University of Indianapolis
School for Adult Learning
COMM-331-AU1: INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
(3-credit hours)
Patricia A. Jefferson, Ph.D., Associate Provost
Dean, School for Adult Learning
jefferson@uindy.edu
Office: Esch-103—Phone: 788-3393
Term 1, Session 1, 2011-2012
Class Meetings: Tuesdays, August 30, and September 6, 13, 20, and 27
6:00 to 9:45 p.m.
Welcome to Interpersonal Communication. My sincerest hope is that you find this course interesting and relevant to
your lives. Depending on your reading and writing ability, the anticipated out-of-class study time is eight hours a
week. There will be some lecture, but primarily, the instructional approach is interactive. The class is writing
intensive.
Following are some tips for success in this class:
 Attend all classes.
 Complete the reading and writing assignments on time.
 Be prepared to use e-mail that is consistent with Microsoft word, know how to send enclosures, and use
PowerPoint
 Maintain a positive attitude.
Course Summary:
Students will take four quizzes over the assigned reading at the end of the first four class meetings. In addition, they
will write nine reaction papers and make a final presentation the last night of class. The class meetings will be
interactive so attendance is imperative.
Instructor Availability:
Generally, I am in the SAL office from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The best way to contact me
is through e-mail. I would also be happy to meet with you by appointment.
Required Text:
Interpersonal Communication: Everyday Communication Encounters, by Julia T. Wood, 6th edition, 2010.
ISBN-13: 978-0-495-56764-6
Catalog Description:
This course will provide students with information, insight, and current theory concerning communication on an
interpersonal level. Emphasis is placed on self-awareness, self-disclosure, barriers, and supportiveness in verbal
transactions, nonverbal messages, message reception, and interpersonal relationships. Students are given the
opportunity and specific means for learning and internalizing the relevant concepts through reaction papers and
experiential vehicles.
Course Rationale:
Interpersonal communication is essential to our daily lives and meaningful relationships, both personally and
professionally. The course will identify the principles and skills of competent interpersonal communicators. It is
the foundation of meaningful relationships in all aspects of our lives.
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University-Wide Learning Goals
The University of Indianapolis is an AQIP accredited university, dedicated to continual quality improvement. As a
part of the university, the School for Adult Learning commits to the same learning outcomes and the ongoing
assessment of them. The learning outcomes are as follows:
 Social Responsibility—In the area of social and personal responsibility, students in the School for Adult
Learning are responsible for their own learning, connect the ethical and socially responsible practices
presented in the classroom to the worlds in which they live, and understand that their behaviors affect
society. Both forms of responsibility involve moral obligation to self and community, and rely upon such
virtues as honesty, self-discipline, respect, loyalty, and compassion.
 Creativity—In the area of creativity, students in the School for Adult Learning generate, appreciate, and
evaluate new possibilities, alternatives, and ideas which enable them to see the world in new ways.
 Critical Thinking—In the area of critical thinking, students in the School for Adult Learning intentionally
apply higher-order thinking to reach evidence-based conclusions.
 Performance—In the area of performance, students in the School for Adult Learning write, speak, compute
mathematically, and are technologically literate based upon the standards established by SAL.
Note: Not every learning outcome will be emphasized in each class; however, successful students will have
demonstrated all four outcomes upon completion of the SAL curriculum.
Course Goals:
This course will give students a theoretical understanding of interpersonal communication and give them the
opportunity to apply this understanding to their everyday lives.
Student Learning Objectives:
Successful students will
 Define interpersonal communication and examine its principles
 Assess how their self-concepts and perceptions are linked to competent interpersonal communication
 Analyze how their verbal, nonverbal, and listening skills influence effective interpersonal communication
 Describe how emotions affect the climate of a relationship and the interpersonal conflict within it
 Apply the components of interpersonal communication to friendships, romantic relationships, and family
dynamics
Course Policies:
Attendance/Participation: Students will earn five points for attending the entire class and being punctual to each
session. Due to the interactive nature of this class, there is no way for these points to be made up if someone is
absent—even under the most genuine of circumstances.
