Download Hollidaysburg Junior High

Hollidaysburg Junior High
Writer’s Handbook
Table of Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The Writing Process
Structuring Paragraphs and Essays
Spelling Help
Grammar and Usage
Style
Click on any of the section titles above to
go directly to that section.
The Writing Process
• So, you want to be a better writer? Good writing
takes time, and whether one is professional writer
or a junior high student writing a paper for
history class, a writer need to move through a
series of steps to write well.
• The steps in this process are: prewriting,
composing, evaluating, revising, editing, and
publishing.
Prewriting
• When you start to write, you don’t need to
know exactly what you want to say…you
just have to get ideas on paper. Some ways
to start include free-writing, talking,
brainstorming, keeping a writer’s notebook
or journal, having a special place that helps
your write.
Free Write
• Write down whatever comes into your
head.
• Don’t worry about spelling, punctuation,
etc.
• Even if you don’t know what to write, keep
writing, “I don’t know what to write” until
something else comes to mind.
Talk or Discuss
• Participate in the class discussion on the
topic.
• Talk to a friend about your ideas.
• Listen to the ideas of others about the
topic.
• Talk to a parent or other adult about his/her
ideas on the topic.
Brainstorm
• Write down everything that you can think
of about your topic.
• Don’t judge or edit your ideas.
• Write quickly.
• Limit the amount of time you give yourself
to brainstorm.
• Let one idea remind you of another. Do
word associations.
Writer’s Notebook
• Take some time to write everyday.
• Keep a journal, notebook, or diary.
• Keep your journal handy so that when
ideas come to you, you can jot them down.
A Special Place to Write
• Thomas Jefferson spent the first 5 hours of
every day at his “writing desk” composing
letters and other documents. Where do you
write best?
• Find the place that is right for you, where
you can be comfortable and productive.
Organizing Your Ideas
• Once you’ve generated lots of ideas, you
need to organize them in a logical way.
Two ways to do this are outlining and
webbing.
Outlines
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Include a title, main headings, subheadings, and details.
My Favorite Vacation (title)
I.
Preparing for the bike trip (main heading)
A. Organizing the group (subheading)
B. Gathering Supplies
1. Bikes
2. Clothing
(Details)
3. Food
C. Physical Training
II.
The Big Trip
A. Arriving at our base camp
B. The first day on the trail
C. My big wreck
1. Trying to jump the log
2. Riding to the hospital
III.
The trip home
A. What my parents said
B. What I learned
Webs
Your main idea goes in the middle of the web, and all
your other ideas branch out from that main idea.
Arrival
1st Day
Clothing
Bikes
Food
The Big Trip
Gathering Supplies
Organizing the
group
The Big
Wreck
Physical
Training
My Favorite
Vacation
Going Home
What I
learned
Parents’
reaction
Composing
• Using your outline or web to help you stay
on track, begin to write.
• Try not to edit or revise during this step;
it’s more important to get you ideas on
paper in sentence form. You’ll go back to
worry about spelling, punctuation, word
choice, and sentence structure later.
Evaluate
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Read your paper to yourself.
Read your paper aloud.
Read your paper to someone else.
Have someone else read your paper to you!
Notice if your paper “sounds” the way you
want it to?
• Does it make sense?
Revision
• Revision is the stage where you improve
the focus, content, organization and style
of your paper.
• Play with your words, sentences, and
paragraphs to say exactly what you want to
say, exactly the way you want to say it.
Strategies for Revision
 Create an opening that grabs your reader’s attention. Ask a question.
Use a quote. Find an interesting or even shocking statistic. State a
problem.
 Add details - lots of detail. It’s easier to cut when there’s too much
than to supplement when there are too few.
 Avoid using passive voice. In other words, try to have the subject in
your sentences doing something rather than having something done
to it.
 Find the right words – there are “a lot of ways to say a lot.”
 Move sentences and paragraphs around to see what happens. Use
transitional words and phrases to show the connections between your
ideas.
 Leave the paper alone for a while and come back to it later. You
might have a new perspective if you’re away from the paper for a
while.
Editing
• Editing is the part of the process when you
improve the conventions on your paper – that is
the spelling, punctuation, grammar, usage and
mechanics.
• Use an editing checklist like the one on the next
slide to help you, and don’t always trust the
spelling and grammar check on your computer.
Reread the paper before you turn it in to your
teacher.
Proofreading Checklist
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All misspelled words have been circled.
All sentences begin with a capital letter.
Sentences end in periods, question marks, or exclamation points.
Dialogue is contained within quotation marks.
Paragraphs are indented.
Apostrophes are used correctly for contractions and possessives.
Unnecessary words and repetitions have been eliminated.
Missing words have been added.
