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Start-Up Activity
Ask your students what a mechanic does for a living. You'll probably get answers such as "works on cars" or "fixes machines." That's because mechanics deal with the way machines are put together.
In language, mechanics refers to how words are put together: capitalization, numbers, plurals, and abbreviations. These are the "nuts and bolts" of language. When students learn to fix the mechanics of their writing, they can tune up their work to make it well-oiled and efficient.
Think About It
"People say writing is really hard. That's very unfair to those who are doing real jobs. People who work in the fields or fix roofs, engineers, or car mechanics. I think lying on your back working under an oily car—that's a job."
—Paul Theroux
Related Minilesson:
443
Start-Up Activity
Ask your students what a mechanic does for a living. You'll probably get answers such as "works on cars" or "fixes machines." That's because mechanics deal with the way machines are put together.
In language, mechanics refers to how words are put together: capitalization, numbers, plurals, and abbreviations. These are the "nuts and bolts" of language. When students learn to fix the mechanics of their writing, they can tune up their work to make it well-oiled and efficient.
Think About It
"People say writing is really hard. That's very unfair to those who are doing real jobs. People who work in the fields or fix roofs, engineers, or car mechanics. I think lying on your back working under an oily car—that's a job."
—Paul Theroux
Related Minilesson:
