HERE is your reading.
ENGL300-1: Brittney Hosey
ENGL300-2: Darius Bell
The reading summaries are due on Monday, Sept. 19th, before midnight.
The comments by the rest of the class are due Wednesday, Sept. 21st, at class time.
_____________________________________________
by: Brittney Hosey
In the Order of Words, Ken Macrorie identifies three of the biggest problems in writing: (1) Confusing Word Order, (2) Lack of clean signal by pronous, (3) Verbs that don't signal which nouns they belong to.
He says that all writers slip in making references between pronouns and their antecedents as well as the agreement between subject and verb.
When using "which" and "that," you should have a clean reference word immediately proceeding "which" or "that" so the connection is clear. It is incorrect when they are used to describe whole actions.
When sentences are short and contain all of the same main ideas you can tie them all together. This should be done with caution and it should be understood that the most weighted postion is the end of the sentence.
Macrorie also mentions changing normal word order to surprise your readers and draw them in.
Normal Order: He was a lost man.
Unusual Order: He was a man lost.
Normal Order: He was a lost man.
Unusual Order: He was a man lost.
Macrorie begins by talking about how students know by age 6 or 8 the correct usage of he/him, or subject and object pronouns. This, however, breaks down in adulthood and in writing. Macrorie cautions us that we should be wary of word order, as this affects the meaning of the sentence—but one should also not misuse of pronouns, or verbs with vague nouns. I think Macrorie offers a really fascinating breakdown of language and how word order can affect the meaning of the sentence in both an aesthetic and in a semantic manner.
ReplyDeleteIn the Order of Words, Ken Macrorie identifies three of the biggest problems in writing: (1) Confusing Word Order, (2) Lack of clean signal by pronous, (3) Verbs that don't signal which nouns they belong to.
ReplyDeleteHe says that all writers slip in making references between pronouns and their antecedents as well as the agreement between subject and verb.
When using "which" and "that," you should have a clean reference word immediately proceeding "which" or "that" so the connection is clear. It is incorrect when they are used to describe whole actions.
When sentences are short and contain all of the same main ideas you can tie them all together. This should be done with caution and it should be understood that the most weighted postion is the end of the sentence.
Macrorie also mentions changing normal word order to surprise your readers and draw them in.
Normal Order: He was a lost man.
Unusual Order: He was a man lost.
The word order of a sentence does make a big difference in the way the sentence is read. I like the example Macrorie uses to explain this: “The old world to him is a crowded map; the new one, a dull, hateful blank” (powerful) as compared to “The old world is a crowed map to him; the new one, a dull hateful blank” (not so powerful). The way a sentence is phased can change the effect it has on the reader. This type of practice is seen a lot in poetry; poets go against the normal, usually with the way a poem is displayed or the way the content is phrased. I like the way Macrorie describes the way native speakers learn word order. In the article, he says native speakers don’t really think about word order, but instead, only imitate what they hear. This is very true of my experience as a native English speaker.
ReplyDeleteThe order of words explains the reasoning why understanding the grammar associated with the English language could be confusing to those who do not understand the language completely. To compose grammatically correct sentences, in-depth understanding of how adjectives and etcetera must be known to create a grammatically correct sentence. Order of Words teaches us how and where to place certain words, depending on their association with the sentence. Most common errors among composing sentences come from a list of three: (1) Confusing Word Order, (2) Lack of clean signal by pronous, (3) Verbs that don't signal which nouns they belong to. Avoiding errors such as these make it easier for the reader to follow along and understand exactly what is being explained.
ReplyDeleteThe order of words makes a big difference in the way the structure and the meaning of the sentence will end up. The way the sentence is phrased can change the effect the reader will experience. Personally, I believe that sentence structure and order is extremely important, and should not be taken lightly.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the things I look for when I am proofing some of my friends' papers. Avoiding these errors will make it easier for the reader to understand the meaning behind what the writer was trying to get across.
