Conventions of Standard English
8%of exam
Knowledge of Language
7%of exam
Language and Vocabulary for Writing
7%of exam
Quick Facts
- Version
- ATI TEAS Version 7
- Section
- English and Language Usage
- Total Items
- 37
- Scored Items
- 33
- Unscored Items
- 4
- Time
- 37 minutes
- Target Pace
- About one minute each
- Scored Test Weight
- 22%
- Universal Cut Score
- School decides
FANBOYS
Join clauses: comma plus FANBOYS
ForAndNorButOrYetSo
Fragment vs Complete Sentence
Fragment
- Missing complete thought
- Cannot stand alone
Complete sentence
- Has independent clause
- Expresses complete thought
Find the independent clause
Repair Sentence Boundaries
- Missing complete thought→Add independent clause(Fix the fragment)
- Two clauses, no join→Add period(Separate complete sentences)
- Related independent clauses→Use semicolon(No conjunction needed)
- FANBOYS joins clauses→Add preceding comma(Build compound sentence)
- Dependent clause comes first→Add following comma(Mark introductory clause)
- Clause is essential→Usually omit commas(Preserve restrictive meaning)
Sentence Boundaries
- Independent clause
- Complete subject and predicate
- Dependent clause
- Cannot stand alone
- Fragment
- Incomplete sentence unit
- Run-on
- Unjoined independent clauses
- Comma splice
- Clauses joined only by comma
- Compound sentence
- Independent clauses joined correctly
- Complex sentence
- Independent plus dependent clause
Who or Whom
He means who; him means whom
He = whoHim = whom
Semicolon vs Colon
Semicolon
- Joins related clauses
- Both sides stand alone
Colon
- Introduces explanation or list
- Complete clause comes first
Check what precedes punctuation
Punctuation Signals
- Coordinating comma
- Before FANBOYS joining clauses
- Introductory comma
- After opening phrase or clause
- Semicolon
- Joins related independent clauses
- Colon
- Complete clause before examples
- Apostrophe
- Possession or omitted letters
- List commas
- Separate three or more items
- Quotation marks
- Enclose exact borrowed words
- Em dash
- Marks strong interruption
Its vs It's
Its
- Shows possession
- Contains no apostrophe
It's
- Means it is
- Can mean it has
Expand the contraction first
Agreement and Pronouns
- Subject-verb agreement
- Match singular or plural number
- Intervening phrase
- Ignore for agreement
- Compound subject with and
- Usually plural
- Either-or agreement
- Nearest subject controls
- Pronoun-antecedent agreement
- Match number and clarity
- Who
- Subject form
- Whom
- Object form
- Its
- Possessive form
- It's
- It is or has
Who vs Whom
Who
- Functions as subject
- Replace with he
Whom
- Functions as object
- Replace with him
Match he or him
Spelling and Capitals
- Proper noun
- Capitalize specific names
- Common noun
- Usually lowercase
- Sentence opening
- Capitalize first word
- Title capitalization
- Capitalize principal words
- Homophone
- Same sound, different meaning
- Plural noun
- Usually no apostrophe
- Possessive noun
- Shows ownership
Paragraph PIE
Paragraphs need point, illustration, explanation
Point = topicIllustration = evidenceExplanation = connection
Active vs Passive Voice
Active voice
- Actor appears first
- Often clearer and shorter
Passive voice
- Receiver appears first
- Actor may be omitted
Choose emphasis intentionally
Improve Paragraph Clarity
- Tone mismatches audience→Adjust register(Match rhetorical context)
- Meaning repeats→Delete redundancy(Tighten the sentence)
- Ideas appear out-of-order→Reorder sentences(Restore logical progression)
- Relationship is unclear→Add transition(Signal the connection)
- Sentence is off-topic→Remove sentence(Preserve paragraph unity)
- Word is vague→Choose precise diction(Improve clarity)
Clarity and Concision
- Active voice
- Actor performs action
- Passive voice
