“Words can be like X-rays, if you use them properly...

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“Words can be like X-rays, if you use them properly -- they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced. That’s one of the things I try to teach my

students -- how to write piercingly...”Helmholtz Watson in Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

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Table of Contents

Mission Statement .......................................................................................................The Writing Process ....................................................................................................Guidelines for Writing Formal Essays ........................................................................Wisconsin Writing Standards ......................................................................................Abbreviated Style Sheet for Writing Essays and Composing Speeches ....................Step-Up-to-Writing Practices ......................................................................................EASD Paragraph Structure...........................................................................................Paragraph Outline ........................................................................................................Checklist for Expository and Persuasive Essays .........................................................Character Analysis Essay ............................................................................................Comparative Analysis Essay .......................................................................................Dialogue Samples ........................................................................................................Dialogue Rules ............................................................................................................“13” Self-Edit Hints.....................................................................................................Incorporating Quotations ............................................................................................ Notetaking Overview ..................................................................................................Guide to Notetaking ....................................................................................................Literary Terms to Know ..............................................................................................Comma Rules ..............................................................................................................Essay Patterns ..............................................................................................................Imaginative Writing .....................................................................................................Short Story Writing .....................................................................................................Short Story Graph .......................................................................................................Drama Terms ............................................................................................................... Rubrics ........................................................................................................................Step-Up-to-Writing Conceptual Map ..........................................................................Plagiarism Reminders .................................................................................................Using the Internet Successfully ...................................................................................

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I can’t write today because I lost my pencil.

I can’t write today because I feel sick.

I can’t write today because my parakeet died.

I can’t write today because I wrote yesterday.

I can’t write today because my fingers are sore.

I can’t write today because my chair squeaks.

I can’t write today because I can’t think of anything to say.

I can’t write today because I don’t feel like it.

I can’t write today because it’s almost time for lunch.

I can’t write today because I’d rather draw.

I can’t write today because I didn’t have any breakfast.

I can’t write today because I ripped my paper.

I can’t write today because my hands are dirty.

I can’t write today because I can’t spell.

I can’t write today because I can’t see the board.

I can’t write today because it’s too noisy.

I can’t write today because I hate writing.

I can’t write today because somebody will copy me.

I can’t write today because I couldn’t get my locker open.

I can’t write today because I have to go to the bathroom.

I can’t write today because the sun is in my eyes.

I can’t write today because there’s no more room on my paper.

Robin Staudt

Ode to the Reluctant WriterOde to the Reluctant Writer

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EAHS Writing HandbookMission Statement

--to collaborate professionally as a way by which to

learn more about

writing instruction

--to compile handouts such as the Wisconsin Writing

Standards, CRISS Strategies, the WKCE and Step-Up-

to-Writing Rubrics, and to devise handouts on

techniques and strategies that lead to

successful writing

--to make this handbook concise, practical and useable

for students and faculty, alike

2009-10

Compiled by:lisa dettmann

susan KapanKe

sue Reagan

Prewriting Considerations:What is my subject / topic / issue?Who is my audience? Who will be reading my thoughts?What is my purpose: to explain? to narrate? to describe? to persuade?What is my attitude / perspective / viewpoint to-ward my topic?What tone will I take to achieve my pur-pose? wistful, nostalgic, poignant, ironic, satiric,sardonic, confidential, objectiveHow will I plan my essay? outlining, webbing

Diction / Word choiceActive vs Passive Voice Verbs (Am I using action verbs?)Consistent Verb Tense

Kinds of Sentences and Sentence Structure How will I use: simple, compound, complex and compound-complex sentences? to show the relationship between my ideas to achieve variety to achieve best effect—emphasis or dramaHow can I “embed” my sentences by using branching techniques?(Have I varied the length of my sentences?)

There are four “things” you can do with a sen-tence: -Expand it -Reduce it -Substitute a different sentence -Re-arrange it (move it around in the essay)

Usage SkillsWordiness / Conciseness (Have I avoided re-dundancy but used repetition of key words for effect?)Parallel StructurePronoun-Antecedent AgreementPronoun Usage

MechanicsCheck the Style Sheet

Rhetorical PatternsWhat writing structures will help me achieve my purpose with my audience?-Narration-Description-Process Analysis (How something works / How something is done?)-Exemplification / Illustration (examples)-Comparative Analysis (Comparing / Contrasting) Will I use the block or the alternating pattern?-Causal Analysis (Cause / Effect): Causal chains; Proximate and Remote causes; Main and Contributory Causes-Classification and Division-Definition-Analogy-Persuasion

Review the EAHS Writing Rubric

The Writing Process

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Formatting:

1. Use one-inch (1”) margins ALL is double-spaced Use 12 Font Follow correct MLA format

2. Any number that can be written in two or less words should be written out (MLA) or any number less than eleven should be written in words. (Journalism and Business)

3. Correct MLA documentation must be pro-vided for information that is not original to the student.

4. Do not list; every idea must be in sentence form

Usage:

5. Italicize ALL book / novel titles and titles of epics; surround short story and poetry titles in quotation marks. Novel: To Kill a Mockingbird Plays / Dramas: Romeo and Juliet; Hamlet; Short stories / Poems: “The Cask of Amontil-lado; “Annabel Lee”

6. Do not use the first person “I.” (Unless a personal response, anecdote or narrative justi-fies “I, me, my, mine.”

7. Do not begin declarative sentences with “I think,” “I feel,” I believe,” “In my opinion.”

8. Do not use the second person “you.”

9. Avoid beginning sentences with “There is / There are; Here is / Here are”

10. Avoid “wishy-washy” words such as: really, real, “and like,” “kind of,” “sort of,” nice,

Guidelines for Writing Formal Essays

things, stuff, gonna, badly; these are meaningless

11. Do not use the word PRETTY unless you mean attractive; “pretty” is an adjective—“a pretty girl”—not an adverb—“I was pretty mad at my teacher when she penalized my speech because I had used ‘pretty’ incorrectly. Other examples of errors are: “pretty sad,” “pretty tense,” “pretty tired,” pretty scared”

12. Do not write “could of,” “would of,” “should of,” etc. The correct expressions are: could have, would have, should have.

13. Learn the difference between there, their and they’re (they are).

14. Pronoun-antecedent agreement cause inexperienced writers a lot of errors. Just remem-ber that pronouns must agree with their anteced-ents in number, person and sex. What follows is the list of Singular Indefinite Pronouns; memorize these:

15. All formal papers must be written in a con-sistent verb tense.

16. Avoid contractions and abbreviations.

17. A lot is two words.

18. Avoid ending phrases or sentences with prepositions.

another anything everybody neither one

anybody each everyone nobody somebody

anyone either everything no one someone

Organization:

19. No paragraph should be less than five sentences.

20. Every sentence in a paragraph should relate directly to its topic sentence and every topic sentence should relate directly to the thesis statement (Unity).

Mechanics:

* 21. Learn to use, and do not forget the pos-sessive apostrophe: The apostrophe is used with nouns to show possession or ownership: Mrs. Taylor’s bracelet; Adam’s lunch;

The apostrophe is also used to show the following: Close relationship: John’s father; Mary’s boyfriend, Sam’s pet

Source of origin: Becky’s suggestion; Mother’s decision

Identifying characteristics: Jerry’s strength; Katie’s grace; Jane’s friendliness

* from The Macmillan English Series, Pollock, et. al., The Macmillan Company, 1964

• B.12.1 Create or produce writing to

communicate with different audiences

for a variety of purposes.

• B.12.2 Plan, revise, edit, and publish

clear and effective writing.

• B.12.3 Understand the function of

various forms, structures, and punctua-

tion marks of standard American English

and use them appropriately in oral and

written communications.

• C.12.3 Participate effectively in dis-

cussion.

• E.12.1 Use computers to acquire,

organize, analyze and communicate

information.

• F. 12.1 Conduct research and inquiry

of self-selected or assigned topics, is-

sues, or problems and use an appropri-

ate form to communicate their findings.

