Exercises 2.7 and 2.9

2.7 Punctuation 2

1. Nobody knows the trouble I've seen; nobody knows but Jesus.
2. The responsible reporter, one who is scrupulously honest, will still encounter problems.
3. Abraham Lincoln died on April 15, 1865, after being shot while attending a play at Ford Theater.
4. My son was born on Nov. 15, 1980. It was a Saturday, so I didn't get to go to the football game.
5. Why don't you come over my place?
6. Writing for the mass media takes much skill, perseverance and hard work.
7. Wow! I couldn't think of a better place to eat, myself.
8. According to my professor, the world is absolutely, positively flat and you should never forget it.
9. Where are the carpenters? Where are the bricklayers? And most of all, where are the gardeners when we need them the most?
10. "I couldn't come to class today," Jan said, "because I had the flu."
11. Joe got a new computer, which set his parents back a good bit, and he's been dying to tell everybody about it.

2.9 Writing Problems

1. Gilligan was so charmed by the desert aisle, and he decided to marry the movie star.
2. The nice professor said we should always study for our exams.
3. The cantaloupe-throwing contest was cancelled due to adverse weather.
4. Rushing to the scene of the crime, the prosecuting attorney was horrified by the grizzly murder scene.
5. The criminal eluded police by hiding under a Toyota Corolla.
6. Feigning illness, the president refused to make the trip to Tulsa.
7. Morgan cancelled the funeral service after the dead man turned out to be alive.
8. The Smith car had less than 100 pumpkins piled in it.
9. Hurricane Bubba ravaged the Gulf Coast and caused $10 billion in damage.
10. The dancing troupe refused to by its tights at wholesale.
11. Whenever Mark Arnold came to town, the restaurant upped the price of rutabagas by woo percent.
12. The journalists' Cannon of Ethics prohibits taking gifts from sources.
13. Journalists should be guided by one principle: always be accurate.

CNA: Local News

Nelson volleyball squad keeps Alexis Murphy in their hearts and on the court
The Nelson County High School volleyball team played their first game of the season this past week without their senior outside hitter Alexis Murphy. Murphy was allegedly abducted August 3rd and has been missing ever since. Despite Murphy's absence, her team banded together and won the first match with her in mind.

Murphy Article

Peaks of Otter Lodge launches social media contest
In celebration of opening under the Delaware North Company, Peaks of Otter Lodge has begun a social media photo contest. The goal of the contest is to take a picture at the Peaks of Otter Lodge and submit it to Facebook with a two sentence caption of why it is the best memory of Peaks of Otter. Facebook "fans" will determine the grand prize winner, who will win a two-night, three-day stay at the lodge.

Peaks of Otter Article

Lynchburg race issues getting renewed attention, following recent events

Over this past year, a few events have stirred racial tension in the city of Lynchburg. Today (the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream speech") a group of Lynchburg citizens gathered to discuss ways to resolve the tension. The first conference to help enable citizens to have a voice regarding the issues and solutions will occur this October.

Lynchburg Article

Defining Good Writing

What is good writing?

What does it look like?

Good writing is hard to define. Certain aspects of writing are subjective, while the rest are objective. Also, there are different types of writing. This definition will look at the overall perspective on writing as a whole.

From a grammatical standpoint, good writing is writing that properly utilizes grammar, word order, structure, and organization. Essentially, it has to make sense. If the writer of a certain piece does not take the time to check the seemingly small details of whether or not words are spelled correctly or commas are in the right place, it can effect the entire piece. Proper grammar and sentence structure add a professional air to writing, thereby making it more credible or respectable. Without it, a piece can become confusing, unprofessional, or easily refuted.

More subjectively speaking, good writing should cause readers to think. It is organized in a way that creates a flow from one idea to the next, prompting understanding. Good writing should have the capability to change readers' perspectives, or at least challenge them to question their original views. It should successfully capture persuasion, information, or whatever other type of goal it is trying to attain (i.e. a newspaper article should inform, an advertisement should persuade, etc.).