The Forbidden Truth Regarding Literature Review Example Revealed by an Old Pro

The Forbidden Truth Regarding Literature Review Example Revealed by an Old Pro What's more, the evolution of a robust thesis is every bit as good as it assists in driving you to the correct content of research given your intention for a writer will be always to justify your claim. Stick to the structure mentioned previously, and you'll be one step closer to success. Sometimes, however, you might have to add extra sections that are essential for your study, but don't fit in the organizational strategy of the human body. The structure of the literature review is dependent upon the aims and objective of your work. What You Don't Know About Literature Review Example Term documents are lots longer than essays. Try to remember that you're writing an essay. Also bear in mind your essay can't be written in advance. The sample literature review essay is going to be composed of 3 parts such as other kinds of essays. Things You Won't Like About Literature Review Example and Things You Will This issue of study is just one of the most essential things a student should understand before embarking on research. In the event the procedure is proving to be tough, and in a number of fields, like medicine and environmental research, there's a lot of poor science, you shouldn't be reluctant to ask a supervisor for a couple tips. In a number of the social sciences, you'll be requested to design and conduct your very own experimental research. Generally speaking, social science research, a scientific research, applies similar research methodologies the exact same as different forms of research like marketing research that is inherent with both quantitative strategy and qualitative strategy, clinical research that is emphasized on specific areas like pharmaceutical, chemical, health care research, etc. The Unexpected Truth About Literature Review Example Also, the duration of a literature review and the essential range of sources will change based on course and inst ructor preferences. To begin with, it's extremely important to begin with an outline of the key points that you wish to make, organized in the order that you would like to make them. Most are aware it is a practice of gathering information from different sources and documenting it, but few have any concept of the way to evaluate the info, or the way to present it. The format may change based on the instructions offered by your school. The Battle Over Literature Review Example and How to Win It Consider what aspects of your literature review topic still have not been explored. To assist you come up with the ideal result, here are a few ideas about how to compose a literature review. It's important to truly see what you are reading. The 30-Second Trick for Literature Review Example 1 excellent means of getting samples of papers is to check on free essay sites. Having given a general answer to the best way to structure a literature review, it's well worth giving some advice o n how you are able to take care of the task all on your own. You wouldn't need a review that is already used by somebody else. Your final grade is well worth a good deal, and there isn't any point in spoiling it with one mistake. Therefore one needs to check that the most important part of the essay is exactly like the introduction in detail and consistency. The literature was created through your thesis and so will need to be revised before the last draft as only at that stage are you going to understand what your whole thesis is all about. A literature review demands the writer to do extensive research on published work in your field so as to explain how one's own work fits into the bigger conversation regarding a specific topic. As soon as you have established the topic of your thesis, you are able to move on to gathering the pile of writings which you will utilize. The Literature Review Example Game A literature review APA is never simple to write, which means you should always do it with the appropriate mindset and observing the ideal formatting and general structure to make it seem good enough. A quick breakdown of the present literature is to be provided together with the background info. The review needs to be written in an official style with valid citations. Some literature reviews also have an abstract, here you won't need to do considerably more than simply utilizing the essential quotes and citations, following the exact format of the remaining pages and that's it. Want to Know More About Literature Review Example? Apart from the aim of understanding how much you know, literature review writing is mostly directed at researching and synthesizing previous works and researches done which are about the field that you're attempting to work on. In addition, don't neglect to ask if you should have a critique of your sources if it's essential to supply an evaluation. It is very hard to evaluate the trustworthiness of an on-line paper. An excellent literature review should prevent the temptation of impressing the significance of a certain research program. As it was published in 2010, it's possible to suppose that it still remains relevant and current. If this is the case, you will want to write up your paper by means of a structure that is more complex than that used for only a literature review. Also, while developing a literature review outline template may take some time, it is going to save a great deal more time later. The Meaning of Literature Review Example Reviews are useful due to the sheer volume of biomedical literature that's now offered. Whilst some literature reviews can be shown in a chronological order, it's best avoided. It is possible to always get a literature review if you're fearful of the research approach. Look over available sample literature dissertations to acquire a better idea about what is essential for success. Future studies could possibly be conducted on. Select useful quotes you can want to put in your review. A review can be defined as, any effort to synthesise the outcome and conclusions of at least two publications on any certain topic. It is not a summary of the articles. A literature review might be a self-contained document, or it might be a section of a bigger report. A site could describe the merchandise of a company, with color pictures and even video. Or the review might concentrate on the financial effects of whaling on a community. For example, the sperm whale review could concentrate on the evolution of the harpoon for whale hunting.

