YOU COMPLETE ME! Finding and fixing fragmented thoughts and ideas in our writing...(March Blog)

 A puzzle that is missing just enough important pieces so that you cannot quite make out a picture.   A film with no sound.   A wink without a smile.  A street with no name.  

Each description above refers to something that is, sadly, incomplete.  They are, also, in and of themselves incomplete thoughts; they do not quite fit the definition of a complete sentence.  They are the pet peeve of English teachers everywhere--grammatical garble--fractional phrases.  

They are (cue the doomsday music) sentence fragments. 

No one escapes any high school Language and Literature course without being penalized for writing the odd sentence fragment, but not everyone remembers what they are and how to fix them.  A sentence fragment is a group of words that rudely resembles a sentence.  It will start with a capital letter and end with a period; however, it is neither an independent clause nor a complete idea.  A sentence fragment can be very confusing for the reader, so usually, the best thing to do is to fix it by adding what is missing from the sentence or joining it to another sentence. 

Here is a glaring example of a sentence fragment:  Because of the rain.    This is not a complete thought on its own.  We, the readers, are left to scratch our heads and wonder, because of the rain....what?  To complete it, we need more explanation:  Because of the rain, the party was canceled.  Now, our fragment, a dependent clause, has successfully attached to a sentence that has a subject (the party) AND a verb (was canceled).  Our idea is complete.

So...is fixing a fragment just making a sentence a little longer by adding details?  Let's take a look at this famous sentence from the Bible:  Jesus wept.  It is famously known as the shortest verse in the Bible, but it is, in fact, a complete sentence.  It offers a subject (Jesus) and a verb (wept).  

Learning to identify, fix, and avoid sentence fragments not only makes your writing easier to read, but it can also make you sound more intelligent and polished as a writer AND earn you higher marks on Criterion D in most of your IB assessments.  

So...how do we go about fixing a fragment?  Fixing a sentence fragment involves one of two things: giving it the components it lacks or fastening it onto an independent clause (complete idea). Consider the following example:  There are many ways to frighten little brothers and sisters.  For example, by hiding under their beds and waiting for dark. 

While this might offer some stealthy ideas, the second statement is NOT a complete sentence.  It is lacking a SUBJECT:  by hiding under their beds and waiting for dark is not a verb or a predicate.  It is actually a prepositional phrase.  Here are two ways you can go about fixing this fragment:

There are many ways to frighten little brothers and sisters; for example, by hiding under their beds and waiting for dark.

Too formal?  No problem.  Try this instead:  

There are many ways to frighten little brothers and sisters.  For example, you could hide under their beds and wait for dark.  

Bingo!  In both cases, you now have a structurally sound sentence:  you have completed them.

Without exception, you should avoid sentence fragments in formal and academic situations, including your HL essay, Paper 1, Paper 2, and any other writing assessment.  That said, a fragment intentionally placed within a clear context can sometimes serve a valid dramatic purpose.  Journalists, bloggers, and fiction writers often use them.  Here is an example:

No one thought that Ethan could make the jump; it was just too high.  All the same, he was determined to astound us.  No matter what.  

And he did.

No matter what is a sentence fragment.  And he did is a sentence beginning with a conjunction, AND it is a one-sentence paragraph.  But if you are writing a story, a few fragments might actually suit your purpose or style well.

REALIZE YOUR TEXT TYPE.  KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE.  KNOW YOUR PURPOSE.  Figure out exactly what it is you are trying to say and how you wish to communicate it, and, of course, to whom.  But make sure that, regardless, you recognize sentence fragments and realize how to complete them.  Then, if and when you discover an appropriate moment to break these rules...

You'll know why.

Now that you are aware of this common problem in IB writing, I hope you will be more mindful of it.  Respond to this blog by correcting the five fragments below and then commenting on what you are hoping to polish in your writing by the end of this year.    

As you go forth into the grand finale of our time together this year (and seniors, as you prepare for exams!), may ALL of your thoughts, ideas, plans, and sentences be complete!  

1. Slammed the door and left.

2. The birch trees with their buttery yellow leaves.

3. Because it was raining.

4. Although she never realized the difference.

5. Required a better reason.

 

TRUE GRIT (February Blog)

 A very long time ago, in a state not so far away (California), I was beginning my teaching career at a very innovative school in Turtle Rock, a community in the city of Irvine.  When I assumed my brand new position, we had a training in a relatively new program that had been launched by parents and educators that was born out of the "Self-Esteem" movement that had first blossomed in the late 1980s. 

As I learned about the program, and how it would be integrated into our teaching and classroom management and philosophy, which proposed lavish praising of kids and handing out trophies just for "trying hard," I felt myself inwardly cringe. At first, I wasn't sure why.

