Grammar and Composition

Grammar

• Grammar focuses on the classes of words, their inflections, their functions, and the relations of words in sentences.
• It provides structure to writing and is required to communicate ideas and thoughts effectively.
• Grammar is the structural base for expression, enabling us to monitor language use. 

Composition

• Composition refers to how a writer assembles words and sentences to produce a coherent and meaningful work.
• Composition can also refer to the act of writing, the subject of a written piece, or the piece itself.
• Composition involves questions, arguments, stories, and opinions, potentially supported by sources. 

Types of Composition

• Descriptions create a representation of a person, place, or thing in concrete terms.
• A story recounts a series of facts or events by the writer to the reader in order with possible flashbacks to establish connections.
• Exposition explains a person, place, thing, or event to give it reality, an interpretation, and ideas.
• Argumentation is comparing and contrasting to persuade why one thing is better than another. 

Parts of Speech: Building Blocks of Grammar

• Parts of speech is a traditional grammar term for one of the main categories into which words are classified according to their functions in sentences.

Nouns

• Nouns name people, places, or things, and often serve as subjects in sentences.
• Singular nouns take singular verbs, while plural nouns take plural verbs.

Pronouns

• Pronouns substitute for nouns in a sentence.

Verbs

• Verbs indicate action (walk, run, write) or a state of being (be, feel, smell, seem).
• Some verbs stand alone while others are helping verbs.

Helping Verbs

• Helping verbs include forms of "do," "be," "have," and modal verbs like "shall/will," "might/must," and "can/may."
• In verb phrases, they combine with other verbs e.g., "was sleeping". 

Linking Verbs

• Linking verbs connect the subject of a sentence to a description that follows.
• Forms of "be" and verbs like "seem," "appear," "become," etc., can function as linking verbs as well. 

Adverbs

• Adverbs describe action verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs and answer questions like how, why, when, where, how much, or to what degree.

Adjectives

• Adjectives describe nouns or pronouns

Identifying Adjectives

• Adjectives typically appear right before the nouns they modify.
• In the phrase "The old clock hung upon the wall", old is the adjective.

Articles

• Articles define a noun as either specific or unspecific.
• The English language has articles: "the", "a", and "an".

Definite vs. Indefinite Articles

• Definite articles ("the") limit a noun's meaning to something particular, able to use with singular, plural, or uncountable nouns: example, "Please give me the hammer".
• Indefinite articles ("a," "an") refer to a general idea instead of a particular thing, using "a" before consonant sounds and "an" before vowel sounds. 

Prepositions

• Prepositions are words or phrases used before a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to indicate direction, time, place, location, or spatial relationships. 

Prepositions of Time

• "In," "at," and "on" can refer to a point in time.
• Use "in"  parts of the day and with months, years, and seasons, without specific times like "He reads in the evening".
• Use "at" with daytime and noon, night, and midnight, example "I go to work at 8:00".
• Use "on" with days- Example "I work on Saturdays". 

Prepositions of Place

• "In" indicates something is in a point, "at" indicates its general vicinity, "on" indicates the surface, and "inside" implies something is contained- Example: "They will meet in the lunchroom".

Prepositions of Location

• Prepositions of location include in,at, and on" with examples Walden University, 2021
• In (an area or volume): They live in the country.
• At (a point): She will find him at the library.
• On (a surface): There is a lot of dirt on the window.

Conjunctions

• Conjunctions link words, phrases, or clauses and enables the writer to form complex, elegant sentences

Coordinating Conjunctions

• Coordinating conjunctions join words, phrases, and clauses of equal grammatical importance by using the mnemonic device FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so).

Interjections

• Interjections are words or phrases that are grammatically independent and express feeling rather than meaning.
• In writing, interjections are followed by an exclamation point and sometimes a comma if it’s part of a sentence.

Reports Defined

• A report is a detailed account of an event or situation, usually based on observation or inquiry and organized around identifying and examining issues or findings.

Report Writing

• Report writing is a communication tool for people to express their thoughts and ideas and obtain what they need.

Reporting

• Reporting involves knowingly passing along information to someone else.

Reasons/Purposes of Writing Reports

• Reports provide a permanent record of activities and preserve information, and are essential data.
• They aid top level intelligence experts in the interpretation and analysis of information, coordinating activities, and serving as a competent authority references.

Prerequisites for Good Reporting

• Prerequisites involved precise understanding of the assignment, the ability to find the desired information, collect and retain information accurately and in detail, and to transmit collected information quickly.

Criteria/Standards for Reports

• Reports should avoid vague terms, be original and grammatically correct, use abbreviations appropriately, avoid slang, eliminate erasures, ensure duplicate copies are clear, and remain factual without bias or prejudice.

