CP English Handbook  

 

 

by Mrs. Vellas Summer 2017

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Table of Contents

Active Reading Strategies 4

MLA Formatting 5

First Page of the Essay (or Writing Assignment) 7

How to Avoid Plagiarism 9

The Works Cited Page 11 Entry for Books 11 Entry for Newspapers 12 Entry for Magazines 12 Entry for Television Series or Radio Programs 13 Entry for an Film (DVD) or Video 13 Entry for Personal Interviews 14 Entry for Lecture or Speech 14 Entry for Online Anonymous Article 14 Entry for a YouTube video 15 Entry for Anthology (English Textbook) 15 Entry for History Textbooks 16

General MLA formatting 17 General Rules 17 Numbers 17 Quotation Marks 18 Titles 18 Names of people 19 Direct Quotations in Prose (Non-Poetry) 19 Direct Quotations in Poetry 20 Ellipses 20

Basic Grammar Rules/Sentence Structure 21 Clauses 21 Sentence Structure (Syntax) and Commas 21 Semicolons 23 Colon 23 Hyphen 24 Dashes 24

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Tips on Writing an Effective Summary 25

Tips on Writing an Effective Essay/The Writing Process 27

How to Write an Argumentative Essay 30 How to Structure an Argumentative Essay 31

How to Write an Informative/Explanatory Essay 34 Structure of an Informative/Explanatory Essay 35

Effective Transitional Words 38 Agreement/Addition/Similarity 38 Examples/Support/Emphasis 38 Effect/Result/Consequence 39 Opposition/Limitation/Contradiction 39 Cause/Condition/Purpose 40 Space/Location/Place 40 Time/Chronology/Sequence 41 Conclusion/Summary/Restatement 41

How to Revise an Essay or Any Writing Assignment 43

Word Revision 45

How to Edit an Essay 55

Speaking and Listening 56 Content 56 Organization of the Speech or Presentation 58 Building Slides 60 Delivery 61

Works Cited Page 65

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Active Reading Strategies

Many students just read because their teacher told them to. Students who read just

because they are told to do not retain any information and feel the need to have to cram

information right before an assessment. This is not active reading. Active reading is simply

reading with an understanding that the information read will be evaluated by you with a certain

purpose that is relevant to your needs. Because some students are not actively reading, this can

be a reason for poor grades on assessments and assignments.

According to the Blue Pencil Institute, LLC, who authored an online article entitled “10

Active Reading Strategies,” there are ten strategies you can use to actively read anything, for any

class, that should help you retain and gain knowledge in any course.

1. Identify the purpose for your reading. Yes, the teacher told you to read, but why did he

or she ask you to read this selection? What are you supposed to get out of this reading?

As you read, take a look at headings and subheadings to learn the purpose of your

reading. Determine if you are reading fiction or nonfiction. Are you being asked to read

this selection to gain knowledge, to be persuaded, or for entertainment? Knowing why

you are reading will focus your reading to the most important information necessary.

2. Formulate pre-reading questions. Turn headings and subheadings into questions (this is

especially useful in history and science classes). If you are reading literature, make

connections to the literature by asking what you already know about the time period,

place, events, etc.

3. Survey the text. Active readers never just begin reading, they scan the text to see what is

coming up and note any possible important information, such as bold faced words, notes

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from the author, italicized sentences, etc. Notice how long the text is, should you divide

the text into chunks so that it will be easier to read? Knowing how a text is structured will

help you structure your reading and will allow you to anticipate upcoming information or

events within the text.

4. Connect prior knowledge to the topic. You, personally, have had experiences and have

had events happen to you that bring a wealth of knowledge into the classroom and your

reading experience. Use what you know to be able to engage in the reading and make

connections to your life to increase the value and interest of what is being read.

5. Read with a pen and highlighter in hand. When you highlight important information

within a text, use your pen next. Make marginal notes about what you were thinking,

predicting, noticing, or would like to explore later. Summarize your reading in the

margins so that you will not forget what you have read. It is no longer enough to just

highlight information, make those marginal notes as well.

6. Ask and answer your questions either in a reading journal or on a separate sheet of

paper. Step two told you to create pre-reading questions. Be sure to answer these as you

read. Also, as you read, you may be coming up with even more questions, jot them down

and as you read, answer them. One strategy some students use is to predict as they read.

Jot these predictions down and justify if the prediction was correct or incorrect as you

read. What made the prediction correct? If the prediction was incorrect, what made this

prediction incorrect?

7. Write a summary of the chapter or section in your own words. Whether your teachers

asks you to or not, writing a summary will help you understand your reading. Your

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summary should be a page or less depending on the length of the text. Be sure to capture

just the essential ideas or main points. Writing a quick summary will also allow you to

see if you are truly understanding the text being read.

8. Teach what you have learned to someone else. This is a great way to clarify your

understanding. Use a peer in the same class to review a reading to see if your details and

main ideas are closely related. What can you elaborate on that your peer might be

missing? Not only will your peer gain from your knowledge, but teaching another person

allows you to fully understand the information that was read.

9. Read aloud sentences or portions of text that you find especially challenging. For

many students, speaking the text aloud and hearing yourself read will increase your

comprehension level. Reading aloud forces your brain to slow down and actually read

every word. At times, when reading, our brains are going so fast, your brain plays tricks

on us and we think a sentence reads one way, when in reality we are mixing up words. If

reading aloud still causes you to not completely comprehend the concept, do some

research or look up words in a dictionary to help increase your knowledge.

10. Look for “signposts” as you read. Many times authors give readers clues, or signposts,

that information is being added or contradicted from the original text. For example, some

common signpost words and phrases are: “most importantly,” “in contrast,” “on the other

hand,” “in fact,” “for instance,” “ for example,” “although,” “finally,” “as a

consequence,” etc. (there are thousands of signposts that authors can use). These

examples of signposts can help readers anticipate what is coming up in reading and

prepare for important information.

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MLA Formatting

MLA (Modern Language Association) is a language system that is used to document

sources for academic writing. There are rules that must be followed in order for your writing to

be accurate and show that you are college/career ready. Here are the rules:

1. Margins need to be set at one inch (1”) for top, bottom, left, and right margins. If you are

using Google Docs, the margins are automatically set at one inch.

2. Paragraphs need to be LEFT margin aligned. Google Docs is automatically set to default

to left alignment. No essay should ever be centered aligned, right aligned, or justified

aligned.

3. The entire document should be double spaced. To do this in Google Docs on a PC or

laptop, go to FORMAT, click LINE SPACING, and choose DOUBLE.

4. For MLA format, the font type can ONLY be Times New Roman and the font size

ONLY 12-point font. Even for titles.

5. Your last name and page number need to be in the upper right hand corner of the

document. To do this in Google Docs on a PC or laptop, click on INSERT, scroll to

PAGE NUMBER, then choose the first option that shows the number in the upper right

hand corner. Put your cursor to the left of the page number and type your last name.

Remember to highlight your last name and page number, change it to Times New Roman

and 12-point font and your last name and page number will appear on all pages in

chronological order.

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6. When typing a paragraph, you must use the TAB key in order to indent. Do not hit the

spacebar 5 times, use the TAB key. The indentation needs to be at half inch (.5”) and

Google Docs has the default TAB to properly indent for writing.

7. Only one space between sentences is necessary. For example, after the end punctuation of

a sentence (usually a period), only hit the spacebar once.

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First Page of the Essay (or Writing Assignment)

Once you have formatted your document, you are ready to begin typing the first page;

however, there is another rule you must follow and that is setting up your heading for your paper.

At the left margin, on the first line type your full name (first and last), second line is your

teacher’s name, third line is the course name, and the fourth line is the date (two digit day, month

spelled out, four digit year). If the date is a single digit, such as September 1, 2017, your MLA

formatted date should be 01 September 2017. Here is an example:

Smith 1

Sally Smith

Mrs. Vellas

CP English 3

28 August 2017

The TAB key was used to indent this paragraph. Begin typing your writing assignment or

essay now.

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Works Cited Page Formatting

A works cited page is necessary to list the sources you used during your writing in order

to avoid plagiarism. A works cited page is formatted the exact same as the writing assignment or

essay (1” margins, double spaced, last name and page number in the upper right hand corner,

Times New Roman, 12-point font, etc.). Some rules you must follow in order to ensure that you

have a properly formatted the works cited page are:

1. The works cited page is on a page of its own. For example, if my essay is three (3) pages

long, the works cited page is on page four (4). If you are using a PC or laptop, use a page

break to do this. After all typing is finished on the last page, hit the enter key. Next, go to

INSERT, and click PAGE BREAK. This will automatically put your works cited page on

a sheet of its own.

2. Center the title: Works Cited Page. (Titles are the only thing you may center in MLA

format).

3. Your works cited page should be left aligned under the title.

4. The works cited page needs to be in alphabetical order.

5. There must be a hanging indent beyond the first line of all entries. (The first line is

aligned to the left of the page.) Using a PC or laptop, using the ruler at the top of the

page, highlight your entry that needs a hanging indent, scroll the blue arrow to the .5”

mark. Both lines will move. Put your cursor on the first line and only moving the blue

bar, scroll that back to the 1” margin (where the gray and white meet). You should have a

hanging indent.

