~Cats~ Book of Writing
Table of Contents Introduction
3
About the Author
4
Punctuation and Capitalization
5
Parts of Speech
6
Phrases and Clauses
12
Sentences
14
Paragraphs
17
Essays
20
Introduction This book of writing will be all about the rules of grammar. Learning these rules is important when writing, especially in a book. I wrote this book with my superior writing abilities, though I did struggle through it. I hope this book helps in opening your mind to these rules and encourages you to find inspiration in your writing as it did for me. Without further ado, you may begin reading this book. Sincerely, Carolina Casillas
About the Author Hello, my name is Carolina Casillas, and though I am not a big fan of reading, I enjoy reading fantasy and horror books. I especially like the Erin Hunter books about warrior cats, because they entail my imagination and fantasize about cats. I enjoy listening to music, spending time with my family, and hanging out with my friends whenever I can. I began to write when I was in kindergarten, but I had a very strict teacher who would always encourage us to do better in our spelling and writing, so for me, it was always a challenge because back then my writing including my spelling was as my mother had once told me to be like “Patas de Arana'' which meant very messy, and barely readable. I would have to repeat a sentence over and over again until my writing had improved, back then I saw it pointless, but looking back at it, it did help improve not only my spelling but my writing as well. I still have my struggles, but I am improving through each step. For this book I chose it to be about cats because since forever I have always had a love for felines. I even have my cat that I adore every day and is very special to me. Therefore, I hope you enjoy reading the many examples I have used about cats, and may perhaps encourage you to even have one yourself.
PUNCTUATION and CAPITALIZATION 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
. The period is used to end a sentence. Ex: The book covers a period of two hundred years. , Comma, used to separate grammatical components of a sentence. Ex: I was so cold, so I put my hat on. – Em Dash, can take the place of commas, parenthesis, or colons. Ex: You are the friend-the only friend who offered to help me. - En Dash, used to represent a span or range of numbers, dates, or time. Ex: You could choose two numbers from 1-50 : Colon, used to introduce a list of items. Ex: She kept repeating:” I want that car!” ; Semicolon, used between two independent clauses when a coordinating conjunction is omitted. Ex: We had too many fumbles; we lost the game. ? Question mark, used at the end of a direct question. Ex: What level am I on? ! Exclamation point, used to indicate strong feelings or to show emphasis. Ex: What a beautiful day! ‘ Apostrophe, used for contractions, plurals, and possessive pronouns. Ex: It’s raining outside “ ” Quote mark, used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word. Ex:” When will you be here?”, he asked … Ellipses can be used to represent a trailing off of thought. Ex: I was running... [ ] Brackets allow the insertion of editorial material inside quotations. Ex: Wear both [thermal and socks] ( ) Parentheses allow a writer to provide additional information. Ex: I bought a gift for you (and two for me) / Slash serves as a shorthand for and. Ex: Each guest must present his/her ticket before entry.
EX: Comma (used to switch words around in a list) – Students at Bravo can freely choose between AP World History, AP US History, AP Government, and AP European History.
Capitalization – Identify and create one (1) example sentence for each rule of capitalization. 1. Please list the rules of capitalization here: 1) -Capitalize the First Word of a Sentence Ex: The museum has a new butterfly exhibit. 2) -Capitalize Names and Other Proper Nouns Ex: High school students use iPods for learning purposes. 3) -Don’t Capitalize After a Colon Ex: She has a passion: cycling EX: (Used to begin a sentence) – Sadly for some, 11th grade is the year with the most high-stakes testing.
PARTS OF SPEECH Types of nouns: Common Nouns: name a class of people, places, things, or ideas. · Child, school, computer, city, fear, teacher
Proper Nouns: give the name or title of a particular person, place, thing, or · idea (must be capitalized). Oxford University, Health Association, California ·
Compound Nouns: consist of words used together to form a single noun.
Open, closed, hyphenated ·
Concrete Nouns: refer to material things, to people, or places.
Book, Ocean, Children ·
Abstract Nouns: name ideas, qualities, concepts, emotions, or attitudes.