WisconsinWriting

Standards

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Abbreviated Style Sheet for Writing Essays and for Composing Speeches

1. Fiction: Italicize all novel titles and titles of epics; surround the titles of short stories and poems with quotation marks. Novel: A Tale of Two Cities; the Odyssey Italicize the titles of plays: Romeo and Juliet; Hamlet Use quotation marks for short stories: “The Cask of Amontillado” and poems: “anyone lived in a pretty how town”

Nonfiction: Italicize the titles of books: A Handbook to Literature; Writers Inc

Italicize the titles of magazines or newspapers: Smithsonian magazine; the Elkhorn Independent

Use quotation marks for the titles of magazine and newspaper articles: “Beasts on High, the Stone Carvers’ Art” (an article written by Robert Llewellyn and published in the February 2000 issue of Smithsonian magazine)

Numbers two and three below—Speak or write universally rather than personally which means to avoid I and you unless the directions specify otherwise or the assignment warrants; for example, a personal narra-tive. Read on:

2. Do not use second person pronoun (you) unless referring specifically to the instructor. Comments to the instructor should be separate from your paper; for example, “I hope you understand what I mean, here.”

3. Do not use first person (I ) unless your assignment is to write a personal narrative or if you are using an anecdote (a true story) as a method of support for a main idea or for an attention device in certain kinds of essays or speeches (persuasive, for example). Do not begin declarative sentences with “I think”,“I believe,” “ in my opinion”, “I feel”….See #38

4. Pronouns such as they and them should not be used without antecedents—the proper nouns or pronouns to which these words refer.

5. Unless it is for effect or if you are a ‘professional’ writer and know you’re breaking the rule, do not start a sentence with AND 6. Do not use the verbs “get” and “got.” (See example in number 7).

7. Avoid ending sentences, questions, clauses and phrases with prepositions. Incorrect: “Who did you (get, receive) this gift from? Correct: “From whom did you (get, receive) this gift?

8. Avoid trite phrases / clichés; here are some examples from THE LIVELY ART OF WRITING by Lucille Payne:

as luck would have it green with envy untold agonybetter late than never last but not least words cannot expressbitter end Mother Naturedepths of despair needless to sayeasier said than done rich and varied experiencefestive occasion ripe old agefew and far between sadder but wiser finer things in life slow but sure

9. Do not use contractions in formal papers. The only words that should haveapostrophes are those which indicate possession— example: Miss Kapanke’s classroom.

10. If your instructor allows you to use the abbreviation for “and so forth,” it is spelled ETC. Do not use AND when you use ETC.

11. Do not use the symbol & in formal papers—write out the word “and.”

12. Do not use the word PRETTY unless you mean attractive; “pretty” is anadjective—“a pretty girl”—not an adverb—“ I was pretty mad at my teacher when she penalized my speech because I had used ‘pretty’ incorrectly.” Other examples of errors: “pretty sad,” “ pretty tense,” “pretty scared”

13. Do not use the following expressions: really, real, “and like” kind of, sort of, nice, things, stuff, gonna, badly; these are meaningless.

14. There is no such thing as ALOT—A LOT is two words.

15. Speaking of #14, avoid beginning sentences with “There are,” There were,”“Here were,” “Here are…” because these phrases force more use of passive voice. (See #16).

16. Use the active voice (action verbs) more often than passive voice (linking verbs) Action—“I threw the ball.” Passive—“The ball was thrown at me.” Use a strong active voice for clear, direct assertions. In general, active / action verbs are more effective than passive ones, for active verbs give your writing a simpler and more vigorous style, and active-voice sentences create a direct, lively link between the subject and the reader. .

17. Do not write “could of,” “would of,” etc. These expressions are “could have,”“would have,” etc.

18. Please learn the difference between there, their, and they’re.

19. Unless you need a fragment for dramatic effect, please be sure all sentences havea naming part (subject) and a telling part (main verb).

20. Remember that it is far, far better to have two short sentences than one long groupof words which is a meaningless run-on. The way (s) by which you express and combine ideas in sentences reflects your intelligence and your writing style.

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Sentence structure (syntax) also determines, to a large extent, how effective you are as a writer or speaker. You owe it to yourself (your reputation, your learning,your grade) to understand simple, compound, complex and compound-complexsentences.

21. Each one of you should invest in a good paperback dictionary and thesaurus and never write a single word without those books beside you. Take the time to look up words which are unfamiliar or which you don’t know how to spell. Take the time to look up these words even if you care only slightly about your grade. SPELLING ERRORS ARE INEXCUSABLE ERRORS.

22. You have been taught to admit the validity or worth of your opponent’s arguments in persuasive speaking or writing. DO NOT, however, GIVE EQUAL EMPHASIS both to the arguments in support of your position and to those against it. Quickly acknowledge the strengths of your opponent, but the major portion of the body of a paragraph or essay must develop YOUR position.*

23. Do not weaken an opinion paper by hedging and contradicting an opinion once stated. State it, support it and then conclude.

24. On any formal paper, writing is done only on one side of the page, and written inblack or blue ink. Red, green, purple, turquoise and lead pencil are your teacher’s choices.

25. If you are writing a literary analysis, please take care to spell the title, the author’s name, and the characters’ names correctly; otherwise, you look like an absolute idiot.

26. Proofread what you have written once silently, then proofread it aloud. Then, have someone else read it and give you suggestions. Finally, read it one moretime before submitting it to your instructor.

27. In making reference to secondary sources (authorities whom you cited tosubstantiate your opinion), it is disrespectful to refer to authors of primary orsecondary sources by their first name; you do not know them personally.

28. Do not begin sentences with “well” and “so you can see” or end sentences with”now you know why….” etc. Do NOT tell the reader what he or she should haveunderstood. Let him understand your ideas by your excellent writing.

29. Use consistent verb tense; do not switch verb tense; for example, beginning a narration in past tense and switching to present tense. 30. Learn the correct cases or forms of the personal pronouns—when to use I and when to use me; when to use she and when to use her; when to use they and when to use them, etc.

31. Pronoun usage (see 30) and pronoun-antecedent agreement cause inexperienced writers a lot of errors. Just remember that pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number, person and sex.

32. Do not split infinitives; “to correctly proofread” is incorrect. This should be expressed, “to proofread correctly” or “correctly to proofread.”

33. Learn parallel structure and incorporate it in your speaking and writing. A good example is #21 above. Parallel structure is placing ideas in a series in the same syntactical or sentence structure. (The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines ‘syntax’ as the way in which words are put together to form phrases, clauses or sentences.)

34. The best place for “however,” “therefore,” and other conjunctive adverbs is “tucked-in;” that is, between two independent clauses in a compound sentence as ‘that is’ shows in this example, or following a subject or following a main verb.

35. In a contrary-to-fact clause or in an “if’ clause, use subjunctive mood—“were” rather than “was.” Here’s an example: If I were she, I’d study a foreign language.

36. Use the words “who” or “whom” to refer to people; do not use the word “that.”

37. Use commas with subordinators only when the subordinator begins the sentence as a clause indicator. For example, “Because I forgot the time, I failed the final exam.” The following is incorrectly punctuated: “I failed the final exam, because I forgot the time.” This sequence of ideas is correctly punctuated without the comma: “I failed the exam because I forgot the time.” Other subordinators for which this holds true are “although,” “even though,” “if,” “since,” “so that” and “since.”

38. In an expository or a persuasive essay, unless you are using anecdotes or personal examples as methods of development, do not preface (begin) your sentences with “I think,” “I feel,” “I believe,” or “In my opinion.”

39. Remember that subjects and verbs must agree in number.

40. In THE LIVELY ART OF WRITING, Lucille Payne states this about different:“[Ideas or items or people] are different from each other. Don’t write different than. It makes no sense, just as it would not make sense to write ‘I want my books kept separate than the others.’ Different from, from, FROM.”

*If you discuss ideas that are not your own, or if you incorporate wording that is not your own, you must give credit to the experts, authorities or authors of these.

