Literacy Manual

WHS Writing Manual Page 1 of 80

Woodstock High School

Writing Manual

Chapter One—PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is the representation of another’s words as the writer’s own. These words may come

from any written or electronic source. Some examples of plagiarism include the following:

not citing a source when idea or words are taken from another author;

not citing a source when even a sentence or group of sentences from another author are used;

not citing pictures taken off the internet

not citing audio or video components

making up citations;

taking of an entire paper or portions of a paper from an on-line or off-line source, including a

disk computer file;

using statistics or diagrams without citing the original source;

paraphrasing too closely to the original wording of the source.

Video information

One way to avoid plagiarism is to paraphrase or restate the author’s words in the writer’s own

words. The full meaning and intent of the original writer’s words are conveyed yet the wording is

modified to the present writer’s style and interpretation. Therefore, paraphrasing can be longer than the

original text. Paraphrasing is also used to explain meanings of proverbs, legal documents, poems, or

obscure or symbolic writings. In research, the writer may introduce the paraphrase by citing the original

author and work. An example of this would be the following:

In his book, The Origin of the Species, Charles Darwin states that animals that are the strongest

and the most acclimated to the climate and conditions they live in will live the longest.

The author, source, and paraphrasing of Darwin’s “survival of the fittest” theory are stated in one

introductory sentence. The writer would then continue to develop the concept with examples, quotations,

statistics, and other research studies.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarism

http://www.commoncraft.com/video/plagiarism


Another example of paraphrasing would be as follows:

Here is the original poem, “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” by Robert Frost:

1. Nature’s first green is gold.

2. Her hardest hue to hold.

3. Her early leaf’s a flower.

4. But only so an hour.

5. Then leaf subsides to leaf.

6. So Eden sank to grief.

7. So dawn goes town to day.

8. Nothing gold can stay.

A paraphrasing of this poem line by line might be as follows:

1. The trees, grass and flowers have gone from green to gold

2. Because it is difficult to keep things green.

3. The buds that open first form flowers

4. That last for a short time.

5. Then leaves knock each other loose as they fall

6. So a sadness fills what had been beautiful and fresh.

7. As the spring turns to fall,

8. The green goes away and this will always happen.

Other ways to avoid plagiarism include the following:

reading and summarizing the author’s information in the researcher’s/writer’s own words;

recording what is known on the topic prior to beginning research;

noting sources for ideas that will need citations;

recording quotes exactly with notation of citation information along with the quotation;

checking through the rough draft for statements that might need citations or for re-writing

statements into the researcher’s/writer’s own words;

explaining the article or ideas to another so that understanding is reached and wording is

original.


Chapter Two—THE WRITING PROCESS

Prewriting is the step during which the writer gathers his observations, research, interview notes,

and other materials to begin the organizational process of defining the audience, focusing on the purpose

of the writing, and organizing thoughts that will develop the major ideas. The type of writing will define

the complexity of this step (see chapter #3 for the types of writing).

Prewriting ideas can be put down on paper in a number of ways: outlining, graphic organizers,

webs, lists, etc. If an outline is required, the following example should be followed to make sure the

punctuation and format are correct:

Careers in Education

I. Areas for teaching

A. Elementary level

B. Middle school level

C. High school level

D. Vocational level

E. College level

II. Preparation

A. Four-year degree

B. Student teaching

C. Specialty courses

1. In education

2. In methodology

3. In special education

III. Rewards

A. Working with children

B. Working with technology

C. Having summers off

Most students are familiar with many types of graphic organizers and webs. An example of a

character web is included with the characterization paper.

The first draft allows the writer to state the purpose and to put ideas on paper. This is the time

when ideas from the prewriting process are expanded upon and organized. The structure of the paper

begins to take place: paragraphs are formed, transitions are added, etc.

All papers require a thesis statement, the idea or central thought that guides the entire paper’s

development. Thesis statements typically are found as the first sentence of the paper or as the final

sentence in the introduction. Topic sentences further develop this thesis statement. Development of the

topic sentences occurs in the paragraphs. Details, examples, quotations, paraphrasing, statistics,

researched facts, and examples from the text are ways topic sentences are developed into paragraphs. The

topic sentences of each paragraph give the reader the general information of what will be covered in the

paragraphs. If the reader were to read topic sentences only, he would get an overview of the entire paper.

The writer’s development of the thesis should be obvious from the topic sentences.

https://www.teachervision.com/tv/tvsearch/site=TV&lowest_grade=109&highest_grade=112&type=graphic-organizer


The audience is important to keep in mind when writing. The author must ask himself who the

audience is for that particular paper. For example, if the paper is on a very complicated scientific subject

and the audience has no prior knowledge on the topic, the writer must be very clear in his explanations

and may have to define terms for the audience.

The revision process is the most important step in the writing process. The first draft is the

skeleton of the paper which then requires revising punctuation, rewriting for clarity of thoughts, adding

details, looking for grammatical errors, addressing transitions and revising sentences for interest and

variety.

The sharing and publishing step may mean that the assignment is turned in only for grading. Or

the written material could be published in the school newspaper, The Wall, or in the school literary

magazine, Carpe Diem. Students may also share their written efforts with other students in a class setting

or present their written assignments orally as part of a group or individual research project. In any case,

the sharing of a polished writing that is grammatically correct and clearly presented is the final step in the

process.


Chapter 3—TYPES OF WRITING

The type of paper written depends on the assignment. This manual will highlight the major types

of writing assignments given at WHS: persuasion, exposition, narration, comparison/contrast,

summary, précis, DBQ/FRQ. A combination of these writings may also be appropriate.

Persuasive writing attempts to convince or influence the reader to accept the writer’s position.

When the writer is asked to defend, to convince another party to change its mind, or to explain why a

situation needs to be changed or modified, the persuasive format should be used.

When the writer is attempting to persuade the audience, he should not state his arguments in the

initial paragraph. The reader may not be ready to be persuaded to a new viewpoint and will begin

defending his own opinion instead of reading a differing point of view.

The writer should be careful not to use inflammatory words to incite or anger the audience he is

trying to convince. Such words as stupid, ludicrous, or dumb usually cause adverse reactions in the

reader, especially if the reader feels the exact opposite of the writer.

Expository writing explains or gives information to the reader. The writer could be the expert

(on playing Xbox games, for instance) or may have researched the topic and is relating information to the

reader from the sources. Most expository papers use chronological order, order of importance, spatial

order, and comparison/contrast development.

Narrative writing tells a story from beginning to end. High interest should be developed in the

thesis paragraph. This can be done with a “teaser” introducing the drama that is to be told in the paper. An

example of such a “teaser” would be…”Little did I know that this would be the scariest evening of my

life;” or “I couldn’t believe this was happening to me.” The thesis paragraph should also place the reader

into the setting and time frame of the incident to be related. A range of emotions or feelings should be

explored, as in moving from embarrassment to joy, from fear to relief, from anger to humor. These

emotions should be explained, not just stated.

Comparison/Contrast writing will occur when the writer is asked to compare or find similarities

or contrasting points between two items. It is important to note that comparison papers do not imply that

both similarities and differences must be addressed. This would depend on the two items being compared.

Comparison papers are developed by the point-by-point method, the block method, or a combination of

both.

In a point-by-point development, all the ideas regarding one attribute of the comparison are

discussed in one paragraph. If the writer is comparing the human brain to a computer, he might discuss

the structure of both, the ability of both to think complex thoughts and to reason, the time required and

fatigue factors in working through a problem, and the different ways each processes problem-solving.

Each of these points would be covered by discussing first the brain’s abilities and then the computer’s.

In a block method, presents all arguments related to A and ten compares and/or contrasts them to

all arguments related to B. The block method might be the easier type of development to follow for the

first-time writer.

Summary Writing is a very specialized form of writing highlighting the main points of larger

text: novel, article, or chapter. This is not a re-telling of the information but a presentation of the main

points in condensed form. Three questions guide the writing of a summary:

1. What is the main point of the text?

2. What information, facts, statistics does the writer use to support the points?

3. What are the most important features of the selection?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4mFTcOccQGseWo4S3p2ZDlWZ0RFZ0h2X0RJTlpOYjJwdkJz/edit?usp=sharing


Features of a summary

1. A summary is usually no more than one-third the length of the original.

2. A summary provides the main ideas of the original, omitting all of the details except a few

vital ones – names, dates, times, and places.

3. A summary presents the main ideas in the most logical order.

4. A summary expresses the main ideas of the original in the summary writer’s own words.

5. A summary includes the source you are summarizing.

A summary concludes with a sentence that ties all your points together and brings the summary to

an effective end.

Students having difficulties with summary styles might practice stating the main point(s) of the

article in 20 words or less, which is a GIST of the article. A writer can tell if he has understood the

article’s main points if he can re-tell its thesis concisely.

Précis Writing is a short analytical piece of writing of something that the writer has read.

Guidelines for writing a précis are as follows:

be only 4-7 sentences

not have thesis or restatement of the prompt.

vary the sentence structure.

use incredibly sharp and precise language.

answer the question with one or two detailed thoughts and examples.

not waste any time setting up the prompt/question

An abstract is a 100- to 150-word paragraph summarizing a paper or research article.

Features of an abstract

1. Highlight key information on a copy of the paper.

2. Begin with the thesis statement – the article’s purpose.

3. Summarize key points in the order they appear in the paper.

4. Include only essential information, methods, and results.

5. Avoid technical terminology, specific quotations, and interpretations.

6. Condense information from the original by omitting repetition and unnecessary details, by

replacing long phrases and wordy clauses with short phrases or single words, and by

combining ideas from two or more sentences into one sentence.

7. Present the main ideas and the important supporting ideas in the same order as the original.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EL7E9qTLDAut4otIlHGlDlZS45GbLLgEJX6KB-fRmcM/edit?usp=sharing


Chapter 4- IN-CLASS WRITING STYLES

Students will be required to write in-class essays and short answer essays in many classes at

WHS. This type of writing is significantly different from out-of-class writing due to the time constraints

of the class testing hour.

To write successful in-class essays students should use the following suggestions to assist them:

Read the question carefully and underline the specific verb that tells you exactly what you are going

to be doing. Some examples of these verbs and their meanings are as follows:

analyze – separate into parts and examine each part

compare – point out similarities

contrast – point out differences

define – clarify meaning

discuss – examine in detail

evaluate – give your opinion

explain – tell how, what or why

illustrate – give examples

summarize – briefly review main points

trace – show development or progress

Plan the answer. A list of major points and sub-points, a graphic organizer, or a short outline of

thoughts help organize the answer so that the writing will go more quickly.

Watch time constraints. Plan according to the value of the essay questions. If one question is worth

more points than another, divide the time accordingly. If there is only one question to answer, the

expectation is that the answer will be in multi-paragraph form, not just a paragraph in length. A

suggestion for a 50-minute essay test would be to spend

5 minutes to brainstorm, organize and jot down ideas

35 minutes to write the essay

10 minutes to revise, edit and check spelling

Re-state the essay question in statement form as the first sentence in the essay. This provides focus

for both the writer and the reader.

Using the order of your outline or plan, develop claims/topic sentences quickly with specific

evidence: statistics, quotes, and supporting details. The evidence should be analyzed and prove the

students’ claims. Be complete but not wordy.

Write one paragraph for each main point.

To connect ideas and examples, use transitions.

Use a strong concluding statement that summarizes the main ideas of the essay


Chapter 5-RESEARCH PAPER

A research paper is a form of expository writing that presents the results of an investigation of a specific

topic. Information from a variety of sources is gathered, evaluated, organized and presented in a final

form. It is important to give credit to the sources used to write the paper; this is called documentation.

MLA (Modern Language Association) and APA (American Psychological Association) are two of the

most commonly used documentation styles.

The research process involves the following steps:

Selecting a topic

Gathering information

Taking notes

Writing the paper

Documenting sources

Selecting a topic The topic choice is a key element in the success of the research paper. Begin with a general subject area

of interest, then, after some initial research, narrow the focus of the topic. At this point a preliminary

thesis statement should be developed.

Example

World War II

Battles of World War II

Battles of the Pacific during World War II

Military strategies of Pacific battles during World War II

Island hopping as a military strategy during WW II

Bombing the Philippine Islands in WW II

Preliminary Thesis: It was effective military strategy to bomb the Philippine Islands during World War

II.

Gathering information

The requirements of the assignment will dictate how many sources are needed. Generally it is best to

have a variety of sources: books, periodicals, electronic media, and interviews. Evaluate all sources for

appropriateness, accuracy, and bias. Students may use the following checklist to help them evaluate

sources.

Evaluation Checklist

All Sources (Including Internet) Yes No Comment

Is the author a recognized authority?

Is the information up-to-date?

Are there bibliographies or references to other sources?

Can the information be confirmed by other sources?

Can bias be detected?

Internet Sites

Can the source of the information be determined?

Are there links to other appropriate sites?

Has the site been reviewed by a recognized agency?

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/11/

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/


Taking Notes

Complete, accurate note-taking is necessary for creating a well-organized, well-documented research

paper

Subheading:

Order

#

Information- One fact per space Citation

(author #)

Analysis: interpret, restate, agree/disagree, significance)

Taking Purposeful Research Notes

When students are asked to complete a research project, there are 5 steps that a teacher needs to structure

for his/her students before a single note should be taken:

1. Choose a topic

2. Narrow your focus

3. Find sources

4. Read, highlight, and margin note your sources

5. Brainstorm subtopics for your paper based on your sources

Once these steps have been followed, it is time to take notes. The note-taking stage is the most important

step in writing a research paper; it is even more important than the actual writing of the paper. Why?

