According, to the Fry graph I have a writing level of 6-7. Sometimes I could see that the Fry graph could be wrong and write. I say this because it doesn't see how you are writing or the content in the writing itself. All that it does count how many syllables and how many lines that you have. Therefore, it is correct from that part of the writing but from the other part it doesn't. The readability could be used for many things, newspapers for one, write their news at a level 8 that away everyone can be able to read the newspaper and understand it. I believe that as I get older, that my readability level will go up because I will go through more training on how to write correct and how to have correct grammar. When blogging I try to write at the same level that I do whenever I am writing a research paper or any kind of paper. Sometimes I think I do and other times I don't because it doesn't seem to be as formal as the other writings that I have done.

Cameron Krones

In-Class, Monday, Dec. 7th: Readability Level

IQ question: Who can guess at what readability level newspapers in the U.S. are written???

Today, we are going to assess our READABILITY, which means the personal grade level we are writing at. We are going to do this by means of a formula developed by Edward Fry: the so-called "Fry graph."

What we need:

Three 100-word samples.

Take three different blog entries you have made for this class on our class blog. Copy them into a blank Word document. They can be from the beginning of the semester or the end; it does not matter.

TASK 1:

Now, cut down each of these three 100-words samples down to EXACTLY 100 words. You can use the word count of Microsoft Word by pasting your blog comment into a Word document, or you can copy and paste it into the word count tool. Simply delete all the words over 100, even if you have to stop in the middle of a sentence.

TASK 2:

1) Count the number of sentences in your 100 words sample. (If you had less than 100 words, add more. If you had more, just stop after having counted up to 100, and delete the rest.) Estimate the length of your last sentence, even if incomplete, to the nearest 1/10.

2) Count the number of syllables in your 100 words sample.

3) Make a table as seen in these INSTRUCTIONS. Draw this table on the handout I give you, because you will receive points for it, and I will collect it at the end of today's lesson!

4) Do the same for your second and third 100-words sample.

5) Total your numbers, and average them. (A little bit of math ;-)). You can use the Microsoft calculator ;-)

7) Make a dot on the FRY GRAPH I distributed in class where your personal readability lies. Write your name on the handout with your graph and your table, and submit it to your teacher for grading (I'm not grading the height of your readability, only the fact that you participated and understood the procedure!) There are no make-ups for this assignment.

HOMEWORK for Wednesday:

Post a comment to this blog (100-250 words) about what you think about your personal readability level. Do you believe the Fry graph correctly displays the grade level you're writing at? Why, or why not? What could be missing? What could the readability level be used for? Will knowing your personal readability level change anything about your future writing? Do you think you have a different readability level when you blog than when you write a research article like you did for this class?

example sentences

1. Steadily the actress walked across the tight rope.
2. Unprepared and tired, the student did his best to make it through the presentation.
3. A generally unappreciated class, English can successfully prepare you for the future.
4. Outside of the elevator waited the girl.
5. I witnessed the girl, so dedicated to finishing her work, lose everything she had.
6. My first office job (more like a small town high school) had many clicks.

1) Word order isn’t all that important. With importance being getting the point across, even if it leaves dangling modifiers, some things will just be understood. Things like how squirrels don’t go to English class, as such people will read the sentence correctly regardless of its inherent meaning.
2) Of course! Style helps a person write their own way, making what they write a little more unique to them in a field of people who are writing and have to personify a voice on their papers.
3) Yes, think we that be’s it more problems than it past before has been. Texting part of the problem is this, probably.
4) Not too much, it seems that those who know the language so well (usually native speakers) seem to lose interest in the rules for word order while ESL populations are so conscious about the word order that as long as they know the rules they attempt to follow it as close as possible.
5) Poets.
6) Poetry.
7) Slightly.

Word Order

All throughout my school years grammar has always been my worst subject. I have never thought of myself as a good writer and have been told on many different occasions that I do not sound professional at all when I write. Word order is not something that any of my teachers have stressed to me and to be completely honest it is not something I generally ever think about when I am writing. I am sure that the word order I choose in my papers is not good at all but I do not really understand how to make it better. I believe there are some people out there who are talented writers and it is probably very easy for them to write in a very clear, powerful way. But, for me this just isn't the case.

this article was talking about how to write a sentence that doesn't sound bad. Also how to put a correct sentence together even if it sounds good to the ear. the first page was on where you are suppose to put the "me" or "you" when you are talking about another person. i agree with the article because it can teach readers how to write effective sentences correctly. "that" is a word i use more than "which" and i think i would need to change it to "which" because it fits in the sentence better, as according to the article on pg. 268.


Wister coleman

Word Order

a.) I think when I write i am a lot more conscious about the order in which I use words. When I talk I tend to make more mistakes but its nothing drastic.

b.) Sometimes I do to put maybe an extra adjective on the end to describe the subject but I not that profound.

c.) Yes i do because its like we r getn in2 the txting language era

d.) I think overall it is a problem for both of them.

e.) I haven't found any lately because I don't read that much. Throughout middle school and high school I'd have to say Shakespeare caught my attention. It was just different.

f.) The fans threw drinks and food at the team as they walked off the field in an utterly disgraceful manor.

g.) My view on word order hasn't changed but I will think before I speak a bit more nowadays.

Patrick and Carl
sentences

1. Some busybodies cause serious trouble.

2. Because I was 3 hours short of graduation requirements, I had to a course during the summer.

3. A hot-tempered tennis player, Chris charged the umpire stand swinging his racket

4. Directly behind the man, stood an evil looking creature.

5. As they got to the top of the roller coaster, which took a long time because it was 250 feet in the air, they turned around and saw the city of Dallas

6. My house - which is almost directly on the county line - had a tree branch fall down on the back porch 2 weeks ago

In-Class activity for Friday, Dec. 4th

Today, we are dealing with the grammar topic of WORD ORDER.

Task 1:

Read / skim through the 9-page chapter "The Order of Words" by Ken Macrorie from his book Telling Writing, which is posted here as a Picasa slide show.


Task 2:

Write a comment to this blog (100-250 words) about your personal opinion regarding WORD ORDER.

It should contain at least some of the following issues (you can also add to them):

a) How secure/insecure are you with regard to word order in your writing?
b) Do you shift words around for stylistic purposes? If yes, why, when, what for?
c) Do you think word order is a problem nowadays for high school and college students?
d) Do you think word order is rather a problem for ESL students than for native speakers?
e) Are there any public or well-known texts where the word order has caught your attention, or disturbed you?
f) Can you give an example sentence where an uncommon word order might be needed for expression or stylistic purposes?
g) After reading this article, did your view of the importance of word order change?


If you cannot post to this blog (as a comment, NOT a new thread!!!) because of password issues, I'll either log in for you, or you can email me your post and I will publish it. The purpose of a blog is for your peers to be able to see your responses, so all contributions should be public rather than in an email to your professor ;-)

If you are not in class today and are excused, you can post from home and receive the points. If you cannot post, email your instructor.



Task 3:

Go to this Cliff Notes website and read through the examples. Then, we are doing a little exercise:

Invent sentences with the following structure, and type them in a blank Word document. When you have all your sentences, copy them and paste them into another comment to this blog:

1) one sentence where you begin with a single-word modifier;

2) one sentence where you begin with a modifying phrase or clause;

3) one sentence where you begin with an appositive;

4) one sentence where you put the verb before the subject;

5) one sentence where you delay completing your main statement;

6) one sentence where you insert an interruption as a surprise element, using parentheses or dashes.

If you want, you can work with a partner (maximal: groups of 3). Then, put all your names on the comment when you post your six sentences!