Composition Reteaching, Grade 9 - Glencoe

Grammar and Composition

CompositionReteaching

Grade 9

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iii

Contents

Personal Writing1.1 Writing to Discover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.2 Keeping a Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.3 Writing a Personal Essay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31.4 Writing Autobiography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41.5 Writing a Poem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51.6 Keeping a Reader-Response Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61.7 Writing About Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Writing Process in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

The Writing Process2.1 Overview of the Writing Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92.2 Prewriting: Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102.3 Prewriting: Identifying Purpose and Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112.4 Prewriting: Gathering Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122.5 Drafting: Turning Notes into Paragraphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132.6 Drafting: Writing Unified Paragraphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142.7 Drafting: Ordering the Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152.8 Drafting: Writing Coherent Paragraphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162.9 Revising: Improving Paragraphs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172.10 Editing/Proofreading: Final Checking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182.11 Publishing/Presenting: Sharing Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192.12 Explaining Theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Descriptive Writing3.1 Writing a Descriptive Paragraph. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213.2 Using Descriptive Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223.3 Describing an Imaginary Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233.4 Describing an Imaginary Person. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243.5 Analyzing Character Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 Writing Process in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Narrative Writing4.1 Writing Simple Narratives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274.2 Developing Conflict in Narrative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284.3 Writing Dialogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294.4 Using Anecdotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Unit 4

Unit 3

Unit 2

Unit 1

4.5 Writing a Sports Narrative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314.6 Writing About Suspense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324.7 Analyzing Point of View in a Narrative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334 Writing Process in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Expository Writing5.1 Explaining and Informing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355.2 Going into Detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365.3 Explaining How To.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375.4 Explaining Cause and Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385.5 Classifying a Subject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395.6 Comparing and Contrasting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405.7 Writing with Graphics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415.8 Writing a Feature Article. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425.9 Answering an Essay Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435.10 Comparing and Contrasting Two Myths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445 Writing Process in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Persuasive Writing6.1 Writing Persuasively . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466.2 Using Evidence Effectively . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476.3 Checking Reasoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486.4 Using Language to Advantage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496.5 Writing an Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506.6 Writing a Movie Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 516 Writing Process in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Unit 6

Unit 5

Contents

iv

Writer’s Choice: Composition Reteaching, Grade 9, Unit 1 1

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ A. Discovering What You Think About Yourself

Complete the following sentences to begin a profile about yourself. Be honest about predictingyour reactions and voicing your opinions.

Example: When a friend asks me to do a favor for her, I usually try to do it as long as I won’t get introuble for it.

1.When I am upset with myself, I often react by ___________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

2. I think __________ is the best profession because ________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

3. The one thing I wish I could change about myself is_______________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

4. The best thing about me is ___________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

■ B. Discovering Your Values

Circle the response that best represents your point of view in each of the following items. If thefirst two choices do not correspond to your viewpoint, then fill in your own response in thespace provided. Keep in mind that there are no right or wrong answers.

1. If you find a cat or dog, the first thing to do is

a. find out who the owner is.b. take care of the animal’s needs.c. _____________________________________________________________________________

2. The most important thing basketball players learn from basketball is

a. how to work with others.b. how to compete.c. _____________________________________________________________________________

3. All Americans over the age of eighteen should

a. be required to vote.b. vote because it is their responsibility.c. _____________________________________________________________________________

4. If a friend asks you to do a favor you don’t want to do, you should

a. refuse immediately.b. tell the friend you will think about it, and then later say no.c. _________________________________________________________________________________

Composition ReteachingC

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1.1 Writing to Discover

When you write about your own experiences, feelings, and observations, you learn about yourself inthe process. You discover what you have to say and what you believe. The exercises below will help youlearn about yourself by asking you to think about specific situations and how you would react to them.

Key Information

2 Writer’s Choice: Composition Reteaching, Grade 9, Unit 1

■ A. Writing About Experiences

Read the items below and think about what memories each one evokes. Try to visualize yourexperiences so that they become clear in your mind. Then, in the spaces provided, briefly sum-marize what happened. Who was involved? When and where did the event take place?

1. your first day at high school _________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

2. an embarrassing moment ___________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

3. a memory that always makes you smile ________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

4. a time when you felt triumphant _____________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

5. a time when you felt someone let you down_____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

■ B. Responding to an Event

Write a journal entry based on one of the experiences summarized above. Looking back onthis event, try to determine what you learned from it. If you could relive the experience, what,if anything, would you change about it?

__________________________________________________________________________________

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Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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1.2 Keeping a Journal

In a journal you can feel free to write about your thoughts, feelings, ideas, opinions, or experiences.You may use a journal as a source for writing ideas, as a learning log, or as a personal record of dailyevents. Whatever its purpose, a journal provides a private place where you can make discoveries aboutyourself and the world.

Key Information

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ Writing About Activities

1. To come up with a topic for a personal essay, list at least six activities you enjoy. These may be activi-ties you enjoy doing alone or with others, when you’re feeling full of energy or when you want torelax.

_____________________________________ ___________________________________

_____________________________________ ___________________________________

_____________________________________ ___________________________________

2. Now select one activity from your list. Explore whatever interests you about the activity in a clusterdiagram or by freewriting about it.

_________________________________________________________________________________

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_________________________________________________________________________________

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3. Finally, focus on a specific aspect of the activity, and write a thesis statement that explains what youwant to say. List personal anecdotes and other details that could be used to support your thesis andmake your essay come to life.

_________________________________________________________________________________

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1.3 Writing a Personal Essay

In a personal essay, you express your opinion on a topic that interests you. The essay draws on your ownexperiences but is not directly about you. An effective personal essay contains a thesis statement, whichclearly states your main point, and vivid supporting details that convey your enthusiasm for your topic.

Key Information



■ A. Gathering Information

Flip through your mental files to gather information for an autobiographical sketch. List expe-riences that made you happy or angry, that occurred long ago or yesterday, or that your familyor friends shared.

______________________________________ ___________________________________

______________________________________ ___________________________________

______________________________________ ___________________________________

______________________________________ ___________________________________

______________________________________ ___________________________________

Now pick one of the experiences, and freewrite or brainstorm about it to generate material foran autobiographical sketch.

■ B. Organizing Information

Use the timeline below to organize the events in your sketch in chronological order. Be sure tolabel the unit of time you wish to use—minutes, hours, days—on your timeline. Feel free toinclude and elaborate on events that aren’t mentioned in your prewriting.

Unit of Time

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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1.4 Writing Autobiography

An autobiography is a written account of the writer’s own life. You can find material for an autobio-graphical sketch by exploring anything you have done, felt, thought, dreamed, experienced, orlearned. The events in the sketch may be presented many different ways: in a poem, in an interview,as a flashback, in a series of journal entries. A good way to organize the events is chronologically, theorder in which the events occurred.

Key Information


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ A. Generating Sensory Details

For each of the following, create images that appeal to one or more of the senses: sight, touch,taste, smell, or hearing.

Example: summer stormThe raindrops sizzled on the hot pavement, sending up hissing wisps of steam.

1. autumn leaves_____________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

2. spring rain _______________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

3. your favorite food__________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

4. a holiday celebration _______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

■ B. Creating Similes and Metaphors

Complete each of the following sentences with a simile or metaphor. Try to come up with orig-inal associations.

Examples: Her face was a calm lake; she showed no emotion.They followed her as quietly as sheep follow a shepherd.

1. The parakeet was as colorful as _______________________________________________________

2. Lee was as old as ___________________________________________________________________

3. Michelle’s room was a_______________________________________________________________

4. Oscar raced along the basketball court, a ________________________________________________

5. After they won the contest, Meiling and Miranda shouted like _______________________________


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1.5 Writing a Poem

Poets create vivid sounds and images using such techniques as sensory details, similes, metaphors, per-sonification, and sound effects. You can write poems in free verse or in set patterns of rhyme andrhythm. You can also stretch grammar, punctuation, and spelling rules to create pictures that expressyour feelings about a subject.

Key Information


■ Responding to Reading

In the following passage Calvin Simonds writes about waiting for his sixteen-year-old daughterto come home. Before going out, she told him she was going to the library. After you read thepassage, answer the questions that follow.

1. Think of a time when you returned home later than you thought you would. Briefly describe when

and why it happened. _______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

2. How did your parent or other family member react when you finally did come home? ___________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

3. How do you think your family member felt when you were late? _____________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

4. If you were the parent in this story, how would you react when your child finally came home?

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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1.6W R I T I N G A B O U T L I T E R A T U R E

Keeping a Reader-Response Journal

In a reader-response journal you record your reactions, thoughts, and feelings about whatever you arereading. You can respond to a literary work any way you choose—in a letter, by pretending to be oneof the characters, by imagining what might happen after the story ends. Keeping a reader-responsejournal can help you see how your reading relates to your own life.

Key Information

As I write this, I am waiting for my daughter to come home. The time is almost one A.M. She prom-ised when she borrowed the car that she would be home at midnight. A light snow has been

falling since eleven. I have walked out to the end of the driveway a couple of times to see if the snow isaccumulating on the road. The last time it was. The road is a bit slippery. I am worried.

Calvin Simonds, “Vigil”

Literature Model


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ Reading and Responding to Biography

The following passage, taken from Carl Sandburg’s Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years, describesLincoln as he was preparing to begin a new stage in his life. As you read this passage, think aboutwhat is happening and what Lincoln may have been thinking and experiencing at that time.

Now write a series of reader responses to the selection.

1. What question would you most like to ask Lincoln as he embarks on his law career? _____________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

2. Imagine that you meet Lincoln at an inn on the road to Springfield and have lunch together. Whatdo you talk about? Write down your conversation. If necessary, use a separate sheet of paper.

