Honors and English 9

Writing Handbook

Table of Contents

I. Writing: The Modes of Discourse

II. Writing Basics and Tips

III. MLA Guidelines

a.Formatting

b. Quotations

c.Works Cited

IV. Response-to-Literature Writing

Format

Writing: The Modes of Discourse

The Modes of Discourse of Rhetoric/Writing - Exposition, Description, Narration,

Argumentation - are the most common paper assignments you will write while attending

Visitation School as well as various high schools.

DEFINITIONS1

Exposition

The expository essay is a genre of essay that requires the student to investigate an idea,

evaluate evidence, expound on the idea, and set forth an argument concerning that idea in

a clear and concise manner. This can be accomplished through comparison and contrast,

definition, example, the analysis of cause and effect, etc.

A common method for writing an expository essay is the five-paragraph approach. This

is, however, by no means the only formula for writing such essays. If it sounds

straightforward, that is because it is; in fact, the method consists of:

an introductory paragraph

three evidentiary body paragraphs

a conclusion

1 All definitions are directly quoted from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL).

Description

The descriptive essay is a genre of essay that asks the student to describe an object,

person, place, experience, emotion, situation, etc. This genre encourages the student’s

ability to create a written account of a particular experience. What is more, this genre

allows for a great deal of artistic freedom (the goal of which is to paint an image that is

vivid and moving in the mind of the reader).

Narration

When writing a narrative essay, one might think of it as telling a story. These essays are

often anecdotal, experiential, and personal—allowing the student to express

himself/herself in a creative and, quite often, moving way.

Argumentative

The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires the student to investigate a

topic, collect, generate, and evaluate evidence, and establish a position on the topic in a

concise manner.

Argumentative essay assignments generally call for extensive research of literature or

previously published material. Detailed research allows the student to learn about the

topic and to understand different points of view regarding the topic so that s/he may

choose a position and support it with the evidence collected during research. Regardless

of the amount or type of research involved, argumentative essays must establish a clear

thesis and follow sound reasoning.

Writing Basics and Tips: 5 Steps of the Writing Process

Step Description StrategiesPrewriting An activity that causes the

writer to think about the subject. The writer organizes his thoughts before he begins to write.

DrawingTalking

BrainstormingGraphic organizers

ResearchListing

Field TripsDrafting The process of putting ideas

down on paper. The focus is on content not mechanics

Taking notes,Organizing thoughts

into paragraphs,Writing a first draft

Revising The process of refining the piece of writing. The writer adds to a writing piece. The writer reorganizes a piece of writing. The writer shares his story and gets input from peers or teacher.

Peer editingConferencing

Share Chair or Author’s Chair

Editing Mechanical, grammatical and spelling errors are fixed in the writing piece.

ChecklistsRubrics

Editing ChecklistsProofreading

PublishingThe writing piece is prepared in final form, including illustrations. The writer shares his writing with others.

Reading aloudReading to a group

Displaying in the roomPrinting the booksWeb publishing

Writing Basics and Tips: Dos of Essay Writing

Do …

Start your sentences differently most of the time.

Write in the PRESENT TENSE

PROOFREAD thoroughly!!!

Check for

o Misspelled words

o Organization / Flow

o Punctuation

o Subject-Verb Agreement

o Shifts in tense or person

o Use transitions, adverbs, appositives, and adjectives to add variety.

Make sure all of your intro and concluding paragraphs are complete, 3-5 sentences long,

and indented.

Make sure all of your body paragraphs are complete, 8-11 sentences long, and indented.

Double check your MLA format.

Writing Basics and Tips: Don’ts of Essay Writing

Don’t …

Use First person (I)

Summarize

Use extraordinarily long quotes

Use quotes without explaining them

Overuse words like you, just, got, now, like, to, of, so, this, that, or and.

Use contractions

Use terms like

o The topic of this essay is

o The reason for this is

o I am going to …

o I believe/think/feel …

Writing Basics and Tips: Transitional Words and

Phrases

These pages only provide a list of transitional words; be certain you understand their meanings

before you use them. Often, there exists a slight, but significant, difference between two

apparently similar words. Also remember that while transitions describe relationships between

ideas, they do not automatically create relationships between ideas for your reader. Use

transitions with enough context in a sentence or paragraph to make the relationships clear.

EXAMPLES OF TRANSITIONS

Illustration Thus, for example, for instance, namely, to illustrate, in other

words, in particular, specifically, such as.

Contrast On the contrary, contrarily, notwithstanding, but, however,

nevertheless, in spite of, in contrast, yet, on one hand, on the other

hand, rather, or, nor, conversely, at the same time, while this may

be true.