Anger, Patience, Tolerance, Hope
Functions (How nouns are used): Subject (comes before the verb) · Jennifer walked to the store ·
Direct Object (comes after the verb and answers what or whom)
James accidentally tripped Claire as she walked out of her room. ·
Indirect Object (answers to who or to whom)
Her mom brought her a glassful of seashells
PRONOUNS Pronouns take the place of nouns that have been established. Personal: Nominative (subjects) Objective (objects) I/we me/us you/you you/you He, she, it, one/they him, her, it, one/them Possessive My, mine our, ours Your, yours your, yours His, her, hers, its, one’s there, theirs Relative: Nominative who That
Objective whom that those/ this
Possessive whose of that
Interrogative: who, which, what, whatever, whoever Reflexive: (personal pronouns plus the suffix –self or –selves) Used only: when the action verb is directed toward the subject of the construction:
Sometimes I consult things with myself. to intensify a point: Drew decided to treat himself to a fancy dinner. Demonstrative: this, these
that, those
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.
VERBS 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 an 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) infinitive verbs (indicate tense) infinitive 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: The teacher always answers the students' questions. Passive: The students' questions are always answered by the teacher.
Verbals: (VERB FORMS NOT USED AS VERBS) Gerund: word ending in “ing” used as a noun. · Swimming is my favorite sport Participle: word ending in “ing” or “ed” used as an adjective · I did the assignment sitting in the library · The boiled water
Infinitive: verb preceded by the word “to” (to go, to jump) used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs · To understand statistics, that is my aim.
ADJECTIVES Adjectives modify, describe, limit, and identify nouns and pronouns. · Kinds: Demonstrative, Common, Proper Common: Cats are sometimes aggressive Demonstrative: this kitten is mean, but that cat is meaner Proper: but cats can also be quite adorable and cuddly.
ADVERBS Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. · Endings My cat runs quickly; My cat always runs toward the house to eat; At night I always have to let my cat out otherwise he starts meowing at the door. · Conversions 1) Quickly becomes Quick 2) Soft becomes Softly 3) Aggressive becomes Aggressively · Types: Manner, Frequency, Degree, Place, Time Example Types: (Create one example each related to your subject) Manner – I called my cat, “Bon Bon”, to come and eat and he came running quickly to the porch. Time – We’ll have to take Bon Bon to his vet appointment tomorrow. Place – Every Night I feed Bon Bon and let him outside. Degree – Bon Bon was unusually quiet this afternoon. Frequency – BonBon sometimes wakes up early.
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 though, because, before, if, so that, provided that, since, so, so that, that, though, till, unless, when, where, whereas, while Relative pronouns: who (refers to people), which (refers to non-living 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, 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, using, 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, regarding, inside, inside of, despite, 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, before, to, toward, under, underneath, until, unto, up, upon, up to, versus, with, within, without.
INTERJECTIONS Interjections are the final part of speech. Find and copy/paste an alphabetical list of interjections here. A – Ahh, ahoy, aha, ahem, alas, arrggh, aw B – Blah, brrr, bingo, bravo, bam, bazinga, bleh, boo, boo-yah, bah humbug C – Cheers, congrats, catching, cripes, crud D – Damn, darn, darn it, dang, drat, duh, dear, E – Eureka, eek, eh, er, encore, eww F – Fie, fiddlesticks G – Gak, gee, gee whiz, geez, gadzooks, golly, good grief, goodness, goodness gracious, gosh, gesundheit H – Hey, hmm, hooray, huh, hello, ha, ha-ha, holy cow, hallelujah, holy smokes, humph, hurray, hot dog, huh? K – Ka-ching, Ooh, oh oh, oh dear, oh my, oh my God, oh well, ouch, ow, oww, oops, oy, ooh-la-la, P – Phooey, presto, please, pshaw, pow, phew, pooh R – Rats, S – shoo, shh, shoop-shoop, T – Tut-tut, thanks, U – Uh-huh, uh-oh, uh, um, umm V – Viva, voila W – Whammo, wham, whew, whoa, wow, whoops, Y – Yay, yeah, yikes, yippee, yes, yuck, yum, yo, yahoo, yummy Z – Zap
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
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
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
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
PHRASES and CLAUSES 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. My little brother always feared monsters in the closet. Verb Phrase: A group of words consisting of verbs working together and that function as a verb. Her favorite activity is reading about history. Prepositional Phrase: A group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun, and functions as an adjective or an adverb. Sometimes after school when my dad picks me up, before going home, we go to the bank. 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. I am looking forward to having pozole, my favorite food, for dinner. Verbal Phrases: A group of words that begin with a verbal and end with a noun. ● Gerund Phrase verb ending in -ing that functions as a noun. My favorite pastime is television. ● Participial Phrase word ending in -ing (the present participle) or -ed (past participle) that functions as an adjective. I did the assignment sitting in the library. ● Infinitive Phrase verbs preceded by the word “to” (to read, to study, to write) that function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. I went home to study math.
