The Miscellaneous Book of Writing
Table of Contents ★ Table of Contents
p.1
★ Introduction
p.2
★ About the Author
p.3
★ Dedication
p.4
★ Section 1:Punctuation/Capitalization
p. 5
★ Section 2: Parts of Speech
p.11
★ Section 3: Phrases/Clauses
p.22
★ Section 4: Sentences
p.26
★ Section 5: Paragraphs
p.34
★ Section 6: Essays
p.42
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Introduction
This book is the culmination of a semester-long project that required lots of research and creativity. Writing this book has been a pleasant experience. Since the book was written over the course of a few months, I had time between sections to come up with an even more bizarre topic than the previous one. Every few weeks or so, a section of the book was completed until all the sections were put together. Initially, the book was only going to be on tomatoes, but I felt that it would be best to include different topics in order for the reader to find the book fun and surprising. I hope that this book is enjoyable. This book was created to help me, the author, and you, the reader, become better writers. I hope that when you feel like you are struggling with writing, you can turn to my book of writing to facilitate writing. We can all be better writers. I hope that at least one person finds this book helpful, even if that one person is me. I hope that this book will help us overcome the anxiety that writing brings us; as long as we know the basics of writing, writing should be simple for us.
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About the Author
Who am I? I am Kimberly Murillo, the author of The Miscellaneous Book of Writing. I am merely human; I am everchanging; I grow and regress in a never ending cycle. I play a different role in the lives of different people; I play the role of daughter, younger sister, friend, student, and whatnot. I play a lot of roles, but I play the most important role in my life. It is quite ironic that it is difficult for me to tell you who I am since I am myself; you would expect that I know myself the best, but I do not. What I know about myself is what others know about me; I am a cat person who owns a cat and a plant enthusiast with an absurd amount of plants. I dislike defining who I am because I believe that life is an artwork that should be left up to interpretation. Rather than me telling you who I am I prefer that you decipher who I am through my work. How did I learn to write? To learn to write, I first learned to speak when I was one or two years old. Then at three years old, in pre-kinder, I began to learn the alphabet and began learning to write my name. In kindergarten, I wrote a few sentences for drawings. Later, around 4th and 5th grade, I began to take interest in creative writing and wrote stories; I vividly remember the name of one of the stories, "The Devil's Rose." In middle school, I lost my confidence in writing and stopped writing stories, but began writing poetry. In 9th grade, I continued to lack confidence when it came to writing up until my sophomore year when I began to find my style and feel more comfortable with writing. Now, I tend to write scripts for personal projects and I am working on a collection of short stories. During the pandemic, I thought it would be healthy to record my feelings and changes, so I began a journal with a few entries.
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Dedication
To my mom, dad, sister, and cat
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5
1.
. (period) A period serves to end a sentence and it is used to abbreviate words (e.g. Miss → Ms.) a.
Example (used to end a sentence): Although tomatoes are not native to Italy, tomatoes are a staple ingredient in Italian cuisine.
b.
Example (used to abbreviate): I would love to visit Ms. Tomato Sandwich Shop in San Francisco.
2.
, (comma) A comma is used to signify that words separated by a comma can switch places. a.
Exampls: The different varieties of tomatoes include cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, roma tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, and heirloom tomatoes.
3.
– (EM Dash) The EM Dash serves as a visual representation to guide readers to what the reader is intended to see (a visual emphasis). a.
Example: After the Spanish colonized the Americas, the Spanish brought tomatoes – an Aztec plant – to Italy.
4.
- (EN Dash) The EN Dash is used to hyphenate words together that do not form a compound word. a.
Example: Tomatoes originated in the Peru-Ecuador-Bolivia area of the Andes.
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5.
: (colon) The colon is used to signify that whatever comes after a word is related to the word before; whatever comes next may be a list, definition, etc. a.
Examples: Tomatoes were brought by the Spanish to two places in Italy: the city of Naples and a region of Campania.
6.
; (semicolon) The semicolon is used to connect independent clauses a.
Examples: Tomatoes are versatile; Tomatoes can be used in salads and used to make sauces.
7.
? (question mark) A question mark ends an interrogative sentence (i.e. question) a.
Examples: When were tomatoes first introduced to Italy? (Tomatoes were first introduced to Italy in 1548.)
8.
! (exclamation mark) An exclamation mark ends an exclamatory sentence; an exclamation mark emphasizes. a.
9.
Examples: Tomatoes are not indigenous to Italy!
‘ (apostrophe) Apostrophes are used in contractions. Apostrophes are also used to show possession. Apostrophes are also used when a quote contains quotation marks. a.
Examples: Italy’s most famous dishes generally all call for tomatoes in their recipes.
10.
“ ” (quotation marks) Quotations are used to include text that does not belong to the author in the author's work. a.
Examples: In the article “Tomatoes and the Aztecs” by Plews Garden Design, the author explains, “The tomato was most definitely in domestication by the Aztecs by the early sixteenth century. Aztec writing includes recipes containing peppers, tomatoes and seasoning – an early salsa recipe, no less!”
11.
… (ellipses) Ellipses signify something is unsaid, so ellipses may end a sentence and to condense citations. a.