If you do not want to do parenthetical citations and a Works Cited page, use parenthetical references—introduc-tory phrases or clauses within the context of your essay: “According to Robert Llewellyn who wrote an article entitled “Beasts on High” which was published in the February 2000 issue of Smithsonian magazine, Mr. Llewellyn had this to say about the ornate, baroque gargoyles adorning the cornices of Paris buildings:….”

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Literary Analysis / Step-Up to Writing PracticesObjectives and Outline

All Levels

--to choose a writing prompt and state the thesis

--to locate excerpts and use them, either as Major (yellow) supporting ideas or minor (red) supporting ideas

--to write sub-topics (topic sentences) that develop the thesis

--to incorporate excerpts (quotations) by introducing or explaining them or by using the excerpt to illustrate the writer’s ideas

Topic sentence (Green)

Set-up (example) A. Major supporting idea Quotation (Yellow)

Quotation 1. Minor supporting idea Discussion / Analysis (Red)


Set-up (example) B. Major supporting idea Quotation (Yellow) Quotation 1. Minor supporting idea Discussion / Analysis (Red)


Set-up (example) C. Major supporting idea Quotation (Yellow) Quotation 1. Minor supporting idea Discussion / Analysis (Red)


D. Clincher / Summary sentence

Body Paragraphs Same structure is used for each subsequent paragraph. Essays

will use multiple para-graphs.

EASD Paragraph StructureMain Idea/Thesis Sentence

Sub Topic: Tell Me

Example/Detail: Show Me

Sub Topic: Tell Me


Sub Topic: Tell Me


Conclusion/Summary Sentence:

EASD Essay StructureLead-in/Attention Getter

Intro

Thesis statement: state 2+ main ideas

Topic Sentence: State 1st main idea

Evidence, Example, Detail, Quote

Summary Sentence

Conclusion

Restate Thesis statement (in other words)

Clincher/Closing idea

Transition

Transition

Transition

*Transition

Transition

Transition



Derived from Step Up to Writing*

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Topic Sentence

1st Example

2nd Example

3rd Example

a.) Briefly set-up situation: Who, what, where, when?

b.) Give evidence: Quote, detail, textual evidence

C.) Statement of explanation: explain, analyze, interpret in your own words how this example proves your thesis statement

Transition




Transition




Summary Sentence

For each example given in a body paragraph do the following:

ParagraPh Outline Topic Sentence:

I. [Subtopic]

A. [Example/Detail]

B. [Example/Detail]

II. [Subtopic]

A. [Example/Detail]

B. [Example/Detail]

III. [Subtopic]

A.[Example/Detail]

B.[Example/Detail]

Conclusion/Summary Sentence:

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Introduction:--Attention-device: clever, creative, original, sophisticated

--Sentences that explain the relationship between attention-device and thesis

--Thesis—Topic is stated with a persuasive purpose

Body: --A persuasive plan is evident.

--Topic sentences are arguments that develop the thesis / support writer’s opinion

--Several rhetorical patterns are used, such as: Narration Process analysis Description Exemplification / illustration (Examples) Comparative analysis (Compare / Contrast) Causal analysis (Cause / Effect) Classification / Division Definition Analogy Persuasion

--Adroit integration of paraphrases, summaries and direct quotes--Smooth transitions between paragraphs(possibly using the complex sentence pattern to unite a Con argument with a Pro, but emphasizing the Pro argument by placing it in the independent clause)

Checklist for Expository and Persuasive Essay

--Acknowledging the validity or the worth of your opponent’s argument (Combining Pro and Con arguments in complex sentences as transitions is one way to do this—see above)

Conclusion--Re-statement of Thesis--Generalization / Expansion of ideas --Attention-device

Mechanics:--Elimination of all forms of be: am, are, is, was, were, be, being, been--their / they’re / there (#18)--Elimination of “things” (#13)--Elimination of “you / your” (#2)--Elimination of “get / got” (#6)--Avoid ending phrases / sentences with preposi-tions (#7)--No contractions (#9)--Avoid beginning sentences with “there are, there is; here are, here is”--Observe correct pronoun-antecedent agree-ment (memorize the 15 singular indefinite pronouns -- #31)--Do not split infinitives (#32)--Observe parallel structure (#33)--Do not begin sentences with “I think, I feel, In my opinion, I believe” (#38)

[From the Style Sheet pgs 7-10]

Character Analysis Essay Creating interesting and believable characters is one of the chief aims of a fiction writer.

For this reason, character analysis is a frequent assignment in literature and drama courses.

In such a composition, the emphasis is not on retelling the plot, but on giving an accurate pic-

ture of the character. The plot is important only insofar as it shapes and defines this character.

Before you can write a character analysis, however, you need to know what to look for as you

study the short story, novel, or play containing the character you are going to analyze. Here

are four ways by which an author reveals his characters:

1. By what the character himself says and thinks.

2. By what the character does. This may contradict what he says and thinks, but the

old adage “Actions speak louder than words” is as true in literature as in real life.

3. By what other characters say about him. Whether we believe what these characters

say depends upon what prompts their comments – envy, admiration, hatred, love, etc. –

as well as the qualities and personalities of these people.

4. By what the author says about him. We normally accept this as the truth about the

character, although usually an author reveals his characters more by means of actions

and dialogue than by direct statement. In fact, no small part of an author’s skill lies in

his ability to avoid direct comment and to rely primarily on action and dialogue.

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Two Patterns: Block and AlternAtingBlock (item) (Whole VS Whole)

I. Introduction A. Attention Device B. ThesisII. Body 1. Item A a. b. c. d. 2. Item B a. b. c. d.III. Conclusion C. Re-statement of thesis D. Attention-device/broaden to a generalization

AlternAting (chArActeriStic) (topic VS topic)

I. Introduction A. Attention Device B. ThesisII. Body 1. First main point of camparison or contrast Idea A Idea B 2. Second main point of comparison or contrast Idea A Idea B 3. Third main point of comparison or contrast Idea A Idea B 4. Fourth main point of comparison or contrast Idea A Idea B III. Conclusion A. Re-statement of thesis B. Attention-device / broaden to a generalization

Dialogue SamplesDialogue is an important part of most stories. When

writing dialogue, remember:

Dialogue requires the use of quotations marks.•

Commas and end marks always go • inside the quota-

tions marks.

The words of new speakers begin new paragraphs.•

Dialogue should always be a part of the plot and •

move the story forward.

Study these examples:

“It looks like rain today,” said Joe. He pointed at the 1.

dark clouds. “I bet our baseball game will be rained

out.”

“The rain might hold off,” Mary Ellen said, “at least 2.

until the game is done.”

“I doubt it,” said Joe. “Those clouds are going to 3.

open up any minute.”

“Do you really think so?” asked Mary Ellen. “It seems 4.

a little brighter back toward town.”

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DialogueFor many writers, producing realistic yet powerful dialogue is the most difficult part of writing. It is a complicated skill. This is what author Anne Lamott says about it: “You’re not reproducing actual speech- you’re translating the sound and rhythm of what a character says into words. You’re putting down on paper your sense of how the characters speak. “There is a real skill hearing all those words that real people- and your characters- say and to recording what you have heard- and the latter is or should be more interesting and concise and even more true than what was actually said.” p. 65, Bird by BirdThese are some ideas to keep in mind as you think about including dialogue in your essay:

It should be brief, because in life we seldom say more than a few sentences at a time.1. It should add to a reader’s present knowledge.2. It should omit, or quickly pass over, the routine exchanges of ordinary conversation.3. It should sound spontaneous but avoid the repetitions of real talk4. It should keep the story moving forward.5. It should reveal something about the speakers’ personalities, both directly and indirectly.6. It should show relationships between people.7.

In addition, dialogue has its own rules of punctuation to follow.

What are they?Every time a new character talks, start with a new paragraph. Look at this exchange:1.

Rebecca asked, “When will you be back?” “I don’t know,” Simon replied. He shrugged. “Maybe I’ll never come back.”