Your Essay Should Address the Electoral College As It Currently Functions

Your Essay Should Address the Electoral College As It Currently FunctionsYour essay should address the electoral college, as it currently functions. The qualifications you provide should be solid and concise. One of the most important pieces of advice when writing a statement of candidacy for the presidency is to find the right balance between being provocative and being well researched. The best presidential candidates have been able to take time to think through the issues that impact their country.Your essay should address the electoral college, as it currently functions. You should demonstrate why you are qualified to lead our nation and your vision of how things will change once you are in office. In addition, you should focus on the qualifications you present that could qualify you to the position. The one factor you cannot overstate is your qualification to become president.How should you construct your speech if you are addressing the various sectors of the electorate? What d o you say to those voters who think electing a female president would be a mistake? Make sure your speech is comprehensive and provides some idea as to what type of administration you will be directing.The electoral college is a way for the people to choose the president. You must not disrespect the people or demean the way they make their decisions. You have a responsibility to be respectful of their choices. Your essay should be informative but, you should also be courteous.Your essay should contain your opinion, but, also include relevant facts to back up your facts. You should write about facts that apply to the majority of the American public and it should be factual. It is important that your essay stands out as well as being concise. Most professors prefer this level of clarity and brevity.Your essay should address the electoral college, as it currently functions. The qualifications you provide should be solid and concise. One of the most important pieces of advice when writi ng a statement of candidacy for the presidency is to find the right balance between being provocative and being well researched.The essay that you write should relate to the topics of your presentation. In other words, the section of the essay that relates to your speech should be short and succinct. The best presidential candidates have been able to take time to think through the issues that impact their country.Your essay should address the electoral college, as it currently functions. You should demonstrate why you are qualified to lead our nation and your vision of how things will change once you are in office. In addition, you should focus on the qualifications you present that could qualify you to the position.

Do You Need to Use Persuasive Essay Topics For Colleges Students?

Do You Need to Use Persuasive Essay Topics For College's Students?A lot of people are applying for college and even more want to get into their dream college but are not sure which to choose. This article will offer some strategies to persuade colleges that a persuasive essay topic for colleges students is needed.Students need to learn about writing. They need to be able to express themselves with clarity and simplicity. No one likes essays that contain lengthy language and the 'patter' that is used by students who do not know what they are doing. To apply this knowledge, you must write essays that reflect your personality and interests.As you create persuasive essay topics for college's students, you will find that you will feel more comfortable in your own skin. You can see this by how it feels when you are going out and interacting with other people. If you are aware of what you want from your career and where you are going, then you will not feel nervous and out of place in situa tions where you would normally feel uneasy.College's students need to be able to understand what their parents are teaching them and how they relate to their peers. These are the ideas that they learn while in school, and by putting these to work in your essay, you can show them that they are the ones teaching you about life.When writing persuasive essay topics for college's students, you will have to take what you have learned from your school work and apply it to your life. The way that you present your ideas will not be just like what you learned in class, but you will have to put yourself in your parents shoes and see where they are at. It will make the difference between your essay and that of someone else who just wants to use their degree to get by.Many people try to tell us that college life is not for everyone, but most people donot realize that they are actually sabotaging their chances for furthering their education if they do not fit into that mold. If you are really pas sionate about the things that you study, and you have your heart set on doing well in college, then you need to use your passion and drive to persuade colleges that you deserve a chance. Showing that you are in fact doing well academically, will prove to the colleges that they are missing something in you that makes you unique.To sum it up, it is up to you to determine how you want to go about living in college life. By understanding what motivates you to pursue higher education, you will have a clearer idea of what you can give to your dream college.

The Sound of Writing Free Essays

I was staring at empty space. I tried to look for the fixed contours on the paper and the silhouette of the pen I was holding. I tried but to no avail. We will write a custom essay sample on The Sound of Writing or any similar topic only for you Order Now My mind was swimming in an endless array of uneasiness. I was not certain whether I was dreaming or already awake. This was hard, I told myself. I felt a drop of sweat trickling down my cheek. Thomas Edison once said that genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. If he was right then I was on the right track. But doubt was slowly lurking and creeping around me. Was it really this hard to be inspired to write? I just comforted myself by constantly saying what Jean Anouilh once said, that inspiration was a farce that poets had invented to give themselves importance. When I was starting to become a writer, I was not even aware that I was trying to be one. Grade school for me was seventy percent playing and thirty percent dreaming. And my dreams during that time were all about winning an Academy Award or being named as one of the sexiest people in the world. Becoming the next president was also in my mind. But the thought of being a writer was like imagining myself eating salad with an alien in a crater of a moon in one of the planets in the Andromeda galaxy; it never crossed my mind. In a nutshell, when I tried to analyze how I was as a writer in grade school, all I could say was that I was a courageously idiotic writer. An idiot, but brave nonetheless. This was largely due to the fact that everything I had written at that time was not even close to being brilliant or great. All the words I wrote were simply inspired by having the guts to just do it. If there was a paper too difficult to do and a word too hard to define, all I did was to write and write because I believed that everything would be just fine. I was stupid enough to go forth while all hell broke loose and still smiled at the end of the day. I was guided by my own foolish belief I was brave simply because I would not back away. This was writing for me in grade school. Writing for me back then was not about being witty or being brilliant. Writing was all about just stroking my pen without regret and without regard for the outcome. However, in a sense, everyone who attempted to write had some ounce of courage. I felt that I was a better writer than the other students not because I wrote well but rather, I wrote braver. And I was braver longer than most. As Ronald Reagan once mentioned, heroes were not braver than anyone else. They were just braver five minutes longer. As I made the transition from grade school to high school, I started to become idealistic. I began having these grand notions of changing the world and eradicating poverty. I was dreaming of winning the Nobel Peace Prize or be named the next Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. This time, I was absolutely clear in becoming a writer. Writing for me during high school was all about greatness. I felt the need to write to impress. I wanted to be witty and brilliant. I wanted everybody to be mesmerized in reading every single word I wrote. When I tried to look back during those days, even when I wrote poorly, I blindly presented my written work of art full of hubris and unafraid. I often compared writing to boxing. As Muhammad Ali would say, to be a great champion, a person had to believe that he was the best. If he was not, he should pretend that he was. This was me in high school. I was the writer who was so full of himself. If a teacher or a classmate did not like what I wrote, I simply told myself that these people did not understand the high level of writing I was doing. I understood myself to be a brilliant and confident writer. In reality, compared to who I was as a writer in grade school, only one thing had changed. If I was a brave and idiotic back then, I was not confident but just cocky in high school. And to my realization, I was still stupid for thinking of how great I was. When I stepped into college, a renewed vigour was awakened within me. Maybe I got too tired of being cocky and stupid that I started seeing a new side of me I never saw I had. This time I believed I had transcended from being the good and the better man to the being best man. I was no longer the idiot and stupid writer. I was filled with excitement. I was now the fool. Somehow, the words and lines I were using suddenly all sounded a bit poetic and romantic. I often pondered if I was to be the next William Shakespeare. This time, I was inspired by the others that had gone before me. I wanted to sway the hearts and minds of people with my writing. I wanted to invoke their deepest darkest secrets through my words. I wanted to encapsulate each soul with a stroke of my pen. I longed to see their tears and hear their laughs by my artistry in poetry. I would be that whom which T. S. Eliot described as the genuine poet who could communicate his words before it was understood. And to my shock, I did see their tears and heard their laughs because of what I had written. I saw my professors crying in pain because they could not even bear one more word of my work. I heard laughs not because I was funny, but because my work was hilarious. Despite this, I still continued and persevered. As one of my favourite authors, Richard Bach, would say, a professional writer was an amateur who did not quit. Everything was a bit different after that. Somehow, until to this very day, I would still be idiotic, stupid and foolish. But this time around, I was a wise fool at the least. I had been quoting Edison, Anouilh, Ali, Reagan and Eliot just to name a few thinking that by using their words, I would be a good writer; I would sound better. But I soon realized that writing was about finding my voice. I needed to find my own words. Writing was about knowing and understanding who I was. Thus, I resolved to search for the right words, the right imagery, the right tone and the right sound. However, I always asked myself if there were indeed such things. Then, it hit me. I was so concerned with the way I was writing that I forgot to find my purpose for it. Why did I want to become a writer? The answer was simple. It was because in writing, I offered who I was and not what I had. That sounded right, I told myself. It sounded just about right. How to cite The Sound of Writing, Essay examples

Three Point Lighting Essay Example For Students

Three Point Lighting Essay The most basic lighting technique used in cinema is the three-pointlighting system. It was developed during the Hollywood big studio era andis still widely practiced throughout the world. Three point lighting creates a very natural, realistic look to the scene. The primary light source, or key light, illuminates the dominant subject inthe shot. This draws the viewers eye directly to that point because it isthe highest point of contrast, usually of light and shadow. Acinematographer sets the key light up to direct attention towards theshots focal point of action, either psychological or physical. It is thebrightest light, usually positioned to illuminate the side of the personsface that isnt directly facing the camera. We will write a custom essay on Three Point Lighting specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Fill lights, which are approximately half as bright as the key lights,soften the harshness of the key light. This soft, diffused light, is oftenbounced off a reflective umbrella, or shined through a sheet of diffusionor softbox. This light is gentler on the subject than the key light, and itfills in the shadows of the key light. Its used to illuminate the side ofthe face opposite the key light, and reveals subsidiary details that wouldotherwise be hidden in shadow. The third point of the three point lighting system is the backlight. Backlights work to separate the foreground from the background, creating agreat depth of field. Without a backlight the image would appear very flatand two-dimensional. These three lights are used together to create themost realistic shot possible, and although seen as one of the most basiclighting techniques, is still used in many major films today.

