Remember...  Form your opinion (that is your thesis statement).  Use some of the information in the situation in your introduction.  Give three strong reasons in your introduction to support your thesis (opinion)  Use a conclusion strategy. For example, your conclusion could bring up 2 counter arguments, discredit each counter argument (prove each wrong) and restate your thesis.

All of your paragraphs (at least the first four) should go from general to specific  GENERAL EXAMPLES:  Students  Teachers  Parents  Friends  People  Famous people SPECIFIC EXAMPLES:  _______________

General to Specific (Introduction) Many people are of the opinion that second hand smoke does not harm others. There are still designated smoking areas in many public places, but this fact is a shame. Second hand smoke is deadly! It is more dangerous than first hand smoke. It is horrible for our environment, and second hand smoke can harm your children.

General to Specific (Body) Second hand smoke is much more dangerous than first hand smoke. There are an estimated 46,000 deaths in one year from heart disease in people who are currently non-smokers. My great- uncle was a smoker. However, guess who died of lung cancer? My great-aunt died in 2005 of a combination of heart disease and lung cancer.

Conclusions  Best approach when writing a persuasive document: counter argument  EXAMPLE: Second hand smoke kills! Some smokers may say that second hand smoke should be tolerated, but, I know from experience that it is truly as dangerous as first hand smoke. Don’t be taken in by a charming smoker. Exposure to any nicotine smoking product should be a choice, not a tolerance.

Run-on Sentences Run-On Sentence = two independent clauses joined withOUT punctuation and/or a coordinating conjunction.

How to Correct a Run-On Sentence Example: Deelra ran the hurdles in record time Shawna placed second. Solution: Deelra ran the hurdles in record time. Shawna placed second. (Make two sentences out of the run-on sentence.) Solution: Deelra ran the hurdles in record time, but Shawna placed second. (Add a coordinating conjunction FOR, AND, NOR, BUT, OR, YET, SO after the comma. Solution: Deelra ran the hurdles in record time; Shawna placed second. (Separate the independent clauses with a semicolon.)

Comma Splice Comma splice = two independent clauses joined only by a comma.

How to Correct a Comma Splice Example: I don’t know where the oil paints are, they were over by the easel. Solution: I don’t know where the oil paints are. They were over by the easel. (Make two sentences by separating the first clause from the second with end punctuation, such as a period or a question mark, and start the second sentence with a capital letter.) Solution: I don’t know where the oil paints are, but they were over by the easel. (Add a coordinating conjunction after the comma.) Solution: I don’t know where the oil paints are; they were over by the easel. (Place a semicolon between the main clauses of the sentence.)

Fragment  Fragment = incomplete sentence starting with a capital letter and ending with a period or other end forms of punctuation. Fragments lack a subject or a verb or both.

How to Correct a Fragment Example: He enjoys flowers and shrubs. Which help screen his yard from the street. (Note: “which” will never start a sentence, but it may begin a question. Solution: He enjoys flowers and shrubs. They help screen his yard from the street. (“They” is a subject, so now this is a sentence instead of a fragment.)

How to Correct a Fragment Example: Having driven across the desert. We enjoyed the cool weather. Solution: Having driven across the desert, we enjoyed the cool weather.

Subject/Verb Agreement Agreement = Plural Subject + Plural Verb OR Agreement = Singular Subject + Singular Verb BUT Agreement ≠ Plural Subject + Singular Verb OR Agreement ≠ Singular Subject + Plural Verb

How to Create Subject/Verb Agreement Singular: The rose in the vase is beautiful. (“rose” is the subject and needs the singular verb “is”) Plural: The roses in the vase are beautiful. (“roses” is the subject and needs a plural verb “are” – Note: “in the vase” is a prepositional phrase – subjects won’t be found inside prepositional phrases!)

How to Create Subject/Verb Agreement Singular: The student needs attention. (“student” is the subject; “needs” is the verb) Plural: The students need attention. (“students” is the subject; “need” is the verb)

Singular: A zinnia blooms best in the sun (“zinnia” is the subject; “blooms” is the verb) Plural: Zinnias bloom best in the sun (“Zinnias” is the subject; “bloom” is the verb) How to Create Subject/Verb Agreement

Apostrophes Apostrophes = possession Apostrophes show that one thing owns/has/possesses something else. OR Apostrophes = left out letters or numbers Examples: don’t; they’ll; can’t; won’t; class of ‘11

Sometimes Apostrophes = plural form of strange “words” Examples: his p’s and q’s; too many F’s; all of the ifs and ands; his 7s; the 1990s Apostrophes

Where NOT to Place an Apostrophe  Plural ≠ Possessive ours, yours, hers, theirs Its motor is small. Its name is Spot.

Spelling Counts Misspellings make the reader doubt you. Misspellings make the reader think you don’t know your information. Misspellings make the reader think you don’t know how to present information clearly and correctly.

Commonly Misspelled Words always, all ways; break, brake; choose, chose; desert, dessert; fair, fare; hear, here; lead, led; lose, loose; passed, past; plain, plane; sense, since; than, then; there, their; they’re; threw, through, thorough; to, too, two; weather, whether; were, where, ware; who’s, whose; your, you’re; quiet, quite, quit

Abbreviations, Slang, and Speak Don’t use: “&” for “and” “b/c” for “because” “w/” for “with” “OMG” for “oh, my, God!” “plz” for “please”“cuz” for “because” Never use slang or speak when writing a formal paper. These are informal, and essays must be written in formal language.