The Sally Face Book of Writing
Erin Puzon
table of contents introduction about the author dedication to punctuation and capitalization parts of speech phrases and clauses sentences paragraphs essays
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introduction
Steve Gabry, also known as Portable Moose, developed Sally Face, a singleplayer indie adventure game, initially released August 16, 2016. You are introduced to the titularly named character Sal Fisher, who is a boy with a prosthetic face who investigates local murders with his friends. The game is composed of five episodes, each of which was released between 2016 and 2019. The following elements of this book on writing will ideally assist the reader in understanding everything from the fundamentals of grammar to how to write an efficient paragraph, while also entertaining them with the provided examples based on Sally Face. Before I go any further, I should point out that Sally Face is a game recommended for mature audiences. It should be cautioned that this game includes graphic violence, such as several murders, highly realistic depictions of cannibalism, on-screen suicide, etcetera. Hopefully, this book teaches the reader about more effective English writing techniques, and Sally Face.
about the author
My name is Erin. I am a junior at Bravo Medical Magnet High School and a fifth-period Honors Literature student in Mr. Rodriguez's class. Since its release, I've been a major fan of the game Sally Face. I selected this topic because it is a media that I have been fixated on for the past few years and would like to share with others. Aside from Sally Face, some other interests I enjoy are video editing, playing video games, and drawing on occasion.
dedication to I'd like to dedicate this book to Portable Moose's Steve Gabry and his team for creating one of the greatest games ever. To all of the YouTubers that have supported Gabry's game from the beginning. Leslie, my close friend, for being the only person I know at school that adores Sally Face as much as I do. To any new fans that I'm not aware of. To the people I've met through this game and then became friends with. And, most importantly, to Mr. Rodriguez, who has appreciated my writing and the game's story in roughly every weekly blog, and has taught me and everyone else how to write better than they already do.
PUNCTUATION AND CAPITALIZATION PUNCTUATION . (period: it ends a sentence and is used with certain abbreviations) Sal Fisher, otherwise known as "Sally Face", is the titular main protagonist of the game. , (comma: indicates a pause that would occur if the sentence was spoken out loud, separates grammatical components of the sentence, used in numbers, decrees and certificates, direct address, dates, geographic references) After a string of mysterious murders, Sal and his three friends discover something truly sinister casting shadows over their small town. – (en dash: represents a span or range of numbers, dates, or time, reports scores, used between words to show conflict, connection or direction) The game consists of 5 episodes that were released between 2016–2019. - (hyphen: formation of certain compound terms, word division) Sally Face is an indie horror point-and-click Adventure game developed by Steve Gabry. : (colon: introduces a list of items, separates two independent clauses when the second explains or illustrates the first, emphasizes a phrase or single word at the end of a sentence, time, ratio, biblical references, separates the volume from the page numbers of a cited work, correspondence) This game has got everything: grotesque imagery, dead bodies, disturbing creatures and more.
; (semicolon: usually used in between two independent clauses, when a coordinating conjunction is omitted, emphasizes connection between two clauses, can be used in lists with commas like a super-comma, can be used in elliptical constructions when combined with a comma) “There isn’t time to explain; you must use this power to stop them.” ? (question mark: used at the end of a direct question, as a part of a title of work, expressing uncertainty, with other terminal punctuation) “Uhhhhh what?” ! (exclamation mark: at the end of a sentence, in the middle of a sentence, as a part of a title of work, as editorial comment, used to indicate surprise or amusement) “A quarter! I found it on the floor of my dad’s room. I’m sure he won’t miss it.” ‘ (apostrophe: used in contractions, seldom used to form a plural noun, forming possessives) Larry is Sal’s best friend. “ ” (quotation marks: primarily used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word, quoting the words of others, writing about letters and words, translations, scare quotes, nicknames, measurements) The game received “overwhelmingly or very positive” ratings on some game review sites.