12.
Examples: Weeks later… the tomato plant finally gave fruit.
[ ] (brackets) Brackets are used to include additional information. a.
Examples: They [tomatoes] are a great snack to take on the go.
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13.
( ) (parenthesis) Parentheses are used to include parenthetical information (i.e. information that is unnecessary, but not necessarily unimportant or useless) a.
14.
Examples: Adoro I pomodori (I love tomatoes).
/ (backslash) Backslashes are used to signify decisions (e.g. and/or) a.
Examples: From a young age, Italian girls/boys learn to make tomato sauce.
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Rules of capitalization a.
Capitalize the first word of a sentence. 1.
b.
Example: Tomatoes are red and round.
Capitalize names and other proper nouns. 1.
Example: Nowadays, you can even order tomatoes from Amazon.
c.
Do not capitalize after a colon i.
Exceptions: (1)When the word following the colon is a proper noun. (2)When the words following the colon form one or more complete sentences. 1.
Example: I have one favorite dish that uses tomatoes: spaghetti.
2.
Example II: (capitalize after a colon when the word following the colon is a proper noun) There is only one city I want to visit to eat spaghetti: Italy.
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a.
Capitalize the first word of a quote when the quote is a complete sentence. 1.
b.
Example: I asked, ”When are we going to make spaghetti?”
Capitalize days, months, and holidays, but do not capitalize seasons. 1.
Example: Tomato season is between the first of June and the 30th of September.
c.
Capitalize most words in titles i.
Hint: capitalize first words, all nouns, all verbs, all adjectives, and all proper nouns; lowercase articles, conjunctions, and prepositions 1.
Example: In the book Tomato Rhapsody: A Fable of Love, Lust and Forbidden Fruit, food, more specifically the tomato, plays an important role to the story.
d.
Capitalize cities, countries, nationalities, and languages 1.
e.
Example: Italy uses Roma tomatoes the most in its dishes.
Capitalize time periods and events (sometimes) 1.
Example: La Tomatina is an event held in Spain in which people have a food fight with each other using overripe tomatoes.
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Nouns
Types of nouns: · Common Nouns: name a class of people, places, things, or ideas. EX: designers, seamstress, models. · Proper Nouns: give the name or title of a particular person, place, thing, or idea (must be capitalized). EX: Vivienne Westwood, Maison Margiela, Comme Des Garçons. · Compound Nouns: consist of words used together to form a single noun. EX: businesswoman, mainstream, showcase · Concrete Nouns: refer to material things, to people, or to places. EX: fabric, scissors, sequins. · Abstract Nouns: name ideas, qualities, concepts, emotions, or attitudes. EX: vogue, mode, fad
Functions (How nouns are used): · Subject (comes before the verb) Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood is credited for popularizing punk fashion. · Direct Object (comes after the verb and answers what or whom) Dame Vivienne Isabel recruited Andreas Kronthaer as designer and creative director of Vivienne Westwood brand. · Indirect Object (answers to who or to whom) Vivienne Westwood has donated its proceeds to the Environmental Justice Foundation.
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Pronouns
Pronouns
Pronouns
Pronouns
our, ours your, yours their, theirs
Objective whom that those/this
Possessive whose of that
Interrogative: who, which, what, whatever, whoever
that, those
Pronouns
Demonstrative: this, these
Pronouns
Reflexive: (personal pronouns plus the suffix –self or –selves) Used only: when the action verb is directed toward the subject of the construction: People love themselves after finding a style of clothing that makes them feel comfortable and confident. to intensify a point: Rei Kawakubo herself founded and led Comme Des Garcon in 1973.
Pronouns
Relative: Nominative who That
Objective (objects) me/us you/you him, her, it, one/them
Pronouns
Personal: Nominative (subjects) I/we you/you He, she, it, one/they Possessive: My, mine Your, yours His, her, hers, its, one’s
Pronouns
Pronouns take the place of nouns that have been established.
Indefinite: all, another, anybody, anyone, anything, both, each, either, everybody, everyone, everything, everywhere, few, many, much, neither, nobody, none, no one, nothing, one, other, several, somebody, someone, such.
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Verbs show the time, action, and state of being of a subject. Tense: verbs indicate time via tenses:
simple past past past perfect past progressive simple present Present present perfect present progressive present perfect progressive Future future perfect
Types: There are at least eleven (11) types of verbs: auxiliary verbs (helping verbs) linking verbs (verbs that do not describe action, but connect the subject of a sentence to other parts of the sentence – usually the predicate) lexical verbs (main verbs) dynamic verbs (indicate action) stative verbs (describe a condition) finitive verbs (indicate tense) nonfinitive verbs (infinitives or participles) regular verbs (weak verbs) irregular verbs (strong verbs) transitive verbs (verbs followed by a direct object) intransitive verbs (verbs that do not take direct objects) Voice: Voice is the form of the verb that indicates how it relates or interacts with the action. The English language has two voices: ACTIVE and PASSIVE. Active: Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo challenged the ideals of feminine beauty. Passive: The ideals of feminine beauty were challenged by Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo. Verbals: (VERB FORMS NOT USED AS VERBS) Gerund: word ending in “ing” used as a noun. ·Revolutionizing fashion is what Vivienne Westwoods, Commes des Garcon, and Maison Margiela do best. Participle: word ending in “ing” or “ed” used as an adjective · Maison Margiela creates astonishing designs. · The distressed jeans looked especially marvelous on the runway. Infinitive: verb preceded by the word “to” (to go, to jump) used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs · Maison Margiela likes to use unconventional materials to create avant-garde and deconstructive designs.