The end marks (periods, exclamation points, question marks) go 2. inside the quotations marks. Look at Rebecca’s line above.If you start out with a phrase before the actual dialogue starts (such as “She said”), you 3. must put a comma on the outside of the opening quotations marks. Look at Rebecca’s line above.If you start out with dialogue and end with a phrase (such as “he said”), you must put a 4. comma on the inside of the ending quotations marks. Look at Simon’s line above.If you interrupt the character’s speech with narration, you must start again with quota- 5. tions marks. See Simon’s line above.Do not put any spaces between the quotations marks and the words or punctuation they 6. precede or follow. (“I don’t know, ” Simon replied, is INCORRECT)Capitalize the first word of the dialogue. If it is interrupted with a whole sentence, then 7. you need to use another capital when you start it again. See Simon’s line above. If it is only interrupted with a phrase, then you do not use a capital to restart. (For example, if it read above: “I don’t know,” he replied, “maybe I’ll never come back.”)The other rules of punctuations and grammar still apply to the writing around dialogue.8.

“13” Self-Edit Hints1. Make all changes and additions by marking with a different colored pen or pencil

from the one you used on the rough draft.

2. Is your paper focused on one specific idea or topic? Delete any

words or phrases not related or main idea.

3. Does each paragraph deal with one main point only?

4. Are your paragraphs arranged in logical order?

5. Do you use appropriate transitions to move the reader from one idea to

another?

6. Does your opening capture the reader’s

attention?

7. Do you address a specific audience? Who is it?

8. Are all verbs in the same tense throughout the paper?

9. Watch for use of jargon and clichés: “busy as a bee,” or “I slept like a log,” …etc.

10. Watch for use of slang: “stupid,” “gross,” “stuff,” “awesome,” …etc.

11. Double check punctuation and spelling.

12. Can sentences be combined, reworded, or changed to be made more clear?

13. Are all sentences complete? Any fragments?

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INCORPORATING QUOTATIONS INTO YOUR ESSAY

• What is a quotation? A quotation is a passage from a piece of writing (short story, poem, novel, a speech, etc.).Remember, a quotation does not just have to be dialogue (conversation between characters). A quo-tation is ANY sentence(s) from the literature.

• Why do I need to cite (give credit to the author) when I use quotations? You need to cite because you are giving credit to someone else’s work – not your own! Failure to cite is plagiarism. • Why do I need to use quotations? You need to use quotations to support your argument. Say, for example, you are trying to prove in your paper that Madame Loisel is a selfish character. You have to prove with evidence from the story that she is a selfish character.

• How do I use quotations properly in my paper? First of all, many students forget to “set up” their quotations. They just throw them in without any explanation at all. When a writer makes this mistake, their paper does not flow and is also dif-ficult for the reader to understand. To avoid this common mistake, follow the steps below to properly set up a quotation: 1. State your main point. This is your topic sentence. (Example: Madame Loisel is selfish)2. Set-up: Give background information that the reader needs to fully understand the quotation (who said, to whom, why, when?)3. Give quotation: Give the quotation and its citation (use quotation marks and parenthetical documentation – author & page number)4. Statement of explanation: Fully analyze the quotation. Explain HOW the quotation supports your main point. DO NOT SIMPLY RESTATE YOUR TOPIC SENTENCE.

Can you show me an example so I can set up my quotations correctly?

Madame Loisel is certainly a selfish character. The first example that proves she is self-absorbed is at the beginning of the story when she refuses to wear any dress she currently owns to the party. Although she is keenly aware that purchasing a new dress is not within their budget, she whines to her husband and pleads for a new dress. Reluctantly, Monsieur Loisel gives in to his wife and asked her how much money she would need for suitable attire. When she responds to his ques-tion, “[H]e turned a little pale, for he had saved just this sum to buy a gun that he might be able to join some hunting parties the next summer…”(de Maupassant 99). Unfortunately for Matilda’s husband, she could care less that he had been saving this money to purchase a special gift for himself. Obvi-ously, she had seen his facial coloring turn white, which indicated his displeasure. Matilda, however, cared more about her own selfish wants than she did about her husband. The next example that exemplifies Matilda’s selfishness…

A Note Taking Overview

Original Source

Direct Quotation Paraphrase Summary Precis

Purpose In all note-taking, you have one primary purpose: to record material that will help you in the way it will benefit you most.

Techniques Direct Quotation records the source’s exact words and places them in quotation marks. Use quotations only when the author’s wording makes a point extraordinarily vivid, concise, or imaginative. Too much quoting is time consuming and may interfere with your comprehending the material. (Your paper should never total more than 25% direct quotations.)

Paraphrase translates all of the source’s content into different words but much more briefly. You write a general statement of the author’s content and positions. Be careful not to over-generalize; incorporate specific details likely to help you later.

Summary, like paraphrase, records information in different words. It ensures your under standing of the material and records both the authors’s reasoning and surpportive details. ` Like quoting, paraphrasing can be time-consuming. Be alert that all the material you record is relevant to your topic and purpose.

Precis differs from summary only in language. You use different words from those in the source; however, you deliberately select vocabulary and style similar to those in the original. (You would use this to capture the tone of the source.) Sources Always keep bibliographical data for your sources: complete name(s) of author(s), complete title, publishing city, company and date; for periodicals include the date of the issue and page numbers of the article. List page numbers for direct quotations. It is also helpful to record the call number and the library where the source can be found.

Tools Use index cards to collect and organize information. This approach is especially helpful when the topic is complex and the research process is lengthy.

23

A Guide to NotetakingI1. t is better (and easier) to take too many notes and not use some later than it is to take too few notes and have to go back and try to find the source again.B2. efore you take any notes from any source, copy down all the bibliographic information completely in the correct form. This will save you time and energy laterDesignate each source a letter.3. Then you will be able to label the notecards A1, A2, B1, B2, etc. rather then copying the full name of the source down over and over again. You will know which source is “A” and which source is “B”. U4. se the index to find the place in a book that will be most helpful to you in you research. This will save you time. Use the headlines and subtitles to help you skim5. a magazine article or chapter and find the information you are seeking faster. O6. nce you have located a place with information you need, read it slowly and carefully.Use one notecard for each note7. . This will enable you to mix and reorganize the card later for your outline and keep you more orga-nized. DO NOT COPY INFORMATION WORD FOR WORD.8. This is called plagiarizing and you can be thrown out of college in disgrace for it. Instead, use your own words. If the quote is too good to re-word, be sure to copy it exactly and use quotes around it so that you are not claiming authorship of it.U9. nderneath the note on the notecard, jot down any questions or comments that you think of in relation to the note. This will help you focus your research and give you ideas for your paper later.

Rubberband all of your notecards together10. so that you do not lose any of them. Bring all of them with you each time you use the library to take notes.

Alternatives for the ever-

popular “Said”:

AffirmedAnnouncedArticulatedAssertedAvowedBabbledBegged

BreathedChimedCited

CommentedComplainedCorrectedDeclared

EnunciatedExclaimedExpressed

LiedMumbled

ProclaimedPronouncedProtestedQuotedRecited

RemarkedRepeatedRepliedShoutedStatedTold

UtteredWhispered

Can you think of others?Don’t forget to make the punctuation

fit the comment!

Alliteration

Allusion

Apostrophe

Assonance

Connotation

Consonance

Deduction

Denotation

Diction

Genre

Hyperbole

Imagery

Implication

Induction

Inference

Litotes

Macrocosm

Metaphor

Microcosm

Motif

Onomatopoeia

Oxymoron

Paradox

Personification

Point of view

Rhetoric

Simile

Symbolism

Syntax

Theme

Tone(For more terms and their deFinitions, see pages 30-31.)

