The Office Book of Writing by Bravo Grammar Con Online

The Office Book of Writing

By: Noelia Alvarez Azanedo

Table of Contents Introduction

Dedication

Section 1: Punctuation and Capitalization

4-7

Section 2: Parts of Speech

8-16

Section 3: Phrases and Clauses

17-20

Section 4: Sentences

21-25

Section 5: Paragraphs

26-31

Section 6: Essay About the author:

32-37 38

Introduction: In honor that The Office is no longer going to be available on Netflix, I decided to say “goodbye my lover, goodbye my friend” and write The Office Book of

Writing. If you like the series, do not panic because you may still be able to watch it on a new streaming platform coming out in 2021 (I think). Oh, who am I kidding? You should definitely panic! Even so, you may still be able to find bloopers and Michael Scott’s hit movie “Threat Level Midnight” on youtube. Regardless, this book might help you remember the good and sad times (Season 7) of this 9-year long journey. Hope you enjoy my book! Oh, beware of spoilers!

Dedication: To my mom because sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my source of inspiration and strength. To my sister because she likes The Office and I think she would enjoy reading this. To every Office fan out there! Thank you for choosing this grammar book out of all the other books around. I hope you enjoy your time here and understand the grammar topics that are to be discussed.

SECTION 1

PUNCTUATION and CAPITALIZATION

Punctuation – Identify the function and create one (1) example sentence of the uses for each mark. 1. . (period) ● end punctuation (imperative or declarative) ● two spaces after the sentence ● ●

2. ,

(coma) ● Separate things that can switch ● Listing ● ●

3. –

●

Ex. Clark was the look-alike of Dwight, which gained him his nickname. Ex. Jim’s mother-in-law dated Michael for a while and that made Pam very uncomfortable.

(colon) ● Listing stuff ● What comes after it is related to it ●

●

6. ;

Ex. Dwight did something unforgivable to Angela’s favorite cat—Sprinkles. Ex. The new guys, Clark and Pete, gained their nicknames because they resembled Jim and Dwight—Dwight Jr. and New Jim.

(en dash) ● Hyphenate words ●

5. :

Ex. The accounting staff at Dunder Mifflin: Angela, Oscar, and Kevin had significantly different personalities. Ex. After the fire, Michael knew what kind of person Ryan was.

(em dash) ● Replace a colon, parenthesis, coma ●

4. -

Ex. Michael is by far, the world’s best boss. Ex. Angela had many cats, one of which was Sprinkles.

Ex. The Dunder Mifflin Company branches: Albany, Utica, Akron, Nashua, Buffalo, and Rochester all failed except for the Scranton branch. Ex. The Office: a fun, energetic, crazy, and weird place.

(semi-colon) ● Separates 2 independent clauses ●

●

Ex. Michael loved to wake up to the smell of bacon, so he put his grill next to his bed with bacon; he burned his foot on his George Foreman grill. Ex. Jim was the assistant regional manager; Dwight was the assistant to the regional manager.

7. ?

(question mark) ● Ends the interrogative sentence ● ●

8. !

(exclamation mark) ● Ends the exclamatory sentence ● ●

9. ‘

●

Ex. The Scranton Strangler [attacked a lot of people in the Scranton area] was caught and convicted. Ex. Fans think that Creed is the Scranton Strangler for many valid reasons [it was hinted a lot that he killed and did other illegal things and at the end, it shows that he was arrested].

( ) (parenthesis) ● Used to indicate parenthetical information ● ●

14.

Ex. Kelly explained that …, in a text message means to be continued. Ex. Many fans of The Office think that Toby is the Scranton Strangler…

[ ] (brackets) ● Add something to make it wider ●

13.

Ex. “I’m not superstitious but I am a little superstitious,” Michael said. Ex. “I talk a lot, so I learned to tune myself out,” Kelly said.

… (ellipsis) ● Indicates that something is left unsaid ● Can end a sentence ● ●

12.

Ex. Creed’s mug was the same mug that belonged to Michael. Ex. Alfredo’s Pizza Cafe has the best pizza in Scranton.

“ ” (quotation marks) ● To quote a book, what someone said, wrote, emphasized, or a way something is pronounced ● ●

11.

Ex. “Ryan started the fire!” Ex. Jim should know that identity theft is not a joke!