20 Cause Effect Essay Topics Interesting Issues to Debate about Environment

20 Cause Effect Essay Topics Interesting Issues to Debate about Environment If you are tasked with writing a cause and/or effect essay on the book â€Å"Living Downstream† written by Sandra Steingraber, then chances are you are facing the most challenging part of the writing process: selecting your topic. Picking the perfect topic can be difficult, at best, especially when you consider how many great topics there are in relation to this book. Thus, below you will find twenty topics that might be beneficial for you, or useful for your next assignment. Remember that these are only meant as a guide and may not be specifically applicable to your assignment: How Agricultural and Industrial Pollutants Have Been Shown in Medical and Scientific Assessments to Be Linked to Cancer Rates Which Environmental Factors Have Resulted in Higher Cancer Rates, and Which Cancers Specifically What Environmental Factors Have Been Scientifically Studied as Links to Cancer Compared to Genetic Cancers What Has Caused the Imbalance Between Scientific and/or Medical Studies for Environmental Factors versus Genetic Factors in Cancer Which Carcinogens Are Most Profoundly Influential and Detrimental to People and What Effects Do They Have What Causes Carcinogens to Enter the Body and Damage Living Tissue What Has Caused Cancer Rates Among Adults to Increase From a Mere 25% back in the 1950’s to 50% for Men and 40% for Women Today What Effect Increased Introduction of Chemicals into All Areas of Life Including Clothing, Food, Tools, and Housing Products Has Had on Society What Causes Immigrants To Show Signs and Symptoms of the Cancers Prevalent in Their New Home rather than Those of Their Place of Birth What Causes More and Higher Rates of Cancer to be Prevalent in Urban Regions Compared to Rural Regions What Effect Heavy Pesticide Use Has On Rural Communities What Effect Chemical Factories Have on Cancer Clusters in Nearby Populated Areas What Causes Cancer Clusters to Grow in Regions outside of Heavily Polluted Valleys or Rivers What Effect Pollution in Fresh Water and Salt Water Areas Has Had on the Local Fish Species How Polluted Water Has Impacted Fish and Shellfish Populations Compared to the Same Fish Species Living in Non-polluted Waters What Has Caused Cancer Rates in Children to Rise Steadily in spite of No Lifestyle Changes Over the Course of the Last Fifty Years What Effect Damage to the Endocrine and Immune System Has to the Body and the Promotion of Cancers within the Body What Effect Raising Awareness About the Toll That the Use of Chemicals Has Had on The Human Economy and Resulting Cancers Has Had What Effect Acting on Partial Scientific Evidence Can Have For Society What Effect the Adoption of a New Way of Looking at Chemicals Can Have on Human Rights Aren’t those great topics? Of course, just seeing the list of topics may not be everything that you need to get started on your own work. That’s why we prepared facts that will help to understand the book and a writing guide that will help to master cause effect essay writing. Below you will find a great essay sample below on the topics. Cause Effect Sample Essay â€Å"The Causes of an Imbalance between Scientific and/or Medical Studies for Environmental Factors vs Genetic Factors in Cancer† The causes of an imbalance between scientific and medical studies for environmental factors which cause cancer versus genetic factors that cause cancer is simple politics and money. Environmental concerns are something which have been often compared to that of politics. There are many political organizations responsible for funding individual research efforts, affording grants, and ensuring that only particular angles are covered. While the book â€Å"Living Downstream† has raised a great deal of serious concerns, it   would stand to reason that the work is not able to garner as much attention as it should because it does not play the political game, and instead the political game is playing everyone else. Of course, the book by Dr. Sandra Steingraber is a collective work which ignores the politics associated with environmentalists and instead provides data and data alone to convince the reader of the current cancer epidemic and the harmful source of said epidemic: chemical residues and pesticides which are now almost entirely prevalent across the whole environment. By not playing the political game, the doctor’s work has not raised the alarm that it should have and has not garnered the worldwide call to arms to stop the pollution and take preventative measures. Part of the reason for this is the fact that existing research, both medical and scientific, has followed closely the rates of genetic cancers and from that has claimed that cancers rates over the last fifty years have dropped and not risen as was claimed in the book. This is misleading at best. The studies, as clearly covered by the author, are not comprehensive nor do they take into account the environmental factors or cancer rates not related to genetic cancers. Additionally, one must refer back to the politics of the game and review the organizations behind the research, behind the grants, and behind the studies. The results which have opposed any increase or harm brought about by chemicals and pesticides have all originated in studies which have circumventing the main point brought to the surface by Dr. Sandra Steingraber in a clear attempt to avoid discussing the real problem. By focusing financial and, as a result, research efforts on genetic cancers, news sources report reduc ed cancer rates and people see no reason to stop exposing themselves to harmful chemicals. Overall, the causes of an imbalance between scientific and medical studies for environmental factors which cause cancer versus genetic factors that cause cancer is simple politics and money. With a focus on genetic cancers and a complete ignorance of environmental factors, big companies who are using said pesticides and chemicals and profiting from them do not have to take a hit to their profits. References BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF PESTICIDES OF PESTICIDES IN MAMMALIAN SYSTEMS.  The Sciences  7.3 (1967): 33-38. Web. Chemical Carcinogens: A Review Of The Science And Its Associated Principles. U.S. Interagency Staff Group On Carcinogens.  Environ Health Perspect  67 (1986): 201-282. Web. Pesticides And Wildlife.  Oryx  7.05 (1964): 213. Web. Eckardt, Robert Edward.  Industrial Carcinogens. New York: Grune Stratton, 1959. Print. GROVER, P. L. Chemical Carcinogens.  Science  204.4399 (1979): 1301-1301. Web. Noà «l, Bernard. Pesticides.  Lignes  33.3 (2010): 62. Web. RENWICK, A. G., and B. S. DRASAR. Environmental Carcinogens And Large Bowel Cancer.Nature  263.5574 (1976): 234-235. Web. Steingraber, Sandra.  Living Downstream. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley Publishing, 1997. Print.

