Thanks to the COM352 students for contributing a bunch of new pages! I'll be moving these pages into the main area of the wiki soon.

From UMassWiki

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Create a title of the error/issue
Provide incorrect example
Give explanation and reference page in the Penguin Handbook.
Provide corrected example.
Sign.

Abbreviations

Mistake- It was in D.C. that I finally understood that one does not have to be a specific party, for example republican, democrat, socialist, nationalist, ect. Penguin Book- (pg 309) Using apostrophizes to signal omitted letters is a way of approximating speech in writing. Corrected-It was in D.C. that I finally understood that one does not have to be a specific party, for example republican, democrat, socialist, nationalist, ‘etc. Ksweets 19:23, 29 April 2007 (EDT)

STILL incorrect

and not formatted properly, either :-(

steph (COM) 12:25, 7 May 2007 (EDT)

Active Verb Tense

Original: “By doing so, you would be sending the message that unfair practices are wrong, and that they need to be stopped or made into fair practices.”

Page/Reasoning: 260. The verb “sending” should be “send” so that it fits with the tense of the action.

Rewrite: “By doing this, you would send the message that unfair practices are wrong, and they need to be stopped or made into fair practices.”

Not only this but also

Eliminate "would" which still implies a vague, possible action, instead of a firm and decisive one.

Rewrite: “By doing this, you send the message that unfair practices are wrong, and they need to be stopped or made into fair practices.”

steph (COM) 12:32, 7 May 2007 (EDT)

Unsigned = NO CREDIT!

Fixed

Original: “By doing so, you would be sending the message that unfair practices are wrong, and that they need to be stopped or made into fair practices.”

Page/Reasoning: 271. The word "would" should be "are" so the statement implies a real action.

Rewrite: “By doing this, you are sending the message that unfair practices are wrong, and they need to be stopped or made into fair practices.”John? 15:34, 7 May 2007 (EDT)

Among/Amongst

Original: “The best way for Japan to begin competing fairly would be for them to allow the “free” money from currency devaluation to be split among all competing manufacturers.”

Page/Reasoning: NA. The word “among” should be “amongst” since the money is split over plural companies.

Rewrite: “The best way for Japan to begin competing fairly would be for them to allow the “free” money from currency devaluation to be split amongst all competing manufacturers.”John? 10:01, 3 May 2007 (EDT)

Among/Between

Between refers to precisely two people or things; among refers to three or more. - 362(Penguin) Incorrect: Our interaction with food, from our discretion of purchasing given the previous handling, the utensils, and the way in which we savor and manipulate each bite changes from culture, to family, to individual and is most often a differing factor among two people.

Correct: Our interaction with food, from our discretion of purchasing given the previous handling, the utensils, and the way in which we savor and manipulate each bite changes from culture, to family, to individual and is most often a differing factor between two people. Fotomaki 13:12, 21 May 2007 (EDT)

No British English!

You had to go to a real dictionary for this one. "Amongst" is the British version of "among." We are using American English. Good guess, John?, but you went "the wrong way" with your logic! :-) steph (COM) 12:57, 7 May 2007 (EDT)

Apostrophes for missing numbers

Original: Since the 60s and 70s UMass has been considered a "party school."

Penguin: Using apostrophes to signal omitted letters is a way of approximating speech in writing.

Corrected: Since the '60s and '70s UMass has been considered a "party school." Andy 15:53, 2 May 2007 (EDT)

Bibliographies

Info on the Bibliographic Referencing page.

Capitalization

Mistake- Being a republican in Wellesley, Massachusetts, is like being a needle in a hay stack. Penguin Book- (pg 320) Capitalize the initial letter of a proper noun Corrected-Being a Republican in Wellesley, Massachusetts, is like being a needle in a hay stack. Ksweets 19:33, 29 April 2007 (EDT)

Capitalization

Original: “My Mother Takes a catering class and learns that Miracle Whip and mustard are healthier than mayonnaise.”

Page/Reasoning: 320. Even though this is a sentence from Kothari’s work, the word “Mother” and “Takes” both do not need to be capitalized.

Rewrite: “My mother takes a catering class and learns that Miracle Whip and mustard are healthier than mayonnaise.”John? 10:04, 1 May 2007 (EDT)

Plagiarism?

If this is a QUOTE from Kothari's work, you need to give a proper in-text citation and use quotation marks. If it is a PARAPHRASE, then you use proper English rules for capitalization. Which is it? steph (COM) 12:57, 7 May 2007 (EDT)

Plagarism?