(apostrophe) ● To show possession ● To make a contraction ● Can also be a single quote mark ● ●

10.

Ex. “What kind of bear is best?” Ex. Why did Andy change his personality so drastically?

Ex. Pam’s daughter (Cecelia) was a surprise to the Besly-Halpert family. Ex. Angela named her son (Philip) after her favorite cat.

/ (forward slash) ● Used to denote options ●

Ex. I can not decide whether Michael and/or Dwight are my favorite characters.

●

Ex. I would have liked to try Phyllis’s brownies and/or Kevin’s famous chili.

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 EX: (Used to begin a sentence) – Sadly for some, 11th grade is the year with the most high-stakes testing.

SECTION 2:

PARTS OF SPEECH

NOUNS Types of nouns: ·

Common Nouns: name a class of people, places, things, or ideas.

EX: the office, Chili’s restaurant, the annex,

· Proper Nouns: give the name or title of a particular person, place, thing, or idea (must be capitalized). EX: Scranton, Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, Utica branch, Regional Manager

· Compound Nouns: consist of words used together to form a single noun. EX: watercolors, whiteboard, yearbook ·

Concrete Nouns: refer to material things, to people, or to places.

EX: stapler, paper, desks

Abstract Nouns: name ideas, quality, emotions or attitudes.

EX: kindness, love, friendship

Functions (How nouns are used): ·

Subject (comes before the verb)

Pam attended art school in New York.

Direct Object (comes after the verb and answer what or whom)

Michael asked Dwight to help him get the gum out of his hair.

Indirect Object (answers to who or to whom)

Pam gave a huge goodbye hug to Michael at the airport.

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 Your, yours His, her, hers, its, one’s

our, ours your, yours their, theirsRelative: 9

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 o r –selves) Used only: when the action verb is directed toward the subject of the construction: Michael calls himself “The World’s Best Boss.” Kelly said it; she’s learned to mute herself.

to intensify a point:

Michael himself delivered a speech, expecting a standing ovation. Even though it was hard work, “I can finish the job myself” the student thought. After having a good idea, “I amaze myself with my creativity” Michael thought.

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 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: Pam painted a mural of the people working in the office. (Pam is the subject)

Passive: The mural of the people in the office was painted by Pam. (Pam is the subject but treated as the object)

Verbals: (VERB FORMS NOT USED AS VERBS) Gerund: word ending in “ing” used as a noun. · Many times, Michael has stopped everyone from eating in the cafeteria because of his questions.

Participle: word ending in “ing” or “ed” used as an adjective · Dwight was singing about a fire that started because of Ryan’s food. · Ryan did not like to be called “the fire guy.” Infinitive: verb preceded by the word “to” (to go, to jump) used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs · For Pam, to play volleyball again was a rush!

ADJECTIVES Adjectives modify, describe, limit, and identify nouns and pronouns. · Kinds: Demonstrative, Common, Proper · Demonstrative: What is that large building? That large building is the Dunder Mifflin Paper company. · Common: Jim is creative with his Halloween costumes. · Proper: Michael’s favorite food is probably Italian food.

ADVERBS Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. · Endings: -ly, -where, · Conversions: Hourly, Annually, Commonly, Dramatically, Weirdly, Quickly

Types: Manner, Frequency, Degree, Place, Time

Example Types: (Create one example each related to your subject) Manner – Toby quickly ran the race. (How did he run?) Time – The cleaning staff frequently go to work at 5 in the morning. (When will they arrive?) Place – The cleaning staff was near the office when the workers were locked in. (Where were they?) Degree – Pam and Jim were extremely excited about the pregnancy news! (How excited were they?) Frequency – The Dunder Mifflin company annually hosts a picnic for all their employees. (How often does the company host a picnic?)

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, 12

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.