Because having useful, organized notes makes writing your paper an automatic process. The more time

you spend making your notes useful an organized, the less thought has to go into turning them into a

well-written paper. However, it is easy to get frustrated with the note-taking step, and sometimes

students even skip it all together. This is because the process of taking notes is time-consuming and

arduous, and, especially for many students with learning disabilities, the idea of writing down a

significant amount of information and mentally organizing it under subtopics is overwhelming.

Therefore, if the teacher can make the note-taking process meaningful and relatively easy for the student,

this most important step in preparing a research paper becomes less of a chore.


NOTE CARDS: Some teachers ask their students to use index cards to write down individual facts with

the intention of categorizing them under broader subtopics when the notes are complete. Though note

cards seem easy to manipulate and minimize a large amount of information into individual snippets (one

piece of information per card), there are several problems that commonly arise when using note cards in

research:

Problem #1: Students write too much information on a card

Problem #2: Students fill out cards just to meet teacher requirements (i.e. “you must have 50

note cards for your paper”) without considering the usefulness of the information or its

relevance to the topic

Problem #3: Students have the added step of organizing their note cards into piles when they

are done taking notes Problem #4: When they sit down to organize their note cards under

subtopics, many students realize that they took too many notes on one topic and not enough

on another. Also, they may realize that they wrote the same fact on more than one card.

This means either restructuring the paper or finding more sources to fill in the gaps in

information. Problem #5: In the organization process, many students find that they have

some notes that don’t fit under any relevant subtopic. This means that they spent time taking

notes that will never get included.

The solution to these problems is simple: toss the note cards and use structured notes sheets

instead, following the numbered steps on the next page …

MAIN IDEA: 1. Students have several notes sheets going at once with pre-determined main ideas on

them

Check out the following sample pages to see these notes sheets in action

The sample research paper topic is: “The American Flag”

Order # Information – one fact per space

Source Letter

Page #

4. 2. As they find information in their highlighted sources that fits under a subtopic,

they write it in a blank space on the sheet for that subtopic

Students code their sources

Source A, B, C, etc.) and ( record the source letter and

page number for each fact. This forces them to keep

track of where the information came from and

makes citations easier to

insert as they write

3.

When the student has completed all

of his/her notes, it is time to put

the pages in order as they would

appear as paragraphs in the paper.

Then, the individual facts on each

page also need to be put in logical

order by numbering them in the boxes

provided in this column.


MAIN IDEA: US flag etiquette


Source

Letter

Page #

2

don’t let it drop towards any person or thing (exception: returning a salute from a foreign ship)

A 24

4 can never touch the ground A 24

3 lights have to be shined on it if it is flown at night A 28

6 repair or replace it if it gets worn and frayed B 142

7

if it is worn beyond repair, it must be destroyed by burning (can never be thrown away)

C 3

8

Flag Day (June 14) = American Legion organized flag burning ceremonies for old flags

C 3

1

the flag code says that it cannot be used on "anything intended to be discarded after temporary use" (like napkins or

boxes) A 26

5 it is not true that a flag that touches the ground has to be burned C 3

Notice that information on this page is from 3 different sources, but all fits under the

same main idea.

Having at least 6 spaces filled on this 10-space page is an indicator that you have enough for a

paragraph in your paper.

MAIN IDEA: the first US flag


Source

Letter

Page #

1 when the Declaration of Independence was signed, the US had no official flag

B 140

2 the Grand Union Flag is often given credit as the "First National Flag,” but this is not official

C 5

3 the Grand Union Flag looked like the British East India Company flag C 5


6 red and white stripes in the flag may have come from the Washington family coat of arms

A 31

4 the Grand Union Flag was used early in the Revolutionary War by George Washington A 32

5

Flag Resolution passed on June 14, 1777: "Resolved, That the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red

and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation." B 141

How Notes Sheets eliminate possible note-taking problems:

Problem #1: Students write too much information on a card

Notes Sheet Solution: Each space on the sheet is only big enough for one fact or

quote.

Problem #2: Students fill out cards just to meet teacher requirements (i.e. “you must have 50

note cards for your paper”) without thinking about the usefulness of the information or its

relevance to the topic

Notes Sheet Solution: If students are properly putting information on a notes

sheet to match the main idea at the top, then every note is different, meaningful,

and useful.

Problem #3: Students have the added step of organizing their note cards into piles when they

are done taking notes.

Notes Sheet Solution: Students are organizing their notes under main ideas as

they write them down, which eliminates one big step in the organizing process.

Problem #4: When they sit down to organize their note cards under subtopics, many students

realize that they took too many notes on one topic and not enough on another. Also, they

may realize that they wrote the same fact on more than one card. This means either

restructuring the paper or finding more sources to fill in the gaps in information.

Notes Sheet Solution: A student can tell right away if he doesn’t have enough

information to make a paragraph and correct this problem as he takes notes

instead of after he is done. If 6 spaces on a sheet are filled out, there is enough

information for a solid paragraph. Also, as students write facts on their sheets,

they are less likely to repeat information that is already written down on that

page.

Problem #5: In the organization process, many students find that they have some notes that

don’t fit under any relevant subtopic. This means that they spent time taking notes that will

never get included.

Notes Sheet Solution: Again, if students are properly putting information on a

notes sheet to match the main idea at the top, then every note is meaningful and

useful.


There’s a blank notes sheet on the following page for you to use!

MAIN IDEA:


Source

Letter

Page #


Sophomore Composition

Research Paper Outline

I. Introduction

Attention Getter:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________

Transition Sentence to Background (Your sentence should lead your reader from the attention getter to

the background section.):

_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

Background/Relevance of Topic (Describe the history, importance and current relevance of your topic.

Give your reader reasons for caring and being interested in your topic.):

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

Thesis Statement:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________


II. Body Paragraph 1 (Division 1 in your outline – Write a topic sentence that introduces this

division. Remember transitions):

Topic Sentence:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

A. Example 1 (Give an example that proves your topic sentence.

______________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Analysis for example 1 (Explain how/why the above example proves your topic sentence. This

should answer the “so what”? It should provide YOUR reaction.)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________

****(A quote/paraphrase MUST be used in presenting/explaining this example. It should be used

when presenting your example.)****

B. Example 2 (Give another example that proves your topic sentence. Use a transition to move into

it. Another example, the next instance, etc.)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________

****(A quote/paraphrase MUST be used in presenting/explaining this example.It should be used


C. Example 3 (Give another example that proves your topic sentence. Use a transition to move into

it.)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________




Concluding Sentence (Restate your topic sentence)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

III. Body Paragraph 2 (Division 2 in your outline – Write a topic sentence that introduces this

division:

Topic Sentence:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

A. Example 1 (Give an example that proves your topic sentence.)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________



B. Example 2 (Give another example that proves your topic sentence. Use a transition to move into


_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________




C. Example 3 (Give another example that proves your topic sentence. Use a transition to move into

it.)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________




_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

IV. Body Paragraph 3 (Division 3 in your outline – Write a topic sentence that introduces this

division:

Topic Sentence:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

D. Example 1 (Give an example that proves your topic sentence.)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________



E. Example 2 (Give another example that proves your topic sentence. Use a transition to move into


_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________




_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________



F. Example 3 (Give another example that proves your topic sentence. Use a transition to move into

it.)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________




_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

V. Conclusion

Restate thesis statement:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________

Briefly restate main point and the reason your topic is relevant:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________

Refer to your attention getter. (Ferrari exit. . .)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________


CHECKLIST

Use transitions (especially as you introduce your subdivisions and between specific examples).

Use your transition packet for examples.

Use signal phrases and stitch and weave quotes (see packet). No dropped quotes.

Balance quotes and paraphrases.

Eliminate linking verbs.

Eliminate contractions.

Rephrase run-ons and fragments.

No informal language (Well, I’m going to show you, like, etc.)

Keep the same verb tense throughout paper.

Provide clear and strong ANALYSIS. Your writing should shine through. Research: 60% Your

writing/response/analysis: 40%

“Document correctly” (Foster 5).

Have a minimum of 8 sentences in each body paragraph.

Refer to research packet for in-citation guidelines and writing tips.

Do not use “I” or “you” in your paper.

NINE (minimum) citations total (Three - minimum per paragraph.)


Name _________________________ Date_____________________

Research Paper- thesis statement and topic

Remember your thesis statement needs to formulated as a yes/no question. Your thesis will not be

approved if it is not structured in this way.

Possible thesis statements connected to your topic:

1.___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________2.________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________3.__________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____

Approved:

List of sources from the on-line encyclopedias:

Books:

Magazines:

Websites:

Writing the Paper

Each paper should have a working outline, a rough draft with sources cited, time for revision,

and the final product that will include a bibliography. Since a research paper is required in Sophomore

Composition, students should recognize these steps and practice them every time they are assigned to do

research.


Documenting Sources

It is important to give credit to the original source of all ideas, opinions and facts, which have

been directly quoted, paraphrased or summarized. Failure to do so is plagiarism (see page 1). Credit is

provided to give authority to the paper, to allow the reader to verify the information contained in the

paper, and to enable the reader to locate additional information on the subject.

There are several documentation styles. Two of the most commonly used are the MLA (Modern

Language Association) style manual and the APA (American Psychological Association) style manual.

MLA is generally used by the humanities (literature, philosophy, history, etc.). APA is preferred by the

social sciences (psychology, sociology, political science, etc.) and the pure sciences (biology, chemistry,

physics, etc.). Usually the instructor will indicate which style to use; if no directions are given, choose

one style and use it consistently throughout the paper.

If questions arise refer to the complete handbooks, available in the LRC, or go to the

organizations’ web sites:

http://www.mla.org

http://www.apa.org

Sample entries for both styles are provided in this manual. The complete handbook for each style

is available in the school Learning Resource Center. Ask at the circulation desk for either the MLA

Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed. or the Publication Manual of the American

Psychological Association, 5th ed.

Endnotes

Some teachers may require endnotes rather than parenthetical references within the text. The

endnotes page is a separate page placed after the text and before the Works Cited (Reference) page. Each

endnote is numbered and must match a numbered reference in the paper itself.

The convenience of digital textbooks

The Coursesmart website made for distributing digital versions of print text books, claims that

“Studying with Coursesmart saves up to 60% of the money used buying print textbooks” (“Product

Features” 1). With the ability to save that much money when buying the same product, why would you

choose the more expensive option? Laptops and other technology replacing print textbooks has been a

popular idea for years now, but still hasn’t been the dominant choice for schools. Since their beginning,

Digital textbooks have become more complex, more interactive, and overall cheaper. Now that schools

are beginning to adopt this new option, it’s becoming obvious just how convenient they are for the

student. Using laptops as textbooks both inside and outside the classroom may be the new way to teach in

http://www.mla.org/

http://www.apa.org/


the near future. Schools should replace print textbooks with laptops due to their low price, portability, and

convenience for the students.

The first main reason for replacing print textbooks with electronic versions is the reduced price. The

magazine New Orleans City Business states that “Textbooks can quickly become dated, and it may be

impractical for most schools to buy new textbooks every year” (Fritz 1). This is helpful to point out since

Laptops can update quickly without having to leave the building, unlike traditional textbooks. Also, most

electronic updates of already purchased products are instant and completely free, which save you the

money that would have been used getting the newest edition of the School’s textbook.

Adding to this idea, the news website nyl.com claims that in their study “The principal lists among her

arguments that information in books becomes dated, while online

information is always current” (Belkin 1). By using the internet capabilities of a laptop, students will be

able to find out new changes in their lessons or new details about a history or science subject the day

they’re discovered. So far, the instant update in information has been praised in schools, due to not having

to pay for a new batch of textbooks every time there is a change in the lesson. Chnonline, a news website,

highlights that “rather than replacing pricey textbooks every few years, the ebooks can update quickly and

be edited with precinct information” (Mahoney 1). This can lead schools and students to slowly have less

and less of a need to replace books and materials. Multiple school representatives and teachers have also

seen less of a need to buy extra supplies since with laptops they can make teaching tools and assignments

“assembled by the wealth of free courseware” (Lewin 1). By taking advantage of other features of the

laptops, Teachers will be able to save their own money that would usually be used for classroom supplies.

ABCNews.com Reasons that due to these free educational programs “high tech can sometimes mean low

cost” (Martin 1). Online activities can also save money used for purchasing paper to print assignments.

