Lanham's Paramedic Method

Richard Lanham, a professor of English at UCLA, invented an easy-to-use method for making your writing clearer and more concise. The Writing Center strongly advocates Lanham's "Paramedic Method" for your writing. Here's how to do it:

1a. Circle the Prepositions.

Too many prepositions can drain all the action out of a sentence. Get rid of the prepositions, and find a strong active verb to make the sentence direct:

Original: In this passage is an example of the use of the rule of justice in argumentation.

Revised: This passage exemplifies argumentation using the rule of justice.

1b. Circle the "is" forms.

Using "is" in a sentence gets it off to a slow start, and makes the sentence weak. Replace as many "to be" verbs with action verbs as you can, and change all passive voice ("is defended by") to an active voice ("defends").

Original: The point I wish to make is that fish sleep with their eyes open.

Revised: Fish sleep with their eyes open.

2. Ask, "Where's the action?" "Who's kicking who?" (using Lanham's own terminology here--to be precise, it would be "Who kicks whom?"). If you get stuck in a passive sentence always ask the question: "Who does what to whom?" If you use that formula you will always write active sentences.

Original: Burning books is considered censorship by some people.

Revised: Some people consider burning books censorship.

3. Put this "kicking" action in a simple active verb.

Original: The theory of relativity isn't demonstrated by this experiment.

Revised: This experiment does not demonstrate the theory of relativity.

4. Start fast--no slow windups. Stick to the action and avoid opening sentences with phrases like these:

My opinion is that....

The point I wish to make is that ...

The fact of the matter is that...

Source: http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/concise.html

When to Use "Make" and "Do"

It can be difficult to know when to use "make" and when to use "do". Here are some tips to help you make the right choice.We use "make" for more creative activities:

"She makes her own clothes."

"He made a beautiful hat for the wedding."

We also use "make" to describe functions of speech – what we are doing when we speak:

You make

… an offer (I'll pay you $500 for your car)

… an appointment (Can we meet at 9 am?)

… an arrangement (Let's meet at the station.)

… a promise (I'll help you with this photocopying.)

… a threat (If you do that again, I'll tell him.)

… a compromise

… a suggestion

… a promise

… a mistake

… a decision

… a point

… a complaint

… an excuse

There are also some "fixed expressions" with "make":

"They made friends when they were at primary school."
"He made fun of her new hairstyle."

Other expressions are:
… make a fuss

… make a fortune

… make money

… make a profit / a loss

… make a journey

… make an effort

… make progress

… make a mess

… make a telephone call

… make a choice

One expression that uses either "do" or "make" is:

make a deal / do a deal (I'll do it if you help me.)

Using do

We use "do" to refer to jobs, or responsibilties. These are often routine things, which do not involve much creativity or fun:

"I do the shopping once a week."
"He does the gardening every weekend."
"We have to do a lot of work on the house."

You also do:

… your homework

… the housework

… a job

… the paperwork

… an exam

There are some fixed expressions that you can learn which use "do":

"She does a lot of good in the community."
"This chemical can do a lot of harm."
"She always does favours for her colleagues." (Do someone a favour – help someone)

Other expressions are:

… do something well / badly

… do your best

… do something right / wrong

… do the minimum / the maximum

… do damage

Source: English at Home at,

http://www.english-at-home.com/vocabulary/how-to-use-make-and-do-in-english/

31st December 2007

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

This is certify that Miss Cherry (MyCard No: 801215-01-5432) was my ex-student. I was her internal examiner of Master thesis entitled "Inventory, Regiosity and Muslim Personality: Reliability and Validity" and passed successfully her viva-voce examination.

As I knew her, Miss Cherry is a hardworking person with high intelligent and courage. Mis Cherry has a very high interest in her academic career and I'm fully confident that she will do her best to complete her Ph.D., insyaAllah.

Miss Cherry has all the potentials and qualities to become a success Ph.D candidate. With her academic ability and track record, she is a shining precious stones. Of course, she also has a very bright future, insyaAllah. I beleive that her Ph.D will contribute significantly to our country, nation and religion.

This letter issued due to her request and it would be highly appreciated if she is offered proper facilities and assistance in order for her to proceed to the highest level of study.

Thank you in anticipation.

Yours faithfully,

..............................................

(Dr. Amini Amir Abdullah)

Director,

Islamic Center,

Universiti Putra Malaysia.

Refferal Statement

3rd January 2008

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

I have known Miss Cherry (ID No: 801215-01-5432) for more than 10 years. The initial contact was as a student-lecturer relationship, then as co-researcher, and presently as colleague in scholarly endeavour. She has always been a diligent student, a person with an inquiry mind, and persistently in pursuit of finding answers to limitless research questions.

Her training is in Human Resource Development with special focus on the young generation or future leaders. She has participated as key researcher in IRPA and Ministry of Youth and Sports research grants. The outputs of the researches include books, journal articles, and web based psychological testing. She is also instrumental in developing the Integrity model for assessing the baseline status of an organization.