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Adjectives and Adverbs Adjectives Adjectives modify, describe, limit, and identify nouns and pronouns. · Kinds: Demonstrative, Common, Proper Demonstrative - This Common - Avant-garde Proper - English Adverbs Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. · Endings –ly, -wards, -wise -ly: beautifully -wards: backwards -wise: lengthwise · 1. 2. 3.
Conversions Fashionable → fashionably Effortless → effortlessly Graceful → gracefully
Types: Manner, Frequency, Degree, Place, Time Example Types: Manner – Although, Comme des Garcon showcases avant-garde pieces on runways that oftentimes lack mobility, the models manage to walk gracefully. (How do they walk?) Time – Outdated trends will eventually make their way to the runways. (When will trends make their way to the runways?) Place – Fashion journalists are willingly present in fashion week across the world to see the designs of Vivienne Westwood, Comme Des Garcons, and Mason Margiela amongst other brands. (Where are fashion journalists?) Degree – Mason Margiela’s designs are increasingly out of the ordinary. (How out of the ordinary are they?) Frequency – Vivienne Westwood usually makes a political statement in her collections. (How often does she make a political statement?)
CONJUNCTIONS Coordinating (FANBOYS): for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so Correlative: Either/or; neither/nor; not only/but also; both/and; whether/or; as/so Subordinate: after, though as, as if, as long as, as thought, because, before, if, in order that, provided that, since, so, so that, that, though, till, unless, when, where, whereas, while Relative pronouns: who (refers to people), which (refers to nonliving object or animals), that (may refer to animals or nonliving objects) PREPOSITIONS Prepositions link nouns, pronouns, and phrases to other parts of the sentence. Prepositions are NEVER followed by verbs. There are one-word prepositions and complex prepositions. These are some common one-word prepositions: aboard, about, above, according to, across, across from, after, against, along, alongside, alongside of, along with, amid, among, apart from, around, as, as far as, aside from, at, away from, back of, because of, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, but (except), by, by means of, concerning, despite, down, down from, except, except excluding for, for, from, from among, from between, from under, in, in addition to, in behalf of, including, in front of, in place of, in regard to, inside, inside of, in spite of, instead of, into, like, near, near to, notwithstanding, of, off, on, on account of, on behalf of, onto, on top of, opposite, out, out of, outside, outside of, over, over to, owing to, past, prior to, to, toward, under, underneath, until, unto, up, upon, up to, versus, with, within, without.
Conjunctions and Prepositions 17
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Transitions of Logic Chart
Milder
Stronger
Addition
a further and and then then also too next another other nor
further furthermore moreover in addition additionally besides again equally important first, second finally, last
Comparison
just as ... so too a similar another... like
similarly comparable in the same way likewise
Contrast
but yet and yet still otherwise or though but another rather
however still nevertheless on the other hand on the contrary even so notwithstanding for all that in contrast alternatively at the same time though this may be otherwise instead nonetheless conversely
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Time
then now soon afterward later shortly earlier recently first, second, third next before after today tomorrow
meanwhile at length presently at last finally immediately thereafter at that time subsequently eventually currently in the meantime in the past in the future
Purpose
to do this so that
to this end with this object for this purpose for that reason because of this in order to
Place
there here beyond nearby next to
at that point opposite to adjacent to on the other side in the front in the back
Result
so and so then
hence therefore accordingly consequently thus thereupon as a result in consequence
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Example
that is specifically in particular for one thing
for example for instance an instance of this this can be seen in
Summary and Emphasis
in sum generally after all by the way in general incidentally naturally I hope at least it seems in brief I suppose
in short on the whole as I said in other words to be sure in fact indeed clearly of course anyway remarkably I think assuredly definitely without doubt for all that on the whole in any event importantly certainly
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Phrases – groups of words that function as a part of speech. Noun Phrase: A group of words consisting of nouns or pronouns and their modifiers that function as a noun Example: One of the plants that is beneficial to have at home is the golden pothos. Verb Phrase: A group of words consisting of verbs working together and that function as a verb. Example: If you have a golden pothos, it could help purify the air of carbon dioxide, benzene, and formaldehyde. Prepositional Phrase: A group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun, and functions as an adjective or an adverb. Example: Golden pothos require indirect sunlight, so do not place Golden pothos directly under the sun. Appositive Phrase: A group of words that include all the words that modify an appositive and function as an adjective - IT MUST BE SURROUNDED BY COMMAS. Example: Ester, a tricolor golden pothos, measures 1,000 feet in length, which makes it the longest golden pothos in the world. Verbal Phrases: A group of words that begin with a verbal and ends with a noun. ● Gerund Phrase verb ending in -ing that functions as a noun. ○ Ex. Watering Golden pothos is a meticulous task; Golden pothos must be watered exactly one to two weeks after the last time they were watered to prevent the leaves from drooping. ● Participial Phrase word ending in -ing (present participle) or -ed (past participle) that functions as an adjective ○ Ex. It is easy to revive neglected Golden pothos. ● Infinitive Phrase verb preceded by the word “to” (to read, to study, to write) that function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. ○ Ex. Golden pothos are easy to take care of; thus, the Golden pothos is a beginner-friendly plant.
