The Eerie Truths of Grammar
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Table of contents i. Introduction………………………………………………………….…………...2 ii. About the author………………………………………………………………..3 iii. Dedication………………………………………………………………………..4 iv. PUNCTUATION and CAPITALIZATION…………………………………….5 v. PARTS OF SPEECH……………………………………………………………….8 vi. PHRASES and CLAUSES……………………………………………………….17 vii. SENTENCES…………………………..……………………….………………….20 viii. PARAGRAPHS……………………………………………………….…………24 ix. ESSAYS…………………………………………………………...…………………28
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Introduction
This book was made to help young students with their writing skills. It will help improve their grammar and other areas they are struggling in. This was made to help a younger audience, so it is easy to understand. The readers will be able to explore and see examples on grammar, these are important things to learn at a young age and continue to improve on. If they train their brains at an early age, they’ll be prepared for their future essays.
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About the author
I, Anel Diaz, the author don’t have a lot to share about my personal life. I’m 16-years-old and I do enjoy horror movies, but they make me feel squeamish at times. I have a lot of trouble figuring things out but I do my best to overcome those obstacles. Always try to find the positive aspects of a situation and make the most of it. I also really hope that this book of grammar helps you on your journey in writing.
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Dedication
I would love to dedicate this book to my parents, sister and my nephew Christopher. I hope I can give this book to my nephew when he is older and he can use it as a guide. I would also hope my sister takes this as an opportunity to improve her writing skills over time. They have all been very inspirational and they have helped me stay motivated to finish this book.
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Section 1 -Punctuation and CapitalizationPunctuation – 1. . End punctuation for imperative/declarative or it can abbreviate Example: Blair and I are going to go to the abandoned hospital and search for ghosts. 2. , Specify a pause or separate components in a sentence Example: The witch, Amy, mentioned that she will tag along because she made some protective spells for us. 3. – Em dash it can replace commas, colons or parentheses Example: Jackson said that he doesn't believe in spells–shortly after he began to feel ill. 4. - En dash it means to or through Example: Amy brought 7-10 crystals and divided it between all 4 of us 5. : It introduces the list of words relating to a specific topic Example: Many of my friends were excited for halloween. We bought many decorations: mini ghosts for display, fake candles and a lot of skeletons. 6. ; It is mostly used to separate two independent clauses but it can also be used to coordinate conjunctions Example: Shelby and Bryan didn’t have enough money for their halloween date; they did improvise and watched movies at home. 7. ? It directs a question Example: Hi Miguel, are you going to the haunted house? I heard they’re going to give out a lot of candy at the end. 8. ! Exclamatory sentence Example: The corn maze gave me so many eerie vibes!
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9. ‘ It's used for contractions, possessiveness and plurals Example: Maria’s candy bag was lost, and she doesn’t remember where she left it. 10. “ ” Quoting someone word for word Example: Casper told us, “I’m a very friendly ghost, no need to fear me.” We felt relieved when he told us this. 11. … It is used to specify an omission Example: It was midnight and a full moon came out today, hopefully no one turns into a werewolf... 12. [ ] Include an edit inside quotations Example: The vampire said, “I will not harm you [suck your blood], unless you do anything to hurt me.” 13. ( ) Used to add additional information Example: The ghosts were overall very friendly (a little too friendly), but they befriended us and made sure we didn’t get hurt. 14. / It means per, and, or but it shouldn’t be used in formal writing Example: I don’t know what I want to be for halloween, I can be a vampire/ghost, or maybe both. 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. Capitalize first word of document Example: The scary spooky history of food documents were on my table. 2. First word after the sentence Example: Hey, would you like to tag along with us, we’re going to go explore the forest.