Courtesies and Behavior: Please turn off your cell phones, and do not text during class. In addition, please take
breaks at the regularly scheduled times. On the last night of class when students are presenting, do not enter or leave
the class during a presentation. It is distracting for the presenter and the audience. These behaviors will affect your
attendance/participation grade.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined as turning in someone else’s work as your own. This means that you cannot copy
verbatim from the text, unless you put the copied section in quotation marks and use an appropriate citation. It
means that you cannot copy another person’s paper or turn in a “group paper” as your own. Should you plagiarize,
you will receive a zero for the assignment and a statement of the incident will be placed in your permanent file.
Withdrawal: If you attend the first night and decide later that you do not want to take the course, it your
responsibility to withdraw from class. You must withdraw by Friday, September 2, in order to receive a refund.
However, if you do not attend the first night, I will withdraw you.
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Pandemic: In the event that you are unable to attend class because of the H1N1 virus, it is mandatory that you
contact the instructor immediately. It will be necessary to make special provisions to accommodate this situation.
Services for Students with Disabilities: If you have a disability that may have some impact on your work in this
class and for which you may require accommodations, please inform me immediately so that your learning needs
may be appropriately met. Students with a disability must register with the Services for Students with Disabilities
office (SSD) in Schwitzer Center 206 (317-788-6153 / www.uindy.edu/ssd) for disability verification and for
determination of reasonable academic accommodations. You are responsible for initiating arrangements for
accommodations for tests and other assignments in collaboration with the SSD and the faculty.
Reaction Papers:
Students will write nine reaction papers worth 25 points each. Please see the rubric attached to this syllabus for the
specifics of assessment. The purpose of writing these papers is twofold: first, students demonstrate to the instructor
that they understand the concepts of interpersonal communication, and second, students have the opportunity to
apply the concepts to their own life situations. Students will write one reaction paper on a topic found in each of the
first nine chapters of the text.
Each reaction paper should be e-mailed to me by 8:00 a.m. on the Friday morning after the class meeting. The
instructor will then grade the papers and return them to the students the following class meeting. Although late
papers will be penalized, it is important to do all the work. No paper, however, will be accepted later than Friday at
4:30 the week that the paper is due.
I recognize that some topics are sensitive. If you do not wish to write about yourself, then you may write about
something that you witnessed. The object of the papers is not to cause you embarrassment. The object of the papers
is to have you apply the concepts to life situations, thereby learning more about yourself and your communication.
Following are the topics of the two reaction papers that are due by 8:00 a.m. on Friday, September 2:
1.
Explain what is meant by I-It, I-You, and I-Thou relationships. Use citations from the text to document
your definitions. Then describe relationships in your life that would be considered an I-It, an I-You, and an
I-Thou. Analyze the differences in communication and personal knowledge in the three relationships. In
addition, describe how the relationships have affected you.
2.
Explain what is meant by an Upper, a Downer, and a Vulture. Use citations from the text to document your
definitions. Then describe instances where someone has responded to you as an Upper, a Downer, and a
Vulture. How did their communication to you affect the relationship?
Following are the topics of the two reaction papers that are due by 8:00 a.m. on Friday, September 9:
3.
Explain what is meant by attribution and the various attributional patterns discussed in the text. Use
citations to document your definitions. Then analyze the behavior of a person you know. Apply the
attributional patterns to the behavior in question and finally determine whether you hold the person
responsible for the behavior, or whether you believe the person is not responsible for the behavior.
4.
Explain the difference between regulative rules and constitutive rules of verbal communication. Use
citations from the text to document your definitions. Then think of a situation in which you find yourself
(at work, in your family, in a relationship) and identify a regulative and constitutive rule that you follow.
Analyze whether or not the rules are successful in achieving your goals or whether they inhibit you from
reaching your goals.