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Clauses – groups of words with BOTH a subject and a verb that function as parts of speech. There are TWO kinds: Independent and Dependent (called “Subordinate”)
●
●
INDEPENDENT – CAN stand alone as a complete sentence, known as a simple sentence pattern. Ex. Golden pothos are native to Moorea in the Society Islands of French Polynesia. DEPENDENT (SUBORDINATE) – CANNOT stand alone as a complete Sentence and MUST begin with a SUBORDINATE CONJUNCTION. There are seven (7) kinds: Noun Clause: Used as the noun in a sentence and may function as a subject, a predicate noun, a direct object, an object of a preposition, an indirect object, or an appositive. Ex. My grandma regularly checks that her golden pothos are growing. Adjective Clause: Used to modify a noun in an independent clause. Some adjective clauses begin with an introductory word: Ex. For those of you on a tight budget, but who want to have a house full of plants, the golden pothos is the plant that you may want to buy since it is fairly simple to propagate. Some adjective clauses begin with relative pronouns: Ex. Pet owners are the people who should not keep golden pothos because they are poisonous to cats and dogs. Adverb Clause: Used to modify verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in an independent clause, introduced by a subordinate conjunction and used to indicate time, place, cause, purpose, result, condition, and/or concession. Modifying verbs ex. When golden pothos are propagated, a new plant will grow after two to three months. Modifying adjectives ex. For those with little to no patience, propagating golden pothos may not be as convenient as simply buying other plants. Modifying adverbs ex. After the death of her golden pothos, my grandma tried harder than she typically did in order to keep her new pothos alive.
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Clauses – groups of words with BOTH a subject and a verb that function as parts of speech. There are TWO kinds: Independent and Dependent (called “Subordinate”)
●
●
● ●
Relative Clauses: Dependent clause that begins with a relative pronoun. Ex. The golden pothos that is the longest has been alive since 1960. Elliptical Clauses: Adverb clauses in which part of the clause is omitted. Ex. When healthy, the golden pothos has glossy, green, and perky leaves. Essential Clauses: Clauses necessary to the meaning of the sentence. Ex. Wilting or yellow-brownish leaves are signs that a golden pothos is unhealthy. Nonessential Clauses: Clauses that are NOT necessary to the meaning of the sentence. Ex. My grandma, who is 78 years old, loves golden pothos.
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Sentences
a set of words that contains a subject and a predicate and conveys a statement, command, question, or an exclamation.
Sentence Parts Subject – what/who the sentence is about The flowers beautifully bloomed in the spring. Predicate – what the subject does The flowers beautifully bloomed in the spring.
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Sentences
a set of words that contains a subject and a predicate and conveys a statement, command, question, or an exclamation.
Sentence Types Declarative – a sentence that makes a statement (ends with a period mark) Roses are the world’s most acclaimed flower. Imperative – a sentence that makes a command (ends with a period mark) Buy her roses for Valentine’s Day. Interrogative – a sentence that asks a question (ends with a question mark) Why would you buy her sunflowers for Valentine’s Day? Exclamatory – a sentence that expresses great emotion, passion, excitement (ends with an exclamation mark) Roses are the flower to buy!
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Sentences
a set of words that contains a subject and a predicate and conveys a statement, command, question, or an exclamation.
Sentence Patterns Simple Sentence: A sentence that is just one independent clause. Flowers are perfect to express your feelings. Compound Sentence: A sentence with multiple independent clauses, but no dependent clauses - connected by FANBOYS (coordinating conjunctions) or a semicolon (;). Flowers are beautiful, but they wither quickly. Complex Sentence: A sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. Instead of flowers, you should consider gifting a cactus or house plant. Complex-Compound Sentence: A sentence with multiple independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. Instead of flowers, you should consider gifting a cactus or house plant, for they last longer than a flower bouquet.
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Sentences
a set of words that contains a subject and a predicate and conveys a statement, command, question, or an exclamation.
Sentence Patterns Loose Sentence: A sentence that contains an independent clause plus a subordinate construction (either a clause or phrase) with your main point at the beginning. Flowers can brighten someone's mood, no matter what the type of flower is or how dejected someone feels. Periodic Sentence: A sentence in which the independent clause is given at the end of the sentence in order to create interest or generate suspense with the main point coming at the end. No matter what the type of flower is or how dejected someone feels, flowers can brighten someone’s mood. Parallel Structure: A sentence using the same pattern of two or more verbs or ideas that match in tense or structure to show that they are of equal importance and to help the reader comprehend what is being written - this sentence requires symmetry. Roses symbolize love, symbolize romance, symbolize courage, and symbolize beauty whereas sunflowers do not.
