Grammar Girl:
She is back and ready to help us with our writing. Her focus was on rules of
the English language, as well as how to read over a work you just created.
“Top 10 Language Myths”
This episode deals with the
most common grammatical errors. The first myth is that run on sentences are
really long sentences. This is false, because a run on can be short! A run-on
is when two independent clauses are put together with no punctuation or
conjunction. The second myth is that you should not start a sentence with the
word “however.” You can start a sentence with this word as long as you put a
comma after it! The third myth says that “irregardless” is a not a word, when
it reality it is a real word, but one that should not be used. Myth seven says
there is only one way to write a possessive form of a word that ends in “s.”
Wrong again, it depends on the author’s style of writing. The next myth says
that using the passive voice is always wrong. You should use the passive voice
when you don’t name the person who has already done the action. This myth says
that “i.e.” and “e.g” mean the same thing. “E.g” means “for example, and “i.e”
means “in other words.” Myth four says you use “a” before words that start with
consonants and “an” before words that start with vowels. This is wrong because
you use an “a” before words that start with consonant sounds, and you use “an”
when words start with vowel sounds. This was interesting to me, so here is a
link where you can learn more about this! The next myth deals with linking verbs and
modifiers and how they are used together correctly. Myth two says you should
not split infinitives. An infinitive is a two-word form of a verb, and it is
okay to split them. The last myth says you should not end a sentence with a
preposition. This is not true because there are many sentences where you use
the final preposition as a part of the verb and you need it to finish your
thought.
“Ending a Sentence With a Preposition”
This episode defines a
preposition as a word that creates a relationship between other words and
usually deals with space and time. A sentence can end in a preposition when it
is considered part of the verb and extends the thought. You cannot end a
sentence with a preposition if removing the preposition would keep the original
meaning of the sentence. People use unnecessary prepositions in the middle and
at the end of sentences. English uses a verb called a phrasal verb and that is
when verbs are made up of multiple words. Learn more about phrasal verbs here! Even though you can end a sentence in a preposition, you should try and
avoiding doing it.
“Which
Versus That”
The episode talks about when you should use the
word “which,” and when you should use the word “that.” She says to use “that”
before a restrictive clause, and “which” before everything else. A restrictive
clause is a particular part of a sentence that you cannot get rid of because it
restricts another part of the sentence. Read more about restrictive clauses
here! A nonrestrictive clause can be left out of a sentence because they do not
change the meaning and are considered additional information. When making sentences
you can eliminate “which” by taking out the nonrestrictive clauses from the
sentence.
“Proofreading
Tips”
This episode deals with how to avoid typos. The
best thing to do is have someone else proofread your paper. She tells the
audience about four proofreading tips: read your work backwards, read your work
out loud, always proofread a printed version of your work, and give yourself
some time. Reading your work backwards allows the brain to process the errors
previously skipped over, reading aloud allows you to hear errors in the paper,
having a printed version is good because you can mark them, and give yourself
time to read and catch the errors. This article from the New York Times will provide you with more great tips!
Math
Dude: Math Dude is here, and he is ready to help us with
work with decimals, percentages, and fractions to make sure we understand each
of them and how they are all related!
“What
are Decimals”
This episode says there are 10 integers in the
decimal system, 0-9. By having this system we use positional notation, which is
where the number of ones is represented by the first, number right of the
decimal point. The number of tens is to the right of that, the hundreds next,
then the thousands and so on. Decimal fractions are similar to normal fractions
except their denominator is always 10. There are practice problems at the end
for students to do to check their knowledge. This video will help the students review and check their answers!
“How to Use Percentages to Easily Calculate Tips”
Before watching this episode
make sure you brush up on your fractions! The episode began by describing what percentages actually are. They are
fractions were the denominator is 100 (never changes), and this is why it only
has one number and not two. Percent is a number taken and put over 100 (1% is
1/100). To find 10% of nay number, you simply divide by 10, or move the decimal
point one place to the left. A good tip is usually about 20%, so you would
simply double the 10% you already found. Episode includes some practice
problems to see if you understand the material.
“How to Convert Decimals to Fractions”
This episode describes the
two types of decimals, terminating and repeating. A repeating decimal is where
the number has a repeating pattern, and a terminating decimal is when the
numbers stop, or go on with no pattern. He then goes on to explain how to
reduce fractions to their lowest terms by dividing the numerator and
denominator by the greatest common multiple. To convert to a fraction, you
simple divide the number by 10! This link will take you to a worksheet where you convert fractions to decimals!
How to Convert Repeating Decimals to Fractions”
This episode goes through
the process of turning a repeating decimal into a fraction. To do this you must
remember and apply the concept of decimal notation, which is remembering place
value. Any decimal with a single repeating number that begins right after the
decimal point is equal to the fraction that has the repeating digit in its
numerator, and 9 in its denominator (ex. 0.11111 = 1/9). This worksheet will provide you with example problems where you can see how decimals,
fractions, and percents are intertweined.