Following are the topics of the three reaction papers that are due by 8:00 a.m. on Friday, September 16:
5.
Explain the meaning of artifacts and environment in nonverbal communication. Use citations from the text
to document your definitions. Then describe and analyze the artifacts and environment of your living space
or your working space. What do these artifacts communicate about who you are? How does their presence
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affect your feelings of comfort, identity, and security? What would be different if all of your person al
artifacts disappeared?
6.
Analyze your own listening effectiveness. Using the textbook to guide you, analyze two strengths and two
weaknesses in terms of your ability to listen. (In other words, choose two aspects of listening that you do
well and two aspects of listening on which you need to improve.) Use citations.
7.
Describe a situation when you did not effectively communicate your emotions. Then explain the reasons
listed in the text for not expressing emotions. Use citations. Do any of the reasons apply to your situation?
Why or why not?
Following are the topics of the two reaction papers that are due by 8:00 a.m. on Friday, September 23:
8.
Identify one relationship in which you feel on-guard and defensive and one relationship in which you feel
comfortable and supported. Describe and analyze the communication behaviors in each relationship. To
what extent do the defensive and supportive communication behaviors discussed in the text explain the
climates of these two relationships? Use citations from the text.
9.
Explain the exit-voice-loyalty-neglect model discussed in the text. Use citations. Then analyze your
responses to conflict in terms of the model discussed. How often do you use each response style in your
friendships and romantic relationships? Which style do you use least? What are the results of the ways(s)
you respond to conflict?
Quizzes:
Students will take four quizzes at the end of the first four class meetings. They will contain 10 multiple choice
questions over the assigned reading. Each quiz will be worth 25 points. If there is a legitimate reason for missing a
class AND the instructor is notified, a student may be allowed to take a make-up quiz.
Final Assignment (Oral Presentation):
Formulate a topic for an oral presentation that comes from the material in chapters 10, 11, or 12. For example, you
might choose the six-stage model in the development of friendships from chapter 10, or the dimensions of
committed romantic relationships from chapter 11, or the seven stages of the family life cycle in chapter 12.
Whatever topic you choose, make sure you are interested in it and can draw relationships. Next, you are to take the
content selected and apply it to your life, the life of someone you know, or an artifact (book, movie, play). For
example, you might choose to discuss the nature of friendship and then show how the five aspects apply to one of
your friendships. Another example might be to analyze the family life cycle of your parents or grandparents. A
final example might be to analyze the style of loving that is illustrated in The Bridges of Madison County. You will
be evaluated primarily on your delivery, your ability to explain the content, and then analyze a related situation.
Presentations that use excellent visual aids and that are interactive in nature will be especially appreciated. This is
worth 50 points. Turn in a copy of your Power Point presentation before you begin speaking. Possible topics for the
final presentation include the following:
Chapter 10: Friendships in Our Lives
 Contrast masculine and feminine friendship or closeness through dialogue vs. doing
 Analyze where a friendship has gone wrong by looking at the willingness to invest, acceptance, trust, or
support.
 Trace the development of a friendship by taking it through the six phases.
 Examine a friendship through one or more of the internal tensions.
 Examine a friendship through one or more of the external tensions.
 Analyze how a friendship has continued through the years because you’ve followed the guidelines for
communication between friends.
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Chapter 11: Committed Romantic Relationships
 Analyze a relationship in terms of the three dimensions of romantic love—intimacy, commitment, and
passion.
 Explain the six styles of loving and problems encountered with each kind.
 Describe the four developmental stages of interracial relationships and how various couples have coped
with the stages.
 Discuss a relationship you had in terms of the three greatest influences on initial attraction—self-concept,
proximity, and similarity.
 Describe the relational culture of a romantic relationship you’ve experienced, including how you managed
relational dialectics, how you developed rules and rituals, the process of placemaking, and what your
everyday interaction was like.
