that things are never what they really appear to be.