In his article, “The Order of Words,” Ken Macrorie discusses how the word order of a sentence does have a huge impact in the way the sentence is read. Macrorie provides examples within his article to demonstrate the power of word order. More importantly, the way in which a sentence is organized can have either an impressive or ordinary effect on the reader. The method of this type skill is practiced primarily in poetry. Rather than conform to the norm of writing, poets (instead) go against it; this is usually accomplished by the content’s phrasing or how the poem is exhibited by the poet. In his article, Macrorie states how English-native speakers do not really think about word order; however, they instead mimic what they hear. This is definitely one of Macrorie’s most interesting points, because I can easily relate my experience as an English-native speaker. Furthermore, by understanding the meaning of word order and its effectiveness, one can only become a stronger writer. Overall, Macrorie’s article was very insightful on the analysis of the English language and word order.
ReplyDeleteKen Macrorie discusses in "The Order of Words" the importance and the effect single words have on a meaning. He gives great examples of how sentences can be extremely meaningful and how with one word order change, the whole sentence becomes dull and less meaningful. Macrorie gives three common mistakes that are made by beginning and experienced writers which are: confusing word order, lack of clean signal by pronouns and verbs that do not signal which nouns they belong to. Messing up word order is common when writing poetry, and needs to be extremely effective. Macrorie gives two excellent exercises at the end of his article. These exercises helped me with my short story I am writing for my creative writing class.
ReplyDeleteThe author begins talking about how children as young as 6 knows how to properly use pronoun and word order in a sentence. However, as they get older they might start to worry about what is right or wrong, and seem never to get it right. He suggests that as we get older we get confused about pronoun antecedents and word order. I would have to agree with the author on both parts, as I have gotten older I just seem to forget the rules. Until this class, I have not paid attention to pronoun antecedents. In addition, word order is the most important thing in writing; it can change the whole meaning of a text. The author made good points about both topics, and has given me some good insight in his article.
ReplyDeleteIn the article "Order of Words" by Ken Macrorie, Ken describes the importance of word order in a sentence. He says that the way a sentence is constructed using words can be either impressive or ordinary. The way a sentence is phrased can greatly change its power and the effect on the reader. He explains that when editors find weaknesses in works it is due to this reason. They confuse word order, lack clear signal by pronouns, or the verbs don't signal which nouns they belong too. The commonest word-order change made in manuscripts by editors is to bring together subject and verbs which have been thoroughly separated.He goes on to explain that good writers master grammar in order to control their words, and meaning is their target. This article was informational and interesting.
ReplyDeleteKen Macrorie identifies three of the biggest problems writers face (confusing word order, lack of clean signal by pronouns, and Verbs that don't signal which nouns they belong to) in the article Order of Words. According to Macrorie, when sentences are short and have the same main ideas you can tie them all together. This should be done with caution and the most weighted position is the end of the sentence. The article is mostly about remembering to make sure that the way you order words doesn’t confuse your readers. It’s easy to overuse words like ‘that’ and ‘which’ because as writers we feel as if readers of our work are reading our papers with some prior knowledge about the topic. We shouldn’t assume the reader knows who ‘that’ is referring to. Changing word order is a good skill to spice up your papers and draw readers in but be cautious and make sure the reader can have a clear understanding of what’s going on.
ReplyDeleteKen Macrorie begins this chapter by pointing out that a child of six knows how to speak in word order, which he goes on to say a child at that age should know. Ken also explains how some adults are worried about how the sentence sound more than it being grammatically correct. Throughout this chapter Ken gives example on how word order in sentences can be easily messed up if you don't know what you saying. He shows the three subjects that a frequently involved when messing up a sentence. 1) confusing word order, 2) lack of clear signal by pronoun and verb that don't signal which nouns they belong to.
ReplyDeleteIn the chapter "The Order of Words" by Ken Macrorie, he discusses one of the biggest problems in beginning and professional writing. Macrorie states that writers should be aware of the power word placement has. He gives examples of situations where the main idea or word is best used at the beginning of a sentence and examples where it is best used at the end. I found it difficult to decide which placement Macrorie preferred. Also, Macrorie discusses the importance of verb-pronoun agreement. One might put each with they, this is incorrect. Overall, I did not find this article very helpful as it simply elaborated upon what I already knew.