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How to Avoid Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a growing problem in education (Houghton 27). Plagiarism is the act of

“stealing or passing off words from another as if those words are your own” (Houghton 27).

In high school, whether you intentionally or unintentionally plagiarize (Houghton 27), your

consequence could be a conference with the teacher, a conference with the principal, a phone call

home, and/or a referral (if continuous plagiarism exists). If plagiarism occurs at the college or

university level, the consequence could be suspension, academic probation, scholarships

revoked, and even expulsion from the institution. Being honest in your writing is crucial. You are

allowed to borrow ideas and words from another, you just may never claim those ideas or words

as your own. Here is how to avoid plagiarism:

1. Direct Quotes: When using direct quotes from another author, you must cite your source

(also known as parenthetical citations or in-text citations). You are allowed to copy

word-for-word from a text so long as you give credit to the author. To do this, place the

direct quote in quotation marks followed by the author name and page number in

parenthesis and the end punctuation after the closed parenthesis. Here is an example:

“Plagiarism can take one of two forms: intentional or unintentional” (Houghton 27).

a. Using too many direct quotes may result in a lower grade to a writing assignment

or essay. You should only use direct quotes when your words are not strong

enough and/or you are appealing to authority.

b. After each direct quote there should be an explanation of the quote in the writing

assignment or essay that is your own words.

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2. Paraphrasing: When paraphrasing (putting someone else’s ideas in your own words), be

sure to also cite your source. Just because you did not copy from the author

word-for-word does not mean they are not to be credited. If you borrow an idea from an

author, that author deserves credit for their idea. Here is an example using the direct

quote from above, but paraphrased: Whether a student intentionally or unintentionally

submits a paper using the words from another author and claims this writing to be their

own will suffer the consequences of plagiarism (Houghton 27). The idea from this

sentence was written using the idea from Houghton, so this person needs the credit for

this idea, even though I did not copy his language word-for-word.

3. When using parenthetical citations or in-text citations, the author last name and page

number need to be in the parenthesis. There should be no comma or punctuation between

the name and page number (Houghton 27). Also, the end punctuation needs to be after

the closed parenthesis because the citation goes with the sentence and punctuation is

placed at the end of sentences.

4. If no author name is found, then the first most significant word of the title should be

within the parenthesis. If page numbers exist, include page numbers (if this is a website

with no page numbers, just the word is appropriate). As an example, say I found a

website that has no author and no page number(s) but I want to borrow an idea from the

website. I write my sentence then follow the sentence with parentheses and the first most

significant word: Abraham Lincoln was a self-taught lawyer who later became the United

States’ sixteenth president (Abraham). Here is the URL to see the website I referenced:

http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/abraham-lincoln

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The Works Cited Page

After all the citations are complete within the document, it is time to create the works

cited page. Look at the heading “Works Cited Page Formatting” to properly format the works

cited page.

1. The works cited page needs to be in alphabetical order. No exceptions.

a. Introductory words such as A, An, or The should not be used to alphabetize the

works cited page.

2. Never use the word Anonymous when citing sources. Instead, use the title of the work.

3. If you are using an entry where the first word is a number, as in “3 Ways to Pass

English,” always spell out the word “Three,” do not leave it as a numeral.

Entry for Books

When using a book as a source used, list author(s) (last name, first name), title

(italicized), publication city, publisher, publication year information, and medium. For example:

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 2007. Print.

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 2005. Print.

For my in-text citations I would cite this source as (Rowling 100). Notice that the entries

are in alphabetical order. Since I had the same author, I had to alphabetize using the titles of the

books. Never put the books in order by sequence. Deathly Hallows is book seven in the series,

and Half-Blood Prince is book six. It does not matter the series in which an author distributed

their work. MLA says to alphabetize by words, not sequence.

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Entry for Newspapers

To use a newspaper as a source in the works cited page, list author(s) (if signed), article

title (quotation marks), newspaper (italicized), publication city (in brackets), publication date

(MLA format date), edition (if given, if not then skip this entry), page number(s), and medium.

Do not list volume or issue number.

Osuna, Vincent. “Calipatria teacher breaks the mold.” Imperial Valley Press. [El Centro] 27 Feb.

2017: A1, A5. Print.

For my in-text citations I would cite this source as (Osuna A1). Notice there is a hanging

indent because my entry went beyond one line. Also, the month is highlighted because in the

works cited page, the month should not be spelled out. Use a three letter abbreviation for all

months except for May, June, and July; these months should be spelled out completely.

Entry for Magazines

List the author (if signed), article title (in quotation marks), magazine title (italicized),

publication date (MLA format), page numbers, and medium. Do not list volume or issue number.

Chevalier, Freedom. “Under the Weather? OR Signs of Old Age?” Just Labs Jan.-Feb. 2017:

28-31. Print.

For my in-text citations I would cite this source as (Chevalier 28). Notice there is a

hanging indent because my entry went beyond one line. Also, the month is highlighted because

in the works cited page, the month should not be spelled out. Use a three letter abbreviation for

all months except for May, June, and July; these months should be spelled out completely.

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Entry for Television Series or Radio Programs

List episode or segment title (in quotation marks), significant individuals (performers,

directors, narrators, producers, etc.), program title (italicized), series title (if any), network, call

letters and city of station, broadcast date (MLA format), and medium.

“The Matrimonial Momentum.” Perf. Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon

Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Mayim Bialik, and Melissa Rauch. Prod. Chuck Lorre, Steven

Molaro, and Bill Prady. The Big Bang Theory. CBS. Burbank. 21 Sept. 2015. Television.

For my in-text citations I would cite this source as (Matrimonial). Notice there is a

hanging indent because my entry went beyond one line. Also, the month is highlighted because

in the works cited page, the month should not be spelled out. Use a three letter abbreviation for

all months except for May, June, and July; these months should be spelled out completely.

Entry for an Film (DVD) or Video

List the title (italicized), director (producer, choreographer), performers, distributor, year

of release, and medium.

Beauty and the Beast. Dir. Bill Condon. Perf. Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin

Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Audra McDonald, Gugu Mbatha-Raw,

Ian McKellen, and Emma Thompson. Disney, 2017. Film.

For my in-text citations I would cite this source as (Beauty). Notice there is a hanging

indent because my entry went beyond one line.

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Entry for Personal Interviews

If the researcher conducted an interview, list the name of the person interviewed and the

type of interview (personal interview, email interview, telephone interview) and the date(s).

Ferriera, Ryan. E-mail Interview. 23 June 2017.

For my in-text citations I would cite this source as (Ferriera).

Entry for Lecture or Speech

List the presenter (lecturer or speaker), presentation title (in quotation marks), meeting,

sponsoring organization, presentation location, presentation date (MLA format), and descriptive

label (address, lecture, reading, etc.).

Vega, Eduardo. “Early American History.” Room 18. Calipatria High School, Calipatria. 29

Aug. 2017. Lecture.

For my in-text citation I would cite this source as (Vega).

Entry for Online Anonymous Article

List article title (in quotation marks), online source (italicized-newspaper, magazine,

etc.), publication date (MLA format), medium, access date, and URL.

“Abraham Lincoln.” The White House N.d. Web. 23 June 2017.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/abrahamlincoln

For my in-text citation I would cite this source as (Abraham). Notice the N.d. in the

citation. This N.d. is used because there is no date found on the website, so N.d. is needed in

place of the date to let the reader know that no publication date is found. Also, The White House

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is used because this is the name of the website. If you are ever confused about what website you

are on, many times look after the www. in the search bar and you will find what website name

you are looking at.

Entry for a YouTube video

List the compiler, title of the video (in italicized), specify the format of the citation

(online video clip), website (italicized), posting date (MLA format), medium, access date (MLA

format), URL.

Katherout. The 8 Habits of 4.0 Students. Online Video Clip, YouTube, 15 Mar. 2017. Web. 23

June 2017. https://www.youtube.com/embed/RtRRx70B_qs

For my in-text citation I would cite this as (Katherout).

Entry for Anthology (English Textbook)

List the author of the selection, title of the selection (in quotation marks), title of textbook

(italicized), editor(s), publisher, publication date, page numbers, medium.

Jefferson, Thomas. “Declaration of Independence.” myPerspectives California American

Literature, edited by Ernest Morrell, Ph.D., Elfrieda Hiebert, Ph.D., Kelly Gallagher,

M.Ed., and Jim Cummins, Ph.D., Pearson Education, Inc., 2017, 18-22. Print.

For my in-text citation I would cite this as (Jefferson 18). Also, notice that I did not

include the page numbers of the activities for the selection. Why? Because Jefferson did not

write the activities, the editors did so Jefferson would not be credited with the activities.

Jefferson will only be credited for the Declaration of Independence.

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Entry for History Textbooks

List the author(s), title of history book (italicized), publisher, publication date, medium.

Ellis, Elisabeth Gaynor and Anthony Esler. World History The Modern Era. Pearson Education,

Inc., 2016. Print.

For my in-text citation I would cite this as (Ellis 75). Notice that I did not have to use the

page numbers in the citation for the works cited page but I do have to include the page number(s)

used for my in-text citation.