… (ellipse: a set of three periods indicating an omission, can be used to represent a trailing off of thought, in quoted material) “There are no happy endings in real life, Sal. We all get some terrible ending… death.” [ ] (brackets: allow the insertion of editorial material inside quotations, can be used for clarification, can provide translations, indicates a change in capitalization, indicating errors, emphasizes a portion of a quotation, censors objectionable content, used when parentheses are within parentheses) "So once they started calling me that, I figured if I owned the name... [they] couldn't use it against me." ( ) (parentheses: allow a writer to provide additional information, numbered or lettered lists should use a pair of parentheses to enclose the numbers or letters, can provide the full term of an abbreviation) Sally Face is available to purchase on Steam ($14.99). / (slash: indicates a line break in poetry, sometimes serves as shorthand for per/and/or, in place of the Latin preposition cum, certain abbreviations are formed with a slash, separates the numerator from the denominator in fractions, represents a conflict or connection between two things, sometimes used to indicate something spanning two years) The fandom suddenly grew larger in 2020/21. EX: Comma (used to switch words around in a list) – Hard-hitting, scary, and amazing. Yet all those aspects of a mysterious boy named Sally Face means something beyond the preosthetic mask.
CAPITALIZATION 1. Capitalize the first word of a sentence. Sally Face was released back in 2016. 2. Capitalize names and other proper nouns. Sal has blue eyes but his right eye is an ocular prosthesis. 3. Don’t capitalize after a colon. This game has got everything: grotesque imagery, dead bodies, disturbing creatures, and more. 4. Capitalize the first word of a quote. "Whoever said that only girls can wear their hair in pigtails? I like pigs too." 5. Capitalize days, months, and holidays, but not seasons. The Fisher family went on a picnic to a pleasant and sunny spot on August 16th, 1984. 6. Capitalize most words in titles. Sally Face contains five chapters. 7. Capitalize cities, countries, nationalities, and languages. He and his father move to a town called Nockfell. 8. Capitalize time periods and events. A picture of Sal and his friend group from Halloween can be found inside his locker. EX: (Used to begin a sentence) – The gameplay and character design was impeccable.
PARTS OF SPEECH
NOUNS Types of nouns: Common Nouns: name a class of people, places, things, or ideas. EX: prosthetic, neighbor, tea, ghosts, newcomer Proper Nouns: give the name or title of a particular person, place, thing, or idea (must be capitalized). EX: Sal Fisher, Larry Johnson, Nockfell, Addison Apartments Compound Nouns: consist of words used together to form a single noun. EX: jumpsuit, teenager, pigtails Concrete Nouns: refer to material things, to people, or to places. EX: mask, cartilage, bologna, bathroom, cafeteria Abstract Nouns: name ideas, qualities, concepts, emotions, or attitudes. EX: curiosity, ignorance, hesitation, malice Functions (How nouns are used): Subject (comes before the verb): Sal had to adapt to a new life with his prosthetic face and internalized the nickname bullied would later give him: Sally Face. Direct Object (comes after the verb and answers what or whom): After Larry confined within Sal the details of Mrs. Sanderson’s murder at the hands of Charley Mansfieled, the boy is quick to offer his assistance. Indirect Object (answers to who or to whom): After adding the laxatives to a cup of Addison Tea, Sal managed to get Charley to abandon his watch over his beloved collection to attend to more pressing concerns in the restroom.