Everything You Need to Know About Commas for the ACT

Everything You Need to Know About Commas for the ACT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Nobody likes commas: they're weird and confusing and possibly pointless. My brother decided to boycott them entirely in his senior year of high school, leaving his lists running together and his appositives undefined. Even veteran copy editors sometimes struggle with where exactly to place these reviled punctuation marks. Even so,if you want to succeedon the ACT English, you'll have to learn how to expertly employ commas. The good news is that there is a fairly limited set of comma rulesyou'llneed to know for the ACT. But before we get into the nitty-gritty technical stuff, let's establish one very important principle. Here's an overview of what we're going to cover: The Single Most Important Rule About Commas 4 Key Rules for Comma Use on the ACT When NOT to Use a Comma Practice Questions When in Doubt, Leave It Out! This is the single most important rule to keep in mind when dealing with commas on the ACT: if you aren't sure if you need a comma, you probably don't need a comma. In fact, you're far more likely to miss a question because youadd inan unnecessarycomma than you are to miss one because you left an important comma out. Take a look at the following ACT questions: Though it may be tempting to leavea comma after "value" or put one after "officials," the sentence is perfectly clear without either: Nevertheless, these tests convinced the officials of the value of using the Navajo language in a code. (H is thus the correct choice.) This principle holds forthe next example as well: Write this sentence out with no commas and you get "Perhaps this legacy of letters explains what she meant when she said that her friends were her 'estate.'" Again, it makes sense without either comma, so D is the correct choice. Unfortunately as much as we may wish that we could just stop using commas altogether, there are certain times that they're necessary. The following four rules will help you determine when and where you need to place commas. An example of an extremely vital comma. 4 Key Rules for Comma Use on the ACT The basic purpose of commas is to clarify relationships between phrases and clauses. That's a pretty broad goal, and there are a lot of different uses for commas. Luckily, you only really need to focus on a few main rules in order to do well on the ACT. The four rules you absolutely have to know deal with modifying phrases and clauses, introductory phrases and clauses, connecting independent clauses with a conjunction, and separating items in a list. Don't worry if that all sounds like gibberish: we'll go over each case with examples! Appositives, RelativeClauses, and Interjections As a general rule, any part of a sentence that can be removed without changing the sentence's fundamental meaning must be bracketed by commas. Take, for example, the following sentence: Timmywho loves Supermanis excited for the upcoming movie. The point of the sentence is that Timmy is excited about the movie- his love of Superman is just helpful background info. Since taking out "who loves Superman"wouldn't affect the main idea of the sentence, that clause needs to be separated from the rest of the sentence by commas, like so: Timmy, who loves Superman, is excited for the upcoming movie. If you aren't sure whether a part of a sentence needs to be surrounded by commas, try crossing it out. If the sentence still makes sense, then the commas are needed; if it doesn't, then they aren't. Let's try it out with an example: The student who forgot her homework got detention. "Who forgot her homework" seems like it might need to be set off with commas, so let's cross it out and try reading the sentence again: The student who forgot her homework got detention. With that clause crossed out, it's no longer clearwhichstudent got detention, so by removing it we have changed the meaning of the sentence. This means that it shouldn't be surrounded by commas. With these general principles in mind, let's examine the three main cases, which- as you may have guessed from the title of this section- are relativeclauses, appositive phrases, and general interjections. RelativeClauses: Non-Restrictive vs. Restrictive Relativeclauses are dependentclauses that describe a noun and start with a relative pronoun or adverb like "which," "that," or "where." If you're not sure exactly what those terms mean, don't worry about it too much but consider checking out our guide to clauses. The rule for using commas with relativeclauses is that you don't use commas around a clause if it's restrictive, i.e. it clarifies the specific thing you're talking about, butyou do usecommas if the clause isnon-restrictive, i.e. it merely comments on a clearly defined noun. This may seem confusing, but it's much clearer in practice, so let's look at the two types of clauses individually. Restrictive: These areclauses that are necessary to the meaning of a sentence- they clarify exactly who or what you're talking about. You can't take a restrictive clause out of asentence without fundamentally altering its meaning. Take a look at the example below. People who dislike kale won’t enjoy green smoothies. In this sentence, if you take out the clause â€Å"who dislike kale,† you’re left with â€Å"People won’t enjoy green smoothies,† which is not making the same point as the original sentence. Because this kind of clause can't be removed without changingthe meaning