 Describe the deterioration of a relationship, including the intrapsychic and dyadic processes you went
through as well as grave-dressing and resurrection processes.
Chapter 12: Communication in Families
 Explain the four distinct paths to marriage.
 Discuss the five types of marriages as documented by Cuber and Harroff.
 Discuss the three types of marriages as documented by Mary Ann Fitzpatrick.
 Discuss Clifford Notarius’s three key elements that influence satisfaction with log-term relationships—
words, thoughts, and emotions.
 Discuss the family life cycle through the stages you have experienced.
 Discuss the guidelines for effective communication in families.
Major parts of a presentation include the following:
INTRODUCTION
 Get the audience’s attention with a quotation, short story, example, or other kind of attention-getting
device.
 Introduce the topic and the purpose of the presentation.
 Preview the main points.
 Use a transition to signal the start of the body of the presentation.
BODY
 Clearly state the thesis (i.e. specifically what you are going to talk about).
 Develop the main points using a structure that suits the topic, audience, and occasion.
 Use a transition to signal the conclusion.
CONCLUSION
 Restate the thesis and reiterate how the main points supported it.
 Leave the audience with something to think about or challenge them to respond.
 Be prepared to answer questions.
Grading Scale:
400 to 376 = A
375 to 360 = A359 to 352 = B+
351 to 336 = B
335 to 320 = B319 to 312 = C+
311 to 296 = C
295 to 280 = C-
279 to 272 = D+
271 to 256 = D
255 to 240 = D239 to 0 = F
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Keep Track of Your Own Grades:
Assignment
Quiz No. 1
Quiz No. 2
Quiz No. 3
Quiz No. 4
Reaction Paper No. 1
Reaction Paper No. 2
Reaction Paper No. 3
Reaction Paper No. 4
Reaction Paper No. 5
Reaction Paper No. 6
Reaction Paper No. 7
Reaction Paper No. 8
Reaction Paper No. 9
Final Assignment
Attendance
Total Possible Points
Class Schedule:
Points You Earned
Possible Points
25
25
25
25
25
25
25
25
25
25
25
25
25
50
25
400
Tuesday, August 30, 2011:
 Before coming to class, read the Introduction and Chapters 1-2.
 Be prepared to take a quiz over the above reading.
 Be prepared to take part in class discussion.
 Turn in the first two reaction papers by 8:00 a.m. on Friday, September 2.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011:
 Before coming to class, read Chapters 3-4.
 Be prepared to take a quiz over the above reading.
 Be prepared to take part in class discussion.
 Turn in reaction papers three and four by 8:00 a.m. on Friday, September 9.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011:
 Before coming to class, read Chapters 5-7.
 Be prepared to take a quiz over the above reading.
 Be prepared to take part in class discussion.
 Turn in reaction papers five, six, and seven by 8:00 a.m. on Friday, September 16.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011:
 Before coming to class, read Chapters 8-9.
 Be prepared to take a quiz over the reading.
 Be prepared to take part in class discussion.
 Turn in reaction papers eight and nine by 8:00 a.m. on Friday, September 23.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011:
 Before coming to class, read Chapters 10-12.
 Be prepared to take part in class discussion.
 Be prepared for your final presentation.
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Writing Standard for the School for Adult Learning
The content of any writing assignment in the School for Adult Learning is determined by the instructor and the
discipline. However, successful adults will demonstrate a mastery of fluency and conventions. Every instructor
should specify that each writing assignment will also be assessed on the following standards.
Sentence fluency addresses the rhythm and flow of language. Sentences are strong and varied in structure
and length. Successful students will
1. use a variety of sentence structures (simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex) and lengths
to reinforce relationships among ideas and to enhance the flow of the writing.
2. show extensive variation in sentence beginnings, lengths, and patterns to enhance the flow of writing.
3. demonstrate a flow that is natural and powerful when read aloud.