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

3. Put yourself in Lincoln’s shoes and write a brief journal entry about the day discussed in the selection.

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

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Writing About Biography

When you respond personally to a biography—the story of a person’s life—you can relate your discov-eries about the subject’s attitudes, values, and behavior to your own life. Some of the ways you canrespond to a biography include conducting an imaginary interview with the subject, bringing a histori-cal figure into the modern day world, and writing a letter to help the subject with a problem. Thesetechniques can help you get to know your subject and his or her world.

Key Information

On a certain April day in 1837, Abraham Lincoln borrowed a horse from Squire Bowling Green,packed his saddlebags, and started the eighteen-mile ride from New Salem to Springfield. He

was twenty-eight years old, he had seven dollars in his pocket and he was still more than a thou-sand dollars in debt. But he was also now a licensed lawyer, a member of the state legislature, andfloor leader of the Whig party, and he was about to start practicing law as a member of the newfirm of Stuart & Lincoln.

Carl Sandburg, Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years

Literature Model


■ A. Vivid Recall

Think of an event or interaction that occurred for each of the situations below. Then writeyour answers to the questions.

an unusual day at school

1. Who was involved? _________________________________________________________________

2. What happened? ___________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

3. Where? __________________________________________________________________________

4. When?___________________________________________________________________________

5. Why did it happen? ________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

6. How was it significant?______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

a special time with your family or a family member

1. Who was involved? _________________________________________________________________

2. What happened? ___________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

3. Where did it happen? _______________________________________________________________

4. When?___________________________________________________________________________

5. Why did it happen? ________________________________________________________________

6. How was it significant?______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

■ B. Making Changes

Choose one of the incidents you described above. Think about how you changed as a result ofthe incident. Describe how you were before the incident. Then describe how you were after it.

before _____________________________________________________________________________

after _______________________________________________________________________________

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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1 Writing Process in Action

A significant event or interaction may be examined in an autobiographical sketch. To help you vividlyrecall the incident, you should write your answers to who, what, where, when, why, and how questions.Then focus on how the experience changed you.

Key Information


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ A. Understanding the Writing Process

To understand and benefit from the writing process, it is important to understand the goals ofeach stage. After each goal in the list below, write down the stage it best corresponds to.

Prewriting Drafting Revising Editing/Proofreading Publishing/Presenting

1. generate and explore ideas_________________________________________________________

2. cut or add to improve writing ______________________________________________________

3. check and correct grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling __________________________

4. find links between ideas __________________________________________________________

5. decide on purpose and audience____________________________________________________

6. decide if writing reaches audience___________________________________________________

7. turn ideas into paragraphs ________________________________________________________

8. decide if writing accomplishes purpose ______________________________________________

9. submit your writing to a magazine __________________________________________________

10. decide if word choice best relates your ideas___________________________________________

■ B. Visualizing the Writing Process

Because problems encountered in one stage can often be solved in an earlier stage, writersoften find it necessary to return to earlier stages. For each situation below, tell which stage toreturn to.

1. While drafting, you discover a new idea you would like to explore. ___________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

2. While editing, you encounter a thorny problem with syntax. ________________________________

3. As you are about to present your writing, you realize that you have left out one very important idea,

which you want to think about more. __________________________________________________

4. While revising, you decide that, to make your purpose clear, you need to write a few more

paragraphs. _______________________________________________________________________


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2.1 Overview of the Writing Process

The writing process involves five main stages. Because each stage builds on the one that comes beforeit, it may be helpful to follow the stages in sequence, using them as a guide. By concentrating on andachieving the goals of each stage, many writers are better able to achieve the goals of the next stage.Still, writing involves discovering what you have to say, and often that process does not proceed in astraight line, from one stage to the next. Therefore, you might find that you need to go back to astage and develop it further before you can move on to the next level. As you write, the purpose andfocus of your writing will become clearer with each stage you travel through.

Key Information


■ A. Exploring

To explore a topic idea that comes to mind, use it as a prompt to list all of the ideas you havethat relate to it. To practice this procedure, list four separate topic ideas for each prompt below.

Favorite foods

___________________________________ ___________________________________

___________________________________ ___________________________________

Best childhood memories

___________________________________ ___________________________________

___________________________________ ___________________________________

Exhilarating moments

___________________________________ ___________________________________

___________________________________ ___________________________________

Valuable lessons learned from friends

___________________________________ ___________________________________

___________________________________ ___________________________________

■ B. Narrowing Focus

Once you come up with a number of possible topics, look over the lists you have created. Writethe idea you like best in the center circle below. In each of the ovals, write topic ideas related tobut narrower than the one in the center oval. Then repeat the same process for each of the fourouter ovals. Once you are done, you will have found in the outermost ovals a number of topicideas much more focused than your original topic.

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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2.2 Prewriting: Getting Started

You may think that you need to have a clear topic in mind before you put a word down on paper, butconsider this approach: Before you begin writing (drafting), you can actually discover your topic by jottingdown ideas. This approach is called prewriting. One useful technique in prewriting is making lists. The following exercises will give you practice in prewriting techniques for exploring ideas and narrowing focus.

Key Information


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ A. Identifying Your Purpose

Once you have identified something you would like to write about, you can identify purposequite easily. Narrative writing is writing that tells a story. Persuasive writing includes writing thatgets people to change their minds. Writing to inform means writing to instruct, teach, or provideinformation. Descriptive writing is writing that describes something or someone. Identify thepurpose for each of the following writing tasks as narrate, persuade, inform, or describe.

__________ 1. telling about the funny thing that happened on the way to school

__________ 2. telling what a painting looks like

__________ 3. explaining how to travel inexpensively

__________ 4. stating how to win friends

__________ 5. suggesting that people vote for you for student council

__________ 6. advertising a product

__________ 7. recounting an event that happened during your parent’s childhood

__________ 8. telling what the park is like in the fall

■ B. Identifying Your Audience

You have a purpose for writing. Now you must ask for whom you are writing. If you want towrite about a particular Super Bowl game, for example, does your purpose dictate that youwrite for committed football fans, for people who know something about football, or for thosewho may know nothing at all about the game? Circle the letter or letters of the most likelyaudience for the following topics.

1. an explanation of what happens to your community’s trash after pick-up

a. sanitation engineers b. citizens concerned c. parentsabout the environment

2. a biography of the playwright Arthur Miller

a. drama students b. theatergoers c. poets

3. instructions on how to make an enchilada

a. gourmet chefs b. restaurant owners c. anyone who enjoys cooking

4. a diary recording all the important events that happened during the past year

a. you b. your friends c. your parents

5. a newspaper review of a rock concert

a. primary-grade students b. high school and college students c. adults fifty years and older


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2.3 Prewriting: Identifying Purpose and Audience

Purpose and audience are two terms that are important to you as a writer. Purpose refers to whyyou are writing. Are you writing to narrate, describe, inform, or persuade? Any of these can be yourpurpose in writing, or your purpose can be a combination of them. Once you have determined yourpurpose, you should think about your audience. If your purpose is to describe basic principles of doggrooming, you must decide if you are writing for dog groomers, dog owners, or a wider audience.You should also consider the age of your audience.

Key Information


■ A. Getting Help

Which sources would you investigate for information on each of the following? Match eachtopic in the first column with the most appropriate list of sources in the second column. Placethe letter on the blank. You will use some items in the second column more than once.

________ 1. life in Japan today a. neighbors or people in area, possibly reference librarian

________ 2. life in America in the 1960s b. encyclopedia, books, people who remember thenews reports

________ 3. the causes of snow c. books and magazines, recent visitor to or nativeof the country

________ 4. parks in your neighborhood d. encyclopedia, biography

________ 5. the blizzard of 1947 e. newspaper, political flyers

________ 6. Sojourner Truth f. friends, relatives, books and magazines,psychology texts

________ 7. position statements by political g. newspaper and magazine articles from the candidates period, people who were in their twenties or

thirties at that time

________ 8. humans landing on the moon h. police officer, criminologist, books

________ 9. the nature of prejudice i. meteorologist, science text, science teacher

________10. crime prevention

■ B. Exploring Sources Around You

Think of five topics and sources of information for each. Remember that these sources mayinclude people you know.

Topic Sources of information

___________________________________ ___________________________________

___________________________________ ___________________________________

___________________________________ ___________________________________

___________________________________ ___________________________________

___________________________________ ___________________________________

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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2.4 Prewriting: Gathering Information

People, books, radio, television, magazines, and newspapers are all sources of information. Sometimeswriters overlook another good source of information: themselves. In preparation for writing, you canalso draw upon your own experiences.

Key Information


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ A. Grouping Ideas and Topic Sentences

A well-constructed, coherent paragraph consists of a main idea—which may be stated in atopic sentence—and details that support the main idea. Look below at the topic sentences andthe list of sentences containing details. If a detail sentence supports topic sentence number 1,write 1 on the line next to it. If a detail sentence supports topic sentence number 2, write 2. Fora detail sentence that supports both topic sentences, write B.

Topic Sentence 1: Abraham Lincoln came from humble beginnings.Topic Sentence 2: Abraham Lincoln had a difficult childhood.

______1. Lincoln was born in 1809 in a rough log cabin in the backwoods of Kentucky.

______2. His father was a descendant of an English weaver’s apprentice.

______3. His father was a struggling farmer.

______4. When Abraham was seven, the Lincolns moved from their farm in Kentucky toIndiana, where Lincoln’s father built a crude log cabin on land that was not his.