ReplyDeleteIn this chapter Ken Macrorie examines the order of words. He illustrates how two sentences with the exact same words but altered order can have two very different meanings. If one word is misplaced a sentence takes on a whole new meaning. Some creative writers play with this effect. In a lot of poetry the unconventional order of words add to power and feeling. I like how Macrorie comments on how younger children can use better grammar than some adults. Some people just try too hard to sound grammatically correct. They end up using improper grammar and just sound silly. I especially like his reference to Holden Caulfield. Holden gives good examples of how odd self conscious and over thought out language can be. This article gave funny and great examples of word order faux pas. It was a little dry, but I have read much worse.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading “The Order of Words” by Ken Macrorie, I understood where he was coming from. The whole chapter is about the difference word order makes on comprehending a sentence, and that we make three common mistakes: “(1) confusing word order, (2) lack of clear signal, and (3) verbs that don’t signal which nouns they belong to.” He then gives us some examples; he gave an original sentence then revised it with moving words around. This proved to me that simply the order of words can make a difference and can change the sentence meaning completely. The order of words can also make the sentence seem more effective. I believe that when writing poetry, having words in an order that we wouldn’t normally have in a regular sentence is alright because it makes it more effective. I also agree with his tactic regarding “Tack-On” because I have had trouble with that concept in the past. His examples helped me visually see what I should be writing.
ReplyDeleteThe "Order of Words" is a chapter written by a man named Ken Macrorie. Macrorie discusses how even famous American authors can even use bad grammar. He explains even Thoreau in his most famous book "Walden" had a dangling modifier in the opening paragraph. One of the examples Macrorie uses to better explain dangling modifiers is, "When I green I love the woods most of all." This leaves reader asking themselves, "when was this person green?" The second problem Macrorie talks about is having clean pronous. After using words such as that or which there should be something that reveals the pronoun immediately after so people know what you are talking about. The third issue discussed was verbs that don't signal which nouns they belong to. Overall this essay was another great way to help point out dangling modifiers when you are writing and reading over your own work.
ReplyDeleteKen Macrorie's article, "The Order of Words" discusses how to structure sentences clearly so they not only sound correct, but look correct as well. He begins by talking about how children are sometimes better at writing than adults because they do not question themselves as much. Macrorie provides a few examples of how the arrangement of the same words can have an entirely different meaning. In order to be a good writer, one must understand grammar rules such as pronoun-antecedent agreements, and dangling modifiers. I find this article to be very helpful because you don't want your reader to misinterpret your writing.
ReplyDeleteIn this article, it talks about grammar errors. Sometimes the dangling modifier can be alright if the meaning can come across. Even famous authors mess up in their writings. I have to say well duh if they didn't then they would not be human. This article can help with seeing dangling modifiers within your work and other peoples work.
ReplyDeleteThis article talks about how children are known to be better writers than most adults. This could be because, as we get older, we write with our ear instead of the lessons we are taught in our english classrooms. Grammar errors are very common in unprofessional writing, but it is found in professional documentation as well. The author continues on to talk about how we form sentences can change a meaning all together. I know that I have misinterpreted letters and messages because of word selection and sentence formation. If we as adults want to be good writers we need to stick to the basics of english grammar.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter, "The Order of Words," by Ken Macrorie, talks about the positioning of words in the English language. Many people speak incorrectly for the arrangements of sentences. Macrorie says that younger children naturally apply the right usage of he/she but everything is lost when we become adults because we conform to what we have heard over time. Though speaking grammatically incorrect is acceptable in society, it should not become a norm.
ReplyDeleteIn the chapter "Order Of Words" Ken Macrorie stresses the importance of word placement. He warns us of three common errors: confusing word order,lack of clean signal by pronouns,and verbs that don't signal which nouns they belong to. He also gives us examples where the main idea would be better placed in the front of the sentence and some where it would be better placed at the end. I found this chapter very helpful and it's something I can put to use in my own work.
ReplyDelete"Order of words by Ken Macrorie discusses the good and the bad of writer's grammar in the English language. Macrorie explains how in order for a writer to reach their target they have to have control of their words and meaning. He goes on to give examples of how sentence can be confusing and incorrect by separating the subject and a verb, and how to use "which" and "that" , and the tacking method in a sentence. Basically, Macrorie throughout the whole article is preaching organization to readers. I feel this is important to know because you want the reader to know the meaning of your writing and to be interested or there would not be a point to write. If a reader does not understand your writing or the meaning they will probably get bored or frustrated and not read it at all.