CLAUSES 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. I want to travel the world and see wonderful sights. 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. ○ Where is the ice cream that was in the freezer? ○ The trophy will go to whoever wins the race. ○ While I was asleep, my cat knocked over the plant. ○ I will do whatever is necessary. Adjective Clause: Used to modify a noun in an independent clause. Some adjective clauses begin with an introductory word: ○ I do not like people who are mean to animals. ○ Students who work hard get good grades. ○ Smart people follow the rules. Some adjective clauses begin with relative pronouns: ■ The vacuum cleaner scared our cat, who was sleeping on the rug. ■ A dog whose owner lets it run loose may cause an accident. ■ The dog that is chasing the squirrels belongs to my grandma. ■ Fruit that is grown organically is expensive. ■ I know whom you talked to. ■ This movie was the sequel, which we had been waiting for. ■ We knew the actress who starred in the movie. Adverb Clause: Used to modify verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in an independent clause, introduced by subordinate conjunction, are and used to indicate time, place, cause, purpose, result, condition, and/or concession. Modifying verbs: ■ Wherever you go, you will find coca-cola. (place) ■ Sundays are when I am least busy. (time) ■ Put on your warm clothes, or you’ll catch a cold. (purpose) ■ You won’t pass unless you work hard. (condition) Modifying adjectives: ■ They dig deep to get at the roots. (how much) ■ He was happy with the way things went. (to what extent) Modifying adverbs: ■ He works efficiently on his own. (condition) Relative Clauses: Dependent clause that begins with a relative pronoun. ○ The cyclist who won the race trained hard. Elliptical Clauses: Adverb clauses in which part of the clause is omitted. ○ The pop quiz did not worry my classmates as much as me. Essential Clauses: Clauses necessary to the meaning of the sentence. ○ I do not remember the day that my cousin was born. Nonessential Clauses: Clauses that are NOT necessary to the meaning of the sentence. ○ My grandfather, who lives on a farm, said he would teach me to ride a horse.
Sentences Sentence – 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 Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system. Predicate – what the subject does The cat is sleeping in the sun.
Sentence Types Declarative – a sentence that makes a statement (ends with a period mark) The weather is warm and sunny, a perfect day for a picnic. Imperative – a sentence that makes a command (ends with a period mark) Stop feeding the cat from the table. Interrogative – a sentence that asks a question (ends with a question mark) Where is your new cat? Exclamatory – a sentence that expresses great emotion, passion, excitement (ends with an exclamation mark) Ice cream sundaes are my favorite!
Sentence Patterns Simple Sentence: A sentence that is just one independent clause. I was tired after working all day, so I decided to go to sleep early. Compound Sentence: A sentence with multiple independent clauses, but no dependent clauses - connected by FANBOYS (coordinating conjunctions) or a semicolon (;).
Cats are good pets, for they are clean and not noisy. Complex Sentence: A sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. Wherever you go, you can always find beauty. Complex-Compound Sentence: A sentence with multiple independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. Though my mother says it doesn’t matter, I am tall, and she is short. 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. You can pass all your classes with good study habits and good attendance. Periodic Sentence: A sentence in which the independent clause is given at the end of the sentence to create interest or generate suspense with the main point coming at the end. Positive thinking, by helping us stay focused and maintaining a good attitude, is important for a happy life. Parallel Structure: A sentence using the same pattern of two or more verbs or ideas that match intense or structure to show that they are of equal importance and to help the reader comprehend what is being written - this sentence requires symmetry. My parents say to get a good education and do not settle for less. Balanced Sentence: A sentence where phrases or clauses at the beginning and the end parallel each other by their likeness of structure, meaning, or length - this sentence requires symmetry. My cat likes to eat and sleep all day. Chiasmus: A sentence that includes a repetition of ideas (words, phrases, or clauses) in inverted (reversed) order - this sentence requires symmetry. You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl. Asyndeton: A sentence that leaves out conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses for a rhetorical purpose. Every person should be brave, honest, good, and decent. Polysyndeton: A sentence that uses multiple conjunctions close to each other between words, phrases, or clauses for a rhetorical purpose. Today, my teachers gave me math homework, science homework, reading homework, and a project to complete. Anaphora: A sentence that features the purposeful repetition of a word, words, or a phrase at the beginning of several successive clauses to place emphasis and draw attention. I am awake, I am strong, and I am ready. Epistrophe: A sentence featuring several phrases or clauses ending with the same word or words. I came as a child, I spoke as a child, and I thought as a child.
