Parallel Structure - Smrt Live Class with Shaun #10

Smrt English

30 Mar 201660:27

EducationalLearning

32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRIn this engaging lesson, the instructor Sean focuses on the importance of parallel structure in academic writing. He starts the class by discussing the concept of happiness, using it as a segue into the main topic. Sean explains that parallel structure involves maintaining grammatical balance between multiple ideas within a sentence, emphasizing the need to match nouns, verbs, adjectives, and other parts of speech. He uses examples to illustrate common mistakes and how to correct them, such as changing 'a good cup of coffee' to 'drinking a good cup of coffee' to maintain parallelism. The class also includes an interactive component where students are encouraged to complete sentences with their own parallel structures. Sean highlights the significance of parallel structure in thesis statements, providing a clear example and emphasizing the need for balance in academic writing. The lesson concludes with homework assignments that reinforce the concept, encouraging students to apply what they've learned in their own writing.

Takeaways

📚 The focus of the class is on improving written English, particularly in academic writing, and is applicable to all students regardless of their language background.
😊 The importance of happiness is discussed as a way to engage the class, with an interactive question about what makes individuals happy.
🎓 The class emphasizes the concept of parallel structure in sentences, explaining that ideas should be grammatically balanced for effective communication.
✅ Examples are provided to illustrate correct and incorrect uses of parallel structure, highlighting the need for matching grammatical forms in a series.
🔍 Students are encouraged to identify and correct mistakes in parallel structure through exercises, promoting active learning.
💡 Tips are given for using parallel structure in thesis statements, which is crucial for academic writing to ensure clarity and coherence.
📝 Homework assignments are provided to practice creating parallel sentences, reinforcing the lesson's concepts.
🤔 The instructor uses humor and personal anecdotes to make the lesson engaging and relatable, which can help with understanding and retention.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The value of family, coffee, and music are shared as personal happiness factors, demonstrating the use of parallel structure in a light-hearted context.
❗ Attention to detail is necessary when using words like 'both' to ensure that the elements that follow are parallel and grammatically consistent.
📈 The lesson concludes with the instructor's commitment to being available for further questions, highlighting the importance of continuous learning and support.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the class discussed in the transcript?
-The main focus of the class is on written English, specifically academic writing, and the importance of avoiding mistakes with parallel structure in sentences.
Why did the teacher start the class by discussing happiness?
-The teacher started the class by discussing happiness to engage the students and to introduce the topic of parallel structure in a light-hearted manner, using examples of things that make people happy.
What is parallel structure in grammar?
-Parallel structure in grammar refers to the use of matching grammatical forms, such as nouns with nouns, verbs with verbs, and phrases with phrases, to express a list of items or ideas in a sentence.
How does the teacher correct the sentence about the three things that make him happy?
-The teacher corrects the sentence by changing the structure of the second and third items to match the first, resulting in 'playing with my kids, drinking a good cup of coffee, and discovering new music'.
What is the mistake in the sentence 'Employees should be treated fairly and with respect'?
-The mistake is the lack of parallel structure between 'fairly', which is an adverb, and 'with respect', which is a prepositional phrase. To correct it, 'fairly' should be changed to 'respectfully' or 'with fairness' to maintain parallelism.
How does the teacher handle questions from students during the class?
-The teacher encourages students to put their questions in the chat and promises to answer them as best as possible during the class.
What is the 'mistake of the week' segment in the class?
-The 'mistake of the week' is a segment where the teacher presents a sentence with a parallel structure error and discusses how to correct it, using it as a teaching moment for the students.
What is the homework assigned by the teacher for the week?
-The homework is to answer five given questions with parallel sentences and to share them with the teacher if the students have any questions about them.
What is the importance of parallel structure in thesis statements?
-Parallel structure in thesis statements is important because it ensures that all points in the statement are grammatically consistent and balanced, which contributes to the clarity and effectiveness of the argument being presented.
How does the teacher use humor and personal anecdotes in the class?
-The teacher uses humor and personal anecdotes to create a relaxed and engaging learning environment, making the subject matter more accessible and enjoyable for the students.
What is the final message the teacher gives to the students before ending the class?
-The final message is to encourage the students to enjoy their day or night, to do the homework if they like, and to check out the Facebook page and channel for more learning resources.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Introduction and Welcome

Sean, the teacher, warmly greets the class, acknowledging both familiar and new participants. He introduces Lane, the moderator, and encourages students to ask questions throughout the class. The class focuses on written English, specifically academic writing, and will be beneficial for all students regardless of their language proficiency. Sean also lightheartedly addresses different time zones and hypothetical future viewings, and sets a positive tone by discussing happiness.

