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Of hypens, commas, and other spelling fodder

Gunpowder

Gunpowder

Cigar Search & destroy V 1.20
Joined
Nov 2, 2003
Messages
1,401
Location
Indiana
Reading a comment about commas and hyphens in a different thread reminded me of a disagreement between myself and a board member of mine. I am a Biologist with a training in scientific writing techniques. She is a Journalist with their own corny format.

I never took English in college. I "cleped" out of it" :p I hear that many colleges are now teaching the Chicago or New Your Manual Styles. Not sure which was taught in the 1980's but I just can't agree with the new styles being used.

Pick a style and it will conflict many times with another style. Use of commas especially.

I may be a stinker for posting this as it may start something. But... :whistling:

Link to multiple styles

Chicago style

Did someone ask about Hyphens?
 
I have degrees in science and business, and for papers I wrote in each we used APA. My wife is getting her PhD in edjamacation :) , and she uses APA as well.

Most of my professors in grad school only really gave a shit about the style in which the citations were done. Also we got slammed for spelling and grammar mistakes. Two points off for one mistake and the point value doubles there after. So if you have two mistakes, you get 8 points off.

The record for an undergrad was a -310 and for a grad student was -70. The professors were always proud in making this point for some reason.
 
Peekay said:
I have degrees in science and business, and for papers I wrote in each we used APA. My wife is getting her PhD in edjamacation :) , and she uses APA as well.

Most of my professors in grad school only really gave a shit about the style in which the citations were done. Also we got slammed for spelling and grammar mistakes. Two points off for one mistake and the point value doubles there after. So if you have two mistakes, you get 8 points off.

The record for an undergrad was a -310 and for a grad student was -70. The professors were always proud in making this point for some reason.
Click to expand...

Very interesting, but how many points off for mistakes with addition? :whistling:

1st mistake = 2 points off
2nd mistake = 4 points off (2 x 2)
total points off = 8? ???

C'mon, Peekay! :sign:
 
stevehawk said:
1st mistake = 2 points off
2nd mistake = 4 points off (2 x 2)
total points off = 8? ???

C'mon, Peekay! :sign:
Click to expand...
That's not the math he was referring to:

2*(2 points off) = 4 points per error x 2 mistakes = 8 total points off. ;)

*edit to add ...

However, if that is the formula, then you can't get to 70 points off ... 16 * 4 = 64, and I would doubht you could get to 310. But I haven't even had my coffee yet, so someone else can give it a shot.

But, even if you do the math 2 + 4 + 8 + 16 + 24 + 48 = 102 ... still no way to get to 70 points off. Even if that was the final score, you would get to 100 possible - 198 = -98. I think the professor was F-in w/ you Peekay. :whistling:
 
What makes you think most of the dumbasses around here had enough to schooling to understand what you are talking about?? :rolleyes:
 
The Chicago Manual of Style has been around for a long, long time.

Me, I cut my administrative teeth on the USAF style manual, The Tongue and Quill, which has been around for decades as well. Even though I use the U.S. GPO Style Manual 2000 nowadays, a lot of the old T&Q style habits are still with me.
 
Blue Dragon said:
stevehawk said:
1st mistake = 2 points off
2nd mistake = 4 points off (2 x 2)
total points off = 8? ???

C'mon, Peekay! :sign:
Click to expand...
That's not the math he was referring to:

2*(2 points off) = 4 points per error x 2 mistakes = 8 total points off. ;)

*edit to add ...

However, if that is the formula, then you can't get to 70 points off ... 16 * 4 = 64, and I would doubht you could get to 310. But I haven't even had my coffee yet, so someone else can give it a shot.

But, even if you do the math 2 + 4 + 8 + 16 + 24 + 48 = 102 ... still no way to get to 70 points off. Even if that was the final score, you would get to 100 possible - 198 = -98. I think the professor was F-in w/ you Peekay. :whistling:
Click to expand...
Hey quit punching holes in my math :p . They deducted points for S&P after the grade for the paper was given. But they were nice and rounded scores after you passed the nil mark. So the guy who got a -310 would get a score rounded up to 0, sounds like a pretty big curve to me :laugh: . I had a hard time believing it until I saw a paper that scored in the negative 200s when I stopped in a prof's office for a visit. Unfortunately there really wasn't an excuse for getting S&P errors; they had a writing lab that corrected papers for you.
 
CalixEros said:
The engineering manual was written by Beer, figures...
Click to expand...

Yes, he and E. Russell Johnston, Jr. authored quite a few books related to engineering. I was lucky enough to be a student in a class taught by Johnston back in the day. He was one of the best professors I ever had. :thumbs:

Matt R said:
What makes you think most of the dumbasses around here had enough to schooling to understand what you are talking about?? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Most of the simple rules of grammar and writing are taught in elementary school. My guess is that nearly 100% of the people posting on this board have at least an 8th grade education. :rolleyes:
 
In grad school right now...
In undergrad the religious department wanted Chicago style rigorously.
Now here, we can do whatever we want so long as it is "consistent."
Of course most theological scholars use the footnotes to digress, such that no particular style adequately accomodates.
 
coventrycat86 said:
CalixEros said:
The engineering manual was written by Beer, figures...
Click to expand...

Yes, he and E. Russell Johnston, Jr. authored quite a few books related to engineering. I was lucky enough to be a student in a class taught by Johnston back in the day. He was one of the best professors I ever had. :thumbs:

Matt R said:
What makes you think most of the dumbasses around here had enough to schooling to understand what you are talking about?? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Most of the simple rules of grammar and writing are taught in elementary school. My guess is that nearly 100% of the people posting on this board have at least an 8th grade education. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Being Taught, does not equal has been learned.
 
I agree with Kurt Vonnegut about almost everything. Here is one of his remarks on the subject of punctuation:

"First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you've been to college."
 
coventrycat86 said:
CalixEros said:
The engineering manual was written by Beer, figures...
Click to expand...

Yes, he and E. Russell Johnston, Jr. authored quite a few books related to engineering. I was lucky enough to be a student in a class taught by Johnston back in the day. He was one of the best professors I ever had. :thumbs:

Matt R said:
What makes you think most of the dumbasses around here had enough to schooling to understand what you are talking about?? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Most of the simple rules of grammar and writing are taught in elementary school. My guess is that nearly 100% of the people posting on this board have at least an 8th grade education. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I'm betting that you're right CC. Unfortunately, not too many people seem to remember (or care) to follow those simple rules. I'm amazed at how many grammatical mistakes I see every day at work, many of them in contracts and formal letters to potential clients. The following is a small list of the words I regularly see misused, and it drives me nuts:

insure and ensure
differ and defer
affect and effect
to and too
their, they're, and there
alot, a lot, and allot
among and between
bring and take
its and it's
can and may
accept and except
farther and further

If I was a nazi, I would be a spelling and grammar nazi.
 
If I was a nazi, I would be a spelling and grammar nazi.
Click to expand...

LMAO - I really hate when people in positions of power over others are misunderstood because they can't express themselves well enough. :p
 
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