I mean, isn't cultivating a "positive" self-esteem a good thing?  You would think so, but that still, small voice inside of me--you know the one-- that sort of sixth sense or inspired discernment that just "knows" things to be true or not, whether or not you have concrete proof?  That's the one.  That voice whispered to me: "bad idea."  While I couldn't articulate exactly why at the time, I just knew this was not the right approach to cultivate the dedication and enthusiastic engagement of young learners.

As time passed, I learned that, low and behold, that voice was right.  It turned out that subsequent studies showed that kids did NOT try harder as a result of the program.  In fact, it was the opposite: coddled kids became softer, slower, and less likely to persevere.  Why?  Because there was one very important characteristic that past generations knew about and encouraged that was NOT fostered and learned in the process:  GRIT.

Carolyn Adams Miller, an author and speaker on the topic from Bethesda, Maryland, said, "This is not a gritty generation.  They become overwhelmed and stressed easily because they have been protected from failure."(1)  Like Miller, Psychologists now assert that grit, not a positive self-concept, is the best predictor of future success and overall happiness.

So...what, exactly, is grit?  According to the dictionary, it is, in this sense, "courage and resolve; strength of character." (2)  It is a passion and perseverance in the pursuit of long term goals.  It is what determines the survival of the West Point cadet or who makes the cut for the Olympic team; in other words, it sifts out those who can ultimately make it to the finish line of hard goals in life from those who cannot.  Miller says that talent can only get you so far.  It is really your grit that determines whether or not you make it.

In fact, research has shown that grit is completely unrelated to talent. (3) At times, it is even

inversely related!  Those who are not blessed with talent discover they must work twice as hard, and with grit, they develop the skills of discipline and perseverance.   Grit is contagious.  It is inspiring.  It CAN be taught and fostered.  In a Washington Post article, Miller proposed some steps to cultivate Grit, and they largely relate to our thinking and how we view and approach challenges:

1.  When you face a tough problem, don't tell yourself "this is too hard."  Instead, ask, "Why not me?"

2.  When things get hard and you want to quit, mentally change the channel.   Focus on a spiritual phrase, mantra, or image that encourages you on.

3.  Build a team around you.  Encourage each other.  Be sounding boards.  Connect positively as you pursue your long term goals through the achievement of smaller goals.

4.  Instead of offering empty praise and pity in failure, parents should coax their kids through failure.  Point out the lessons and praise the efforts to keep on going through pain and failure.

5.   While it is tough for parents to let their kids experience failure, it is actually the most important KEY in developing Grit!

Back in the 1980s, many communities opted to "soften" neighborhood parks so that kids could fall into a pillow of wood chips.  This seemed, in many ways, very prudent, but as it turns out, it has made kids "softer" as a result.  Creeping grade inflation, allowing kids to take and retake tests that they "bombed," has also shown to erode the development of grit.  Lessening expectations and work load has led to struggles to balance activities and time effectively. Alternately, participation in true, competitive sports and auditioning for roles (and experiencing the disappointment of not always getting the role you want) in theater arts has shown to cultivate grit.

This all really seems to put a spotlight this week on the IB profile attribute of risk-taking.  We have learned through hard experience here that playing it safe, and protecting ourselves from failure doesn't seem to net anything but more anxiety and cowardice.  But taking risks, watching, and learning from those who never seem to quit, will actually encourage curiosity and lead to one feeling truly "alive."

Nancy Wake, an Australian woman who went to fight with the French Resistance against the Nazis during World War Two, once stated that while she was incredibly grateful the war ended as it did and freedom was restored, she never felt more alive and like she was living in her true purpose than during those long, fearful months she spent with troops of thousands of men hiding out in the forests.  At a time of great danger, Nancy chose not to listen to the cautionary pleas and warnings of those around her.  She learned to fight like the men she ended up ultimately leading.  It turns out that her being a woman was not a "weakness" after all; in fact, it made her less likely to be seen as a threat by the enemy!  Several of her fellow fighters were quoted as saying that having one woman named Nancy Wake was like having "five additional men" in their ranks!

Kids with Grit are finishers.  They are the tortoises in the race that keep on

moving towards their own established finish lines.  You may trip and fall in life.  You may experience heartbreaking defeat and failure.  But the kids who ultimately succeed are the ones who take risks and feel alive.  They are the ones who get back up after a blowing disappointment with a sparkle in their eye, and that sparkle? That's GRIT!

Here is a link to a Ted Talk by Angela Lee Duckworth.  Listen carefully to all she has to say:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H14bBuluwB8

Then, click here to take the Grit test, and see how you score:  https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-scale/

Finally, comment below on how you scored, what you have learned, and how you are going to apply it to your life.  

Don't be afraid to get GRITTY!!

(Footnotes:  1.  Holland, Judy.  Washington Post, "The Key Ingredient to Your Kids' Success."  March 9, 2015.  2. Merriam Webster Dictionary  3.  Holland, Judy.  Washington Post, "The Key Ingredient to Your Kids' Success."  March 9, 2015.)