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General MLA formatting

Here are some other tips that might help you when writing in MLA format:

General Rules

1. If you ever needed to print your writing assignment, only one side of the paper can be

printed on. No double-sided print (unless otherwise instructed by your teacher).

2. A works cited page is ALWAYS necessary for any work that was sourced (unless

otherwise instructed by your teacher).

3. Everything that is cited in-text is listed on the works cited page. Everything on the works

cited page has been cited in-text.

4. No title page is ever needed for MLA (unless otherwise instructed by the teacher).

5. Use tables sparingly, they should supplement information, not take the place of

information. Same with pictures, they should supplement, not take the place of

information.

Numbers

6. All numbers must be spelled out at the beginning of the sentence, no matter the length of

the numeral.

a. Eleven million people are believed to have died during the Holocaust.

7. All numerals are spelled out when one or two words are used.

a. I am missing four textbooks, does any student have an extra textbook?

b. There are sixteen extra copies of the handout.

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c. I need to make one hundred copies of this assignment.

8. Numerals that have three or more words can be used as numerals so long as the numeral

is not beginning a sentence.

a. I have 123 papers to grade this weekend.

b. My grandmother turned 101-years-old today!

9. Numerals may be used when found in measurement, with the measurement spelled out,

not abbreviated.

a. I need 2 feet of pipe to finish my project.

b. I filled the pigs’ drinking buckets with 52 gallons of water.

10. Numerals may also be used for time, dates, addresses, pages, and symbols.

a. The bell will ring at 9:08 a.m.

b. Today is August 28, 2017.

c. I received $12.89 in change.

d. I need to finish my homework on page 45.

e. Only 43% of the students passed the first assessment.

Quotation Marks

11. Use quotation marks for words with special meaning and any translations.

a. Because the baby could crawl, the mother thought the baby was a “genius.”

b. In Spanish, the term leche means “milk.”

Titles

12. Italicize titles. Do not use all capital letters, use upper and lower case when writing titles.

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a. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

13. Do not italicize the works from sacred writing.

a. The Bible is a religious book.

Names of people

14. State a person’s name fully and accurately that first time used, then use only his/her last

name in all subsequent references.

a. Tommy Ferriera, Jr. is a specialist of dairy cattle. Ferriera states that

crossbreeding Holstein with Jersey cattle will create a more efficient cow: one

that will have a high butterfat content from a Jersey with a large volume of milk

from a Holstein.

Direct Quotations in Prose (Non-Poetry)

15. In prose (non-poetry), use quotation marks if the quotation is less than four lines of

word-for-word text.

a. Thomas Jefferson states in the Declaration of Independence “that all men are

created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable

rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (Jefferson

18).

16. In prose, if the quotation is four or more lines of word-for-word text you must block the

text, do not use quotation marks. This just means that each line of the citation is indented:

The Preamble to the United States Constitution states:

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We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish

justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general

welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and

establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Direct Quotations in Poetry

17. In poetry, use quotation marks if the citation is three or less lines. If there is four or more

lines, block indent again (quotation marks are not necessary for block text).

18. In poetry, use a slash (with a space on each side) to separate individual lines.

a. Emily Dickinson wonders, “I’m Nobody! Who are you? / Are

you--Nobody--too?” (178).

i. There is no need to put the author’s last name in the citation because I

have already stated the poet at the beginning of the sentence.

Ellipses

19. Sometimes writers want to eliminate information because it is not relevant to their idea.

Use an ellipses for this.

a. Ellipses within a sentence uses three periods.

i. Today...we voted for the bill.

b. Ellipses at the end of sentences use four periods (unless another end punctuation

is used other than a period).

i. The laws of the universe will appear less complex….

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Basic Grammar Rules/Sentence Structure

Clauses

1. Dependent Clause (subordinate clause): contains a subject and/or verb but does not

express a complete idea, therefore it cannot stand alone as a sentence.

a. He answered the question as if he read the night before. The highlighted section is

the dependent clause (subordinate clause).

2. Independent Clause (main clause): contains a subject and verb and does express a

complete idea, therefore is can stand alone as a sentence.

a. He answered the question as if he read the night before. The highlighted section is

an independent clause (main clause).

Sentence Structure (Syntax) and Commas

1. A simple sentence has only one independent (main) clause and no dependent

(subordinate) clause. A comma is not necessary unless you are making a list.

a. She purchased the dress but not the matching earrings.

2. A compound sentence has two or more independent clauses (main) linked with a

coordinating conjunction.

a. She purchased the dress, but she decided to not buy the earrings.

i. Comma rule: use a comma before a coordinating conjunction when joining

two independent (main) clauses.

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ii. A coordinating conjunctions connect phrases, clauses, and other words in

sentences. There are seven and we call them FANBOYS: for, and, nor,

but, or, yet, so.

3. A complex sentence has an independent (main) clause and one or more dependent

(subordinate) clauses.

a. If the dependent (subordinate) clause some before the independent (main) clause,

use a comma:

i. Because of the thunderstorm, our flight was delayed.

b. If the independent (main) clause comes before the dependent (subordinate) clause

do not use the comma:

i. Our flight was delayed because of the thunderstorm.

4. A compound-complex sentence contains two or more independent (main) clauses and at

least one dependent (subordinate) clause.

a. If the dependent (subordinate) clause comes at the beginning of the sentence, use

a comma:

i. If we want to pass this class, you need to start studying and I need to finish

my homework.

b. If the dependent (subordinate) clause comes between two independent (main)

clauses, commas are need to separate the clauses:

i. The student’s presentation seemed quickly and sloppily put together, and

when the teacher saw it, she immediately failed the presentation.

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Semicolons

A semicolon (;) is stronger than a comma but weaker than the period. Here are some uses

for the semicolon:

1. Use between independent (main) clauses when a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS)

is omitted:

a. The upperclassmen are allowed to go to prom; the underclassmen have to wait

until their junior year.

i. If the coordinating conjunction but was used in place of the semicolon,

then a comma would be used instead:

1. The upperclassmen are allowed to go to prom, but the

underclassmen have to wait until their junior year.

2. Use a semicolon between independent (main) clauses that are linked with a transition:

a. Students do not study efficiently; consequently, their grades suffer.

Colon

A colon (:) is primarily used to introduce a list of items in a sentence so long as the flow

of the sentence is not compromised:

Correct: Mr. Medina teaches art, graphic design, and advanced art.

Incorrect: Mr. Medina teachers: art, graphic design, and advanced art.

Correct: Mr. Medina specializes in three subjects: art, graphic design, and advanced art.

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Hyphen

Use a hyphen (-) in compound words that primarily come before nouns and are used as

modifiers (adjectives).

I would like to live in an off-campus apartment when I go to UCLA.

Dashes

The best thing about dashes is that they are rarely used and will not be necessary for high

school English classes. If for some odd reason you feel you need to worry about a dash, Google

it. Odds are your English teachers will need to do so as well since we rarely use them in our own

writing.

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Tips on Writing an Effective Summary

In order to write an effective summary, there are a few elements you must consider to be

sure the summary is accurate and focused. Here are some ideas, from Robin L. Simmons, that

should keep your summary focused and effective:

1. Recall that a summary is a shorter version of the original piece.

2. As you read the original piece, first try to determine the main point of the literature. Do

your best to try to write this main idea in one sentence. This should be the opening

sentence to your summary, being sure to avoid plagiarism.

a. Here is a formula for your opening sentence: Use the name of the author and the

original piece’s title + strong action verb + main idea.

b. Example: Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, explains

the reasons why the colonies needed to split from Great Britain and form their

own union.

3. Be careful what nouns and verbs you use in a sentence to summarize. For example, does

an article really “say?” Have you ever heard a piece of paper “talk?” Hopefully not.

People speak, not things. Be sure to write “The author suggests…,” “The orator

pronounced…,” “The videographer demonstrates…,” or “The actor portrays…” within

the body of the summary.

4. Now that you have the main idea, what evidence or supporting details does the original

author give? Find these details in the original writing. Try to create one sentence per

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evidence idea or supporting detail. These sentences should support your main idea

sentence from step two.

5. To avoid plagiarism, your opening sentence should not only include the main idea of the

piece, but also the title of the original work and the author. Another key to avoiding

plagiarism is try not to look at the original piece as you write your summary.

6. The summary should be YOUR own words. Avoid using quotations or words from the

original author as much as possible. The summary should be written from the

third-person point of view. The use of the word “I” should be completely eliminated from

a summary. Absolutely none of your ideas, thoughts, or language are included in the

original piece. Never have an opening line say: “The article says…,” “I’m going to write

about…,” “The video was about….”

7. Do your very best to avoid your own opinion. Since your opinion is not included in the

original piece, your opinion should be completely left out of a summary. Remember, you

are just informing an audience on what a particular piece is about. Save your opinion for

that argumentative essay.

8. Reread the original piece and your summary; does your summary truly summarize all the

main points? If it does, edit your summary. If it does not, revise your summary until all

the necessary main points of the original piece is included.