ReplyDeleteIn "The Order of Words," by Ken Macrorie, he explains the different word alignments and why they are so confusing. Macrorie begins by describing how 6-8 year old students are corrected so strictly on their grammar. By the time these kids grow up and go on to write they will find exceptions to grammar laws like many other authors in the world. Although simple sentence mistakes such as, dangling modifiers can be easy to fix, it's amazing how the rules of grammar get changed and adjusted over time.
ReplyDeleteIn "The Order of Words," Ken Macrorie explains word placement. This is especially confusing to non-native speakers. As a native English speaker I can understand why word placement can be difficult for others. First off, English is an extremely hard language to learn if you are not a native speaker. Secondly, English doesn't follow the grammar rules of other languages. For example: In the romance languages and most others, descriptions of a word follow that word, e.i. Red Bull in English would be said Bull Red in Spanish. Macrorie also describes that by ages 6-8 most students know proper word placement. He also identifies three of the biggest problems in writing: (1) Confusing Word Order, (2) Lack of clean signal by pronous, (3) Verbs that don't signal which nouns they belong to. Including how to use "which" and "that." Even though we know as children proper grammar, grammar errors are still found in professional writing. However, these errors aren't nearly as common in professional writing as they are in unprofessional writing.
ReplyDelete"The Order of Words" article beings by explaining how children speak. For the most part, they are pretty confident in how to form sentences in the correct order by the age of six. However as soon as they go to school, they begin to struggle with saying what feels right to them, to what they think is suppose to be right. Word choice is very important because it shapes the way that one views a sentence. Macrorie brings up a passage from Romeo and Juliet. When a revision is done, the editor must be careful with what they change. Although it may seem correct, it can change the whole meaning of the sentence.
ReplyDeleteIn his article "The Order of Words," Ken Macrorie discusses the importance of writing the words of a sentence in the proper order. A single misplaced word in a sentence can cause the reader to become confused about what is happening in the sentence. As a journalism major, I understand the importance of writing in such a way that the reader understands what I am trying to say. As Macrorie points out, it is acceptable to word sentences out of order; poetry being the prime example. When a poet needs to find creative ways to make their work more interesting or powerful, changing the word order can be very effective. If a news reporter doesn't have their facts or sentences in order, the reader could have no idea about what happened to who. Sometimes, bad grammar can happen to even the best writers. In his article, Macrorie gives examples of how even the most famous writers are prone to make errors once in a while. He also states the three most common grammar errors; confusing word order,lack of clean signal by pronouns,and verbs that don't signal which nouns they belong to.
ReplyDeleteIn "The Order of Words" chapter of Ken Macrorie's book, he explained how children were taught the ungrammatical way to use certain words like he, her or them. Then once they get older they run into problems with such way to use words. Macrorie said children aren't the only ones who run into this situation but the most proven writer may also run into this situation. According to Macrorie the biggest problems writer's face is 1. Confusing word orders 2. lack of clear signal by pronouns 3. Verbs that don't signal which words they belong to.
ReplyDeleteI love how he describes how a different word order can make a sentence more powerful. By simply straying away from the normal structure of a sentence, one with a different word order is able to draw the reader in and keep his focus. Macrorie also says that three of the biggest problems in writing are confusing Word Order, lack of clean signal by pronouns, and verbs that don't signal which nouns they belong to. These are all that we were taught to do in grade school and because people worry so much about it being correct they often choose the wrong one, rather than just letting the natural flow of the sentence allow you to select the correct answer.
ReplyDeleteKen Macrorie discusses in his article the three things writers struggle with most: confusing word order, lack of clean signal by pronouns, and Verbs that don't signal which nouns they belong to. All three of these things can completely change the meaning of what is being said. Simply switching two words around within a sentence can completely change the meaning of the whole sentence. This is something that writers need to be aware of when writing and proofreading their work.
ReplyDeleteYou have the ability to impress with words and sentence structure. You also have the chance to just be ordinary. You have to explore different words which can make a huge difference. The proper sentence order can also make a huge difference.