Subjects and verbs agree.
Sentences are varied. Run on sentences have been improved
Fragments have been made into complete sentences.
Proper nouns and adjectives are capitalized.
Commas and semicolons are used correctly.
Strong, active verbs have been used.
Specific nouns have been used to add detail.
Publishing
• Handwrite or type your paper according to
the directions in your classroom.
• Be sure to cite any sources you used for
research.
• Create a bibliography if your teacher
requires one.
Organizing Paragraphs and Essays
• A good paragraph includes a topic
sentence, detail sentences, example
sentences, and a concluding sentence.
• The topic sentence states the main,
controlling idea for the paragraph.
• It often comes near the beginning of the
paragraph, but sometimes it can come as
the last sentence in the paragraph.
Paragraphs (continued)
• Detail sentences help to prove that your topic
sentence is true.
• Example sentences give clear specific examples,
like statistics, to clarify what your detail sentence
is saying.
• Make your details and examples specific by using
names, exact colors, shapes, and sizes.
• Use comparisons to move from the familiar to the
unfamiliar.
• Use sensory details to create an image for your
reader.
Using Transitional Words and Phrases
• Transitional words and phrases are the glue
that hold your paper together. They make
for a “cohesive” style of writing.
• Don’t use the same transitional words and
phrases over and over. Take some chances
and try new ideas.
• Use transitions within and between
paragraphs.
Some Useful Transitions
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After
Also
Although
As a result
As well
At last
Before
But
Finally
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For example
However
In addition to
In conclusion
Instead of
Just as
Later
Rather than
therefore
The Five Paragraph Essay
• One popular way to organize a longer
writing is the 5 paragraph essay.
• This format can be easily expanded to
write for longer assignments too. Just add
more body paragraphs.
• Use the outline on the next slide to help
plan for a longer writing assignment.
5 Paragraph Outline
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Introduction & Thesis:
Paragraph 1 Main Idea:
– Detail/example:
– Detail/example:
– Detail/example:
Paragraph 2 Main Idea:
– Detail/example:
– Detail/example:
– Detail/example:
Paragraph 3 Main Idea:
– Detail/example:
– Detail/example:
– Detail/example:
Concluding Paragraph – Restatement of thesis using different words:
Help with Spelling
• Keep a dictionary handy!
• Many words are misspelled because we mispronounce
them. Words like probably (not probly), could’ve or
could have (not could of), and temperature (not
temprature). Notice words that you mispronounce and
therefore misspell.
• Make a list of the words that you often misspell, and keep
it in your writer’s notebook or near your computer –
wherever you do your writing.
• There are some words that lots of people have trouble
spelling. Work on learning this list of spelling demons
that appear on the next slide.
Frequently Misspelled Words
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About
Acquire
Address
Afraid
Afternoon
Already
Always
Antarctic
Anyone
Arithmetic
Asthma
Athlete
Available
Because
Before
Blue
Cemetery
Chief
Children
Cinnamon
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Come
Committee
Conscience
Conscious
Corduroy
Cough
Could
Counterfeit
Definite
Dependent
Desperate
Does
Done
Down
Dumb
Easy
Eight
Eighth
Environment
Every
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Everyone
Father
First
Formally
Formerly
Four
Freight
Friend
From
Gauge
Gone
Good
Guess
Guest
Have
Height
Hello
High
How
Independence
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Inside
Into
Just
Laugh
League
Library
License
Love
Many
Mattress
Might
Misspell
Mosquitoes
Most
Mother
Much
Name
Necessary
Neighbor
Mew
Frequently Misspelled Words
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Nice
Niece
None
Noticeable
Nuisance
Obedience
Occurred
Off
Omitted
Once
One
Out
Out
Outside
Parallel
Plaid
Play
Prairie
Pretty
Privilege
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Probably
Put
Raspberry
Receipt
Reference
Relieve
Rhythm
Ridiculous
Right
Said
Saturday
Say
School
Send
Shoes
Should
Show
Some
Sometimes
Soon
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Sunday
Sure
Talk
Than
That
Them
Then
These
Time
Today
Together
Too
Two
Upon
Use
Very
Was
Wednesday
Were
What
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When
Where
Which
While
White
Who
Whole
Whose
With
Woman
Women
Would write
writing
Homophones
• Ant/aunt
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The ant climbed out of the picnic basket.
My Aunt Came over for Thanksgiving.
• ate/eight
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I ate my lunch.
I had eight chicken nuggets.
• Brake/break
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Use the brake to stop your bike.
Don’t break the new toy.
• Cent/scent/sent
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Can you get anything with one cent?
The scent of the flowers filled the room.
Mom sent me to the store.
• Deer/dear
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The deer ran through the meadow.