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 their, theirs
Nominative who That those/ this
Relative: Objective whom that
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: Larry had found himself thrown into a state of panic. to intensify a point: Sal and Larry had decided that they themselves should help with the murder case. 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: Sal and his dad moved to the town of Nockfell for a fresh start. (Sal and his dad are the subject.) Passive: His prosthetic face mask was Sal’s most prominent feature. (Sal is the subject but is treated as the object.) VERBALS: (VERB FORMS NOT USED AS VERBS) Gerund: word ending in “ing” used as a noun. Whenever Sanity’s Fall music was playing, Larry would headbang to it. Participle: word ending in “ing” or “ed” used as an adjective ED: Sal and Larry investigated throughout the haunted apartments. ING: Sal’s father takes sleeping pills to help at night. Infinitive: verb preceded by the word “to” (to go, to jump) used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Larry likes to paint as well as listen to heavy metal. ADJECTIVES: Adjectives modify, describe, limit, and identify nouns and pronouns. Kinds: Demonstrative, Common, Proper (prominent, asymmetrically, identical, resourceful, stressful, traditional)
ADVERBS Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Endings: –ly, -wards, -wise Conversions: “rare” becomes rarely, “to” becomes “towards”, “like” becomes “likewise” Types: Manner, Frequency, Degree, Place, Time Example Types: Manner – Larry ran out of apartment 504 swiftly. Time – Charlie was knocked out almost immediately from the sleeping pills in Addison's tea. Place – Sometimes Sal and Larry hung out at the treehouse just outside the building. Degree – Sal rarely ever took his prosthetic face mask off. Frequency – Lisa is constantly maintaining the apartments. 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 oneword 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 – Ahh, ahoy, aha, ahem, alas, arrggh, aw B – Blah, brrr, bingo, bravo, bam, bazinga, bleh, boo, boo-yah, bah hambug C – Cheers, congrats, catching, cripes, crud D – Damn, darn, darnit, 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, O – oh, 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, ugh, 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 Addition Milder: a further, and, and then, then, also, too, next, another, other, nor Stronger: further, furthermore, moreover, in addition, additionally, besides, again, equally important, first, second, finally, last Comparison Milder: just as... so too, a similar, another... like Stronger: similarly, comparable, in the same way, likewise Contrast Milder: but, yet, and yet, still, otherwise, or, though, but another, rather Stronger: however, still, nevertheless, on the other hand, on the contrary, even so, notwithstanding, for all that, in contrast, alternativley, at the same time, though this may be, otherwise, instead, nonetheless, conversley Time Milder: then, now, soon, afteward, later, shortly, earlier, first, second, third, next, before, after, today, tomorrow Stronger: meanwhile, at length, presently, at last, finally, immediately, thereafter, at that time, subsequentley, eventually, currently, in the mean time, in the past, in the future Purpose Milder: to do this, so that Stronger: to this end, with this object, for this purpose, for that reason, because of this, in order to
Place Milder: there, here, beyomd, nearby, next to Stronger: at this point, opposite to, adjacent to, on the other side, in the front, in the back Result Milder: so, and so, then Stronger: hence, therefore, accordingly, thereupon, as a result, in consequence
consequently,
thus,
Example Milder: that is, specifically, in particular, for one thing Stronger: for example, for instance, an instance of this, this can be seen in Summay and Emphasis Milder: in sum, generally, after all, by the way, in general, incidentally, naturally, I hope, at least, it seems, in brief, I suppose Stronger: 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. The glistening snow covered Larry’s treehouse in the winter. Verb Phrase: A group of words consisting of verbs working together and that function as a verb. Sal had been asking for help to find the culprit and evidence. Prepositional Phrase: A group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun, and functions as an adjective or an adverb. Before going back to his apartment, Sal spent some time with Larry. 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. Lisa, the cleaning lady, always likes to be thorough. 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. Summoning the ghost was not guaranteed to work. Participial Phrase word ending in -ing (present participle) or -ed (past participle) that functions as an adjective. Sal had found his working gameboy under the TV. Infinitive Phrase verb preceded by the word “to” (to read, to study, to write) that function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. To eat and hoard was the only thing Charley did.
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. Sal and Larry strongly formed a bond through a shared interest in heavy metal. 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 the murder took place, Larry had no choice but to hide and witness it. Lisa was concerned with whoever taught Larry superstitious things. Sal was positive that he saw a dark figure in Larry’s kitchen. Ask what Lisa had made for dinner and she’d answer with lasagna. Adjective Clause: Used to modify a noun in an independent clause. Some adjective clauses begin with an introductory word: This is Addison Apartments, where things are not like what they seem. The police scanner that Larry had taken was put to good use. The culprit who murdered Mrs. Sanderson had to be Charley.