ReplyDeleteKen Macrorie is quite right in "The Order of Words" where he emphasizes the importance of sentence structure. How the words in a complete sentence are organized should not be something that is overlooked. Not only can sentence structure completely change the meaning of a phrase or the entire sentence, but perhaps more importantly the effect the reader gets is very dependent on it as well. Something very important to note is the fact that the English language is structurally very different from other languages, so people native of other languages may find it more difficult to master the English way. Macrorie describes three major problems that writer's face: 1. Confusing word orders 2. Lack of clear signal by pronouns 3. Verbs that don't signal which words they belong to.
ReplyDeleteThis article, "the order of words" by Ken Macorie, is another great article about revision. In this article his main focus is sentence structure. He points out that there are three main mistakes that writers make, 1. confusing word order, 2. lack of clear signal by pronouns, and 3. verbs that don't signal which nouns they belong to. He goes on to give many examples of correct and incorrect sentence structure. He gives the incorrectly structured sentence first and then follows with the corrected sentence. This is a great article. The way in which he explains revision and what is right and wrong in sentence structure is very clear and very helpful.
ReplyDeleteThough I believe that the order of words in a sentence is important I felt that the author just kept repeating himself over and over. I felt that this writing was not as good as engfish. while reading this I just kept wanting him to switch up the information a bit rather than just keep telling of how a sentence could be more powerful if written a better way. Also I felt that the beginning about how to form a sentence in order for it to make logical sense was not needed in the writing.
ReplyDeleteIn this article the author describes three mistakes writers make, a confusing word order, a lack of clear signal in pronouns, and having a verb the does not signal which nouns they belong to. I know that I make these mistakes in my papers that I write and do not catch it until it is too late. This article has helped me find and correct my writing in a better way.
ReplyDeleteBoth students did a great job summarizing the article. The article discusses grammar problems that some authors have brought up before. This subject of grammar is one we covered in class, dangling modifiers. The author explains how people may struggle with dangling modifiers. Macrorie gives examples to show that structure agreement is important and that it shouldn't be put on the backseat.
ReplyDeleteThe Order of Words” by Ken Macrorie, is an article about sentence structure. He explains how word order can add to or take from the over all quality of a writing. In the passage he noted that writers tend to make three common mistakes; 1. confusing word order, 2. lack of clear signal by pronouns, and 3. verbs that don't signal which nouns they belong to. He then goes on to explain how by avoiding such mistakes written works have more clarity which could intern engage readers more. I think that this is a great article to reference for creative writing. It explains how to play with word order which can a very powerful tool for that writing style
ReplyDeleteWord orders within sentences make a huge difference in writing. Ken Macrorie states that when adding or taking out words one must understand what they are trying to say. Then they must use the correct terms to make the sentence correct. For example, using the correct verb that modifies the noun in the sentence. Using this technique will help better everyone's sentence structure and it will encourage the writer to always write using proper grammar.
ReplyDeleteThis article explains the importance of word order. In the beginning the author states that young children, around 7 or 8, usually speak correctly and with words in the right order. He goes on to state that when we grow up we start to lost that sense of correct word order because we are too focused on whether we are correct or not. Word order is very important as a simple switch of words can greatly change the meaning of that particular sentence. This article was very beneficial in re-learning some common grammar lessons that I have forgotten over the years.
ReplyDelete"The order of words" by Ken Macrorie, brings out an important issue regarding our construction of sentences and writing. A word might be defined, but the way it is used may be perceived differently that what it was intended.According to the author it is necessary that clean signal of pronouns are used when using "which" and "that" in order to have a clear statement. Also it is better to write in normal word order than unusual order for better understanding.
ReplyDeleteOften, when I write papers I find myself misusing words. I mess up the order of the sentence in an attempt to produce something less cliche. The end result, a paper returned with red marks to spare.This article goes right along with what we read for homework in chapter 5. Like mentioned above, "which" and "that" were also mentioned in chapter 5. Just goes to show, it is easy to forget these seemingly simple grammar rules.
ReplyDeleteIn the article order of words he talked about the usage of words. How some words are not properly used, make sure all the nouns are in the correct order. He basically was discussing the usage of many words.
ReplyDeleteBoth students did a great job summarizing the article. The article discusses grammar problems that some authors have brought up before. This subject of grammar is one we covered in class, dangling modifiers. The author explains how people may struggle with dangling modifiers. Macrorie gives examples to show that structure agreement is important and that it shouldn't be put on the backseat.
ReplyDelete