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3. Capitalize names and proper nouns Example: Abel, please do not try to scare us on purpose. 4. Capitalize the first word of a quote Example: In the book it states, “Be kind to anything you encounter because they’re ruthless.” 5. Capitalize days, holidays, and months but do not capitalize seasons Example: October is my favorite month of the year! I love the fall weather during this time of year. 6. Capitalize most words in titles Example: Her book is called, The E e rie Tr uths of G rammar. 7. Capitalize languages, cities, nationalities, and countries. Example: What language do you think ghosts speak, I have a feeling it’s English so they can understand everyone’s gossip. 8. Capitalize time periods and events Example: Did she hear about what happened at the October’s Annual Fair? 9. Do not capitalize occupations before the person’s name Example: We had to call medium, Ben, came to check out our attic. 10. Capitalize a formal title Example: April calls herself a Doctor of ghosts, only because she’s friends with one of them. 11. Capitalize course titles Example: I am taking Biology this year, and I hate it. EX: (Used to begin a sentence) – Sadly for some, 11th grade is the year with the most high-stakes testing.
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Section 2 -Parts of SpeechNOUNS Types of nouns: · Common Nouns: name a class of people, places, things, or ideas. EX: cemetery, ocean, jack o'lantern, haunted house, ghouls. · Proper Nouns: give the name or title of a particular person, place, thing, or idea (must be capitalized). EX: Witch, Vampire, Haunted Mansion. · Compound Nouns: consist of words used together to form a single noun. EX: tombstone, desktop, chalkboard.
· Concrete Nouns: refer to material things, to people, or to places. EX: coffin, skull, potions. · Abstract Nouns: name ideas, qualities, concepts, emotions, or attitudes. EX: fear, sinister, cunning.
Functions (How nouns are used): Write one sentence for each function. · Subject (comes before the verb) Dracula yelled at the kids for turning into bats and scaring him. · Direct Object (comes after the verb and answers what or whom) Mike the ogre asked Tiffany t he troll if they’re ready to decorate their homes for halloween. · Indirect Object (answers to who or to whom) Dracula gave the elf an important message to deliver.
PRONOUNS Pronouns take the place of nouns that have been established. Personal: Nominative (subjects) Objective (objects)
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I/we you/you He, she, it, one/they
me/us you/you him, her, it, one/them
Possessive My, mine Your, yours His, her, hers, its, one’s Relative: Nominative who That
our, ours your, yours their, theirs
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: The troll, Michelle decided to guard the bridge herself. to intensify a point: The mermaid himself went to go do the task. He said, “I want to protect our kingdom”. Everyone else was anxious because it was a risky job. 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:
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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: The ghouls got their invitation through the vanishing cabinet. (ghouls are the subject) Passive: The vanishing cabinet has brought the party invitation to the ghouls. (ghouls are the subject but treated as the object)
Verbals: (VERB FORMS NOT USED AS VERBS) Gerund: word ending in “ing” used as a noun. · The Vampire was sucking the blood of the poor human. Participle: word ending in “ing” or “ed” used as an adjective · The little girl drowned, so now you can see her spirits roaming around the pool at night. · I was swimming two nights ago, and I felt someone pull my legs. Infinitive: verb preceded by the word “to” (to go, to jump) used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs · The little troll likes to run past people when they’re hiking because it’s funny when they get scared.
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ADJECTIVES Adjectives modify, describe, limit, and identify nouns and pronouns. · Kinds: Demonstrative, Common, Proper (Give one example of each using words related to your subject) Demonstrative: These fangs help me bite into my food source. Common: The old Giant was teaching their kid strategies for protection. Proper: Vampires have a lot of German ancestry.
ADVERBS Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. · Endings (Create one example related to your subject for each) –ly, -wards, -wise -ly: The zombie cowardly walked away from the other monsters. -wards: The wolf was running toward the woods for safety. -wise: The fairy explained that looking at the clock, clockwise for 2 minutes can be bad luck on her land. · Conversions (Show how three words related to your subject can become adverbs – Example: “Educational” becomes “Educationally”) 1. The monster would brutally beat anyone that tries to harm them. 2. The ghost halfheartedly walked across the grave. 3. The troll ruthlessly, told everyone to leave their home. · Types: Manner, Frequency, Degree, Place, Time Example Types: (Create one example each related to your subject) Manner – The spirit answered rudely, it was unnecessary. (How did they respond?) Time – The house elf believed he should instantly address his situation. (When will he approach the people?) Place – The vampire, Sheila was gladly enjoying her time under the tree in the woods. (Where was she?) Degree – The gnomes are known to be unfriendly, so it’s best to avoid them. (How bad are they?) Frequency – Dracula is frequently pleased because everyone fears him. (How often is he pleased?)