- Receiver is foregrounded
- Redundancy
- Repeats meaning
- Wordiness
- Extra words obscure meaning
- Precise diction
- Exact intended meaning
- Consistent tense
- Stable time frame
- Pronoun reference
- One clear antecedent
Modifiers and Parallelism
- Modifier
- Describes nearby word
- Misplaced modifier
- Wrong word appears modified
- Dangling modifier
- Missing logical subject
- Parallel list
- Uses matching grammatical forms
- Logical comparison
- Compares equivalent things
- Adjective
- Modifies noun or pronoun
- Adverb
- Modifies verb, adjective, adverb
Audience and Paragraphs
- Audience
- Intended readers
- Purpose
- Inform, persuade, explain, entertain
- Formal register
- Professional standard wording
- Topic sentence
- States paragraph focus
- Supporting detail
- Develops central idea
- Transition
- Shows relationship between ideas
- Irrelevant sentence
- Breaks paragraph unity
- Conclusion
- Closes developed point
Writing Stages
Plan, draft, revise, edit, proofread, publish
Plan ideasBuild draftImprove contentCorrect errorsFinal checkShare work
Revising vs Editing
Revising
- Improves ideas
- Changes order and development
Editing
- Corrects conventions
- Fixes grammar and punctuation
Ideas before surface errors
Choose Writing Actions
- Planning ideas→Prewrite(Map or outline)
- Building first version→Draft(Focus on content)
- Organization is weak→Revise(Move or expand ideas)
- Surface errors remain→Edit(Fix grammar and punctuation)
- Constructed word is unfamiliar→Split word parts(Prefix, root, suffix)
- Using exact source wording→Quote and cite(Avoid plagiarism)
Writing Process
- Prewriting
- Generate and organize ideas
- Drafting
- Compose initial version
- Revising
- Improve ideas and organization
- Editing
- Correct grammar and usage
- Proofreading
- Catch final surface errors
- Publishing
- Share finished work
- Outline
- Plans idea sequence
- Citation
- Credits borrowed material
Word Parts
Prefix before, root core, suffix after
Prefix changes meaningRoot carries meaningSuffix changes function
Denotation vs Connotation
Denotation
- Literal meaning
- Dictionary definition
Connotation
- Associated meaning
- Can shape tone
Consider meaning and feeling
Word Parts
- Prefix
- Before root; changes meaning
- Root
- Core meaning
- Suffix
- After root; changes function
- anti-
- Against
- pre-
- Before
- post-
- After
- -ology
- Study of
- -itis
- Inflammation
Word Choice and Sources
- Denotation
- Literal dictionary meaning
- Connotation
- Associated emotional meaning
- Synonym
- Similar meaning
- Antonym
- Opposite meaning
- Paraphrase
- Restates source using new words
- Direct quotation
- Repeats exact source words
- Source citation
- Identifies borrowed source
- Plagiarism
- Uncredited borrowed work
Common Traps
Apostrophe Trap
Plural cats ≠ Possessive cat's
Clause Join Trap
Comma alone fails ≠ Comma plus FANBOYS works
Affect vs Effect
Affect usually verb ≠ Effect usually noun
Then vs Than
Then marks time ≠ Than makes comparison
Fewer vs Less
Fewer countable items ≠ Less uncountable amount
Principal vs Principle
Principal means leader ≠ Principle means rule
Citation Trap
Borrowed idea needs credit ≠ Common knowledge usually does not
Modifier Trap
Place modifier beside target ≠ Distance creates ambiguity
Agreement Trap
Ignore intervening phrase ≠ Match the true subject
Last Minute
- 1.Answer all 37 items
- 2.Budget one minute each
- 3.Find complete clause first
- 4.Match subjects and verbs
- 5.Trace every pronoun
- 6.Check modifier placement
- 7.Use punctuation structurally
- 8.Match audience and purpose
- 9.Remove redundant wording
- 10.Order paragraph ideas logically
- 11.Separate prefix, root, suffix
- 12.Review before closing section
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