______5. Lincoln’s mother died when he was nine years old.

______6. Lincoln’s brother Thomas died in infancy.

______7. Both of Lincoln’s parents were illiterate.

______8. Lincoln had little formal schooling as a child.

______9. Young Lincoln was said to have traveled, on many occasions, several miles to borrow a single book.

_____10. As a child, Lincoln helped his father with farming chores, such as clearing landand tending the crops.

■ B. Making Sentences into Paragraphs

Write a paragraph about Abraham Lincoln. Use one of the topic sentences in Part A along withthe supporting details you identified to compose a well-constructed, coherent paragraph.


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2.5 Drafting: Turning Notes into Paragraphs

Once you have achieved your prewriting goals, you need to take your ideas and shape them into para-graphs. A paragraph consists of a main idea and supporting details. The main idea is often statedin a topic sentence.

Key Information


■ A. Distinguishing Topic Sentences and Supporting Details

A topic sentence expresses the main idea of the paragraph. Supporting details work together todevelop the topic sentence. In the sentences below, write T next to those you think are topicsentences; write S next to those you think include a supporting detail.

________ 1. Computers have many uses.

________ 2. The Norman Conquest occurred in 1066.

________ 3. Television has changed education.

________ 4. The life of the Egyptian queen, Nefertiti, was difficult.

________ 5. The epidermis is the outermost layer of skin.

■ B. Identifying the Topic Sentence and Supporting Details

You can get experience with topic sentences and supporting details by identifying them as youread. In each of the following paragraphs, underline the topic sentence.

Military ships can use sonar (sound navigation ranging) to detect submarines. Fishermen can use itto locate schools of fish and determine the depth to which they should lower their nets. Sonar is evenused to find sunken treasure. In each case, sonar enables people to “see” by using sound. A soundwave is transmitted by a sonar device and bounces off an object. The time it takes for the wave toreturn as an echo indicates how far away the object is.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa was constructed in the fourteenth century. Even though the soil wasuneven in strength, the Pisans thought they could overcome this problem. They thought that if theybuilt the tower at an angle then they would correct the differences in the soil. Unfortunately, this didnot stop the tower from shifting on its foundation. Today it is famous because of its lean. As they didcenturies ago, construction workers of today must consider soil conditions at building sites to avoidproblems later.

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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2.6 Drafting: Writing Unified Paragraphs

Have you ever tried to talk to someone who was always changing the subject? It is not easy to under-stand people who fail to discuss things in an orderly way. Similarly, if a writer moves from one topic tothe next without starting a new paragraph, the reader will probably end up very confused about thewriter’s purpose. A paragraph usually includes a topic sentence and supporting details.

Key Information


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ A. Chronological Order

If you write about a series of events, you probably use chronological order. For example, if younarrate the events before, during, and after a swimming competition, in what sequence do youplace the following details to convey chronological order? Number the details from one to tento indicate their correct chronological order.

________ put on swim suits

________ change into dry clothes

________ do warm-up exercises

________ board bus to go to competition

________ board bus to go home

________ celebrate victory

________ go to sleep

________ listen to the coach telling you to do your best

________ swim laps

________ win a trophy

■ B. Spatial Order

If you are writing a description of something, you probably naturally use spatial order; that is, youdescribe things to show how they are arranged in a physical environment. Write a description of aplace you know well, such as your room at home or your favorite place to eat. Use spatial order ina logical way to describe things in this place. Be sure to use words that show relationships, such asabove, next to, and behind.


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2.7 Drafting: Ordering the Details

Ordering the details in a paragraph helps the reader understand what you are trying to communicate.Paragraphs can be ordered in different ways. For example, you can arrange details in chronologicalorder, as events occur in time, and you can arrange details in spatial order, as things appear in a physical context.

Key Information


■ A. Including Transitions

Transition words and phrases make connections by showing relationships between ideas.Choose the best transition for each blank in the following paragraph.

___________ botanists identify a plant, they follow this process. ___________, they

carefully observe the plant. ___________ they may take a sample of leaves and flowers.

___________the botanists try to find the plant in an identification book, or key.

___________it is not listed, they may have made a discovery!

■ B. Using Repetition

Repeating a word or phrase can also make connections. Circle each repeated word or phrasethat helps make this paragraph coherent.

Lasers have many uses. The grocery store check-out clerk uses a laser device to read the black-and-

white code lines on packages. The device scans this information faster than the clerk can enter it. The

clerk only has to move the package so that the code lines can be scanned. This system makes the

check-out process much faster.

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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2.8 Drafting: Writing Coherent Paragraphs

Coherent means “connected.” In a paragraph the ideas need to be clearly connected so that the read-er can easily follow the writer’s thought. The writer can make connections through the use of pro-nouns and transition words and phrases.

Key Information

when at the same time if first next


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ A. Checking for Unity

A paragraph with unity is well organized and easy to follow. Checking a paragraph for unityinvolves making sure that all the details support the main idea. Look at the paragraph below,and then answer the questions that follow.

(1)Hogs are among the most intelligent of the domestic animals. (2)Some scientists believe thathogs are the most intelligent of the domestic animals. (3)Hogs are also called pigs if they weigh lessthan about 120 pounds and if they are not yet mature adults. (4)The average weight for adult domes-tic hogs is about 800 pounds. (5)Scientists say that hogs are able to think through problems and arriveat solutions, a process that is, by definition, a sign of intelligence. (6)A pet hog named Fido, for exam-ple, taught himself how to unlock a bolt lock on his master’s kitchen cabinet to get at the food inside.(7)For example, hogs can be trained to guard the home, dance, tumble, retrieve, dive, and even sniffout everything from land mines to truffles. (8)Hog experts claim that hogs can be trained like dogs andthat they can learn any feat a dog can learn, usually in a shorter period of time. (9)Hogs are also veryvaluable to medical science because they are very similar, physiologically, to humans.

1. Which sentence contains the main idea of the paragraph? __________________________________

2. Which sentence is unnecessary because it restates the main point without adding any new information?

Cross it out. ______________________________________________________________________

3. Which sentences do not include details that support the main idea? Cross them out. _____________

_________________________________________________________________________________

■ B. Checking for Coherence

After you have checked your paragraph for unity, the next step is revising for coherence. Acoherent paragraph has sentences that flow smoothly and words that clearly communicateyour meaning. Read the following paragraph. Delete words you think are unnecessary, and, ifyou see poor word choices, circle those words and suggest alternatives. Fill in the columns asyou go. Use another sheet of paper if necessary.

Hogs have a dirty reputation for being the uncleanest, filthiest, dirtiest of animals. This is easily notthe case. They are, indeed, naturally very clean animals and are among the purest of domestic animals.They are easier to housebreak than a puppy. The reason they are famous for being dirty is that they donot have major sweat glands to control body temperature, so they need wetness to keep cool inscorching weather. Thus, when no other wetness is around, these animals are made to resort to mud-holes for alleviation. If given the option, though, these animals would always go for clean, pure waterover dirty, filthy mud.

Unnecessary Words Poor Word Choice Alternative

___________________ ____________________ ___________________

___________________ ____________________ ___________________


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2.9 Revising: Improving Paragraphs

Revising is an important part of the writing process. It’s difficult, perhaps even impossible, to writeanything right the first time. Even professional writers spend an enormous amount of time revising.When you write, plan to revise as well. As you revise your work, concentrate on one area at a time.

Key Information


■ A. Editing for Sense

After you revise your writing, you are ready for the next stage of the writing process: editing forsense. Editing for sense means making sure that words and sentences convey your intendedmeaning. The paragraph below has been edited. In the space provided, explain why some of thechanges were made. Look for correction of errors in subject-verb agreement and in verb tenses.Check the pronouns for clarity, and look for run-ons and fragments that have been corrected.

There was two outs. It was the bottom of ninth inning. The count were one balls and two strikes.

Quickly Martina stepped out of the batter’s box. Martina tapped dirt from her shoes she moved her

cap. She step purposefully back into the batters box, grinding her back foot into the dirt. Her chin jut-

ted forward and her jaw clenched tight . she looked at the pitcher. The pitcher looked at Martina, blew

a bubble, then wound up. Then she fired the ball. The ball seemed to fly in slow motion. She leant

back, keeping her eye on the ball, and swinged with all her might. Swish! she struck out . the game

was over.

■ B. Proofreading

Have you ever seen a beautiful, homemade cake with a fly crawling on it? You start thinkingabout the fly and stop thinking about the cake. Proofreading involves reading your paper care-fully to eliminate little, annoying mistakes—the flies. Proofreading makes you think aboutspelling and mechanics (punctuation and capitalization). By proofreading you can make yourpaper as perfect as possible. Then the reader will pay attention to the cake—to your ideas—instead of paying attention to the fly—the small errors. Look carefully at the following sen-tences. Locate the errors in each and use proofreading marks to correct them.

1. Jesse Ownes was a grate athlete.

2. Barn in Alabama, he come to Ohio in the 1920s.

3. As a highschool senior, he was the contry’s top highschool sprinter.

4. He whent to the Olympics in Germany in 1936.

5. There he recieved four gold medals in track-and-field events.

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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2.10 Editing/Proofreading: Final Checking

When you read your own writing, you may overlook small mistakes. After all, you know what youintended to say! If you concentrate on only one type of problem at a time, you may be able to look atyour own writing more effectively. You will need to read through your paper a separate time for eachdifferent type of problem, but doing so will help you catch the details you need to correct.

Key Information

were was

She and adjusted

ped ’

, and float Martina leaned

and swung


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ A. Finding a Forum

Would you expect to hear a speech at a poetry reading? How would you react if you cameacross a book review in a movie magazine? If you want your writing to achieve its intendedpurpose, you should present it in an appropriate forum, or place. In the following exercise,match the piece of writing in the first column with the most appropriate forum in the secondcolumn. For some kinds of writing, more than one forum is appropriate.