25

1. SerieS: To separate a list of 3 or more items. ex: “Milk, eggs, cheese and bread” vs “ Milk and eggs”2. Compound: Two complete sentences combined with a conjunction. The comma comes before the conjunction. ex: “I walked home, and I ate dinner.” vs “I walked home and ate dinner.” For And Nor But Or Yet So3. introduCtory Word/phraSe: Comes at the beginning of a sentence before the subject; can be removed and the sentence will make sense. ex: “After the dance, I watched a movie and went to bed.”4. dateS: Separate day and year ex: “May 13, 2008” vs “May 2008”5. addreSSeS: Separate the street and city; separate city and state. ex: “Britta lives on 425 Maple Lane, Chicago, Il 53538”6. interrupter: Comes in the middle or at the end of at sentence (if it’s at the beginning, it’s considered to be an introductory); Rudely interrupts the reader with pointless information; can be removed and the sentence will still make sense. ex: “I told my brother, however, that I would be late” or “I will be late, by the way.”7. direCt addreSS: Used when talking directly to someone (not about them) ex: “ Denay, meet me in the gym” vs. “Will Denay meet me in the gym?”8. appoSitive: Like an interrupter, but it adds meaningful (positive) information to the sentence ex: “Mrs. Reagan, my English teacher, is the coolest!”9. Letter: To address and close a letter ex: “Dear Britta,” and “Sincerely, Denay”10. QuotationS: Used to separate speaker tags (goes inside quotation marks) ex: “I think it might rain today,” she said, “ it looks cloudy.”

,

Narration• :Totellastoryistogiveanaccountofsomeeventthatoccurswithinaspecifiedspan

oftimetoillustrateorentertain.

Description• :Tocreatementalpicturebyusingwordsandphrasesthatappealtothesenses

and/orbyusingfiguresofspeech.

Exemplification/Illustration• :Toexplainbyuseofexamples;thisisthemostcommon,and

frequently,themostefficientpatternofexposition.

Processofanalysis• :Toexplainhowtodosomething,howsomethingworks(directive

process)orhoworwhysomethinghadhappened(informativeprocess);todescribeamethod

thatendsinspecifiedresults.

Comparativeanalysis(Compare/Contrast)• :Toexplainbyanalyzinglikenessesordifferences;

thetwopatternsfromwhichtochoose:thealternatingortheblock

Classification/Division• :toexplainbyseparatingaconceptintoitsvariousparts;divisionisthe

thinkingprocessofdividingthesubjectintoitsparts;classificationistheactofsortingindividual

itemintocategories.

Causalanalysis(Cause/Effect)• :Acauseisanevent,acondition,orsituationthatmakessome-

thinghappen.Aneventistheresultofaparticularevent,condition,orsituation.Thepurposeis

toexplainwhysomethinghappened,orishappening,anditpredictswhatprobablywillhappen.

Definition• :Toexplainwithdetailsaboutthespecialcharacteristics;toexplainwhattheidea

meansbyprovidingbackground,classifying,negating,enumerating,orensuinganalogy.

Analogy• :toexplainadifficultconceptorideabycomparingittoasimperone.Analogy

clarifiesadifficultconcept,function,ortheorybydrawingparallelsbetweenideasfromdifferent

classificationssuchascomparingawaterirrigationpumptoahumanheartorrocketpowerto

thepropulsionfromafullyblownballoon.

Persuasive• :topresentbothsidesofanargumentwiththeintenttoconvince;writingthatis

meanttopersuadethereadertotheauthor’swayofthinking.

27

PERSONAL ANd IMAGINATIVE WRITING(twelve ideas tO helP yOu get started)

1. Listen to some music without words, jotting down words or images you think of as you listen. Use your notes to write a descriptive sketch of a place or event suggested by the music.2. On top of a piece of paper, write a word that expresses a mood or feeling, such as anger, terror, joy, relief, or frustration. Then jot down any ideas or images suggested by the word. Use these notes to write a poem describing a person, place, object, or event that expresses this mood.3. Use the plot of a familiar fairy tale, but put it in a modern setting and give logical explanations for any fantastic elements. Imagine that your readers will be people of your own age who share your own general interests.4. Make a short story out of a news account. Starting with the facts of an objective newspaper re-port, elaborate, rearrange, and fictionalize.5. Go through the personal ads in the newspaper. Use one or the combination of two or three as the basis for a story.6. Write down an actual dream you have had. Use the event in the dream as the basis for a story.7. Describe a holiday celebration that you especially enjoy, such as a Fourth of July picnic or a Thanksgiving dinner. Concentrate on capturing the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings you experience during the celebration.8. Write an account of your class reunion twenty years from now. Describe what you and your friends are doing with your lives. Use as the basis for a story.9. Invent and explain a game for the future. This game could be one that would be played on the earth or played on another planet or galaxy. If the game is to be played on another planet, be sure to take physical conditions into account. You may need to do some brief research before writing you explanation.10. Tell about the luckiest thing that has ever happened to you.11. Visit an art museum or look through a book of reproductions of famous paintings. Choose one picture you especially like and use its subjects or setting as the basis for a story.12. Write a detailed description of one of the following people: • A social snob • A confident person • A body builder • An insomniac • A person throwing a tantrum • A passenger on a hijacked plane • A person who has just been given 6 months to live

ShORT STORy ELEMENTSExposition: Writing intended to make clear or explain something. Provides background/ introduction.

Inciting Incident: The event which “triggers” the rising action of the story.

Rising Action: Series of conflicts which build a story toward a climax.

Climax: The high point or turning point in a work, usually the most intense point.

Falling Action: The action of the play or story which develpos the situation of the decision during the climax.

Denouement/ Resolution: Portion of the story where the problem is solved.

Direct Characterization: Through same character; the author directly states a character’s traits.

Indirect Characterization: The method an author uses to reveal or to describe character or personality by describing physical appearance, thoughts, actions, reputation, etc. Reflective of others; shown through other characters’ eyes.

Verbal Irony: The writer says one thing but means another.

Situations Irony: There is a great difference between the purpose of a particular action and the result.

Dramatic Irony: The reader or audience sees a character’s mistakes or misunderstanding, which the character is unable to see him or herself

Conflict: The “problem” in the story which triggers the action.

External Conflict: Character struggles against an outside force

Internal Conflict: Character struggles with conflict inside himself

Dynamic Character: A person in the story who changes.

Static Character: A person in the story who remains the same.

Setting: The time and place in which the action of the literary work occurs.

Point of View: The vantage point from which the story is told.

Omniscient: Narrator, all characters.1.

Limited: Only one character.2.

Object: Neutral, all characters. 3.

Theme: The statement about life a particular work is trying to convey the to the reader.

Foreshadowing: A suggestion of what is to come later in the work by giving hints or clues.

Flashback: Returning to an earlier time in a story for the purpose of making something in the present clearer.

Antagonist: A character who opposes the main character.

Protagonist: The leading character(s).

29

A.

C.

B.

D.

E.

F.

ShORT STORy GRAPh

A. ExpositionB. Inciting Incident C. Rising ActionD. ClimaxE. Falling ActionF. Denouement/Resolution

Drama Terms1. allusion—a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work or work of art; a reference in one work of literature to a person, place event or work of literary or fine art in another work of literature or in history, art or music. The allusions we studied in English 9 were either classical / mythological (references to Greek my thology) in the ILIAD or Biblical (references to the Bible).

2. antagonist—a character in a story or play who opposes the chief character; a character or force in conflict with a main character

3. aside—a short speech delivered by an actor in a play, expressing that character’s inner thoughts; words spoken by a character in a play, usually in an undertone, not intended to be heard by other characters on stage.

4. blank verse—poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentamenter lines. This verse form was widely used by Eliza bethan dramatists like William Shakespeare. Blank verse is the principal English meter, the pattern used in some of the greatest English poetry, including the tragedies of William Shakespeare. The following lines from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet are written in blank verse: But soft! / What light / through yon / der win / dow breaks?

It is / the east / and Jul / iet is / the sun!

5. chorus—an actor or group of actors who comment on or interpret the dramatic action on stage. The chorus introduces Acts I and II in Romeo and Juliet.

6. comic relief—an amusing episode in a serious or tragic literary work, especially in a drama and the comic relief is included to relieve tension.

