Readings on Writing #8
The Readings for this week were similar. Both readings had examples of making our writing look and sound better. In the Everyday Writer, the section is Punctuation and Mechanics. This section talks about all the punctuation our writing needs to make our sentences stronger. Some of the punctuation is very simple like the ending punctuation, for example: periods, question marks and exclamation points. Punctuation that is very helpful for me when it comes to not making sentence fragments or run-ons are commas and semicolons. Semicolons are used to link independent clauses and commas are used to set off introductory words, phrases and clauses. Both of these come in handy for me when writing the thesis statement for my essays because there is a lot of information that needs to be short and brief. The section also talks about other punctuation that is most likely done when the paper is typed, for example using italics. Other punctuation that was mentioned is capital letters, abbreviations and numbers, hyphens apostrophes and quotations marks.
In Natalie Goldberg’s, Wild Mind, chapters thirty-eight and thirty-nine were interesting. Natalie Goldberg talks about the frequent and unnecessary use of the words because, very and really. Goldberg says these words are not necessary. They take the “flavor” away from our sentences. For example this sentence, “The girl really has to go to the store.” sounds funny simply because it has the word really. “The girl has to go to the store.” The word really is not necessary, the sentence sounds much better without it. Another word we shouldn’t use but I most definitely do, is the word because. Natalie Goldberg expresses, “You can make statement after statement. Writing is the practice of asserting yourself. (Goldberg 141)” I’ve always had a problem with the word because. Seems like whenever I say something I have to state why I said it; not a good habit. Although there are times where the word because is needed it is very tricky to know when the time is adequate. When would it be ok to use the word because?
Work Cited
Goldberg, Natalie.Wild Mind. Living the Writer’s Life. Bantam Books.1990
Lunsford, Andrea A.The Everyday Writer. Fourth Edition.Bedford/St. Martin’s.2009