9. Keep the tone of the summary formal. Do not use contractions when writing or slang.

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Tips on Writing an Effective Essay/The Writing Process

According to an article by The Fastweb Team, there are seven easy essay tips that

students can incorporate to be sure an essay is written effectively. These tips can be used for any

essay that you need to write. Consider these steps when having to write an essay, regardless the

amount of time your teacher gives you. If you are having to write a timed, or in-class essay, the

difference would be your time management. Know that the drafting part of the essay will take

the longest so be sure to spend most of your time here. Also, do not forget about revising and

editing. Proofreading will definitely help in the end. Revising and editing will be discussed in

detail in another section.

Step 1: Read the writing prompt and pick a topic. Narrow this topic as you brainstorm. What

type of topic would you like to write about? Narrow your ideas from here. For example, if we are

in World History and Mr. Petree directs us to write an essay about the Holocaust, what do we

write about?. The Holocaust is too huge of an idea, so we must narrow it. Depending on his

writing prompt or instruction, specifically what about the Holocaust can I write about? Can I

focus my writing on a person who fell victim to Hitler’s concentration camps? Should I pick a

battle from World War II that influenced a country to join the fight due to the Holocaust?

Narrow your topic, do not write about the Holocaust. The Holocaust is much too large to tackle

in one assignment and your essay would be one thousand pages long. No one wants to read

that….

Step 2: Prewrite by preparing an outline of your thoughts. Prewrite, prewrite, prewrite. Us

teachers understand that prewriting is not the most exciting part of the writing process, but it will

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help your essay stay organized. Before putting those fingers on the keyboard, or pencil to paper,

take a few moments and brainstorm. Jot down your ideas; see if any other idea comes to mind.

You never know, your fourth idea may be better than your first idea. Take notes on as much

information as you possibly can. Organize your ideas before actually writing. Your outline or

notes do not need to be perfect, or even understood by anyone else, so long as you have a road

map for this journey. Do not forget to collect the citation information so you do not have to go

back and find your source for the works cited page.

Step 3: Write your claim or thesis statement. Write your claim or thesis statement on a scratch

piece of paper and leave in near you has you write; this way you can always reference your claim

or thesis to be sure that all your ideas are flowing. There is nothing worse than having to rewrite

your claim or thesis statement and lose the value of what you originally wanted to say because

you now have to force a claim or thesis to match your essay. Or worse yet, rewrite your entire

essay because your claim or thesis is so brilliant, anything less would be nonsense. Write down

your claim or thesis and refer to it often. You can thank me later!

Step 4: Write the body. Now that you have a brilliant claim or thesis statement staring right

back at you, write the body of your essay first. You have a road map from the prewriting step

(Step 2) so do not lose all these great ideas by starting with the introduction. You can always add

in the introduction and conclusion later. Also, do not worry about typos and errors. Let the

language come to you; you will fix these during the revision and editing processes anyway.

Step 5: Write the introduction. Now that you have an almost stellar essay, write that

introduction. Introductions should not be difficult to write now that your essay is written. Hook

your audience, grab our attention and make your essay shine. Make us readers excited to read

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this amazing masterpiece! Also, do not forget background information. Background information

gives the readers a general focus of what you will be discussing in the rest of the essay. Oh! And

one more thing, add that claim or thesis to the introduction.

Step 6: Write the conclusion. Take a quick glance at your essay. Your conclusion is in your

essay. I know, crazy right! Reword your topic sentences and claim or thesis statement. Remind

your reader what you just wrote about. The body of the essay is where you tell the reader what

you want to say, the conclusion is to remind the reader of what you just said. It is that simple!

Oh, one last thing. Do not, do not ever, put the worst words at the end of your essay: THE END.

We understand that it seems strange that you just had to remind us of what we just read, but we

are not dumb. We know it is the end.

Step 7: Revise and edit. Add those finishing touches to your essay that make your readers feel

we just read the best thing ever. You need to proofread your own work. Does your essay flow

nicely? Does the structure of your essay make the ideas easy to follow? Are there spelling errors

that will irritate your reader? What about grammar issues? Double check your work before

allowing others to read this great work. Readers do not like reading something that sounds

illiterate. Clean up your mess.

Remember there are five steps to the writing process: prewriting, writing, revising,

editing, and publishing. None of these steps can be dropped if writing is to succeed. Many

students who complain that writing is “too difficult,” or “too hard,” or “writing sucks,” is

probably not doing one or more of the writing processes. If you try these seven easy steps and/or

follow the writing process you will see improvement in your writing skills. These steps and the

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writing process will allow your writing to be college and career ready, which is the goal of all

your classes and education.

How to Write an Argumentative Essay

An argumentative essay is used to persuade an audience of your opinion; you are allowed

to write about your opinion on a topic, whether you are given an assigned topic or you must

come up with a topic of your own. There are many reasons why someone would write an

argumentative essay: to change an audience’s point of view or bring about a call-to-action. Here

is a guideline to help you organize your ideas for your essay:

1. Read the writing prompt and form an opinion about a topic, this is known as a claim.

Even if you hate the topic of which you must write, form an opinion. Do not sit “on the

fence” of your opinion; meaning you must pick a side completely. Opinions that are not

fully for a side will be very confusing to your audience and will not persuade your

audience to believe your claim.

2. After forming your opinion gather evidence to prove your claim is valid. Provide reasons

why your evidence is valid for your claim. Your evidence and reasons should be relevant.

If the evidence and reasons do not fully support the claim, or you are struggling to make

the evidence and reasons support the claim, eliminate them. Only use evidence that is

support with reason to convince an audience that your claim is the most valid.

3. Find a counterclaim. What would the opposition say about your claim? The answer to

this question is your counterclaim. Be careful with this counterclaim, however. The

audience needs to know that you are a strong enough writer to know that an opposition

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exists, but do not provide evidence or reasons for your counterclaim. Use the

counterclaim to show the strengths of your claim, meaning you must refute the

counterclaim. (Refute means to disprove or to prove wrong or false.) Having a

counterclaim shows you, as an author, have credibility. Because you acknowledge the

opposite of what you are saying, and refute it, means your claim will be more believable

and will convince your audience of your position.

How to Structure an Argumentative Essay

Here are some tips to structure the essay now that you have all the information you need

to persuade your audience of your claim:

1. The very first paragraph of the essay should be the introduction. There are three key

elements when writing an introduction:

a. Hook: capture the audience’s attention in a creative way. The hook should be one

to two sentences. Here are some possibilities:

i. Provide startling information

ii. Appeal to authority, use a quote from the text

iii. Ask a profound question

iv. Use vivid language

v. Keep it a mystery, give your audience just enough information to peak

their curiosity

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b. Background: provide necessary information to your audience so they can better

understand the issue being presented. Two to five sentences should be enough to

provide background information.

c. Claim: state your claim in a profound way that is persuasive and creates curiosity

in your audience so they want to read more. The claim needs to be precise,

meaning the claim should be exact and accurate. The claim is the sentence that is

the main idea for the entire essay. Think of the claim as the “driving force” for the

entire essay. The claim should be one sentence.

2. The next paragraphs are your body or evidence paragraphs. Use these paragraphs to

support your claim. Organize each paragraph in a way that makes sense to the audience.

One logical way to organize the body/evidence paragraphs is from less persuasive to

most persuasive. Each paragraph should open with a topic sentence. A topic sentence

identifies that main idea of the paragraph. If the claim is the main idea for the entire

essay, the topic sentences are the main idea of each body/evidence paragraph. You may

only write about this topic in this paragraph. If you need to write about another topic,

then write another paragraph. The topic sentence should be the evidence and the

remaining sentences should support this evidence and give reasons why the evidence

supports the claim. Be sure the evidence and reasons makes a clear connection to the

claim. If the claim is the “driving force” of the essay, think of the body or evidence

paragraphs as the “engine that drives that force forward.” The number of sentences for

each paragraph really depend on how much evidence and reasons are being provided for

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the claim. Roughly, however, your body/evidence paragraphs should be no less than five

sentences.

3. The following paragraph is the counterclaim paragraph. Technically, the counterclaim

can be organized in a way that makes the most sense, but many students find their

counterclaim, once they get good at it, is their most persuasive paragraph. Here is where

the opposition should be presented and refuted. The counterclaim will be your topic

sentence so be sure to write it in a way that allows you to provide evidence and reasons

why the opposition is false or inaccurate. Consider this a body/evidence paragraph so no

less than five sentences.

4. The final paragraph of the essay is the conclusion. This should be the easiest paragraph

to write. In this paragraph, restate your topic sentences and claim. That’s it! However, do

not mention the counterclaim. This will cause confusion among your audience and they

will not understand what they should believe: your claim or the counterclaim? Another

idea you may want to include, depending on the writing prompt, is a call-to-action. A

call-to-action tells the audience what to do now that the claim and evidence is

understood. Should the audience go sign a petition? Donate money? Support a cause?

Think a certain way about an issue? Support an idea? What should the audience do? Note

that not all argumentative essays need a call-to-action, but some do. If you are unsure if

you need a call-to-action, reread the writing prompt. If you are still confused, ask your

teacher. The conclusion should logically conclude the argument. Depending on the

number of topic sentences you have (and do not forget about the claim) that needs to be

restated will depend on the number of sentences in this paragraph.

