The Awakening
Parts of Speech, Marking Our Texts , Historical Context
Quiz
“A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not
open.”
Frank Zappa
“It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with
problems longer.”
Albert Einstein
What are these quotes asking us to think about (they are
two separate ideas but they do relate in the best of
circumstances)? How do (can, should) these apply to you?
Before we go forward…
It is important that we understand the basics of grammar and
how they apply to sentences that we create.
How does one mark their text? What is the best methodology
to do this? How does this lead to deeper reading and
understanding?
We also must revisit the summary/ reflection format as a
group so we all become normalized as what to expect, and
more importantly, what is expected from us…thus we are
going to have plenty of situated practice.
Parts of Speech
The Parts of Speech:
Introduction
• As in any subject, it is important that writers understand the
“nuts and bolts” English grammar. The most basic of these are
the parts of speech.
The 8 Basic Parts of Speech are:
• Noun
• Pronoun
• Adjective
• Verb
• Adverb
• Conjunction
• Preposition
Noun
Nouns are, “words that are used to name persons, things,
animals, places, ideas, or events.”
Example:
Mozart is considered to be one of the greatest composers of
classical music. (A person’s name)
Cats are sometimes considered to be reclusive animals. (Names
an animal)
“Freedom of expression” is the most important liberty. (Names
an idea)
Types of Nouns (5 Different
Types)
• Proper- “proper nouns always start with a capital letter
and refers to specific names of persons, places, or
things.”
Examples: Westside Christian Co-op, Jimi Hendrix, The
Vatican
• Common: “common nouns are the opposite of proper
nouns. These are just generic names of persons, things,
or places.”
Examples: school, musician, city
• Concrete: “this kind refers to nouns which you can
perceive through your five senses.”
Examples: water, dirt, cookie
• Abstract: “unlike concrete nouns, abstract nouns are
those which you can’t perceive through your five
senses.”
Examples: freedom, happiness, love, anger
• Collective: “refers to a group of persons, animals, or
things”
Examples: class (group of students), team (group of
players), troop (group of soldiers, or in the animal world a
group of monkeys)
Schoolhouse Rock Nouns:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk4N5kkifGQ
Pronoun
• “is a part of a speech which functions as a replacement for a
noun. Some examples of pronouns are: I, it, he, she, mine, his,
hers, we, they, theirs, and ours.”
Examples:
Marc is an incredible musician. He learned how to improvise
over the “Coltrane” changes.
They are the most brilliant students.
I am quite happy today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu1ciVFbecw
Adjective
• “This part of a speech is used to describe a noun or a
pronoun. Adjectives can specify the quality, the size, and the
number of nouns or pronouns.”
The Requiem, by W.A. Mozart, is a beautiful.
I ate six slices of pizza.
The surface of this rock is rough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkuuZEey_bs
Verb
• “Simply put, this is a word that shows an action (physical or
mental) or state of being of the subject in a sentence.”
Alex jumped high to get the rebound.
Verbs that are State of Being Verbs: “am, is, was, are, and were”
The park rangers were prepared for any emergencies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US8mGU1MzYw
Adverb
• “Just like adjectives, adverbs are also used to describe words,
but the difference is that adverbs describe adjectives, verbs,
or another adverb.”
There are four common types of adverbs.
Adverb of Manner: “this refers to how something happens or
how an action is done.”
Katie stroked the the kitten’s head gently.
How did she stroke the kitten’s head? She did it gently.
Adverb of Time: “this states ‘when’ something happens or ‘when’ it is
done.”
Kelly visited her grandmother yesterday.
When did Kelly visit her grandmother? She visited her yesterday.
Adverb of Place: “this tells something about ‘where’ something
happens or ‘where’ something is done.”
He placed the grill outside.
Where did he place the grill? He placed it outside.
• Adverb of Degree: this states the intensity or the degree to
which a specific thing happens or is done.
Marc was extremely angry that you took his parking spot.
To what degree was Marc angry? He was extremely angry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14fXm4FOMPM
Preposition
• “This part of a speech basically refers to words that specify
location or a location in time.”
• “Examples of Prepositions: above, below, throughout, outside,
before, near, and since”
Carol sat beside Jim at the pep rally.
Jim had to climb on the roof to rescue the cat.
The keys to mom’s car are in the drawer.
• A preposition, “can also indicate the location in time of nouns or
pronouns”
During the summer, I never open a book for deep, critical reading.
In the winter, I like to sip tea and read in front of my fireplace.
... ” Aside from providing information about the location in place and
time, this part of speech usually comes before a noun or a pronoun to
describe its relationship to another word or part of the sentence.”
This novel is for Kim.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfExXGMX2JM
Conjunction
• “The conjunction is a part of a speech which joins words,
phrases, or clauses together.”
