Dawkins reading

John Dawkins Reading

Summary:

In the article Teaching Punctuation as a Rhetorical Tool John Dawkins talks about grammar rules on punctuations and how the rules are more of guidelines. Dawkins argues that with punctuation comes choices and these choices are what effects the meaning or emphasis in your sentences. Dawkins presents the concept of Hierarchy in writing and the three different levels. Dawkins argues that there is a high, a medium and a low and choosing which to use effects the level of meaning in your sentence. Dawkins goes further in depth when he explains how they work and are used in a sentence; he explains how to create separation or no separation with commas, parentheses, periods, colons, semi colons and zeros. Dawkins feels there is no limit to how you do it in that you can structure a sentence anyway you feel to create emphasis on a certain part, phrase or just singular word. Dawkins also goes into detail about what he calls lowering and or raising which is to methods or creating this emphasis on your sentence. Dawkins explain how raising is when your sentence at separation or break needs a higher mark of value whereas lowering is the same but a lower mark of value or no value at all so as to keep the sentence flowing.

Synthesis:

This article is in agreement with Bryson and again like Bryson’s article in a sense goes with Elbows work. All three explain and go into detail about the effects of sentence structure and word choice and how this can all affect what your sentence says or how it is said. Dawkins and Bryson further agree in the sense that grammar is to complicated and is setting up students for failure. They feel that it should be simplified and Dawkins goes further to explain how we see these set rules and we follow them but we don’t see how to use them the right way or what other methods we can use to still say the same thing but in a different way. Dawkins and Bryson both speak about the importance of word choice and how sentences are structured but Dawkins and Elbow are more related in this nature for Dawkins article has a lot to do with voice of a writer. Dawkins work about separation and raising and lowering throw the different methods are all just different forms and ways to get a message across the way you want so in essence it is how the author wants to voice this certain sentence.

1.       Questions For Discussion:

Dawkins is challenging numerous methods or concepts of writing in his article. Dawkins talks about run-on sentences and fragments and how these may be incorrect but they are a choice by the author and have meaning. That these can be good and correct if they are there with a purpose or have a reason to be placed where it is. Also he talks about the run-ons and how it can be good for an author if they are attempting to keep the sentence going that they don’t want separation from the different thoughts or ideas in the sentence. Another thing he talks about is independent clauses and how authors can vary punctuation in order to vary meaning and emphasis on certain words or clauses for the purpose of bettering the sentence so the author can convey what they want in the way they want to.

5. Questions For Discussion:

Through this reading I have better developed an understanding of punctuation and different methods to use. I never saw it the way Dawkins did I always thought about it just like every other student at school which was the way they taught you to. I always learned like he said they ways not to do it and what’s considered incorrect instead of very strong and creative ways to do it. I have now learned more about lowering and raising and how to put more emphasis on certain words or phrases and how to further my ability to convey certain things exactly the way I want to. Also this article has thrown many ideas at me for the entire concept of separation between thoughts or sentences and I now know different grammar keys to use and when to use them and even how they will effect or change how my sentence would say something.

4. Applying and Exploring:

Dear Mrs. Smith,

Hello I am writing to you today because it’s been almost seven years now and I still don’t understand and get why paragraphs must be structured to be five to seven sentences. I think that paragraphs should be any length the author chooses because this provides them freedom to make a paper look the way you want it to and come across to you in a certain way. Also this can allow the author to create emphasis on a certain topic that maybe needs more than seven sentences to be explained. Also it can allow the writer to put emphasis on a single thought or sentence by placing it on its own this will show the reader the importance of that phrase through its singularity. Authors deserve the chance to develop a piece of their own in any way they choose because it is theirs and they have ideas and concepts in their head and maybe five to seven sentences counteracts how exactly they want to express these thoughts and ideas. I’m sorry if this disturbs you but I just don’t get why every writer has to shoot for this goal, I don’t understand why they can’t write their own way and make their piece look and feel exactly how they want it to. Once again sorry if this bothers you but I could use some help if you could further enlighten me.

Thanks again from your old student,

Kyle Loftus