7. dramatic (or character) foil—a character who is contrasted with another character. The reader or audience understands better the traits of the main character when he is shown to be different, in some aspects, with another character. By heightening the differences between two characters, a writer dramatizes the importance of both characters; a character who sets off another by contrast

8. dramatic irony— the audience knows more about a character’s situation than the character himself does; a situation in which events or facts not known to a character are known to the audience or reader; the difference between what a character thinks and what the reader or audience knows to be true

9. situational irony—an event turns out different from what a character expects

10. foreshadowing—clues that suggest events that have yet to occur; the use of hints or clues in a narrative to suggest what action is to come.

11. iambic pentameter—five units of a particular rhythm—an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one

12. monologue—a speech by one character in a play, story or poem; a long, uninterrupted speech (in a narrative or drama) that is spoken in the presence of other characters. Unlike a soliloquy and most asides, a monologue is heard by other characters present.

13. motivating force—a reason that explains or partially explains a character’s thoughts, feelings, actions or behavior. Motivation results from a combination of the character’s personality and the circumstances with which he or she must deal.

31

14. protagonist—the leading or the main character in a literary work.

15. reversal—the main character’s fortunes take an unexpected turn for the worse; the character, ironically, may think his situation is more favorable or advantageous than what the audience knows to be true.

16. soliloquy—a long speech expressing the thought of a character alone on stage; a speech made by an actor when alone on stage. It reveals the actor’s thoughts and feelings to the audience but not to the other characters in the play; a speech, usually lengthy, in which a character, alone on stage, expresses his or her thoughts aloud. This is a very useful device since it allows the dramatist to convey a character’s most intimate (personal) thoughts or feelings directly to the audience.

17. tragic flaw—a weakness in the personality of the main character and this contributes to the character’s downfall

Familiarity with the Following terms may prove useFul in discussing shakespeare’s plays.

Drama is a literary art form and a genre of literature that re-creates human lives and emotions. The medium is dialogue and action within a frame of sequential events. Drama has both written form (a script) and a living form (the stage presentation).

Dramatic Devices or Conventions are techniques that substitute for reality. These techniques give the audience information they could not glean from a straightforward presentation of action. These devices or conventions must be realistic enough that the audience can experience “that willing suspension of disbelief” so essential to good drama.

Pathos, from the Greek root word for suffering or deep feeling, occurs when the audience experiences the emotions of pity, tenderness, or sorrow. Pathos is marked by acquiescence or helplessness, without the catharsis of tragedy.

Tragedy is drama that gives the audience an experience of catharsis. The protagonist, a person of nobility, must make a moral decision that in turn influences the outcome of the drama. The protagonist usually has a serious fault—the tragic flaw—that leads to his downfall and death. The terror and pity felt by the audience produces catharsis, a cleansing or purifying of emotion.

Dramatic structure of conventional tragedy consists of these components:

Introduction provides exposition. It creates tone, defines setting, and introduces some characters. Introduction is the background information es-sential to understanding the play

Inciting incident an event that begins a series of complications.

Rising action a sequence of complications and the building of tension caused by the conflict of opposing interests. The rising action peaks at the moment of crisis.

Climax is the peak of action and emotional intensity. From this zenith, action and intensity must necessarily decline, so climax is sometimes referred to as the turning point, or an event which irrevocably affects the outcome of the play.

Falling action stresses action from the forces opposing the protagonist. Suspense must be maintained while action moves swiftly and logically toward the disaster, the tragedy.

Catastrophe is the moment marking the hero’s tragic failure, often manifested by his death. This moment of tragedy satisfies the audience in its logical conformity to the order of events and in nobility of the succumbing hero.

Resolution/Denouement

Dramatic structure of conventional five-act tragedy can be graphically represented by a pyramid. Introduction and complication form the rising slope of the pyramid. The peak of the action or climax, is the apex. Falling action forms the downward slope of the pyramid, which ends at the catastro-phe. This schema for the drama may be helpful for study of Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Macbeth, for there is a direct correlation between each component of the pyramid and each act of the play.

Another analysis of dramatic structure is one based on three divisions. The first is exposition, which explains the situation that gives rise to conflict. The second division deals with the conflict of the play. The final division shows the catastrophe which issues from the conflict. In a three-divisional concept, of Romeo and Juliet, the first part of Act I constitutes exposition; the second part of Act I, all of Acts II, II and IV, and the first part of Act V make up the conflict. The last part of Act V details the catastrophe, resolution and denouement.

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atem

ent

addr

esse

s the

pro

mpt

/topi

c in

a

com

pelli

ng a

nd h

ighl

y in

tere

stin

g w

ay__

Rea

sons

, det

ails

, fac

ts st

rong

ly su

ports

to

pic

__ V

arie

d or

subt

le tr

ansi

tions

soun

d na

tura

l, en

hanc

e th

e flo

w o

f the

pap

er__

Effe

ctiv

e ex

ampl

es, e

vide

nce,

ela

bo-

ratio

n us

ed__

Stro

ng c

oncl

usio

n (w

hen

nece

ssar

y)re

visi

ts to

pic/

thes

is in

an

inte

rest

ing

way

__ P

lan

orga

nize

s inf

orm

atio

n__

Top

ic se

nten

ce/th

esis

stat

emen

t ad

dres

ses p

rom

pt o

r top

ic a

nd in

clud

es

key

wor

ks fr

om th

e pr

ompt

__ R

easo

ns, d

etai

ls, f

acts

are

cle

ar

__ T

rans

ition

s use

d fir

the

para

grap

hpu

rpos

e__

Goo

d ex

ampl

es a

nd/ o

r exp

lana

tions

__ S

olid

con

clus

ion

(whe

n ne

cess

ary)

re

stat

es to

pic/

thes

is

__ P

lan

may

not

be

com

plet

ely

deve

lope

d__

Atte

mpt

a to

pic

sent

ence

or t

hesi

s st

atem

ent

__ R

easo

ns, d

etai

ls, f

acts

don

’t su

ppor

t to

pic,

are

con

fusi

ng__

Use

an

ordi

nary

tran

sitio

ns o

r tra

nsi-

tions

not

use

d ef

fect

ivel

y__

Few

/wee

d ex

ampl

es a

nd/o

r exa

mpl

es.

__ W

eak

conc

lusi

on (w

hen

nece

ssar

y)

mos

tly re

peat

s the

topi

c/th

esis

stat

emen

t.

__ P

lan

omitt

ed o

r not

read

able

__ T

opic

sent

ence

/thes

is st

atem

ent i

s ab

sent

or u

ncle

ar.

__ R

easo

ns, d

etai

ls, f

acts

are

unc

lear

or

not r

elat

ed__

No

trans

ition

s or t

rans

ition

s not

use

d co

rrec

tly__

No

exam

ples

and

/ or e

xpla

natio

ns

__ N

o/in

appr

opria

te c

oncl

usio

n (w

hen

nece

ssar

y)

__ Q

ualit

y an

d qu

antit

y of

info

rmat

ion

educ

ates

and

/or e

nter

tain

s the

read

er__

Intri

guin

g or

hig

hly

inte

rest

ing

ex-

ampl

es, e

vide

nce,

and

exp

lana

tions

br

ing

prom

pt to

life

__ F

ully

dev

elop

s pro

mpt

__ A

ll in

form

atio

n re

late

s to

the

topi

c/th

esis

stat

emen

t__

Exa

mpl

es a

nd e

xpla

natio

ns h

elp

read

er

unde

rsta

nd th

e to

pic/

thes

is st

atem

ent

__ C

lear

ly a

ddre

sses

the

prom

pt

__ In

form

atio

n re

peat

ed o

r wan

ders

from

th

e to

pic/

thes

is__

Few

exp

lana

tions

and

/or v

ery

little

ex

plan

atio

n

__ A

ccur

ate,

but

pro

mpt

not

dev

elop

ed

__ N

ot e

noug

h in

form

atio

ns o

r inf

orm

ai-

ton

uncl

ear

__ E

xam

ples

inac

cura

te, c

onfu

sing

, or

omitt

ed

__ O

ff pr

ompt

or n

ot c

lear

con

nect

ion

to

prom

pt

__ A

var

iety

of s

ente

ce st

ruct

ures

(sim

ple,

co

mpl

ex, c

ompo

und)