05:01

🎉 The Topic of Happiness

The class begins with a discussion on happiness, prompted by Sean sharing a personal anecdote and asking students to share what makes them happy in the chat. He uses this topic to transition into the main focus of the class, which is written English and academic writing. Sean also shares what makes him happy, including playing with his kids, enjoying coffee, and discovering new music.

10:01

📝 Focus on Parallel Structure

Sean introduces the concept of parallel structure, explaining its importance in grammatical balance within a sentence. He uses his own sentence about happiness as an example to illustrate a mistake and then demonstrates how to correct it by adjusting the grammatical structure to be parallel. The class learns that matching nouns with nouns, verbs with verbs, and so on, is crucial for clear and effective communication in academic writing.

15:03

🔍 Correcting Parallel Structure Mistakes

Sean provides more examples of sentences that are not parallel and shows how to correct them. He emphasizes the need for grammatical consistency and offers different ways to achieve parallelism. The class also discusses the sharing of prepositions between nouns and the common mistakes students make with parallel structure.

20:03

📚 Interactive Exercise

The class participates in an interactive exercise where Sean provides six sentences for students to complete with their own parallel ideas. He instructs students to share their answers in the chat and offers guidance on how to maintain grammatical parallelism. The exercise aims to give students practical experience in applying the concept of parallel structure.

25:14

🤔 Reviewing Parallel Structure Answers

Sean reviews the answers provided by students for the interactive exercise, providing feedback and corrections where necessary. He highlights common mistakes and reiterates the importance of parallel structure. The review session reinforces the lesson's concepts and helps students understand how to apply them correctly.

30:15

🌟 Applying Parallel Structure to Thesis Statements

Sean discusses the application of parallel structure to thesis statements, emphasizing its significance in academic writing. He provides an example of a well-constructed thesis statement and explains how parallelism enhances clarity and persuasiveness. The class learns that maintaining parallelism in thesis statements is crucial for effective essay writing.

35:19

📖 Homework and Closing Remarks

Sean assigns homework for the week, asking students to answer five questions using parallel sentences. He also mentions that he will be available in the chat for any questions and encourages students to share their work. Before concluding the class, Sean promotes the class's Facebook page and channel, urging students to engage with the community. The session ends on a light-hearted note, with Sean expressing his pleasure in teaching and wishing everyone well until the next class.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Parallel Structure

Parallel structure refers to the grammatical technique of balancing ideas within a sentence by using matching grammatical forms. It is a fundamental principle in English grammar that ensures clarity and coherence in writing. In the video, the teacher emphasizes the importance of parallel structure in academic writing, particularly in constructing thesis statements and lists, to maintain grammatical consistency and enhance readability. For instance, the teacher corrects the sentence 'Three things that make me happy are playing with my kids, a good cup of coffee, and when I discover new music' to maintain parallelism.

💡Academic Writing

Academic writing is a formal writing style used in scholarly and educational contexts. It is characterized by its objectivity, clarity, and precision. The video focuses on improving academic writing skills, specifically in the area of written English, and discusses how understanding parallel structure can enhance the quality of essays, theses, and other academic documents. The teacher provides examples and exercises to help students apply the concept of parallel structure in their academic writing.

💡Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is a declarative sentence that provides a central argument or point of a piece of writing. It is typically found at the end of an introductory paragraph and guides the reader through the main points that will be discussed. In the video, the teacher illustrates how to construct a parallel thesis statement, emphasizing that each point in the thesis should be grammatically parallel to the others for clarity and impact, as demonstrated in the example 'Music should be taught in school because it can develop creativity, relieve stress, and improve academic performance.'

💡Grammar Balance

Grammar balance, as discussed in the video, is the concept of ensuring that elements within a sentence are grammatically consistent with each other. This includes matching nouns with nouns, verbs with verbs, and other parts of speech with their corresponding forms. The teacher uses the analogy of balancing apples to explain the idea that all elements in a series should be of the same kind. This principle is crucial for constructing sentences that are not only grammatically correct but also aesthetically pleasing and easy to understand.

