The document discusses the importance of structure in writing. It defines structure as the shape and design of a piece of writing as intended by the author. It then discusses various punctuation marks - including commas, colons, semicolons, dashes/hyphens - and their proper uses to effectively structure writing. It also briefly discusses grammar and the importance of considering the audience when writing.

1. The Importance of Structure in Writing Class 11 EFL 1

2. What is Structure? Structure refers to the shape and design of a piece of writing as intended by the author. Structure = punctuation + grammar

3. Punctuation You’ve all learned the mechanics of punctuation but now you need to know how it gives effect and life to a written piece of work. Ex. Comma, Apostrophe, Hyphen, Quotes, Semi Colons, Colons etc

4. Colon ( : ) The : does one basic thing…it introduces something. The colon gives special emphasis to whatever it introduces …you literally have to stop and pay extra attention to the new entry. - Ex. Joe has only one thing on his mind: profit The colon is most often used to introduce a list of items in a sentence - Ex. This report reviews five main criteria to determine whether to purchase the IBM PC: hardware, software, maintenance agreements, service, and customer support.

6. Warning about Colon Do not use a colon after a verb in a sentence, even when you are introducing something. Why? Because the verb itself introduces making the colon redundant. Ex. My three favorite friends are: Mildon, Cleftine, and Stank.

7. Semi-Colon (;) The semi-colon has two functions: Acts as a connector between two complete sentences. Acts like a super comma.

8. Examples of semi colon A semicolon is an economical way to join two sentences, and therefore two ideas, so that your reader sees the relationship. Ex. David is a good typist; he makes few mistakes Ex. Ms. Pamela is a successful real estate salesperson; however, she was unable to sell her own house.

9. Sometimes a semi colon can be used as a “super comma” especially when the sentence has too many commas that can confuse the reader. Ex. Suncom Corporation has subsidiaries in four cities: New York, New York, Wilmington, Ohio, Houston, Texas, and San Francisco, California. -Using the semi colon, you get: Suncom Corporation has subsidiaries in four cities: New York, New York; Wilmington, Ohio; Houston, Texas; and San Francisco, California.

10. Comma (,) Commas simply indicate that you need to pause. There are four ways to use a comma: 1) When you are listing three or more items in a sentence, simply place a comma between each member of the list. ex. Mr. Taylor used the money that he won from the sweepstakes to buy a house, a car, and a small yacht. 2) Between two sentences with a conjunction (and, but) ex. The Suncom Corporation has just acquired the OILCO company, and it has agreed to sell OILCO’s oil-drilling rights in Texas as soon as possible.

11. Comma(,) 3) To Attach Words to the Front or Back of Your Sentence when you add information to the front or back of a sentence, you will want to alert your readers in order to help them clearly understand your message. Ex. Although she flunked chemistry and barely passed math, Joan is a good student. Ex. In order to help save the company from bankruptcy, we sold shares in the company at discount prices.

12. 4) On Both Sides of a Nonessential Component - in this case, you have to decide whether the sentence component is essential or non essential to the clarity of the sentence. - if non essential, then add the commas

13. Ex. Ms. Johnson, who is the company president, will present the award at our annual dinner. Wrong use of comma: Banks, which hold over a billion dollars in assets, are rare. (this says that banks are rare which is not true!)

15. Dash or Hyphen (-) Separating Words in the Middle of the Sentence -the dash is the big brother of the comma…it adds more emphasis than the comma itself. Ex. Linda Simpson, the president’s most trusted economic advisor, will resign her office during today’s press conference. Ex. Linda Simpson—the president’s most trusted economic advisor—will resign her office during today’s press conference.

16. 2) Adding Words to the End of a Sentence The dash can be used to attach material to the sentence when there is a clear break to the continuity in the sentence. Ex. The president will be unable to win enough votes for another term of office—unless, of course, he can reduce unemployment and the deficit simultaneously. Ex. Generally, the president’s economic policies have proven ineffective—although, it’s true that he has lowered inflation considerably.

17. Grammar Grammar helps you understand the components of the sentence and its meaning. Grammar includes: Noun Verbs Adjectives Adverbs Conjunction Pronoun Preposition Gerund Interjection

18. Audience Whatever you write or read, you must keep in mind about the audience…who is this writing being directed too and how? What is the point of the piece? What purpose does it serve? Why does the author want me to read it? Remember, the author is trying to establish a relationship with you!

20. Final Preparation: Your English Weapon Chest Genre Writer’s Purpose Tone Vocabulary Figures of Speech Structure Audience