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How to Write an Informative/Explanatory Essay

An informative/explanatory essay is used to educate an audience on a certain topic. This

form of writing relies heavily on facts to inform or explain. There are many purposes for an

informative/explanatory essay: 1) to increase the reader’s knowledge of a subject; 2) help readers

better understand a process or procedure; or 3) provide more knowledge of a concept. Follow

these steps to create some ideas about an informative/explanatory essay:

1. First, read the writing prompt and determine what topic you will be writing about.

Formulate a thesis statement. A thesis statement is a one sentence statement that states

the main idea of your essay and controls the ideas within the paper. Your thesis statement

should tell the reader what the paper is going to be about. Depending on the writing

prompt, a thesis statement can sound somewhat argumentative, but the content, or body

paragraphs, will not use evidence. An easy way to create a thesis statement is to simply

answer the writing prompt in a complete sentence.

2. Next, gather relevant facts, examples, and details that can be used to expand on your

topic for the body paragraphs. Obviously, facts are something that can be proven and

cannot be argued. If a “fact” can be argued, do not include this information in an

informative/explanatory body paragraph, it is technically an opinion. Examples can be

used to further highlight a fact or detail. Now that you have stated a fact in your body

paragraph, what type of examples can you give to the reader to make them fully

understand the thesis? Details are special attention given to certain topics within the

essay. Details can also be used to enhance facts or examples.

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3. Then, determine what quotations, definitions, or graphics may be helpful to include in

the body paragraphs. Not every informative/explanatory essay needs these, but they could

be helpful to a reader and you should know that these are acceptable to use in this form of

essay. Only use those quotations, definitions, or graphics that enhance the knowledge of

the reader. Do not use any of these elements just to be “creative.” Also remember you

must explain these within your essay.

4. Finally, decide if headings will be useful or not. If you are being asked to create an

in-depth research paper, then headings may be useful. If your essay is going to be a few

paragraphs to a few pages long, headings may not be the safest way to go since it will be

cumbersome to a reader. If you are creating a multi-page research paper, more than seven

pages, then headings may be an option to keep the reader organized as he/she reads

through your information.

Structure of an Informative/Explanatory Essay

Here are some tips on structuring your informative/explanatory essay:

1. The very first paragraph of the essay should be the introduction. There are three key

elements when writing an introduction:

a. Hook: capture the audience’s attention in a creative way. The hook should be one

to two sentences. Here are some possibilities:

i. Provide startling information

ii. Appeal to authority, use a quote from the text

iii. Ask a profound question

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iv. Use vivid language

v. Keep it a mystery, give your audience just enough information to peak

their curiosity

b. Background: provide necessary information to your audience so they can better

understand the issue being presented. Two to five sentences should be enough to

provide background information.

c. Thesis: state your thesis statement. A solid thesis statement should give the reader

a good insight into what the topic of the essay will be. For some writing prompts

your thesis may sound a bit argumentative, but do your best to try to keep your

opinion out of this paper. Your thesis statement should be something that can be

proven, not argued. The thesis statement should be one sentence.

2. The next paragraphs are your body. Use these paragraphs to offer facts, examples, or

details to the reader. Organize each paragraph in a way that makes sense to the audience.

One way to organize the body paragraphs is from least important to most important. Each

paragraph should open with a topic sentence. A topic sentence identifies that main idea

of the paragraph. If the thesis statement is the main idea for the entire essay, the topic

sentences are the main idea of each body paragraph. You may only write about this topic

in this paragraph. If you need to write about another topic, then write another paragraph.

The topic sentence should be informative of the thesis statement, while the remaining

sentences provide facts, examples, and details. The number of sentences for each

paragraph really depend on how much information is being provided for the thesis

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statement . Roughly, however, your body paragraphs should be no less than five

sentences.

3. The final paragraph of the essay is the conclusion. This should be the easiest paragraph

to write. In this paragraph, restate your topic sentences and thesis. That’s it! Depending

on the number of topic sentences you have (and do not forget about the thesis statement)

that needs to be restated will depend on the number of sentences in this paragraph.

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Effective Transitional Words

Below is a list of transitional words that will be useful in your writing. Transitions are

important because these words carry the reader from one idea to another. Without these words

the reader will be lost.

Agreement/Addition/Similarity

in the first place first, second, third

and as comparatively

not only...but also

not to mention also too correspondingly

as a matter of fact

to say nothing of then moreover similarly

in like manner equally important

equally as well as furthermore

in addition by the same token

identically together with additionally

coupled with again uniquely of course

in the same way to like likewise

Examples/Support/Emphasis

in other words important to realize

like specifically to emphasize

to put it differently

another key point

to be sure expressively to repeat

for one thing first thing to remember

namely surprisingly to clarify

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as an illustration most compelling evidence

chiefly frequently to explain

in this case must be remembered

truly significantly to enumerate

for this reason point often overlooked

indeed in fact such as

to put it another way

on the negative side

certainly in general for example

that is to say on the positive side

surely in particular for instance

with attention to notably markedly in detail to point out

by all means including especially to demonstrate with this in mind

Effect/Result/Consequence

as a result of for this reason thus hence thereupon

under those circumstances

henceforth because the consequently forthwith

in that case for then therefore accordingly

Opposition/Limitation/Contradiction

although this may be true

even so/though unlike although nevertheless

in contrast be that as it may or instead nonetheless

different from then again (and) yet whereas regardless

of course…, but above all while despite notwithstanding

on the other in reality albeit conversely

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hand

on the contrary after all besides otherwise

at the same time but as much as however

in spite of (and) still even though rather

Cause/Condition/Purpose

in the event that in the hope that … then lest owing to

granted (that) to the end that unless in case due to

as/so long as for fear that when provided that inasmuch as

on (the) condition (that)

in order to whenever given that

for the purpose of

seeing/being that since only/even if

with this intention

in view of while so that

with this in mind if because of so as to

Space/Location/Place

in the middle here between in the center of beneath

to the right/left there further adjacent to beside

in front of next beyond opposite to behind

on this side where nearby down across

in the distance from wherever up

here and there over around under

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in the foreground

near before amid

in the background

above alongside among

Time/Chronology/Sequence

at the present time

in a moment until now that prior to

from time to time

without delay till formerly forthwith

sooner or later in the first place since suddenly straightaway

at the same time all of a sudden then shortly by the time

up to the present time

at this instant before henceforth whenever

to begin with immediately hence whenever instantly

in due time quickly when eventually presently

until now finally once meanwhile occasionally

as soon as after about further

as long as later next first, second

in the meantime last now in time

Conclusion/Summary/Restatement

as can be seen given these points

in conclusion altogether on the whole

generally speaking

as has been noted

in short overall in any event

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in the final analysis

for the most part in brief ordinarily in either case

all things considered

after all in essence usually

as shown above in fact to summarize by and large

in the long run in summary on balance to sum up

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How to Revise an Essay or Any Writing Assignment

To revise is a verb, it is action that a writer or author must take after the first draft is

complete. No writer, no matter how brilliant he or she is, is perfect the first time he or she writes.

To revise means to reconsider and alter something in light of further evidence. Revision is

playing with sentences and vocabulary. During this stage of the writing process, writers are

reconsidering how their topic or idea is delivered to the reader. Is everything said just right?

Writers are not worrying about end punctuation, capitalization, or minor spelling errors just yet;

however editing these is acceptable at this point. Writers are looking for many things when

revising. Here is a checklist for revision known as DRAFT (Delete, Rearrange, Add connectors,

Form new verb endings, Talk it out):

1. Delete. Rid your writing of irrelevant or unrelated words within the content of your

writing. When we first write, our ideas may sound too wordy, eliminate these words.

2. Rearrange. Move words or phrases to a more appropriate place. If sentences sound weird

to you, change them back. Take a look at these two sentences and see which one you like

best:

a. Original sentence: Trying to slow his heartbeat, he took a few deep breaths, then

opened the door and saw the men he expected: Scott Miller and Richard Brennan,

who worked as agents for the FBI (Anderson 22).

b. Same sentence revised: He took a few deep breaths, trying to slow his heartbeat

when he saw the two FBI agents he was expecting, Scott Miller and Richard

Brennan.

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3. Add Connectors. Use transitional words or phrases, or even some punctuation, so that

your ideas are easy to follow for the reader. The section above (Effective Transitional

Words) is a helpful place to look for connectors. Take punctuation, for example. Be sure

commas are placed appropriately: Let’s eat grandma. versus Let’s eat, grandma. Commas

matter.

4. Form new verb endings. “Verbs move writing along, and sometimes a different form of a

verb can create an opportunity for revision” (Anderson 33). Here are some examples:

a. Original sentences: Bats flew across the sky in huge flocks. They crowded out the

waning moon.

b. With a simple revision of the underlined verb, I can combine these two sentences:

Bats flew across the sky in huge flocks, crowding out the waning moon.

c. Sentence B sounds better than the original.

5. Talk it out. It sounds silly, but read your writing aloud focusing on each sentence. Is this

the best writing you have to offer? If your essay sounds choppy, too many short, simple

sentences, revise those sentences.