INTERJECTIONS Interjections are the final part of speech. A - aha, ahem, ahh, ahoy, alas, arg, aw. B - bam, bingo, blah, boo, bravo, brrr. C - cheers, congratulations. D - dang, drat, darn, duh. E - eek, eh, encore, eureka. F - fiddlesticks. G - gadzooks, gee, gee whiz, golly, goodbye, goodness, good grief, gosh. H - ha, ha-ha, hah, hallelujah, harrumph, haw, hee, here, hey, hmm, ho hum, hoo, hooray, hot dog, how, huh, hum, humbug, hurray, huzza I - I say, ick, is it, ixnay J - jeez, just a sec, just kidding, just wondering L - la, la-di-dah, lo, long time, look, look here, lordy M - man, meh, mmm, most certainly, my, my my, my word N - nah, naw, never, no, no can do, no thanks, no way, nooo, not, nuts O - oh, oh no, oh-oh, oho, okay, okey-dokey, om, oof, ooh, oopsey, over, oy, oyez P - pew, pff, phew, psst, pow R - rah, rats S - shh, shoo T - ta-da, thanks, there, tsk-tsk U - ugh, uh, uh-oh, um, urgh V - voila, vroom W - wah, wahoo, whee, whoa, whoops, wow Y - yeah, yech, yes, yipee, yuck Z - zap, zowie, zzz

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

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

Section 3:

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. All the employees yearned for pizza from Alfredo’s Pizza Cafe.

Verb Phrase: A group of words consisting of verbs working together and that function as a verb. Everyone in the office knew they would be working hard during the weekend because of Michael’s interruptions.

Prepositional Phrase: A group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun, and functions as an adjective or an adverb. Michael threw up the fettucini alfredo he ate near the end of the race.

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. Creed Bratton, a former mysterious quality assurance employee, was arrested in the last episode of The Office.

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. Running down the street, Michael tried to prove he could do 18 MPH.

● Participial Phrase word ending in -ing (present participle) or -ed (past participle) that functions as an adjective. Michael hosted a funeral that included singing to a dead bird.

● Infinitive Phrase verb preceded by the word “to” (to read, to study, to write) that function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. To prepare for the long shift, the employees drank lots of coffee.

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. All in all, everyone enjoyed working at the office.

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. 18

○ ○ ○ ○

Where Michael, Jan, and Christian met determined whether they were going to get the client. Dwight Shrute gave a “Schrute buck” to whoever deserved a reward for doing something good. Dwight was elated to find out that Philip was his child! Pam voluntarily took the title of office administrator to help manage the office workers.

Adjective Clause: Used to modify a noun in an independent clause. Some adjective clauses begin with an introductory word: ○ ○ ○

This is the workplace where workers quickly get tasks done. (“where” is an introductory word) There is Pam’s painting that I absolutely loved. The job title that you are seeking can be obtained.

Some adjective clauses begin with relative pronouns: ■ ■

■ ■ ■ ■

Michael is the one who won the Office Olympics. (ONE is the antecedent of WHO and is modified by the adjective clause.) Dwight, the beet farmer, whose building was now Dunder Mifflin took advantage of being the owner. (DWIGHT is the antecedent of whose and is modified by the adjective clause.) Science class informatively teaches how relative humidity is the amount of water vapor that the air contains. Pam couldn’t help but ask herself, is this the occupation that you truly desire? (that is the direct object of desire) To whom did the anxiety medication belong. (whom is the direct object of belong) The movie “Threat Level Midnight” to which I mention quite frequently, took a lot of time and effort. (which is the object of the preposition to)

Darryl is a warehouse employee, who became a member of the new gym. (who is the subject of a member. ) 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: ■

■

■ ■

Unfortunately, the “Michael Scott's Dunder Mifflin Meredith Palmer Memorial Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race for the Cure” finish line was extended 5 kilometers away from the office. (place) When the clock struck 5 PM, Stanley knew it was time to leave. (time) Pam temporarily moved to New York because she decided to pursue art. (purpose)

■

Angela talked about being correct as if she was listening to herself. (condition)

Modifying adjectives: ■ ■

After Michael leaves, the series seems to run at a slower pace. (how much) Creed is as mysterious as the Scranton strangler. (to what extent)

Modifying adverbs: ■

Dwight and Angela worked the hardest in the office more than the other employees did. (condition)

Relative Clauses: Dependent clause that begins with a relative pronoun. ○

During beach games, the person who finishes eating hot dogs first will get to have Michael’s job, regional manager of the Dunder Mifflin branch.

Elliptical Clauses: Adverb clauses in which part of the clause is omitted. ○

When running in Michael Scott’s Fun Run, Toby finished in first place.

Essential Clauses: Clauses necessary to the meaning of the sentence. ○

Music is clearly one of Andy’s biggest interests.