Core Questions for Reports

• Complete reports address the questions who, what, when, where, why, and how.

Characteristics of a Solid Report

• Good reports are pertinent, accurate, complete, and clearly phrased.
• Also, they are concise, unbiased, and timely. 

Types of Reports

• Formal reports are carefully structured, objective, and detailed.
• Informal reports are short messages that use natural language to provide information to employees.

Formal Report Outline

• Follow a basic structure and contain the following elements, a title page, an abstract with 100 to 200 words and a Table of contents to cover the main topics.

Elements of the Introduction

• The introduction component consists of the background leading to events, its purpose for the project objectives, and the scope for any limitations that may be imposed on the project.

Body

• The body can vary with the type of report, addressing the core questions. 

Memorandum Reports

• Internal memorandums can be informal reports.
• A short document that gives insight on internal employees.

Parts of an Informal Report

• The report will contain the front matter of an introduction, body with conclusions and recommendations, plus back matter such as the appendix and or references with a glossary.

Parts of a Formal Report

• The formal report will contain the front matter with cover, title page, letter of transmittal, table of contents and executive summary.

Report Length

• Two-page reports or memorandums are short and a report of 30 pages is long. 

Short Report

• In short reports, relevant data is organized by topic for daily company analysis, involving routines related to duty with very minor notice. 

Informational Reports 

• Informational reports, like monthly financial reports, and reports on employee absenteeism, provide impartial information between sections of organizations. 

Analytical Reports

• Analytical reports (i.e., scientific research or feasibility reports) attempt to solve problems.

Contrasting Report Types

• Informational reports supply facts and data, while analytical reports incorporate analysis, interpretation, and recommendations.

Proposal Report

• The proposal report is a variation of the problem-solving report that can meet the needs of many organizations.

Vertical vs. Lateral Reports

• Vertical reports progress up or down the hierarchy, and lateral reports help coordinate.

Internal vs. External Reports

• Internal reports stay within an organization, while external reports (like annual reports) are prepared for wider circulation.

Periodic Reports

• Periodic (or project) reports, otherwise known as status reports, give project details. 

Functional Reports 

• Functional reports (accounting, marketing, financial) track key operational aspects to see problems and solutions.

Elements of Reports

• Reports require adjusting to audience needs and respecting guidelines. 
• Key elements are the subject studied, what was done and the results, where and when study happened, why report was written, how subject operated or was used.

Starting a Paragraph

• Start a new paragraph for new ideas, to contrast information, or when beginning/ending sections. 

Radio Codes and Phonetics

• To maintain the integrity of police operations, passwords, call signs, radio nets, authentication, and standard codes were emphasized.

Radio Codes Communication

• Radio codes enable radio users to communicate quickly and clearly under challenging circumstances and is a way to make shorten communications. 

Protocol

• When using terminology, make sure everyone knows which terminology is being used and what it means in advance.

Radio Communication Terms

• "Roger that" means message received and understood.
• "Roger so far" confirms understanding during a long message.
• "Affirmative" equals yes, and "negative" means no.
• "Come in" asks if someone can hear you.
• "Go ahead" indicates readiness to receive a message.
• "Say again" requests repeating a message; "Say all before/after" requests repeating a phrase and "over" signifies a message is finished and requires a response.
• "Out" signals conversation end. 
• "Radio check" is asking for my signal strength. 
• "Read you loud and clear" means the transmission signal is good.
• "Wilco" means "I will comply".
• "Break, break" interrupts for urgent communication.
• "Emergency, emergency" indicates imminent danger to life and is a distress call.
• "Stand by" asks to for a brief moment.
• “Wait out”- Expect a longer waiting period.
• "I spell" tells the next word is spelled with phonetics.

Patterns in Reports

• Though reports are the same, the organizing pattern will differ depending on the audience, purpose and the content of the report says Smith “2018”
• Direct approach- It's a report that gives the main idea as the main purpose
• Indirect Approach- Contain sensitive, debatable information or controversial report is when the audience must be educated, its facts and figures that are to support your data is needed.

Investigation

• Investigation will provide the facts for ones accomplishment for a threefold and who it is.

Criminal Investigation

• Criminal Investigation it involves the identity and location plus evidence for ones guilt.

Six Cardinal Points

• Six Cardinal Points is to perform what you need for the point of investigation.

Investigate Reporting

• Investigative reporting is a statement of the investigative findings, and the reports are commissioned immediately.

Investigative Report Writing

• Investigative Report Writing The Five Basic Steps by using acronyms to acknowledge them.
• This acronym is known as GROWE.