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Word Revision

In English, we have what are called the “workhorses” of our language. This means that

writers have a tendency to use the same words over and over again, which makes for a boring

read. Here is an alphabetical list of “workhorses” and their synonyms:

Action Words

Break: fracture, rupture, shatter, smash, wreck, crash, demolish

Come: advance, approach, arrive, near, reach

Cut: gash, slash, prick, nick, sever, slice, carve, slit, chop, reduce

Decide: determine, settle, choose, resolve

Destroy: ruin, demolish, waste, kill, slay, end, extinguish

Do: execute, enact, carry out, finish, conclude, effect, accomplish, achieve, attain

Fall: drop, descend, plunge, topple, tumble

Fly: soar, hover, wing, flee, glide, coast, skim, sail, cruise

Get: acquire, obtain, secure, procure, gain, fetch, find, score, accumulate, win, earn,

catch, bag, derive, collect, gather, pick up, accept, come by, regain, salvage

Go: depart, disappear, fade, move, proceed, recede, travel

Have: hold, possess, own, contain, acquire, gain, maintain, believe, bear, occupy,

absorb, fill

Help: aid, assist, support, encourage, wait on, attend, serve, benefit

Hide: conceal, cover, mask, cloak, camouflage, screen, shroud, veil

Hurry: rush, run, speed, race, hasten, urge, accelerate, bustle

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Keep: hold, retain, withhold, preserve, maintain, sustain, support

Kill: slay, execute, assassinate, murder, destroy, cancel, abolish

Make: create, originate, invent, form, construct, design, fabricate, manufacture, produce,

build, develop, do, execute, compose, perform, accomplish, earn, gain, obtain,

acquire, get

Mark: label, tag, price, ticket, effect, trace, imprint, stamp, brand, sign, note, heed, notice

Move: plod, go, creep, crawl, inch, poke, drag, shuffle, trot, walk, mosey, jog, plug,

trudge, slump, lumber, trail, lag, run, sprint, trip, bound, hotfoot, high-tail, streak,

stride, tear, breeze, whisk, rush, dash, bolt, dart, fling, scamper, race, chase,

hasten, hurry, gallop, lope, accelerate, stir, budge, travel, wander, roam, journey,

trek, ride, spin, slip, glide, slide, slither, coast, flow, sail, saunter, hobble, stagger,

paddle, slouch, prance, straggle, meander, waddle, wobble, pace, swagger,

promenade, lunge

Plan: plot, scheme, design, draw, map, diagram, procedure, arrangement, device,

blueprint

Put: place, set, attach, establish, assign, keep, save, set aside, do, build

Run: dash, escape, elope, flee, hasten, hurry, race, rush, speed, sprint

Show: display, exhibit, present, point to, indicate, explain, reveal, prove, demonstrate,

expose

Take: hold, catch, seize, grasp, win, capture, acquire, pick, choose, select, prefer,

remove, steal, lift, rob, engage, purchase, buy, recall, assume, occupy, consume

Use: employ, utilize, exhaust, spend, expend, consume, exercise

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Words that are Antonyms

Begin: start, open, launch, initiate, commence, originate

End: stop, finish, terminate, conclude, close, halt, discontinuance, cease, stay, pause,

discontinue, conclude, finish, quit

Big: large, enormous, huge, immense, gigantic, vast, colossal, gargantuan, sizable,

grand, great, tall, substantial, mammoth, astronomical, ample, broad, expansive,

spacious, stout, tremendous, titanic, mountainous

Little: small, tiny, shrimp, runt, miniature, puny, dinky, cramped, limited, itsy-bitsy,

microscopic, slight, petite, minute

New: fresh, unique, original, unusual, novel, modern, current, recent

Old: feeble, frail, ancient, weak, aged, used, worn, dilapidated, ragged, faded,

broken-down, former, old-fashioned, veteran, mature, venerable, primitive,

traditional, archaic, conventional, customary, stale, musty, obsolete, extinct

False: wrong, fake, fraudulent, counterfeit, untrue, unfounded, erroneous, deceptive,

groundless, fallacious, incorrect, inaccurate, mistaken, erroneous, improper,

unsuitable

True: right, accurate, proper, precise, exact, valid, genuine, real, actual, trusty, steady,

loyal, dependable, sincere, staunch, correct, factual, good, just, honest, upright,

lawful, moral, proper, suitable, apt, legal, fair

Fast: quick, rapid, speedy, fleet, hasty, snappy, swiftly, rapidly, quickly, snappily,

speedily, lickety-split, posthaste, hastily, expeditiously, like a flash

Slow: unhurried, gradual, leisurely, late, behind, tedious, slack

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Cool: chilly, cold, frosty, wintry, icy, frigid

Hot: feverish, warm, heated, sweltering, torrid, equatorial, tropical, passionate, spicy,

peppery, pungent, sharp, tangy, tart, fiery, flaming, sizzling, charged, burning,

seared, chafed, inflamed, irritated, red, stinging

Quiet: silent, still, soundless, mute, tranquil, peaceful, calm, restful, hushed, inaudible

Noisy: loudly, earsplitting, strident, clamorous, boisterous, deafening, uproarious,

pandemoniac

All: complete, entire, full, gross, outright, perfect, total, utter, whole, any, complete,

every, sum, totality, each and every, every bit of, bar none, every single,

everything, everyone

None: nothing, nobody, no one, zero, zilch, no one at all, no part, not a bit, not a soul,

not a thing, not any, not anyone, not anything, not one, nonexistent, null

Normal: daily, traditional, familiar, routine, proper, ordinary, typical, everyday, usual,

commonplace, natural, classic, standard, general, bona fide, established, habitual,

orthodox, prevalent, run-of-the-mill, time-honored, unvarying, average,

conventional, customary, common, regular, plain, simple

Strange: abnormal, anomalous, bent, bizarre, deviant, eccentric, freakish, fanatical, odd,

eerie, peculiar, weird, unorthodox, nonstandard, atypical, different, irregular,

nonconforming, offbeat, unusual, extraordinary, insane, irrational, disorderly,

rare, exceptional, extreme, outlandish

Descriptive Words

Describe: portray, characterize, picture, narrate, relate, recount, represent, report, record

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Difference: disagreement, contrast, dissimilarity, incompatibility

Explain: elaborate, clarify, define, interpret, justify, account for

Idea: thought, concept, conception, notion, understanding, opinion, plan, view, belief

Look: gaze, see, glance, watch, survey, study, seek, search for, peek, peep, glimpse,

stare, contemplate, examine, gape, scrutinize, inspect, leer, behold, observe, view,

witness, perceive, spy, sight, discover, notice, recognize, peer, eye, peruse,

explore

Story: tale, myth, legend, fable, account, narrative, chronicle, epic, anecdote, record,

memoir

Tell: disclose, reveal, show, expose, uncover, relate, narrate, inform, advise, explain,

divulge, declare, command, order, bid, recount, repeat

Think: judge, deem, assume, believe, consider, contemplate, reflect, mediate

Words Relating to Feelings

Anger: enrage, infuriate, arouse, exasperate, inflame, madden

Angry: mad, furious, enraged, excited, wrathful, indignant, exasperated, aroused,

inflamed

Calm: quiet, peaceful, still, tranquil, mild, serene, smooth, composed, collected,

unruffled, level-headed, unexcited, detached, aloof

Eager: keen, fervent, enthusiastic, involved, interested, alive to

Fear: fright, dread, terror, alarm, dismay, anxiety, scare, awe, horror, panic,

apprehension

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Happy: pleased, contented, satisfied, delighted, elated, joyful, cheerful, ecstatic, jubilant,

tickled, gratified, glad, blissful

Hate: despise, loathe, detest, abhor, disfavor, dislike, disapprove

Love: like, admire, esteem, fancy, care for, cherish, adore, treasure, worship, appreciate,

savor

Moody: temperamental, changeable, short-tempered, glum, morose, sullen, irritable, testy,

peevish, fretful, spiteful, sulky, touchy

Sad: miserable, uncomfortable, wretched, heart-broken, unfortunate, poor,

downhearted, sorrowful, depressed, dejected, melancholy, glum, gloomy, dismal,

discouraged, unhappy

Scared: afraid, frightened, alarmed, terrified, panicked, fearful, unnerved, insecure, timid,

shy, skittish, jumpy, disquieted, worried, vexed, troubled, disturbed, horrified,

terrorized, shocked, petrified, haunted, paralyzed, stunned, apprehensive

Negative Words

Awful: dreadful, terrible, abominable, bad, poor

Bad: evil, immoral, wicked, corrupt, sinful, depraved, rotten, contaminated, spoiled,

tainted, harmful, injurious, unfavorable, defective, inferior, imperfect,

substandard, faulty, disagreeable, unpleasant, cross, nasty, horrible, atrocious,

outrageous, scandalous, infamous, wrong, sinister, putrid, snide, deplorable,

dismal, gross, heinous, obnoxious, detestable, despicable, foul, rank, ghastly

Crooked: bent, twisted, curved, hooked, zigzag

Dangerous: perilous, hazardous, risky, uncertain, unsafe

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Dark: shadowy, unlit, murky, gloomy, dim, dusky, shaded, sunless, black, dismal, sad