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Sentences
a set of words that contains a subject and a predicate and conveys a statement, command, question, or an exclamation.
Sentence Patterns Balanced Sentence: A sentence where phrases or clauses at the beginning and the end parallel each other by virtue of their likeness of structure, meaning, or length - this sentence requires symmetry. The young lady buys a new bouquet of flowers each week and throws last week's flower bouquet out. Chiasmus: A sentence that includes a repetition of ideas (words, phrases, or clauses) in inverted (reversed) order - this sentence requires symmetry. Roses are the best flower to express love and love is best expressed with roses. Asyndeton: A sentence that leaves out conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses for a rhetorical purpose. Roses symbolize courage, romance, beauty, love.
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Sentences
a set of words that contains a subject and a predicate and conveys a statement, command, question, or an exclamation.
Sentence Patterns Polysyndeton: A sentence that uses multiple conjunctions in close proximity to each other between words, phrases, or clauses for a rhetorical purpose. Roses symbolize courage and romance and beauty and, most importantly, love. Anaphora: A sentence that features the purposeful repetition of a word, words, or a phrase at the beginning of several successive clauses in order to place emphasis and draw attention. For many, roses are the best flowers to express love, while for others roses are a cliche, but most will agree that roses are quite romantic. Epistrophe: A sentence featuring several phrases or clauses ending with the same word or words. The young lady often spends her days lingering in the flower field, her nights sleeping in the flower field, her breaks thinking about the flower field that it feels that she only lives for the flower field.
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Sentences
a set of words that contains a subject and a predicate and conveys a statement, command, question, or an exclamation.
Sentence Errors Run-On/Rambling/Fused Sentence – a sentence construction error where two or more independent clauses are connected incorrectly without punctuation. (Wrong) The young lady was going to visit her childhood friend she wanted to buy a bouquet of flowers to give her. (Right) The young lady was going to visit her childhood friend, so she wanted to buy a bouquet of flowers to give her. Comma Splice – a sentence construction error where two or more independent clauses are connected incorrectly using commas (Wrong) The young lady was going to visit her childhood friend, she wanted to buy a bouquet of flowers to give her. (Right) The young lady was going to visit her childhood friend. She wanted to buy a bouquet of flowers to give her.
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Paragraphs – a group of sentences that together convey a shared purpose structured around the same topic.
Introductory paragraphs
Hook (Lead / Opening Statement) – can begin with the title ● Anecdotal (Brief story to set the mood and lead the reader into the topic) Ex. People have a mistaken perception of happiness. Oftentimes, people believe that in order to be happy, they must work hard to achieve great success; for many, success is synonymous with happiness. People fail to consider that in order to be able to work hard and achieve great success, they must first be happy. Although it may not seem like it, the pursuit of happiness is quite simple. ● Query Based (Question that brings the reader to the topic - avoid second person POV “you”) Ex. What is the reality of happiness? Ex. How to pursue happiness? Ex. What is the secret to happiness?
Thesis Statements (the purpose of a piece of writing – usually one sentence in length, but can be longer depending on the purpose – must be something that is arguable) ● Assertion (claim - a subject + a “so what” about the subject) Ex. The pursuit of happiness begins with one; one must want to be happy in order to fix one’s attitude and detrimental habits that make the pursuit of happiness challenging. ● Fact (empirically verifiable but often difficult to argue extensively about better used as evidence to support a claim) Ex. Random acts of kindness improve happiness. ● Opinion (personal position on a topic) Ex. The toxic productivity culture greatly contributes to people’s unhappiness. ● Belief (social, religious, or political in nature – an opinion held by many to be a fact, though it is not necessarily factual – often involves a judgement) Ex. If one does not believe in a higher being, then one is more likely to be unhappy.
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Paragraphs – a group of sentences that together convey a shared purpose structured around the same topic.
Introductory paragraphs
Thesis Statements (the purpose of a piece of writing – usually one sentence in length, but can be longer depending on the purpose – must be something that is arguable) ● Generalization (uses absolute or statistical pronouns: all, always, every, never, none, most, half – avoid using this type of thesis statement unless citing the source of the data) Ex. Although everyone struggles with happiness at some point in their lives, happiness is simple to achieve.
Thesis Statements (the purpose of a piece of writing – usually one sentence in length, but can be longer depending on the purpose – must be something that is arguable) ● Document Based (cites a specific source, author, and position on a topic) Ex. In The Pursuit of Happiness: Want Nothing + Do anything = Have Everything, Neil Pasricha asserts that people are unhappy because of their attitude, habits, and beliefs by drawing comparisons between folks with positive attitudes, good habits, and modern beliefs on life versus folks with bad attitudes, bad habits, and outdated beliefs on life. ● Theory (a statement that can be tested and potentially proven often answers a research question) Ex. Fixing one’s attitude and bad habits from a young age may make the pursuit of happiness easier.
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Paragraphs – a group of sentences that together convey a shared purpose structured around the same topic.
