1. “Notes on Punctuation” by Lewis Thomas - Summary
The writers use punctuation marks in order to set the tone of the text according to Lewis Thomas. This differs from language to language and there are very few marks in English. It is important to use punctuation so that people do not write in an ambiguous manner. Commas are useful more than any other marks because they have many purposes. They should not be used in great amounts although they add a specific meaning. Lewis thinks that semicolons are important as well because they let the writer express themselves before they complete the whole sentence. This means that there is an addition which makes the sentence full afterwards and influences its richness. There are also colons which are used for making different points and exclamation marks turn people’s attention to what is being said. This is all about the attention which has to be kept during the reading of the document. It is important to use quotation marks for citing because it is not proper to leave the work unreferenced. A dash is used to make the connection between one issue and another and it is very useful. People should be careful when writing poetry because punctuation marks are essential to this kind of writing.
Response:
1. The title of this essay is correct because it is related to notes. Lewis Thomas is writing about punctuation in a form where he is analyzing the marks one by one. He is mentioning the general purpose of the marks and then he moves on to explaining the purpose of each. He writes about commas, semicolons, colons, exclamation points, quotation marks and a dash. By naming this essay notes, he tells the readers what he will be writing about and in which manner. The piece is written as notes because it deals with the one mark at the time. He even analyzes the use of the specific mark at the specific place and he gives his personal opinion about each mark. He is referring to the punctuation marks as if they were living beings that have the purpose of guiding the readers through the text. Moreover, the text seems to come to life because of these marks and it would be dull and incomprehensive otherwise. Some marks are more interesting than the others and the authors are worried about quotation marks at the same time. Furthermore, exclamation marks seem to have the life of their own because they raise too much attention to themselves.
2. “Postcards” by Garrison Keillor – Summary
Garrison Keillor wrote the piece titled “Postcards” which deals with the correct way of writing postcards. They are supposed to be written in no less and no more than 50 words because according to him anything else would be rude. He gives several examples of postcard writing and makes it sound very interesting because he takes the readers on the journey around the world. He seems to have seen the most extraordinary places which have left trace on him and he had great companions in these places. People should listen to his advice because he is writing from experience and he is writing about good manners. People like to be remembered by those who are on traveling and receiving a postcard is a good way to do that. However, one needs to be careful not to exceed 50 words because it is polite and according to Keiller, more than fifty words would mean that a person did not bother to write a letter instead. It is best to describe the place and its most alluring parts and to depict what is the best thing to do in that location. Retelling an anecdote is also a fun way to entertain the reader because everybody loves a good laugh while reading educational content. The intention is what matters most which is why people should be grateful for receiving postcards no matter of the content.
Response:
2. Keiller addresses his piece to shy people because shy people need instructions in order not to be embarrassed. However, this essay can be useful for people who are not shy as well because it has a good structure and offers sound advice for anybody. He literally writes about the locations from across the globe and anybody can find it useful to read and adopt the rules which he mentions. They are easy to follow and he also writes about how to fit in as a tourist in a best possible way because nobody wants to be looked at all the time. People are supposed to be polite and to speak with manners with strangers because these strangers are the hosts. Being the guest means having to pay respect which is why most people like to practice the language of the country they are visiting. Shy people need to speak more to strangers in order to become bolder and to make sure that their voice is heard. People need to be good guests and good hosts which is why they need to practice politeness and good manners. It is best to observe what the hosts are doing and imitate their behavior in order to blend in which is the best way to learn foreign culture.
3. “Learning to Write” by Benjamin Franklin – Summary
Benjamin Franklin wrote a piece titled “Learning to Write” in which he addresses the way he learned to write. This happened with the help of the magazine Spectator which he bought and tried to reproduce a piece which he read. He made mistakes, but he learned how to correct them. He experimented with prose and with verse by turning prose to verse. He says that he found the time after work to be the best for practice and this happened at night. Sometimes, he would write prior to going to work or on weekends. He admits that he was very ambitious when it comes to writing which is why he mastered writing after having much practice on his own. Franklin also became a vegetarian after reading an article which means that he took his readings seriously. He separated from his brother and ate different food because it was his experiment. Franklin also used the books about grammar and rhetoric to learn how to write correctly and to organize his thoughts in a coherent manner. He also took up drawing in order to use different media to serve his purpose. This was an unusual way of learning how to write, but using the works of the masters of writing made it easier for Franklin to become a master himself.