Dull: boring, tiring, tiresome, uninteresting, slow, dumb, stupid, unimaginative, lifeless,

dead, insensible, tedious, wearisome, listless, expressionless, plain, monotonous

Dilemma: quandary, pickle, problem

Fat: stout, fleshy, beefy, plump, full, rotund, tubby, pudgy, chubby, chunky, burly,

bulky, elephantine

Gross: improper, rude, coarse, indecent, crude, vulgar, outrageous, extreme, grievous,

shameful, obscene, low

Lazy: indolent, slothful, idle, inactive, sluggish

Hurt: damage, harm, injure, wound, distress, pain, afflict

Trouble: distress, anguish, anxiety, worry, wretchedness, pain, danger, peril, disaster, grief,

misfortune, difficulty, concern, pains, inconvenience, exertion, effort

Ugly: hideous, frightful, frightening, shocking, horrible, unpleasant, monstrous,

terrifying, gross, grisly, ghastly, horrid, unsightly, plain, homely, evil, repulsive,

repugnant, gruesome

Positive Words

Amazing: incredible, unbelievable, improbable, fabulous, wonderful, fantastic, astonishing,

astounding, extraordinary

Beautiful: pretty, lovely, handsome, attractive, gorgeous, dazzling, splendid, magnificent,

fair, ravishing, graceful, elegant, fine, exquisite, pleasing, shapely, delicate,

stunning, glorious, heavenly, radiant, glowing, blooming, sparkling

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Brave: courageous, fearless, dauntless, daring, heroic, valorous, audacious, bold, gallant,

valiant

Bright: shining, shiny, gleaming, brilliant, sparkling, shimmering, radiant, vivid, colorful,

lustrous, luminous, incandescent, intelligent, knowing, quick-witted, smart,

intellectual

Delicious: savory, delectable, appetizing, luscious, scrumptious, palatable, delightful,

enjoyable, exquisite

Enjoy: appreciate, delight in, be pleased, indulge in, luxuriate in, bask in, relish, devour,

savor

Famous: well-known, renowned, celebrated, famed, eminent, illustrious, distinguished,

noted, notorious

Funny: humorous, amusing, comic, comical, laughable, sully

Good: excellent, fine, superior, wonderful, marvelous, qualified, suited, suitable, apt,

proper, capable, generous, kindly, friendly, gracious, obliging, pleasant,

agreeable, pleasurable, satisfactory, well-behaved, obedient, honorable, reliable,

trustworthy, safe, favorable, profitable, advantageous, righteous, expedient,

helpful, valid, genuine, ample, beneficial, splendid, great, noble, worthy,

first-rate, top-notch, grand, sterling, superb, respectable

Great: noteworthy, worthy, distinguished, remarkable, grand, considerable, powerful,

much, mighty

Neat: clean, orderly, tidy, trim, smart, elegant, well-organized, super, desirable, spruce,

shipshape, well-kept, shapely

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Playful: mischievous, prankish, naughty, sportive

Popular: well-liked, approved, accepted, favorite, celebrated, common, current

Words Relating to Talk/Speech

Answer: reply, respond, retort, acknowledge

Ask: question, inquire of, seek information from, put a question to, demand, request,

expect, inquire, query, interrogate, examine, quiz

Cry: shout, yell, scream, roar, bellow, weep, wail, sob, bawl

Mean (something): add up to, affect, be important, be of value, be substantive, carry weight,

connote, count, denote, express, imply, intend, involve, signify, spell, stand for,

suggest, value, weigh in

Say/Tell: inform, notify, advise, relate, recount, narrate, explain ,reveal, disclose, divulge,

declare, command, order, bid, enlighten, instruct, insist, teach, train, direct, issue,

remark, converse, speak, affirm, suppose, utter, negate, express, verbalize, voice,

articulate, pronounce, deliver, convey, state, allege, mutter, mumble, whisper,

sigh, exclaim, yell, sing, yelp, snarl, hiss, grunt, snort, roar, bellow, thunder,

boom, scream, shriek, screech, squawk, whine, philosophize, stammer, stutter,

lisp, drawl, jabber, protest, announce, swear, vow, content, assure, deny, dispute

Miscellaneous “Workhorse” Words

Definite: certain, sure, positive, determined, clear, distinct, obvious

Fair: just, impartial, unbiased, objective, unprejudiced, honest

Important: necessary, vital, critical, indispensable, valuable, essential, significant, primary,

principal, considerable, famous, distinguished, notable, well-known

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Interesting: fascinating, engaging, sharp, keen, bright, intelligent, animated, spirited,

attractive, inviting, intriguing, provocative, thought-provoking, challenging,

inspiring, involving, moving, titillating, tantalizing, exciting, entertaining, lively,

racy, spicy, engrossing, absorbing, consuming, gripping, arresting, enthralling,

spellbinding, curious, captivating, enchanting, bewitching, appealing

Part: portion, share, piece, allotment, section, fraction, fragment

Place: space, area, spot, plot, region, location, situation, position, residence, dwelling,

set, site, station, status, state

Somewhat: a little, sort of, kind of, a bit, relatively, slightly, moderately, to some

extent/degree, reasonably, partially, more or less, not much, rather, quite, fairly,

by a long shot, by far, significantly, well

Somehow: in a way, virtually, to a certain extent, in some measure, to some extent, to a

certain degree, quasi, in a manner of speaking, effectively, anyhow, anyway,

another, howsoever, in any way, by some means

Remember, you may always use a thesaurus to find synonyms or use the website

http://www.thesaurus.com/ to find synonyms or antonyms of words.

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How to Edit an Essay

Your writing is nearly finished. All this is left is to edit and turn in your essay. Editing

means to prepare (written material) for publication by correcting, condensing, or otherwise

modifying it. This sounds exactly like revision right? Well, it is not. Editing means that you are

giving your paper a final look at punctuation, grammar, and spelling to be sure that everything is

as perfect as possible.

Once you have revised and edited, you are now ready to turn in your writing assignments.

Well done!

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Speaking and Listening

When building a speech or presentation for a class there are two points you need to keep

in mind: content and delivery. Here are the key factors, broken down, for a successful speech or

presentation in any class.

Content

According to Erik Palmer, author of Well Spoken, there are six basic questions you must

consider when it comes to the content of a speech or presentation:

1. What is the purpose of the speech or presentation?

a. Is the purpose of this speech or presentation to inform, explain, or entertain? If

you are unsure of the assignment objective or goals, you need to ask your teacher.

It will be very difficult to build a speech or presentation without knowing its

purpose.

2. What content is required?

a. Be sure to read the prompt and include all necessary information. However, this is

not the only information that should be considered. “All speeches must also

include interesting content and attention-holding elements” (Palmer 28). Do not

just check off all the required elements of the speech or presentation, include

something that will leave your speech or presentation memorable.

3. What is the engaging content?

a. If you want your audience to be engaged and interested in what you are saying,

then you, too, must be interested in what you are saying. It is understood by your

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teachers that most of your speeches or presentations will be assigned, which may

not be something you are extremely interested in, but find that something about

the topic you are interested in. Just because the topic has been assigned to you

does not mean your speech or presentation should be boring. Think about it; if

you had to listen to your speech or presentation, would you be engaged? If not,

change it up, make it interesting.

4. What content should be clarified for my specific audience?

a. In order to understand what needs to be clarified for your audience, you must first

know your audience. Throughout your academic career in school, your audience

is your peers. What do they need to know in order to understand your speech or

presentation? What did you have to research more in order to understand? Odds

are this is the content that needs to be explained. Your teacher is not the only

person in the audience; he/she is one of many. Create a speech that is tailored to

your majority audience, not the minority.

5. What connectors should be included to hook the audience members?

a. The most effective speech or presentation is the one the audience believes was

written just for them. Connect to your audience in a way that they will understand,

even if the topic is archaic. How can you connect to an audience using a topic

from the Salem Witch Trials that happened in the spring of 1692? Try to find that

connector, that analogy, that your audience can connect with.

6. What content should be excluded?

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a. Remember, your speech or presentation should not last the entire class period.

Many teachers only give five minutes or less for you to deliver your speech or

presentation. Only include the most important, relevant information. If you cannot

connect all your information, then something will need to be excluded. Ask

yourself, as you work and build your speech or presentation, is this information

essential to the understanding of the speech or presentation? If it is not, then

exclude it. If the birthplace of a person is not essential to his or her

accomplishments, then exclude it. Only use the essential.

Organization of the Speech or Presentation

There is one basic organization strategy for speeches or presentations that has worked

over time: “tell your audience what you’re going to tell them; tell them; then tell them what

you’ve told them” (Palmer 35). This strategy works because, honestly, people do not listen very

well. To begin your speech or presentation, you must have an attention-grabbing opening to “tell

your audience what you’re going to tell them”. Here are some ways to grab a person’s attention

in an audience:

1. Challenge them. For example: Today I am going to tell you something that will change

the history of America.

2. Ask a provocative question. For example: Is robbery justified if you have no food,

clothing, or shelter? What would you do if you saw your mother starving?

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3. Use a powerful quote. However, be sure that you know your audience understands who

the person is. If very few people in the audience knows who the quote is from, it is no

longer a powerful quote.