Introductory paragraphs
Clarification/Expansion of Thesis (could extend the thesis, preview the evidence supporting the thesis, give the purpose of thesis, establish the importance or significance of examining the intricacies of the thesis – this could be several sentences long) Ex. (preview of evidence) Pasricha shares nine secrets to facilitate the pursuit of happiness in order for people to be able to fix their attitude, habits, and beliefs. Each secret is accompanied by multiple anecdotes, diagrams, and research that prove the effectiveness of the particular secret.
Clarification/Expansion of Thesis (could extend the thesis, preview the evidence supporting the thesis, give the purpose of thesis, establish the importance or significance of examining the intricacies of the thesis – this could be several sentences long) Ex. (purpose of thesis) Amongst many outdated beliefs the author examines, the belief that retirement is what people dream of stands out in particular; the author examines the negative effects of retirement in order to encourage people to never stop doing something, but rather do something they love. Ex. (establishing the importance or significance of the thesis) The relationship between a negative attitude, bad habits, and outdated beliefs may lead readers to fix their attitudes and habits and to diverge from outdated beliefs that are deeply rooted in their minds.
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Paragraphs – a group of sentences that together convey a shared purpose structured around the same topic.
Body paragraphs
Body Paragraphs (must have echoes of the thesis in each AND present evidence to support or expand on the thesis) Topic Sentences (must specifically indicate the topic of the paragraph and focus on one subject and/or area of evidence or support – could start with a “Transition of Logic” that connects to the previous paragraph to give context) Ex. Multiple studies indicate that having an ikigai, or reason to wake up in the morning, not only increases longevity, but improves a person’s quality of life, more specifically their happiness. Presenting Evidence from Quotations (quotes should NEVER be used as individual sentences – quotes should be embedded within sentences) Ex. Researcher Toshimasa Sone and his colleagues from Tohoku University Graduate school of Medicine agree, “Participants reporting an ikigai at the beginning of the study were more likely to be married, educated, and employed. They had higher levels of self-rated heat and lower levels of stress… 95% of folks with an Ikigai were alive! Only 83% of those without an ikigai made it that long” (Pasricha 102).
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Paragraphs – a group of sentences that together convey a shared purpose structured around the same topic. Body paragraphs
Presenting Evidence from Quotations (quotes should NEVER be used as individual sentences – quotes should be embedded within sentences) Ex. “Participants reporting an ikigai at the beginning of the study were more likely to be married, educated, and employed. They had higher levels of self-rated heat and lower levels of stress… 95% of folks with an Ikigai were alive! Only 83% of those without an ikigai made it that long,” according to researcher Toshimasa Sone and his colleagues from Tohoku University Graduate school of Medicine (Pasricha 102). Ex. Fortunately for those seeking to live a long and happy life,“Participants reporting an ikigai at the beginning of the study were more likely to be married, educated, and employed. They had higher levels of self-rated heat and lower levels of stress… 95% of folks with an Ikigai were alive! Only 83% of those without an ikigai made it that long,” according to researcher Toshimasa Sone and his colleagues from Tohoku University Graduate school of Medicine (Pasricha 102). Ex. Fortunately for those seeking to live a long and happy life,“Participants reporting an ikigai at the beginning of the study were more likely to be married, educated, and employed. They had higher levels of self-rated heat and lower levels of stress. What about at the end of the seven-year study? 95% of folks with an Ikigai were alive [in comparison to] 83% of [folks] without an Ikigai [that] made it that long” (Pasricha 102). Ex. Fortunately for those seeking to live a long and happy life,“... at the end of the seven-year study[,] 95% of folks with an Ikigai were alive [in comparison to] 83% of [folks] without an Ikigai [that] made it that long” (Pasricha 102).
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40 Paragraphs – a group of sentences that together convey a shared purpose structured around the same topic. Body paragraphs
Examining the Evidence Paraphrasing (rewording of a quote into other words of the same length without quotation marks, but still citing the source - useful for examining the quote and transitioning to your analysis of the quote) Ex. People that have a set motive to live life versus those that do not have a longer life expectancy and a better quality of life. Summarizing (condensing larger quotes or sections - useful for closing the examination of the quote/evidence and transitioning to your analysis of the quote) Ex. SUMMARY - An ikigai, or motive to live, has been found to prolong life and improve well being. Abstract Examples (hypothetical, “what if” examples that do not refer to a source – AVOID USING THEM AS EVIDENCE – but useful for examining the quote) Ex. People might be happier if they find a reason to live everyday because they are more likely to live life to the fullest and not fret about inconveniences; people with a reason to live are less likely to focus on things that make them unhappy because focusing on such things would take time and energy away from what is truly important in their life. Concrete Examples (actual examples that do refer to a source – useful for enhancing your analysis of the quote) Ex. A study by researchers from National Geographic found that people in Okinawa live on average seven years more than Americans as a result of their diet, social environment, and most importantly their outlook on life. Closing Sentences (must end the discussion of the topic within the paragraph with a transitional or culminating word – possibly an adverb – and should echo the thesis of the essay) Ex. Clearly, valid authorities on the subject of ikigai agree about its positive impact on the longevity and quality of life of individuals; people are able to fix their attitude and bad habits by having an ikigai, or set life goal, that involves the commitment of time and belief because they are prompted to develop habits that get them closer to exercise their purpose in life and prompts them to have positive attitudes when faced with adversities.
