Composing the grammar guide for nouns was a really interesting and rewarding experience.  It allowed me to fully understand how important nouns are to the meaning of a sentence and in the use of effective rhetoric.  Choosing the right noun can make a difference between a mediocre sentence and an outstanding sentence.  One could use the word follower to denote one who is completely sold out to a cause but the word zealot is a much more forceful noun and makes a greater impact on the audience.  The word zealot also comes closer to what the person is trying to communicate about the person's extreme dedication to his cause.  One could be a follower of a particular religion or practice but not necessarily be sold out to that particular cause.  Thus, I now understand more fully how weak nouns can greatly undermine the power of both the written and spoken word.  As long as the particular noun conveys the meaning of what the writer or speaker is trying to get across, one should the most dynamic and most forceful noun available in order to capture the attention and interest of the intended audience.  I also understand how excessive use of nouns, particularly several in a row, can make a sentence confusing and lackluster.  Therefore, not only should a communicator use strong, forceful nouns but he or she should also avoid using too many nouns, as this is a clear indication of one's lack of mastery of the English language.
 

Caption for Editing Project

Editing the Web page for Gwendolyn Brooks was a tremendous way for me to apply the knowledge I had obtained in the English Grammar course.  The main problem Dawn Wallace had in her writing was the misuse of commas.  For example, Dawn  misused a comma in the following sentence: "In her poem, "Children of the Poor," Gwendolyn comments on the everyday incidents that she encountered as a mother."  In this particular instance, the comma before the title "Children of the Poor" would have to be omitted since the reader would have no clue as to which poem Dawn was referring to if the title were not included in the sentence.  A writer only uses a comma to separate a title from the rest of the sentence if the title is connected with some attributive phrase.  For example, a comma would be used in the following sentence on Dawn's Web site: "She achieved success at a very young age and won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry with her second work, Annie Allen, while she was in her early thirties."  In this instance, the phrase "second work" is attributed to Annie Allen; therefore, commas are required to set the title of the work apart from the rest of the sentence.  Please note also that I changed the preceding quoted sentence on Dawn's Web site in order to make the sentence more succinct and clear as to the fact that Brooks was in her early thirties when Annie Allen was published.  Other than this and a few other minor changes, the majority of my corrections dealt with Dawn's use of commas.  Thus, taking the English Grammar class has also sharpened my editing skills.