Of Mice and Men

1
Of Mice and Men

• Of Mice and Men and Grammar
• I wanna tend the writing, George.

2
Writing observations

• Reminder Proper formatting of quotes
• Quoted material four lines long or less should be
  integrated into the paragraph. The page number in
  parentheses goes after the closing quote mark.
  The period goes after the page number, outside
  the parentheses.
• Example After painting a terrifying picture for
  Lennie of life without George who Lennie
  travels with, idolizes, and loves Crooks turns
  his harsh words inward, saying about his own
  lonely life that, A guy needs somebody to be
  near him. A guy goes nuts if he aint got nobody
  (72).

3
Writing observations

• Reminder Write in present tense
• Original George and Lennie had more than just a
  friendship they were different than any other
  ranch workers.
• Your correction should look like this
• George and Lennie have more than just a
  friendship they are different than any other
  ranch workers.

4
Writing observations

• Reminder Write in third person
• First-person example
• Friendship can teach us some strange but
  meaningful lessons.
• Solution Simply remove us.
• Friendship can teach some strange but
  meaningful lessons.
• Second person example
• There are many different themes that you can
  infer from the book Of Mice and Men by John
  Steinbeck.
• Many themes can be inferred from John Steinbecks
  novel Of Mice and Men.

5
Writing observations

• Miscellaneous continued
• Spelling
• Curley (with an e) Curleys wife (lowercase
  w) Lennie (ie not y) definitely (not
  defiantly) woman (not women)

6
Writing observations

• Spelling
• Crooks not Cooks, Crucks
• John Steinbeck not John Steinaback, John
  Stinebeck, John Stainback, John Stienback.
• woman singular women plural
• definitely (not defiantly

7
Writing observations

• Review Comma splices
• A comma splice occurs when you use only a comma
  to separate two complete sentences (independent
  clauses) that make up one sentence.
• Lennie is very childlike in his mind, he also
  cant control his own strength.

8
Writing observations

• Other punctuation matters
• The cousin to the comma splice Making sure you
  include a comma when you have two independent
  clauses connected by a conjunction.
• Crooks is not talked to and he spends most of his
  time alone.
• Crooks is not talked to, and he spends most of
  his time alone.
• George yells at Lennie and he says all the time
  how easier life would be without Lennie.
• George yells at Lennie, and he says all the time
  how easier life would be without Lennie.

9
Parallel structure

• When we talk about parallel structure, we're
  dealing with a balancing act. The idea isn't too
  hard, but most people don't think about it.
• So what are we balancing? . . . pairs of words or
  series of words. Look at the following

10
Parallel structure

• Pairsa and ba or b
• Seriesa, b, and ca, b, or c
• Think of the letters as standing for words or
  groups of words. Any words or groups of words
  that you plug in have to be the same kinds of
  words or word patterns. That's all there is to
  it! Let's see how the "formula" works

11
Parallel structure

• Pairs running and jumping, bothered and
  bewildered, open or shut, laughing or crying (all
  are verbs)
• Series broken, bedraggled, and bone-tired (all
  are adjectives)an old shoe, a stuffed bear, and
  a chewed-up blanket (all are nouns)
• When you write your sentences using parallel
  structure, your ideas come across more clearly
  because they're easier to read. Compare the
  following sentences
• Peggotty's toys were an old shoe, a bear that was
  stuffed, and she had chewed up an old blanket.
• Peggotty's toys were an old shoe, a stuffed bear,
  and a chewed-up blanket.
• See how the second sentence is smoother and more
  balanced?
• Adapted from Big Dogs Grammar
  http//aliscot.com/bigdog/parallel.htm

12
Clutter

• Clutter
• This quoted passage from the novel gives the
  reader a brief glimpse at the loneliness eating
  away at Crooks.
• This passage offers a brief glimpse at the
  loneliness eating away at Crooks.
• George realizes that being lonely would be
  something definitely not desirable.
• George realizes that loneliness is definitely
  undesirable.
• A victim of loneliness is a character named
  Candy.
• Candy is a victim of loneliness.

13
Pronouns-antecedents

• Unclear pronoun-antecedent reference/agreement
• Also, the common loneliness of all protrudes when
  people find out that Lennie and George travel
  together and react with surprise and secret
  jealousy.
• Also, common loneliness is evident when people
  react with jealousy and surprise upon discovering
  George and Lennie travel together.
• When Lennie walks into the room one night when
  all the other men are away, Crooks tells him how
  truly lonely and sad his life is.
• When Lennie walks into the room one night when
  all the other men are away, Crooks reveals how
  truly lonely and sad Crooks life is.
• George leaves Lennie behind to play with his
  puppy.
• George leaves Lennie behind to play with the
  puppy Slim gave Lennie.