“A coordinating conjunction is a conjunction that links two
words, phrases, clauses, or sentences that are grammatically
equivalent. “
Max loves to act, but he is too shy to try out for the drama club.
(equal because they are both independent clauses)
We own a cat and a dog.
(equal because elements are grammatically equal [a cat and a
dog])
• Subordinating Conjunctions- “A subordinating conjunction is
a conjunction that links a dependent clause (also known as a
subordinate clause) to an independent clause”
The instructor warned us to study for the exam because of the
difficulty level.
“of the difficulty level,” could not stand on its own.
• Correlative conjunctions- “Correlative conjunctions are two or
more conjunctions used to link structurally identical parts of
a sentences. Here are the most common pairs of correlative
conjunctions.”
You are either going to love that math professor or you are going
to hate him.
“Conjunction Junction”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPoBE-E8VOc
Interjection
• “This part of a speech refers to words which express
emotions. Since interjections are commonly used to convey
strong emotions, they are usually followed by an exclamation
point.”
Hey! Put my stuff back where it belongs!
Wow, I can believe they won!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkAX7Vk3JEw
Resources
• http://partofspeech.org/
• http://grammarist.com/grammar/conjunctions/
• The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need by S. Thurman
Grammar Quiz
• You will be tested on the parts of speech in class next week.
You will have to complete 25 questions in 15 minutes. This will
serve as your grammar portion of this week.
• You will be allowed to use notes on this quiz. So, feel to make
as many notes as you can on one 3’’x 5’’ index card. This will
be the only notes that will be admitted for use on this quiz.
• I will be looking for you to be as specific as possible. For
example, you will be expected to the know the difference
between a concrete and abstract noun.
• If you get a hundred on this quiz I will replace your lowest quiz
or grammar grade with a 100. If your grades are perfect at this
point I will give you a voucher that can be used in the future.
• A practice test can be found here
• http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_speechparts_adv.htm
Marking Your Texts
• It is absolutely crucial that you mark your texts.
This class was designed to have short page requirements so that
you could read all material (at least) twice.
Some interpretations only become available after we multiple
readings.
How We Should Interact with our
Texts Weekly.
• First Reading- this first pass is done without making notes in
your text. You are reading through the assigned section just to
get an overview of the information you will be encountering.
• Second Reading: after your initial reading you should read the
text a second time, though this time you should be making
notes and underlying key passages. You can focus on a literary
device or lens. The more times that you repeat this step the
more deeply you will connect with the text. Notes are
informal and do not have to be complete sentences.
• Dialectical Journal- in this step you revisit the notes that you
made in your text and interact with them more deeply
through extended writing. Though this writing is not
completely formal, good sentence structure, strong writing
fluency, and minimal grammar mistakes should be present.
• Weekly Summary/ Reflections: Next, this is the formal
manifestation of the analysis you have been conducting over
any week’s readings. Your audience is me. High caliber work is
expected.
• Revision of Summary/ Reflections: In this part weekly
assignment you are able to revisit the work and make the
necessary tweaks to your writing. Our writing is never truly
perfect, but this should help reinforce the concept of multiple
readings and multiple drafts.
Tips from “Study Guides and
Strategies”
“Read just enough to keep an understanding of the material.
Do not take notes, but rather focus on understanding the
material.
It is tempting to take notes as you are reading the first time, but
this is not an efficient technique: you are likely to take down too
much information and simply copy without understanding.”
Tips from “Study Guides and
Strategies”
In your second reading you should mark (both underline and
making marginal notes)
• “main subjects
• examples of these main ideas
that help you understand them
• unfamiliar vocabulary and/or definition
• Jot down paraphrases, questions, and summaries”
http://www.studygs.net/marking.htm
• You can also make notes about items that we are specifically
studying (or working on) for a given week. These can include:
Setting, Conflict, Characterization, Theme, Etc.
Text to Text, Text to World, Text to Self Connections
• Always look for “thematic moments”
• Most importantly, underline items that are interesting to you.
What strikes YOU as worthy of thinking or writing about?
Situated Practice:
Summary/Reflection
Tips for Writing a Summary
(Revisited)
•
•
•
•
•
“Do not rewrite the original piece.”
“Keep your summary short.”
“Use your own wording.”
“Refer to the central and main ideas of the original piece.”
“Read with who, what, when, where, (maybe how) questions
in mind.”
• “Do not put in your opinion of the issue or topic discussed in
the original piece.”