Nonessential Clauses: Clauses that are NOT necessary to the meaning of the sentence. ○

Andy, a Cornell graduate, worked at the Stamford branch before it merged into the Scranton branch.

Section 4:

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 The warehouse employees constantly complain about being left out.

Predicate – what the subject does The warehouse employees constantly complain about being left out.

Sentence Types Declarative – a sentence that makes a statement (ends with a period mark) Participating in Michael Scott’s “bonding activity” helps the employees realize their implicit biases.

Imperative – a sentence that makes a command (ends with a period mark) “Start filling up the paperwork on time,” Pam declared to Michael.

Interrogative – a sentence that asks a question (ends with a question mark) Why would anyone put a George Foreman grill next to their bed?

Exclamatory – a sentence that expresses great emotion, passion, excitement (ends with an exclamation mark) Alfredo’s Pizza Cafe is a lot better!

Sentence Patterns Simple Sentence: A sentence that is just one independent clause. Jim eagerly waited to make another prank on Dwight.

Compound Sentence: A sentence with multiple independent clauses, but no dependent clauses - connected by FANBOYS (coordinating conjunctions) or a semicolon (;). Pam had mixed feelings about Jim, but she was already engaged to Roy.

Complex Sentence: A sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. When Dwight was focused on his work, Jim would mastermind new pranks.

Complex-Compound Sentence: A sentence with multiple independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. Whether Dwight pranked Jim back or not, most of the time he was the victim, but he was able to get his revenge in the end.

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.

Being a temp at the office opened doors for Ryan, whether he liked working there or not.

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.

Whether he liked working there or not, being a temp at the office opened doors for Ryan.

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. The accountants worked hard to deliver paychecks, to ensure accuracy, to organize financial records, and to compute taxes owed.

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 accountants worked hard to deliver paychecks to employees, so they can get their paychecks, too.

Chiasmus: A sentence that includes a repetition of ideas (words, phrases, or clauses) in inverted (reversed) order - this sentence requires symmetry. Michael Scott made the Office memorable and it was not the same without him.

Asyndeton: A sentence that leaves out conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses for a rhetorical purpose. Darryl possessed great attributes of a leader: charisma, creativity, maturity, professionalism.

Polysyndeton: A sentence that uses multiple conjunctions in close proximity to each other between words, phrases, or clauses for a rhetorical purpose.

Because Darryl possessed great attributes of a leader: charisma and, creativity and, maturity, and, ultimately, professionalism; he could have been the perfect candidate for the Vice-president of sales position.

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. Some of the employees could argue that working at the office, they had the best memories, meanwhile, others had the most traumatic memories, and others had the most nostalgic memories.

Epistrophe: A sentence featuring several phrases or clauses ending with the same word or words. Michael, Jim, and Dwight could argue that they found a second home in the office, love in the office, and personal growth in the office.

Sentence Errors Run-On/Rambling/Fused Sentence – a sentence construction error where two or more independent clauses are connected incorrectly without punctuation.

Stanley wanted to leave whatever he was doing at his desk he needed to get in the line for Pretzel day he could not wait to eat it! [WRONG] Stanley wanted to leave whatever he was doing at his desk BECAUSE he needed to get in the line for Pretzel day AND he could not wait to eat it! [RIGHT]

Comma Splice – a sentence construction error where two or more independent clauses are connected incorrectly using commas Stanley wanted to leave whatever he was doing at his desk, he wanted to get in line for Pretzel day, he could not wait to eat it! [WRONG] Stanley wanted to leave whatever he was doing at his desk; he wanted to get in line for Pretzel day. He could not wait to eat it! [RIGHT]

Fragment – incomplete sentence pieces that are not connected to or do not form an independent clause Because Michael did not fill out the paperwork. [WRONG] Because Michael did not fill out the paperwork, everyone in the office split the job to meet the deadline. [RIGHT]

Misplaced/Dangling Modifiers – modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that add description; a misplaced modifier describes the wrong part of a sentence and a dangling modifier is missing the part it’s supposed to modify 24

During their Beach trip, Michael Scott challenged with games his coworkers that were ridiculous to prove their potential of becoming managers. [WRONG] During their Beach trip, Michael Scott challenged his coworkers with games that were ridiculous to prove their potential of becoming managers.[RIGHT]

Double Negative – combining two or more negative words in a sentence in a way that is supposed to produce a positive force After his gun incident, Dwight knew that he wouldn’t get his manager position back no more. [WRONG] After his gun incident, Dwight knew that he would not get his manager position back anymore. [RIGHT]

SECTION 5:

PARAGRAPHS

Paragraphs – a group of sentences that together convey a shared

purpose structured around the same topic.