BBCNews reports that one of the schools that switched to the digital textbooks “reduced the school’s

₤80,000 photocopying bill to just ₤15,000 a year.” (“Murdoch Group Unveils Amplify” 1). Education

Week magazine also demonstrates having less of a need for paper by claiming “one of these laptops can

be loaded with literally hundreds of virtual textbooks” (Hurst 1). The quote proves that although people

look more at the price of one laptop over one


Textbook, in reality one laptop can carry all of a student’s textbooks and notes for multiple years without

being replaced. People often think of buying technology for the school year as more expensive than books

due to the price of a laptop. However, schools are beginning to find more cost friendly alternatives to

provide students with the new learning tools. One source reports that “for the cost of 2 laptops, the district

can purchase 5 netbooks.” (Rueff 1). Assuming that the netbooks can use the online textbooks, have a

typing program, and can access the internet, all of the student’s computer and textbook needs for school

will have been met for a significantly lower price than expected. Neeru Kholsa, who founded a group for

free “flex books”, claims that people need to “get over the mindset issue” about the price because

“There’s no reason to pay $100 a pop for a textbooks when you can have the constant you want for free”

(Lewin 2). Most of the time, a textbook won’t be used by a student reading every page. Neeru proves that

paying so much for a textbook that isn’t used for its full potential is a strange habit when most of the same

information can be accessed on the internet for free. The Daily Herald had an article that states that “The

price for textbooks for two semesters in 2011 was $1,595.52” while “the electronic option will cost just

more than $1,000.00” (Chinwan 1). By choosing the digital textbooks over print, a student can now cut

the overall price of their textbooks by a third. Another Daily herald article claims that “for a four year

period students would save an estimated $225 over the costs of purchasing textbooks.” (Krishnamurty 1).

This shows that even if students have different classes, they can all still save by using the digital option.

By paying slightly more in the beginning of the year, students are able to save more money in the long

run. NYTimes points out that the online

Textbooks will save money by staying current longer. They claim that “traditional textbooks cost

about $70 a student.” While their digital alternative “starts at $38 a student for a six year subscription”

(Barnes 1). By using the digital option, Students can get only what they need and keep it for as long as

they’ll need it for a cheaper price. Chronicle of education magazine adds that “electronic texts typically

cost half as much as printed versions” (Young 1). When students only get the essentials and take

advantage of free software, they can find the same information as their traditional textbooks at a

significantly lower price. By taking advantage of the technology given to them, schools can show that

using digital textbooks instead of traditional print textbooks could become the cheaper alternative.


The next important use of online textbooks is their portability. Digital textbooks are able to keep all of

your notes and information with you whenever you have an electronic device on hand. NYTimes.com

claims that the laptops will allow their students to “do their home work and hear podcasts of their

teacher’s science lessons” (Lewin 1). The same article also claims later on that the students will be able to

“take courses online, at night, 24/7, whenever they want” (Lewin 1). Using digital textbooks will allow

students to keep up with class work during sick days or family vacations. The students will also be able to

review a lecture or find answers to questions in their free time. These functions can be used for a student

who needs to study for a test or forgets how to work through a homework problem. One website that was

made for the purpose of selling digital text books claims in their Q and A section that the textbooks will

allow you to “create notes

(Which automatically sync to the bookshelf next time you log in)” (“What in an e-book?” 1). Being able

to keep all your notes with the class textbook at all times can prove to be useful to students by having

them handy at all times and easy to add on to the notes as you go along. Also this way notes cannot be

misplaced in supplies for another class of left behind in the classroom. This can also help save room in a

student’s backpack. Education week magazine explains that a laptop “has a complete inventory of

textbooks that can be used in all classes for more than a year” (Hurst 1). By keeping textbooks in a digital

format students will have less to carry from class to class and won’t need to carry heavy backpacks from

and to school everyday. The Daily Herald demonstrates this by replacing their 68 pound books with “a

laptop or tablet, which could be as light as three quarters of a pound” (Chinwan 1). Having all of their

supplies in one light device could even let the student not have to carry a bag with them. Also, they won’t

have to go to lockers between classes or carry unnecessary books with them all day. A student named

David K Belsky claims that he “already has his laptop, and there’s only so much you can carry” (Young

1). This proves that students are getting tired of having to go back and forth so that they can get a new

load of textbooks to carry every few classes. Even without the need for lockers schools are finding

alternatives to keep the laptops safe. The Chicago tribune explains that “the students pick up the portable

computers from their homeroom charging stations every morning and drop them back off at the end of the

day” (Rueff 1). This proves that the laptops can still be kept in a secure place when not in use. When the

students go home to do their home work they will be able to get their homework through multiple


devices. The Daily Herald tells us that “the books can be read on a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer”

(Chinwan 1). This not only gives easy access to the textbooks but allows them to be in two places at once.

This could prove to be helpful in houses with multiple students who all learn at their own pace. The

etextbook website highlights that even if an internet browser is not available you can read the textbooks

on “Android devices, iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch with Coursesmart apps” (“Product Features” 1). This

way, if a student is traveling in a place without Wi-Fi, they will still be able to access their textbook. The

Daily Herald points out the ability to use the textbooks with Wi-Fi by stating that “It’s tremendous

mobility for them.” (Krishnamurthy 1). The Wi-Fi settings allow students to be able to use the textbook in

waiting rooms, offices, and some restraunts without taking anything extra with them. Schools are also

supporting the online textbooks by adding more Wi-Fi hotspots to their campuses. The magazine, New

Orleans City Business, reports that “about 80 percent of Metairie Park County Day’s campus is wireless”

(Fritz 1). Another magazine, Long Island Business News, Tells us that “At Adelphi University in garden

city, the library, cafeteria, commuter lounge ,and university center are all wired for access” ( Claude 1).

The schools increasing their Wi-Fi abilities allow students to so classwork or homework in almost any

area of the school at any time. By doing this, students can now use lunch periods or study halls to their

advantage without worrying about overcrowding at the computers. Having less to carry and being able to

get to your schoolwork no matter where you are makes Portability useful to students both inside and

outside of school.

Another attraction of digital textbooks is that Students use their laptops everyday anyways. Being

able to use something they already work with is a major convenience to both students and teachers.

Students need to learn how to use computers to deal with their future education and jobs. Superintendent

Kim Knott explains the situation as “this is where our children need to function in the 21st century to

compete for jobs” (Clapp 1). This proves that schools are ready for change because they want to have

students prepared for skills they’ll need for their future. Harvard university lecturer David Rose claims

that “the future is largely going to be in new media” (Martin 1). Carol Wary, a Clarksville middle school

teacher, adds to the discussion by claiming that “we know in business nobody operates without

technology” (Clapp 1). Both quotes conclude that schools are expecting students to need to use computers

on a daily basis in their future. By offering digital versions of the textbooks they are able to make sure


students keep up with modern technology. Schools are upgrading their technology to make it easier for

students to get their work done with 21st century resources. Long Island Business News magazine claims

that “Students can get their work done, cant access information without computers” (Claude 1). This

quote tells us that students need to be efficient with technology to study properly. Chnonline reports that

“students will learn to turn resources of the internet into a personal tutor, library, and reference tool”

(Mahoney 1). A school teaching their students how to use computers proves that teachers feel that it will

be a useful skill to have in the future. Students are also catching on to the new technology quickly. Chief

technology officer for the school, Sheryl R., tells NY Times that students are “digitally nimble” and that

they “think of knowledge as infinite” (Lewin 1). The Laptops are a way of allowing the student to access

more resources or look up any questions they might have about their textbook. Technology teacher Angie

Mulligan also states that with the computers as resources students “feel like they have some control over

things now, it’s not just us lecturing them” (Rueff 1). Because the students can o at their own pace when

using their own laptops, they can reread, search for something, or get extra help without holding back the

whole class. Teachers also find students working at their own pace useful, since they can monitor where

students are and who needs more help. Another teacher named Mrs. Bartomelo explains that instead of

walking “to each kid to see how it’s going” she can now “give time to the kids who really need it” (Rueff

1). Being able to compare student’s progress can help a teacher decide how to teach and at what pace to

teach at. In the end, if students use their talents with laptops they will be more prepared for the future and

help others learn.

In conclusion, digital textbooks should be able to replace traditional textbooks due to their lower

price, portability, and convenience for students. If laptops are given the chance, they can prove useful to

both the school and students. Laptops can open up new opportunities to traditional education if used

properly. Most schools already expect students to use technology in their education. If the schools don’t

make sure that the students have access to and know how to use computers, some students may fall

behind. Being able to save money and space for more convenient textbooks makes laptops an important

option in education.


Works cited

website

Martin, Rachel. Brouwer, Christine. ABCNews. Schools Dump Textbooks for iPods.

Laptops. Sept.13, 2009. Web. 6 mar 2013.

website

Mahoney, Karen. Chnonline. Laptops to replace school’s textbooks. Feb 25, 2010. Web.

8 mar 2013.

website

Schwarz, Alan. Nytimes. Out with textbooks, in with laptops for Indiana school district.

Munster ind. Oct 18, 2011. 8 mar 2013.

website

Clapp, Jerod. Newsandtribune. Clarksville community schools votes to replace some

books with laptops. May 31, 2011. Web. 8 mar 2013.

website

Lewin, Tamar. Nytimes. In a digital future, textbooks are history. August 8, 2009. Web. 8

Mar 2013.

website

Belkin, Adam. Nyl. Laptops completely replace books in Manhattan high school. March

22, 2011. Web. 8 mar 2013.

Newspaper article

“Murdoch group unveils Amplify tablet for US schools”. BBCNews. N.p. 6 mar. 2013.

Web. 13 mar. 2013.


Newspaper article

Barnes, Brooks, Chozick, Amy. “Media Companies seeing profit slip, push into

education”. NY Times. 19 aug. 2012: n. pag. Print.

Newspaper article

Krishnamurthy, Madhu. “District 207 replacing textbooks with Chromebooks”.

Daily Herald [Chicago]. 22 Feb. 2013. In. pag. Print.

newspaper article

Chinwah, Larissa. “ECC hoping to save student’s money, backs”. Daily Herald

[Chicago]. N.p. 30. July 2012. web.14 mar. 2013.

Newspaper article

Rueff, Ashely. “The future is electronic”. Chicago tribune. 24 Nov.2010. n. pag. Print.

magazine

Hurst, Marianne D. “Textbook shortages spur digital alternatives”. Education week. 23.

34 (2004: 5). MasterFileElite. Web. 20 mar. 2013

magazine

Fritz, Esher. “Wireless laptop usage among new Orleans- area middle and high schools”. New Orleans

Citybusiness (LA). (n.d.) . MasterFileElite. Web. 20 mar. 2013.

magazine

Claude, Solnik. “Universities on Long Island are providing wireless acess throughout most of their

campuses”. Long Island Business News (Ron Ron Koma, NY) (n.d.): MasterFileElite.

Web. 20 mar. 2013.


magazine

Young, Jeffery R. “How Kindle could change the textbook market”. Chronicle of higher

education. 55. 36 (2009): A4. MasterFileElite. Web. 20 mar. 2013.

Textbook website Q and A

N.A. N.P. “Product Features”. N.D. web. 22 mar. 2013.

Digital textbook website Q and A

N.A. N.P. “What is an ebook?”. N.D. web. 22 mar. 2013.

Research Paper: Research Points and Writing Points

Name: Date:

Due

date What is due

Tchr

Chck Points Out of

3.10 Thesis with 3 divisions approval 10

3.14 Source citations #1 - 2 (websites)

10 Note entries/Analysis on grid

10

3.21

Source citations #3-4 (magazine/newspaper

Sources)


(20 entries total)

***Make sure you are balancing notes among thesis

divisions.***

20

4.4

Source citations #5-6

(magazine/newspaper/website)


20


(30 entries total)

***Make sure you are balancing notes among

thesis divisions.***

4.9

Source citation #7

(miscellaneous:book,video,etc.)


(38 entries total)

15

4.11

Completed research on divisions: minimum

12 notes per division. Highlight important

notes.

Notes/Analysis must strongly support thesis

divisions.

10

Research portion complete 100

4.14

Introduction (Attention getter, background and thesis)

Hmwk: Pre-write Body Para. #1

5

4.16

(end of

period)

First body paragraph typed. Follow outline and rubric.

Follow MLA documentation guidelines. This paragraph

will be teacher edited.

20

4.18

Second body paragraph typed. Outlines will be checked

beginning of period. 10

4.21

Third body paragraph typed.

Outlines will be checked beginning of period.

Conference with teacher if needed.

10

4.22 -

4.23

Conclusion Outline

Works Cited Page

Revisions, Sentence Variety

5

4.25 Final Paper due: Note-taking grid packet and rough

drafts will also be turned in. 200*


*See Rubric for point breakdown

Paper completed 250

Sophomore Composition: Research Paper Assessment Rubric

A B C

Does not meet 9-10

standards

Meets 9-10 standards Exceeds 9-10 standards

1. Attention-

getter/ 10

DNM=5-6/10

M=7-9/10

EX=10/10

_______Comments: _______Essay begins with attention-

getter, relevant historical context and

contains a “bridge” connecting this

information to the thesis.

_______Comments:

2. Evidence/

Support

DNM=10-12/20

M=12-18/20

EX=19-20/20

_______Comments: _______Develops claims clearly and

supplies specific evidence from

sources for each reason. Effectively

uses quotes and paraphrases as

evidence to prove claim. Minimum

of 9 citations properly documented.

_______Comments:

3. Analysis

DNM=10-12/20

M=12-18/20

EX=19-20/20

_______Comments: _______ Each body paragraph

contains an analysis of evidence that

explains clearly how the evidence

proves the claim.

_______Comments:

4. Organization

DNM=10-12/20

M=12-18/20

EX=19-20/20

_______Comments: _______Creates an organization that

establishes clear relationships among claims, topic sentences,

evidence, and analysis. Effective use

of transitions and signal phrases is

included in this grade.

_______Comments:

5. Conclusion

DNM=5-6/10

M=7-9/10

EX=10/10

_______Comments: _______Provides a concluding

statement or section that follows

from and supports the argument

presented. This should include a

final statement explaining the

importance of the topic.

