KEEP IT CLEAR
WRITER TO WRITER
SOCIAL MEDIA BRAIN SPOILAGE
VERA'S RULES
LEFTOVERS
THE ARTICULATE ONE
100
A semi-colon only separates:
1) two complete sentences with one relying on the other for complete meaning.
2) an independent clause followed by a dependent clause.
3) two sentences that are in agreement.
What is "two complete sentences with one relying on the other for complete meaning"?
100
The foundation of the essay
What is the thesis?
100
Social media & cell phones
What are the #1 contributors to lowering attention spans?
100
Using your phone in class or being on a window other than the one being discussed in class means:
1) you are being beyond disrespectful to your professor and classmates and should apologize to all.
2) you know more than your professor and classmates and therefore don't need to pay attention in class.
What is "you are being beyond disrespectful to your professor and classmates and should apologize to all."
100
The #1 vote-getter at the beginning of the semester when asked what your biggest pet peeve was.
What is hearing others chew?
100
In research and most academic and professional writing, the most preferred pronoun usage is:
1) third-person.
2) first-person.
3) first, second, and third-person mixed.
What is "third-person"?
200
Apostrophes should be used:
1) when indicating a missing letter or showing ownership.
2) when using the plural form of a noun
3) when a word ends with an 's'
What is "when indicating a missing letter or showing ownership"?
200
The elements of the Research Body Paragraph format.
What is a lead-in, quotation, citation, summary, analysis, and transition to the next source?
200
8.5 seconds now; 12 seconds in 2000; 30 minutes in 1980.
What is the average human attention span?
200
The proper way to address a professor in an email.
What is Hi Vera (me, in particular), or Hello Professor [last name]?
NOT:
1) Hey prof! How r u?
2) So in the second paragraph of my paper, you say...
200
The "animal" with a longer attention span than ours.
What is...? 
200
"Everyday," as one word, is used:
1) always.
2) when describing a noun.
3) when used after a noun.
What is "when describing a noun"?
300
In the 'red/yellow/green light' approach to punctuating a sentence, the red light choice is a:
1) comma with a coordinating conjunction.
2) period.
3) semi-colon.
What is a "period"?
300
Allowing your reader to breathe and absorb the meaning of your sentence before moving to the next.
What are TWO (that's right, 2!) spaces after a period. 
300
Average GPA of user of social media
Average GPA of non-user of social media
300
An outline.
What is absolutely essential before attempting to write any formal writing and especially a research paper!
300
The term for being fully engaged in your current experience without also being on the phone or scrolling social media at the same time.
What is mindfulness?
300
"Nowadays in my spare time I party" means that:
1) you are an alcoholic.
2) you need to get a life.
3) your use of slang will limit your prospects down the road.
What is "All of the above"?
or
What is "Your use of slang will limit your prospects down the road"?
400
The proper punctuation for the sentence below is:
1) A woman without her man is nothing.
2) A woman: without her, man is nothing.
3) A woman, without her man, is nothing.
2) A woman: Without her, man is nothing.
400
What was emphasized in this course regarding the following text:
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
What is MLK's beautiful example of parallelism.
400
The primary negative effect of a lower attention span
What is productivity?
400
Because it is the traffic signal to your reader's mind, explaining how you, the author, want your reader to interpret each grouping of words and how they all work together to deliver your message.
What is why the world collapse if punctuation disappeared?
400
The #1 contribution that can be made to humanity.
What is kindness?
400
The word "disrespect" is a:
1) noun
2) verb
3) adjective
What is a "noun"?
500
The correct placement for periods, commas, colons, semi-colons; question marks and exclamation points when using quotation marks.
What is "periods and commas are inside, colons and semi-colons are outside, and question marks and exclamation points are either, based upon their function in the sentence."
500
The main result of reading the previous 5-7 sentences before writing the next one
What is "flow," resulting in writer clarity?!
500
The Luddite Club
What is a contemporary group of teens, largely in New York City, who are actively choosing to limit or avoid smartphone and social media use?
500
"Nowadays in my spare time I party" means that:
1) you are an alcoholic.
2) you need to get a life.
3) your use of slang will limit your prospects down the road.
What is "All of the above"?
or
What is "Your use of slang will limit your prospects down the road"?
500
The biggest threat facing humankind's ability to use individual logic and reason.
What is artificial intelligence
500
1) Grammatically, what I/who is performing in a sentence.
2) Grammatically, what me/whom is performing in a sentence.
What is:
1) Performing the action of the verb?
2) Receiving the action of the verb?
600
First, second, third, firstly, secondly, thirdly, lastly, etc., thing, stuff...
What are terms used in a grocery list, but never, ever again in formal writing?
600
The term used for "In this essay I will..."
Authorial intrusion. You have lost your mind and began speaking directly to your reader, rather than simply delivering the message and letting your reader absorb the power of the information. The same applies for "my research," "in conclusion," "Now we will..."
600
219 million people worldwide
Are addicted to social media. (Townsend Recovery Center, 2024)
600
Googling stupid.
The best way to Just. Start. Researching.
600
The amount of time between 19 and 65.
What is 5 minutes?!! You just wait, you guys! It goes so quickly. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy...
600
Let's eat Grandma!
You're a bunch of cannibals, or you don't know your comma placement!