This is a quote, the quotes and citations were in the essay but not posted here because I just used the sentence instead of including the quotes and citation. It would have been confusing to have 3 quotes and the citation because there would be no bibliography underneath this wiki post. Where would the citation take you? How would the author get recognized?

Moreover, we weren't required to have a bibliography for this paper, so it was ok to plagiarize on the unit paper but not in a piddly old post on th wiki?? Sense no make!John? 17:56, 7 May 2007 (EDT)

Capitalization

Original: To the Umass cheif of Police, Penguin: Pg. 320 Capitilize the initial letters of proper nouns and proper adjectives. Corrected: To the UMass Cheif of Police, Andy 15:00, 2 May 2007 (EDT)

Capitalization

Original: “General motors has just launched a new platform of SUVs, which beat out all their Japanese rivals almost every time when it comes to appeal, economy, price, passenger capacity, cargo capacity and handling.”

Page/Reasoning: See Above. “Motors” is part of a corporations name and should be capitalized.

Rewrite: “General Motors has just launched a new platform of SUVs, which beat out all their Japanese rivals almost every time when it comes to appeal, economy, price, passenger capacity, cargo capacity and handling.”John? 09:54, 3 May 2007 (EDT)

Capitalization

Original: One time at a Ballroom Competition, I was fooling around to some salsa music, and a random girl came up to me and asked if I was Dominican.

Page/Reasoning: See Above. Ballroom Competition should not be capitalized unless I am talking about a specific one.

Rewrite: One time at a ballroom competition, I was fooling around to some salsa music, and a random girl came up to me and asked if I was Dominican. Esco 13:09, 3 May 2007

Capitalization

Was … or maybe the North apartments that “use drywall… which may cause poor cell phone service.” Should Be … or maybe the North Apartments that “use drywall… which may cause poor cell phone service.” Penguin Page 320 Capitalize the initial letters of proper nouns. TheFlyingScotsman 19:28, 4 May 2007 (EDT)

Capitalization

Original: "My parents fought with each other my entire childhood, right up until the very second their divorce was finalized; Now they just do it through my brother and I."

Reasoning: pg: 294; You do not capitalize the first letter after a semicolons.

Rewrite: My parents fought with each other my entire childhood, right up until the very second their divorce was finalized; now they just do it through my brother and I.Mralexan 08:51, 20 May 2007 (EDT)

Capitalization

Incorrect: Without her parent’s counsel as an adult, she feels as lost as she was experiencing American food through her Mother’s knowledge of culture and the inadequate preparation of tuna fish that her schoolmates enjoyed.

Correct: Without her parent’s counsel as an adult, she feels as lost as she was experiencing American food through her mother’s knowledge of culture and the inadequate preparation of tuna fish that her schoolmates enjoyed. Fotomaki 13:15, 21 May 2007 (EDT)

Colon

Original: “That isn’t to say that the Aura is a cheaply made, rough car for people who need inexpensive transport, the Saturn Aura was the 2007 North American car of the year, beating out the all new 2007 Toyota Camry (Gold par. 1-5).”

Page/Reasoning: 297. A colon is needed between “transport” and “the” because the second part of the sentence is evidence for the first part.

Rewrite: “That isn’t to say that the Aura is a cheaply made, rough car for people who need inexpensive transport: the Saturn Aura was the 2007 North American car of the year, beating out the all new 2007 Toyota Camry (Gold par. 1-5).”John? 09:36, 3 May 2007 (EDT)

Comma

- tells a reader to pause, when reading a sentence and shows how the writer’s ideas relate to each other (p.279)

Incorrect: “They manage to keep their lives together with some of my help and yes everybody wins”

Corrected: They manage to keep their lives together with some of my help and yes, everybody wins.Phane88 22:27, 2 April 2007 (EDT)

Incorrect: To reinstate the contents of the law: at age 18, beer and wine may be purchased and consumed and at age 20 spirits.

Correct: To reinstate the contents of the law: at age eighteen, beer and wine may be purchased and consumed, and at age twenty spirits. Jessica 19:11, 1 May 2007 (EDT)

Comma

Commas Mistake- They might have had different beliefs and ideas however we all shared the same love for politics. Penguin Book- (pg 279) When a conjuncture adverb comes in the middle of a sentence, set it off with commas preceding and following. Corrected- They might have had different beliefs and ideas, however, we all shared the same love for politics. Ksweets 19:21, 29 April 2007 (EDT)

Comma

Original: Since 2003 arrests for liquor law violations and drug violations have both nearly tripled in arrests per year.