Writing Forum

________1. song lyrics a. newspaper

________2. speech b. history class

________3. recipe c. concert

________4. letter to the editor d. women’s/men’s magazine

________5. report on the Underground Railroad e. political rally

________6. analysis of a current event f. hour-long television news specialty show

________7. humorous anecdote g. talk show

________8. short story h. news magazine

■ B. Writing a Letter to the Editor

This letter to the editor of a school newspaper has already been started for you. Put a checkmark next to the sentences that contain information that is appropriate to include in the letter.

A serious problem is facing Georgetown High. Our recycling project is fizzling out, and our city’slandfills are filling at an alarming rate. We should take steps to solve this problem.

________ 1. Our recycling program is too limited; it does not include plastics and glass.

________ 2. The cafeteria staff should take a more active role in our school’s recycling effort.

________ 3. We should form a recycling club and elect officers to make it run smoothly andefficiently.

________ 4. My mother works at a paper recycling center.

________ 5. Our city newspaper editor wrote a column about recycling a week ago.

________ 6. Flyers or posters about recycling would inform the students and encourage themto participate.

________ 7. My family recycles at home, and they are in favor of a school recycling project.


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2.11 Publishing/Presenting: Sharing Writing

One of the best features of the writing process is sharing the finished product with others. Becausehow you present your writing often depends on the audience you chose for that particular piece ofwriting, you probably think about presentation in some of the earlier stages of the writing process.There are many different ways to present your writing, from sharing it with a friend to reading it infront of a large community group.

Key Information


■ A. Identifying Theme

A theme is not a statement of fact; it is a generalization about life or human nature. Which ofthese do you think can be considered a theme? Which do not seem to be themes? Write T nextto each sentence that expresses a theme. Write N next to each sentence that does not.

________ 1. Love conquers all.

________ 2. Marybeth is going to star in the play.

________ 3. People who work very hard usually succeed.

________ 4. Sins from the past will haunt future generations.

________ 5. Money runs the world.

________ 6. Society has a positive effect on young people.

________ 7. Friendship is the most valuable gift of all.

________ 8. Hank should learn how to ride a horse before the next rodeo.

________ 9. A new library is being built for the town.

________ 10. Humans in the twentieth century are lonely.

■ B. Choosing a Theme

Choose a literary work you have read recently and write a sentence that states the theme of thewriting. Then write a paragraph that tells whether or not the literary work convinced you ofthe truth of the theme. Be sure to name the work in your first sentence.

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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Explaining Theme

A literary theme is the work’s underlying meaning. You can use prewriting techniques to help youidentify a work’s theme. Once you had identified the theme, you need to provide details from thepiece of literature that reflect or support that theme.

Key Information


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ A. Identifying Sensory Detail

The following paragraph contains words that appeal to the senses. Decide which sense eachitalicized word or phrase appeals to. Write the name of that sense on the line beside each num-bered word or phrase below. (Notice that the words dusty and dust may appeal to more thanone sense.)

As Juanita opened the door, it creaked. She noticed the lights were out and it was very dark.Although she was afraid, she went inside. The air was dusty and old-smelling. No one had been inhere for some time. Even her gum began to taste of the dust, so she wrapped it up in a piece of papershe found in her pocket. Before she went far, she bumped into something. She could not see it, but itfelt damp and slimy. She went to turn on the lights, but it was gone when she returned.

1. creaked ___________________________________________________________________________

2. dark _____________________________________________________________________________

3. dusty and old-smelling ______________________________________________________________

4. dust _____________________________________________________________________________

5. damp and slimy ____________________________________________________________________

Now use these sensory details to decide what mood is being created. Write a topic sentence forthe beginning of the paragraph (establishing the mood) or the end of the paragraph (summa-rizing the description). Use the lines below.

■ B. Adding Details

You may want to begin a descriptive paragraph by just sketching out your main ideas. Lateryou can go back and add details. In the following paragraph the writer has not yet specified thedetails. Find words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, or adverbs) to add in the blanks to give this para-graph more sensory detail. When you are done, check with other students: you may find yourparagraph sounds very different from theirs.

As I looked around the movie theater, I saw__________________ lights. The lobby smelled

like ____________ because ____________. Behind me I heard ____________. At the conces-

sion stand I asked for ____________. It tasted ____________. By 6:15 I was ready for the

movie to begin. As I went inside, _________________________________________________.


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3.1 Writing a Descriptive Paragraph

When you write a descriptive paragraph, your goal is to paint a sensory picture for the reader. Sensorydetails appeal to one of the five senses. “Rough” appeals to touch. “Blue” appeals to sight. “Tart”appeals to taste. “Bam!” appeals to hearing. “Rotting” appeals to smell. Your goal is to let the readerexperience what you have experienced. You can reach this goal by including vivid detail.

Key Information


■ A. Finding the Right Verb

As you read the following list of verbs, pick out the weakest verb in each row. The weakest verbis the one with the least specific, or most general, meaning. Completing this exercise will helpyou identify words to eliminate in your own writing. Circle the weak verbs.

1. saunter pace walk

2. perform do achieve

3. talk chat argue

4. cry weep bawl

5. hurt ache throb

6. giggle laugh howl

7. squat crouch sit

8. howl yip bark

9. munch stuff eat

10. take accept grab

11. argue feud bicker

12. prosper thrive grow

13. acquire obtain get

14. slurp drink imbibe

15. chant warble sing

■ B. Using Brand Names

The more specific details you include, the clearer your idea will be to your reader. Some writersuse brand names to help create a clear picture. On the lines below, a general product is listed.What brand name could you use to be clear? Substitute a brand name for the italicized word orphrase in each sentence, and write it in the blank.

1. On the shelf was a tube of toothpaste. ________________________________________________

2. He pulled into the gas station. ______________________________________________________

3. As Angela was leaving, she grabbed her tennis shoes. ____________________________________

4. The computer was expensive, but Kathy wanted to be a programmer. _______________________

5. Patricia grabbed a box of cereal from the cupboard._____________________________________

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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3.2 Using Descriptive Language

When you write a description, pay close attention to your choice of individual words. Words with thesame general meaning very often have different connotations. Effective word choice enhances thereader’s understanding of your work. Use specific nouns instead of vague ones, and select vivid modi-fiers rather than dull ones.

Key Information


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ A. Describing Size

As you grow, your size is measured in feet and inches. Horses are measured in hands (onehand is four inches). Boats are often measured in feet. Inches, hands, feet: all these are precisemeasurements. But precise measurements are not always the best way to describe size. Drawlines connecting the adjectives to the appropriate measurements.

twenty-foot-high walls broad

three-foot-wide wooden gate tiny

two-inch-square box towering

five-foot-wide tree sprawling

thirty-five-mile-wide city narrow

■ B. Describing Landscape

Landscape will influence the people who inhabit your imaginary place. Imagining the climateand landscape will help you imagine the rest of their lives. Focus on the geography of the placeas you answer each of the questions below. Use comparisons with familiar places to help read-ers visualize your place.

1. What kinds of plants grow there? Trees? Flowers?

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

2. How far away is the closest water body? Is it fresh water or salt water?

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

3. Is the place flat or mountainous?

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

4. How cold does it get there in the winter? How warm in the summer?

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

5. How much rain or snow falls on the place each year?

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________


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3.3 Describing an Imaginary Place

If you are going to describe an imaginary place, your reader will want to know a great deal about it. Ifit’s a room, how does this room differ from other rooms? If it’s a dangerous place, how does it differfrom other dangerous places? What makes it unique? Even if you don’t want to include all of thedetails in your writing, having a clear picture in your mind will improve your writing.

Key Information


■ A. Sketching the Details

Begin by deciding on the physical appearance of your character. As you answer each of the following questions, keep in mind that you can change some of your ideas as you becomeclearer about your character. These changes can be a sign that your character has started totake on a life of his or her own.

height ________________________ weight _______________________

body build ____________________ skin color ____________________

eye color ______________________ hair color_____________________

hand size______________________ shoe size _____________________

age___________________________ physical strength _______________

■ B. Catching Your Character in Action

Once you have sketched out the physical details, it’s time to start thinking about actions. Howdoes your character walk? Talk? Show feelings? These details will add depth to your character.Think carefully about the following questions before answering them. Try to visualize yourcharacter in different situations.

1. How does your character walk at the beginning of the day? The end? _______________________

______________________________________________________________________________

2. How does your character talk to his or her best friend? To his or her mother? ________________

______________________________________________________________________________

3. What makes your character angrier than anything else? __________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

4. What makes your character happier than anything else? _________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

5. What do people like best about your character? ________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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3.4 Describing an Imaginary Person

When you are describing an imaginary person, try to create a believable person. How do you do this?Your first goal is to present a person with many sides. Real people are flawed. They may sometimesyell when they should be quiet. They may say mean things to someone, even though they may usuallybe kind and generous. These details, showing a flawed, human character, will help make it possiblefor your readers to believe in your character.

Key Information


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ Reading for Clues

In “A Worn Path,” Eudora Welty offers clues about a character named Phoenix Jackson. As youread the following excerpt, think about why the author has chosen to use each word. Thinkabout the emotions she is trying to convey. Then answer the questions.

1. How old would you guess this woman is? What in the text supports your ideas?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. Is this woman wealthy or poor? What evidence from the text supports your idea?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. Why are her shoelaces untied when her dress is described as being “all neat and tidy”?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

4. What senses (taste, touch, smell, sight, or hearing) does this passage appeal to?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

5. Is this woman likeable or not? What about the description makes her seem likable or unlikable?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________


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Analyzing Character Descriptions

Reading a story can be like solving a mystery. The text contains clues about characters. One of thereader’s jobs is to find those clues and decide which are important, which add meaning to the text.

