From After facts being checked

Chapter 2 (pg 45)

2.1. a? or an?
1) a bear / a European / a history of Korea
2) an elephant / an Egyptian girl

! Sounds matter more.

a) a house v. an hour
b) a university v. an umbrella

2.2. When to use a/an

2.2. a. Unspecified, non-specific references
had a lunch / rent a Lexus / at an Italian restaurant

2.2. b. In general statements

A dog is a good pet.

2.2. c. With some illnesses

I have a cold / I have a toothache.
(Cf. 2.3.e and 2.4. d)

2.2. d. With professions or descriptive nouns.

He is a doctor and a fool.

2.2. e. With definitions or descriptions of singular count nouns

It is a rice cooker.
2.2. f. To mean one in informal conversations
Over a thousand people came.

2.2. g. To divide noncount nouns into units

Care for a cup of tea?
How about a glass of beer?

2.2. h. In measurement to mean per

The chicken breasts were $4.00 (four dollars) a pound.
Gas is going up 100 won a liter.

2.2. i. When first mentioning something or someone

I saw a tall man walking a little dong on a crowed street.

2.3.When to use the

I saw a tall man walking a little dog on a crowded street.
The man was afraid (that) the people would step on the little dog.

2.3. a. Use the to identify specific people or things

I love music. / I love the music that KBS radio plays.

Coffee is one of Brazils biggest exports.

The coffee in this restaurant is terrible.

2.3. b. Use the when speaking about a person or thing that is clearly known
The president did it. / Did you see the moon last night?
I took the subway. (=the subway) ~ the internet.
2.3. c. Since superlatives are one from a group, the or another identifier must precede them
What is the best hospital in Seoul?
Cf.) Baekdusan is Koreas highest mountain. (No the)

2.3. d. The is often used when speaking about science, art, and nature.
The telephone has changed the world. The liver cleans blood.
I love plays. () = I love the theater.
I love movies. = I love the cinema. = I love the big screen.
Lets go to the movies. = Lets go to a movie.
Can you play (the) piano?
I am going to the country(side).
He likes to the sea more than the mountains.

2.3. e. Some illnesses are preceded by the

He had the measles. ()
=the flu / = the runs ()
(Cf. 2.2.c and 2.4. d)

2.3. f. When discussing groups in a general way, esp. adjectives uses as nouns, the is required.
The article puts the poor (= ) against the rich (=) ; the Have-nots against the Haves.
Whoever breaks the law should be punished.
The government tried to keep the news from the public.
The French live to eat, and the British eat to live.

2.3. g. With noncount nouns that have qualifiers

He has all the courage of a lion. The pollution in Seoul is really bad in spring.
She has the virtue of an angel.

2.3. h. Use the with the following proper nouns.

- the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Mediterranean
- the Rockies, the Taebaek Mountains, the Alps, the Andes
- the Philippines, the Azores
- the Middle East, the Balkans, the Hague, the Matterhorn
- the country, the countryside / the city (Manhattan or large cities in general)
- the Han, the Imjin, the Mississippi, the Nile
- the Gobi, the Sahara
- the Silla, the Hilton, the Chrysler Building
- the Seoul Art Center , the Met (Metropolitan Opera House)

2.4. When not to use the / a / an

2.4. a. Most popular nouns stand alone without an article

- Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Earth

- Asia, North America, Europe
- Switzerland, South Korea, Great Britain, Canada, China
- Seoul, Paris, Chicago
- Samsung, GM, Microsoft
- Yonsei University, NYU, Oxford
- City Hall, Posco Hall, Carnegie Hall
- Seoul Station, Incheon International, Pagoda Park, Central Park, Insa-dong
- Chess, baseball, poker, go-stop, football
Exceptions
- the Netherlands, the Philippines, the Sudan
- the Republic Of Korea (the ROK) / the Peoples Republic Of China (the PRC) / the United States of America (the
U. S. A.) / the United Kingdom (the UK)

2.4. b. General statement about plural count nouns or noncount nouns alone without the or a/an
Hong Kong movies are often violent.
Who discovered electricity? It is cheaper to advertise on radio than (on) TV.

2.4. c. Do not pout the/a/an in front of determiners or possessive adjectives

- Can I use your cell phone? / I dont need any sugar, just cream.

2.4. d. Do not use the in front of some illnesses

- Hes got AIDS / cancer / diarrhea / polio. / / /
- malaria / appendicitis / tuberculosis / /
(Cf. 2.2.c and 2.3. e)

2.4. e. Common Expressions that drop the/a/an

- go to school / college / church - I am in high school. (or college)
- Are you here on business / leave / vacation? (// ?)
- The film was shot on video / in digital.
- Time to go to bed, kids. Is he in bed already?
- I have to go to town. Is there a train station in town?
- He was sent to prison. He is in prison.

- I was (at) home all day. I brought you some clothes from home.
- What did you eat for breakfast / lunch / dinner?
- What did you talk about during breakfast / lunch / dinner?
- She cant drive at night.
- Did you come by car / bus / plane / train / boat?
- I came on foot.
- I saw it on stage / DVD / TV.
- He hasnt written me all year.
- It rained all weekend / summer / month.
- I never watch TV.