Penguin: 279 Introductory elements like conjunctive adverbs and introductory phrases usually need to be set off by commas.

Corrected: Since 2003, arrests for liquor and drug violations have nearly tripled. Andy 15:16, 2 May 2007 (EDT)

Comma

Original: “Chances are you have seen a homeless individual sleeping on a park bench, or at the foot of a monument, on a cold night.”

Page/Reasoning: See above.

Rewrite: “Chances are you have seen a homeless individual sleeping on a park bench or at the foot of a monument on a cold night.”John? 09:00, 3 May 2007 (EDT)

Commas and Quotations

There is no need for a comma before you state the source.

Incorrect: "I ate bacon at her house too," (Kothari 29).

Correct: "I ate bacon at her house too" (Kothari 29). Jessica 12:16, 26 April 2007 (EDT)

Comma

Incorrect: "If they are going through a phase, send them to a therapist to resolve their issues (if any)to be safe and be there when your kids need you the most."

Correct: If they are going through a phase, send them to a therapist to resolve their issues (if any)to be safe, and be there when your kids nedd you the most.Phane88 10:30, 3 May 2007 (EDT)

Reasoning absent

And a few typos, too. :-/ steph (COM) 12:57, 7 May 2007 (EDT)

Comma (Intro Phrase)

Was

Lastly the way I put myself into writing has not been created so much by the experiences I have had outside of writing, but by the experiences I have had from writing.

Should Be

Lastly, the way I put myself into writing has not been created so much by the experiences I have had outside of writing, but by the experiences I have had from writing.

Explanation page 279

The change was needed because when a conjunctive adverb or introductory phrase begins a sentence then a comma followsTheFlyingScotsman 13:27, 3 May 2007 (EDT)

Comma (Dependent Clauses)

Was

This, as can be expected led me to poor grades, a sense of uselessness and a dislike of any class that requires lots of writing assignments.

Should Be

This, as can be expected, led me to poor grades, a sense of uselessness and a dislike of any class that requires lots of writing assignments.

Explanation page 281

The part of the sentence after the second comma is dependent on the first part. Using the comma to separate the commentary makes this more obvious.TheFlyingScotsman 13:27, 3 May 2007 (EDT)

Comma

Was

For example the cell phone tower they placed ten feet in front of their observatory blocking out ten percent of its view.

Should be

For example the cell phone tower they placed ten feet in front of their observatory blocking out ten percent of its view.

Penguin Page 279

When a conjunctive adverb or introductory phrase begins a sentence, the comma follows. TheFlyingScotsman 19:28, 4 May 2007 (EDT)

Comma

Original: I thought I cared about how it would alter other’s but I guess not.

Reasoning: pg: 292; Some sentences can be confusing without the proper comma “to guide the reader through.”

Rewrite: I thought I cared about how it would alter other’s, but I guess not.Mralexan 08:49, 20 May 2007 (EDT)

Complex sentences

- a sentence that has at least one secondary clause attached to the primary clause. (P.363)

Incorrect: “I had many friends whose parents worked really hard to get them as educated as they could and from my experience, these kids are the ones who usually get scholarships to go to other countries and continue with their studies.”

Corrected: I had many friends whose parents worked hard to give them the education they deserve. From what I can tell, these kids usually are rewarded with scholarship for their studies.Phane88 22:20, 2 April 2007 (EDT)

Complex Sentences

- Clutter also creeps into writing through unnecessary words, inflated constructions, and excessive jargon. (Pg. 216)

Incorrect: In the article "If you are what you eat, then what am I?" by Geeta Kothari, the author explores her own issues of personal identity, which is a result of her lack of relation with the culture she lives in in America, and also the culture of her parents from India.

Corrected: In the article "If you are what you eat, then what am I?" by Geetha Kothari, the author explores her own issues of personal identity. Her inability to relate with the American culture she lives in, or the Indian culture of her parents, is the result. Andy 11:40, 1 May 2007 (EDT)

Contractions

- when writing will not in the form of won’t (p.309)

Incorrect: “Students in Haiti usually don’t go to school after they finish high school because their parents can’t afford it and are awaiting a miracle.”

Corrected: Students in Haiti usually do not continue with their education after finishing high school because their parents cannot afford to pay their tuition.Phane88 22:27, 2 April 2007 (EDT)

Contractions

Original: “Geeta may feel that these “imperfections” are her own fault, but she shouldn’t.”