Key Information

She wore a dark striped dress reaching down to her shoe tops, and an equally long apron ofbleached sugar sacks, with a full pocket: all neat and tidy, but every time she took a step she

might have fallen over her shoelaces, which dragged from her unlaced shoes. She looked straightahead. Her eyes were blue with age. Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branchingwrinkles and as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of her forehead, but a golden colorran underneath, and the two knobs of her cheeks were illumined by a yellow burning under thedark. Under the red rag her hair came down on her neck in the frailest of ringlets, still black, andwith an odor like copper.

Eudora Welty, “A Worn Path”

Literature Model


■ A. Identifying Organization

Tell whether each description uses spatial order or order of importance. Then give evidence tosupport your answer. For example, if the exercise uses spatial order, identify which directionthe spatial order follows: top to bottom, left to right, or front to back. If the description usesorder of importance, write whether the details are presented from most to least important orleast to most important.

1. The thing I love most about our house is my own room. I just love to close the door to my roomand know that I can have time and space to call my own. My second favorite place is the familyroom, because that’s where we all gather to watch movies and television shows.

___________________________________ _____________________________________

2. When you first enter the house, you will see a mirror hanging on the left side of the entry hall. Thefirst room to the left is the family room. To the right of the front hall is the stairs leading up to thebedrooms.

___________________________________ _____________________________________

3. The clouds were low and puffy. The tree tops swayed in the gentle breeze. A squirrel climbed downthe tree in search of a nut he had hidden in the dirt.

___________________________________ _____________________________________

4. I pushed open the door to the small cabin. The living room looked pleasant enough, even if it didsmell a bit musty. I walked through the kitchen and into the bedroom. I glanced in the bathroom,and that’s when I noticed the muddy footprints.

___________________________________ _____________________________________

5. There is a tiny little fish pond built into the ground, just beyond the back porch. Lilies of the valleyand violets bloom along the side wall. Fragrant crabapple trees shade the front of the house.

___________________________________ _____________________________________

■ B. Organizing Details

Envision a specific car. What car is it? List five details about the car, using either spatial orderor order of importance. Then identify what type of organization you used.

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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Present descriptive details in either spatial order or order of importance. Spatial order describes all theelements of the scene by their location. Spatial order can track from top to bottom, left to right, orfront to back. To organize by order of importance, you can describe the key details first and thenmove on to the less important ones. Or you can state the minor details first and lead up to the mostimportant.

Key Information


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ A. Choosing a Topic for a Narrative

If you’re not interested in your topic, your reader probably won’t be either. So choose a topicyou care about. Try thinking of personal experiences related to the following topics. Thenbriefly outline each possible narrative.

1. growing up _____________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. setting personal goals _____________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. knowing right from wrong ________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

4. helping a friend _________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

5. being helped by a friend___________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

■ B. Plotting Chronology

Select one of the possible narratives you identified above and develop a chronology of the nar-rative’s events. Did all of the events happen in a single day? Over a period of several days oreven weeks? Arranging your information chronologically will let your reader see how muchtime was involved.

Date _____________________ Time ___________________ Event _____________

Date _____________________ Time ___________________ Event _____________

Date _____________________ Time ___________________ Event _____________

Date _____________________ Time ___________________ Event _____________

Date _____________________ Time ___________________ Event _____________


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4.1 Writing Simple Narratives

A narrative tells a story. You already narrate many events. After school you may tell a parent aboutdissecting a frog. Or you may tell a little brother or sister about what he or she did as a baby.Narratives have characters, setting, and plot. Characters are the people involved. Setting is the timeand location. Plot is the chain of events.

Key Information


■ A. Brainstorming About Conflict

Think of conflicts that have occurred in your own life. These conflicts might include conflictwith yourself over whether you should try out for the cheerleading squad, conflict with yourenvironment if you were lost in a strange place, or conflict with a parent over your choice ofclasses. With a small group, brainstorm possible causes of conflict. Then, in the space provided,list possible sources of conflict in a teenager’s life.

■ B. Visualizing Stages in Conflict

In the example below, the author has charted the building of the conflict, the climax (the high-est point on the chart), and the steps in the resolution of the conflict. Review the steps in theexample. Then choose one of the sources of conflict you listed in Part A, and chart the conflict,climax, and resolution in a teenager’s life.

fight with Bill

talk to best friend breaking up

he says he can do what he wants feeling glad it’s over

ask him about it

see Bill with another girl

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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4.2 Developing Conflict in Narrative

Narratives usually involve conflict, some tension or disagreement that needs to be resolved. If there isno conflict, readers may think they know what will happen next and not bother to continue reading. Ifthere is conflict, readers will read on to find out how it is resolved. If you have ever read a book thatkept you reading to find out the ending, you already understand something about how conflict worksin narrative.

Key Information


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ A. Choosing Dialogue for Impact

Which of the following pieces of dialogue effectively reveals something about the character’spersonality? If the personality appears clearly, underline the part of the sentence that showspersonality. Then write what you think the dialogue reveals about the character. If the sentencedoes not show the character’s personality, write an X after it.

1. Naomi stared at him and said, “Why don’t you pay for it out of your allowance?”

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. “You should have won. Really, I don’t deserve it,” Larry said.

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. “What do you mean I don’t have a reservation? Don’t you know who I am? I don’t need a reserva-tion! Get me a table now or I’ll have you fired!”

_______________________________________________________________________________

4. “Would you please come in and shut the door behind you?” the doctor asked.

_______________________________________________________________________________

5. “I love you too!” Elena and Andres cried together.

_______________________________________________________________________________

■ B. Listening to Dialogue

Imagine you are at a restaurant. Around you are people of all ages talking about all sorts of dif-ferent things. What do you think they might be saying? Look at the dialogue starter below.Record a possible conversation. Continue on another sheet of paper. Use dialogue to show thepersonalities of these people. Don’t forget to begin a new paragraph each time the speakerchanges.

Across the aisle from you, a young man wearing a reddish beard and holding a bent spoonlaughs and says, ___________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Facing him sit a tall man and woman who are both watching the young man closely. With the

faintest twinkle in her eye, the woman turns to the man beside her and says, ___________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________


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4.3 Writing Dialogue

What people say reflects a great deal about who they are. So dialogue can tell us about characters. Ifyou were trying to explain how a friend acts, it might be easier to show rather than describe. Dialogueshows the reader how the person being described acts in conversation. It creates a visual picture foryour readers. Since detail is so important to your readers, you will want to consider carefully what dialogue to include.

Key Information


■ Giving Support Through Anecdotes

Here are five different general statements. Think of people you know whose behavior couldillustrate one of these statements. Then write an anecdote for each statement. If trying to showthat some people seem to enjoy being mean, you might write about grouchy Jacob Peters, who,when your three-year-old sister “accidentally” picked some daffodils from his yard, yelled ather and called your parents.

1. Few people are lazy about everything. ________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. To succeed, a person must be ambitious.______________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. Arguing is the best way to stimulate thinking.__________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

4. Reading changes people’s perceptions. _______________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

5. It’s not healthy to be too health-conscious. ____________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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4.4 Using Anecdotes

Anecdotes are short narratives that are used to support a point that a writer is trying to make. If youwere writing about the strength needed to water ski, for example, you could support your main ideaby mentioning a friend who had given up trying to water ski and then learned in one try after taking abody-building course. If you use an anecdote, there must be a clear relationship between the anecdoteand your main idea. If the two ideas cannot be clearly related, it is probably best to drop the anecdote.

Key Information


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ A. Charting the Conflict

Think of a sports event you attended recently or perhaps played in. At what point in the gameor match did the action become most exciting? When was the outcome decided? Select a sportsevent and write about the stages of the game or match that determined the outcome.

Sports event:________________________________________________________________________

Starting point: ______________________________________________________________________

Conflict: ___________________________________________________________________________

Climax: ____________________________________________________________________________

Resolution: _________________________________________________________________________

■ B. Describing Setting and Characters

Think again about the sports event you discussed in Part A. Then answer the following ques-tions about setting and the characters who participated.

1. Is the setting indoors or outdoors? (Describe weather or other factors affecting comfort.)

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. Are there spectators? How many? How are they acting?

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. How many people are playing? (Are you discussing a team sport or an individual competition?)

_______________________________________________________________________________

4. Describe the characters’ physical appearance.

_______________________________________________________________________________

5. Tell what one of the characters thinks and feels before, during, and after the game.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

■ C. Enriching Your Story of the Conflict

On another sheet of paper, write short paragraphs discussing the starting point, conflict, cli-max, and resolution of the event you have been focusing on. Use what you wrote in Part A,and add material from Part B that will help bring the event to life for your readers.


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4.5 Writing a Sports Narrative

Sports fans love to see players or teams competing against one another. Writing a sports narrative isrelating the story of a conflict: Who is leading the offense? The defense? Who has been sidelined?How is the competition? What specific plays add to the excitement? Begin where the conflict starts tobuild and develop the conflict to a climax. Then discuss the resolution of the conflict: Who won? Whatwas the score? How did the players react at the end? How did the fans react?

Key Information


■ Analyzing Suspense in a Narrative

Below are passages from stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne. For each passage, underline wordsthat create suspense and write whether suspense is created through foreshadowing, withhold-ing information, characters, setting, or mood. You may find more than one of these sources ofsuspense in a passage.

1. . . . on the hillside below them, they heard a roar of laughter, not mirthful, but slow, and evensolemn, like a wind shaking the boughs of the forest.

