Overview
This lecture focused on the principle of grammatical correctness in effective speech writing and delivery, highlighting common grammar errors to avoid for clarity and credibility.
Recap: Previous Topics Covered
- Types of communicative strategies
- Understanding speech concepts: speech style, speech act, and communicative strategy
- Principles of effective speech writing: audience profile, logical organization, duration, and word choice
Grammatical Correctness in Speech Writing
- Grammatical correctness is essential for clear communication and to prevent misunderstanding or misinterpretation.
- Error-free grammar builds a speaker’s credibility.
Common Grammar Errors in Speech
- Subject-verb agreement: Subjects and verbs must match in number (singular/plural).
- Five trouble spots for subject-verb agreement:
- The verb is a form of "be", "have", or "do".
- Words come between the subject and verb (prepositional phrase or dependent clause).
- The sentence has a compound subject joined by "and", "or", or "nor".
- The subject is an indefinite pronoun (e.g., "one", "everyone").
- The verb comes before the subject in questions or inversion.
- Consistency of verb tense: Actions happening at the same time should use the same verb tense.
- Sentence fragments: Incomplete sentences lacking subject or predicate.
- Stylistic fragments: Used for style but are not complete sentences.
- Comma splices: Joining two sentences with only a comma.
- Run-ons: Two sentences joined without proper punctuation or conjunction.
Strategies for Correcting Errors
- For subject-verb agreement: Identify the true subject and ensure verb matches in number and person.
- For compound subjects with "and": Use plural verbs.
- For compound subjects with "or/nor": Verb agrees with the nearest subject.
- For verb tense consistency: Use the same tense for actions occurring at the same time.
- To correct comma splices and run-ons:
- Use a period to separate sentences.
- Use a semicolon for closely related sentences.
- Use a comma with a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).
- Make one clause dependent with a subordinating conjunction.
Principles for Grammatical Correctness
- Review each sentence for errors.
- Revise and edit for subject-verb agreement, verb tense consistency, and proper sentence structure.
- Constantly practice and proofread to improve writing accuracy.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Subject-Verb Agreement — Rule that subjects and verbs must agree in number and person.
- Verb Tense Consistency — Maintaining the same tense throughout connected actions or sentences.
- Sentence Fragment — An incomplete sentence missing a subject or predicate.
- Comma Splice — Incorrectly joining two independent clauses with just a comma.
- Run-on Sentence — Two independent clauses joined without appropriate punctuation or conjunction.
- FANBOYS — Acronym for coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.
- Indefinite Pronoun — Pronouns that refer to nonspecific people or things (e.g., "one", "everyone").
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review your written speeches for grammar errors before delivery.
- Practice identifying and correcting subject-verb agreement and verb tense issues.
- Apply the four correction strategies for run-ons and comma splices in your writing.
- Prepare for the next session by continuing to participate actively and revise your notes.