Conventions address the mechanics of writing, including capitalization, punctuation, spelling, grammar
and usage, and paragraph breaks. Successful students will
Use capitals correctly for:
Proper nouns:
Words used as names (Grandpa)
Literary titles (book, story, play, song)
 Holidays
Titles
 Place/regional names
Abbreviations
 Languages
Proper adjectives (German shepherd)
 Historical events
 Organizations
 Academic courses
(algebra/Algebra I)
 Product names
Use commas to punctuate the following correctly:
 Direct address
 Items in a series
 Interrupters
 Greetings and closing of letters
 Compound sentences
 Introductory words, phrases, and clauses
 Appositives
 Dialogue
Use quotation marks to punctuate the following: dialogue, titles, and exact words from sources.
Use underlining or italics to identify titles and vessels (ships, spacecrafts, planes, trains) correctly.
Use colons to punctuate business letter salutations and sentences introducing lists.
Use semicolons to punctuate compound and compound-complex sentences when appropriate.
Use apostrophes to punctuate the following: contractions, singular possessives, and plural possessives.
Use hyphens, dashes, parentheses, ellipses, and brackets correctly.
Spell words correctly.
Use paragraph breaks to reinforce the organizational structure, including dialogue.
Demonstrate control of grammar and usage in
 Parallel structure
writing:
 Comparative and superlative degrees of
 Parts of speech
adjectives
 Verb forms and tenses
 Modifier placement
 Subject/verb agreement
 Homonyms
 Pronoun/antecedent agreement
Use appropriate format and cite sources using the APA manual.
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Speaking Standards
School for Adult Learning
The content of any speaking assignment in the School for Adult Learning is determined by the instructor and the
discipline. However, every instructor should specify that each speaking assignment will also be assessed on the
following standards.
Successful students will develop content appropriate for the audience and the assignment.
 Did the student select an appropriate topic?
 Did the student have sufficient information to develop the topic?
 Did the student have quality information to develop the topic?
 Did the student use strategies to create credibility with the audience?
 Did the student use emotional strategies appropriate to the topic and audience?
 Did the student use sound reasoning?
 Did the student cite the sources for the information in the speech?
Successful students will organize the material presented so that the message is clear to the audience.
 Did the student select the best information to present?
 Did the student have an introduction that caught the attention of the audience and narrow to a
thesis sentence?
 Did the student have clear main points in the body of the speech?
 Did the student use transitions and internal summaries so that the speech flowed coherently?
 Did the student have a conclusion that summarized the main points and end in a way that left an
impact on the audience?
Successful students use language that is appropriate for the occasion.
 Did the student use language that was grammatically correct?
 Did the student use language that the audience understood?
 Did the student use language that was precise?
 Did the student use language that was personal and direct?
Successful students will deliver the message using appropriate gestures, movements, and voice.
 Did the student use gestures that reinforced the meaning of the speech?
 Did the student use movement that reinforced the meaning of the speech?
 Did the student speak at an appropriate rate?
 Did the student speak with variety and expressiveness?
 Did the student speak with appropriate volume?
 Did the student have any mannerisms that distracted from the content of the speech?
Successful students will remember the presentation well enough to connect directly with the listeners.
 Was the student able to maintain eye contact with the audience?
 Was the student able to deliver the speech with minimal use of notes?
 Did the student directly connect with the audience?
