2019-11-15 TOEFL: int writing, run-ons

Greg Malivuk
gmalivuk@staffordhouse.com
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk - notes from all classes
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https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-dangers-of-mixing-drugs-celine-valery
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Read the comments on your writing from last week. Do you understand everything?
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Writing Practice - ETS 1 tests 2 and 3
Email your responses to me when you finish.
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The “main idea” from the first reading this time was something like, “There are three possible explanations for the Great Houses.” The point from the lecture is then, “The three explanations from the reading are all not very good.”
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	The reading and the lecture are about the Great Houses at the Chaco Canyon settlement. The reading proposes three explanations for what these buildings were used for. The lecture casts doubt on each possible explanation.
	First, the reading suggests that the buildings were residential. The speaker says that if they were residences, there should be many fireplaces for many families. However, there were only a few fireplaces in the entire building.
	Second, the text explains that they could have been used to store the grain maize. The speaker challenges this explanation, as well. According to the lecture, there was no evidence of maize storage or containers in the Great House.
	Finally, the author says the buildings may have had a ceremonial purpose. According to the speaker, there was also a lot of other material in the mound, such as construction material. This means it may have been a garbage dump.
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BREAK
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Each writing task is timed separately, so if you don’t have time to finish the integrated writing in 20 minutes you’re out of luck.
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Contrast Language:
- sentence connectors: However, / On the other hand, / Nevertheless, / In contrast,
- conjunctions: but / although / even though / despite the fact that / while
- verbs: challenge / cast doubt on / contradict / oppose / disagree with / refute
“The speaker says the opposite.”
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	The reading and the listening are about communal online encyclopedias. The reading describes three disadvantages of online encyclopedias, while the lecture argues that these are not serious problems and may even be benefits.
	First, the text says that because the people who edit online encyclopedias are not educated academics, there may be many mistakes and inaccuracies. However, the lecture states that traditional encyclopedias also have many errors, and unlike online encylopedias, those errors may remain for years or decades. Mistakes on a website, in contrast, can be fixed within hours or dase.
	Second, the author argues that, because anyone can edit online encyclopedias, they are vulnerable to hacking and other malicious activities. The speaker points out that online encyclopedias usually have protections against malicious users. For example, parts of an article that everyone agrees with may be locked so no one can change them.
	Finally, the reading claims that online encyclopedias devote too much space to unimportant topics, such as movies, and not enough to important things like history and science. However, according to the lecture, the amount of space for different topics may be an advantage of online encyclopedias. Topics that more people are interested in can have the most information about them, and this doesn’t reduce the amount of space available for more “important” topics.
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The reading and the listening are about [noun].
[noun] can be:
	noun phrase - communal online encyclopedias
	noun clause - whether a particular painting was made by Rembrandt or not
	phrase+clause - the question of whether a particular painting was made by Rembrandt
We don’t use “if” in noun clauses after prepositions.

prove - verb
proof - noun
proven - adjective
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Run-on sentences and comma splices
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clause = a group of words that inlcude a subject and verb
independent clause = a clause which could be a complete sentence by itself
dependent clause = a clause which couldn’t be a complete sentence by itself
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If you study every day, you will pass the test.
You will pass the test. - independent, because this is a complete sentence that we can understand
If you study every day. - dependent, because this only expresses a condition, not a real action
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A run-on sentence is a sentence with at least two independent clauses that are connected wrong.
Two independent clauses:
	I studied.
	I passed my test.
Correct ways to put them together:
	I studied. I passed my test. (Sometimes the best option is to use separate sentences.)
	Because I studied, I passed my test. / I studied, so I passed my test. (Add a conjunction.)
	I studied; I passed my test. (A semicolon can go between closely related independent clauses.)
Incorrect ways:
	I studied I passed my test. (run-on)
	I studied, I passed my test. (comma splice)
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A comma alone is “not strong enough” to connect two independent clauses. We need to change the comma to a period or semicolon, or we need to add a conjunction as well.
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I grew tired of the differences because the things in America weren’t new to me anymore, the differences weren’t interesting.
- The independent clauses are separated by a dependent clause, so it might not be as easy to see that this is a run-on.
- Furthermore, the “because” clause can make sense with either of the independent clauses, but unfortunately it can’t work with both of them at the same time.

We can fix it in two simple ways, and trust that readers still see the connection:
I grew tired of the differences. Because the things in America weren’t new to me anymore, the differences weren’t interesting.
I grew tired of the differences because the things in America weren’t new to me anymore. The differences weren’t interesting.
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Handout - fix the run-ons
2 I like learning English, but it makes me tired. (2 ind. clauses, joined with comma+conjunction)
  I like learning English. However, it makes me tired. (2 separate sentences)
  Although I like learning English, it makes me tired. (dependent + independent)
  I like learning English even though it makes me tired. (independent + dependent)
3 My sister was taller than me when we were young. Now I am the tallest. It is fun. (3 sentences)
  My sister was taller than me when we were young, but now I am the tallest and it is fun. (add conjunctions)
9 I like Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and I like Fridays because the weekend starts on Friday.
  I like Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I also like Fridays because the weekend starts on Friday.
  *I like Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays because the weekend starts on Friday.
	- Doesn’t make sense, because it says the reason for liking all three of those days is because the weekend starts on Friday.
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Coordinating conjunctions (which can connect independent clauses) = FANBOYS
	for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
The most common are BOAS: but, or, and, so