CONJUNCTIONS Coordinating (FANBOYS): for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
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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.
INTERJECTIONS Interjections are the final part of speech. A: aah, ah, alas, argh, ay, ack, aha, all right, as if, aye, agreed, ahem, amen, B: bah, bother, by golly, blast, boy, bye, boo hoo, brr C: cheerio, come on, cheers, crikey, chin up, curses D: dear me, duh, doggone, drat E: easy does it, er, eek, exactly, egads F: fair enough, fie, fiddle-dee-dee, foo, fiddlesticks, fooey G: g’day, geez, get outta here, good golly, gracious, gee, gulp, go on, gosh H: ha, hallelujah, hee, hmm, huh, hooray, ha-ha, here, hum, hah, hey, how I: I say, ick, is it J: jeez, just wondering, just a second, just kidding K: kapish
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L: la, long time, lordy, look, look here M: man, most certainly, meh, my, my my, mmm, my word N: nah, no, no way, nuts, naw, no can do, nooo, never, not O: oh, om, oh no, okay, oof, oh-oh, okey-dokey, ooh, oopsey, oy P: peace, phew, pew, pff, psst Q: quite R: rah, right, roger that, rats, right on, rumble, ready S: say, shh, sigh, shoo, see ya, shame, sucks, snap, sleep tight T: ta, take that, thanks, tsk, time out, there, toodles, ta-da, touche U: ugh, um, uh, ur, uh-oh, urgh V: vroom, very nice, very well, voila W: wah, well, well done, whee, woa, whoops, word, what, whoopsy, wow, whew X: N/A Y: ya, yo, you don’t say, yum, yippee, you bet, yea, yikes, yummy, yuck Z: zap, zzz, zowie
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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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Section 3 -Phrases and ClausesPhrases – 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 vampires wanted to have a gathering at midnight at the beach. Verb Phrase: A group of words consisting of verbs working together and that function as a verb. The ghouls would be working to protect the vampires because they are very close friends. Prepositional Phrase: A group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun, and functions as an adjective or an adverb. Mike was ready to become a werewolf at midnight. 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. Camila, a new mermaid, was announced as the new princess of the red sea. 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. Walking up the hill, the pack of trolls finally saw their home. ● Participial Phrase word ending in -ing (present participle) or -ed (past participle) that functions as an adjective. The baby gremlin was chewing her thumb. ● Infinitive Phrase verb preceded by the word “to” (to read, to study, to write) that function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Many spirits knew it was time to possess a toy. 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. The vampires love the night time because they love stargazing.
