Writing Notes Tips for the writing you will do in this class. Reference these notes frequently.

THE BASICS FOR A PARAGRAPH Thesis/Topic Sentence (1 sentence, 1 st sentence) Details (4-8 sentences) Conclusion (1-2 sentences) THE BASICS FOR AN ESSAY Introduction (1paragraph) with Thesis Details (3-4 paragraphs) Conclusion (1 paragraph)

Thesis/Topic Sentence: Write a clear thesis/ topic sentence that answers the prompt as the first sentence. Details: Write at least 4 detail sentences. Fill in details to prove your topic sentence. Use quotes that you embed, explain, and cite. Conclusion: Restate your main point. Then, broaden to make a bigger connection. How to structure a one paragraph response.

Use quotes that you embed, explain, and cite. Introduction: Start broad with a hook and background information. Narrow down to a clear thesis that answers the prompt as the last sentence. Write at least 3 Body Paragraphs. Start with a topic sentence that connects to your thesis. Fill in details to prove your topic sentence. Each body paragraph should focus on a different point that supports your thesis. Conclusion- Restate your thesis and main points. Then, broaden to make a bigger connection. How to structure a full length essay.

Start with a great thesis/topic sentence. *Completely answer the prompt in one complete sentence. *State the title and author. Develop with details and quotes. *Focus on specific details. *Embed, explain, and cite quotes. *Avoid emotional comments. (I like this book! The author is terrible!) *Analyze more; summarize less. Wrap it up with a great conclusion. *Restate the main idea. *Then, make a bigger connection. *Why is this important?

WHAT, HOW, WHY SUMMARY V. ANALYSIS “What” is summary. This should be minimal. “How” and “Why” are analysis. This should be your focus. How are literary terms/techniques used? How does this author present the message? Why does the author do this? Why do characters act a certain way? What connections can be made between sources? Use phrases like: This illustrates… This is why… This proves… This implies… This means that… This symbolizes… This is important because…This connects to…

STAY FORMAL No 1st or 2nd person: I, you, we, our, me, us No “I believe,” “I think,” No slang “Ha ha,” “lolz” No questions(?); no exclamation marks(!)

REVISE Carefully look over your writing one sentence at a time. Check your citations. Look for spelling, fragments, run-ons. Don’t trust Word to do it all for you! AND EDIT! Revising is how you get better at writing! Look at how you can make your content better. Are all quotes embedded, explained, and cited? Do you analyze more than summarize?

CITE YOUR QUOTES! At the end of your piece of writing, you should have a works cited. Use the full citation in the Works Cited. In the text, follow your quotes with a parenthetical citation. The thing in parentheses is whatever is first in the full citation. (Usually the author’s last name, but sometimes the title if there is no author.) Follow that with a page number if there is one, or a line number in a long poem. (Websites won’t have page numbers.)

Beowulf took his best men and “sailed straight to the Danish shore” to help the Danes (Beowulf 124). Works Cited Beowulf. Translated by Burton Raffael. Prentice Hall: The British Tradition. Example Citation

CITE YOUR SOURCES! Song: Artist. “Song Title” Album Title. Record Company, Year. Song. Movie: Title. Director. Major Actors. Company, Year. Film. Poem: Author. “Poem Title” Bigger Book Title. Publisher, Year. Poem. Book: Author. Book Title. City: Publisher, Year. Print. Website: Author. “Article Title.” Website Title. Publisher, Date Published. Web. Date Viewed.

TITLES Put short stories, articles, and short poems in quotes. “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” “The Pardoner’s Tale” Put whole works, books, movies in italics or underline. Beowulf The Princess Bride

Different Types of Writing Persuasive/Argumentative Writing: *Take a side *Back it up with evidence *Address and refute the other side(Show they are wrong) Synthesis: *Use info from multiple sources to create your original position *Don’t copy; use their facts to support your position *Quote them and show that they are wrong *USE MULTIPLE SOURCES IN EACHPARAGRAPH! Literary Analysis Writing: *Use very specific examples from the text *Avoid just summarizing *Explain how and why examples are important *Focus on the author’s purpose

Good References Online Writing Lab from Purdue University *Format and citation explanations (MLA, APA) Grammar Girl *Easy to understand grammar explanations