_______Comments:

6. Language,

word choice,

structure,

grammar

DNM=5-6/10

M=7-9/10

EX=10/10

_______Comments: _______Establishes and maintains a

formal style and objective tone.

Sentences should be coherent and

cohesive. Contains few fragments

or run-in sentences and verb tense

is consistent throughout.

_______Comments:

Works Cited Page _______/10

Paper Total:________/

Name_________________________


Bibliography Card Template

REQUIREMENTS:

Minimum 7 sources used in research note taking (Minimum: 2 websites, 3 magazine/journal/newspaper, 1

miscellaneous – book, interview, etc. You may have more than this; this is the basic requirement.)

Number each source as you make citations

MLA Citations can be written, printed and pasted on this page or done digitally and saved in your

research folder.

Use the Purdue OWL MLA citation link for correct citation format for each type of source. (On LRC

website)

Use EasyBib (MLA) to create citations for you. Please delete URL information when citing websites.

This is no longer required under the MLA guidelines.

Sources

#_____________

Type: _________________ (website, magazine, journal, book, etc.)

#_____________


#_____________

#_____________

#_____________

#_____________

#_____________

#_____________

Remember to vary your sources!

Use proper citation format!


Chapter 6 - BUSINESS WRITING

Business Letter Format

Top Margin = 1 inch & Bottom, Left, and Right Margin = 1 inch

Open Punctuation – No punctuation after Salutation or Complimentary Close

Block Format – All components of a letter are aligned at the left margin (LM)

Mixed Punctuation – colon after salutation and comma after complimentary closing.

Letter Head Company Information – name, telephone, fax, web site, email, or address

(takes up 1st inch of paper).

Date Spell out month (come down 6 lines from top of paper)

QS

Letter Address To whom the letter is going to (1st line could be an attention line)

DS

Salutation Dear Sally (no punctuation if open & colon in mixed punctuation)

DS

SUBJECT LINE Identifies the topic of letter – ALL CAPS

DS

Body of Letter Single Spaced, Double-Spaced between paragraphs

DS After last paragraph

Complimentary Close Sincerely; Cordially yours; Yours truly (no comma if open punctuation

& a comma if mixed punctuation is selected)

QS

Typed Name Person who wrote the letter

Dept./Title If title is 2 words or more, put below their name, otherwise, keep with

name DS

Reference Initials Person who keyed the letter; lowercase and no punct.

DS

Enclosure(s) Any attachments that go with the letter

DS

Copy Notation If a copy of the letter is being sent to one or more people. Key a lower

case c followed by those people that are going to receive the letter.


*Note: Not all letters require subject lines, reference initials, enclosures, and/or copy notations.

Regardless of which notations are needed, key them in the order given with a DS between them.

Legend – QS = Quadruple Space – DS = Double Space – SS = Single Space – LM = Left Margin

Business Letter with Letterhead

2” TM

Legend: TM, BM, LM & RM = Top, Bottom, Left & Right Margin – QS = Quadruple Space – DS =

Double Space

Merkel – Evans, Inc 1321 Commerce StreetDallas, TX 75202-1648Tel. (214) 871-4400

(6 returns from the top)

November 10, 20--

(QS)

Mrs. Evelyn M. McNeil

4582 Campus Drive (Letter Address)

Forth Worth, TX 76119-18385

(DS)

Dear Mrs. McNeil:

HOLIDAY SEASONS FAST APPROACHING (Subject-ALL CAPS)

(DS)

The new holiday season is just around the corner, and we invite you to beat the rush and

visit our exciting Gallery of Gifts. Gift giving can be a snap this year because of our

vast array of gifts “for kids from one to ninety-two.”

What’s more, many of our gifts are pre-wrapped for presentation. All can be packaged

and shipped right here at the store.

A catalog of our hottest gift items and a schedule of holiday hours for special charge-

card customers are enclosed. Please stop in and let us help you select that special gift,

or call us if you wish to shop by phone.

We wish you happy holidays and hope to see you soon.

(DS)

Cordially yours,

(QS)

Ms. Carol Suess, Manager (if title is 2 words or more, move to next line)

rj Reference Initials

(DS)

Enclosures

c Jim Smith (Copy Notation)

1” LM

1” RM


Personal Business Letter Format

Top Margin = 1 inch & Bottom, Left, and Right Margin = 1 inch

Open Punctuation – No punctuation after Salutation or Complimentary Close

Block Format – All components of a letter are aligned at the left margin (LM)

Mixed Punctuation – colon after salutation and coma after complimentary closing

Return Address Person who is sending the letter (come down 6 lines from top)

Date Third line of the return address

QS

Letter Address To whom the letter is going (1st line could be an attention line)

DS

Salutation Dear Sally (no punctuation if open & colon in mixed punctuation)

DS

SUBJECT LINE Identifies the topic of letter – ALL CAPS

DS

Body of Letter Single Spaced, Double Spaced between paragraphs

DS After last paragraph

Complimentary Close Sincerely; Cordially yours; Yours truly (no punctuation if open & coma

in mixed punctuation)

QS

Typed Name Person who wrote the letter

Dept./Title If title is 2 words or more, put below their name, otherwise, keep with

name

DS Enclosure(s) Any attachments that go with the letter

DS

Copy Notation If a copy of the letter is being sent to one or more people. Key a lower case c followed by

those people that are going to receive the letter.

*Note: Not all letters require subject lines, reference initials, enclosure notations, and copy notations.

Regardless of which notations are needed, key them in the order given with a DS between them.

Legend – QS = Quadruple Space – DS = Double Space – SS = Single Space – LM = Left Margin

WHS Writing Manual page 37 of 80

1” BM

Legend: TM, BM, LM & RM = Top, Bottom, Left & Right Margin – QS = Quadruple Space –

DS = Double Space

(6 returns from the top)

1764 Seminole Dr.

Detroit, MI 48214-2176

November 19, 20—

(QS)

Mr. Thomas E. McCarthy

2552 Madison Rd.

Cincinnati, OH 45208-3172

(DS)

Dear Mr. McCarthy:

(DS)

FRIENDS IN NEED (SUBJECT LINE – ALL CAPS)

(DS)

Someone once said, “A friend in need is a friend indeed,” and I am in need.

When you were in Honors English at Hillside High School, I recall your using Cliff’s Notes to

help you through some of the more esoteric reading assignments. Do you still have those

“Notes”?

Among our readings for second semester are Great Expectations and Hamlet. Cliff’s Notes

would be especially helpful for the latter, but I’d appreciate having both. If you can lend me

these, I’ll be forever grateful. Please let me know if you can be of help.

Knowing you, I’m sure all is going well at college.

(DS)

Cordially,

Joanne Smith (QS)

Joanne Smith

Student at Large (if title is 2 words or more, move to next line)

(DS)

Enclosures

(DS)

c Jim Jones (Copy Notation)

Personal Business Letter

1” LM

1” RM

2” TM


RESUMÉ

Bertha Winthrop

Objective To obtain an executive secretarial position with Norton Industries.

Work Experience 2000-Present McDonald’s Corp. Woodstock, IL

Customer Service Specialists

Customer relations

Maintaining company standards – maintenance/cleanliness

Cash Handler

Inventory Control

1996–2000 Bertha’s Home/Child Care Woodstock/Wonder Lake,

IL

Child Care Specialist

Provided safe and nurturing environment for children

Responsible for care of the home

Education 2000-2004 Woodstock High School Woodstock, IL

Diploma – pending upon graduation – spring 2004

Major Emphasis – Administrative Services

GPA – 4.65 – upper 15% of class

School Activities Pom Pon Squad – 4 years; Chorus – 2 years; Theatre Club – 2 years

Special Skills &

Abilities

Key between 70 and 80 wpm. Computer skills include: Microsoft Office

97 & 2000 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access), Windows Operating

Systems 3.11, 95, & 98. Working within teams and willing to take on a

leadership role.

Interests

Spending time with family; reading; writing; church activities

References Mr. Ralph Morris. Store Manager. McDonald’s Corp. Eastwood Drive.

Woodstock, IL 60098-0704. (815) 338-5468.

Mary Lou Smith. Homemaker. 458 Evergreen. Wonder Lake, IL

60097-0458. (815) 444-9633.

Roger Oberman. Business Education Instructor. Woodstock High

School. 501 W. South St. Woodstock, IL 60098-4204. (815) 338-4370,


ext. 141.

RESUME

Your Name Street Address

City, ST Zip Code

Email Address Phone Number

Education

School Name Dates of Attendance

Degree Obtained City, ST

Special award/accomplishment or Minor

Experience

Job Title Dates of employment

Company City, ST

Job responsibility/achievement-must start with verb




Company City, ST





Company City, ST





Volunteer Experience

Volunteer Role Dates volunteered

Company City, ST

Responsibility/achievement-must start with verb


Volunteer Role Dates volunteered

Company City, ST



Skills, Abilities, and Achievements

List skill, ability, or achievement - may need to include date



References

Name Name Name

Title Title Title

Business Name Business Name Business Name

Street Address Street Address Street Address

City, ST Zip Code City, ST Zip Code City, ST Zip Code

Phone Number Phone Number Phone Number


U. S. State Abbreviations

Ctrl+F12 or Ctrl+O Open Ctrl+Backspace Delete one word to left

Ctrl+N New Document Ctrl+Delete Delete one word to right

Ctrl+F4 Close Document Ctrl+X Cut text

Alt+F4 Exit Word Ctrl+C Copy text

Shift+F12 or Ctrl+S Save Ctrl+V Paste text

F12 Save As Ctrl+Shift+C Copy formats

Ctrl+F2 Print Preview Ctrl+Shift+V Paste formats

Ctrl+P Print

F12 Open Help Ctrl+F Find

Shift+F12 or Ctrl+S Open context-sensitive Help Ctrl+H Replace

F4 Repeat last action Shift+F4 Repeat Find or Replace

Ctrl+Z Undo Shift+Insert Paste Clipboard contents into text box

F5 or Ctrl+G Go To

Shift+F5 Go Back Ctrl+L Left-Align

Shift+F10 Display shortcut menu Ctrl+E Center

Ctrl+R Right Align

Ctrl+Left Arrow One word to left Ctrl+J Justify

Ctrl+Right Arrow One word to right Ctrl+1 Single Space

Home Beginning of line Ctrl+2 Double Space

End End of line Ctrl+5 One-and-one half space

Ctrl+Up Arrow One paragraph up Ctrl+M Indent from left margin

Ctrl+Down Arrow One paragraph down Ctrl+Shift+M Decrease indent

Page Up One window up Ctrl+T Set handing indent

Page Down One window down Ctrl+Shift+T Decrease handing indent

Ctrl+Home Beginning of document Ctrl+Q Remove paragraph formatting

Ctrl+End End of document

F7 Start spelling check

Shift+Right or Left Arrow One character to right or left Shift+F7 Start Thesaurus

Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow To start of word Ctrl+-(Hyphen) Optional hyphen

Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow To end of word Ctrl+Shift+-(Hyphen) Nonbreaking hyphen

Shift+End To end of line Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar Nonbreaking space

Shift+Home To start of line

Shift+Up or Down Arrow One line up or down Shift+Enter Insert line break

Ctrl+Shift+Up Arrow To start of paragraph Ctrl+Enter Insert hard page break

Ctrl+Shift+Down Arrow To end of paragraph Ctrl+Shift+Enter Insert column break

Shift+Page Up One screen up

Shift+Page Down One screen down Tab Move to next cell

Ctrl+Shift+Home To start of document Shift+Tab Move to previous cell

Ctrl+Shift+End To end of document Alt+Home Move to first cell in current row

Ctrl+A Select All Alt+End Move to last cell in current row

Alt+Page Up Move to first cell in current column

Ctrl+B Turn on or off bold Alt+Page Down Move to last cell in current column

Ctrl+I Turn on or off italic Alt+Shift+Page Down Select column

Ctrl+U Turn on or off underline Ctrl+Tab Insert tab within cell

Ctrl+Shift+D Turn on or off double underline Alt+5(numeric keypad) Select table

Ctrl+Shift+A Turn on or off all capitals

Shift+F3 Change case of characters Ctrl+K Start AutoFormat

Ctrl+Spacebar Remove character formatting Ctrl+Shift+N Apply Normal style

Ctrl+Shift+= Turn on or off superscript Alt+Ctrl+1 Apply Heading 1

Ctrl+= Turn on or off subscript Alt+Ctrl+2 Apply Heading 2

Ctrl+Shift+H Turn on or off hidden text Alt+Ctrl+3 Apply Heading 3

Ctrl+Shift+K Turn on or off small capitals

Ctrl+Shift+> Increase text size

Ctrl+Shift+< Decrease text size

Moving the Insertion Point

Deleting, Copying, and Pasting

Selecting Text

Character Formatting

Keyboard Shortcuts

Introductory Word Skills

Find and Replace

Paragraph Formatting

Writing Tools

Line, Page, and Column Breaks

Tables

Styles

https://www.usps.com/send/official-abbreviations.htm


Chapter 7 -Science Department Writing Requirements

General: When writing in any science class, students are expected to use correct rules of English

grammar. This includes spelling and punctuation, complete sentences and legible handwriting.

Plagiarism of any kind is not allowed. Working in lab groups does not grant students permission

to have identical work. Each student is responsible for their own lab write-up.

Scientific Calculations: Mathematics is a form of communication just as much as language is.

