Spit and Polish: Proper Noun / Common Noun

A noun is a word naming a person, place, object, or idea. Some name any object (common); other name a very specific object (proper). Example: teacher is a common noun. Mr. Polson is a proper noun.

Think of a few common nouns.


Now list proper nouns that name someone or something you see every day.


How does including proper nouns affect a piece of writing? How does it help the reader?

Writing Prompt: Killer Quotation

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."

Anne Bradstreet (1612 - 1672), Meditations Divine and Moral, 1655

Use the quote as a prompt for freewriting.

Writing Prompt: What If?

What if your pet could talk?

Write about it. Feel free to post your response in the comments section.

Word of the Week: Teem

TEEM (teem)

• verb: to swarm; to be inundated; to overrun
  

The pile of discarded food teemed with thousands of maggots.


Now write!

Use the word teem in a freewrite exercise.
How many synonyms can you generate?
How about antonyms?

Weekend Warm-Up

Write the origin to the belief that a rabbit's foot brings good luck.

Spit and Polish: Misplaced Modifiers

On his way to the library, the dog chased Tim.

Sounds like Rover was a little distracted on the way to the local book repository. Wait...the dog chased Tim...oh. What we have here is a case of misplaced modifiers. The meaning of the sentence would be clearer if the modifier was closer to what it is modifying: On his way to the library, Tim was chased by the dog. Or reword the whole thing: Tim was on his way to the library when the dog chased him.

Clarify the following:

1. While driving to the gym, the dog slobbered on Isabelle's jacket.
2. John said he would stay home first, then he changed his mind and went to the movie.
3. The captain steered the boat into the pier blinded by the fog.

Writing Prompt: Killer Quotation

"[Spring is] when life's alive in everything."

• Christina Rossetti English poet (1830 - 1894)

What do you think Rossetti meant by this quotation?

Use the quote as a prompt for freewriting.

Writing Prompt: What If?

What if money didn't exist?

Write about it. Feel free to post your response in the comments section.

Word of the Week: Adjunct

ADJUNCT (AJ unkt)

• noun: something added to or connected with something else; an assistant

Reading is just an adjunct to Bob's real passion, which is writing.

Now write!

Use the word adjunct in a freewrite exercise.
How many synonyms can you generate?
How about antonyms?

Weekend Warm-Up

Ah, imagery. The sense of taste is one that is used sparingly in descriptions because you only taste a limited number of things. Imagine how something you would not normally eat might taste. Describe it (with or without tasting it). Avoid poisonous items at all cost. Duh.

Spit and Polish: Subject / Verb Agreement

Subjects and verbs must agree, meaning that singular and plural subjects take different verb forms.

Which verb form is correct below?

1. Saul (chooses/choose) to spend his time playing Resident Evil on the PS3.

2. John and Isaac (does/do) not seem to care much about their schoolwork.

3. Nick and Nate never (try/tries) their best in math.

4. Henry (walk/walks) to the zoo on Saturday afternoons.

Writing Prompt: Killer Quotation

"[Spring is] a true reconstructionist."

• Henry Timrod

What do you think Timrod meant by this quotation?

Use the quote as a prompt for freewriting.

Writing Prompt: What If?

What if you woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and saw another person's face?

Write about it. Feel free to post your response in the comments section.

Word of the Week: Accentuate

ACCENTUATE (ak SEN choo wayt)

• verb: to emphasize; to accent; to highlight

Ralph accentuated the positive by pointing out that his pants fit better after he gained five pounds.


Now write!

Use the word accentuate in a freewrite exercise.
How many synonyms can you generate?
How about antonyms?

Weekend Warm-Up

Think for a moment about all of the writing you do on a daily basis: lists, notes, text messages, email...

This weekend, write about what your life would be like if you were unable to write. Feel free to post your responses to the comments section.

Spit and Polish: Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns are a kind of personal pronoun that show ownership. My, mine, our, ours, your, yours, his, hers, its, and theirs are all possessive pronouns.

Rewrite the following paragraph using personal pronouns in place of some of the nouns.

Hector loved playing Hector's trumpet. Hector had talent, but Hector lacked the discipline to practice each day. Hector's dream was to one day play professionally. Hector's band teacher worried that Hector's band teacher's student would not reach Hector's goal if Hector did not start practicing more.