The Use of Punctuation in the Writing of Libyan Students Essay

Punctuation in English Parkes (1992), in his invaluable study of the history of punctuation, states: "Punctuation was developed by stages which coincided with changing patterns of literacy, whereby new generations of readers in different historical situations imposed new demands on the written medium itself' (p. 2). Punctuation is not a static model and even if we confine the discussion to early modern and modern English, it has changed quite considerably across time (Numberg, 1999). The uses of punctuation are conventional; they change over time and vary from language to language. There have been to be conventions or rules, for without these, punctuation would be wholly idiosyncratic and the possibilities of using it to facilitate effective communication would be either lost of severely hindered (Beard & et al., 2009). Some rules of punctuation are mandatory: if we violate them, we have made mistakes in punctuation. Others are optional: our choice is basing on the effect and emphasis we desire to deliver. To that extent, Greenbaum and Nelson (2002: 183) say â€Å"punctuation is an art.† There was a considerable debate between two schools: one believed punctuation should be based on elocution (how a sentence is spoken when it is read out aloud) and the other believed punctuation should be based on the grammar (Petit: 2003; Curtis, 2007; Hall and Robinson, 1996; Parkes, 1992). The latter (the syntactic-based approach) is the one we use today, which means the debate was won by grammar school. Recently, Dawkins (2003 and 1995) has come out with a new believe: teaching punctuation should be based on the meaning (the semantic- based approach). Dawkins (2003) assumes that writers have an intuitive sense of the independent claus... ..., p. 349). Moreover, Chiang (1999) claims that in EFL writing, the sentence(s) may appear to be appropriate order, but in incongruent places due to inappropriate use or non use of punctuation. Using the premise that students often have weak language skills, Warner (1979) surveyed 431 postsecondary students using four tools: student’s scores on an objective test, an in-class writing sample, an editing exercise, and a questionnaire about background in English and attitude toward grammar and writing. She found that the largest number of errors in the writing occurred in punctuation. She came out with: The high error rate in punctuation resulted from 1) the students not knowing the rules of punctuation, 2) knowing the rules but not being able to apply them to their own writing, or 3) constructing such poor sentences that correct punctuation was impossible (p.18).

Teamwork

What does it mean to be a successful team? Over the past year, I watched my mother fight one of the hardest battles in the world. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, and even the best team of doctors could not cure her. The day she died, she went to my basketball game in the morning, and she died later that afternoon. The lesson I learned is that even if you give it your all, sometimes you don’t always achieve your goal and win. My mother always wanted me to go to an NBA game. I have been a Wizards fan my whole life and have never been to a game.I am always observing how the best teams perform. I think the Wizards are a great team that love the game and respect each other, and that is what you need to be a successful team. For example, the more you trust your teammates, the more likely it is the team will achieve its goal. A team must work together to achieve a goal, but sometimes even the best teams don’t win. John Wall is one of my biggest idols. He trusts and respects his teammates, plays with speed and precision, and even when he loses, he is always respectful.If I could see him play, it would be a dream come true. Runner up: It’s about working together By Zoe Cachion, 11, Arlington Teamwork is helping people out when they need it, and working together. You win as a team, and you lose as a team, You need to have empathy for other people on your team, Teams and teamwork are not just sports and other competitions. Teamwork is about . .?. trust, loyalty, confidence and perseverance. Success in your team is not really winning every single game. It’s more about working together with your teammates.Sure, it feels fantastic to win, but it feels even better when you know everybody in the team worked hard to get that win. That’s what success in teamwork means to me. Runner up: The ‘ubuntu’ approach By Dan Huynh, 12, Falls Church Before each of their games, the successful Boston Celtics yell the Africa n word â€Å"ubuntu,† which inspires the team to focus on the greater good rather than individual success. A successful team’s players don’t care about only their stats, All-star appearances, salary or winning championships.Positive teammates focus on the people they play with every day and how they can help their peers improve. An ubuntu-type player will pass on opportunities to others. For example, the Washington Wizards show that their team is focusing on the greater good because, as Kevin Seraphin said, â€Å"we play like a team. Nobody is selfish. Nobody wants to be the hero. Every night, you let somebody else shine. † This attitude makes their team successful. Ubuntu does not only apply to professional sports; it pertains to amateur sports also.For example, my aquatics coach told our team that during a water polo game, one of his players had the opportunity to get a hat trick. However, instead of shooting himself, he pump-faked and passed to his ope n teammate, who scored. This team was successful because its players shared opportunities rather than focused on themselves. When a team works together, teammates are able to help one another overcome obstacles and improve both as individuals and as a team. As the ubuntu philosophy states, â€Å"I am what I am because of who we all are. †

Plato and Sir Philip Sydneys Views on Poetry - 955 Words

It seems that Plato and Sir Philip Sidney are somewhat different and alike but Sidney is more relative. He makes it acceptable for poetry to experiment in different things instead of being so serious all the time. Comparing the two essays, Sidney is more realistic and practical about poetry and its meaning than Plato. Plato wants to create something that does not exist in the world-The Perfect Ideal State. There is nothing wrong with wanting to improve your living environment or the world that you live in, but everything will not go away by the snap of a finger. Therefore, Plato only sees things in black and white. Sidney, on the other hand, lives in a more realistic world where everything is already established. Sidney defends poetry as†¦show more content†¦Plato just wants poetry to educate, while Sidney thinks poetry can educate and be delightful at the same time. As said in The Defense of Poetry, â€Å"Poesy, therefore, is an art of imitation . . . With this end-to teac h and delight.† This means that poetry does not have to be tedious and so serious all the time. It is possible to enjoy a humorous poem every once in a while. As for Plato, if it’s not educational, it wouldn’t fit into the perfect world that he wants to create. Poetry brought man to other forms of knowledge such as books and plays. Plato says that poets tell lies and blames negativity on the poems. The statement, â€Å"The fault of telling a lie, and what is more, a bad lie.† shows how Plato makes the poetry seem to be wrong. In book two of The Republic, Plato states that poetry and mythology are wholly imitative, meaning poetry is counterfeit of the real thing. Plato also states that a â€Å"poet is like a painter who, as we have already observed, will make likeness of cobbler though he understands nothing of cobbling, and his picture is good enough for those who know no more than he does, and judge only by colors and figures.â€Å" He’s saying t hat a painter could never really capture the full beauty of whatever he decides to paint. He ties poetry with the painter. A poet will never be able to capture the significance of what he is really writing about because he may have not experienced that