Students must write complete mathematical thoughts just as they must write complete thoughts

when they are using written language. The following procedure is designed to lead students

through the mathematical writing process in science.

Five-Step Problem Solving:

1. Identify what is known. Write down information that is given or that you know.

2. Identify the unknown. Write down the quantity that you are trying to find.

3. Write the formula. Find a scientific formula that applies to the situation and write it down.

Include both sides of the equation.

4. Substitution. Substitute numbers and units into the formula. Include both sides of the

equation.

5. Express your answer, with correct units.


Lab Reports in Science

How a teacher wants a lab report written varies, but lab reports generally include most, if not all

of the following elements:

Title: The title is the name of the lab.

Problem or Purpose: The problem or purpose describes the objective of the lab.

Hypothesis: A hypothesis is a statement of what the student thinks will happen as a result of the

experiment. Often the hypothesis is written as an answer to the problem statement.

Materials: The materials section contains a list of materials used in the lab.

Procedure: The procedure section is a step-by-step set of instructions that describes how the lab

was performed. It should be written clearly enough that someone not familiar with the lab could

perform it.

Observations/Data:

Observations: In this section students record what they see, hear, feel, or smell during the

experiment.

Data: This section contains data obtained during the experiment. The data should be entered into

a data table with neatly defined cells. The heading on each column or row should include units.

Analysis/Discussion: This section includes analytical thought regarding the observations and

data gathered during the experiment. There are several items that could be included:

1. Graphs

2. Groupings.

3. Mathematical manipulations.

4. Discussions relating the data gathered into major scientific ideas.

Conclusion: This section is a brief description summarizing the lab. It should always attempt to

summarize the following:

1. What were you attempting to do in the lab?

2. What were the results of the lab? This may include error analysis.

3. What do your results tell you? Do they answer or address the problem, purpose, or hypothesis

of the lab.


Chapter 8--Fine Arts

Art Critique (35 points)

Objectives:

– The student will analyze an art piece and identify an critique and judge its

characteristics, design, and meaning.

– The student will use art vocabulary.

Directions: Critique an art piece describing it according to this form. Write your critique in

paragraph form using complete sentences. This critique will need to be in a five-paragraph

format. You will be evaluated on both the critique of the art piece and the writing mechanics.

When describing the art piece use examples from the artwork to help explain your points.

Critique the artwork using the following points:

First paragraph should include:

Describe the art piece. What is happening in the composition? What media was

used? What does the piece look like? Name of art piece and artist?

Is there a focal point of the artwork? What is the first thing you notice?

Second paragraph should include:

Describe the process that the artist went through to create this piece. What did they

do first, second, third in creating it?

Third paragraph should include:

Describe items that are repeated in the artwork. Are they lines, shapes, colors?

Describe the colors. Are they bright? Grayed? Pretty? Garish? Soft? Pastel?

Clashing? Describe the value and contrast. Are they dark or light? High contrast?

Low contrast?

Which of the elements (line, shape, color, value, or texture) do you think are most

dominant in this artwork? Why?

Fourth paragraph should include:

Do you feel an emotion when looking at the art piece? Describe the emotions.

What do you think the artist is trying to say with his artwork?

Fifth paragraph should include:

Why do you like the art piece? Describe two positives of the artwork.

What do you dislike on the art piece? Why? What could be improved?


Chapter 9--Transitions

Each type of writing needs good transitions as signposts for the reader. Transitions are

also important to show the type of development being used. For example, chronological order

shows sequencing or ordering of events. Time sequences are important to explain processes

(process paper), to give directions (informative or expository paper), to relate a story (narrative

paper).

Examples of chronological transitions include the following:

After a while

After that

As soon as

At first

At the same time

Before

During

Earlier

Eventually

Finally

From that time

In the beginning

First

In the end

Last

Later

Meanwhile

Once

Next

Second

Since

Since them

Soon

Now

Until

Subsequently

When

Examples of transitions for spatial order include the following:

Above

Across

Adjacent to

Alongside

Among

Around

Before

Behind

Below

Beside

Between

Beyond

In front of

Inside

In the middle of

Off

On

Outside

Over

Throughout

To the left

To the right

To the side of

Toward

Under

Underneath

Up

Upon

Within

Examples of transitions for order of importance include the following:

Above all

A second factor

The best way

Compared to

Equally important

Finally furthermore

Moreover

Of less importance


Of more importance

Of major concern

Of minor concern

To begin with

Worst of all

Below is a list of many of the most common transitions in our language. These words serve to

clarify thinking and to lead the reader through the thoughts set on paper:

According to

After all

Afterwards

Also

And yet

As a consequence

And yet

As a result

At present

In summary

In the first place

In the future

In the past

Indeed

Initially

Last of all

Later

Likewise

Many times

Moreover

Most important

Nevertheless

Next

Notwithstanding

On the contrary

On the other hand

Otherwise

Perhaps

Put simply secondly

Similarly

Sometimes

Stated briefly

Still

Subsequently

Then

Therefore

Thirdly

Thus

To begin with

To conclude

To illustrate

At the same time

Before

Besides

Briefly

But

Certainly

Consequently

Despite

Earlier

Equally important

Even so

Even though

Finally

First of all

For example

For instance

For that reason

Foremost

Furthermore

Generally

However

In a few instances

In addition

In brief

In contrast

In fact

In like manner

In other words

In particular

In short

In some cases

In spite of

To sum up

To summarize


Chapter 10--Common Punctuation and Grammar Problems

Verb tenses

When writing an essay, keep the same tense throughout the paper. Use either present tense or past

tense but do not shift from one to the other.

Shift in tense: After she proved the point, she feels relief.

Correct tense: After she proved the point, she felt relief.

Do not use sentence fragments.

Incorrect example: When he came to the door

In a large New England town

Correct example: When she came to the door, John

immediately knew who she was.

In a large New England town many seaside

restaurants sell lobster dinners at a

reasonable price.

Do not use run-on sentences.

Incorrect example: My sister attends college at night, in the

daytime, she works as a nursing assistant.

The national parks preserve the scenic wonders of our country, also they provide

recreational facilities for visitors.

Correct example: My sister attends college at night. In the

daytime she works as a nursing assistant.

The national parks preserve the scenic wonders of our country. They also provide

recreational facilities for visitors.


Active and Passive Voice

The active voice places emphasis on the performer of the action. The passive voice

places emphasis on the receiver of the action.

In most writing the active voice is to be used.

Passive: The sandwich was eaten by me.

Cupcakes were baked by Mr. Gustafson.

Active voice: I ate the sandwich.

Mr. Gustafson baked cupcakes.

Commas

Use commas to separate items in a series.

Every Saturday morning I jog one mile, eat breakfast, and leave the house by eight.

Use commas to separate two adjectives that directly precede a noun that is not joined by a

conjunction.

That large, colorful hat is mine.

Use commas to separate the independent clauses of a compound sentence if the clauses are joined

by a conjunction.

My birthday is in June, and my sister Kim’s is in July.


Use a comma after certain introductory elements.

introductory words:

Now, aren’t you proud of yourself?

Juan, please answer the telephone.

a series of prepositional phrases:

From now until next month, I will be working at Gary’s Garage on the weekends.

In the corner of the top shelf of the refrigerator near the bacon, the corn starch is stored.

introductory participial or adverbial clauses: Tipping

his hat, the gentleman greeted his guests.

When we get home, let’s go for a walk.

for clarity:

Besides Mary, Lou is a good friend of mine.

Use commas to separate elements in dates and addresses.

On Saturday, June 16, 2000, my older brother graduated from high school.

Write to Hanson Studio, 400 Wellkon Highway, Portland, Connecticut 06480, for free samples.

Use commas to enclose parenthetical expressions.

On the other hand, I like the arrangement of the song.

The class trip, by the way, was very enjoyable.


Use commas to enclose appositives.

Their car, that old red convertible, needs a new muffler.

Apostrophes

To show possession

Add ‘s to form the possessive of a singular noun

Sam + ‘s = Sam’s Sam’s dog ran without his leash in

the park.

dime + ‘s = dime’s I want only a dime’s worth of candy

Taco Bell +s = Taco Bell’s All of Taco Bell’s food is on sale today.

Target + s = Target’s Target’s merchandise is being

unpacked today.

Add only an apostrophe to form the possessive of a plural noun that ends in s.

grandparents + s = grandparents’ My grandparents’

house is for sale.

Smith + s = Smiths’ The Smiths’ dog is loose again.

If a plural noun does not end in s. add ‘s to form the possessive.

men +s = men’s The men’s clothing was destroyed in the fire.

children + s = children’s Children’s stories were being told around the

campfire.


To check to see if the ‘s is to be added to a word to form the possessive, invert the possessive word

and the word following it to see if it is correct. The following sentence is an example.

Pat’s sunglasses were left in the car.

Invert sunglasses were and the sentence reads Pat’s were of sunglasses left in the car. This

sentence and its meaning aren’t correct; therefore, do not make sunglasses possessive.

Pat’s sunglasses were left in the car.

Invert sunglasses Pat and the sentence reads The sunglasses of Pat were left in the car. This

sentence and its meaning is correct; therefore, make Pat possessive by adding ‘s.

Use an apostrophe in a contraction to show where one or more letters have been omitted.

there is = there’s There’s one too many CD’s in the package.

who is = who’s Who’s going to show the video?

Note: Don’t confuse the word who’s with the word whose.

Correct Example: Who’s (who is) coming to the party?

Whose book is this?

he will = he’ll He’ll be going to the football game.

it is = it’s It’s about time for the game to start.

Note: In the above sentence the contraction it’s stands for it is. The apostrophe only goes between the t

and the s. This is the only time the contraction is used in this word. If you use a possessive, it is to be

written as in the following:

The dog lost its way home in the storm.


Do not use an apostrophe to form the plural of numbers, letters, symbols, and words that are used

to represent themselves.

Too many TVs were being used in one room.

The CDs were being sold at a reduced price.

Ands are not to be used to start sentences.

Yous are not to be used in essays.

Semicolons

Use a semicolon between the clauses of a compound sentence when they are not joined by a

conjunction.

The Julian calendar was very much like our own; every fourth year was a leap year with an extra

day.

Use a semicolon between the clauses in a compound sentence when they are joined by transitional

words.

The corn wasn’t ripe; in fact, the only vegetables ready to be picked were the tomatoes.

Colons

Use a colon before most lists of items, especially when a list comes after an expression such as the

following:

When you go to the store, you will need to bring the following items: coat, gloves, boots, and a

hat.

Have you learned the following computer terms: disk drive, modem, and debugging?

A colon is never used after a verb.

Incorrect: When you write an essay, you must include: name, period, date, and class.

Correct: When you write an essay, you must include name, period, date, and class.


Underlining or italics

Underline or place in italics titles of

books: The Great Gatsby, Of Mice and Men

periodicals: Time, Sports Illustrated

newspapers: The Chicago Tribune, Northwest Herald

full-length plays: The Miracle Worker, One Flew Over

the Cuckoo’s Nest

long poems: Evangeline, I Hear America Singing

long musical compositions: Beethoven’s Fifth

operas: Carmen

symphonies: William Tell Overture

ballets: The Nutcracker

CD’s: John Denver’s Greatest Hits

airplanes: The Enola Gay

ships: Titanic

trains: The Orient Express

spacecraft: Freedom

titles of movies: Psycho

radio and TV series: The Shadow, Buffy The Vampire

Slayer

Quotation Marks

Quotation marks are used to enclose

the titles of chapters: “Huck’s Lies”

articles: “The Benefits of Acupuncture”

stories: “The Fall of the House of Usher”

one-act plays: “The Monkey’s Paw”


short poems: “Old Ironsides”

songs: “Friends Forever”

Use a comma to separate a direct quotation from a speaker tag.

“You will need to bring me all the materials,” said Dad.

Santiago remarked, “That’s a strange method.”

“The paper drive,” Juan said, “was a big success.”

Note: Commas and periods always go inside closing quotation marks.

Jane said to the rest of the class, “You will need to read “Winter Dreams.’”

Use single quotation marks within double quotation marks.

“The short story ‘Safe and Soundproof’ was written by Joan Aiken,” Mr. O’ Flannery informed

us.

“Dad said, ‘Call me if you need a ride home,’’Miguel told his mother.

Note: The following examples show where to place a question mark or an exclamation mark based upon

its use.

Anita asked, “What time should I meet you?”

Who said, “Go west, young man.”?

“Oh no,” Edie exclaimed, “I just missed the bus!”

I thought I was dreaming when the announcer said, “You have just won the trip to Hawaii.”!


Hyphens

Use a hyphen when writing out the numbers twenty-one through ninety-nine.

forty-nine, twenty-three

Also use a hyphen when writing out a fraction that is used as an adjective or when it comes at the

beginning of a sentence.

Three-fourths of the people applied to be a computer programmer.

The vote must receive a three-fourths majority vote.

Use hyphens when using age as an adjective before the noun.

She is a fourteen-year-old girl.

Note the difference:

She is fourteen years old.

Use a hyphen after the prefixes ex-, self- and all- and before the suffix –elect.

ex-governor, self-assured, all-around,

Use a hyphen with all prefixes before a proper noun or a proper adjective.

pre-World War II tension, pro-American plays, mid-June sale


Dashes

Use dashes to set off an abrupt change in thought.

Then we opened the old porch---well, that’s an incident that must wait for another time.

