Writing Terms (Entry #8): Take 15 minutes to define as many of the following writing terms as you can. Skip at least three lines between each
term. You may work with a partner.
Writing Terms (Entry #8): Take 15 minutes to define as many of the following writing terms as you can. Skip at least three lines between each
term. You may work with a partner.
1. audience
2. purpose
3. point of view
4. attention grabber (AG)
5. claim/thesis
6. counterclaim
7. reason
8. topic sentence (TS)
9. concrete detail
(CD)/evidence
1. audience
2. purpose
3. point of view
4. attention grabber (AG)
5. claim/thesis
6. counterclaim
7. reason
8. topic sentence (TS)
9. concrete detail
(CD)/evidence
10. transition
11. lead-in
12. quote/quotation
13. paraphrase
14. source
15. cite/citation
16. commentary (CM)
17. chunk
Writing Terminology Review
1. audience: the specific readers for whom a piece of writing is intended; the people who listen to or read text
2. purpose: the intentional message a writer wants to convey to readers; why the author is writing (e.g., to entertain, persuade, or inform)
3. point of view: the position from which something is presented or the perspective from which a story is told
Ex. 1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person, etc. 1st person: I opened the door.
2nd person: You opened the door. 3rd person: They opened the door.
AG Statement: Attention Grabbing Statement: A statement that “grabs” the reader’s attention. •DO NOT ASK A QUESTION!
•First sentence of the INTRO Paragraph
Should be in your own words versus taking a quote
Ex. Ninety-five percent of cell phone owners text message.
2. Thesis Statement: a sentence with a subject & opinion
•Last sentence of the Intro Paragraph
Writing Terminology Review
4. attention grabber: a statement or other device at the beginning of an essay used to "hook" your readers and make them want to
continue reading
•DO NOT ASK A QUESTION!
•First sentence of the INTRO Paragraph
Ex. Ninety-five percent of cell phone owners text message.
5. claim: your basic belief about a particular topic, issue, event, or idea. Claims are potentially arguable; also known as argument or
thesis
•Last sentence of the Intro Paragraph
•Tells your reader what you are going be discussing in your body paragraphs
Writing Terminology Review
6. counterclaim: an argument made to refute (argue against) a
claim
• Also known as counterargument
7. reason(s): your arguments in support of your claim; why you
think what you think;
• should be stated as part of your claim • must be based on evidence
• also known as talking points or prongs
8. topic sentence (TS): the first sentence(s) of your body
paragraph(s) which state the reason to be discussed in that paragraph
•Must support the thesis statement
Writing Terminology Review
9. Concrete detail/Evidence: Facts, statistics, examples, quotations, or other sources of data and information that provide support for claims
Ex. For example, if a person was in a meeting and could not use the phone, a text message could be sent instead.
Ex. According to Time Magazine, author Percey Jackson states, “ninety-percent of cell phone owners use text-messaging.”
10. transition: words or phrases that show a connection between two ideas; transition words help the reader move from one sentence or paragraph to another without losing track of the big idea
Writing Terminology Review
11. lead-In: Provides information to let the reader know who is saying the quote, when/where it was said, etc. Always comes before the quote.
Ex. Before beginning her lesson, Mrs. Lynch stated, “lead-ins are essential when using quotes in an essay.”
12. quotation: the repeating of the exact words that are written or said by another person
• A quotation is not the same as dialogue. Quotes can be
Writing Terminology Review
13. paraphrase: a restatement using different words to help convey meaning
14. source: a person, document, website, etc. that supplies information
15. cite/citation: to identify the source of information
Writing Terminology Review
16. Commentary (CM): your personal opinion, response, reaction, interpretation, analysis, insight, inference or reflection about the concrete detail you are discussing at that point in your essay; also known as warrant
•1CD(EV):2CM - You must have (2) CM sentences for every (1) piece of evidence
Ex. Cell phone owners want the convenience of being able to get a message across without spending minutes on the phone.
17. Chunk: one piece of evidence followed by a minimum of two sentences of well-developed commentary
Writing Terminology Review
Most Common Essays in an
English Classroom
• Narrative – tells the story about a real life experience and
what was learned or gained from that experience
• Analytical (Response to Literature) - analysis, examination and interpretation such things as an event, book, poem, play or other work of art
• Argumentative - proves that your opinion or theory about an
issue is correct or more truthful than those of others.