Some adjective clauses begin with relative pronouns: Larry was the one who introduced Sal to Sanity’s Fall, his favorite music group. People who had given Sal the nickname “Sally Face'' had allowed him to use it against them. Mrs. Gibson would not forgive Larry for her rabbit that he had killed on accident. Charley obtained a rare Glitter Pony figurine that had presumably belonged to Mrs. Sanderson. Chug was the big guy on floor three whom believed in the unknown. The baggie which Larry had given Sal was to not leave any fingerprints. Todd is the one who tutors Ashley for math. 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: Sal’s prosthetic was put over his face where no one could see. When the time came to sneak into 403, Sal hurried up there. Sal was the one to go back to Charley’s room because he was not fond of Larry. Larry’s eyes widened as if he had just seen a ghost. Modifying adjectives: The residents claimed the building was not as crazy as it seems now. Mr. Addison was as mysterious as the incidents of the building. Modifying adverbs: Larry was more skilled at painting than Sal was.
Relative Clauses: Dependent clause that begins with a relative pronoun. The obstacle who Sal and Larry needed away was the police. Elliptical Clauses: Adverb clauses in which part of the clause is omitted. When Henry was alone, he would think about Diane. Essential Clauses: Clauses necessary to the meaning of the sentence. Larry’s dark secret that interested Sal so much was told to him by Lisa. Nonessential Clauses: Clauses that are NOT necessary to the meaning of the sentence. Sal’s arrival at Addison Apartments, which was not too long ago, already had some major events.
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. Todd Morrison tutors Ashley Campbell for math. Predicate: what the subject does. Todd Morrison tutors Ashley Campbell for math. Sentence Types Declarative: a sentence that makes a statement (ends with a period mark) Addison Apartments has a dark past. Imperative: a sentence that makes a command (ends with a period mark) “Don’t worry, Mrs. Sanderson, go, hide.” Interrogative: a sentence that asks a question (ends with a question mark) “Could I borrow your crowbar?” Exclamatory: a sentence that expresses great emotion, passion, excitement (ends with an exclamation mark) “Check out the Super Gear Boy!” Sentence Patterns Simple Sentence: A sentence that is just one independent clause. Larry was gonna catch up to Sal in a bit. Compound Sentence: A sentence with multiple independent clauses, but no dependent clauses - connected by FANBOYS (coordinating conjunctions) or a semicolon (;). Todd will search for the murder records, but he needs some time. Complex Sentence: A sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. Whenever Sal came over to visit, it was never a dull moment.
Complex-Compound Sentence: A sentence with multiple independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. Though Sal is not the best at painting yet, Larry has been teaching him, and he enjoys it all the time. 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. Larry did not believe in the paranormal, no matter what others have said up until now. 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. Whatever Sal had to tell Larry, there would be no problem because they were the best of friends. 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. All Charley ever did was to eat, and to hoard. 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. Todd spends all his time on his computer and researching the apartments. Chiasmus: A sentence that includes a repetition of ideas (words, phrases, or clauses) in inverted (reversed) order - this sentence requires symmetry. Mr. Addison continued on his father’s business; it wouldn’t be what it is without him. Asyndeton: A sentence that leaves out conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses for a rhetorical purpose. The police had gathered, searched, confined.
Polysyndeton: A sentence that uses multiple conjunctions in close proximity to each other between words, phrases, or clauses for a rhetorical purpose. “Heh. Man, Ash, you wouldn’t believe what we went through to find you! It’s all thanks to Sally. He had one of his vision thingies and then he found this old cellar door in the basement and then we went down these long creepy stairs and then we found this crazy-ass cult temple or some shit down here and then there were all these puzzles and traps and mazes and ...Todd! Todd is holding the front gate open for us, we should go back there.” 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. Mrs. Sanderson was in possession of such a rare glitterpony, Charley had murdered her to get it for himself, but it was clearly in her possession. Epistrophe: A sentence featuring several phrases or clauses ending with the same word or words. Mrs. Sanderson’s murder was covered, Charley’s killing was covered, and the Holmes family’s case was covered.