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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 she grew up firmly made the principal who she is. ○ Kindly give whoever calls an answer. ○ That the teacher was happy was totally obvious. ○ Mr. Flores wisely checked what he had for supplies. ● Example: The goblin checked the phone for any missing calls. Adjective Clause: Used to modify a noun in an independent clause. Some adjective clauses begin with an introductory word: ○ This is the school where students triumphantly do well. (“where” is an introductory word) ○ There is the suit that I absolutely needed. ○ The grade that you wanted is clearly within your grasp. ● Example: Eliza, the vampire, was the one who did well turning into a bat. Some adjective clauses begin with relative pronouns: ■ Olivia is obviously the one who got the most votes. (ONE is the antecedent of WHO and is modified by the adjective clause.) ■ There goes the teacher whose class is usually biology. (TEACHER 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. ■ Is this the book that you so vehemently want? (that is the direct object of want) ■ Tina is the girl whom he shyly asked to the dance. (whom is the direct object of asked.) ■ The recommendation letter to which you refer has sadly been lost. (which is the object of the preposition to. ) ■ Samantha is an athlete who easily shrugs off criticism. (who is the subject of shrugs.) 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: ■ They unfortunately put the bus sign where a few could see it. (place)
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●
●
●
●
■ When the bell finally rang, everyone left. (time) ■ We sluggishly left the library because we were tired. (purpose) ■ The ASB president talked as if she were passionately running for re-election. (condition) ○ Example: At 6:00 A.M. the sun began to rise so,the vampires left the beach. Modifying adjectives: ■ Spring semester coldly seems twice as long as it used to be. (how much) ■ Mr. Russell is as amusingly funny as his uncle. (to what extent) ○ Example: Frankenstein is very heartfelt and understanding as a grandpa. Modifying adverbs: ■ Suzy studied harder than her sisters typically did. (condition) ○ Example: The ghosts baseball team conditioned better than the ghouls. Relative Clauses: Dependent clause that begins with a relative pronoun. ○ The student who finishes first will earn an indulgently tasty cookie. Example: The zombie that was first to finish their chores got some extra T.V. time. Elliptical Clauses: Adverb clauses in which part of the clause is omitted. ○ When driving, the instructor keenly keeps her eyes on the road. Example: While running, the vampire never looks back because she knows that will slow her down. Essential Clauses: Clauses necessary to the meaning of the sentence. ○ The course that most interests Mr. Marks is clearly AP English Literature. Example: Dracula is very intrigued with the fact that humans can be under sunlight. Nonessential Clauses: Clauses that are NOT necessary to the meaning of the sentence. ○ Mr. Fette’s choir lessons, which began six months ago, are regretfully over. Example: When Mavis was only about 4 years old, she was able to turn into a bat.
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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 vampire family got ready for their late night walk. Predicate – what the subject does The vampire family patiently waited for the night time.
Sentence Types Declarative – a sentence that makes a statement (ends with a period mark) The gremlin observed the family’s actions and planned a sneak attack. Imperative – a sentence that makes a command (ends with a period mark) The leader of the pack demanded for plans. Interrogative – a sentence that asks a question (ends with a question mark) Why are vampires so mysterious? Exclamatory – a sentence that expresses great emotion, passion, excitement (ends with an exclamation mark) We were finally able to find a peaceful abandoned area!
Sentence Patterns Simple Sentence: A sentence that is just one independent clause.
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The vampires spooked everyone in the forest. Compound Sentence: A sentence with multiple independent clauses, but no dependent clauses - connected by FANBOYS (coordinating conjunctions) or a semicolon (;). Ghouls are rude to mostly everyone they meet, but they do have favorites. Complex Sentence: A sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. Goblins love to garden, you won’t find very pleasing things in their garden though. Complex-Compound Sentence: A sentence with multiple independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. Tooth fairies can be so cruel, they purposely hit your teeth while you're asleep, for their own personal gain. 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. Werewolves have one goal in life, they must be able to protect their loved ones. 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. Vampires study the human’s history, this helps them know when to keep their distance. 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. Ghosts can walk through walls, it makes transportation easier, it also frightens people near them. 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. Gremlins have taken in many offerings; they bring home at least 2 new ones each day. Chiasmus: A sentence that includes a repetition of ideas (words, phrases, or clauses) in inverted (reversed) order - this sentence requires symmetry. Vampires and zombies come together and decorate the graveyard.
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Asyndeton: A sentence that leaves out conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses for a rhetorical purpose. Giants can be seen as stubborn, ignorant, rude. Polysyndeton: A sentence that uses multiple conjunctions in close proximity to each other between words, phrases, or clauses for a rhetorical purpose. Ghouls can be very kind, sweet, but if you catch them on an off day it can go bad for you. 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. Exploring haunted houses can be exciting for many, but for others it may be traumatizing, you don’t know what to expect when you walk in through those doors. Epistrophe: A sentence featuring several phrases or clauses ending with the same word or words. Vampires need to learn who to befriend, if they become friends with the wrong person it can be dangerous, their friendship can cause harm on eachother .