“Ethan Brand”

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. “But what has good Parson Hooper got upon his face?” cried the sexton in astonishment. Allwithin hearing immediately turned about, and beheld the semblance of Mr. Hooper, pacing slow-ly his meditative way towards the meetinghouse. With one accord they started, expressing morewonder than if some strange minister were coming to dust the cushions of Mr. Hooper’s pulpit.

“The Minister’s Black Veil”

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. Up the chimney roared the fire, and brightened the room with its broad blaze. The faces of thefather and mother had a sober gladness; the children laughed; the eldest daughter was the imageof Happiness at seventeen; and the aged grandmother, who sat knitting in the warmest place, wasthe image of Happiness grown old.

“The Ambitious Guest”

_______________________________________________________________________________

4. They dwelt in a cold spot and a dangerous one; for a mountain towered above their heads, sosteep that the stones would often rumble down its sides and startle them at midnight.

“The Ambitious Guest”

_______________________________________________________________________________

5. The wedded couple lived in London. The man, under pretense of going on a journey, took lodg-ing in the next street to his own house, and there, unheard of by his wife or friends, and withoutthe shadow of a reason for such self-banishment, dwelt upwards of twenty years.

“Wakefield”

_______________________________________________________________________________

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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Writing About Suspense

Writers create suspense about what will happen next in a story in order to keep readers interested.They create this suspense in many ways. They may use foreshadowing, offering hints about what willhappen next. Sometimes they withhold information, waiting until later in the story to reveal factsthe reader wants to know. Details in descriptions of characters, setting, and mood can also be usedto create suspense.

Key Information


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ Recognizing Point of View

Below are passages from works of fiction. For each passage indicate whether the point of viewof the narrator is first person, third-person limited, or third-person omniscient. Explain youranswer, citing words in the passage that indicate what point of view is being used.

1. But if Tom had told his strongest feeling at that moment, he would have said, “I’d do just thesame again.” That was his usual mode of viewing his past action, whereas Maggie was alwayswishing she had done something different.

George Eliot, The Mill on the Floss

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. I looked steadfastly at him, and perceived that his eyes looked dull and glazed. Instantly itoccurred to me, that his unexampled diligence in copying by his dim window for the first fewweeks of his stay with me might have temporarily impaired his vision.

Herman Melville, “Bartleby the Scrivener”

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. As he approached the village he met a number of people, but none whom he knew, which some-what surprised him, for he had thought himself acquainted with every one in the country round.Their dress, too, was of a different fashion from that to which he was accustomed. They all staredat him with equal marks of surprise, and whenever they cast their eyes upon him, invariablystroked their chins.

Washington Irving, “Rip Van Winkle”

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

4. Other people sat on the benches and green chairs, but they were nearly always the same, Sundayafter Sunday, and—Miss Brill had often noticed—there was something funny about nearly all ofthem.

Katherine Mansfield, “Miss Brill”

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________


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Analyzing Point of View in a Narrative

Point of view affects the information available to the narrator, the person the author chooses to tell astory. A first-person narrator is a character in the story and knows only what he or she witnesses andthinks. A third-person limited narrator witnesses actions and words of all characters but knows thethoughts of only one character. A third-person omniscient narrator knows the actions, words, andthoughts of all characters.

Key Information


■ A. Generating Ideas

Brainstorm a list of incidents involving conflict between family members or friends. Write yourideas on a separate sheet of paper.

■ B. Developing Conflict

Choose one of your ideas from Part A. Make notes about the stages of the conflict. Then, onanother sheet of paper, write two paragraphs describing the conflict to a cousin your age whohas just come from out of town to visit.

Chosen idea:________________________________________________________________________

Starting point: ______________________________________________________________________

Conflict: ___________________________________________________________________________

Climax: ____________________________________________________________________________

Resolution: _________________________________________________________________________

■ C. Writing Dialogue

On another sheet of paper write some dialogue that will fit into your narrative and that willhelp your cousin understand the personality of one or more important characters.

■ D. Writing an Anecdote

On another sheet of paper write an anecdote that helps make a point about something orsomeone in your narrative.

■ E. Creating Suspense

Select one or more methods of building suspense. Revise the paragraphs you wrote in Part Bso that they build suspense.

■ F. Using Point of View

Finally put the revised paragraphs from Part B, the dialogue, and the anecdote together to forma narrative. Make any additional revisions necessary to help the narrative flow smoothly. Be surethat you have used a consistent point of view that suits your purpose for telling the story.

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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Using the skills you’ve learned in this unit will help you to create effective narratives. Once you devel-op a conflict, you can add dialogue and anecdotes to bring the narrative to life. Understanding sus-pense and point of view in literature can help you motivate your readers to keep reading and offerthem a clear perspective on the action you are describing.

Key Information


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ A. Choosing a Kind of Expository Writing

Select the letter of the kind of expository writing that would be best to use in each of the essaysbelow.

_________ 1. “Why Does Lightning Happen?” a. definition

_________ 2. “Kinds of Carbohydrates” b. process

_________ 3. “What Makes a Cockroach a Cockroach?” c. cause and effect

_________ 4. “The Shapes of Two Nations: Geography d. classificationof Japan and the United States”

_________ 5. “How to Build a Deck Chair” e. comparison-contrast

■ B. Inventing Topics

For each kind of expository writing, think of two topics for essays. List your topics below.

definition___________________________________________________________________________

process_____________________________________________________________________________

cause and effect______________________________________________________________________

classification ________________________________________________________________________

comparison-contrast__________________________________________________________________


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5.1 Explaining and Informing

The purpose of expository writing is to explain and inform. This page concerns five basic kinds ofexpository writing. Definition writing tells what something is. Process writing tells how to do some-thing or explains the order of events. Cause-and-effect writing examines how one or more eventsresult from other events or actions. Classification writing breaks a broad topic down into narrowercategories. Comparison-contrast writing explores similarities and differences between two relatedevents or phenomena. The topic and purpose of your writing will determine which kind of expositorywriting you use.

Key Information


■ A. Recognizing Details

The passage below by Bruce Catton provides details about Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Leeto show how the two men were different. Underline all of the concrete nouns and descriptiveadjectives in the passage. Then think and write about what these details contribute. How dothey make Catton’s writing effective? What would the passage be like without the details?

■ B. Choosing Types of Details

Suppose you have been asked to compare traditional roller skates and in-line skates. Make upat least three different kinds of supporting details.

1. _______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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5.2 Going into Detail

When you write an expository piece, you can use the following kinds of supporting details: facts, sta-tistics, examples or incidents, sensory details, and reasons. Your purpose for writing, the type ofexposition you are writing, and the audience’s level of knowledge will help you select supporting details.

Key Information

So Grant and Lee were in complete contrast, representing two diametrically opposed elements inAmerican life. Grant was the modern man emerging; beyond him, ready to come on the stage,

was the great age of steel and machinery, of crowded cities and a restless, burgeoning vitality. Leemight have ridden down from the old age of chivalry, lance in hand, silken banner fluttering overhis head. Each man was the perfect champion of his cause, drawing both his strengths and hisweaknesses from the people he led.

Bruce Catton, “Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts”

Literature Model


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ Using Transitions in a Process Explanation

The paragraph below lists the steps in a process, but two steps are out of order. Also, relation-ships among the steps are not clear. Rewrite the paragraph. Be sure to put all the steps in thecorrect order and add transitions where necessary to make the instructions clearer and easierto follow.

To build a campfire, find a level area. Place the stones in a circle. Gather large stones. Gather bothsmall twigs and large pieces of firewood. Place twigs in a small heap in the center of the circle. Lightthe twigs. Lean several foot-long pieces of wood against each other and over the twigs in the shape of a tepee. As the fire burns, the tepee shape can be enlarged. Add as much wood as necessary tokeep the fire strong. Before you leave, douse the fire with water. Stir to be sure no hidden sparks arestill burning.


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5.3 Explaining How To . . .

When you write a process explanation you need to list all of the steps involved in the process clearlyand accurately. You can help your readers understand the relationships between these steps by usingappropriate transitional words and phrases. Some useful transitions include the following: first, sec-ond, then, next, immediately, finally, also, in addition, and later. Combining short sentences andrepeating certain words can also improve clarity and flow.

Key Information


■ A. Understanding Causes and Effects

Examine the causes and effects below. Then draw a line from each cause to the effect it is mostlikely to produce.

Causes Effects

a black cat crossing a superstitious person’s path plants grow

rainfall and sunlight knowledge is gained

running out of gas someone worries

reading books dinner is ruined

leaving food in an oven too long car won’t start

■ B. Brainstorming About Causes and Effects

Look at the two lists of events and phenomena below. Think about cause-and-effect relation-ships among them. Choose one of the lists and write an appropriate thesis statement for anessay explaining cause-and-effect relationships. Add other events or phenomena to the thesisstatement if necessary.

List 1 List 2

noise pollution people cough

factories built people smoke

people employed greenhouse effect

difficulty finding quietness air pollution

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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5.4 Explaining Cause and Effect

Cause-and-effect writing helps a reader understand the relationships between events or facts. Whenwriting about cause and effect, you can begin with causes and then explain the effect they produce.(This effect may, in turn, be a cause.) On the other hand, you may begin with an effect and explain itscauses. You should beware, however, of identifying false cause-and-effect relationships. If one eventfollows another, the second isn’t necessarily caused by the first.

Key Information


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ A. Practicing Classification

Create meaningful categories that are appropriate to the audience indicated for each of the fol-lowing topics. Then determine the common feature that ties the categories together. An exam-ple classification has been done for you.