Use dashes to set off an appositive that is introduced by

words such as that is, for example or for instance.

Many popular house plants---for example, the spider plant and the philodendron---thrive in

sunless rooms.

Use dashes to set off a parenthetical expression or an appositive that includes commas. Use dashes

to call special attention to a phrase.

The gentle, quiet koala---probably the most harmless animal in the world---lives almost entirely

in the branches of the eucalyptus tree.

Mr. Pierce rehearsed individual groups – the brasses, the woodwinds, and the strings – and then

he assembled everyone together for the final run through.

Use dashes to set off a phrase or a clause that summarizes or emphasizes what has preceded it.

The hot days, the cold nights, the mosquitoes---all these turned our camping trip into a disaster.

Sentence Variety

Combine short, choppy sentences into longer ones to make the writing more interesting and to read

more smoothly.

Example: short, choppy sentences:


The plane moved slowly.

The plane moved along the runway

The plane moved toward the hangar.

one sentence: The plane moved slowly along the runway toward the hangar.

or

Along the runway, the plane moved slowly toward the hangar.

Combine ideas of equal importance with the use of conjunctions.

Example: “Mississippi Rag” is an early example of ragtime piano music. “Harlem Rag”

is an early example of ragtime piano music.

one sentence: “Mississippi Rag” and ”Harlem Rag” are early

examples of ragtime piano music.

Combine sentences by subordinating.

Example: The corona can be seen during an eclipse. Usually it is invisible.

one sentence: Although it is usually invisible, the corona

can be seen during an eclipse.

Use a variety of sentence types in writing.

Rewrite sentences containing dangling and misplaced modifiers. Always place phrases as close as

possible to the word they modify.

misplaced modifier: We saw ducks paddling our canoe on Walden Pond. (This sentence tells

the reader that ducks are paddling the canoe.)


correct placement of modifier: Paddling our canoe, we saw ducks on Walden Pond. (This

sentence now places the phrase paddling our canoe next to we so it’s clear who is

paddling.)

dangling modifier: Running down the beachfront, the kites were

very colorful. (Who’s running down the beachfront?)

correct modifier: As we ran down the beachfront, we were able to

enjoy all the colorful kites.


Chapter 11—HOMONYM PROBLEMS

Because many of these words sound alike and because many of these combinations are learned at

the same time, the writer often becomes confused as to which word is needed. Please refer to this list

when in doubt:

Accept and except. Accept is a verb meaning to receive. Except is a preposition meaning to leave out.

Examples: I accept the award on behalf of the team.

Everyone except Bob went to the movies.

All right and alright. All right is the only correct spelling. Many writers remember that all wrong is

two words; therefore, so is all right.

Examples: My answers on the science test were all right.

All right, you can go to the dance with him.

Affect and effect. Affect is a verb meaning to influence. Effect is a noun meaning result.

Examples: The rain will affect the race.

The effect of the rain will be a postponement of the race.

(Note: Effect can also be a verb meaning to accomplish. He will effect change through legislation.)

All ready and already. All ready is an adjective meaning prepared. If the writer can leave out all and

there is sense in the sentence, this is his choice for writing. Already is an adverb meaning previously,

signaling that the action is completed.

Examples: The teams are all ready to go. (The teams are ready to go.)

The team already left before I arrived.

A lot and allot. A lot is an adjective (or article) followed by a noun meaning a group of, many, and

sometimes, a piece of land. This is the only spelling for this word. Writers are rarely confused by a little.

This is the opposite of that term. Allot is a verb meaning to distribute.

Examples: We expect a lot from our students.

The school is buying a lot across the street.

We can allot only five minutes for that activity.

Bad and badly. Bad is an adjective meaning not good. Badly is an adverb telling how something was

done. Badly cannot be used to explain how a person feels (I feel badly) unless the intent is to explain that

the person’s sense of touch is impaired. It is correct to say “I feel bad” when the speaker/writer feels

sorrow or regret about a situation.

Examples: I feel bad about the loss.

He was bad and was grounded for his behavior.

I performed my solo badly.

Between and among are both prepositions. Between is used when there are only two people involved.

Among is used when there are more than two.

Examples: Divide the candy between Mark and Sally.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZLkcFns8Ks


Divide the candy among Mark, Sally, and the rest of the team.

Can and may are both verb forms but their use implies different things. Can means that the subject is

capable of doing something. May is a way of asking permission to do something.

Examples: He can type faster than anyone in class.

May I go to the game with my friends?

Choose, chose are both verbs. Choose is the present tense; chose denotes past tense.

Examples: First we will choose captains.

After we chose captains, we began the game.

Cloths, clothes are both nouns. Cloths are pieces of material. Clothes are what we wear.

Examples: The cloths were put into a bag to be used for washing the car.

I got some new clothes for Christmas.

Complement and compliment. Complement is a verb meaning to add. Compliment is a verb meaning to

say something flattering to or about someone else.

Examples: Complementary angles touch one another.

The centerpiece will complement the beautiful table settings.

I complimented Sam on his win in tennis.

Could of, could have. The first does not exist in our language. We cannot put a preposition (of) into the

middle of a verbal expression. When we speak, we often say could’ve. The writer thinks that is spelled

could of. Only could have is correct.

Example: I could have (or could’ve) gone but my homework was not done.

Desert and dessert. The first word, pronounced with the accent on the second syllable, means to leave

without warning or to leave someone or something behind. The second word, dessert, is something to eat.

One way to distinguish between them is to remember that we all would like seconds on dessert, therefore,

there is a double ss. Desert can also be a noun when referring to the large areas of sand and arid areas

such as the Sahara Desert.

Examples: The soldiers will desert if they’re attacked again.

I love strawberry shortcake for dessert.

The man crawled through the desert looking for an oasis after his camel died.

Fewer and less. Fewer is used with plural words. Less is used with singular words.

Examples: He has fewer points than I do.

He has less milk than I do.

Good and well. Good is an adjective; well is an adverb.

Examples: That apple is good.

He plays basketball well.


Hear and here. Hear is a verb meaning to take sound in through the ear. Here is an adverb telling

where.

Examples: I hear the noise.

The bus is coming here first.

It’s and its. It’s is a contraction for it and is. Its is a possessive adjective and can be used only before

nouns. A good test for which one to use is to break apart the contraction. If “it is” works in the sentence,

then the writer wants to use it’s.

Examples: It’s hot in this room.

The cat is washing its paws.

Leave and let. Leave is a verb meaning to depart. Let is a verb meaning to allow or permit.

Examples: Leave the books on the table.

Will you let me go to the movie?

Lie and lay are both verb forms. Lie is an intransitive verb (cannot take a direct object) that means to

recline or be in a prostrate position. Lay is a transitive verb (can take a direct object) that means to put

down or place.

Examples: Ray lies on the couch every afternoon to take a nap.

Please lay your homework assignments on the desk as you leave.

Like and as. Like is a preposition that is followed by a noun or pronoun. As is a conjunction, often used

with “if,” that is followed by phrases and clauses.

Examples: March came in like a lamb.

He entered the room as they were leaving.

He acted as if he were the only person that was hurt.

Loose and lose. Loose is an adjective meaning not close together. Lose is a verb meaning the opposite of

find, to cease having.

Examples: There is a loose thread on my sweater.

I hate to lose money.

Passed and past. Passed is the past tense of the verb pass. Past is a noun meaning earlier than present

time.

Examples: Paul passed the note to Marie.

The past is often studied in history.

Personal, personnel. Personal is an adjective having to do with an individual person. Personnel is a

noun referring to a group of people, like employees of a firm.

Examples: My personal choice is going to a movie.

The personnel of the company are being given a raise.


Principal and principle. Principal is a noun referring to the head administrator of a school. It can also

be an adjective meaning the main or chief idea. Principle is a noun referring to a rule. Many students

learn this saying, “our principal is our pal,” to remember this.

Examples: The principal read the morning announcements.

The principal reason for my quitting was the salary.

The principle of gravity is being applied to his experiment.

Quiet and quite. Quiet is an adjective meaning absence of noise. Quite is an adverb meaning actually or

somewhat.

Examples: The library is quiet.

He is quite a bowler.

Regardless, irregardless. Regardless is the preferred; irregardless is redundant and non-standard and

should not be used.

Example: He will go regardless of the weather.

Stationary and stationery. Stationary is an adjective meaning standing still or not in motion. Stationery

is a noun meaning paper on which letters are written. Students can remember the difference because the

“e” in stationery should remind them of the “e” in letter.

Examples: I exercise on a stationary bike.

My brother gave me stationery for Christmas so I could write him letters while he’s at college.

That, which refer to things; who and whom refer to people.

Examples: I found the map that was missing.

I saw the girl who was dating my brother.

Then and than. Then is an adverb telling when. Than is used in comparisons between two people or

objects.

Examples: I went to the ball game; then I went home.

She is taller than he is.

There, their, and they’re. There is an adverb telling place, telling where something is. Their is a

possessive adjective showing something belongs someone or something referred to in the sentence.

They’re is a contraction for the pronoun they and the verb are.

Examples: The ball is over there.

They have their own car.

They’re coming over after dinner.

Through and threw. Through is a preposition meaning in at one side and out the other. Threw is a past

tense verb meaning to hurl or toss.

Examples: I went through the passageway.

He threw the ball.

NOTE: Thru is a substandard spelling and should never be used.


Too and to. Too is an adverb referring to quantity or meaning also. To is a preposition. To can also be a

part of an infinitive.

Examples: That box is too heavy for me to lift.

Let me go, too.

I’m going to the library to study. (infinitive)

Whether and weather. Whether is a conjunction meaning “if” and connotes doubt. Weather is a noun

referring to the climate changes.

Examples: I don’t know whether I can go.

The weather is gorgeous this month.

Which and witch. Which is an adjective or pronoun used in questions to pick out particular ones. Witch

is a noun often referring to someone who rides around on a broomstick and scares children at Halloween.

Examples: Which book do you want?

Which of these dresses looks the best on me?

That girl dressed up as a witch will certainly win the costume contest.

Whose and who’s. Whose is a possessive adjective denoting ownership in a question form. Who’s is a

contraction for the pronouns who and the verb is when asking a question.

Examples: Whose book is this?

Who’s coming to the fair?

You’re and your. You’re is a contraction for the pronoun you and the verb are. Take apart the

contraction and try “you are.” If it works in the sentence, you’re is your choice. Your is a possessive

adjective.

Examples: You’re late for class.

Take your keys with you.


Chapter 12—TYPES OF WRITING SAMPLES

Example of a Persuasive Paper:

This was written as a contest entry for Illinois high school seniors, sponsored by the AAA Chicago Motor

Club. Essays are judged on original ideas, a well-organized essay with minimal spelling, punctuation and

grammatical errors. More than 3 errors would disqualify an essay. Students are limited to 500 words.

Defend or refute the statement that seatbelts are important.

Seat Belts: Nuisance or Necessity?

Last July 1 on a warm summer night, my friend Adrian would get into his car one final time. He

never wore his seat belt, so why would he put it on this time? He was only twenty-one, what could

happen to him? If he only knew what was about to happen to him, he might have put it on. As he drove

home from a friend’s house, he was hit in the passenger side of his car. He was partially ejected and died

instantly. If he had only taken the seconds that it takes to buckle a seat belt, he would have survived with

some cuts and bruises.

The types of accidents like Adrian’s happen too often to young people. They are so preventable.

Many people believe that seat belts are a nuisance, but in reality they are a necessity. By not wearing a

seat belt, a person’s chance of not getting injured in an accident is 1.5%, according to an Illinois tollway

report in 1997. It has been proven many times that wearing a seat belt can save lives. In many young

people’s minds, seat belts are only worn when they are driving with a bad driver. They do not realize that

it is better to wear a seat belt and live through an accident than not to wear one and be dead in a casket. It

makes no sense for young people to die when it could have been prevented. They have their whole lives

to look forward to; they should not cut them short by carelessness. The peer pressure is very high among

young people to not wear seat belts because it is “uncool.” Young adults are very easily persuaded

because they just want to “fit in.” It is very humiliating for a person to be made fun of by their peers.

Many young people will risk their lives by not wearing a seat belt because it is the “cool” thing to do.

Illinois has made some improvements involving seat belt laws for young adults. There is a law

that is specifically for kids eighteen and under. It says that the car can only have as many people in it as

there are seat belts. Law enforcement officers can also pull a car over if the driver is under eighteen and

not wearing a seat belt. If someone is over eighteen, there has to be another reason in the car with the

driver for them to be pulled over.

Seat belts save lives; it is a proven fact. I do not see why people even think about not putting one

on. If Adrian had another chance to decide whether or not to wear his seat belt, he would have put it on.

It is too late now for Adrian, but not for everyone else. Seat belts are definitely a necessity.


Example of an Expository Paper

Topic: What creature on earth could be considered the most respected and self-sufficient, excluding man.

Support this selection with specifics.

Dolphins are Extraordinary

Dolphins have been widely publicized on television and in aquatic zoos because they are friendly,

relate to humans, and can communicate with us. Dolphins are a most respectable, admirable, and self-

sufficient animal. One thing is for sure, dolphins are extraordinary.

Dolphins are proposed as “the animals of the sea.” They are respected in many ways. For

example, they can jump high and are respected for entertainment of the people all over the world.

