Common Errors

1. Common Errors • As I have looked at your projects, there are some COMMON errors that I have noticed. • Go through this PowerPoint, and with each ERROR, consider your project and do your best to eliminate the problem areas.

2. Error #1 • Incomplete Sentences: • BAD EXAMPLE: The act of identifying a perpetrator. • This is BAD because I don’t know WHO or WHAT is the act of identifying a perpetrator. • The fix: • Make sure all of your sentences have both SUBJECTS and VERBS! I need to know what each thing is doing and who/what is doing each action • FIXED EXAMPLE: “Snitching” is the act of identifying a perpetrator.

3. Error #2 • Comma Splices • BAD EXAMPLE: Rebecca knew there was a problem, she knew the situation wasn’t normal. • This is BAD because there is not a conjunction between two INDEPENDENT CLAUSES (each could stand alone as its own sentence) • The fix: • Make sure you have one of the THREE options between independent clauses: • Period – shows that they are two independent ideas • Semicolon – shows that they are related but two independent clauses • Comma plus conjunction – shows that they are related and uses a FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) to show relationship • ACCEPTABLE EXAMPLE: Rebecca knew there was a problem. She knew the situation wasn’t normal. • GOOD EXAMPLE: Rebecca knew there was a problem; she knew the situation wasn’t normal. • GOOD EXAMPLE: Rebecca knew there was a problem, and she knew the situation wasn’t normal.

4. Note about Error #2 • The use of a COMMA plus a coordination conjunction ONLY works when you USE a term from the FANBOYS list (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

5. Error #3 • Starting a sentence with FANBOYS (conjunctions) • BAD EXAMPLE: So the court found him guilty. • This is BAD because FANBOYS show relationship DIRECTLY to previous ideas. This has no connection to the previous idea! • BAD EXAMPLE: And the article stated the cause. • This is BAD because of the same reason. • The fix: • Change the way the sentence starts OR combine in with the previous sentence. • GOOD EXAMPLE: As a result, the court found him guilty. • GOOD EXAMPLE: The article also stated the cause of the event.

6. Error #4 • Improper Internal Citation • The cause of the incident was unknown (http://cnn.com) • The fix: • READ the handout! • ALL internal citations should use the FIRST thing on the line of a properly formatted MLA Works Cited Entry! • GOOD EXAMPLE: The cause of the incident was unknown (“Recklessness in the City”) * Please note that all examples are 100% fictitious.

7. Error #5 • Improper introduction on quotations • “The date of the retrial is highly significant because it was the same date that Robert faced his initial charges 20 years ago.” • The example above is simple IN the sentence. It is not introduced, and it does not have a citation. • The fix: • Introduce the quotation with details about who wrote it, transition words, or incorporate it into the previous sentence • GOOD EXAMPLE: In addition, “The date of the retrial is highly significant because it was the same date that Robert faced his initial charges 20 years ago” (“Conviction Could be Overturned”). *Please note that all examples are 100% fictitious. *Also not the FORMAT of the quotation !

8. Tag Line • What is one sentence or phrase (let’s say no longer than a tweet – 140 characters) that sums up what you want a reader to know BEFORE they read your story? • How would you entice them to enter your webpage in <140 characters?