Punctuation And Capitalization Essay Example for Free

Punctuation And Capitalization Essay As a Communications teacher, Ive found that one effective way to improve punctuation is to look for punctuation errors and correct them, explaining why the correction needs to be made. â€Å"Convictions are more dangerous foes of truth than lies,† wrote the philosopher. Some key vitamins and minerals found in milk are vitamin D, calcium, and vitamin A. The animal quacks like a duck, waddles like a duck, and looks like a duck; therefore, it must be a duck. Several countries have ratified the agreement: France, Canada, Denmark, Spain, and Luxembourg. â€Å"Of course,† Mary agreed, â€Å"Ill complete the project next week.† The weather forecast is for rain; however, I still plan to run the marathon this Sunday. Its important that the dog receives its vaccination this week. My parent has moved north of Madison, Wisconsin. Next term, I would like to take courses in algebra, biology and art history.   References Straus, Jane. (2005). The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation. Retrieved December 10, 2007, from http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/cnt_punc.asp

Unzipped :: Free Essay Writer

Unzipped In the expository text Unzipped- everything teenagers want to know about love, sex and each other, Bronwyn Donaghy has written about the facts and consequences of teenage sex. By doing so she has presented us with her old fashioned ideologies and her strong ‘anti-teenage-sex’ values and attitudes. As the audience Donaghy has tried to scare us into believing and following these attitudes, which are very evident throughout the entire text. Virginity and abstinence is the way to go. This text is targeted at young youths who are curious and want to explore their sexuality and their parents who Donaghy thinks should be open and willing to educate their children on the subject. In order to do this she has employed the use of three different writing styles: These being narrative, expository and real life accounts. Between chapters and further the different sexual topics, Donaghy has split the information up by an ongoing fictional story, which runs through the entire book. It is a narrative story about two inquisitive and curious adolescent teenagers who fall in love and start to get ‘full on’ but then decide against the idea of sex as it is simply too complicated. Donaghy has done this by using very ‘down to earth’ language that she thinks teenagers can relate to and a simplistic story line. However by trying to relate to teenagers at what she perceives is their level in my opinion gives the story very little realism in regards to reality as she simply cant ‘pull it off’. The story is made to almost look superficial. Within the story it is made very clear that abstinence is the way to go, reflect Donaghy’s ideologies. As the writer she does not even try to hide this attitude of hers and at one stage, through Ben’s mum is able to vocalise th is: ‘ Love is a wonderful thing†¦. Sex on the other hand, can be very dangerous in the hands of the young and inexperienced.’ She then goes on to say: I sincerely hope you wont’. This is in relation to Ben and Lucy’s sex life. By creating this story Donaghy tries to manipulate us as the audience to accept these ideas and her values as being right. To further shape our response towards this very strong attitude Lucy and Ben adhered to Ben’s mum’s opinion and further Donaghy’s ideologies. She developed these characters in order to express her perception of what teenage relationships should be like in her eyes.

Inspirational 20th Century Americans Essay

There are many powerful, influential, and memorable Americans that impacted the United States, and even the world. Of those outstanding Americans, there are three in particular that have impacted America, uniquely. During the 20th Century, Martin Luther King Jr. , Walt Disney, and Bill Gates made strong impacts in our country. These brilliant icons influenced American civilization and culture using their determination, creativity, and intelligence. Martin Luther King Jr. as an average man with a dream to live in an integrated society. He was such an inspirational man due to his strong determination, love, faith, and fearless representation. King applied nonviolent protest to grasp national attention in hope to spread his dream of peace among all individuals, and did all that he was capable of to share that same dream with the rest of society. Also, he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott and participated in The March on Washington where he delivered his well-known speech, â€Å"I Have a D ream†. In 1964 King became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, which was awarded to him for leading non-violent resistance to racial prejudice in the U. S. (Martin Luther King, Jr. ) Due to his perseverance and participation in the civil rights movement, it led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which then eliminated discrimination and fulfilled Martin Luther King’s dream at last. Another man that was not afraid of showing the world what he was capable of was Walt Disney. Walt Disney had such an inexplicable imagination that was unstoppable. His love to create and fantasize brought him to produce one of the biggest companies in the country and is now well-known worldwide. He was one of the most iconic figures of recent history; children’s impresario Walt Disney has had a striking effect upon children’s literature through his adaptations of classic novels, unique brand of storytelling, and mass market approach to reaching his target audience (The Influence of Disney on Children’s Literature). Disney Productions reach into the hearts of children, not only by amusing but by fulfilling their urges to imagine and dream. Hundreds of Disney films, cartoons, and productions have been created due to one man’s imagination and resoluteness. Perhaps one of the most intelligent and significant Americans, is Bill Gates. Gates was the first to develop the first user-friendly operating system; previously, the first operating system had a program called DoS, meaning you had to type out commands for your computer in order to perform tasks. Bill Gates and his partner Paul Allen, after receiving money from another invention known as BASIC, decided to create a formal business partnership and created one of the most used operating systems today, Microsoft. This invention leads to most of technology that is used today from the computers, laptops, notebooks, to the handhelds and cellphones we use on a daily basis. All these inventions created by Bill Gates definitely sparked this â€Å"Technology Era†, inspiring people to follow his steps and crave to improve and expand technology in the years to come. As a result of this intelligence Bill Gates had, he is now one of the wealthiest men on earth. All of these iconic and successful Americans shared similar qualities such as determination and intelligence. Each of them accomplished their goals and contributed one thing that ameliorated society. These men brought equality, creativity, and advanced technology that is valued even today. America is beneficial for the capabilities of Martin Luther King Jr. , Walt Disney, and Bill Gates. They impacted our society highly, by improving it in their own ways.