Cf. The British Say whereas Americans say

He has to go to hospital. / He has to go to the hospital.
He got out of hospital. / He got out of the hospital.
I met her in university. / I met her in college.
I graduated from university in 1990. / I graduated from college in 1990.

Chapter 12 Writing The Wrongs

12.1. Common Punctuation Errors

12. 1. j. Before a colon

Three things will make a Korean stop and stare: a fire, a flood, and a mirror.

12.1. k. Between said and a direct quote

- He wrote, Put final commas and periods within quotation marks.
- Begging for attention, You risk nuclear catastrophe, warned Kim Jong-il.

12.5. Dates and Times

(X) I will be in France in Aug.
(O) I will be in France in August.
(O) I will be in France on Aug. 25.

12. 5. a.
- On October 12, 1890, the Great Han Empire was born.
- July 2, 2006 = 2 July 2006 (O)

12. 5. b.
- From 57 B. C. to A. D. 668. = from 57 BCE to 668 CE. (O)

12. 5. c.
(O) 4:00 P. M. = 4:00 p. m. = four in the afternoon
(X) 4 in the afternoon

12.7. Capitalization
the names of people, places, businesses, religions, months, days, and holidays
seasons, dates, and common nouns.

12.7. a.
- Gore Vidal said, Every time a friend succeeds, a little part of me dies.
- Gandhi observed that a statesman cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.

12. 7. b. On titles and subheading ( )

- letter No capitalization
- (a, an, the) No capitalization (, )
- .

Collins Cobuild English Usage

4. Comma (Pg 754)

- Between items in a list, except ones separated by and or or.

We ate fish, steaks and fruit.

* The following is possible.
political, social, and economic inequality.

after a name or noun group, before a description or further information

Carlos Barral, the Spanish publisher and writer.
a broad-backed man, baldish, in a fawn coat and brown trousers.

between the name of a place and the country, state, or county it is in. Note that a comma is usually put after
the county, state, or country as well, unless it is at the end of a sentence.

There he met a young woman from Cincinnati, Ohio.

5. Optional Comma
- You can put a comma, for emphasis or precision.
- There are indeed stylistic links between my work and William Turnbulls, for instance.
- They were, in many ways, very similar in character and outlook.
- The ink, surprisingly, washed out easily.
- He is, with the possible exception of Robert de Niro, the greatest screen actor in the world.

in front of and, or, but, or yet, when giving a list or adding a clause
- This would allow the two countries to end hostilities, but neither of them seems in a mood to give way.
- remarks which shocked audiences, yet also enhanced her reputation as a woman of courage.
7. Semi-colon (;)
in formal writing to separate clauses that are closely related and could be written as separate sentences, or
that are linked by and, or, but, or yet.
- I can see no remedy for this; one cant order him to do it.
- He knew everything about me; I knew nothing about his recent life.
- He cannot easily reverse direction and bring interests rates down; yet a failure to do so would almost certainly
push the economy into recession.

between items in a list, especially if the list items are phrases or clauses, or they contain internal punctuation.
when working with the things he seemed to like: their horse, Bonnie: the cart he brought the empty bottles
home in; bits of old harness; tools and things.

8. Colon (:)
The colon is used
in front of a list or explanation
- These garments must be of natural materials: cotton, silk, wool and leather.
- Nevertheless, the main problem remained: what should be done with the two murderers?

between two main clauses that are connected, mainly in formal writing.
- It made me feel claustrophobic: what, I wonder, would happen to someone who was really unable to tolerate
being locked into such a tiny space?
- Be patient: this particular cruise has not yet been advertised.

 after introductory headings

- Cooking time: About 5 minutes.

In front of the second part of a book title.

- a volume entitled Farming and Wildlife: A Study in Compromise.
9. dash (-)
in front of a list or explanation
- The poor need simple things building materials, clothing, household goods, and agricultural implements.
- The Labor Government had just nationalized the basic industries coal, rail and road transport.
- another of Mans most basic motives commercialism.

after and in front of a group of words or a clause which adds something to the main sentence but could be
removed
- Many species will take a wide variety of food insects, eggs, nestlings, and fruit but many others will only take
the leaves of particular trees.
- Number seventeen of all things underground.

in front of an adjunct, clause, or other group of words, for emphasis

- I think Rothko was right in theory and practice.
- Let Tess help her if she wants help.
- I am beginning to regret I ever made the offer but I didnt seem to have much option at the time.
- My family didnt even know about it I didnt want anyone to know.

10. Brackets = ( ) = parenthesis

Brackets, also called parentheses, are used after and in front of a word, group of words, or clause which adds
something to the main sentence, or explains it, but could be removed.
- This is a process which Hayek (a writer who came to rather different conclusions) also observed.
- A goat should give from three to six pints (1.7 to 3.4 liters) of milk a day.
- This is more economical than providing heat and power separately (see section 3.2 below).
- In the face of unbelievable odds (the least being a full-time job!) Gladys took the six-hour exam and passed.

16. Titles and quoted phrases and 17.Italics are waiting.