💡English as a Second Language (ESL)

English as a Second Language (ESL) refers to the teaching and learning of English by individuals whose native language is not English. In the video, the teacher addresses the challenges faced by ESL students in academic settings and provides guidance on how to improve their written English skills. The focus on parallel structure is particularly relevant for ESL students, as it helps them to produce grammatically correct and coherent academic texts, which is essential for success in English-medium educational institutions.

💡Happiness

Happiness is a mental and emotional state of well-being characterized by positive feelings and satisfaction. The video begins with a discussion on happiness, using it as an engaging introduction to the topic of parallel structure. The teacher asks participants to share what makes them happy, using this as a lead-in to the grammatical concept of parallelism. For example, the teacher's personal happiness is derived from 'playing with my kids, drinking a good cup of coffee, and discovering new music,' which are later corrected to maintain parallel structure in a sentence.

💡Adverbs and Adjectives

Adverbs and adjectives are parts of speech used to modify or describe other elements in a sentence. Adverbs typically modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, while adjectives modify nouns or pronouns. In the context of parallel structure, the video emphasizes the need to maintain consistency between these modifiers. For instance, the teacher corrects the sentence 'Employees should be treated fairly and with respect' to 'Employees should be treated fairly and respectfully' to ensure that the sentence is parallel, using two adverbs instead of an adverb followed by a prepositional phrase.

💡Prepositional Phrases

A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun, which together function as a unit within a sentence. In the video, the teacher discusses how prepositional phrases should be used with caution in parallel structures to avoid confusion and maintain grammatical consistency. An example provided is the correction of 'playing with my kids and a good cup of coffee' to avoid the implication of playing with the coffee, which is not parallel and could be misinterpreted.

💡Gerunds

A gerund is a verb form that functions as a noun by ending in '-ing' and often describes an action that is ongoing or habitual. In the video, the teacher uses gerunds to demonstrate parallel structure in sentences, such as in the corrected sentence 'Going to the dentist and speaking in public are two very common fears.' Here, the gerunds 'going' and 'speaking' are parallel, making the sentence grammatically correct and emphasizing the commonality of the fears.

💡Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement is a grammatical rule that states the verb in a sentence must agree in number with the subject. In other words, a singular subject requires a singular verb, and a plural subject requires a plural verb. The video briefly touches on this concept as part of the broader discussion on parallel structure, emphasizing the importance of grammatical correctness in academic writing. An example from the script is not directly provided, but the concept is implied in the careful construction of sentences to ensure they are grammatically sound.

💡Mistake of the Week

The 'Mistake of the Week' is a segment in the video where the teacher highlights a common grammatical error made by students, focusing on parallel structure in this instance. This segment serves as a practical example of how not to construct sentences, providing students with a clear understanding of what to avoid in their own writing. In the script, the mistake involves the incorrect use of 'both' with non-parallel structures, which the teacher corrects to 'both students and parents' to maintain parallelism.

Highlights

The class focuses on improving written English, specifically academic writing, to assist students of all language backgrounds.

The importance of happiness is discussed as a means to engage the class and relate to the topic of parallel structure.

Parallel structure is introduced as a grammatical concept that ensures balance between ideas in a sentence.

Examples of incorrect parallel structure are provided, followed by corrected versions for clarity.

The class engages students by asking them to share what makes them happy, tying into the topic of parallelism.

The teacher, Sean, shares personal anecdotes to illustrate the concept of parallel structure.

Students are encouraged to participate by typing their answers in the chat, fostering an interactive learning environment.

The concept of parallel structure is applied to common sentence mistakes, helping students identify and correct errors.

The class discusses the use of 'both' in sentences and the necessity for parallel structure when using it.

Homework is assigned to reinforce learning, asking students to answer questions using parallel sentences.

The teacher emphasizes the relevance of parallel structure in academic writing, particularly in crafting thesis statements.

Tips are given for writing effective thesis statements with parallel structure to enhance essay quality.

The class concludes with a reminder of the importance of happiness and a light-hearted approach to learning English.

The teacher invites students to join the class's Facebook page and share the learning experience with friends.

A supportive community is encouraged through the chat feature, where questions can be asked and answered after the class.

The session ends with a humorous note, maintaining the class's upbeat and positive tone.

Transcripts

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Academic Writing English Class Parallel Structure Writing Skills Interactive Learning Grammar Tips Thesis Statement Online Education Language Teaching Learning Strategies Writing Exercises