Sentence Errors Run-On/Rambling/Fused Sentence – a sentence construction error where two or more independent clauses are connected incorrectly without punctuation. The gremlins went to the store to buy wood and some other goods and later in the day they went to repair their shed that stored their foods. [WRONG] The gremlins went to the store to buy wood and some other goods, and then later in the day, they went to repair their shed that stored their foods. [RIGHT] Comma Splice – a sentence construction error where two or more independent clauses are connected incorrectly using commas The goblins went to the mushroom garden next door, they went and grabbed many mushrooms for dinner. [WRONG] The goblins went to the mushroom garden next door. They needed to get mushrooms for dinner. [RIGHT]
Fragment – incomplete sentence pieces that are not connected to or do not form an independent clause Went to the cave. [WRONG]
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The bats went to the cave because they wouldn’t be bothered there. [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 At the gathering, Dracula had given the dress to his daughter. [WRONG] At the gathering, Dracula handed the new dress to his daughter. [RIGHT] Double Negative – combining two or more negative words in a sentence in a way that is supposed to produce a positive force The ghouls knew to behave at home because misbehaving was no good. [WRONG] The ghouls knew to behave at home because misbehaving wasn’t any good. [RIGHT]
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Section 5 -ParagraphsParagraphs – 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. Not everyone believes in ghosts until they have an encounter with them. They won’t alway appear as a transparent person, but we’ll see them as orbs which are also known as small balls of energy. Since no one really knows what happens after death we just believe what we’re told. We believe these things and they could possibly just be hoaxes. Query Based (Question that brings the reader to the topic - avoid second person POV “you”) Ex. Do ghosts actually exist or do people have see things that aren’t really there? 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. People have claimed that they have a connection and or attachment to these spirits. Fact (empirically verifiable but often difficult to argue extensively about better used as evidence to support a claim) Ex. Ghosts aren’t here to cause harm on people. Opinion (personal position on a topic) Ex. Ghosts are real and people have shared their experiences. 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. Ghosts are usually located in abandoned areas. Generalization (uses absolute or statistical pronouns: all, always, every, never, none, most, half – avoid using this type of thesis statement unless citing the
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source of the data) Ex. Many people believe ghosts are real and are near us at all times. Document Based (cites a specific source, author, and position on a topic) Ex. In The science of ghosts, Kathryn Hulick mentions that we might see white auras which are known as spirits but can possibly just be a shadow. Theory (a statement that can be tested and potentially proven - often answers a research question) Ex. Many ghost stories are told as hoaxes to keep people out of areas. 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. Hulick mentioned that many investigations of paranormal activity usually don't provide enough evidence to convince the audience. Ex. The author of the article did mention that it may be hallucinations that we see and not an actual spirit. Ex. Everyone will have their beliefs and reasoning behind it but there isn’t enough evidence to convince everyone.
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. Additionally, we wouldn’t want to invalidate someone’s experience so we may have to agree to disagree when it comes to it. Presenting Evidence from Quotations (quotes should NEVER be used as individual sentences – quotes should be embedded within sentences) ORIGINAL QUOTE – “And he learned that science had a name for it: sleep paralysis” (Hulick). Ex. Dom researched and his results have stated, “And he learned that science had a name for it: sleep paralysis” (Hulick). Ex. “And he learned that science had a name for it: sleep paralysis,” according to Dom’s research he might have hallucinated due to sleep paralysis (Hulick). Ex. Dom was able to realize what was happening to him, “And he learned that science had a name for it: sleep paralysis,” according to the research he did (Hulick).