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RUBRIC FOR REACTION PAPERS: Comm-331: Interpersonal Communication
Name _______________________________________________
Explanation of the assigned material
from the text
Poor
1
Explanation is unclear,
missing, or not
consistent with
statements in the text
Score ______________________
Good
3
Explanation is
clear and consistent
with statements in
the text, but is little
more than the basic
definition(s)
Very Good
4
Explanation is clear,
consistent with
statements in the text,
developed, but lacks
some detail and
background
Excellent
5
Explanation is clear,
consistent with
statements in the
text, welldeveloped, and
detailed
6 or 7 = ________
8 points = _______
9 or 10 = ________
Examples, reasons,
and explanations
(or other forms of
support) illustrate
the assigned
material from the
text
Examples, reasons,
and explanations (or
other forms of
support) illustrate the
assigned material but
lacks the detail and
compelling nature of
an excellent paper
Examples, reasons,
and explanations (or
other forms of
support) illustrate
the assigned
material, are
compelling, and are
well-developed
6 or 7 = ________
8 points = _______
9 or 10 = ________
0 to 5 = _____
Examples, reasons, and explanations
(or other appropriate forms of
support) from your life and
observations that illustrate the
material in the text
Examples, reasons, and
explanations (or other
forms of support) do
not illustrate the
assigned material from
the text
0 to 5 =______
Sentence fluency
1.
2.
Use a variety of sentence
structures (simple, compound,
complex, and compoundcomplex) and lengths to
reinforce relationships among
ideas and to enhance the flow of
the writing.
Show extensive variation in
sentence beginnings, lengths,
and patterns to enhance the flow
of writing.
3. Demonstrate a flow that is not
awkward or unclear.
Conventions
Use capitals correctly for:
proper nouns, holidays, places or
regional names, languages, historical
events, organizations, academic
courses (algebra/Algebra I), product
names, words used as names
(Grandpa), literary titles (book, story,
play, song),titles, abbreviations
Use commas to
punctuate the following
correctly: items in a
series, greetings and
closing of letters,
introductory words,
phrases, and clauses,
direct address,
interrupters,
compound sentences,
appositives, dialogue
Use semicolons to
punctuate
compound and
compoundcomplex sentences
when appropriate
Use apostrophes to
punctuate
contractions,
singular
possessives, and
plural possessives.
Use quotation marks to
punctuate dialogue,
titles, and exact words
from sources.
Use hyphens,
dashes,
parentheses,
ellipses, and
brackets correctly.
Use underlining or
italics to identify titles
and vessels (ships,
spacecrafts, planes,
trains) correctly.
Spell words
correctly.
Use paragraph
breaks to reinforce
the organizational
structure, including
dialogue.
Use colons to punctuate
business letter
salutations and
sentences introducing
lists.
9
Demonstrate control
of grammar and usage
in writing: parts of
speech, verb forms
and tenses,
subject/verb
agreement,
pronoun/antecedent
agreement, parallel
structure, comparative
and superlative
degrees of adjectives,
modifier placement,
homonyms
0 - 3 errors = 5 pts
4 - 7 errors = 4 pts
6 - 9 errors = 3 pts
10 - 13 errors = 2
pts
14 - 16 errors = 1
pts
17 errors or = 0
Use appropriate
format and cite
sources using the APA
manual.
Write in 1st or 3rd
person, not 2nd.
Comma splices, runon sentences,
fragments
RUBRIC FOR PRESENTATION
Average
Good
Criteria
Fair
Knowledge
Student does not have
grasp of information;
cannot answer
questions about
subject
Student is uncomfortable
with information and is
able to answer only
rudimentary questions.
Student is at ease with
content, but fails to
elaborate.
Content
Unable to give specific
details; cannot
understand the topic
Details are somewhat
sketchy; not enough
information given to
understand the subject
Introduction
& Conclusion
Student does not
display clear
introductory or closing
remarks.
Student clearly uses either
an introductory or closing
remark, but not both.
Some details are nonsupporting to the
subject; pieces of
important information
are missing
Student displays clear
introductory and closing
remarks.
Audience cannot
understand
presentation because
there is no sequence of
information.
Presentation has four
or more grammatical
errors.
Presentation includes
superfluous slides or
none whatsoever.
Audience has difficulty
following presentation
because speaker jumps
around.
Speaker presents
information in logical
sequence which
audience can follow.
Presentation has three
grammatical errors.
Presentation has no
more than two
grammatical errors.
Presentation includes
fewer than 10 slides.
They relate to the text
and presentation;
however, do not reach
the level of professional
quality.