On National Prejudices, by Oliver Goldsmith - Classic Essays

Irish poet, essayist, and dramatist Oliver Goldsmith is best known for the comic play She Stoops to Conquer, the long poem The Deserted Village, and the novel The Vicar of Wakefield. In his essay On National Prejudices (first published in the British Magazine in August 1760), Goldsmith argues that it is possible to love  ones own country without hating the natives of other countries. Compare Goldsmiths thoughts on patriotism with Max Eastmans extended definition in What Is Patriotism? and with Alexis de Tocquevilles discussion of patriotism in Democracy in America (1835). On National Prejudices by Oliver Goldsmith As I am one of that sauntering tribe of mortals, who spend the greatest part of their time in taverns, coffee houses, and other places of public resort, I have thereby an opportunity of observing an infinite variety of characters, which, to a person of a contemplative turn, is a much higher entertainment than a view of all the curiosities of art or nature. In one of these, my late rambles, I accidentally fell into the company of half a dozen gentlemen, who were engaged in a warm dispute about some political affair; the decision of which, as they were equally divided in their sentiments, they thought proper to refer to me, which naturally drew me in for a share of the conversation. Amongst a multiplicity of other topics, we took occasion to talk of the different characters of the several nations of Europe; when one of the gentlemen, cocking his hat, and assuming such an air of importance as if he had possessed all the merit of the English nation in his own person, declared that the Dutch were a parcel of avaricious wretches; the French a set of flattering sycophants; that the Germans were drunken sots, and beastly gluttons; and the Spaniards proud, haughty, and surly tyrants; but that in bravery, generosity, clemency, and in every other virtue, the English excelled all the world. This very learned and judicious remark was received with a general smile of approbation by all the company--all, I mean, but your humble servant; who, endeavoring to keep my gravity as well as I could, I reclined my head upon my arm, continued for some time  in a posture of affected thoughtfulness, as if I had been musing on something else, and did not seem to attend to the subject of conversation; hoping by these means to avoid the disagreeable necessity of explaining myself, and thereby depriving the gentlemen of his imaginary happiness. But my pseudo-patriot had no mind to let me escape so easily. Not satisfied that his opinion should pass without contradiction, he was determined to have it ratified by the suffrage of every one in the company; for which purpose addressing himself to me with an air of inexpressible confidence, he asked me if I was not in the same way of thinking. As I am never forward in giving my opinion, especially when I have reason to believe that it will not be agreeable; so, when I am obliged to give it, I always hold it for a maxim to speak my real sentiments. I therefore told him that, for my own part, I should not have ventured to talk in such a peremptory strain, unless I had made the tour of Europe, and examined the manners of these several nations with great care and accuracy: that, perhaps, a more impartial judge would not scruple to affirm that the Dutch were more frugal and industrious, the French more temperate and polite, the Germans more hardy and patient of labour and fatigue, and the Spaniards more staid and sedate, than the English; who, though undoubtedly brave and generous, were at the same time rash, headstrong, and impetuous; too apt to be elated with prosperity, and to despond in adversity. I could easily perceive that all of the company began to regard me with a jealous eye before I had finished my answer, which I had no sooner done, than the patriotic gentleman observed, with a contemptuous sneer, that he was greatly surprised how some people could have the conscience to live in a country which they did not love, and to enjoy the protection of a government, to which in their hearts they were inveterate enemies. Finding that by this modest declaration of my sentiments, I had forfeited the good opinion of my companions, and given them occasion to call my political principles in question, and well knowing that it was in vain to argue with men who were so very full of themselves, I threw down my reckoning and retired to my own lodgings, reflecting on the absurd and ridiculous nature of national prejudice and prepossession. Philosophers of Antiquity Among all the famous sayings of antiquity, there is none that does greater honour to the author, or affords greater pleasure to the reader (at least if he be a person of a generous and benevolent heart) than that of the philosopher, who, being asked what countryman he was, replied that he was a citizen of the world. How few there are to be found in modern times who can say the same, or whose conduct is consistent with such a profession! We are now become so much Englishmen, Frenchmen, Dutchmen, Spaniards, or Germans, that we are no longer citizens of the world; so much the natives of one particular spot, or members of one petty society, that we no