1. Compare/Contrast Review Tips to improve your writing

2. Points to Review:  Thesis  Topic Sentence  Evidence (quotes)  Transition words and commas  Semicolons  Thesis  Topic Sentence  Evidence (quotes)  Transition words and commas  Semicolons

3. Wonderful job with the thesis sentence!  Follow the same formula for this essay  Include words to show you are comparing/contrasting  Name the two cases you are focusing on (Salem Witchcraft Trials and West Memphis Three case)  Include the categories that you are going to compare and contrast  Choose two: setting, characters, events, investigation, trial, evidence, outcome  Follow the same formula for this essay  Include words to show you are comparing/contrasting  Name the two cases you are focusing on (Salem Witchcraft Trials and West Memphis Three case)  Include the categories that you are going to compare and contrast  Choose two: setting, characters, events, investigation, trial, evidence, outcome

4. Mixed job on the topic sentence  Should be the 1 st sentence of each body paragraph  A topic sentence is to give the paragraph focus and to name the topic of the paragraph Example: To start, the similarities between the accused characters in the witchcraft trials and the convicted people in the West Memphis Three case are profound.  Should be the 1 st sentence of each body paragraph  A topic sentence is to give the paragraph focus and to name the topic of the paragraph Example: To start, the similarities between the accused characters in the witchcraft trials and the convicted people in the West Memphis Three case are profound.

5. Evidence– provide context for your quotes so that they aren’t “naked” “Clothe me!” –Quotes from your essays

6. Help me! I need clothes!  Let’s fix this by adding a lead-in/context and taking the time to explain ourselves  Two of the stories have a creator. We know that the Native Americans believe in a creator because “Coyote Finishes His Work” states that, “[Coyote] made the Indians…” Therefore, Coyote is a creator in the story. Similarly, Christians believe in a creator. According to Genesis, the beginning of the world occurred when “…God made the heavens and the earth.”  Let’s fix this by adding a lead-in/context and taking the time to explain ourselves  Two of the stories have a creator. We know that the Native Americans believe in a creator because “Coyote Finishes His Work” states that, “[Coyote] made the Indians…” Therefore, Coyote is a creator in the story. Similarly, Christians believe in a creator. According to Genesis, the beginning of the world occurred when “…God made the heavens and the earth.” Example: Two of the stories have a creator. “He made the Indians…” “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

7. Beware of complete sentences and/or repetition before your quote! Incorrect  The Greeks believed that there was only chaos in the beginning, “In the beginning there was only chaos.”  The underlined portion is a complete sentence, so there needs to be a period. This would leave the quote “naked”  It is extremely repetitive Correct  The Greeks believed that “in the beginning there was only chaos.”  We have some context (we know they are quoting from the Greek account)  It is not repetitive

8. Transition Words “I need commas!”

9. Place a comma around your transition words  However,  On the other hand,  Similarly,  On the contrary,  Therefore,  However,  On the other hand,  Similarly,  On the contrary,  Therefore,

10. How to use semicolons (;)  You use a semicolon when you have two complete sentences that you want to join together  To ensure you have two complete sentences, cover up the semicolon and read what comes before it– is it a complete thought? Do the same with what comes after the semicolon.  You use a semicolon when you have two complete sentences that you want to join together  To ensure you have two complete sentences, cover up the semicolon and read what comes before it– is it a complete thought? Do the same with what comes after the semicolon.  Example:  I feel so bad for Barney; he has a cone around his head.