of the sentence, it should not be marked off with commas. Non-Restrictive:These are clauses that provide additional information and are therefore not integral to the meaning of the sentence. My sister, who dislikes kale, doesn’t enjoy green smoothies. The point of this sentence is that my sister doesn’t enjoy green smoothies; even if you remove the underlined portion, that point is still made.Unlike in the example of a restrictive clause above, the underlined portion is not vital to meaning of the sentence. As such, it needs to be separated from the main thought of the sentence with commas. An important point for the ACT: clauses starting with "which" are always non-restrictive, while those starting with "that" are always restrictive. This means that "which" ALWAYS takes a comma and "that" NEVER does: I love reading books that are full of adventure because they take me away from my boring life. I loveHarry Potter and the Sorcerer'sStone, which is full of adventure, because it takes me away from my boring life. The lovely comma butterfly ( ©Michael Palmer) Appositive Phrases Appositive phrases are basically the grammatical younger sibling of descriptive clauses: they serve the same purpose, describing a noun or pronoun, but they don't include a verb. Nonetheless, the basic rule for comma use isidentical. If a phrase can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence, it needs to be surrounded with commas.Consider the following examples. Where do you think they need commas? Her mother a doctor was often late.→Her mother, a doctor, was often late. Jonah a fifth-grader jumps rope on the playground everyday.→Jonah, a fifth-grader, jumps rope on the playground everyday. The nouns "a doctor" and "a fifth-grader" modify"her mother" and "Jonah," respectively, but they aren't necessary to main gist of the sentences. The one slightly confusing spin on this rule is that when the order of appositives are reversed, they usually don't require commas anymore. Ernest Hemingway, an author, wrote nine novels. Ernest Hemingway an author wrote nine novels. In the above example, we employ our strikethrough strategy anddetermine that the commas are appropriately placed. However, when we reverse the word order below, you'll notice a change. Author Ernest Hemingway wrote nine novels. Author Ernest Hemingway wrote nine novels. Even though "author" now comes first, it's still modifying "Ernest Hemingway." This means that"Ernest Hemingway" shouldn't be set off with commas; as you can see, the sentence wouldn't make sense with his name removed. Moreover, tempting as it may be to put a comma after "author," it's actually serving as an adjective in this context. Just like you wouldn't put comma in the middle of "President Barack Obama," you shouldn't stick one in "Author Ernest Hemingway." Interjections The last case we'll discuss is interjections, which are words or short phrasesthat disruptthe flow of a sentence like "of course." We tend to use these a lot more when we speak than when we write, but they do pop up on the ACT occasionally. What you are more likely to see is therelated construction that occurs when a transition word is moved into asentence, like in the following example. Version 1: However, my sister refused to help me move the couch. Version 2: My sister, however, refused to help me move the couch. The second type of sentencestructure appears relatively frequently on the ACT- just know that if you see a transition word interrupting a clause, it needs to be set off with commas. We've covered alot of information and it may seem reallycomplicated, butthe important thing is to rememberthe fundamental principle: if something is surrounded by commas, thenit isn't important to the main point of the sentence. ACT Applications ACT questions about appositives and relative clauses usually require you to determine whether you need a comma to complete a pair and, if so, where it needs to go. Let's go through the question step by step.As written, this sentence doesn’t have a main verb- it’s just a subject, â€Å"Houdini,† followed by a long non-restrictive clause- so F can't be correct. J doesn’t solve this problem. G and H both place a comma after spiritualism, which gives you the non-restrictive clause â€Å"who devoted considerable effort to exposing hoaxes involving spiritualism.† If you cross that out, you’re left with either: G)Houdini, who devoted considerable effort to exposing hoaxes involving spiritualism,being skeptical about the existence of spiritualism. or H)Houdini, who devoted considerable effort to exposing hoaxes involving spiritualism, was skeptical about the existence of supernatural beings. His clearly correct, since "being" isn't a correctly conjugated verb. (In fact, answers with "being" are almost always wrong: see our post on quick tips for the ACT Englishfor a more in depth explanation and other helpful tips.) The key to this question is determining what belongsin the relative clause and then making sure that what's outside of that adds up to a complete sentence. Just like you shake hands to mark an introduction in person, you use a comma to mark an introduction in a sentence Introductions Now that we'vecoveredwhen to use commas to with phrases and clauses inside the main clause ofa sentence, let's discuss when you need commas to separate clauses and phrases that come at the beginning of a sentence. The short answer? Always.The basic rule for using commas with introductions is that any time a sentence starts with a dependent clause or