Sentence Errors Run-On/Rambling/Fused Sentence: a sentence construction error where two or more independent clauses are connected incorrectly without punctuation. “Definitely not. Judging by what you guys have told me about the inner rooms of the temple and about Mrs. Packerton’s apartment it could be possible that she’s gotten herself wrapped up in the occult as well. Even if the congregation has long since dissolved she could have stumbled upon this door, just as we have.” [WRONG] “Definitely not. Judging by what you guys have told me about the inner rooms of the temple and about Mrs. Packerton’s apartment, it could be possible that she’s gotten herself wrapped up in the occult as well. Even if the congregation has long since dissolved, she could have stumbled upon this door, just as we have.” [RIGHT] Comma Splice: a sentence construction error where two or more independent clauses are connected incorrectly using commas “Hopefully not but we’ll be prepared if she does.” [WRONG] “Hopefully not, but we’ll be prepared if she does.” [RIGHT] Fragment: incomplete sentence pieces that are not connected to or do not form an independent clause Mrs. Packerton has killed. [WRONG] Mrs. Packerton has killed a lot of people. [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 Sal didn't care if she believed him or not; she vowed to broadcast it as is, and it was the full story. [WRONG] Sal didn't care if she believed him or not; it was the full story, and she vowed to broadcast it as is. [RIGHT]
Double Negative: combining two or more negative words in a sentence in a way that is supposed to produce a positive force Ash fell into the trash chute, this was certainly no good for them both. [WRONG] Ash fell into the trash chute, this was certainly making it worse for them both. [RIGHT]
PARAGRAPHS
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) Ex. Sally Face is an indie horror point-and-click game created by Steve Gabry that follows the adventures of a boy with a prosthetic face named Sal, titularly nicknamed Sally Face by other kids. From the beginning, you can already see that he had a very troubled childhood. Query Based (Question that brings the reader to the topic - avoid second person POV “you”) Ex. Is Sally Face a game one would recommend for others? 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. Sally Face is an indie horror point-and-click game created by Steve Gabry. Fact (empirically verifiable but often difficult to argue extensively about - better used as evidence to support a claim) Ex. It follows the adventures of a boy with a prosthetic face named Sal, titularly nicknamed Sally Face by other kids. Opinion (personal position on a topic) Ex. Sal’s life does become dark as we progress in the story.
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. My own review of this game is that is sometimes too complicated for its own good, and its haunting take on certain subjects might very well turn some players off, but the complete five-part Sally Face is a worthwhile and entirely unique gaming experience that has to be played to be believed. 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. Every time I play the game it just gets better each time. Document Based (cites a specific source, author, and position on a topic) Ex. According to the article Sally Face is a Dark and Twisted Point and Click That You Can’t Help But Love, the author states that this game may not be for the faint of heart despite its 2d cartoon visuals. Theory (a statement that can be tested and potentially proven - often answers a research question) Ex. Sal can communicate with ghosts and may prove helpful, but only time will tell. 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. Picking back up in reality, we see Sal move into a new apartment with his father. (preview of evidence) Ex. It’s supposed to be a fresh start; but with a murder scene right next door to them, Sal’s thrown into a dark world once again. (purpose of thesis) Ex. Many of the residents have their own stories to tell, and it seems they aren’t alone either. (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. Additionally, Sally Face has received largely positive reviews from critics. Presenting Evidence from Quotations (quotes should NEVER be used as individual sentences – quotes should be embedded within sentences) ORIGINAL QUOTE – “Sally Face has been overall positively received critics.” Ex. Gamers Decide website put Sally Face in their Top 10 Best Indie Narrative Games. Ex. Nerdvana called it "a psychological horror masterpiece" and praised the game for evoking strong emotions. Ex. Adventure Gamers critiques Sally Face for being convoluted and for hiding important story elements behind optional puzzles but ultimately said it's "is a worthwhile and wholly unique gaming experience that has to be played to be believed."