Response
1. I understand Franklin’s need to imitate the sentences of successful writers and it has made him a great writer. I have never done that, but I might have understood what it take to become a great writer by reading the works of people who are considered to be great in this discipline. This practice is useful because it makes students learn what it takes to become great and they also learn about many difficulties which await on the road to success. This practice is useful because young writers do not know much about writing and it is good for them to learn by copying. Great painters learn painting by copying the works of the masters of painting which are displayed at the museums. In the same manner, writers should also copy the work of established writers. This kind of practice is based on school learning because it is important to be repetitive and to learn how to spot one’s own mistakes. This is done best by writing and then by checking what is right and what is wrong in the final paper. Students are bound to learn much through this process because they are learning from the best in this field.
4. “Who Owns Global English” by Dennis Barron – Summary
Dennis Barron wrote the essay titled “Who Owns Global English” which deals with the fact that English has become a global language which is spoken by all the people. The article begins with the slogan used by schools in Madrid whose aim is to establish bilingualism, but they use improper English which is why they are mocked. However, there is also the possibility that this English is not bad or improper, but simply the new kind of language emerging from it becoming international. People are using bad English because of the fact that they make English adapted towards their native languages and this kind of adaptation makes English different. There is the kind of global English which is a mixture of English and other languages because it is becoming an international language. This makes it easier for people to understand one another, but it also affects the understanding of proper English and confuses people who have learned the English spoken in the UK and the U.S. There was a situation on Slovakian television where a British guest used English to articulate himself and this was disapproved of by the government. The TV station was threatened with a great fine for violating the rule of speaking only Slovak in the media. People in China also use Chinese language although it is easier for them to use some English abbreviations. People who native language is English feel threatened because of the fact that English is being used in a wrong way.
Response
1. Dennis Barron’s title is accurate because he does pose the question of ownership of the English language and it turns out to be the whole world. People from across the globe believe that they own the English language and therefore Barron does answer the question which is posed. People are supposed to speak English in a good way which is properly in the grammatical sense, but many people use a mixture of English with their native languages. This is bad for the evolution of English and the native speakers believe that it is not right for the non-native speakers to corrupt English. It would be best if everybody would learn standardized English and not use bad and improper language because that is not in anybody’s interest. It is understandable that the whole world uses English as a means of communication, but this English has to be grammatically correct, especially if used in public. Therefore, Barron replies that global English is owned by the public and there is nothing that the natives can do about it. Even teachers in school correct mistakes in accordance with their understanding of English and that is not right because the children are bound to learn improper language.
5. “On Writing” by Stephen King – Summary
Stephen King wrote the essay “On Writing” in which he describes how he had difficulties to adapt in high school and that he was often punished because of that. He said that everybody knew that he love to write and the principal and the counselor offered him to apply for a writing position within a newspaper. He accepted this and went to meet Gould, the man who was in charge of the newspaper. There was prejudice from both sides at first and King admitted that he did not know enough about sport to be a sports journalist. This situation was crucial for King who was offered to write for money for the first time in his life and this made a great impact in him. When King wrote about a basketball game he got correction from Gould and they mean to him more than all of the classes he ever took in college because they were related to the actual writing and not to theory. Stephen King began writing professionally in this way and this was a revelation for him. He cherished the criticism made by Gould who became his mentor. It can be said with certainty that this is the beginning of the writing career for Stephen King.
Response
1. I agree with what Gould taught Stephen King because of the fact that he marked only the unnecessary parts which would dull the reader. If I were the editor I would have done the same because Gould is certainly the fatherly type of person who means only the best for his students and in this case Stephen King became his student. Gould may have recognized the great potential which Stephen had at the time and he encouraged him to become a remarkable writer. Even the principal and the counselor only meant what was best for Kind by sending him to Gould. This is rare in the modern world because people are usually jealous of other people’s talent and Stephen King’s talent is one of the greatest of all times. I would have done the same if I were an editor because Gould was a very experienced man who saw the potential in a young boy who was highly intelligent. He wanted to shape him and both of them understood that writing was not a regular job, but a true calling for people like Stephen King. Gould was one of such people as well which is why the two of them got along from the very beginning.
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