Introductory Paragraphs (Introductions) Hook (Lead) – can begin with the title Anecdotal (Brief story to set the mood and lead the reader into the topic)

Ex. Although the U.S. is considered one of the countries with the highest technological advances, it still fails to keep up and make progress in its human rights and social justice issues. In the novel, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou describes her upbringing and what it was like to be a woman of color growing up in the south. Angelou supports her claim by illustrating her firsthand experiences regarding racism, white supremacy, discrimination, and sexism. She tells her story to raise awareness about racism, in order to shed light on the unfortunate realities of U.S. society. She wrote in an informal tone to reach young audiences.

Query Based (Question that brings the reader to the topic - avoid second person POV “you”) Ex. Did Maya Angelou’s experiences shape her into the woman she became?

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. During the 1930s and 1940s, Maya Angelou was a woman of color growing up in the segregated south. Angelou supports her story by illustrating her firsthand experiences regarding racism, white supremacy, and discrimination.

Fact (empirically verifiable but often difficult to argue extensively about better used as evidence to support a claim) Ex. Black Americans are about 2.5 times more likely than whites to be killed by police.

Opinion (personal position on a topic) Ex. There should not be racism anywhere in the world and statues of confederate leaders should be taken down.

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 judgment) Ex. Everyone should be treated equally and with respect.

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. Maya expressed that when she was young she never really thought that whites were real.

Document Based (cites a specific source, author, and position on a topic) Ex. In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou illustrates her experiences dealing with racism, white supremacy, along with the ways her family dealt with those problems too.

Theory (a statement that can be tested and potentially proven - often answers a research question) Ex. The tone of her writing changes after this event and she starts to sound like a much more determined and confident woman.

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. In addition, the emotions conveyed in her writing, which was a combination of anger and sadness, made her connect with the audience. Throughout her narrative, Angelou constantly criticizes multiple aspects of U.S. society. Among those aspects, is the belief in white supremacy. (preview of evidence) Ex. Whether it is by criticizing the people and their behavior or by openly bringing up examples of discrimination and racism—which cost her the banning of this autobiographical novel. Maya Angelou shares stories of her upbringing to demonstrate how racism, white supremacy, and discrimination were predominant in the south.(purpose of thesis) Ex. One element that made this novel strong and touching is the use of firsthand experiences. It was Maya Angelou’s own experiences that established credibility and connection with the reader on a personal level. Moreover, the vivid description of her life’s stories and events

made the reader feel that they were present during the time these events happened and allowed them to walk in her shoes. (establishing the importance or significance of thesis)

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. Undoubtedly, Angelou explicitly mentions America in the text.

(Now every sentence in this paragraph must be give examples of how America is mentioned in the text). Presenting Evidence from Quotations (quotes should NEVER be used as individual sentences – quotes should be embedded within sentences)

ORIGINAL QUOTE – “I remember never believing that whites were really real,” (Angelou 25). Ex. Maya shockingly expressed, “I remember never believing that whites were really real,” (Angelou, 25). Ex. “I remember never believing that whites were really real,” perceived Maya (Angelou, 25). Ex. To everyone’s surprise, “I remember never believing that whites were really real,” expressed Maya (Angelou, 25). Ex. To everyone’s surprise, “I remember never [truly] believing that whites were...real,” (Angelou, 25). Ex. Maya shockingly expressed, “I...never...believ[ed] that whites were...real,” (Angelou, 25)

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 – “I remember never believing that whites were really real,” (Angelou 25). Ex. PARAPHRASE – When Maya was young, she did not think white people existed (Angelou 25).

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 – “I remember never believing that whites were really real,” (Angelou 25). Ex. SUMMARY – Maya did not think whites were real people.

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. She might have known whites were real if there was no segregation in Stamps, Arkansas.

Concrete Examples (actual examples that do refer to a source – useful for enhancing your analysis of the quote) Ex. An article published by The Washington Post, “I learned how to survive racism, now we all need to know how to fight it,” by Ruth Simmons (president of Prairie View A&M University) talks about her Southern upbringing similarly to how Maya does.