Sentence Errors Run-On/Rambling/Fused Sentence – a sentence construction error where two or more independent clauses are connected incorrectly without punctuation. I ran across the road and it was very dangerous. [WRONG] I ran across the road. It was very dangerous. [RIGHT] Comma Splice – a sentence construction error where two or more independent clauses are connected incorrectly using commas The teacher was angry, the students were too loud.[WRONG] The teacher was angry. The students were too loud.[RIGHT]
Fragment – incomplete sentence pieces that are not connected to or do not form an independent clause After I finish the project. [WRONG] I will get a bonus after I finish the project. [RIGHT] Misplaced/Dangling Modifiers – modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that add a description; a misplaced modifier describes the wrong part of a sentence and a dangling modifier is missing the part it’s supposed to modify People who laugh rarely are sad. [WRONG] People who rarely laugh are sad. [RIGHT] Double Negative – combining two or more negative words in a sentence in a way that is supposed to produce a positive force I don’t have any money. [WRONG] I don’t have any money. [RIGHT]
Paragraphs Paragraphs – a group of sentences that together convey a shared purpose structured around the same topic. Introductory Paragraphs (Introductions) Hook (Lead / Opening Statement) – can begin with the title Anecdotal (Brief story to set the mood and lead the reader into the topic) If dogs are known as “Man's Best Friend” then cats are known to be “Man's Best Frenemy”. Though it may seem baffling for dog lovers, cats are known to be the world’s most popular pet, they’re passive aggressive, emotionally unavailable, and known for their chilly independence. However these personalities have led to the assumption that their aloofness demonstrates an inability to connect and bond with people. Query Based (Question that brings the reader to the topic - avoid second person POV “you”) Why do you think cats are good pets? Thesis Statements (the purpose of a piece of writing – usually one sentence in length, but can be longer depending on the purpose – must be arguable) Assertion (claim - a subject + a “so what” about the subject) Cats keep unwanted pests out of your house. Fact (empirically verifiable but often difficult to argue extensively about better used as evidence to support a claim) Cats are easy to house-train Opinion (personal position on a topic) Cats can bring unconditional love and companionship to your life as a dog can. Belief (social, religious, or political – an opinion held by many to be a fact, though it is not necessarily factual – often involves a judgment) Cats can be seen as messengers of good omens. 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)
Cats are always independent Document-Based (cites a specific source, author, and position on a topic) William S. Burroughs, the author of “The Cat Inside” compares cats and dogs to illustrate the benefits that can be received when owning a cat. Theory (a statement that can be tested and potentially proven - often answers a research question) Having a feline friend can help to relieve stress and improve your heart health. Clarification/Expansion of Thesis (could extend the thesis, preview the evidence supporting the thesis, give the purpose of the thesis, establish the importance or significance of examining the intricacies of the thesis – this could be several sentences long) William S. Burroughs explains how his life had been wary and gloomy until he had adopted his ginger cat. He claims that his cat had taught him compassion and love, and helped him see the light in the world. He had also claimed the psychic powers that cats appear to have because they always sense when their loved ones are feeling sad or depressed.