She is a dedicated lecturer and working systematically to unleash the potentials of her students directing toward knowledge enhancement and a strong believer of field application. She practices problem centred learning supported by self-developed case studies.

Miss Cherry seldom stays at home during weekends. She has been contributing to numerous volunteer activities and extension/community programs including workshops and seminars.

Base on her scholarly background, having positive inclination for research and publications, and her capability in repackaging innovations for field application, without reservation, I strongly support her application to pursue her doctoral degree in your institution. If she is giving the opportunity and assistance, she will be able to make the grade with flying colours.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,
………………………………………….
(Prof. Dr. Hj. Azimi Hamzah)
Director, Centre for Extension, Entrepreneurship and Professional Advancement (APEEC), Universiti Putra Malaysia.

Tricky Plurals

Titles

Titles of books and other works of art are always considered singular even if the title sounds plural.

The Alfred Hitchcock film The Birds was successfully advertised with a campaign that said, "The Birds is coming!" Unlike so many ads, that one was grammatically correct.

Plurals That Do Not End in -s

A number of plurals, mostly derived from Latin, do not end in -s. Nevertheless, they are plural and should be treated as such. Words such as criteria, phenomena, memoranda, and media are plural. Their singular forms are criterion, phenomenon, memorandum, and medium.

The word data is also technically plural, but the singular form, datum, is rare in English, so using data as singular is tolerated, but not precisely correct. Say "a piece of data" or "item of data" for the singular if datum sounds too affected.

Sources: English Plus

Tricky Plurals

Nouns Expressing Measurement

A noun expressing an amount or measurement is normally singular.
If the unit of measurement refers to a number of individual items, then it treated as a plural.

Examples: Two spoons of sugar is too much for me.
(A single measurement)

Twelve dollars is less than what I want to sell it for.
(A single sum of money)

Four-fifths of the country is satisfied with its health insurance.
(One part of a whole)

Four-fifths of the people are satisfied with their health insurance.
(Four-fifths refers to many individuals.)

Sources: English Plus

Tricky Plurals

There are four groups of words which some speakers and writers have difficulty with. In each case it has to do with the agreement of plurals or plural-looking words with the verbs or other words they go with.

Plural-looking Nouns

Some nouns that end in -s look like they are plural, but they really are singular. This is particularly true of branches of knowledge, certain foods or dishes, and certain diseases.

Branches of knowledge like mathematics, physics, ethics, politics, or social studies are singular.

Names of foods, while plural, are treated singularly when they are treated as a single dish.

Some diseases, while plural in origin, are treated singularly because just one disease is discussed: measles, mumps, rickets, or pox.

Examples:

Politics is a rough life.
Baked beans is one of my favorite dishes.
Mumps has been nearly eradicated in the U.S.

A few words, though singular in nature, are made of paired items and generally treated as plural: scissors, pants, trousers, glasses, pliers, tongs, tweezers, and the like. Many are often used with the word pair as in pair of pants or pair of scissors.

Example:

These scissors are too dull to cut with.

Class Notes

Does it mean?
Yes, it means.

Does it work?
Yes, it works.

Does that mean?
Yes, that means.

Do they mean it?
They don't mean that. (negative)
That's what they mean. (positive)

Auxiliary Verb

An auxiliary verb combines with another verb to help form the tense, mood, voice, or condition of the verb it combines with.

The verbs to have, to be, to do, will, shall, would, should, can, may, might, and could are the common auxiliary verbs in English.

Auxiliary verbs are sometimes called helping verbs.

In the last sentence, are is the auxiliary verb in the passive verb phrase are called.

Source : English Plus

It, Its & It's

It

• Yes, it means dolphin is cleverer than monkey.
• Yes, it means they care each other.

Its

• Its color is brown
• Its size is big.

It's

• It's raining now
• It's better to stay at home.

Do & Don't

Common Error

• its means
• thats mean

Corrections

• it means
• that means

Multiple Degree: Do They Need It?

Every year, thousands of students graduate from universities. Today, we see a greater number of educated people, but unfornately job opportunities become more limited. To grab jobs, some of the students take multiple degree even before they start work. In my opinion, this scenario is undesirable.

Firstly, one degree is enough to prepare student to work. taking multiple degree means we need to spend more money. Students must be confident with their own strength and build their competencies during their first degree in order to grab their targeted career.

Secondly, students do not need to take multiple degree before starting work. This is because the work place itself is the best place to practice what they have learnt, besides building and enhancing knowledge and skills in their respective areas. In addition, students should not only depend to work with the government or private companies. Students can set up their own companies and apply their experties there.

Lastly, students do not need to take multiple degree before working because it would affects their development of the long term career. Students must develop their career earlier to enable them to be more successful than others. They need to give other people chances to obtain a place in higher education.

As a summary, taking multiple degree is unnecessary, and is not the best solution to grab the place in the work force. My suggestion is that students must be confident and build their competencies to join the labour force from the first day they register at the university.

Similes I

as blind as a bat

as brave as a lion

as clumsy as a bear

as cunning as a fox

as faithful as a dog