Topic: MoviesAudience: children and preteens Audience: adultsCategories: Categories:cartoons dramasaction films love storiesscience-fiction films film biographiesCommon feature: films that emphasize Common feature: films that emphasize

plot character development1. Topic: flowers

Audience: children Audience: botanists

Categories: Categories:

____________________________ _________________________________

____________________________ _________________________________

____________________________ _________________________________

____________________________ _________________________________

Common feature: ______________ Common feature: ___________________

2. Topic: restaurants

Audience: food critics Audience: teenagers

Categories: Categories:

____________________________ __________________________________

____________________________ __________________________________

____________________________ __________________________________

____________________________ __________________________________

Common feature: ______________ Common feature: ____________________

■ B. Writing a Classification

Use a separate sheet of paper to write a paragraph or two on one of the classifications you created in Part A. Begin with a thesis statement. Then identify and explain each category.Conclude with a summary of the significance of your classification.


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5.5 Classifying a Subject

Classification involves looking at items and putting them into groups based on common characteris-tics, or qualities. When you plan a classification, you should create meaningful categories that areappropriate for your purpose and audience. You should also make sure the categories are mutuallyexclusive. In other words, each item should fit into one and only one category.

Key Information


■ A. Finding Similarities and Differences

List the similarities between newspapers and magazines. Then list the differences, making surethat each difference listed under “newspapers” corresponds to an opposing difference under“magazines.”

NEWSPAPERS MAGAZINES

Differences Similarities Differences

_____________________ _____________________ _______________________

_____________________ _____________________ _______________________

_____________________ _____________________ _______________________

_____________________ _____________________ _______________________

_____________________ _____________________ _______________________

_____________________ _____________________ _______________________

■ B. Organizing Similarities and Differences

On the lines below, organize the lists of similarities and differences you made in Part A. Usethe lines on the left to organize subject by subject. On the right, organize your list feature byfeature.

Newspapers:__________________________ Feature A __________________________

Feature A_______________________________ Newspaper___________________________

Feature B_______________________________ Magazine ____________________________

Feature C ______________________________

Feature B ___________________________

Magazines: ___________________________ Newspaper___________________________

Feature A_______________________________ Magazine ____________________________

Feature B_______________________________

Feature C ______________________________ Feature C ___________________________

Newspaper___________________________

Magazine ____________________________

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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5.6 Comparing and Contrasting

Comparison-contrast writing involves discussing both similarities and differences between two or morerelated things. A Venn diagram can help you explore and sort out similarities and differences betweentwo subjects. Once you have explored these similarities and differences, you can organize your comparison-contrast subject by subject or feature by feature.

Key Information


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ A. Using Bar Graphs

The population of China is about 1.25 billion, the population of the United States is about 250million, and the population of Canada is about 25 million. Draw a bar graph showing the totalpopulations of each of these countries.

Write down your summary of the kind of help the bar graph provides.

■ B. Using Tables

Present the information in the paragraph below in table form. Do this by lining up sources ofincome in one column and dollar amounts in the other.

Our class raised money in three ways this year. We sold tickets to the dance and made $137.00.We had a bake sale and raised $97.25. We also had a flower sale and made $87.50. We made a total of $321.75.


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5.7 Writing with Graphics

Graphics can convey information that might be difficult to explain in text alone. For instance, if youwanted to tell someone how to get to your house, you might draw him or her a map rather thanwrite directions in prose. Maps are one type of graphic. Other types of graphics include diagrams,tables, and graphs. The type of graphic you decide to use depends on your purpose.

Key Information


■ A. Choosing a Current Topic

Which topics from the list below would you eliminate as no longer of current interest? Whichwould be interesting to most people? Place an X after those topics that would not be suitablefor a feature article. Then write at least two of your own ideas for feature articles. The ideasshould be topics of interest to you, to your friends, and to the people around you.

1. world hunger 6. crime increases

2. recycling 7. new businesses in your area

3. nuclear war 8. Miss America of 1968

4. the winner of last year’s high school softball tournament 9. computers in schools

5. a 1985 jazz concert 10. a local rock band

■ B. Asking Good Questions

Choose one of your own ideas for a feature story topic, and write five questions you could asksomeone with firsthand knowledge of the topic. The person might be an expert in a particularfield or a witness to a particular event. (Be sure that none of the questions could be answeredwith just a yes or no response.)

Topic _________________________ Interviewee (expert or witness) _________________________

1. __________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. __________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. __________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

4. __________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

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5.8 Writing a Feature Article

A good feature story writer must be able to select topics of current interest and to gather informationthat helps bring that topic to life. A writer may gather information on a topic by reading about thetopic or by visiting places related to the topic. However, interviewing a person who has firsthandknowledge of the topic may provide the most valuable information for a feature story.

Key Information


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ A. Structuring Responses

Underline the clue verbs and other key words in each essay question below. Then write a thesisstatement for each question. If necessary, use the chart on page 263 in your textbook as a refer-ence. A sample has been done for you.

Example: Compare books and windows as sources of information about the world.Both books and windows invite observers to learn how living beings interact with their surroundings.

1. Describe the characteristics of each of the four seasons in your area. _______________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. Contrast oranges and watermelons by shape, color, and size.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. Classify the parts of a human hand by function.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

4. Analyze the ingredients in a tossed salad.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

5. Explain why and how railroads changed the West in the nineteenth century.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

■ B. Organizing an Answer

Choose one of the questions from Part A and prepare a logical, well-organized, one-paragraphanswer. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.


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5.9 Answering an Essay Question

An essay question usually contains clue verbs and other key words that help you determine how toanswer it. Clue verbs include describe, explain, compare, contrast, classify, and analyze. Begin youranswer with a thesis statement that restates the question and summarizes the thrust of your answer.The body of your answer should support the thesis statement with facts, examples, details, and rea-sons. The conclusion should summarize your answer.

Key Information


■ Analyzing Two Ancient Myths

Read the two summaries of myths below. Think about how they are alike and how they are dif-ferent. Then write answers to the questions that follow.

According to the epic of Gilgamesh, the virtuous sage Utnapishtim was told in a dream that thegods planned to flood the whole earth. Utnapishtim obeyed instructions to build an ark and to takewith him the seed of every living thing. After a week-long flood, Utnapishtim and his wife came to reston Mount Nisser. The god Enlil, who had intended to destroy human life, was displeased that anyonehad survived the flood. However, another god told him that only evildoers should be punished for evil.Enlil then blessed Utnapishtim and his wife and gave them the secret of immortality.

According to Ovid, in Metamorphoses, the god Jupiter punished evil by sending a flood that cov-ered the whole earth. Deucalion and Pyrrha, a virtuous husband and wife, were the only ones to sur-vive. When Jupiter saw that their raft had come to rest on Mount Parnassus, he stopped the rain.When they prayed for humanity to be restored, Deucalion and Pyrrha were told to throw their moth-ers’ bones over their heads. An oracle told them this referred to stones, the bones of Mother Earth.The stones turned into a new human race.

1. Where and when does each myth occur? Is this clear? ___________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. What relationships exist among the characters in each myth? _____________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. What conflicts occur? What causes them? _____________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

4. What are the main events? In what order do they occur? _________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

5. What is the purpose or message of each myth?_________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

6. What is the most interesting similarity between the two myths? What is the most interesting

difference? _____________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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Comparing and Contrasting Two Myths

A myth is a story that provides an explanation for why something in the world is the way it is. Tocompare and contrast two myths, look carefully at each one’s setting, characters, conflict, plot, andtheme. You can use a comparison frame to compare and contrast these common elements of litera-ture in myths from different cultures.

Key Information


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ A. Deciding on a Writing Strategy

Rainfall and evaporation, the change of seasons, children growing up and having children oftheir own: all of these are natural cycles. If you were to write about a natural cycle, you woulduse one of the writing strategies that you have practiced in this unit. For each of the strategiesbelow, write a sentence explaining how you might use it to write about a natural cycle. Youmay use the same cycle for all five sentences, or you may use five different cycles. Be as specificin your sentences as possible.

1. explaining a process

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_______________________________________________________________________________

2. analyzing cause and effect

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. classifying a subject

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

4. comparing-contrasting

_______________________________________________________________________________

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■ B. Developing a Thesis Statement

Choose one of the sentences you wrote for Part A. Do some brainstorming about what detailsthe essay would include and about what your main point would be. Then write a thesis state-ment that makes this point clearly and indicates how the essay will be set up.


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An important part of the expository writing process is deciding what strategy you will use to organizethe information in your essay. Defining, explaining a process, analyzing cause and effect, classi-fying, and comparing and contrasting might all be possible writing strategies for a given topic.

Key Information


■ A. Identifying Purpose

With a small group, brainstorm at least five possible reasons for writing persuasively. List yourgroup’s ideas below.

■ B. Identifying Your Central Claim

Underline the statement below that is a central claim.

1. The ski trip lasted three days.

2. Dogs make better house pets than cats do.

■ C. Stating Your Central Claim

1. Write a central claim statement for the purpose of persuading someone to see a movie.

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. Write a central claim statement for one of the ideas you listed in Part A.

_______________________________________________________________________________

■ D. Offering Support

Decide which of the following sentences clearly support the central claim “We should buycomputers for our school.” Place a check mark next to each one.

________ 1. In a school-wide survey, 75 percent of the students said they would be interestedin using computers in the classroom to help with school work.

________ 2. You can play games on computers.

________ 3. The school would have to hire people who are computer-literate or train existingstaff.

________ 4. Computers will help prepare students to use technology after high school.

________ 5. Of the eight high schools in our city, the only one that does not have computersnow is West High School.

________ 6. Computers will make record keeping much easier and much less time-consuming.

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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6.1 Writing Persuasively

When writing persuasively, consider the argument you want to use in proving your point, and thinkabout how your readers will react to that argument. Then organize your argument to support yourcentral claim. A central claim clearly states your main purpose—what you are trying to persuade yourreaders to believe or do.