Page/Reasoning: 309. The word “shouldn’t” should just be should not; it is not common practice to omit letters in formal essays.

Rewrite: “Geeta may feel that these “imperfections” are her own fault, but she should not.”John? 10:06, 1 May 2007 (EDT)

Contractions

Contractions Mistake- However, I didn’t really know what it meant. Penguin Book- (pg 309) Overuse of abbreviations can make your writing look informal and slangy. Corrected- However, I did not really know what it meant. Ksweets 19:32, 29 April 2007 (EDT)

Contractions

NC Contractions.

Original: “There are contexts that influence my thoughts and actions, but they don’t give me a clear identity, they only make me think about it more.”

Page/Reasoning: 309. The word “don’t” is only used in dialogue, not in formal essays. It should be “do not”.

Rewrite: “There are contexts that influence my thoughts and actions, but they do not give me a clear identity, they only make me think about it more.”John? 11:42, 25 April 2007 (EDT)

Incorrect: What if she only ate Indian food, and didn't learn the American ways?

Correct: What if she only ate Indian food, and did not learn the American ways? Jessica 12:18, 26 April 2007 (EDT)

Contractions

-Using apostrophes to signal omitted letters is a way of approximating speech in writing. They can make your writing look informal and slangy, but overuse can become annoying in a hurry. (Pg. 309)

Incorrect: While Kothari's parents weren't always the prominent subkect of the article, they were always the key to her discovery of identity.

Correct: While Kothari's parents were not always the prominent subkect of the article, they were always the key to her discovery of identity. Andy 11:46, 1 May 2007 (EDT)

Contractions

Original: “There is a better world waiting for all humankind, and it isn’t nearly as hard to create as one might think.”

Page/Reasoning: See Above Rewrite: “There is a better world waiting for all humankind, and it is not nearly as hard to create as one might think.”John? 09:46, 3 May 2007 (EDT)

Contractions

Was

Don’t get me wrong I would love to be able to write better, but its at the end of the line of the personal changes I want to make to myself.

Should Be

Don’t get me wrong I would love to be able to write better, but it’s at the end of the line of the personal changes I want to make to myself.

Explanation page 308

This word is a contraction of it is. It is not the possessive form its. Therefore there should be an apostrophe.TheFlyingScotsman 13:27, 3 May 2007 (EDT)

Contractions

NC Contractions.

Original: “I can react to the war on terror, but I have to interact with it first, maybe I read about in a newspaper or on the TV, but if I don’t know about it, it cannot become part of my identity.”

Page/Reasoning: 309. The word “don’t” should be “do not” because don’t is only used in speech, not formal essays.

Rewrite: “I can react to the war on terror, but I have to interact with it first, maybe I read about in a newspaper or on the TV, but if I do not know about it, it cannot become part of my identity.”John? 11:42, 25 April 2007 (EDT)

Contractions

Was

So at the end of it, I obviously don’t agree with this idea.

Should Be

So at the end of it, I obviously do not agree with this idea.

Penguin Page 309

Using apostrophes to signal omitted letters is a way of approximating speech in writing. They can make your writing look informal and slangy, but overuse can become annoying in a hurry. TheFlyingScotsman 19:28, 4 May 2007 (EDT)

Contractions

Original: "And I’m scared to death this is how I’m going to be for the rest of my life."

Page/Reasoning: pg: 309; Using contractions can make your work look informal.

Rewrite: "I am scared to death this is how I will be for the rest of my life."Mralexan 08:47, 20 May 2007 (EDT)

Contradiction

Original: “However, as we see at the end of the story, he is wrong, and Geeta finds that she is quite unable to demonstrate at least the culinary aspect of her Indian mores.”

Page/Reasoning: NA. The word wrong implies entirely wrong, yet I say that Kothari is unable to demonstrate “at least the culinary aspect” of her culture, so he may not be entirely wrong.

Rewrite: “However, as we see at the end of the story, he is not right, and Geeta finds that she is quite unable to demonstrate at least the culinary aspect of her Indian mores.”John? 10:09, 1 May 2007 (EDT)

Contradiction

a statement or proposition that contradicts or denies another or itself and is logically incongruous (dictionary)

Incorrect: “The idea for going back would be fine only if it was to make her happy or get over a personal problem.”

Correct: Time traveling would be okay for Anzaldua to help her move forward.Phane88 13:05, 3 May 2007 (EDT)