– It is very similar to the persuasive essay but the difference
is that you are arguing for your opinion as opposed to
Essay Structure
Introduction
- AG-background -Claim/Thesis
Conclusion
-Restate claim/thesis-Address implications
Introduction
Body
Body Paragraph Structure
Topic Sentence
Evidence/CD
CM
CM
Evidence/CD
CM
CM
Pre-writing
Pre-writing means getting your
ideas
and
concrete
details
down on paper before you organize your essay
into paragraphs. If you write your main ideas down, you
can look back at them whenever you need to do so.
What are some pre-writing methods you are aware of?
•
Bubble cluster
•
Flow map
Bubble Cluster
• You start with the claim, which
goes in the middle circle.
• From that claim you list two or
three reasons (topic sentence ideas) which branch off the subject
• Last, you write two concrete
details or pieces of evidence for each of the reasons (topic
Flow Map
• You start with the claim, which goes in a box at the top of the
page.
• From that claim you list two or three reasons (topic sentence
ideas) which branch off the subject.
• Last, you write two concrete details or pieces of evidence for
each of the reasons (topic sentence ideas)
Claim TS (reason) TS (reason) TS (reason) Evidence/CD Evidence/CD
Outline
Thesis:
I. TS (Reason)
A. CD - Evidence B. CD - Evidence
II. TS (Reason)
A. CD - Evidence B. CD - Evidence
III. TS (Reason)
A. CD - Evidence B. CD - Evidence
*Note the use of Roman numerals and capital
Pre-write Practice
•
As a class construct a pre-write for a five
Claim/Thesis
-identifies your position on whatever issue you are
discussing
•
Rules for making your claim:
–
Directly address the writing prompt
–
Clearly state the subject of your essay and an
opinion concerning that subject
–
Includes your talking points (reasons or topics to
be discussed in each body paragraph)
–
Use authoritative and formal language
–
Usually appears at the end of the introductory
Talking Points
*must be included in an expository or
argumentative thesis
• When writing an expository essay, your talking points will be the ideas you plan to discuss in each body paragraph.
– Ex. The life of the typical college student is characterized by time spent studying, attending class, and socializing with peers.
• When writing an argumentative essay, your talking points will
be your reasons.
– Ex. Cell phones should be allowed in the classroom because they help
Reasons
-statements of support for your claim in an argument
essay that serve as your talking points.
• Reasons answer the hypothetical challenge to your claim, "Why do you say that?"
Ex. Claim: Cell phones should be allowed in the classroom. -Why do you say that?: “They can help students take notes.”
• Reasons can be linked to claims with the word because:
Formulating a claim statement
1. State the topic under consideration.
ex. Cell phones
2. Give your position on the topic.
ex. Cell phones should be allowed in the classroom.
3. Give two or three intelligent reasons to support your claim. *These become your talking points (arguments).
ex. #1 Cell phones can help students take notes. ex. #2 Using cell phones in class will keep students interested in class lessons.
Formulating a claim statement
4. State your claim (position) with your arguments (reasons) to create a complete claim.
ex. Cell phones should be allowed in the classroom because they can help students take notes, they keep
students interested in class lessons, and cell phones can be used to look up relevant information to the class.
5. Revise your claim to make it easier for the reader to understand.
ex. Cell phones should be allowed in the classroom
Formulating a claim statement for an
argumentative essay – Let’s Practice
1. State the topic under consideration.
ex. homework
2. Give your position on the topic.
ex.
3. Give two or three intelligent reasons to support your claim (your arguments)
Formulating a claim statement
4. State your claim (position) with your reasons (arguments) to create a complete claim.
ex.
5. Revise your claim with two talking points to make it easier for the reader to understand.
Writing the Body Paragraph
• Your body paragraph should consist of a minimum of eight
sentences with a balance of concrete detail/evidence and
commentary. The typical sentence structure should be as follows:
– TS (topic sentence/reason)
– CD (concrete detail/evidence)
– CM (commentary) – CM (commentary)
– CD (concrete detail/evidence)
– CM (commentary) – CM (commentary)
Step 1 - The Topic Sentence
The Topic Sentence (TS) is the top bun of the hamburger.
• The topic sentence is the first sentence of the paragraph.
• It identifies the topic/reason to be discussed in that paragraph
(refers back to talking point from thesis). -Usually an opinion statement
Step 2 - Concrete Details (CD)
Concrete Details (CD) are the meat of the hamburger
• Concrete Details = Evidence for your TS (facts, quotes, statistics, examples, paraphrases, etc.) from the text or research.