My baby sister is very dear to me.
• Hear/here
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Did you hear that?
Bring that here!
• Hole/whole
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The golf ball dropped right in the hole.
Can I have the whole pie?
• Pair/pear/pare
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I have a pair of shoes.
Is the pear ripe?
Pare the potatoes before you cook them.
• Principle/principal
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It’s important to have principles to guide your
actions.
The principal at out school is Mr. Wagner.
• Role/roll
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What role do you have in the play?
Put the hotdog on a roll.
Homophones
• Son/sun
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His son will mow the lawn.
The sun is hot today
• Threw/through
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He threw the ball to me.
The dog jumped through the hoop.
• To/too/two
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Give the prize to me
I want to come too.
Can I have two scoops?
• Which/witch
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Which seat is mine?
The witch brewed a potion.
Frequently Confused Words
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affect/effect
– Affect is a verb that means to impress change
or influence
– Effect is a noun that means the result of an
action
all right/alright
– All right means that everything is correct.
– Alright is not a word in accepted usage.
good/well
– Good is an adjective used to describe nouns
and pronouns. “The soup tastes good.”
– Well is an adverb that means to do something
capably. “I did well on the test.”
there/they’re/their
– There is an adverb showing location. Put it
there.
– There is a contraction of “they are.” They’re
going too fast!
– Their is a possessive pronoun. That is their
house.
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Whose/who’s
– Whose is a possessive pronoun that shows
ownership. Whose turn is it?
– Who’s is a contraction of “Who is.” Who’s
going to do the dishes?
Slang and Misused Expressions
Instead of:
• Gonna
• Gotta
• Hafta
• Wanna
• Waz up
• u
Try:
• Going to
• Got to (or have to)
• Have to
• Want to
• What is up or What’s up
• you
“Yo! Waz up? Nuttin here.
U wanna go to the mall later?
Hafta go now. Later, Dude!”
Good Sentences
• A sentence has a complete subject and predicate,
and it expresses as whole thought.
• Fragments are either the subject or predicate.
“When we cam home from the party.” This has
a subject and verb, but the thought isn’t
complete.
• Run-on sentences are strings of sentences that
have been connected incorrectly. “We went to
the beach we had a great time.” This just needs a
comma and a conjunction to be correct: “We
went to the beach, and we had a great time.”
Common Problems with S/V Agreement
• Doesn’t/don’t
– Doesn’t is always singular
– Don’t is always plural
• There/here
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These words are not the subject in the sentence.
Find the subject and make your verb agree with it.
There is a fly in my soup.
There are six flies in my soup.
Common Problems with S/V Agreement
• Indefinite pronouns
– Singular:
each, either, neither, anyone, anybody,
anything, someone, somebody, everyone, one,
everything, everybody, one, everybody, everything,
nothing, no one,
– Plural:
few, many, several, both, others
– Sometimes plural or singular: look at the word they
refer to: some, all, most, any, none
Common Problems with S/V Agreement
• Compound subjects
– Connected by “and” choose plural verb
– Connected by “or” & “nor”, choose the verb that agrees with the
part of the subject that is physically closest to the verb.
• Collective Nouns
– Collective nouns are used with plural verbs when the writer is
referring to the individual parts or members of the group
separately.
– Collective nouns are used with singular verbs when the writer is
referring to the group acting together as a unit.
• The class have completed their projects. (individuals)
• The class has elected its officers. (group/unit)
Improving Style
• Cut unnecessary words – never use two words
when one word gets your point across.
• Keep it simple – it’s good to use new words, but
make sure you know what they mean and how
they’re normally used before you try them out in
a formal writing assignment.
• Have fun with words too – choose more specific
words to make your writing more interesting.
Strong, active verbs are important. Instead of
“walked slowly”, try “dawdled.” Instead of
“bragged”, try “crowed”.
Improving Style
• Similes and Metaphors are comparisons that help your
reader move from the familiar to the unfamiliar.
– A simile is a comparison that uses “like” or “as.”
• “The soccer field was like a swamp after the heavy rains.”
– A metaphor is a comparison that says one this is
actually another.
• “My backyard is a jungle where my friends and I play games
for hours and hours.”
• Clichés are phrases that are used so much that they hurt
your writing rather than help it. Avoid words and phrases
like the list on the next slide.
Clichés to Avoid
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Slow as molasses
Big as a whale
Quiet as a mouse
Hungry as an ox
At death’s door
Depths of despair
Grinning from ear to ear
One in a million
In the same boat
Easier said than done
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Green with envy
Weigh a ton
On cloud nine
To make a long story
short
Cried her eyes out
Busy as a bee
White as a ghost
Once in a lifetime
Raining cats and dogs