Paragraphs – a group of sentences that together convey a shared purpose structured around the same topic.
Closing Paragraphs (Conclusions – should not be mere summaries of the previous paragraphs of your essay) Consequences of Disregarding the Thesis (establishing the potential consequences of disregarding the implications of the thesis – CREATING A COUNTERARGUMENT – could be one or more sentences) Ex. If bad habits, bad attitude, and outdated beliefs would spark joy, there probably would not be anyone that is unhappy. Statement(s) of Extension (extending the consequences of disregarding the implications of the thesis – could be one or more sentences) Ex. As such, unhappiness seems closely related to people’s unwillingness to change their attitude, habits, and outdated beliefs.
Reestablishing the Significance of the Thesis (could be one or more sentences) Ex. Thus, as the prevalence of academic research indicates, ikigai is an addition one can make to one’s life in order to live a long and happy life; ikigai is more than just a reason to wake up every morning and go about one’s day, on the contrary, an ikigai is an impetus to adopt a positive attitude towards life and correct bad habits that are stopping one from enjoying life to the fullest. Final Sentence (closing statement that connects to the hook and finishes the essay (finish your argument) – the “Smoky the Bear”/”Drop the mic”/dot dot dot moment…) Ex. Knowing the secrets of happiness, maybe happiness is attainable after all…
Closing Paragraphs
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Essays – An essay is a short piece of writing that discusses a particular topic Types – Persuasive (Argumentative) A persuasive or argumentative essay presents readers with a case and the author’s position (in favor or against). The author then argues in favor of their position which refutes the opposing viewpoint. The purpose of a persuasive essay is to get readers to believe that the author’s position is correct in order for the reader to do what the author advises regarding the situation readers were presented with. Expository (Informative) An expository essay explains, illustrates, clarifies, or explicates a certain subject to the reader in a manner that aims for the reader to thoroughly understand the subject. An expository essay may include an investigation, evaluation, etc., that facilitates the reader’s understanding on the subject. The purpose of an expository essay is to make readers aware of the topic of discussion. Expository essays intend to expose and clarify people, places, ideas, and things. Definition or Description A descriptive essay utilizes sensory details to describe a place, experience, or situation. The purpose of descriptive essays is to present readers with an honest picture of a person, place, or thing by means of sensory details. Process (How-to) A process essay details the process of making or doing something. Process Essays are written in either chronological order, or in numerical order in order to breakdown processes. The function of process essays is to provide readers with a set of instructions that are not boring, but rather interesting and compel the reader to carry on the act with excitement.
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Essays – An essay is a short piece of writing that discusses a particular topic Types – Compare and Contrast A comparison essay discusses the similarities and differences of two people, places, things, or ideas. The function of comparison essays is to introduce a new or unfamiliar idea to readers by means of comparing it to something that readers are familiar with in order for the reader to understand the new or unfamiliar idea presented to them. Cause and Effect A cause and effect essay identifies the cause of something and details the effects of it on something else. The purpose of cause and effect essays is to explain the reality of a situation to readers. This type of essay is used to discuss scientific topics because it enables the reader to understand how the nature of things affects them and other human beings. Analytical/Critical An analytical essay breaks down a concept, idea, thing, character, or work of literature and analyzes it section by section in order to heighten the reader’s understanding of the matter. The function of an analytical essay is for readers to understand a topic better and make readers aware of details that they likely overlooked. A critical essay both interprets and evaluates a literary work on the basis of motifs, themes, literary devices and terms, direction, meaning, and structure. Critical essays target a certain audience that are academically mature to make sense of what is being discussed in such essays. Evaluative An evaluative essay judges a particular subject based on a set of criteria. The purpose of evaluative essays is to present readers with an informed and well-reasoned judgement about a subject.
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Essays – An essay is a short piece of writing that discusses a particular topic Types – Interpretive Interpretative essays not only identify the techniques employed by authors of literary works, but also evaluate the effectiveness of those techniques in terms of conveying the intended message. The purpose of interpretive essays is to provide readers with a critique of the techniques used in a literary work. Narrative (Tells a story) Personal Statement/Anecdote A narrative recounts an event to listeners or readers. Narratives are often told by narrators who experienced the event themselves (these types of narrators are known as first-person narrators), but it is also common for narrators that simply witness the event to give their statement about the incident (these types of narrators are known as third-person narrators). A narrative is employed by an author to entertain the reader while teaching them a moral lesson. Research A research essay is written based on a research question. A research essay is intended to provide readers with information about a certain question that has been looked into. Timed Document Based Question (DBQ) Document Based Question essays require the analyses of a document in order to respond to a relevant question. Synthesis A synthesis simply intends to synthesize different ideas to make a judgement about their merit and demerits.