__ R

ich

wor

ds, c

onte

nt, v

ocab

ular

y, a

nd/

or fi

gura

tive

lang

uage

cre

ate

men

tal

pict

ures

__ S

tyle

of p

arag

raph

/ess

ay u

ses s

peci

fic

wor

ds a

nd se

nten

ce st

ruct

ures

that

re

late

to a

spec

ific

purp

ose

__ A

t lea

st tw

o di

ffere

nt se

nten

ce st

ruc-

ture

s; v

arie

ty in

a w

ay se

nten

ces b

egin

__ F

amili

ar/o

rdin

ary

wor

ds fi

t the

topi

c/th

esis

; des

crip

tive

wor

d us

ed e

ffec-

tivel

y__

Sty

le o

f par

agra

ph/e

ssay

ans

wer

s and

fit

s the

pur

pose

/pro

mpt

__ M

ostly

sim

ple

sent

ence

s or s

ente

nces

th

at b

egin

the

sam

e w

ay__

Bas

ic w

ords

and

des

crip

tions

__ S

tyle

of p

arag

raph

/ess

ay fi

ts th

e pu

r-po

se b

ut n

eeds

dev

elop

men

t

__ M

any

frag

men

ts a

nd/o

r run

-on

sen-

tenc

es; s

ever

al sh

ort,

chop

py se

nten

ces

__ R

epea

ted

wor

ds o

r phr

ases

__ N

o cl

ear p

urpo

se in

writ

ing

__ V

ery

few

err

ors i

n C

UPS

__ S

ome

erro

rs b

ut th

ey d

o no

t int

erfe

re

with

read

ing

or u

nder

stan

ding

the

writ

ing

__ S

ever

al e

rror

s tha

t slo

w d

own

the

read

er__

Fill

ed w

ith e

rror

s tha

t int

erfe

re w

ith

read

ing

Adv

ance

d (4

poi

nts)

Profi

cien

t (3

poin

ts)

Basi

c (2

poin

ts)

Belo

w B

asic

(1 p

oint

)

Organization Content StyleGrammer/Mechanics

Rubr

ic S

cori

ng G

uide

for P

arag

raph

, Rep

ort,

and

Essa

y W

ritin

g

Scor

e

Tota

l Sco

re (o

f 16

poin

ts)

CU

PS=

Cap

italiz

atio

n- U

sage

- Pun

ctua

tion-

Spe

lling

Wis

cons

in W

ritin

g Ru

bric

6 p

oint

Sco

ring

Gui

de

Elem

ents

of a

Rub

ric

Purp

ose

and

focu

sO

rgan

izat

ion

and

Coh

eren

ceD

evel

opm

ent a

nd C

onte

ntSe

nten

ce F

luen

cyW

ord

Cho

ice

Elem

ent

Des

crip

tion

Expl

icitl

y st

ates

, or

stro

ngly

impl

ies,

a th

esis

w

hich

fi rm

ly g

uide

s the

pa

per

Dem

onst

rate

s und

erst

and-

ing

of th

e re

quire

men

ts o

f th

e as

sign

ed ta

sk

Fram

es th

e di

scus

sion

with

an

effe

ctiv

e in

trodu

ctio

n an

d co

nclu

sion

Cre

ates

a lo

gica

l stru

ctur

e of

de

velo

pmen

t for

the

topi

c, th

esis

, an

d pu

rpos

e.

Use

s effe

ctiv

e an

d va

ried

trans

i-tio

nal s

trate

gies

(fro

m id

ea to

idea

, pa

ragr

aph

to p

arag

raph

,

Dem

onst

rate

s qua

lity

of in

vent

ed

cont

ent (

e.g.

of e

xpla

natio

ns,

argu

men

ts, r

atio

nale

, ide

as,

deta

ils, e

xam

ples

, illu

stra

tions

)

Dem

onst

rate

s tho

roug

hnes

s in

the

elab

orat

ions

of c

onte

nt

Dem

onst

rate

s syn

tact

ic c

ontro

l of

sim

ple,

com

poun

d, c

ompl

ex, a

nd

com

poun

d/co

mpl

ex se

nten

ces

Evid

ence

s som

e co

ntro

l ove

r st

ylis

tic e

fforts

(e.g

. fl o

w, c

aden

ce,

para

llelis

m, v

arie

ty, r

eada

bilit

y,

judi

ciou

s use

of a

ctiv

e an

d pa

ssiv

e vo

ice,

effe

ctiv

e re

petit

ion)

Con

trols

wor

d ch

oice

with

re

spec

t to

both

den

otat

ions

an

d co

nnot

atio

n

Dem

onst

rate

s atte

ntio

n to

co

ntex

t (au

dien

ce, p

urpo

se,

situ

atio

n, to

ne)

Evid

ence

s som

e co

ntro

l ove

r fi g

urat

ive

lang

uage

for r

he-

toric

al e

ffect

(e.g

. met

apho

rs,

sim

iles,

hype

rbol

e, a

nalo

gies

)

Posi

tive

Des

crip

tors

Focu

sed,

uni

fi ed,

con

-tro

lled,

rele

vant

Wel

l org

aniz

ed, i

nteg

rate

d,

smoo

th, c

ontro

lled,

coh

eren

tQ

ualit

y: c

lear

, pre

cise

, acc

urat

e,

effe

ctiv

e, w

ell-r

easo

ned,

insi

ghtfu

lTh

orou

ghne

ss: c

ompl

ete,

spec

ifi c,

w

ell-d

evel

oped

, wel

l-sup

porte

d,

wel

l-illu

stra

ted

Flui

d, v

arie

d, c

ontro

lled,

effe

ctiv

e,

skill

edA

pt, d

iscr

imin

atin

g, v

ivid

, pr

ecis

e, c

oncr

ete,

con

cise

Neg

ativ

eD

escr

ipto

rs

Ram

blin

g, lo

osel

y re

late

d,

redu

ndan

t, irr

elev

ant,

lack

s pur

pose

Dis

orga

nize

d, h

ard

to fo

llow,

m

echa

nica

l, ill

ogic

al sh

ifts,

inco

here

nt

Qua

lity:

Vag

ue, i

mpr

ecis

e, in

accu

-ra

te, s

impl

istic

, poo

rly re

ason

ed,

supe

rfi ci

alTh

orou

ghne

ss: I

ncom

plet

e,

gene

ral,

inad

equa

tely

, dev

elop

ed,

inad

equa

tely

supp

orte

d, la

cks

illus

tratio

n

Cho

ppy,

mon

oton

ous,

garb

led,

in

effe

ctiv

e, a

wkw

ard

Inap

prop

riate

, clic

hed,

aw

k-w

ard,

impr

ecis

e, v

ague

, wor

dy

0Sc

orin

g Sc

ale

Scor

es6

12

34

5D

escr

iptio

nEx

empl

ary

cont

rol o

f the

do

mai

n

Adv

ance

d co

ntro

l of t

he

dom

ain

Profi

cie

nt

cont

rol o

f the

do

mai

n

Ade

quat

e co

ntro

l of t

he

dom

ain

Bas

ic c

ontro

l of t

he

dom

ain

Min

imal

co

ntro

l of t

he

dom

ain

Off

topi

c; n

o re

spon

se;

illeg

ible

anot

her l

angu

age

35

Elkhorn A

rea School D

istrict

Elkhorn, W

I 53121 C

reated: June 16, 2009

H:\handouts for w

riting handbook\Step Up to W

riting Conceptual M

ap.docx – Created June 16, 2009

Step Up to W

riting C

onceptual Map

Artful W

riting

Purposeful W

riting

N

arrative Story

story of significance, lessons, challenges,

influential people B

M

E

E

xpository IBC

P

lay writing

P

oetry

R

eport - facts

Essay

- thoughts - opinions

- literary analysis

P

ersonal Narrative

Com

pare &

Contrast

IB

M

E

C

P

ersuasive

C

ause & Effect

Description

- imaginative

- narrative - realistic event

Factual D

escription

Two Reminders about Plagiarism

The UW policy states: “Academic dishonesty may be described as students, on their own or aiding another, in seeking to claim credit for the work of another (plagiarism), falsifying data, falsifying academic records, intentionally impeding the academic work of others, or attempting to make a false representation of academic performance. Penalties for academic dishonesty range from reprimands or course failure to expulsion. Serious violations are likely to be recorded on the student’s academic record.”