Dolphins can also swim up to fifty miles per hour and are respected by other animals of the sea because

they are not the prey of any animal except the shark. Although they can escape the predatory approaches

of sharks with their speed, dolphins are also respected because they are life-savers. For example,

dolphins are easy to train so they have been used over and over again for rescues of other wildlife of their

own species or for rescues of humans. Dolphins can save animals’ and humans’ lives. Finally, dolphins

are respected because they seem just like us humans without any sort of limbs. For example, dolphins are

mammals, so they feed off their surroundings, they give birth to their young, and take care of their young

until the infant is able to live on his or her own. Because dolphins seem just like humans in many ways,

they are highly respected by those same humans.

Anyone can join the fun of swimming with the dolphins in the lagoons in Florida. Injured

dolphins are caught, taught to live and be healthy and then released back into the wild. Their stay in

captivity allows humans to interact with them and get to know them. People begin to admire the dolphins.

Because they can jump, swim, and play, people can not wait to go to any tropical place in the world just

to see these dolphins.

For example, Florida, Hawaii, California, and some other places in the world have programs

called “Dolphin Quests.” These are simply chances for people to swim with dolphins on a daily basis.

Dolphins know how to swim from the moment they are born and, just like humans, dolphins can adapt

into a world and fit into society in ways that not everyone knows of. No matter where tourists go along

the coast, dolphins will be there to be looked at as an admired creature of the world.

The dolphin is the most self-sufficient creature in the whole world. Dolphins are a very simple

species of living things. They are constructed of a body, a tail fin, and flippers. They can swim at high

speeds through the water and can jump up to twenty feet in the air because of the strength in their lower

body. They feed off their surroundings and they live in pods. Dolphins are not complex to their

surroundings, either. Dolphins can protect themselves against enemies, get their food on their own and

can also get enough exercise to stay fit enough to protect themselves. For example, with their tail fin they

can fight off enemies by attacking them with it or by simply pushing it to the extreme and swim away.

Dolphins can also get their own food by just swimming right up next to it and catching it in their mouth.

Because dolphins only eat small fish and some types of underwater vegetation, they can supply

themselves with the food and nutrients that they need to survive. Dolphins also can stay alive by doing as

much swimming as possible. Since they can swim, jump, and play, they get all the exercise that they

need on their own everyday. When they swim they are keeping their muscles working and when they


jump out of the water they are working their muscles even more. When they play they are just working

their aerobic system to get stronger. Dolphins are just a simple animal that is self-sufficient in their own

way.

Dolphins are respected, admired, and self-sufficient. That is why more and more people want to

go and see the dolphins or are amazed when they see them.


Example of Narrative Writing:

Tell about a significant event from your past that has impacted your life.

The Biggest Test of my Life

We had worked too hard, come too far, and practiced too long to lose that game. We were not

going to let Lundahl Junior High take our glory away. I was on the Olson eighth grade basketball team

that was going to play for the conference championship that day. We had defeated twelve other teams

before this one: thirteen was our lucky number. During the past two days we beat the best, Johnsburg and

Crystal Lake North Junior High. Today was our day. Tired or not, we were going to give it our all.

My legs were so tired and worn out that it felt as if I had been standing on them for days. The

team tried to get loose. We did all the stretching we could. After that, we ran out onto the floor. My legs

were numb, and my hands were shaking as if I were taking the biggest test of my life. It looked as if all

of Woodstock came to see us play. Eventually

the National Anthem was sung and the game began.

We controlled the jump ball. All of a sudden, my nervousness faded away. I brought the ball up

the floor with confidence, finding an open Jay Dunlop on several occasions in the first half. We led by

about twelve going into halftime. The team was feeling good, but we knew we had to play just as well

the second half to win. They threw in the ball to start the second half. Lundahl looked focused. Their

eyes were as if a hawk was searching for his prey. Soon, they had sliced the lead to eight going into the

fourth quarter. They put on their press with amazing intensity. We made a lot of turnovers leading to

easy buckets for the Lions of Lundahl. It was a close game with only a little time on the clock. With a

couple of missed free throws we let them get even closer to the win. Jay Dunlop was then fouled in the

waning seconds. He stepped to the line, calmly sinking one of two. The one was just enough to hold on

to the win.

From that moment, I knew we would win. We were winning by four with only two seconds left.

They threw in the ball as the buzzer sounded. I jumped on my coach, Mr. White, hugging him and the

rest of my teammates. Some players even had tears in their eyes. Later on, I started to get them as well.

We knew that this was our game, our season, our tournament, and our trophy. The bus ride home was

spent laughing while we reflected on the game. Just when we arrived back to the school I thought to

myself that this was the best team I have ever been a part of. Now, every time I step onto the floor, I

think of eighth grade when Olson won the Fox Valley Conference. I wonder if I will ever get the chance

to do something like that ever again.


Comparison/Contrast Paper

After viewing The Verdict and The Rainmaker, write a comparison paper on one or more aspects of the

movies: characterization of the main lawyer, the cases involved, the assistant to the lawyers, the women

involved in the lawyers’ lives, the judges, etc.

The stories from the movies The Verdict and The Rainmaker are extremely similar. In The

Verdict, Frank Galvin is a lawyer who is suing a hospital on behalf of a woman in a coma. He ends up

winning a large sum of money because of a surprise witness. In The Rainmaker, Rudy Baylor is the

lawyer for a boy dying from leukemia. The insurance company refuses to pay for experimental treatment

of a bone marrow transplant, so Baylor and his client sue and end up winning fifty million dollars.

One of the major differences in the two moves is the development of the character of the lawyers.

Frank Galvin from The Verdict is a veteran lawyer with a losing streak who also drinks too much. Rudy

Baylor is a young lawyer just recently out of law school who only has two cases and has never been in

trial before.

Another difference is the lawsuit itself. In The Verdict, the case is against a large hospital run by

the Catholic church. Doctors from the hospital changed admissions records because they gave a pregnant

woman the wrong anesthetic, causing her to swallow her own vomit and go into a coma. The case in The

Verdict is about a boy with leukemia who is denied a treatment that would save his life. Both are cases

dealing with serious issues, that of negligence on the part of the doctors who gave Deborah Anne Kaye,

the pregnant woman, the wrong anesthetic, and that of wrongful death when Donny Ray Black dies

because of the treatment that was withheld from him.

One of the most important similarities between the two movies is the David versus Goliath

theme.. In both movies, there is one lone lawyer who is at the bottom of his game pitted against a huge

corporation, or in The Verdict’s case, an archdiocese, and a lot of lawyers who are extremely well versed

and experienced in the law.

In each case, the lawyers lose their star witness. In The Verdict, Galvin had an expert in

anesthesiology lined up to testify, but the doctor went on vacation right before the trial. He had to use a

general practitioner instead. In The Rainmaker, Baylor couldn’t find an ex-employee of Great Benefit,

Jackie Lemanchek, when he wanted her to give a deposition. However, Baylor’s assistant, Deck Schifflet

did find her in an institution where she had voluntarily checked herself in for drug abuse treatment.

The single witness to win the case is a technique both movies incorporate. Frank Galvin does

find the admitting nurse, Kaitlyn Costello Price, to give testimony about the records being changed to

protect the doctors. Even though her testimony was stricken on a technicality, her side of the story is


probably what won the case for Galvin. In The Rainmaker, Lemanchek testifies as to how Great Benefit’s

policy is to deny all claims for the first year, trying to wear down their customers. Since letters are sent

out by various departments of Great Benefit to the policyholder, the policyholder can easily become

confused and give up.

The most important concept that the viewer leaves these films with is that the law is intricate and

complicated and that good lawyers who are interested in justice for the ”little guy” can become heroes to

their clients and to their audiences.


Example of College Scholarship Essays

This was written as an admissions requirement for the UW-Madison in Wisconsin.

Four summers ago, I first set foot onto the University of Wisconsin campus at Madison. I was

carrying my seemingly 1000-pound French horn, ready to attend the weeklong summer music clinic in the

sweltering heat. During the week I got my first ever taste of college. Eating ice cream for breakfast and

fighting for the showers was a brand- new experience for me, but I loved it. I attended cheerleading camp

in Oshkosh for the next three years, but it was never the same as Madison. On almost a weekly basis I

would hear people commenting on what a wonderful school UW Madison was, and I could envision

myself attending school there. But I didn’t have much time for “envisioning.” High school and other

things kept me occupied.

Schoolwork has taken up a great deal of time, especially with honors English, science, and

mathematics courses. It is not at all easy to maintain over a 4.0 grade point average while being involved

in activities, but there is no doubt that it can be done. I know from experience. They year I have

Advanced Placement Calculus and English classes, and Honors College Bound Composition.

Cheerleading has also kept me very busy. By the end of this year, I will have cheered at over 100

games! In 2008, I was voted my squad’s “Most Valuable Cheerleader,” but I am most proud of being

named an NCA (National Cheerleaders’ Association) All-American in 2007. This award involves an

intense tryout and very few receive the honor. This year I was nominated again for the award. This past

summer I taught two camps for young girls who were interested in cheerleading.

Band has been a great stress-reliever for me at many times. I love to play the French horn, and I

have many awards to prove it. I have received ten medals from the IHSA solo and ensemble contest,

every one of them being a 1st. Last year I was involved in the County Honors Band, which was very

challenging, but it’s those challenges that make life interesting.

Along with these activities, I feel that the National Honor Society has been the most beneficial for

me. Through NHS, I, along with two others, organized and ran the annual Christmas food drive for our

entire high school. I’ve tutored middle school students two nights a week, and found that I love teaching

and being with children.

But then there were many other things to keep me busy: planning the school swing dance,

representing my school at two statewide leadership conferences, and helping my church with the Adopt-

A-Family program. I’ve done stage crew for a local theater production, been on the Winter Formal Court,

and grieved over the loss of a friend with many of my classmates.


When I do have time to think about college, UW-Madison comes to mind. I believe the school

would challenge me academically and could help me to succeed in my dream of being an English teacher

with a major in biology. I am sure that I would adjust wonderfully to the university and could bring some

new ideas and help keep the old ones. I am sure that UW Madison would help me to become a

“contributing member of the changing global society” (our high school motto) for long into my life.

What significance does participating on a team sport have in a high school education?

When I was five years old, I decided that I wanted to grow up to play basketball with Michael

Jordan and baseball with Ryne Sandburg. In 8th grade I realized that basketball really wasn’t my sport

after I had been selected to my middle school’s B team for the second year in a row and noticed that

everyone on my team was vertically challenged as I (we were all under 5 ft. tall) and that everyone on the

A team was at least 5’3”. I lost my interest in baseball around 8th grade as well; actually I became afraid

of it after missing a line drive, which knocked me out. In high school this left me the one sport I grew to

love – soccer – and it has provided me with the greatest education one could ever ask for.

I had always been a natural when it came to soccer, but I became an even better player as I started

joining higher caliber teams and focusing on it. Eventually I got to the point where I had to be driven

forty-five minutes out of my hometown of Woodstock to practice in Rockford four or five times a week.

Before this I used to spend my time with friends after school, but now I could only wave as I drove past

them. They couldn’t understand why I would dedicate so much of my time to soccer, and as the month

and years passed, my friends became more distant. They started to exclude me as they all began

skateboarding, but my passion stayed the same.

After feeling a little left out with my friends, I decided to take a trip to Portugal with some of the

new people I had met on my soccer team. While we were there, we took a trip to a professional soccer

game. Sitting in the crowd, doing the wave, and chanting in unison with 1000,000 soccer fans was the

most beautiful feeling in the world. These foreigners made me feel right at home. My trip to Portugal

proved to me that it doesn’t matter what language you speak, or what country you’re from; as long as a

person loves soccer, he has something in common with all of the world.

Upon returning from Portugal my involvement in soccer increased even more as my entire

family’s social calendar became defined by whatever soccer schedule I had for the week. As my younger

brothers became very involved in the sport as well, this situation was magnified. My family grew very

close because we would spend many weekends together traveling to tournaments and staying at hotels.

My parents have spent so much time watching soccer that they won’t know what to do when my younger

brothers and I have gone off to college.

I am very glad that basketball and baseball did not work out for me because soccer has carried me

throughout my high school career. Soccer has proven to me that dedication, unity, and family play key

roles in high school education.


What movie has made a profound impact on your life?

One of the most provocative movies of the decade, American Beauty perfectly captures the

melancholy mind-set of suburban life. Set along the picturesque boulevard of maple trees in an eastern

city, the lives of the cast are ruled by society’s regulations, a pressure that eventually leads to their own

mental destruction.

American Beauty demonstrates the unspoken social behaviors that are so present in our everyday

lives. A Freudian dogma saturates the entire film. The main desires of sex and aggression and an

underlying Id are clearly displayed: Father Kevin Spacey’s sexual attraction to cheerleader Mena Suvari,

WWI veteran Chris Cooper’s abuse of his wife and his own repression of his homosexual urges are just a

few examples of this underlying theme. After years of repression, there is an explosion; the drift between

Kevin Spacey and Annette Benning causes Kevin Spacey’s character to suffer an emotional breakdown.

He enters a younger mental state, sells his car, quits his job, and starts to work out in an attempt to

become more physically attractive. Wife and mother Annette Benning relies so heavily on society’s

norms to rule her own behavior that she becomes a hollow woman without her own unique

characteristics. Her husband finds this change repulsing, and she therefore seeks another lover to fulfill

her needs. This adjustment in her behavior also leads daughter Thora Birch to seek a relationship with the

very divergent boy next door whom she eventually runs away with.