-From the SMU Writing Lab
Summarize the Following
• “Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who was usually very late in the
mornings, save upon those not infrequent occasions when he
was up all night, was seated at the breakfast table. I stood
upon the hearth-rug and picked up the stick which our visitor
had left behind him the night before. It was a fine, thick piece
of wood, bulbous-headed, of the sort which is known as a
`Penang lawyer.' Just under the head was a broad silver band
nearly an inch across. `To James Mortimer, M.R.C.S., from his
friends of the C.C.H.,' was engraved upon it, with the date
`1884.' It was just such a stick as the old-fashioned family
practitioner used to carry - dignified, solid, and reassuring.”
• A.C. Doyle
The Model Paragraph
• A topic sentence that exemplifies a general idea
• Point to a specific area in the text where you can argue this
occurs
• Use Evidence to Defend Your Assertion
• Now Tell the READER Why this Demonstrates Your Assertion
(The Meat of the Paragraph)
• A concluding sentence that restates the topic sentence
Another Example
• A topic sentence that exemplifies a general idea
Vonnegut’s main theme in the short story “Harrison
Bergeron” seems to clearly stand in opposition to any dictatorial
government, even if this government is disguised as an attempt
to make everyone equal. A less obvious theme in this text, which
this paper seeks to investigate, is the repercussions that occur
because of a government of this nature. This, specifically, would
be that one oppressive government usually leads to the
development of another oppressive government. That is,
oppression typically breeds more oppression.
• Point to a specific area in the text where you can argue this
occurs
Though the character Harrison is trying to liberate the citizens of
the oppressive government described in this text, he tries to
establish himself as an alternative dictator. This can clearly be
seen when Harrison Bergeron first attempts to take power in the
television studio.
• Use Evidence to Defend Your Assertion
As he removes his own bonds he declares, “ ‘I am the
Emperor…Do you hear? I am the Emperor! Everybody must do
what I say at once!’ He stamped his foot and the studio shook”
(Vonnegut, 1961).
• Now Tell the READER Why this Demonstrates Your Assertion
Because Harrison has been cultivated in a society that uses
oppression to get the results it wants, he knows no other way of
acting. This seems to speak to cyclical nature of oppression. The
oppressors punish the oppressed; the oppressed then depose the
oppressor. The oppressed, because they know nothing else,
become new oppressors no matter how good their intentions
are.
This inclusion of minor theme makes the text more dynamic (and
perhaps more realistic). This seems to beg the reader to think
about the nature of power. When one is granted power, how
often do they do the “altruistic” act and ensure that they do not
become oppressors? How often do they just become dictators
themselves? These questions not only make an interesting lens to
view history, but also invite us think about our own daily actions
and intentions.
• A concluding sentence that restates the topic sentence
Thus, it is clear that through Harrison’s actions in this short story
that the cyclical nature of oppression is revealed as a minor
theme.
Write a Model Paragraph
• The topic of this model paragraph is the characterization of
Robert.
What are his character traits, or main character traits? How does
the author reveal this (does he use direct or indirect
characterization)?
Make sure to follow the model paragraph
Homework
• Read chapters 12-25 in Chopin’s The Awakening.
• 8 entries into your dialectical journal.
• Complete revision of the previous week’s summary/
reflection.
• Study for the parts of speech quiz next class. Remember, I am
only giving you 15 minutes for 25 questions. You can only use
1 index card for notes. Take the practice test if you like.
Read pp. 19-34 in The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need
Special Summary/ Reflection
For this week your summary and reflection will be slightly longer
than your other summary/ reflection assignments. This
summary/ reflection will be a special “artifact” version that is
meant to encourage text to world(or text to text) connections.
This assignment will be broken down into three parts.
Part 1- A Summary of this weeks reading (this only has to be one
page, but 1 ½ pages might be more comfortable). Make sure to
follow the instructions for summarizing a text as seen in the first
week power point.
Special Summary/Reflection
Pt.2
• Part 2- After you read and summarize this week’s reading in
The Awakening, you must find a conflict or theme that you are
interested in writing about. You must then find an outside
artifact where this theme/ conflict can be seen. This artifact
can be agreeing with the text, or serve as a point to counter
(argue against) what is seen in this text.
• This artifact can be a newspaper article, a magazine article,
outside text, a video clip, a song, something you saw on a
television show, etc. (make sure to email a link to this artifact).
I am open to most artifacts, so email me if you have an
alternative idea. Make sure that it is fairly recent. The artifact
cannot be something from this course.
• You must then summarize this artifact in a page or so.
Special Summary/Reflection
Pt.3
• Part 3: After you have competed both summaries, you must
then write a two page reflection (at least 1 ¾ of a page)about
how the conflict/ theme you found in your reading comes out
in your artifact. Make sure to follow the model paragraph.
Make strong assertions, back them up with strong evidence,
and most importantly one should come away saying “Oh, this
is why this matters.”
• Thus, minimum you should be turning in about 4 pages of
work.