FCSS 1210 Lecture 8 Writing & Communication Skills PDF

Writing & Communication Skills for family & community social services FCSS 1210 Lecture 8  What we will talk about… 1. Writing in the Human Services a) Clinical Writing b) Documentation c) Assessments 2. Punctuation a) The possessive b) Using commas c) Pa...

Writing & Communication Skills for family & community social services FCSS 1210 Lecture 8  What we will talk about… 1. Writing in the Human Services a) Clinical Writing b) Documentation c) Assessments 2. Punctuation a) The possessive b) Using commas c) Parenthesis d) Correctly and incorrectly joining clauses together Writing in the Human Services Ethical Considerations Writing in the Human Services Documentation Writing in the Human Services Assessments  Writing Up an Assessment Rich, detailed data, collected via open-ended interviews, documents, and observing context/ecology of client Interview may cover a schedule of question categories Other professionals’ input needed? Goals should be Client Centered: – Determine the problem – Find solutions Can share assessment with client as intervention (assessment ongoing process)  Purpose of assessment? Who are you writing it for (i.e. representing an agency; advocating for a client; implementing a service)? Client-centeredness Self-reflection – what are my beliefs, goals, biases vs. what is possibly best for the client? Punctuation 1. The possessive Elementary Rules of Punctuation Usage 1. Form the possessive singular of nouns with ’s. Charles's friend Burns's poems the witch's malice Exceptions: ancient proper names; Jesus’; “for conscience’ sake”; Such forms as Achilles’ heel, Moses’ laws, Isis’ temple replaced by: the heel of Achilles the laws of Moses the temple of Isis 1. The possessive Elementary Rules of Punctuation Usage 1. Form the possessive singular of nouns with ’s. Possessive pronouns—no apostrophe: Hers, its, theirs, yours, oneself 2. Using commas Elementary Rules of Punctuation Usage Comma usage: In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last (the Oxford comma): red, white, and blue honest, energetic, but headstrong He opened the letter, read it, and made a note of its contents. In the names of business firms the last comma is omitted: Brown, Shipley and Company The abbreviation etc.: always preceded by a comma. 2. Using commas The “Oxford” or Serial Comma To my parents, Ayn Rand and God. X To my parents, Ayn Rand, and God. √ To God, Ayn Rand and my parents. √ 2. Using commas The “Oxford” or Serial Comma Consider also: My usual breakfast is coffee, bacon and eggs and toast. Are we talking about: Coffee Bacon and eggs Toast Or: Coffee Bacon Eggs and toast 3. Parenthesis Elementary Rules of Punctuation Usage 3. Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas. The best way to see a country, unless you are pressed for time, is to travel on foot. Don’t write: Marjorie's husband, Colonel Nelson paid us a visit yesterday. X Or My brother you will be pleased to hear, is now in perfect health. X 3. Parenthesis Elementary Rules of Punctuation Usage Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas. Non-restrictive relative clauses are, in accordance with this rule, set off by commas, but not restrictive clauses. Non restrictive: The audience, which had at first been indifferent, became more and more interested. Restrictive: All students who do their work should pass easily. 3. Parenthesis Elementary Rules of Punctuation Usage 3. Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas. Similar clauses introduced by where and when are similarly punctuated. In 1769, when Napoleon was born, Corsica had but recently been acquired by France. Nether Stowey, where Coleridge wrote The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, is a few miles from Bridgewater. Alternative ways of constructing these ideas: Napoleon was born in 1769. At that time Corsica had but recently been acquired by France. Coleridge wrote The Rime of the Ancient Mariner at Nether Stowey. Nether Stowey is only a few miles from Bridgewater. 3. Parenthesis Elementary Rules of Punctuation Usage Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas. Restrictive relative clauses are not set off by commas. The candidate who best meets these requirements will obtain the place. Comma comes before a conjunction: He saw us coming, and unaware that we had learned of his treachery, greeted us with a smile. 3. Parenthesis Parenthesis using commas, brackets, or dashes Try reading each example with the parenthesis removed. It should still make sense. Jamie Buxton, who fainted in church during his wedding, apologized to his wife by booking two tickets to New York. (The parentheses chosen by the writer were commas. However, brackets or dashes could equally have been used.) At midnight last night, Skip (a guard dog for Bonds Ltd in Bury) hospitalized two burglars before returning to eat the steaks they had thrown him. (The writer has chosen brackets, because there is already a comma in the sentence.) Dave Jenkins’s best friend, Adam Wright-Smith, stabbed him through the heart whilst testing a knife-proof jacket; Dave is expected to make a full recovery. (The writer has chosen commas, possibly because there are already two hyphens in the sentence, and dashes look similar to hyphens.) The staggering sum – up from 25 million 5 years ago – is being paid out in too many ludicrous cases which is making a laughing stock of the Ministry of Defense. Dashes used for parenthesis (newspaper article) 4. Correctly and incorrectly joining clauses together Elementary Rules of Punctuation Usage Place a comma before and or but introducing an independent clause. The early records of the city have disappeared, and the story of its first years can no longer be reconstructed. The situation is perilous, but there is still one chance of escape. The two sentences might be rewritten: As the early records of the city have disappeared, the story of its first years can no longer be reconstructed. Although the situation is perilous, there is still one chance of escape. 4. Correctly and incorrectly joining clauses together Elementary Rules of Punctuation Usage Place a comma before and or but introducing an independent clause. Or the subordinate clauses might be replaced by phrases: Owing to the disappearance of the early records of the city, the story of its first years can no longer be reconstructed. In this perilous situation, there is still one chance of escape. 4. Correctly and incorrectly joining clauses together Elementary Rules of Punctuation Usage Do not join independent clauses by a comma. If two or more clauses, grammatically complete and not joined by a conjunction, are to form a single compound sentence, the proper mark of punctuation is a semicolon. Stevenson's romances are entertaining; they are full of exciting adventures. It is nearly half past five; we cannot reach town before dark. It is of course equally correct to write the above as two sentences each, replacing the semicolons by periods. Stevenson's romances are entertaining. They are full of exciting adventures. It is nearly half past five. We cannot reach town before dark. If a conjunction is inserted, the proper mark is a comma. Stevenson's romances are entertaining, for they are full of exciting adventures. It is nearly half past five, and we cannot reach town before dark. In a sentence made up of two independent clauses, if the second clause is preceded by an adverb, such as accordingly, besides, so, then, therefore, or thus, and not by a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, or yet), the semicolon is still required. I had never been in the place before; thus, I had difficulty in finding my way about. 4. Correctly and incorrectly joining clauses together Elementary Rules of Punctuation Usage Do not join independent clauses by a comma. Omit the word so, and begin the first clause with as: I had never been in the place before, I had difficulty in finding my way about. [WRONG] As I had never been in the place before, I had difficulty in finding my way about. If the clauses are very short, and are alike in form, a comma is usually permissible: Man proposes, God disposes. The gate swung apart, the bridge fell, the portcullis was drawn up. 4. Correctly and incorrectly joining clauses together Elementary Rules of Punctuation Usage 6. Do not break sentences in two. In other words, do not use periods for commas. I met them on a Cunard liner several years ago. Coming home from Liverpool to New York. [WRONG] I met them on a Cunard liner several years ago, coming home from Liverpool to New York. He was an interesting talker. A man who had traveled all over the world, and lived in half a dozen countries. [WRONG] He was an interesting talker, a man who had traveled all over the world, and lived in half a dozen countries. Emphatic word or phrase can stand alone, sometimes: Again and again he called out. No reply.