This film has had a revolutionary effect on the way the ”normal” American views his way of

living. American Beauty showed the all-American family collapsing under the weight of societies

stringent regulations. This lifestyle presented closely resembles d the lives of many of the people who

saw it and the potential for mental devastation altered the way they viewed their own way of living. The

idea that our lives are completely ruled by the other pole in our society and to truly be free one must break

from their environment and become completely ostracized definitely had an impact. For this profound

impact, American Beauty won several Oscars, including best picture.

In conclusion, it’s hard to imagine how a movie could change the way of thinking for an entire

national audience, but this film has accomplished it. The dramatic portrayal of the cast along with

captivating metaphors has developed our outlook on our own behavior and the society that we live under.

I personally found this film so excellent because after seeing it, I truly did re-examine my own life. I

wondered if I had everything that wanted, and if I was a truly liberated person. This is how one knows if

a movie has made profound impact-- if he must think about how his life is in comparison to the film, and

if he is living life the way that he really wants to.

What is your chosen profession and how did you come to this decision?


In an age where innovation is king, I became subject to the idea that technology paved the way

for economic growth, higher communication, and more efficient transportation. As the World Trade

towers collapsed to the New York streets, so too did my blind faith in the intrinsic value of technology

and my sense of security as an American citizen.

The national defense, FBI and Secret Service provide America with strength and security, but

modern technology created a doorway in which fanatical groups could infiltrate the entire infrastructure

of governmental files, documents, the mail, and the airways. As a result, such advances need to be

carefully kept in check.

A constant give and take is present between keeping the nation safe and keeping the nation free.

Freedom defines America. My life as a United States citizen is incomparable to that of an Afghan

woman. I may vote as I please, dress as I please, and speak out on behalf of my beliefs. Leisure,

employment, and education flourish under America’s doctrine of freedom.

Teachers across the nation are finding newer, clearer ways to relay information to students. My

biology class recently conducted an anatomy dissection of a fetal pig. Internet searches and digital

cameras aided in documenting the information. Advances in DNA technology have greatly influenced

the science field as well as society. It is easy to forget that the opportunity to learn is not a right but a

privilege.

I plan to embrace the privileges that lie before me. I hope to use the resources I have to further

my knowledge and prepare me for medical school. As a psychiatrist, I will be conscientious of the

technological advances in my field and speak out against moral issues involved. I will stand up for the

rights of individuals and carefully analyze the value behind my new technology. I believe that mental

health is as equally important as physical health. In becoming a doctor of psychology I will serve my

community by offering therapy to those in need. This will better the lives of individuals and society as a

whole.

Sept. 11, 2001, occurred not because of one man, but as a result of ongoing turmoil, starvation,

hatred, and imperialism. One person cannot turn the powers of hatred and war around. However, by

studying psychology, I will better understand the conflicts between freedom and security, and minds of

the oppressed. I will turn the world around impacting one person at a time.


Two Examples of an In-Class Essay:

In-Class Essay Example #1:

Choose a quotation and explain how it applies to a lesson you learned in your life.

“The fire of anger that you have for your enemy often burns you more than him.” This is a

lesson, hard-learned, a lesson that I myself have learned on at least one occasion. Competition between

two friends can lead to a great deal of anger. Whoever can better control his anger is usually the person

that comes out on top. I was able to control my anger, so I came out on top.

Things were good between my friend Josh and me. We had shared many good times and good

memories. I remember some of the better times like prom or just goofing around at work. And then a

new girl had started at work, someone who I had known and was friends with. We would spend time

talking or just hanging out when we should have been working. Josh did not even know her, so one night

I introduced them and we all went out after work. I liked this girl a lot, and I made my intentions known

to my friend Josh. Apparently, he had intentions of his own.

It was almost as if we had a competition or a race going on between the two of us. Every time

that I went out with her or did anything with her, he was there. He was even trying to go out with her

despite the fact that he knew that I liked her. That made me angry. I could almost feel the knife piercing

painfully into my back. I felt betrayed. Someone that I thought I could trust was trying to steal the girl

away from me. I was mad, maybe, but I knew that wherever he was, I was always one step ahead, and

that made him angry.

The difference between Josh and me was the way that we dealt with the anger. I just put it in the

back of mind and focused on what I could do right. He, on the other hand, started to unleash his anger.

He started talking about me behind my back and trying to make me look like an idiot. Yet I still remained

one step ahead of the game. The girl was not blind, though, and she could see what was going on. The

more that he bad-mouthed me, the worse he looked and the nicer I looked. What clinched it in the end

was when he let his anger get the better of him and he went as far as keying my truck. That was it; the

girl was mine and he was out of the picture.

After all that had happened to me throughout the entire ordeal, I kept a cool head and never lost

my temper. I never ever spoke one harsh word about him the entire time; as a result, I came out for the

better. His anger made him look foolish and do rash, immature things. Just as the quote said, his anger

burned him more than it had ever burned me.


In-Class Essay Example #2:

Explain how one person in your life has influenced you:

My mother has influenced me in many ways throughout my life. She is and always has been a

very determined woman. My mother never stops showing me how much she loves me. She has

unconditional love for my entire family and me. My mom is not only my mother but she is also my best

friend, someone that I can tell all my problems to and share happy moments with.

My mom has always been very determined, which influences me to be determined. The time that

I first noticed this quality about her was when she decided to go back to school and get her teaching

degree. At this time, my brother and I were in sixth grade and my sister was a sophomore in high school.

She went to McHenry County College

for two years and then transferred to Rockford College. This was a difficult time for the family since we

were all used to having our mother around all of the time. However, even when the stress at home was

overpowering, she never let her family or her school interfere with her dreams. She always told us that

she knew when she went back that there were going to be many obstacles she would not to get through

but she was determined to get her degree and therefore she worked through everything. Four years later

my mother graduated from Rockford College and got a job as a fourth grade teacher in Crystal Lake at

Canterbury Elementary School. I am proud to have a mother with such determination to make her dreams

come true and I hope that this will always influence me to go for my dreams.

Another special feature about my mom that has influenced me to be who I am is the way that she

always shows the rest of me and my family how much she loves us. Sometimes my mother does this with

unconditional love, meaning that she does not even realize that she is showing us love. She comes home

from work every day and as soon as I get home, she is standing there waiting to give me a hug. My

mother shows me plenty of respect, which in a way comes from love. She loves me; therefore, she is

going to treat me with respect, which I appreciate greatly. This has taught me that when I love someone

that I have to show it just like my mother does.

My mom is not only a mother to me; she is also my best friend. I appreciate everything that my

mother does for me and hope that someday I will be able to pay back to her what she has given me. I can

tell my mom all of my problems, whether it is about my friends or about a guy. My mom and I have a

very open relationship and, when something good or bad occurs, she is the first one that I tell. When

something happens at school, I run to the computer to e-mail her and let her know what just happened and

within minutes, I have a response back from her. The same goes with my mother. If she is having a bad

day and needs someone to talk to, she knows that I am always here for her. My mom and I have many

good times together laughing at each other; however, we do fight once in a while. This is definitely one

of the hardest things for me to deal with because she does mean so much to me and when she is giving me

the cold shoulder, I don’t know what to do with myself. These fights only last a few hours and then we

are back to being buds, but the whole time that we are fighting I know that she loves ma and she knows

that I love her, which is a great feeling.


My mother has and continues to influence my everyday decisions by showing her determination,

her unconditional love, her presence and her willingness to be a terrific friend. I will always be grateful

for what influence my mother has had on my life.

Writing Summaries

The following three student papers are examples of a summary of the magazine article entitled

“Vessels of Death or Life” from the Dec. 2001 Scientific American.

The article written by Rakesh Jain and Peter Carmeliet entitled “Vessels of Death or Life”

appeared in the December issue of the Scientific American during 2001.

The term angiogenesis refers to the branching and extension of existing capillaries whose walls

consist of one layer of so-called endothelial cells. It also refers to the study of small vessel growth. The

lack of small vessel or capillary production can lead to other problems such as tissue death in the cardiac

muscle after a heart attack.

Angiogenesis helps to repair injured tissue, build the lining of the uterus each month before

menstruation; it also forms the placenta after fertilization. Angiogenesis inhibitors normalize tumor

vessels before they kill them. This normalization may help anticancer agents reach tumors more

effectively. The authors include a one-page article concerning the positive results of therapeutic

angiogenesis.

Until angiogenesis can be used more frequently, surgery or radiation will continue to be used to

attempt to eliminate tumors. Currently, we are using anti-angiogenic drugs that combine with other

approaches to improve success rate. There needs to be an improved amount of research concerning

angiogenesis and possible cancer preventing drugs. Today we are working with twenty compounds that

manipulate angiogenesis, which are now used in human tests against cancer and other disorders.


Chapter 13—BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SOURCES

Hagner, Elizabeth. Spelling Demons Week by Week. Portland, Main: J. Weston Walch, 1997.

Microsoft Word Manual for shortcuts.

Sebranek, Patrick, Verne Meyer and Dave Kemper. Write for College. Wilmington, MA: Great Source

Educ. Group, 1997.

Style Manual and Handbook for Research Papers. Barrington, IL: Barrington High School.

Tips to avoid Plagiarism and to Cite Sources: http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/studets/c~merkel/cite.htm. April

2000.

Writing Style Manual for Township High School District 211. Palatine, IL: Township High School.

Writing Style Manual. William Fremd High School.

http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/studets/c~merkel/cite.htm


Close Reading is the careful, sustained interpretation of a brief passage of text. It places great emphasis

on the particular over the general, paying close attention to individual words, syntax, and the order in

which sentences and ideas unfold as you read. This is a skill we will be practicing all year long in this

class. The goal is to have you read like a writer and write like a reader.

1. Read the passage. Just listen to the words in your head. Avoid becoming entangled in words or lines

that you don’t understand. Instead, give yourself a chance to take in the entire piece before attempting to

resolve problems encountered along the way.

2. On the second reading, identify words or passages that you don’t understand. Look up words you don’t

know; these might include names, places, historical references, or anything else that is unfamiliar to you.

3. Read the punctuation.

4. When rereading, consider the following questions and answer them on a separate sheet of paper:

a. Pay attention to the title; it will often provide a helpful context for the piece and serve as

an introduction to it. What is significant about the title?

b. Can you paraphrase the general outline of the piece?

c. What has been happening before the piece begins?

d. Who is speaking? What is the speaker upset about? (Don’t assume that the speaker is the

author.)

e. How is the piece divided? Where do the breaks come? Is there anything interesting

about punctuation?

f. What words or parts of speech are emphasized? What is its significance?

g. What is the tone of the piece? Can you hear the speaker’s voice as the piece goes along?

h. Who is the main agent in the piece? Does the main agent change as the piece progresses?

i. What has it invented that is new, striking, memorable—in content, in genre, in analogies,

in rhythm, in a speaker?

The worksheet called “SOAPSTone can help identify these elements in writing.


SOAPSTone Reading

Title of Reading:

Subject Briefly

state the

main idea(s)

You should be able to state the

subject and main ideas in a few

words or a very short phrase.

Your Answer:

Occasion What is the

time, place,

current

situation,

context in

which the

author is

writing?

Be certain to discuss and record

both the larger occasion, that is,

those issues or ideas that must

have made the speaker think

about this issue, as well as the

immediate occasion.

Your Answer:

Audience Who is the

intended

audience for

the piece?

At whom is this text directed?

It’s not enough to say “Anyone

who read it.” You will want to

identify a certain audience by

describing some of its

characteristics.

Your Answer:

Purpose Why is the

author

writing?

The purpose could be a purely

personal one; i.e. to assuage

guilt, to encourage action. But

it could also be directed at the

audience; you will have to

decide what the message is and

how the author wants the

audience to respond.

Your Answer:

Speaker

Whose

voice is

telling the

story?

Remember that it is not

enough simply to name the

speaker. What can you say

about the speaker based on

references to the text?

Your Answer:

Tone What is the

feeling or

manner of

expression

used by the

Try to choose a description of

the tone that fits the piece as a

whole. Include specific words

or phrases from the text and

explain how they support your

Your Answer:

https://docs.google.com/a/wcusd200.org/document/d/1pvYtbUF0SP211JEAsAe1Bef8hr5KwBdtIwMJ0clcdBM/edit


author? statement.

Most of the examples come from the book:

Applications of Reading Strategies within the Classroom by Cecilia B. Frank

Anticipation Guides

Frayer Model

Gist

Stop the Process

Think Pair Share

Two Column Notes

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QJRG1bfZAyjM5wGKhwXyg08okjQcdWI1qS8jpWJxV88/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14VwtigoOhzyxabM4cHSl3A57AlLX_acijFLo0I19ig8/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EL7E9qTLDAut4otIlHGlDlZS45GbLLgEJX6KB-fRmcM/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/a/wcusd200.org/document/d/1RAXzNbxjpnuCaY41luiy9J4z5CMWhMMGUP_xKRQwis0/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/a/wcusd200.org/document/d/1m-fq0B42kapKKPUAnnpBGJBgctf8NSJ2GXeWhv8p1T0/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/a/wcusd200.org/document/d/1s6k4ia5cDPcebzwLHIB4S7Ooe5KHtTmpZ64wIgiFEOo/edit?usp=sharing

Documents

Literacy Manual