Footnoting
You must provide a complete footnote any time that you are referring to a source that is not one of our principal texts in 8th grade English. The purpose of a footnote is to inform your reader where he or she can find the source that you are citing.
Follow the parenthetical style of footnoting. That is, after you have presented the information, cite the last name of the author(s) and the date in parentheses. At the end of your paper, provide a "References Cited" list.
In citing sources from the internet, provide the complete url (http:/ etc.).
Example:
In his Second Treatise on Government, John Locke argues that when a tyrant oppresses his people, he ceases to become their ruler. In such a case, as explained by Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey, "the people thus have a natural right to defend themselves against his aggression" (Strauss and Cropsey 1963, p. 471).
Reference List
Strauss, Leo, and Cropsey, Joseph, eds., History of Political Philosophy (Chicago, Illinois: the University of Chicago Press, 1963).
[Note: The reference list cites the author(s) by last name first, title of the book, place of publication, publisher, and date of publication.]
In citing magazines or newspaper articles, cite the author(s), title of article, name of magazine or newspaper, and date. If there is no author(s) given in the byline, you obviously cannot cite the author(s).
Failure to cite a source from whom you have borrowed an idea or phrasing is an act of severe academic dishonesty. At Collegiate we take such acts very seriously.
If you have any question about the form of footnote or reference list to use, be sure to ask your teacher.
During the spring term when we work on the Dante projects (more of which later), you will receive more specific, detailed directions about footnoting and reference lists.
Comma Rules
1. Join two complete thoughts with a comma before a conjunction (and, but, so).
He was satisfied by his idea, and with that he set to form a name for himself so that his new creations might call him something.
He was yelling and telling the planets to stop, but the words he spoke turned into fire and burned his throat.
As a result, her perception of men turned horrible, and that's one of the reasons that she wanted so much freedom for women.
And Moses came down and saw this, and he shattered the tablets upon the ground.
God made a covenant with Adam and Eve, and it was broken, so God must make a new covenant with his people.
When they eat the fruit, their eyes will be opened, and they will see the light, just as God does.
2. Complete thoughts joined by certain words ("therefore," "thus," "consequently," "however") take a semicolon before the conjoining word and a comma after the word.
God was just a lad, and he didn't know how to use his power; thus, he couldn't create anything.
The men around him wore togas; however, they were torn or dirty.
3. Place a comma after an introductory phrase or clause more than a few words long. Always place a comma after an introductory adverbial clause--a set of words with a subject and verb that do not express a complete thought, but rather serve to modify the verb, answering questions like "when," "where," and "why."
Although to the French Napoleon was a great hero, he was removed from power after he lost at Waterloo and lost his public appeal.
When Isaac was on his death bed, he told Esau to fix him a last meal.
4. Use commas to set off quotations. (You can also use a colon to introduce a quotation.)
"But look at these people who throw themselves at you," Guam replied, and the people of the earth shouted simultaneously: "Let us be beside you and worship you, for you are our master, and we are your servants."
5. Use commas to set off interruptive phrases or clauses. (These interruptive phrases are clauses are sometimes called "non-restrictive," sometimes called "non-essential," sometimes called "parenthetical expressions, and sometimes called "appositives.")
The director of the play, however, may alter the conduct of these commoners to change the mood of the scenes.
Most people, myself included, would have killed Hitler.
Big noses, mixed with ugly skin and insincere faces, make the plebeians look like ogres.
Eve, who is strongly persuaded by the serpent, eats from the forbidden tree.
Aaron, who is a fine craftsman, constructs the golden calf.
Pronoun Number Agreement (PN)
A pronoun must agree in number with its antecedent-the word to which the pronoun refers.
Certain pronouns (anyone, anybody, everyone, everybody, each) are singular.
Before one goes about saying that political assassination is justifiable, they [one, he or she] have to rememberŠ
Besides, what gives you or anyone else the right to judge a person and decide their [his/her] fate?
Either impeachment or exile is a way to remove a tyrant from power without killing them [him].
Not everybody deserves to die just because they [he] is not perfect.
Subject/Verb Agreement (S/V)
A verb must agree with its subject, not with any intervening words.
Certain pronouns (anyone, anybody, everyone, everybody, each) are singular.
Anybody who believes that Caesar should have been assassinated is wrong.
Before long, the whole crowd of plebeians is screaming.
It is clear that their wordiness and the words they blurt out are in favor of Marc Antony.
In the case of correlative (neither/nor, either/or, both/and) the verb agrees with the subject closest to the verb.
Either George Steinbrenner or all of his players are going to revolt.
Either all of the Yankee players or George Steinbrenner is going to revolt.
In the case of a "There" statement, the verb agrees with the subject that follows the verb.
In the past, there has [have] been several political assassinations both in this country and in the world.
Pronoun Case Agreement (PC)
Use the nominative case (I, he, she, we, they) if the pronoun is used in a sentence as a subject or predicate nominative. (Note: a "predicate nominative" is a word or phrase that follows a "to be" or "linking" verb. You can tell a predicate nominative if the following equation holds true: subject = predicate nominative. The subject and predicate nominative are interchangeable.
One good example of this is when Brutus and him [he] are walking up the steps.
The student who always tries hard is him [he] who succeeds. [student = he]
Use the objective case (me, him, her, us, them) if the pronoun is used in a sentence as a direct object, indirect object, or object of the preposition.
We threw him across the room. [direct object]
We threw him the ball. [indirect object]
We threw the ball to him. [object of the preposition]
Special case: "who" and "whom" as relative pronouns (pronouns that introduce adjective clauses that modify a noun).
BEALL'S 4-STEP GUARANTEED SOLUTION.
Place brackets around the adjective clause introduced by "who" or "whom." Find the verb within the adjective clause. If "who" or "whom" is the subject of the verb, use "who," the nominative case. If "who" or "whom" is the direct object of the verb or the object of a preposition, use "whom," the objective case.
BISGAARD'S 2-STEP SIMPLER SOLUTION
Place brackets around the adjective clause introduced by "who" or "whom." If "he" or "they" sounds better, choose "who." If "him" or "them" sounds better, choose "whom."
No matter (who, whom) assassins kill or for what reason, they are still taking someone's life.
Usage
Like/as
Use "like" as a preposition, not as a subordinate conjunction. "As" is the appropriate subordinate conjunction, a word that introduces an adverbial clause.
He should have been removed from office like [as] the senators plotting against him did.
The '53 Cassius delivers his lines just as [like] any other lines he says throughout the play. He does not act like [as] one would normally act in that situation.
Affect/effect
As a verb "affect" means "to influence"; as a verb "effect" means "to produce a change."
Than/then
"Than" expresses a comparison (I like better Shakespeare's plays better than Feydeau's). "Then" usually refers to a point in time (After the game is over, then we'll leave).