The "Do's and Do Not's" section of this guide detailed some sections of components of formal writing, which will be discussed here. Parts of formal writing like complex sentences, vocabulary, punctuation, etc.
What The Small Things Are
- Complex Sentences
- Complex sentences combine two independent, non-complex sentences with a conjunction.
Note: There are 4 types of sentences. They are: declarative, imperative, interrogative, exclamatory.
- •Declarative: a sentence that makes a statement. This sentence uses period.
- • Imperative: a sentence that issues a command. This sentence uses a period or exclamation mark.
- • Interrogative: a sentence that asks a question. This sentence uses a question mark.
- • Exclamatory: a sentence that projects strong feelings. This sentence uses an exclamation mark.
- Vocabulary
- The words used in a language. Formal writing mandates complex and varied language.
- Point of View
- The position from which something is told.
Note: There are several positions to write from, but formal writing uses a third-person point of view where the narrator exists outside of the story and calls the characters by name or pronoun. The three point of views to write from are:
- First Person: The narrator is a person in the story and the story is told from their perspective. This point of view uses words like I, we, me, and us.
- Second Person: The narrator adresses the reader and makes them a character in the story. Second person point of view uses the word "you".
- Third Person: The narrator tells the story from the outside and adresses the characters by name or pronouns. Words like he, she, they, etc are used in this narrative.
- Contraction
- When two or more words are combined and shortened using an apostrophe. They are not used in formal writing.
- Conjunction
- A word is used to connect sentences or clauses. Some examples include: but, and, because, although, since, yet, etc.
There are 4 types of conjunctions; coordinating, correlative, subordinating, and conjunctive adverbs.
- • Coordinating Conjunction: a word that connects two sentences or clauses of equal importance. Examples of this conjunction are: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so.
- • Correlative Conjunction: a pair of words that join sentences or clauses. Examples of these conjunctions are both...and, either...or, neither...nor, etc.
- • Subordinating Conjunction: conjunction that joins a dominant and subordinate sentence or clause. Examples of subordinating conjunctions are although, because, since, etc.
- • Conjunctive Adverb: conjunction that connects two independent sentences or clauses. Examples include: nevertheless, thus, hence, etc.
- Period(.)
- Used to end sentences.
- Comma(,)
- Used to separate independent clauses.
- Colon(:)
- Used to give emphasis, introduce lists or text, and clarify composition.
- Semicolon(;)
- Used to join two related but independent clauses in place of a comma and coordinating conjunction.
- Ellipsis(...)
- Used as a placeholder for omitted text.
- Quotation Marks("")
- Used to signal when a text is using dialogue from another source or when a character is speaking.
- Dash(-)
- Used to break up words. Note: A dash and hyphen have different uses. There are also two types of dashes, em and en dashes. Hyphens separate words. Em dashes are used to break up sentences. En dashes are used to showtime.
- Slash(/)
- Used as an alternative to the word "or"
- Asterisk(*)
- Used to call attention to a footnote.
- Parentheses[()]
- Used to hold additional information. Note: Brackets([], {}, or <>) are used to add explanations, clarifications, or corrections.
- Ampersand(&)
- Used to indicate the word "and" in a listed item.
- Question Mark(?)
- Used to indicate a question.
- Exclaimation Point(!)
- Used to indicate emotion.