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. In particular, it is shocking to know the issues presented in the I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings novel are still relevant to the current U.S. society.

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 the mass consumption of fast food was truly safe for people’s health, there probably would not be such an abundance of obesity plaguing the nation. If society does not change, then more people will enter this seemingly never-ending cycle of racism.

Statement(s) of Extension (extending the consequences of disregarding the implications of the thesis – could be one or more sentences) Ex. As such, many lives are still being taken away such as in the cases of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, just to name a couple.

Reestablishing the Significance of the Thesis (could be one or more sentences) Ex. Maya Angelou shares stories of her upbringing to demonstrate how racism, white supremacy, and discrimination were predominant in the south. Final Sentence (connects to the hook and finishes the essay (finish your argument) – the “Smoky the Bear”/”Drop the mic”/dot dot dot moment…) Ex. Let’s keep on fighting for equality because everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity.

SECTION 6:

ESSAYS

Essays – An essay is a form of sharing one’s ideas, opinions, or facts. There are many different types of essays, the following list explains them.

Types – Persuasive (Argumentative): This essay is meant to persuade or convince the reader to take action or to not take action about the topic the writer stressed. They also explain the positive and/or negative sides of taking that stand.

Expository (Informative): This is a genre of essays that are meant to expose, explain, and clarify a topic to the reader. This genre of essays is divided into 4 brackets of essays which include the following:

Definition or Description: A description essay describes situations, people, etc. using the five senses to illustrate it in the reader’s brain. Ex. Description essay: Working in the chaotic place that is the office, someone was bound to get hurt. This was unfortunately so for Meredith Palmer, the red-haired supplier relations worker whose desk was located in front of Creed Bratton, a mysterious quality assurance worker. The first accident happened when a small bat was found in a crack of the ceiling above the receptionist’s desk and Dwight, assistant to the regional manager, tried to catch it in one of his usual attempts to be a hero. He made sure to seclude the bat in the kitchen [of the office], which was connected to the women’s and men’s restroom. Meredith was casually exiting the restroom, when the bat decided to land on her head. Dwight put on a gas mask for protection and did not hesitate to catch the bat with a trash bag. While Dwight successfully caught the bat, he also trapped Meredith’s head in the bag and tried to get her head out of the bag, she was yelling frantically. After her second accident in the office, it was revealed that she had been bit by the bat and another rodent. A few months later, Meredith had her second accident while Michael, the regional manager, was driving into the parking lot of the office. He was distracted because he was explaining to the camera how good he thought his year was going to be. He didn’t notice that Meredith was there so he ran her over and quickly took her to the hospital. After taking her to the hospital, he immediately told his employees what had happened and with terrified and confused faces they looked at him and visited Meredith to confirm if Michael was telling the truth or if he was just trying to be the center of attention, which commonly occurred. At the hospital, the doctor told her that her pelvis had a small crack and that she was also diagnosed with rabies. Hearing these news, Michael tried to make himself feel better about what he did to Meredith by convincing himself that he did her a favor – if she would not have had the accident, the doctor would not have discovered she had rabies.

Process (How-to): This essay is meant to explain every step of the process or procedure of making something. There is a lot of usage of transition words for this type of essay (ex. first, next, then, lastly)

Compare and Contrast: This essay is meant to compare and contrast the two issues that the writer decided to express; these issues do not necessarily have to be very distinct or very similar. Because this essay deals with comparisons, there is a lot of usage of metaphors, simile, and analogies.

Cause and Effect: This essay is meant to explain the effects or consequences / aftermath of a topic and explore why it occurred and / or how it occurred.

Analytical/Critical: This is a genre of essays that is meant to analyze, break down, and explain the theme the author discusses.

Evaluative: This essay is meant to evaluate or judge a certain theme or idea based on a type of criteria.

Interpretive: This essay is meant to interpret / analyze or explain one's point of view of another writer’s work.