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 – “Despite his unsettling mask and the disturbing dreams you’re privy to, you’ll find yourself becoming attached to Sal.” (Sally Face is a Dark and Twisted Point and Click That You Can’t Help But Love). Ex. PARAPHRASE – Even with Sal’s scary-looking mask and the twisted dreams we are able to see as we play, you will adore his character. 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 – “For those who do take the plunge, though, they’ll find an adventure that will grip them from the get-go.” (Sally Face is a Dark and Twisted Point and Click That You Can’t Help But Love). Ex. SUMMARY – Sally Face is a game that will pull you in. 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 could enjoy this game if they were to be deep into the storyline. Concrete Examples (actual examples that do refer to a source – useful for enhancing your analysis of the quote) Ex. According to multiple sources, Sally Face has an amazing premise and has brought upon thought-provoking ideas as well as hard topics. 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. I conclude that Sally Face is a game I recommend you play.
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. Sally Face presents such a captivating world to explore and fills it with so much imaginative energy that you'll be hard-pressed not to fall under its spell. Statement(s) of Extension (extending the consequences of disregarding the implications of the thesis – could be one or more sentences) Ex. Despite its macabre trappings, the prevailing attitude throughout the game is one of compassion, even for some of its ostensible villains. Reestablishing the Significance of the Thesis (could be one or more sentences) Ex. This is a gorgeous, inventive, overstuffed, unique, frustrating, delightful adventure game. Final Sentence (closing statement that connects to the hook and finishes the essay (finish your argument) – the “Smoky the Bear”/”Drop the mic”/dot dot dot moment…) Ex. There's really nothing else like Sally Face. It isn't perfect, but make no mistake—it's an experience you'll never, ever forget…
ESSAYS
Essays: a short academic composition
Types: Persuasive (Argumentative) meant to convince the target audience to do something or to not do something Expository (Informative) exposes things in detail to make readers understand without any complications Definition or Description defines things, ideas, and perceptions Process (How-to) outlines a process of making or breaking or doing something that readers understand fully and are able to do it after reading Compare and Contrast makes either a comparison, a contrast, or both between two different or similar things Cause and Effect makes readers understand the cause of things, and their effects on other things Analytical/Critical analyzes something, such as in literature or an analytical essay analyzes a piece of literature from different angles/written on literary pieces to evaluate them on the basis of their merits or demerits Evaluative offers value judgments about a particular subject according to a set of criteria Interpretive you interpret a piece of literature Narrative (Tells a story) a narration like a short story. it is, however, different from a short story in that it is written in an essay format Personal Statement/Anecdote is a written description of one's achievements, interests, etc., included as part of an application for a job or to an educational program.
Research revolves around a research question that is meant to answer some specific question through a research of the relevant literature Timed require you to demonstrate disciplinary knowledge by producing a writing sample within a limited time period Document Based Question (DBQ) provides you with documents to serve as sources of information for your writing Synthesis is a written discussion incorporating support from several sources of differing views Strategies/Planning Tips/Steps Pre-writing/Prompt Analysis/Outlining prewriting is a preparation process that you can complete before you actually write your paper, essay or summary. prewriting helps you organize your thoughts, plan your research or writing, and clarify your thesis. a prompt guides you in writing about a particular topic. you must learn to analyze the prompt before responding to it. an outline is a plan for the paper that will help you organize and structure your ideas in a way that effectively communicates them to your reader and supports your thesis statement. Researching/Evaluating of Sources as you examine each source, it is important to evaluate each source to determine the quality of the information provided within it. common evaluation criteria include: purpose and intended audience, authority and credibility, accuracy and reliability, currency and timeliness, and objectivity or bias.
Work Cited Page MLA Format is most commonly used to cite sources within the language arts, cultural studies, and other humanities disciplines. use white 8 ½ x 11” paper. make 1 inch margins on the top, bottom, and sides. the first word in every paragraph should be indented one half inch. indent set-off or block quotations one half inch from the left margin. use any type of font that is easy to read, such as times new roman. APA Format is most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences. all text should be double-spaced. use one-inch margins on all sides. all paragraphs in the body are indented. make sure that the title is centered on the page with your name and school/institution underneath. use 12-point font throughout. all pages should be numbered in the upper right hand corner.