modifying phrase, itmust be followed by a comma: Even though I was tired, Jenny convinced me to go to the strawberry festival. In the library, she found the books she needed. Weird-looking as it was, the lizard was sort of cute. In each of these examples, the underlined portion serves to introduce an independent clause. Weirdly, if you reverse the order of the sentence, you usually don't need the comma any more: Jenny convinced me to go to the strawberry festival even though I was tired. She found the books she needed in the library. The third example sentence is a slightly different case, since you can't actually put the underlined clauseat the end of the sentence- it's a modifier and thus needs to be next to what it's describing, which in this case is the lizard. You can, however, move it into the sentence: The lizard weird-looking as it was was sort of cute. Any idea what this version of the sentence is missing? That's right: a comma on either side of "weird-looking as it was," which could be removed without fundamentally altering the meaning of the sentence. The correctly punctuated version looks like this: The lizard, weird-looking as it was, was sort of cute. ACT Applications The ACTrarely teststhe introduction rule directly; instead, you'll usually see it come up in questions that have multiplephrases or clauses strung together. Take a look at the following example: "The next morning" is an introductory phrase, so it must be followed by a comma- this rules out answer D. Answer choice C has an improperly placed semi-colon, so wecan eliminate it as well. (For more info on semicolon rules, check out our post on other punctuation!) Now we just have to decide whether the commas should surround "using twigs" or "using twigs for kindling." Let's try each version with our strikethrough strategy from the last section. A. The next morning, using twigs, for kindling she starts a small blaze B. The next morning, using twigs for kindling, she starts a small blaze Answer B is clearly the correct choice, since it correctly punctuates both "the next morning" and "using twigs for kindling." When dealing with commas, alwaysremember that whenyou surround something withcommas, you're telling the reader that it can be removed without altering the main point of the sentence. Connecting Independent Clauses (with a Conjunction) The other main case where you need commas to separate clauses is when you use a coordinating conjunction to connect independent clauses. If you have two independent clauses and want to combine them into one sentence, you can use a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), instead of a semicolon. You probably use this construction correctly all the time without even thinking about it! I wanted to go hiking, but it was pouring rain all day. The important thing to remember is that using just a comma (no FANBOYS) to connect two independent clauses is absolutely always incorrect. A comma isn't interchangeable with a semicolon. This mistake is called a comma splice, and it's one of the most common errors students make on the ACT English. Incorrect: I had a terrible case of the flu, my mom brought me chicken noodle soup in bed. Correct:I had a terrible case of the flu, so my mom brought me chicken noodle soup in bed. Correct: Ihad a terrible case of the flu; my mom brought me chicken noodle soup in bed. ACT Applications On the ACT, this comma rule is usually tested in the context of other types of punctuation or in terms of identifyingindependent and dependent clauses. For more information on this, see our post on correctly connecting independent clauses. Lists The last comma rule is likelythe one you're most familiar with: in lists of three or more items, you must place a comma after every item except the last.It's really as simple as that, as you can see in the examples below. The pirate loves going toBarbados because there's so much to do, including shopping for eye patches, sharpening his sword, and visiting the pub. Today, I'm going to skip school, go to the movies, and eat a giant bag of popcorn. Note that on the ACT you must use the oxford, or series, comma, whichgoes before the "and." You may not like the Oxford comma, but you still have to use it. Lists of Two Items The ACT writers won't give you a bunch of lists with no commas in them- instead they'll try to trick you in subtler ways. After looking at the last two rules, you might assume that you need to put a comma anywhere you see "and," but that's not the case! If "and" (or any other coordinating conjunction) is connecting two things that are not independent clauses, then you DON'T use a comma. Jamesandhis brothertraveledto Oregon and Washington. The ACT writers' other favorite trick is to give you lists that don't look like lists because each item is so long. Yesterday, Talia went on a boring first date that she left early and plotted to take over the world using nothing but duct tape and string. You don't need commas in eitherof these cases because they are lists of only two items. Lists of Adjectives This is a slightly different type of list, but it does come up on the ACT occasionally. If you have more than one adjective in front of a noun or pronoun and their order doesn't matter, then you need to put a comma between them. Let's look at two examples, one where you need a comma and one where you don't: The hot dry desert Thefirst female astronaut Which one do you think needs a comma?If you're not sure, checkwhether the examples make sense with the order of the