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Ex. Fortunately Dom was able to understand, “And he learned that science had a name for it: sleep paralysis” (Hulick). Ex. Fortunately Dom was able to understand, “...learned that science had a name... sleep paralysis” (Hulick). 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 – “And he learned that science had a name for it: sleep paralysis” (Hulick). Ex. PARAPHRASE – Dom was able to find out that he had been experiencing has a name, sleep paralysis (Hulick). 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 – “And he learned that science had a name for it: sleep paralysis” (Hulick). Ex. SUMMARY – Not everything is paranormal, it might just be small hallucination from sleep paralysis. 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 have ghost encounters but you can’t always jump to conclusions. Concrete Examples (actual examples that do refer to a source – useful for enhancing your analysis of the quote) Ex. An article, The science of ghosts, has stated that our fool us, and make us believe that we are seeing things . 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, everyone will have a different opinion about it and they might be open to more research and possibly change their beliefs.
Closing Paragraphs (Conclusions – should not be mere summaries of the previous paragraphs of your essay)
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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. There have been many people that have spoken about their paranormal encounters but they are often ignored. Statement(s) of Extension (extending the consequences of disregarding the implications of the thesis – could be one or more sentences) Ex. Everyone will always have a different opinion regarding the ghost but there are many people that believe they’re just hoaxes because there isn’t any real evidence. Reestablishing the Significance of the Thesis (could be one or more sentences) Ex. Thus, we will continue to believe what we think is true until we are able to experience it for ourselves. 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. Right before falling asleep you will often see a shadow but are you sure it isn’t a ghost...
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Section 6 -EssaysEssays – An essay is a form of writing that has multiple body paragraphs, it has the introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion. It introduces the topic in the introduction, the body paragraphs back it up and provides examples and more information. The conclusion gives a brief summary and ends the essay. Types – Persuasive (Argumentative): An argumentative essay is to convince the reader on their side of the story. So, they’ll argue their side and hopefully get the reader to understand and side with them. Expository (Informative): An expository essay has different categories, and the writer will just one of them below when writing. Definition or Description: It is a descriptive essay, so it will explain the topic more thoroughly. Process (How-to): It will also explain the topic and depending on the topic it will give you steps through the process. Compare and Contrast: In this type of expository essay, there will be topics and they will be compared and the writer will also talk about the differences. Cause and Effect: In this essay, the author will explain the causes of a certain topic and then tell us the effects it had as a result. Analytical/Critical: An analytical essay will explain and break down the topic for the audience. It can explain an idea and process of a certain topic. The analytical essay is a part of the critical essay, it just has more functions explained. Evaluative: In the essay the topics will be evaluated in order to give a precise reasoning. Interpretive: In the essay it will also be interpreted a certain way because every author probably analyzes the topics differently. Narrative (Tells a story): A narrative essay is usually a short story being told in about 5 paragraphs and the story always has a theme. Personal Statement/Anecdote: The essay will have an important message which is usually similar to the theme, it is to give the reader a sort of lesson. Research: A research essay is about a certain topic and the writer will have to cite their sources to prove their answer. Timed: A timed essay has a certain limit and you have to write what you can within that time period. Document Based Question (DBQ): A DBQ is an essay on a certain document and you have to answer a question about the topic.
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Synthesis: In this sort of essay it will have a combination of topics. Strategies/Planning Tips/Steps – Explain how to plan and organize essays and how to analyze and break down prompts. Pre-writing/Prompt Analysis/Outlining: To organize these essays, you can brainstorm ideas in order to visualize and plan what you will be writing about. Having a draft essay can be helpful because you can improve it in the future. Researching/Evaluating of Sources: For these essays you can gather information from websites and or books and cite them. You would gather information to prove your point or explain it with evidence. 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: It shows the resource that you used and gives credit to the publisher. Example: Asmelash, Leah, and Cheri Mossburg. “After 51 Years, the Zodiac Killer's Cipher Has Been Solved by Amateur Code Breakers.” CNN, Cable News Network, 12 Dec. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/12/11/us/zodiac-killer-cypher-340-code-trnd/index.html. APA Format: It is used as a reference and it is also used to credit the publisher if some of their information was mentioned. Example: Asmelash, L., & Mossburg, C. (2020, December 12). After 51 years, the Zodiac Killer's cipher has been solved by amateur code breakers. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/11/us/zodiac-killer-cypher-340-code-trnd/index.html