4. Use a surprising statistic. For example: There are 500 million people who have joined

Facebook. Half of these users log on each and every day.

5. Use an unusual fact. For example: There is a glacier called "Blood Falls" in Antarctica

that regularly pours out red liquid, making it look like the ice is bleeding. (It's actually

oxidised salty water.)

6. Tell a poignant story. By telling a powerful, touching personal story will get the attention

of the audience. Especially if many people are able to relate to your story. Tug on the

heartstrings of an audience, they will listen.

There are a few basic structures to a speech or presentation, “to tell them”. How you

organize the speech or presentation depends on what information you are presenting to the

audience. Some of the basic structures to a speech or presentation are:

1. Chronological/sequential

a. This obviously flows in order of events. What happened first, second, third, etc.

2. Problem and solution

a. If your speech does not follow a timeline, you may need to consider a different

structure. In this speech or presentation, you are delivering a problem to the

audience and offering some suggestions on the possible solutions.

3. Compare and contrast

a. Here, a list of similarities and differences are presented to the audience.

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4. Topical

a. Here, a speaker is focusing on ideas that are related. For example, if a topic is

“Necessary 21st-century skills for young adults,” a speaker may focus on

collaboration skills, Internet literacy skills, Web publishing skills, and finally app

development skills.

At the end of your speech or presentation, simply highlight the main points of your

speech or presentation; “tell them what you’ve told them”. Remember, an audience does not

listen very well.

Building Slides

When building your slides for a presentation, keep in mind the same content as the

speech. Be sure that your slides are appealing and readable to your audience. The slideshow

should meet four criteria: it must be relevant, important, accessible, and simple.

1. Relevant: Do not put any information, images, or “cool little things” on the slide that

does not enhance the understanding of your information you will be delivering for that

slide. Do not use complete sentences. You should know your information well enough

that you just need bullet points, not sentences. We can read, we are not illiterate. The

bullet points should be there to remind you of what you will tell the audience, not tell

them for you.

2. Important: Only use information that is important. All other information can be delivered

through the speech. Too much information can lead an audience to stop listening to you

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because we are too busy focusing on the irrelevant information on the slide, and not you.

You are the focus, not the presentation.

3. Accessible: We should be able to understand the presentation. Your presentation should

be inviting of your speech. Your audience should feel welcomed to your information, this

is why full sentences are not permitted within a presentation.

4. Simple: The presentation should be legible and simple. All images should be understood

and mentioned during the speech. Do not put an image for image sake; within the speech

you need to refer to it. Choose a background that complements the font and color you

wish to use. If the presentation is hard for you to read, image what it is like for your

audience. If you want to be creative, get creative in the delivery.

Delivery

There are six traits to a well delivered speech which are called PVLEGS (Poise, Voice,

Life, Eye contact, Gestures, and Speed). The best element for any speech or presentation,

however, is practice. Every speech or presentation you deliver needs to be practiced. If you

throw a speech or presentation together at the last minute, your audience is aware and a bit

offended that you did not consider us worthy enough to capture and keep our attention. We are

rooting for you, so long as you are rooting for yourself. Here is each trait broken down:

1. Poise is when you appear calm, cool, and collected. How do you do that? First, you must

understand and acknowledge that being nervous is acceptable and expected. Recognize

what you do during a speech or presentation that may seem annoying to others and try

your very best to stop doing that. For example, when I, Mrs. Vellas, talk to my students

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and I wear a long necklace, I constantly fidget with my necklace. Here is a list of some

behaviors that are distracting or annoying to your audience during the delivery of your

speech or presentation: 1) repeatedly saying “um,” “and um,” “uh,” and “like”; 2) tugging

at an article of clothing (like I do with my necklace); 3) twirling your hair; 4) shifting

weight from one leg to another, swaying while standing; 5) continuous smiling or

giggling; 6) smoothing hair; 7) standing still as if you have no knees. What is your habit

when delivering a speech or presentation that others may find distracting or annoying. Do

your best to get rid of these; you will appear poised and confident. Take a couple of deep

breaths. You got this!

2. Voice is the projection you use so that others can hear you. Everyone in the room should

be able to hear your voice. Yes, even the ones in the back. Be sure to enunciate all your

words, do not mumble while speaking. Speak clearly so all can witness this great speech

or presentation. Try to avoid sounding as if you are asking questions while speaking. If

you sound unsure of what you are saying, then the audience will never believe this speech

is for them. Also, try to avoid having your voice fade away at the end of the sentence.

What you have to say at the end of the sentence is just as important as what you said in

the beginning of the sentence.

3. Life is putting passion into your voice. Audiences like to hear emotions, regardless of the

emotion. We want to feel as if we are there, in the speech or presentation. Exaggerate

your feeling in your voice. Do not sound monotone, this is extremely boring. You may

feel uncomfortable doing this at first, but we want you to do well and entertain us. When

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should you put passion in your voice? The best way to do this is put life in your voice on

words or phrases that should be emphasized in your speech or presentation.

4. Eye contact is looking at your audience when you speak. Eye contact is important for two

main reasons: 1) eye contact ensures that your audience is engaged and listening to you

and 2) eye contact is feedback about your performance. If the audience is not looking

back at you, you have a problem. Plan your eye contact before the speech or presentation.

Which students in the room will make you giggle during your speech or presentation?

You probably do not want to look at those students. Which students will offer support

through eye contact, these are the ones you want to look at. It is acceptable to bring notes

on notecards for the speech or presentation. You should be familiar with what you will

say so you do not need to memorize it. Take a quick glance at the notecard but look right

back at your audience. If you look at your presentation, the audience will not be listening

or engaged.

5. Gestures is the body or facial movements a speaker does while speaking. Gestures add

drama and complete your speech or presentation. For example, holding up your index

finger while saying “The first idea is…” or holding your hands apart two feet while

saying “The snake was two feet long…” When you speak of something sad, be sure that

your facial expressions match your words. Do not smile if it is sad, we will not believe

you. Practice your gestures before giving your speech or presentation, but your gestures

should look natural, not completely rehearsed.

6. Speed is the pacing of your speech or presentation. If you speak very quickly the

audience will probably not know what you are saying. Remember, we are terrible

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listeners. If you speak too slowly we will want to get out of the room quick. However,

there is purpose for speeding up or slowing down the pace of the speech or presentation.

If you are speaking of something exciting or suspenseful, the pace should speed up. If

you are speaking of something sad or serious, the pace should be slow. Also, consider

pausing at pivotal moments within your speech. For example, “Texting while driving

causes over eight deaths per day in the United States alone while over 1,100 people are

injured. Over eight deaths per day. (Pause.) This is eight too many.”

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Works Cited Page

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http://www.bluepencilinstitute.com/products/10-active-reading-strategies.html

Anderson, Jeff. Inviting Students to Develop Skill and Craft in Writer’s Workshop Everyday

Editing. Portland: Stenhouse Publishers, 2007. Print.

Anderson, Jeff and Deborah Dean. Revision Decisions Talking Through Sentences and Beyond.

Portland: Stenhouse Publishers, 2014. Print.

Dickinson, Emily. “I’m Nobody! Who are You?.” myPerspectives California American

Literature, edited by Ernest Morrell, Ph.D., Elfrieda Hiebert, Ph.D., Kelly Gallagher,

M.Ed., and Jim Cummins, Ph.D., Pearson Education, Inc., 2017, 178. Print.

The Fastweb Team. “Essay Tips: 7 Tips on Writing an Effective Essay.” 22 June 2017. Web. 23

June 2017.

https://www.fastweb.com/student-life/articles/essay-tips-7-tips-on-writing-an-effective-es

say

Houghton, Peggy M. and Timothy J. Houghton. MLA: The Easy Way! Flint: Baker College

Bookstore, 2008. Print.

Livingston, Kathy. “Write the Introduction and Conclusion.” Guide to Writing a Basic Essay.

N.d. Web. 27 June 2017. http://lklivingston.tripod.com/essay/intro.html

Morrell, Ernest et al ed. myPerspectives California American Literature. Pearson Education,

Inc., 2017, R8-R19. Print.

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Palmer, Erik. Well Spoken Teaching Speaking to All Students. Portland: Stenhouse Publishers,

2011. Print.

“The Punctuation Guide.” Punctuation Guide. N.d. Web. 23 June 2017.

http://www.thepunctuationguide.com/index.html

“Revision Checklist.” Writing Fix. 2005. Web. 04 July 2017.

http://writingfix.com/PDFs/Process/SWG_Revision_Checklists.pdf

Simmons, Robin L. “Writing an Effective Summary.” RLSimmons Blogs. 2015. Web. 27 June

2017. rlsimmons.blogs.com/enc1102/files/summarize.ppt

“Starting with a Hook.” Time4Writing.com. 2017. Web. 27 June 2017.

https://www.time4writing.com/learning-how-to-write/starting-with-a-hook/

“Synonym Lists.” English Language Smart Words. 2013. Web. 27 June 2017.

http://www.smart-words.org/list-of-synonyms/

“Transition Words.” English Language Smart Words. 2013. Web. 27 June 2017.

http://www.smart-words.org/linking-words/transition-words.html