Key Information


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ A. Recognizing Types of Evidence

In the space provided identify whether each of the following sentences includes a fact, statistic,example, opinion, or reason.

________ 1. In some presidential elections, the total number of voters has been as low as 44percent of the adult population.

________ 2. John Asher, a political observer, believes many people do not feel their vote isimportant.

________ 3. A man interviewed on the street admitted that he does not vote because he doesnot feel important.

________ 4. The elections are held on Tuesday.

________ 5. Some politicians argue that voters don’t vote because the polling places are notopen late enough.

________ 6. But Asher thinks these politicians are wrong.

________ 7. Fewer registered voters are voting each year.

________ 8. At the same time, many polls are staying open later each year.

________ 9. For example, polls in some states are open until 7:00 P.M.

________10. Unless something changes, Asher believes, fewer people will take part in elec-tions by the year 2000.

■ B. Using Opinions

An opinion is persuasive only if the speaker is an authority on the subject being addressed. Justas you would not seek legal advice from a dietician, you would not ask a pharmacist for aninformed opinion on teaching music or installing storm windows. The person in some of thefollowing items might be an authority but not an authority in the proper field. Write omit onthe line before each opinion that would not be trusted as persuasive evidence. If the opinionseems reliable, write OK.

________1. Jane Seymour, an actress, talking about how to be successful in Hollywood

________2. Jeanette Cooper, a lawyer, discussing reasons for having a will

________3. Geoff Hunter, a barber, offering advice on collecting art

________4. Kecia Collins, a television reporter, describing the benefits of exercise

________5. Shi Tong, a Chinese immigrant and language scholar, explaining the differencesbetween British English and American English


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6.2 Using Evidence Effectively

Facts, statistics, examples, opinions, and reasons can all add support to your persuasive paper. Factsare statements that can be proved. Statistics are persuasive because they offer precise information.Examples show particular situations that support the claim. Opinions show what a person thinks orfeels; they are useful only if the speaker is reliable. Reasons are based on logic.

Key Information


■ A. Red Herring

Suppose you are proposing to administrators that your school should install a swimming pool.Read each of the points below, and put a check next to each one that is a red herring.

Example: Our school needs a swimming pool. Swimming pools are becoming fancier and more technologically advanced all the time.

________ 1. Students will have the opportunity to learn to swim, a skill that one day may save a life.

________ 2. My parents are good friends with a swimming pool installer, who lives about amile from the school.

________ 3. Because swimming is an excellent cardiovascular exercise, a swimming poolcould improve the health of both students and teachers.

________ 4. The neighboring school’s swim team has won four trophies.

________ 5. Swimming is my favorite sport.

■ B. Either-Or Thinking

Put a check next to each of the following sentences that uses either-or thinking.

Example: I don’t have my own phone line, because my parents don’t care whether I have any friends.

________ 1. Are you going to the meeting, or don’t you care about good health?

________ 2. Either Ben will star in the play, or he’ll do something else this fall.

________ 3. A politician can either enter office or admit defeat.

________ 4. Has Tricia recovered from the flu, or is she still ill?

________ 5. If the Democrats don’t nominate a better candidate, everyone will voteRepublican.

■ C. Cause-and-Effect Errors

Put a check next to each of the following sentences that contains a cause-and-effect error.

Example: Craig borrowed his cousin’s crutches as a joke, so the next day he broke his leg.

________ 1. Tunja was in a hurry, so her zipper broke.

________ 2. If you wash your car, it will rain.

________ 3. A stroke caused my grandmother to forget how to talk.

________ 4. Cancer is caused by feeling weak all the time.

________ 5. Jason was late for work because the bus broke down.

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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6.3 Checking Reasoning

Some common errors in reasoning to avoid in persuasive writing are red herrings, either-or thinking,and cause-and-effect errors. A red herring is a topic introduced to distract a reader from the mainpoint; it does not reasonably support the argument at hand. Either-or thinking is faulty logic basedon the assumption that there are only two sides to the issue. A cause-and-effect error is a logicalflaw in which a first event is inaccurately considered to be the cause of a second event.

Key Information


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ A. Choosing the Right Word

For each of the following numbered items, circle the word that has the strongest positive ornegative connotation.

1. (most negative) dirty filthy soiled

2. (most negative) mean nasty cruel

3. (most negative) dangerous perilous risky

4. (most positive) talkative chatty gregarious

5. (most positive) intelligent brainy brilliant

6. (most negative) tireless unrelenting persevering

7. (most positive) flexible inconsistent wishy-washy

8. (most negative) uncompromising hard-headed strong-willed

■ B. Reading for Connotation

Read the following passage by Maxine Hong Kingston. Notice words or phrases in this passagethat carry positive or negative connotations. Words that appear in boldface are listed below thepassage. On the line next to each word, write whether the word has positive or negative conno-tations for you, and explain why. (Note that some of the phrases, such as little old lady, mayhave both positive and negative connotations.)

1. delicate __________________________________________________________________________

2. long fingers and thin, soft hands ______________________________________________________

3. high-class city accent _______________________________________________________________

4. dainty ___________________________________________________________________________

5. toughen__________________________________________________________________________


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6.4 Using Language to Advantage

Connotation involves how a word causes a reader to feel. A word can have different connotations fordifferent cultures. In the United States, for example, some words that have positive connotations arefreedom, govern, and independent. Other words have negative connotations: anarchy, repress, andunchecked.

Key Information

Brave Orchid looked at this delicate sister. She was such a little old lady. She had long fingersand thin, soft hands. And she had a high-class city accent from living in Hong Kong. Not a

trace of village accent remained; she had been away from the village for that long. But BraveOrchid would not relent; her dainty sister would have to toughen up.

Maxine Hong Kingston, The Woman Warrior

Literature Model


■ A. Examining Your Readers

Read the lists of arguments and people below. To which person or group on the right shouldeach argument on the left be directed? Place the letter of your choice in the blank.

An argument about would probably appeal most to

________ 1. restricting television viewing hours for children

________ 2. why Americans should save more and spend less

________ 3. protecting endangered species

________ 4. candidate’s stand on certain issues

________ 5. making penalties for drug dealers harsher

■ B. Stating Your Opinion Clearly

When you state your opinion, you need to think clearly about your statement from all possiblesides and for all possible readers. You may think that women and men are equal, but do youthink that in all cases women and men should be given equal consideration for all jobs? Arethere certain circumstances in which men and women may not be equal? You may need toqualify your opinion. Put a check beside the sentences below that are clearly stated and able tostand up against counterarguments.

________ 1. The cost of some products is increased by packaging.

________ 2. Men and women are equal in all ways.

________ 3. A person’s value does not depend on whether that person is male or female.

________ 4. The purpose of high school is to prepare students for jobs.

________ 5. One purpose of high school is to prepare students for jobs.

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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6.5 Writing an Editorial

When you write an editorial, you give your opinion. To persuade readers to agree with you, you needto understand the values that are important to them. Understanding your readers allows you to antici-pate opposing arguments and counter them in a way that appeals to the audience’s values.

Key Information

a. judges

b. consumers

c. voters

d. animal rights activists

e. parents


Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

■ Noting Elements of a Movie

Think of a movie you’ve seen recently. Use the criteria listed below to examine the movie andgather material for a review of it.

1. Plot

Could the events in the film really happen? Even in a fantasy, the chain of events must make sensebased on the characters and the underlying premise of the film. Briefly outline the plot of the filmyou are reviewing. Include your evaluation of how well the film keeps the viewer informed, keepsthe plot moving, and presents a believable story.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. Theme

What message does the film convey? Is the theme significant, and how well is it developed?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. Characterization

Are the actions of all characters consistent with their personalities? Give examples to support your opinion.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

4. Acting

Does the portrayal of various characters make you sympathize with, pity, hate, or love the charac-ters appropriately? Are the movie’s actors cast well?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

5. Special Effects

How important are special effects, and how well do they create the desired illusions? Give exam-ples of how the special effects influence audience response.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

6. Sound Track

How is music used to create and change moods? How well does the music work? Did you feel fear,suspense, and relaxation at the appropriate times in the film?

_______________________________________________________________________________


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Writing a Movie Review

A movie review usually covers several different elements of a movie. It generally includes an examina-tion of the characters, acting, plot, and theme. Sound track and special effects may also get attention.

Key Information


■ A. Avoiding Overgeneralizations

Each of the sentences below has a problem with exaggeration or overgeneralization. Rewriteeach sentence, using limiting words to eliminate the problem.

1. Every other teenager gets to stay out past midnight on the weekends.

______________________________________________________________________________

2. Americans don’t bother to vote in presidential elections.

______________________________________________________________________________

3. Private industry only cares about making money.

______________________________________________________________________________

4. We all contribute too much trash to landfills.

______________________________________________________________________________

5. Watching television is a waste of time.

______________________________________________________________________________

■ B. Using Specific Language

Each of the sentences below uses language that is vague and indefinite. Rewrite each sentence,improving it by using precise and vivid words.

1. The house on the corner of 23rd and Sycamore is big.

______________________________________________________________________________

2. My neighbor may be the worst person I have ever known.

______________________________________________________________________________

3. This issue is important for the future of our country.

______________________________________________________________________________

4. Strong action needs to be taken to solve the problem.

______________________________________________________________________________

5. The wording used in that radio advertisement is unclear.

______________________________________________________________________________

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................


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It is important to select language carefully for persuasive writing. You can avoid exaggeration andovergeneralization by using limiting words. You can improve vague and indefinite statements by usingprecise and vivid words.

Key Information

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Composition Reteaching, Grade 9 - Glencoe

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