adjectives reversed: The dry hot desert Thefemale first astronaut The first example makes perfect sense with the new word order, so it does need a comma: the hot, dry desert. The second, however, doesn't work when the order of the adjectives is switched, so no comma is needed: the first female astronaut. ACT Applications As I mentioned above, ACT questions about lists tend to try to throw you off by adding in complicating factors like lots of extra words or commas being used for another purpose. Let's take a look at an example of this: It may seem like you need a comma after "labor," but this sentence is actually correct as written. It is a list of two things: "of her labor" and "of the fire's magic." A, no change, is the correct choice; the other answers only complicate the sentence. (This question also deals with parallelism, which you can learn more about here.) Remember the fundamental rule of commas: when in doubt, leave it out! WhenNOT to Use a Comma We just spent a long time going over when you do need commas, so let's circle back to that first principle byexamining someplaces where you should NEVER put commas. Between a Subject and a Verb Commas exist to clarify the relationships between clauses and phrases, so it is NEVER correct to stick one in the middle of a single thought. Any sentence where there is a lone comma between a subject and its verb is incorrect: Incorrect:She, ate a lot of cookies. Correct: She ate a lot of cookies. In the above example, the comma is pretty clearly out of place, but that isn't always the case: Incorrect:Walking to the store, was a chore. Correct: Walking to the store was a chore. Once again, the comma is unnecessary and should be removed: "walking" is the subject and "was" is the verb. But it's much less obvious, since it seems like"walking to the store" is an introductory phrase, which would require a comma. Before or After a Preposition Another place you may think you need commas is at the beginning of prepositional phrases; after all, I just said that commas should only be used to seperate clauses and phrases. However, on the ACT,it is NEVERcorrect to place a comma after a preposition and veryrarely correct to place one before a preposition.Let's look at some example of incorrect comma placement: Lucy enjoys reading aloud, fromHarry Potter every night. Jim watched the terrifying horror movie, in the new theater on, 2nd Avenue. Though these commas may seem correct, they are unnecessary and just add clutter to the sentences. The correctly punctuated versions have no commas: Lucy enjoys reading aloud fromHarry Potter every night. Jim watched the terrifying horror movie in the new theater on 2nd Avenue. The one,very rare, exception to this rule is when a preposition introduces a non-restrictive clause. For example: Julie, for whom I was waiting, got to the restaurant very late. Because "for whom I was waiting" is actually non-restrictive clause, you do need the comma before "for." However, this only rarely comes up on the test- you are much more likely to make a mistake by putting a comma in front of a preposition than by leaving oneout. Around an Emphatic Pronoun What on earth, you're wondering, is an emphatic pronoun? The emphatic pronouns aremyself, yourself, herself, himself, itself, ourselves,yourselves, and themselves when they are used immediately after a noun or other other pronoun: I myself The book itself These constructionssound like they need commas, but emphatic pronouns should never be surrounded by commas. Incorrect: The pope, himself, will be at the party. Correct: The pope himself will be at the party. This may seem like a fairlyobscure rule: it is! However, it shows up on the ACT fairly often, so it's worth studying anyways. To comma or not to comma? That is the question ( ©Placbo) Try Your New Knowledge Out! We've covered a lot of material and hopefully armed you with some helpful new strategies for tackling commas on the ACT English, but it's one thing to read about comma rules and another to put them in practice. With that in mind, I've created some practice ACT questions for you test out what you've learned. The soft,blue cloth slid through her fingers easily. NO CHANGE blue, cloth slid through blue cloth slid, through blue cloth, slid through After hearing good things about it, I wanted to readCrime and Punishment,but the book, itself, turned out to be super boring. NO CHANGE the book itself, the book itself itself Talking to my friends, on the phone, is one of my favorite things to do. NO CHANGE friends on the phone friends on the phone, friends on, the phone I wasn't planning on going to the wedding, however you've convinced me that it's a good idea. NO CHANGE wedding, however, wedding. However, wedding, Answers: 1. A, 2. C, 3. B, 4. C What's Next? If you're confused about what exactly is tested on ACT English, take a look at our guide to what's actually on the test. You might be surprised by how much of it we've just covered! Looking to score a 36 on ACT English? Check out 9 strategiesfrom someone who achieveda perfect score on the ACT. Maybe you're now feeling okay about punctuation, but are worrying about vocab questions. In that case, have I got the guide for you! BecauseACT English recycles the same types of questions over and over, it's especially important to understand why you missed a given question. Make sure you're reviewing your practice tests effectively. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes. 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