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Purpose Memos are assignments that allow you to practice three different kinds of skills. They allow you to try out different modes of writing, to practice concision, and to improve your editing and proofreading skills. Format Write a one page, memo. See the memo format handout (which will be passed out in class) for formatting information. Memos are single spaced, but there is one space added between paragraphs. They are written in 12 point, Times New Roman Font. The margins of memos should be set at one inch. Set up the heading information in exactly the same way as it is done on the example. Special Instructions In the subject line, type “Dear Reader Memo–Essay One” Parts of the memos for this assignment may be shared with the class in the form of a document that I will print and distribute: I will not put your names on the sections of the memos I take, however. Topic In this memo, please answer the following questions: What is the thesis of my draft? What are the strengths of my first essay? What were the problems with my first essay? What challenges did I encounter in writing this assignment? If I had had two more days to work on this draft, where would I have focused my attention? You May Not Write More than a Single Page The memo assignment has a hard one page limit. See the model Google doc for how your finished memo should look. Memo Rubric You will be evaluated on the following issues: Does your memo focus on the topic questions? Is the memo correctly formatted (this criteria also includes length–it must be a full page long)? Does your memo demonstrate effective proofreading by having four or fewer run-ons, fragments, comma splices, awkward sentences or spelling errors? Can You Revise the Memos? You will be allowed to revise two of the five memos: there will be a memo revision assignment given out at a later date. However, memos turned in late cannot be revised. Point Value: 10 Appendix: Run-ons, Comma Splices, Fragments and Awkward Sentences Run-ons A run-on occurs when two or more independent clauses are merged without punctuation. For example: Joe loves turnips Susan hates these particular root vegetables. For example: Joe loves turnips and Susan hates these particular root vegetables. By the way, the length of the clauses has no bearing on whether or not you are looking at a run on: Joe loves turnips and Susan hates these particular root vegetables, is a run on. See Spot run run Spot run! is also a run on. How to fix run ons: You can use a period between the independent clauses: Joe loves turnips. Susan hates these particular root vegetables. You can use a comma if you have a coordinating conjunction (and, but, for, nor, yet, so, or) between the independent clauses: Joe loves turnips, but Susan hates these particular root vegetables. You can turn one or more of the independent clauses into a dependent clause and combine it with the remaining independent clause: Although Joe loves turnips, Susan hates these particular root vegetables. Joe loves turnips although Susan hates these particular root vegetables. Comma Splices A comma splice occurs when a comma is used as if it were a period without a coordinating conjunction: Joe loves turnips, Susan hates these particular root vegetables. How to fix comma splices: You can use a period between the independent clauses: Joe loves turnips. Susan hates these particular root vegetables. You can use a comma if you have a coordinating conjunction (and, but, for, nor, yet, so, or) between the independent clauses: Joe love turnips, but Susan hates these particular root vegetables. You can turn one or more of the independent clauses into a dependent clause and combine it with the remaining independent clause: Although Joe loves turnips, Susan hates these particular root vegetables. Joe loves turnips although Susan hates these particular root vegetables. Fragments A sentence fragment is a group of words that is missing a subject, a verb or both. Like with the run-on, the length of the group of words has nothing to do with whether or not something is a fragment: “Into the air” is a fragment “Jumping over the curb, running down the sidewalk, sprinting away from the angry dog in the yard, eyes skyward, narrowly avoiding the telephone pole but getting scratched by a lone blackberry cane,” is also a fragment. How to fix fragments: Add a subject and/or a verb to the group of words: Change “into the air,” to “Joseph vaulted into the air.” Eliminate the fragment: In some cases, it is just simpler to delete the fragment rather than do anything with it. Add the fragment to a nearby sentence: Lots of times, fragments actually need to be jointed to other sentences that come before or after them. If you have: Joe loves turnips. Drowning them in vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. Change it to: Joe loves turnips, drowning them in vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. Awkward Sentences A sentence is considered awkward if it is difficult for the reader to interpret or understand: while this is a somewhat subjective category, there are two situations that tend to produce awkward sentences. Mixed constructions: [Awkward] When a high school student goes to college is the most important aspect of his life of whether or not he goes. [This sentence is hard to understand because it is not clear if the writer wants to refer to the time at which this student makes this decision, or the fact that just going to college is important–not to mention that it is very wordy] [Corrected] To go to college or not is the most important decision a high-school student will make. [This sentence is much clearer as to its point and is much less wordy] Missing word: [Awkward] Sally never has and never will get financial aid. [This sentence is missing a needed word to make it grammatical] [Corrected] Sally never has never gotten and never will get financial aid. [This sentence is now grammatical]