Addition In addition to, furthermore, moreover, besides, than, too, also, both-

and, another, equally important, first, second, etc., again, further,

last, finally, not only-but also, as well as, in the second place, next,

likewise, similarly, in fact, as a result, consequently, in the same

way, for example, for instance, however, thus, therefore, otherwise.

Time After, afterward, before, then, once, next, last, at last, at length,

first, second, etc., at first, formerly, rarely, usually, another, finally,

soon, meanwhile, at the same time, for a minute, hour, day, etc.,

during the morning, day, week, etc., most important, later,

ordinarily, to begin with, afterwards, generally, in order to,

subsequently, previously, in the meantime, immediately, eventually,

concurrently, simultaneously.

Space At the left, at the right, in the center, on the side, along the edge, on

top, below, beneath, under, around, above, over, straight ahead, at

the top, at the bottom, surrounding, opposite, at the rear, at the

front, in front of, beside, behind, next to, nearby, in the distance,

beyond, in the forefront, in the foreground, within sight, out of

sight, across, under, nearer, adjacent, in the background.

Concession Although, at any rate, at least, still, thought, even though, granted

that, while it may be true, in spite of, of course.

Similarity Of

Comparison

Similarly, likewise, in like fashion, in like manner, analogous to.

Emphasis Above all, indeed, truly, of course, certainly, surely, in fact, really,

in truth, again, besides, also, furthermore, in addition.

Details Specifically, especially, in particular, to explain, to list, to

enumerate, in detail, namely, including.

Examples For example, for instance, to illustrate, thus, in other words,

as an illustration, in particular.

Consequence/Result So that, with the result that, thus, consequently, hence, accordingly,

for this reason, therefore, so, because, since, due to, as a result, in

other words, then.

Summary Therefore, finally, consequently, thus, in short, in conclusion, in

brief, as a result, accordingly.

Suggestion For this purpose, to this end, with this in mind, with this purpose in

mind, therefore.

Writing Basics and Tips: Tone or the Author’s

Attitude Words

 1.        accusatory - charging of wrong doing

2.        apathetic - indifferent due to lack of energy or concern

3.        awe - solemn wonder

4.        bitter - exhibiting strong animosity as a result of pain or grief

5.        cynical - questions the basic sincerity and goodness of people

6.        condescension; condescending - a feeling of superiority

7.        callous - unfeeling, insensitive to feelings of others

8.        contemplative - studying, thinking, reflecting on an issue

9.        critical - finding fault

10.     choleric - hot-tempered, easily angered

11.     contemptuous - showing or feeling that something is worthless or lacks respect

12.     caustic - intense use of sarcasm; stinging, biting

13.     conventional - lacking spontaneity, originality, and individuality

14.     disdainful - scornful

15.     didactic - author attempts to educate or instruct the reader

16.     derisive - ridiculing, mocking

17.     earnest - intense, a sincere state of mind

18.     erudite - learned, polished, scholarly

19.     fanciful - using the imagination

20.     forthright - directly frank without hesitation

21.     gloomy - darkness, sadness, rejection

22.     haughty - proud and vain to the point of arrogance

23.     indignant - marked by anger aroused by injustice

24.     intimate - very familiar

25.     judgmental - authoritative and often having critical opinions

26.     jovial - happy

27.     lyrical - expressing a poet’s inner feelings; emotional; full of images; song-like

28.     matter-of-fact - accepting of conditions; not fanciful or emotional

29.     mocking - treating with contempt or ridicule

30.     morose - gloomy, sullen, surly, despondent

31.     malicious - purposely hurtful

32.     objective - an unbiased view-able to leave personal judgments aside

33.     optimistic - hopeful, cheerful

34.     obsequious - polite and obedient in order to gain something

35.     patronizing - air of condescension

36.     pessimistic - seeing the worst side of things; no hope

37.     quizzical - odd, eccentric, amusing

38.     ribald - offensive in speech or gesture

39.     reverent - treating a subject with honor and respect

40.     ridiculing - slightly contemptuous banter; making fun of

41.     reflective - illustrating innermost thoughts and emotions

42.     sarcastic - sneering, caustic

43.     sardonic - scornfully and bitterly sarcastic

44.     satiric - ridiculing to show weakness in order to make a point, teach

45.     sincere - without deceit or pretense; genuine

46.     solemn - deeply earnest, tending toward sad reflection

47.     sanguineous - optimistic, cheerful

48.     whimsical - odd, strange, fantastic; fun

Writing Basics and Tips: Words to Use Instead of

“says”