Organization
Grammar
Power Point
Eye Contact
Speaker reads the
presentation with no
eye contact.
Presentation includes
slides that often do not
support the text. Some
slides are not visually
appealing and contain
misspelled words or other
errors.
Speaker occasionally uses
eye contact, but still reads
most of the presentation
Body
Movement
No movement or
descriptive gestures.
Very little movement or
descriptive gestures.
Poise
Tension & nervousness
is obvious; has trouble
recovering from
mistakes.
Displays mild tension; has
trouble recovering from
mistakes.
Voice
Audience has difficulty
understanding the
speaker
Speaker does not have a
command of all vocal
attributes
Speaker maintains eye
contact most of the
time but frequently
returns to notes or
power point.
Made movements or
gestures that enhanced
presentation
Makes minor mistakes,
but quickly recovers;
displays little or no
tension.
Student has good
command of rate, pitch,
enunciation & volume
Excellent
Student demonstrates
full knowledge (more
than required) with
explanations &
elaboration.
Points
10
_____
Student covered topic
thoroughly; did not
exclude important
information
10
____
Student delivers open &
closing remarks that
capture the attention of
the audience and set
the mood.
Speaker presents
information in logical,
interesting sequence
which audience can
follow.
Presentation has no
grammatical errors.
5
Presentation includes a
minimum of 10 slides
and has a professional
look with an overall
graphical theme that
appeals to the audience
& compliments the
information. Each slide
is visually neat
incorporating a variety
of layouts.
Speaker maintains eye
contact with audience,
seldom returning to
notes or power point.
Movements seemed
fluid and helped the
audience visualize.
Displays relaxed, selfconfident nature about
self, with no mistakes.
Student has excellent
command of rate, pitch,
enunciation & volume
_____
5
_____
3
_____
5
_____
3
_____
3
_____
3
_____
3
_____
10
Citations and Common Mechanical Errors
Citations
Direct Quotations:
Interpersonal communication can be defined as “a distinct type of interaction between people”
p. 20).
Citing a source that you haven’t read:
Martin Buber distinguished between “three levels of communication: I-It, I-You, and I-Thou”
p. 21).
Paraphrasing:
Wood discusses how language can define things. It helps determine our perceptions; it can
and it can affect relationships (p. 109-110).
(Wood,
(Wood,
totalize;
Common Mechanical Errors
RO
Run-on sentence. You have two complete sentences run together with no punctuation. Place a semicolon
between them or make them two sentences.
CS
Comma splice. You have written two sentences and joined them together with a comma. Place a
semicolon between them or make them two sentences.
Frag
Fragment. You have written a phrase, not a complete sentence.
Lc
Lower case. You have capitalized a word and you shouldn’t have.
=
Two lines under a letter means that it should be capitalized.
Sp
Spelling. You have misspelled a word.
Wd
Wrong Word. You have used a word incorrectly.
Cw
Choice of Words. The word you used is awkward or inappropriate.
P.A.
Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement. The pronoun used did not agree with the antecedent. Ex. “An individual
who rarely speaks to others is often considered unfriendly. They have few friends.” Change “individual” to
“individuals” so that the pronoun “they” agrees with the antecedent “individuals” in number.
S.V.
Subject/Verb Agreement. The subject of the sentence must agree with the verb in number.
//
Parallel. When you write a series, the parts of speech must be parallel. Example: She enjoys
swimming, running cross-country, and watching movies.
T
Tense. You have switched tense for no appropriate reason.
2nd
Second person. You have written in the second person (you). Change it to 1st person (I or we) or 3rd
person (he, she, it, or they).
P
Paragraph. You need to indent for a new paragraph.
Awk
clear.
Awkward. What you have written is awkward and confusing. You need to rewrite the passage so that it is
Miscellaneous
Place punctuation on the inside of quotation marks unless it’s a citation. Ex. “I enjoyed that movie.”
Write out numbers under 10.
11