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) Cat owners do have better psychological health than people without pets. (Now every sentence in this paragraph must be related to the connection between fast food and health) Presenting Evidence from Quotations (quotes should NEVER be used as individual sentences – quotes should be embedded within sentences) ORIGINAL QUOTE – “Perhaps one reason we are fascinated by cats is that such a small animal can contain so much independence, dignity, and freedom of spirit. Unlike the dog, the cat’s personality is never bet on a human’s. He demands acceptance on his terms.”(Lloyd Alexander). -Cats are not as trusting as dogs which makes them keen and resilient. Cats appear to be like humans because we always need to gain trust to accept the person into our lives. So when you gain the acceptance of a cat, it becomes an unbreakable bond. 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) ORIGINAL QUOTE – “Like all pure creatures, cats are practical” (William S. Burroughs). PARAPHRASE – Cats can provide many benefits to humans. Summarizing (condensing larger quotes or sections - useful for closing the examination of the quote/evidence and transitioning to your analysis of the quote)
ORIGINAL QUOTE –“A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.” (Hemingway). SUMMARY – Cats never show fear in showing how they are. They don’t worry about how society sees them as most people do. Abstract Examples (hypothetical, “what if” examples that do not refer to a source – AVOID USING THEM AS EVIDENCE – but useful for examining the quote) There would become a decrease in depression with the benefits of having a cat. Concrete Examples (actual examples that do refer to a source – useful for enhancing your analysis of the quote) According to the research at Oregon State University, cats display distinct attachment styles towards human caregivers and share social traits once attributed to dogs and humans. 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) So as the saying “man's best friend” is still reserved for dogs, this study supports the idea that cats are just as affectionate. 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) If cats were to disappear from the world, our agricultural systems would collapse, with disease rampant, and food scarce, people would have to forage for scraps, like rats. Statement(s) of Extension (extending the consequences of disregarding the implications of the thesis – could be one or more sentences) There would be an increase in rats, who are responsible for 40 percent and 60 percent of all seabird and reptile extinctions. Reestablishing the Significance of the Thesis (could be one or more sentences) Therefore cats have been shown to help people cope with emotional pain. Despite their animals, they serve as a social support during very difficult times. Cats in particular also lower your stress levels, since they don’t require much effort as dogs. It was found that cat owners were 30 percent less likely to suffer from a heart attack or stroke than non-cat owners. Final Sentence (a closing statement that connects to the hook and finishes the essay (finish your argument) – the “Smokey the Bear”/”Drop the mic”/dot dot dot moment…) Given these reasons on why cats make such good pets, I hope it has influenced your mind about these mysterious felines…
Essay Essays – A piece of writing that is written to convince someone of something or to inform the reader about a topic in particular. Types – Persuasive (Argumentative)-In which you use logic and arguments to convince the reader of your point of view. The purpose of this is that it attempts to convince a reader to adopt a certain point of view or to take any action in particular. Expository (Informative)-A genre of essay that requires the student to investigate an idea, evaluate evidence, expound on the idea, and set an argument that concerns the idea clearly and concisely. The purpose is to present a balanced, objective description of a topic. Definition or Description- A spoken or written representation of a person, object, or event. The main purpose of descriptive writing is to describe the person, place, or thing in a way that would form a picture in the reader's mind. Process (How-to)- A writing process that explains how to do something or how it works using a step-by-step explanation. The purpose of this is to give either directional or informative information to the reader. Compare and Contrast- Examines two or more topics that compare their similarities and contrasts their differences. It is ideal for showing what separates and unites related things or concepts. Cause and Effect- It tells how one event leads to another event. This determines how various phenomena relate to each other in terms of origins and results. Analytical/Critical- Where you will need to present a type of argument or claim about what you are analyzing. The use of this to define a term, tell the procedure of the process, classify ideas, or make a contrast among different things. Evaluative: A composition that offers value judgments about a particular subject according to a set of criteria. It's to present an informed and well-reasoned judgment about a subject. Interpretive: Interpret a piece of literature like a book, essay, play, or poem. The goal is to evaluate the methods the author used instead of simply identifying them. Narrative (Tells a story)
Personal Statement/Anecdote-An essay where you write to show a college admissions committee who you are and why you deserve admission to their school. This helps make you stand out from the crowd, therefore focuses on what makes you unique. Research-An essay where you explain what you have learned after exploring your topic. It isn’t only to inform the reader what others have to say about the topic, but to draw what others have to say about the topic and engage the sources. Timed-Helps demonstrate disciplinary knowledge by producing a writing sample within a limited time. Document-Based Question (DBQ): Series of short-answer questions that are constructed by students using their knowledge with support from several sources. Synthesis: A written discussion incorporating support from several sources of different viewpoints. Strategies/Planning Tips/Steps Pre-writing/Prompt Analysis/Outlining-Beginning with the introduction, lay out your main argument, from there you go through each paragraph, highlighting the main idea, evidence, and analysis that you’ll be using. Always be sure that it ties into the previous paragraph, as well as your argument. Finally, you sum up your argument in your conclusion, with points to the larger significance of your essay’s claims. Researching/Evaluating of Sources- As you examine your sources it is important to determine the quality of the information provided with them. This may include purpose and intended audience, authority and credibility, accuracy and reliability, currency and timeliness, and objectivity or bias. Work Cited Page – Explain and give an example of how to set up works cited entries in both MLA and APA formats - there are subtle differences between each format, so be sure to identify them. MLA Format-A style of crediting sources you use to write a paper, it should be formatted like this: Author last name, First name, and Title of the source. APA Format-Uses the Author’s last name and the year of publication, for example; (Field, 2005).