· writes

· observes

· notes

· remarks

· adds

· declares

· claims

· states

· comments

· thinks

· portrays

· depicts

· conveys

· implies

· reveals

.demonstrates

· exemplifies

- illustrates

· explains

· informs

· elucidates

· clarifies

· paints

· alleges

· affirms

· asserts

· argues

· repudiates

· refutes

· dispels

· reverts

· embodies

· inspires

· regales

· empowers

· constrains

· constructs

· creates

· transcends

· pervades

· foreshadows

· predicts

· suggests

· hints

· sustains

· manipulates

· enhances

· discerns

· masters

· meanders

· transforms

· solidifies

Thou Shall Never Use in My Essay Writing List______________________________________________________________________________

Worst Offenders

a lot (or misspelled alot) awesome

bad

basically

due to

etc.

ever since

get, got, getting, gotten

good

great

you (except in giving instructions) kind of

ok

pretty (as in, “She’s pretty smart”) really

stuff

Informal Literary Analysis

I believe

I think

I feel

in my opinion

I, me, my, mine, ours, we

Speculative Words

would, would have should, should have could, could have if

may

maybe

might

perhaps

thing

today’s society

to me

well (as in “well, in conclusion…”)

Additional Words and Phrases

and so on

and then

cause or ‘cuz (for because) definitely

essentially

fine

fully

fun

generally

hopefully

in conclusion

This essay is about… mainly

majorly

nice

nothing

sort of

something

very

What Is MLA Style?

All fields of research agree on the need to document scholarly borrowings, but documentation

conventions vary because of the different needs of scholarly disciplines. Modern Language

Association (MLA) style for documentation is widely used in the humanities, especially in

writing on language and literature. Generally simpler and more concise than other styles, MLA

style features brief parenthetical citations in the text keyed to an alphabetical list of works cited

that appears at the end of the work.

MLA style has been widely adopted by schools, academic departments, and instructors for over

half a century. The association's guidelines are also used by over 1,100 scholarly and literary

journals, newsletters, and magazines and by many university and commercial presses. The

MLA's guidelines are followed throughout North America and in Brazil, China, India, Japan,

Taiwan, and other countries around the world.2

2 Directly quoted from the official MLA website at www.mla.org/style.

What Is MLA Formatting?

Here are the guidelines for MLA formatting for all assignments and papers for the 6th, 7th and 8th

grades:3

1. Choose a standard, easily readable font (i.e. Times Roman or Century Schoolbook) and

type size (no larger than 12 point).

2. Except for page numbers, leave margins of one inch at the top and bottom and on both

sides of the text.

3. Indent the first word of a paragraph one-half inch (or five spaces) from the left margin.

a. Indent long quotations one inch (ten spaces) from the left margin.

4. The entire paper must be double-spaced throughout, including the heading, quotations,

notes, and the list of works cited.

5. Leave one space after each period or other concluding punctuation mark.

3 Directly quoted from the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers Seventh Edition.

6. The heading for all papers is as follows in the upper left-hand corner:

a. Your Name

b. Your Teacher’s Name

c. The Subject and Grade Level

d. The Due Date (Day/Month/Year)

7. Since there is no title page with MLA, the title is as follows:

a. Center the title.

b. Do not bold or underline your title.

c. Do not put your title in quotation marks.

d. Do not type it in all capital letters.

e. Follow the rules for capitalization:

i. Capitalize the first word, the last word and all principal words, including

those that follow hyphens in compound terms.

ii. Therefore, capitalize the following parts of speech:

1. Nouns

2. Pronouns

3. Verbs

4. Adjectives

5. Adverbs

6. Subordinating

conjunctions

8. Number all pages consecutively throughout the paper in the upper right-hand corner with

your last name and page number.

Sample MLA Page

Smith 1

Madison Smith

Mrs. Jones

Literature 8

4th September 2012

Atticus Finch: The Definition of Courage and Compassion

Dorothy Thompson, an influential American journalist, remarks that “courage, it would

seem, is nothing less than the power to overcome danger, misfortune, fear, injustice, while

continuing to affirm inwardly that life with all its sorrows is good; that everything is meaningful

even if in a sense beyond our understanding; and that there is always tomorrow” (1). Though To

Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is not yet written when Thompson makes this beautiful

commentary, she is foretelling the greatest attribute of one of the most righteous characters of the

literary world. Atticus Finch, the proud father of Jem and Jean Louise “Scout” Finch and the

most hard-working lawyer of Maycomb, believes that everyone, regardless of their skin color, is

equal and deserves to be treated with respect. He teaches his children to fight for their beliefs

even when it is them against the world, and to treat everyone the way they would want to be

treated. Hence, of all the characters, Atticus defines what it is to be the most courageous and

compassionate at a time when courage, compassion and a difference of opinion are frowned

upon by the rest of society.