Narrative: This essay is supposed to tell a story, personal statement / anecdote. Since this essay is about oneself, first person may be used. Ex. Narrative essay: An anecdote through the eyes of Michael Scott. On how I grilled my foot and how I recovered from this experience: My coworkers don’t understand that I am a sophisticated man and that I enjoy having breakfast in bed. In contrast to what they may think, I try to be as independent as possible. So I decided not to hire a butler. Sue me for that! When I grilled my foot on my George Foreman grill (located next to my bed), they didn’t think it was a big deal and they thought I was either making up what happened or that I was exaggerating. How dare they think that! Yes, the grill was so tiny, but so what! I still went through a traumatizing experience and if this would have happened to any of my coworkers, which I actually consider my family, I would have been there to support them. I would have just appreciated a little more sympathy from their part. Yeah, I guess Dwight’s support made an impact in my fast recovery. So, be there for your friends, everyone!

Research: This type of essay is meant to answer a research question.

Timed: This is a genre of essays that are timed, usually for tests (class tests, SATs, PSATs, AP exams).

Document Based Question (DBQ): This type of essays are timed usually taken for the AP tests of World History or U.S. History. DBQ stands for: document-based questions, which essentially means that students have to use documents and their own knowledge to answer the prompt. Ex. Prompt of DBQ: Analyze the significance of Michael Scott’s time as a manager and its impact on the life of the people in the office.

Synthesis: This essay is meant to synthesize or combine different themes and issues from different sources to justify and explain them.

Strategies/Planning Tips/Steps – Pre-writing/Prompt Analysis/Outlining ●

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Analyse the prompt: - Read it first - Write it in your own words to understand what is being asked - Answer the question of the rewritten prompt Outline: - Break up the paragraphs even further. For example: introduction paragraph usually consists of the hook, background information, a connection, and a thesis statement -

Brainstorm ideas for every paragraph if a rubric is given of what should be included in each paragraph.

Make sure to have a central idea and supporting ideas / details.

Elaborate on those supporting ideas

Researching/Evaluating of Sources ●

Identify key words of your prompt / theme and look for articles using those keywords.

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Look for a source through a credible website (ending in .org / .gov / .edu)

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Use articles that will support / give evidence to your claim. Statistics or quantifiable data are powerful types of evidence.

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Cite source in the appropriate format, common formats are MLA and APA.

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Add quotation marks if using exact sentences from the source.

Work Cited Page – MLA Format: This format is used as a format style for an essay within the language arts, cultural studies, and other humanities courses. It can also be used to cite articles and papers. Styling format includes: ● Paper size: 8.5 in. X 11 in. ● Double-space the text ● Font: Times New Roman ● Font size: 12 pt. ● Leave one space after punctuation marks, unless the instructor has stated otherwise ● Margins: 1 in. ● Indent paragraphs a ½ in. ● Pages should be numbered (in the top right-hand corner) ● Italics should be used to indicate the titles of longer works and to emphasize certain ideas ● Include citations ● Name, teacher, course, and date should be on the left side of the title page

APA Format: APA stands for: American Psychological Association. This format is usually used within the social sciences. ● The essay should be divided into 4 major parts which include: the title page, abstract, main body, and references - Title page: author’s name and the institutional affiliation. It should also include the author’s note (not for students), course number and name, instructor name, and assignment due date. The title should be centered and written in boldface - Abstract: have the title: “Abstract” on the first line and in bold. This page should include the abstract (do not indent). If there are any keywords indent: Keywords:___ - Main body

- References: Citation format: Contributors' names. (Last edited date). Title of resource. Site Name. http://Web address for OWL resource Citation: Myers, M., Paiz, J., Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K., Anderson, M.,…Keck, R. (2019, December 20). General format. Purdue Online Writing Lab. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_forma tting_and_style_guide/general_format.html -

Double-space all the text Should include page numbers No specific font but the following are applicable: 11 pt. Calibri, 11 pt. Arial, 10 pt. Lucida Sans Unicode, 12 pt. Times New Roman, 11 pt. Georgia, and 10 pt. Computer Modern Margins: 1 in. Paper size: 8.5 in. X 11 in.

About the Author: Hello! My name is Noelia Alvarez Azanedo, I am 16 years old, and I am a junior at Bravo Medical Magnet high school. My favorite series to watch is The Office (of course!) because it makes me laugh every time I watch it and puts me in a good mood. I also love to listen to music, draw, and watch movies. And I’m starting to like reading again, too.

Oddly enough, I have not watched The Office during quarantine because I’ve been busy, so now I’m going to watch it one last time on Netflix!