This is what writers G. Leggett, C. Mead, and M. Kramer teach students about plagiarism in the 10th edition of their book, Handbook for Writers, published by Prentice Hall:

“Do not plagiarize the work of others, either by accident or by design. Plagiarism consists of passing off the ideas, opinions, conclusions, facts, words,--in short, the intellectual work—of another as your own. [If the ideas, words, sentence structure, phrasing or figures of speech are not your own, honesty requires that you give credit to the source.] Plagiarism is dishonest and carries penalties not only in academic environments but in all professions, as well as in copyright law. The most obvious kind of plagiarism occurs when you take whole paragraphs or longer passages from another writer for your own paper. Long word-for-word passages are rarely appropriate to a paper, but if they ever are, you must indicate clearly that they are quota-tions and indicate their exact source. No less dishonest is the use of all or most of a single sentence or an apt figure of speech taken without give credit to the source…. You are unlikely to copy directly from another writer without being consciously dis-honest as you do so, but even though you acknowledge the source in a citation or in a reference, you are also plagiarizing when you incorporate in your paper poorly para-phrased or summarized passages from another author in which you follow almost exactly the original’s sentence patterns and phrasing. Paraphrasing and summarizing require that you fully comprehend an author’s ideas and interpretations and restate them in your own words. It is not enough simply to modify the original author’s sen-tences slightly, to change a word here and there.”

37

Using the Internet Successfully1. Web site evaluation - Address endings .edu: Educational sites, sponsored by colleges or universities. Outside of the U.S. these sites are identified by .ac (very reliable) .com: commercial sites, sponsored by business interests. The most numerous and fastest growing. Approach with caution because information may be good, but is often one-sided. (Use with caution) .gov: U.S. Government sites. Sponsored by branches, agencies, and departments of the U.S. Government. They are non-military in nature and a good source for primary documents and current statistics. (Very Reliable)

.mil: U.S. Military sites. Sponsored by branches of the military. Similar to .com in that they have their own agenda. (Use with caution)

.net: networks. Sponsored by Internet services providers, telecommunications companies, and networking organizations. Includes commercial, as well as personal pages whose owners pay a monthly fee for the server space. These pages are not screened. (Use with caution)

.org: U.S. professional and non-profit organizations and others, sponsored by a variety of sources, including individuals. Home to many advocacy sites that are openly one-sided and created to influence public opinion. (Use with caution)

-Search Engines - Dogpile www.dogpile.com - Yahoo www.yahoo.com - Excite www.excite.com - Google www.google.com

2. Searching

-Databases

1. Questiaschool.com User name: ehs 1st three letters of 1st name, 1st four letters of last name Password: 1st three letters of 1st name, 1st four letters of last name ehs Example: Jane Smith User name: ehsjansmit Password: jansmitehs -Select/create correct project folder -Search multiple words/phrases using quotations Example: “Civil Rights” - Highlights, quotes/cites, and notes automatically save to your current project folder

2. Opposing viewpoints -Select “Library”, then “Ms. Showalter” from high school web site. -Choose “Databases”, then “Opposing Viewpoints”. -From school, hit “Proceed.” From other internet connection type in “elkh_log” to access database. -Conduct a basic search or select a topic from the list.

Reliability of a website: Questions to ask when looking at a website.* __ What is the purpose or motivation for the site? to educate, advertise, persuade, sell, exchange opinions, other __ Is the propose stated? __ Are there advertisements on the site? __ Is so, are they clearly differentiated from factual information or other content? __ Who is the author, owner, or sponsor of the site? This should be stated clearly at the site, along with an address and telephone number where they can be reached. An email address alone does not guarantee legitimacy. __ What is the authority of this person or organization? __ Is the person or organization recognized as an expert or known for providing information in this field? __ Is the conten accurate and objective? __ Can it be verified by other sources? __ If the information is based on opinion only, is this bias acknowledged? __ Are the links on the web site relevant, reliable and current (do they work if you click on them)? __ Is the site content current? __ How often is the site updated? __ When was this specific page last revised? __ What is the scope of the information? I should be stated at the site. __ Who is the intend audience for the site? This too should be clearly stated at the site. __ Is the information grammatically and typographically accurate? Spelling, grammar, and typographical errors indicate a lack of quality control and can result in further inaccuracies when using the information. *From Nielson Sept. 1999

39

3. Badgerlink.net - Select “Database List” - Check boxes from relevant databases based upon your topic - Type in search terms/query

4. Citationmachine.net - Help in citing your sources in any research style.

Effective Internet Searching 1. Plus sign (+) Use it to mark words that must appear in each Web page. +Elvis Presley: This will require that Elvis appear, but Presley will be a request.

2. Minus sign (-) Mark words that cannot appear in any Web page on the results list, Elvis-costello: This will request Elvis, but exclude anything on Elvis Costello.

3. Quotation Marks ( “ “ ) These indicate exact multiple-word phrases “Jail House Rock” will return a list of Web pages containing that phase. Without quotes you will get sites containing jail, house, and rock.

4. AND (all capital letters) This connects two search terms, both of which must appear in each Web page on the result list. Be sure to use all capital letters (AND). Nuts AND Bolts will give you results which contain both words.

5. OR (all capital letters) This connects two words, at least one of which should appear on each Web page. This is a good way to connect synonyms or alternative spellings. Ringo OR Starr

6. NOT (all capital letters) This is used much like a minus sign (-) To exclude words. Ringo OR Starr NOT Beatles

7. Parentheses ( ) Use parentheses to connect grouped terms. Beatles AND (Lennon AND McCartney). This should return pages about the Beatles that have both Lennon and McCartney mentioned in them.

3. Bookmarks -When you find a useful site, bookmark it so you can find it again. -You can organize your bookmarks with folders from different categories.

Research Documentation Format Elkhorn High School students are fortunate in that they are taught two research styles, that of the Modern Language Association and the American Psychological Association. These two processes of documentation--MLA and APA—are used for those essay topics about which writers are not “experts” and must, therefore, borrow the ideas of others to support or develop their position. Since the writer must include the ideas and wording of others, a student of integrity knows he or she must give credit to those authorities whose “intellectual property” is not his or her own. Diane Hacker writes in her book, A Writer’s Reference and published by Bedford Books: “In academic research papers and in any other writing that borrows information from sources, the borrowed information—quotations, summaries, paraphrases, and any facts or ideas that are not common knowledge—must be clearly documented” in the form of in-text references, citations and a list at the end of the paper. She continues, “The various academic disciplines use their own editorial styles for citing sources and for listing the works that have been cited.” What follows is a simple T-chart to note some basic differences:

MLA APA

EHS English department EHS Social Studies and Science department

Widely used in literature and history courses Widely used in the social sciences such as

psychology, sociology, political science

and in scientific research

Recommends that citations be given in the

text of the paper rather than in footnotes

or endnotes. Simply insert the author and

page number in parentheses after the

words or ideas taken from another source.

Parenthetical Citation example: Parenthetical Citation example:

(Smith 43). (Smith, 1998, 43).

Author’s last name followed by page number Author’s last name, the year of the research

or study, and the page number

Works Cited References

Lists only those sources which are used Lists all of the sources consulted in the essay.

in the essay. It does not include any sources

you may have read or studied but did not

refer to in your paper.

41

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