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English 8 Writers Survival Guide
Mrs. Joanna Burkholder
Authors Name: ________________________
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Thorough not minimal
Discussion &
Conversation Norms
Dead Words
Thesis Writing
Embedding quotes &
quotes/evidence
Commentary
Grammar & Mechanics
Study Guide
Editing Marks Guide
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Thorough, not minimal
What does this mean?
Discussion & Conversation Norms
First, let me be clear: you WILL participate in this class.
This will benefit you in numerous ways:
build your confidence
help you learn
help others learn
keep you engaged
challenge you to think deeper, etc.
Class will involve a great deal of discussion: in partners, in small groups, and as a
whole class. Think about successful discussions you have had in previous classes.
For this to be successful, what do you need from your classmates?
What do you need from me, as your teacher?
What will be the most challenging part of this class norm for you?
Norm: (noun)
1.
2. 1. Something
that is typical,
usual or
standard.
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DEAD WORDS (and phrases)
**You will be deducted one point per word
(phrase) used in an essay.
This essay is about
This paragraph is about
This quote shows
In my opinion
In this essay I will argue
My argument matters because
This is important because
Anyway
Just
A lot
Stuff
Things
Cool
Awesome
Awfully/Really
Bad
Big
Good
Great
Happy
Sad
Look
Nice
Quite
Said/Says
Fun
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Thesis writing
You speak naturally in
thesis statements:
What is one thesis statement you have said recently?
What is a THESIS
statement?
It is usually a single sentence at the _________ of
your ___________________________ paragraph
It directly ______________ the prompt asked of you
It makes a ________________ that others might
dispute
It is a ___________ ___________ for the paper
It basically ____________ the paper
It tells the reader how you will ________________
the significance of the subject matter
It is an ____________________________ of the
question or subject, NOT the subject itself
o The subject of an essay might be World War
II or Tom Sawyer; a thesis must then offer a
way to understand the war or the novel
Without a strong thesis, you will not have a strong
essay
REMEMBER:
The ESSAY is a KINGDOM
in which EVERYBODY
SERVES KING THESIS
Where do I begin? 1. Start with the prompt that your teacher has assigned
2. Look at all the evidence you have gathered
3. Form an opinion based on the prompt
4. Rephrase the prompt by asserting your opinion
(without using 1
st
person)
5. Based on how many paragraphs you will write, break
your thesis into sub points
a. Two body Paragraphs= two sub points
Have I taken a position that others might
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To tell if you have a
strong thesis, ask
yourself:
_____________ or _________________?
Is my thesis ________________ enough?
Does my essay support my thesis specifically and
without ___________________?
How to tell a strong
thesis from a weak
one:
A strong thesis statement ____________________
______________________________________________
A strong thesis does not just state a fact; it _______
________________________________________
________________________________________
A strong thesis statement expresses one _________
______________
In a persuasive essay, a strong thesis acknowledges a
______________________________
Thesis Checklist
Is it a complex sentence? (has an independent clause & a
dependent clause) Example:
By using symbolism, Steinbeck portrays the human nature as evil
through his depictions of the pearl and the breaking of the canoe.
Does it answer the prompt? (hint: This may mean you
should include key words from the prompt)
Is it arguable? (Could someone disagree or see a different point
of view?)
Can it be supported? (is there evidence to support your claim ?)
Dependent
Independent
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Embedding Quotes
Why Use Quotes in Your Essay?
1. To prove that your ideas are ____________
2. To illustrate your _________________________
3. To demonstrate how you arrived at an ________________________ of your own
Avoid dropped quotes: Aslan transforms Eustace back into a boy by bathing him in a
well. It smarted like anything, but only for a moment (Lewis
109).
Instead, you need CONTEXT (or explaining what is happenign in the text):
Although it was painful when Aslan transformed Eustace into a boy, it hurt
only for a moment. (Lewis 109).
Use Lead-ins
A quote can be smoothly integrated into the sentence by using a _____-_____. This gives
the quote _____________.
adds
admits
agrees
argues
asserts
believes
claims
comments
compares
demonstrates
denies
emphasizes
illustrates
implies
insists
notes
observes
points out
reasons
says
states
suggests
thinks
writes
Here are some examples of lead-ins:
For introducing quotations:
1. John Steinbeck states, ____________ (123).
2. According to Steinbeck, ___________. (45).
3. In his book, The Pearl, John Steinbeck maintains that __________ (56).
4. Tom reveals that he loves Becky when they are in the woods, _____________
(39).