Citing Direct Quotations in MLA Style

First, decide whether what you are quoting constitutes a long quotation (more than four typed

lines of text) or a short quotation (no more than four typed lines of text).4

Long Quotations

1. Generally, use a colon to introduce a long quotation.

2. Indent the entire quotation ten spaces from the left margin.

3. Double space the quotation.

4. Do not set the quotation off with quotation marks.

5. Place the end punctuation before the parenthetical citation.

4 All examples are directly quoted from the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers Seventh Edition.

6. Author’s last name and the page number(s) on which the quotation can be found in the

original source must be included.

Example 1 - Prose

At the conclusion of Lord of the Flies, Ralph and the other boys realize the horror of their

actions:

The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up to them now for the first

time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole

body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and

infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. And in the

middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end

innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend

called Piggy. (248)

Example 2 – Poetry

Elizabeth Bishop’s “In the Waiting Room” is rich in evocative detail:

It was winter. It got dark

early. The waiting room

was full of grown-up people,

arctics and overcoats,

lamps and magazines. (6-10)

Short Quotations

1. Enclose the quotation inside quotation marks.

2. Do not indent the quotation; simply incorporate it into the text of your paper.

3. Place the end punctuation after the parenthetical citation.

4. Author’s last name and the page number(s) on which the quotation can be found in the

original source must be included, although there are two possible ways in which to

include such necessary information.

Example 1 - Prose

“Traitor! … But that you, Marinelli, who so often assured me of your most devoted friendship …

could conceal from me so disloyally and so fiendishly up to this moment this danger which

threatened my love” (Lessing 14).

Example 2 - Prose

Gotthold E. Lessing writes, “Traitor! … But that you, Marinelli, who so often assured me of your

most devoted friendship … could conceal from me so disloyally and so fiendishly up to this

moment this danger which threatened my love” (14).

Example 3 – Poetry (1 line)

Bradstreet frames the poem with a sense of morality: “All things within this fading world hath

end” (1).

Example 4 – Poetry (2 or more lines)

Reflecting on the “incident” in Baltimore, Cullen concludes, “Of all the things that happened

there / That’s all that I remember” (11-12).

Citing Paraphrased or Summarized Information

in MLA Style

Any, idea, fact, statistic, or observation you borrowed from a source – even if stated in your

own words – must be documented to give the original source credit. Be certain that your

summary or paraphrase does not constitute plagiarism.5

1. Do not set off summarized or paraphrased information with quotation marks.

2. Do not indent summarized or paraphrased information; simply incorporate the

information into the text of your paper.

3. Place end punctuation after the parenthetical citation.

4. Author’s last name and the page number(s) indicating where the information was derived

must be included.

5 All examples are directly quoted from the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers Seventh Edition.

Example: Repeating or Paraphrasing Wording

ORIGINAL SOURCE

Some of Dickinson’s most powerful poems express her firmly held conviction that life cannot be

fully comprehended without an understanding of death.

PLAGIARISM

Emily Dickinson firmly believed that we cannot fully comprehend life unless we also understand

death.

This is plagiarism since words were borrowed from another source without

acknowledgment even though wording and form were changed.

PARAPHRASED WITH ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As Wendy Martin has suggested, Emily Dickinson firmly believed that we cannot fully

comprehend life unless we also understand death (625).

Example: Taking an Exceptionally Pertinent Phrase

ORIGINAL SOURCE

Everyone uses the word language and everybody these days talks about culture …

“Languaculture” is a reminder, I hope, of the necessary connection between its two parts …

(Michael Agar, Language Shock: Understanding the Culture of Conversation [New York:

Morrow, 1994; print; 60])

PLAGIARISM

At the intersection of language and culture lies a concept that we might call “languaculture.”

PARAPHRASED WITH ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

At the intersection of language and culture lies a concept that Michael Agar has called

“languaculture” (60).

Proper MLA Works Cited Formatting

A works cited page is arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name. If there is no author

listed, alphabetize by the title; however, ignore articles such as A, An and The. Furthermore, if

the source information does not fit on one line, proceed to the next line but you must indent by

five spaces. Finally, for assistance on proper MLA formatting for every type of source and

media, you can also visit http://citationmachine.net. 6

BASIC FORMATTING GUIDELINES

Print Source – Book

Last name, First name. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.

Medium of Publication.

6 All examples are directly quoted from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL).

Example

Gleick, James. Chaos: Making a New Science. New York Penguin, 1987. Print.

Print Source – Periodical (Newspaper, Magazine, Journal)

Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Periodical Day Month Year: Pages. Medium of publication.

