Elements of Style Chapter Two

The biggest issue for me in this chapter is the use of active voice. I use passive voice often while the active is more precise and direct. I did not know exactly what passice voice was until I read this chapter. I heard of it, but no one ever explained it to me. I will have to pay more attention to my writing in order to catch myself from using the passive voice too much. This section also explains that "making a particular word the subject of a sentence will often, determine which voice is to be used." Therefore, I have to be very observant of my own writing.
Another important section is "Omitting needless words." This is particularly important to me at this time because I am taking a Technical writing course. This course demands the writer of shorter sentences and more direct language in order to make my point and clear and precise as possible. Also I must make the reader actually read as little as possible.

Elements of Style Chapter One

The first two rules of this book are fairly straightforward. They describe the usage of possessive " 's" and the use of commas in a list, which I have known for a while now. Also the book describes the use of commas in parenthetic clauses as well as using a comma with and or but introducing an independant clause. One rule that I must learn from is a parcipital phrase at the beginning of a sentence must refer to the grammatical subject. This is important to me becuase my sentences can be awkward. My parcipital phrases might not refer to the right subject grammatically, when I think they do in my own head. Another rule is to divide words at line-ends in accordance with their pronunciation. I would only use this when I have to write in right-justified, but I rarely do that. Regardless, I will have to someday and I have to remeber this rule because it never occured to me to do so.

Catch of the week 2/11/11

This catch was found on a New York Times article about the Muslim Brotherhood, a large dissident organization in Egypt. They were initially blamed for protests by the government and now they are one of the rising stars in the upcoming democratic politics of Egypt. The catch reads as follows, "... prominent Egyptians and opposition leaders... recognized, as well as a handful of young people who helped start trotest movement." I couldn't believe that I found this on The NEW YORK TIMES website!
The line should read, " As well as a handful of young people who helped start the protest movement."
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/m/muslim_brotherhood_egypt/index.html?inline=nyt-org

Favorite Passage of the Week 2/11/11

This passage is a quote from Mohammed El-Baradei, an Egyptian opposition leader within the same New York Times article. His quote reads, "We need a democratic country based on social justice." If only the whole world could be like that and truly stand for what for what they believed in. I hope that this quote is not just another saying rather than a reality. Egypt is confused right now and there is not set leader. The army is in charge but who can be trusted?
Found at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/12/world/middleeast/12egypt.html?_r=1&hp

Word of the Week 2/11/11

This week's word is communique which I found in an article about Egypt's president stepping down from power today. A communique is an "official bulletin or communication to the press or the public," as quoted from dictionary.com. President Mubarak issued a communique about stepping down after he realized he couldn't hold onto his power.
Link to article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/12/world/middleeast/12egypt.html?_r=1&hp

Headline Editing

My assignment is to edit 12 real news headlines that are mostly grammatically correct but obviously rediculous!

1. If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last A While
Revision: Strike Could Become Longterm If Not Settled Quickly

2. Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
Revision: Recent Cold Temperatures Have Been Widespread

3. London Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
Revision: Police Are Investigating The Death of a London Couple

4. Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge
Revision: New Bridge's Opening Is Delayed

5. Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
Revision: Hundreds Killed By Typhoon

6. Man Struck By Lightning Faces Battery Charge
Revision: Man Struck By Lightning Faces Jail Sentence

7. New Study of Obesity Looks For Larger Test Group
Revision: New Study of Obesity Seeks More Participants

8. Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
Revision: Astronaut Takes Blame for Spacecraft Malfunction

9. Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Revision: Kids Enjoy Creating Nutritious Snacks

10. Chef Throws His Heart Into Helping Fee Needy
Revision: Chef Takes Pride Into Helping Feed Needy

11. Local High School Dropouts Cut In Half
Revision: Percentage of Local High School Dropouts Decrease By Fifty Percent

12. Hospitals Are Sued by Seven Foot Doctors
Revision: Seven Podiatrists Sue Hospital

Favorite Writer

I have a couple of favorite writers that stood out to me over the years. One that particularly stands out is Albert Camus, the prolific existentialist writer who's most famous work, The Stranger, became one of my favorite books. The story of a French Algerian named Meursault, written in the first person, captivated me from the first sentence which reads, "Mother died today. Or was it yesterday. I don't remember." I was shocked to believe that someone could forget the date of their mother's death! How could a man lose interest in something as important and disheartening as that? As I continued to read the novel, I noticed Camus used very simple language to describe complex ideas. For example, Meursault only describes the bear essence of his existence and only experiences physical pleasure. The protagonist describes smoking cigarettes and swimming. When his girlfriend, Marie, asked him if he loved her, Meursault replied that it did not matter. The main character did not feel anything more than skin deep. He was almost an animal created by the meaninglessness of modern society. His world and our world are just man-made fabrications within the real world we inhabit. Camus was a genius! He said this and more only using the language of a high schooler! The Stranger is usually the first full novel students learning French read!

Albert Camus' other novel entitled The Plague, was another work of fiction that truly impressed and seduced my imagination. This book recounted the disastrous effects that epidemics have on its victims, but more importantly, its survivors! The town of Oran is blocked off from the rest of the world as the bubonic plague rips though its populace. A doctor by the name of Rieux teams up with other survivors in order to make an attempt to slow down the plague's destruction. The plague suddenly went into remission after a year and the town was reopened to the outside world, but its living residence would never be the same again. Funny how an epidemic could drastically change someone without ever entering their body. 

This creative and intelligent author spoke to me because he thought outside of the box! He questioned all that could be questioned and more. Camus even claimed that human existence was absurd, ridiculous and meaningless. He critiqued society, its morals, its culture and everything in between. I was an avid reader of political and social novels such as: 1984, Animal Farm, The Outsider, Native Son, and Invisible Man (By Ralph Ellison) in high school. Novels that made the reader question his own existence moved me more than any other literary work. Also Camus' The Stranger, made me realize that, in the end, nothing really matters because existence has its ups and downs as well as its lefts and rights. You must make the best out of any situation.