5. Aslan appears when it is most needed, and Lucy is surprised, _______ (39).
Quotations can never stand by themselves. They must be
________________ and _____________________.
Notice punctuation
AFTER the citation
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Embedding Quotes Continued
** USE ________________ TENSE. Notice I did not use stated or argued in my examples.
Embed the following quotes from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader:
In your world, I have another name. You should know me by it. C.S. Lewis, pg. 203
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
It was, however, clear to everyone that Eustace's character had been rather improved by becoming a
dragon. He was anxious to help. - C.S. Lewis, pg. 126
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
~ Conclusions: Notes ~
Remember:
**You dont
have to use
the ENTIRE
quote.**
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Commentary
Prompt: Choose one theme from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, explain it, and show how it could
apply to life.
Thesis: Lewis utilizes Eustace to convey a poignant message about how painful
experiences can lead even the most difficult people to be changed and transformed.
Example paragraph: Student practice
The character of Eustace shows how a person can be changed through a difficult
situation.
1
Through a series of events, the selfish Eustace is terrified when his greed triggers a
spell that turns him into a dragon with (Lewis).
2
Commentary sentence #1: ___________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Commentary sentence #2: ___________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
After failed attempts to strip the scales from his skin, Eustace meets Aslan who cleanses
him through a symbolic baptism and turns him back into his human form (Lewis).
3
Commentary sentence #1: ___________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Commentary sentence #2:
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Through the discomfort and fear of his experience, Eustace is changed as he begins to realize
how awful he had been to those around him.
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1
Introductory sentence: introduce the reader to the concept you are about to discuss in this paragraph
2
Embedded quote with parenthetical citation
3
Embedded quote with parenthetical citation
4
Concluding/transition sentencethis sentence concludes the paragraph so we can move on to the next
Does your
commentary
connect back
to your
thesis?
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Commentary Starters - for use with essays, paragraphs, and journals...
Analysis
This action reveals...
This scene demonstrates...
This conversation illustrates/highlights/
exemplifies...
One can see from this
This is interesting/fascinating/disturbing because
It is important to notice that...
Author
The author reveals/shows/presents/emphasizes/
suggests...
The author wants the reader to understand...
The authors use of _____x____ is revealing
because...
The authors purpose of _____x_____ is achieved in
this quote when...
The author includes this in the story to show
The authors point/idea is...
The essence of the authors argument is...
Language
The repetition of __x__ (words, symbols, images)
shows...
The language of the passage reveals... (these words
____)
The ___x____ symbolizes....
The reader is meant to understand that...
The point of this conversation is...
This passage/quote is effective because
This event in the novel shows/proves/explains
Because of this
This quote/passage adds to the readers appreciation
of the story/poem because...
Character/Conflict
The character makes this decision/says this quote
because...
Because of this event, the character must ___x__,
and he/she says...
At this point in the story, the character is realizing...
When the character makes this choice we see that...
In making this choice the story changes in this
way...
The character has a choice between __x___and
___y__; the choice he/she makes reveals...
The characters choice has the following
consequences...
Conclusion
The author has used the character ____w____ to
show that __x__ is __y___. As a reader, we are
meant to understand....
At the end of the story, the character has come to
realize/understand....
When we come to the last paragraph of the story,
the reader is meant to that __xs__ decision to
___y__ was based upon ___z___. This is important
because...
The author wants the reader to understand...
Although the character began the story believing
__x__, by the end he/she has come to believe __y__.
It took __z__ to bring about this change of thought,
but ultimately...
Although the character initially felt __x__, the
events of the story caused him/her to have a change
of heart/mind/attitude. Now, the character is
__y__ and this would not have been possible
without __z__.
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Grammar and Mechanics Study Guide
Notes: How will I remember this? Your own example
Ellipses
Dash
Verb:
Gerunds
Verb:
Infinitive
Verb:
Participle
Connotation
vs.
Denotation
Active vs.
Passive
Voice
Figures of
Speech:
Irony
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Figures of
Speech:
Pun
Figures of
Speech:
Hyperbole
Figures of
Speech:
_________
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Mrs. Bs Editing Marks
What I write What it means
EQ
Embed Quote:
Your Quote is
lacking context
WAW
Writing about
Writing:
Dont tell me what
you are going to
write, just write it.
DW
Dead Word:
Spruce up your
vocabulary
Heart Flutters:
I really like this,
great word usage,
etc.
Flat line:
Awkward phrasing,
unclear, needs to
be reworked
You made me
laugh
?
Im confused.
Is this correct/true?