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Strategies/Planning Tips/Steps Pre-writing/Prompt Analysis/Outlining Prompt Analysis Before you write an essay, be sure to analyze the prompt first. The most effective way to analyze a prompt is to make a do what chart. In the do section of the cart you will write down all the verbs you identify in the prompt and in the what section to write what comes after the verb. By doing this you ensure that you will do everything that the prompt asks you to do. Example: Not everyone is a cat person; some people prefer dogs over cats. Select what animal you prefer the most, cats or dogs. Explain why you think this animal is better than the other. Provide evidence to support your claim. Verbs What Do
What
Select
What animal you prefer the most
Explain
Why you think this animal is better than the other
Provide
Evidence to support your claim
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Strategies/Planning Tips/Steps :Pre-writing/Prompt Analysis/Outlining Outlining After doing a do what chart and understanding what the prompt is asking you to do, you may begin to outline your essay. Make sure you address all the parts of the prompt in your outline. Example I. Introduction Hook: write a hook that engages the reader ● The hook may be a fact such as: According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, 38.4% of households own dogs and 25.4% of households own cats. ● The hook may be an anecdote: I am inherently a cat person. All my life I have been surrounded by cats, even when I was inside of my mothers womb… ● The hook may be a question, but avoid making your hook a question. If you do choose to make your hook a question, then make it a rhetorical question not a simple yes or no question; the question should make readers think. ○ Avoid: Are you a dog or cat person? ○ Instead: What would be of man without its best friend? ● The hook may have a bit of a historical flare to it ○ For centuries dogs have been man’s best friend. Wolves helped men hunt. Thesis statement: After the hook, include the thesis statement. In the thesis statement you basically state your position on the topic. ● Cats are better than dogs because they require less maintenance than dogs. ● Dogs are better than cats because dogs are more loving than cats. After the thesis statement expands on the thesis statement a bit. II. Body Paragraph I ● Begin the paragraph with a transition sentence. In this paragraph provide a citation that supports the thesis statement and explain how the citation supports your thesis. III. Body Paragraph II ● Begin the paragraph with a transition sentence. In this paragraph provide another citation that supports the thesis statement and explain how the citation supports your thesis. IV. Body Paragraph III ● Begin the paragraph with a transition sentence that tells the reader that in this paragraph you will be contrasting cats and dogs. The focus of this paragraph is to make dogs seem better than cats. V. Conclusion You have been likely told that you should restate your thesis and summarize your main points, but instead of doing so make a call for action. Tell people that if they are considering getting a pet, get a dog or cat depending on your position. *note: your outline will vary depending on the time of essay you are writing; this would be an outline for a persuasive essay
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Researching/Evaluating of Sources Researching Primary sources including interviews and observations. Secondary sources include books, journals, and the internet. Use sites like https://news.google.com/topstories?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en https://scholar.google.com/ These sites, especially the second site, provide you with trustworthy information.
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Researching/Evaluating of Sources Evaluating Sources There are two methods to evaluate sources. One method is the RAVEN protocol and the other is the CRAAP Test. The RAVEN protocol
Reputation
Research the reputation of the author, the sources, and the publication. Is there any stain in their reputation? Do they have authority?
Ability to Observe
Does the author have access to reliable sources?
Vested Interest
Are they interested in monetization? If they lie, would they make money? If they tell the truth, would they make money?
Expertise
Does the author have experience and knowledge on the topic or event? Or did the author get the information from someone that is an expert?
Neutrality
Are the author’s claims and evidence based?
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Researching/Evaluating of Sources Evaluating Sources There are two methods to evaluate sources. One method is the RAVEN protocol and the other is the CRAAP Test. The CRAAP Test
Currency
Is the information recent and relevant to the current situation? Or is the information outdated? If the information is outdated, has it been updated recently? What type of information is necessary; older or newer sources?
Relevance
Is the information relevant to the topic?
Authority
Who is the author, publisher, source, and/or sponsor? Are these individuals qualified to speak on the topic? Can you easily access their information, including credentials and previous articles that they have written? Tip look at the URL to determine intentions .com = profiting off of you .edu = educational institution that intends to educate the public .gov = the government intending to give information to the public .org = organization, usually nonprofit intending to bring about change through education
Accuracy
Where does the information come from? Can the information be proven true? Has the information been reviewed? Has the information been seen in other articles on the topic? Does the tone seem professional? Has the information been proofread?
Purpose
What is the purpose of the information? Are the intentions clear? What type of information is it? (fact, opinion, fact, or propaganda) Is there a clear bias? (is the bias personal)
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Work Cited Page – Explain and give an example of how to set up a works cited entry in both MLA and APA formats - there are subtle differences between each format, so be sure to identify them clearly. MLA Format To cite in MLA format include the following information: Author (last name, first name) Ttle of source Title of the container Contributors Version Number Publisher Publication date Location of the source Example ● Book Pasricha, Neil, The Happiness Equation: Want Nothing + do Anything = Have Everything. Vermilion, 2017. APA Format To cite in APA format include the following information: Author (last name, letter of first name) Title Publisher Example ● Book Pasricha, N. (2017). The Happiness Equation: Want Nothing + do anything = have everything. Vermilion. The main difference between MLA format and APA format is the placement of certain items such as the publication date. In addition, in an MLA citation, you include the author's full name, but in an APA citation you simply include the first letter of the author’s name.
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