Example

Buchman, Dana. "A Special Education." Good Housekeeping Mar. 2006: 143-8. Print.

Non-print Source – Web Document

Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). “Article Name.” Name of Site. Version number.

Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher). Date of

last update. Medium of publication. Date of access.

Examples

Bernstein, Mark. "10 Tips on Writing the Living Web.” A List Apart: For People Who Make

Websites. A List Apart Mag., 16 Aug. 2002. Web. 4 May 2009.

"How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow.com. eHow, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2009.

Various Sources – Interview, Speech and Film

Example – Interview

Purdue, Pete. Personal interview. 1 Dec. 2000.

Example – Speech

Stein, Bob. Computers and Writing Conference. Purdue University. Union Club Hotel, West

Lafayette, IN. 23 May 2003. Keynote address.

Example - Film

The Usual Suspects. Dir. Bryan Singer. Perf. Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri,

Stephen Baldwin, and Benecio del Toro. Polygram, 1995. Film.

Sample Works Cited Page

Smith 10

Works Cited

Austen, Jane. Mansfield Park. 1814. Ed. Kathryn Sutherland. London: Penguin, 2003. Print.

---. “To Cassandra Austen.” 18 Dec. 1798. Letter 14 of Jane Austen’s Letters. Ed.

Deirdre LeFaye. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1995. 25-28. Print.

Brophy, Elizabeth Bergen. Women’s Lives and the Eighteenth-Century English Novel. Tampa: U

of South Florida P, 1991. Print.

Copeland, Edward. “Money.” The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen. Ed. Copeland and

Juliet McMaster. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1997. 131-48. Print.

Green, Katherine Sobba. The Courtship Novel 1740-1820: A Feminized Genre. Lexington: UP of

Kentucky, 1991. Print.

“Heavy.” Entry 1, def. 18. Oxford English Dictionary Online. 2nd ed. Oxford UP, 1989. Web. 12

May 2009.

Hinnant, Charles H. “Jane Austen’s ‘Wild Imagination’: Romance and the Courtship Plot in the

Six Canonical Novels.” Narrative 14.3 (2006): 294-310. Project Muse. Web. 11 Apr.

2009.

Johnson, Claudia L. “Mansfield Park: Confusions of Guilt and Revolutions of Mind.” Mansfield

Park. By Jane Austen. Ed. Johnson. New York: Norton, 1998. 458-76. Print. Excerpt

from Jane Austen: Women, Politics, and the Novel. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1988.

Tomalin, Claire. Jane Austen: A Life. 1997. New York: Vintage-Random, 1999. Print.

The Response-to-Literature 5-Paragraph Writing Format

TERMINOLOGY

Thesis statement: a statement with a subject and opinion where the possibility for disagreement

is always present. This is the final sentence of the introduction.

Topic Sentence (TS): states the main point of the paragraph (the road map), has a subject and

opinion

Textual Evidence (E): supports the central ide of the essay. The E are FACTS from the text,

direct or paraphrased quotations, which support the TS (which is derived from the thesis

statement).

E will always follow the TLQ (Transition, Lead-in, Quote) format.

Analysis/Examination (A/E): connects the E to the TS and the thesis statement; offers further

detail; expresses the writer’s (YOUR) opinion; explains the author’s point in depth.

Concluding Sentence (CS): wraps up the TS and sums up the paragraph, gives insight into the

next paragraph.

THE TYPICAL BODY PARAGRAPH FORMULA

* WILL CONSIST OF 8-11 SENTENCES *

TOPIC SENTENCE

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE

ANALYSIS (EXPLAINS QUOTE)

ANALYSIS (CONNECTS TO THESIS)

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE

ANALYSIS (EXPLAINS QUOTE)

ANALYSIS (CONNECTS TO THESIS)

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE

ANALYSIS (EXPLAINS QUOTE)

ANALYSIS (CONNECTS TO THESIS)

CONCLUDING SENTENCE

"Home: The Jane Schaffer Writing Program." Jane Schaffer Writing Program. Louis

Educational Concepts, LLC., 2012. Web. 15 Aug 2012.

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Seventh. New York: The Modern Language

Association of America, 2009. Print.

The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 2010. Web. 15 Aug 2012.

"What is MLA Style?." Modern Language Association (MLA). MLA, 2 Mar 2012. Web. 15 Aug

2012.

Writing Lab. N.d. Graphic. Darton State College (DSC): Learning Support Writing Lab, Albany.

Web. 10 Aug 2011. <http://www.darton.edu/programs/learning-support/writinglab.php>.

The Writing Handbook was created and edited by Mrs. Candace Edwards