longer consider ourselves as the general inhabitants of the globe, or members of that grand society which comprehends the whole human kind. Did these prejudices prevail only among the meanest and lowest of the people, perhaps they might be excused, as they have few, if any, opportunities of correcting them by reading, traveling, or conversing with foreigners; but the misfortune is, that they infect the minds, and influence the conduct even of our gentlemen; of those, I mean, who have every title to this appellation but an exemption from prejudice, which, however, in my opinion, ought to be regarded as the characteristical mark of a gentleman: for let a mans birth be ever so high, his station ever so exalted, or his fortune ever so large, yet if he is not free from national and other prejudices, I should make bold to tell him, that he had a low and vulgar mind, and had no just claim to the character of a gentleman. And in fact, you will always find that those are most apt to boast of national merit, who have little or no merit of their own to depend on, than which, to be sure, nothing is more natural: the slender vine twi sts around the sturdy oak for no other reason in the world but because it has not  strength  sufficient to support itself. Should it be alleged in  defense  of national prejudice, that it is the natural and necessary growth of love to our country, and that therefore the former cannot be destroyed without hurting the latter, I answer, that this is a gross  fallacy  and delusion. That it is the growth of love to our country, I will allow; but that it is the natural and necessary growth of it, I absolutely deny. Superstition and enthusiasm too are the growth of religion; but  who ever  took it in his head to affirm that they are the necessary growth of this noble principle? They are, if you will, the bastard sprouts of this heavenly plant; but not its natural and genuine branches, and may safely enough be lopped off, without doing any harm to the parent stock; nay, perhaps, till once they are lopped off, this goodly tree can never flourish in perfect health and vigour. Citizen of the World Is it not very possible that I may love my own country, without hating the natives of other countries? that I may exert the most heroic bravery, the most undaunted resolution, in defending its laws and liberty, without despising all the rest of the world as cowards and poltroons? Most certainly it is: and if it were not--But why need I suppose what is absolutely impossible?--but if it were not, I must own, I should prefer the title of the ancient philosopher, namely, a citizen of the world, to that of an Englishman, a Frenchman, a European, or to any other appellation whatever. Did these prejudices prevail only among the meanest and lowest of the people, perhaps they might be excused, as they have few, if any, opportunities of correcting them by reading, traveling, or conversing with foreigners; but the misfortune is, that they infect the minds, and influence the conduct even of our gentlemen; of those, I mean, who have every title to this appellation but an exemption from prejudice, which, however, in my opinion, ought to be regarded as the characteristical mark of a gentleman: for let a mans birth be ever so high, his station ever so exalted, or his fortune ever so large, yet if he is not free from national and other prejudices, I should make bold to tell him, that he had a low and vulgar mind, and had no just claim to the character of a gentleman. And in fact, you will always find that those are most apt to boast of national merit, who have little or no merit of their own to depend on, than which, to be sure, nothing is more natural: the slender vine twi sts around the sturdy oak for no other reason in the world but because it has not strength sufficient to support itself. Should it be alleged in defense of national prejudice, that it is the natural and necessary growth of love to our country, and that therefore the former cannot be destroyed without hurting the latter, I answer, that this is a gross fallacy and delusion. That it is the growth of love to our country, I will allow; but that it is the natural and necessary growth of it, I absolutely deny. Superstition and enthusiasm too are the growth of religion; but who ever took it in his head to affirm that they are the necessary growth of this noble principle? They are, if you will, the bastard sprouts of this heavenly plant; but not its natural and genuine branches, and may safely enough be lopped off, without doing any harm to the parent stock; nay, perhaps, till once they are lopped off, this goodly tree can never flourish in perfect health and vigour. Is it not very possible that I may love my own country, without hating the natives of other countries? that I may exert the most heroic bravery, the most undaunted resolution, in defending its laws and liberty, without despising all the rest of the world as cowards and poltroons? Most certainly it is: and if it were not—But why need I suppose what is absolutely impossible?—but if it were not, I must own, I should prefer the title of the ancient philosopher, namely, a citizen of the world, to that of an Englishman, a Frenchman, a European, or to any other appellation whatever.