Step 3: Commentary
Commentary Sentences (CM) are the hamburger’s “extras”
- the tomato, cheese, lettuce, pickle - they make it delicious!
CMs = your analysis, interpretation, inferences, response, opinion,
reflection, explanation or insight about the concrete details you are discussing at that point in your essay.
*When you writing commentary, you are commenting on your evidence.
Ex. The frustrated wolf gives up extremely easily after a
Step 4: Concluding Sentence
A Concluding Sentence (CS) is the bottom bun of the
hamburger
A CS wraps up the paragraph. It brings the reader back to the original topic without repeating the same words.
In the fairy tale “The Three Little Pigs,” the third pig is very wise. For example, he remembers his mother’s
warning about a wolf and builds his house out of sturdy
brick. The frustrated wolf gives up extremely easily after a half-hearted attempt to blow down the sturdy and
intimidating brick house. This shows that the third pig is much more intelligent than his brothers, who are devoured by the wolf. The third pig of the legendary fable outsmarts not only his brothers, but the “big bad” wolf as well.
Blue = TS and CS
Red = CD
Green = CM
That was a one chunk paragraph!
What is a
chunk
?
-A combination of CDs and
CMs
is called a chunk. A
chunk is made up of at least 3 sentences.
-In the sample we created, the stuff “between the
buns” makes up the chunk. It includes the meat
(CDs)
and the extras
(CMs)
.
*The ratio of CDs to CMs is 1CD:2CM.
Transitional words or phrases are always used to
introduce
concrete details
.
• A good paragraph will also use transitions. These are words or
phrases that help readers introduce and connect your ideas. • Ex. For example, he remembers his mother’s warning about a
wolf and builds his house out of sturdy brick.
• Example transitions:
For example,
For instance, Consequently,
Thus, As a result,
Because of this, In summary, Hence
,
Therefore,
*If using a quote, you must provide a lead-in to your quote. The lead-in gives necessary information to set up the quote (ex. title of article, speaker, situation, paraphrase of quote, etc.).
Body Paragraph Structure
Topic Sentence
Transition + Evidence/CD
CM
CM
Transition + Evidence/CD
CM
CM
Strong commentary results in varied sentence
structure, using compound, complex, and
compound-complex sentences.
• Varying sentence structure adds interest, creates
fluidity, and allows writers to fully develop their ideas.
• Avoid simple sentence structure:
Ex. Napoleon is a mean pig.
Instead of simply stating Napoleon is a mean pig,
expand the sentence structure.
– Complex sentence: add a dependent clause to explain how we know he
is a mean pig.
• Ex. Because he tortures with abandon all who step into his path to absolute
control, Napoleon is a mean pig.
– Compound sentence: combine two sentences with a coordinating
conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet) or semicolon:
• Ex. Napoleon is mean, and he is also an uncaring, unfeeling paragon of porcine
narcissism.
– Compound-complex sentence: Combine a complex sentence with a
compound sentence.
• Ex. Because he tortures with abandon all who step into his path of absolute
control, Napoleon epitomizes a cruel, uncaring leader who has little regard for the
Commentary Problems
1. Commentary is generic:
Commentary Problems
2. Commentary is really concrete detail/evidence/paraphrase: Weak: Brother was cruel to Doodle when he was growing up. For example, he made him touch the coffin in the loft.
Commentary Problems
3. Commentary drifts from the topic sentence.
Weak: Brother was cruel to Doodle when he was growing up.
Commentary Problems
4. Commentary is repetitive.
Weak: Brother was cruel to Doodle when he was
Commentary Problems
5. Commentary contradicts the topic sentence or thesis: Weak: Brother was cruel to Doodle when he was
Example of an effective literary chunk:
Final thought on commentary:
Our comments (commentary) are our
chance to help the reader see what we see—that the writer chose his/her
words carefully to create meaning and understanding for the reader. We don’t want to say the obvious. We want to explain how the particular passage (CD) helps us understand the writer’s
Concluding Sentence Ideas
-Sum up the main idea of the paragraph (Don’t repeat
the TS.)
-Make a prediction about the result
-Reflect on what you said in the paragraph (Give it value.)
-Transition to the next paragraph by suggesting this idea
*You may use a transition such as
-Consequently,
Steps IV and V.
INTRODUCTIONS
Your introduction should do three things: (1)catch the reader’s attention
(2)provide necessary background information
(3)state your claim and reasons
Attention Grabber
Background Info.
INTRODUCTIONS
Attention Grabbing Ideas:
• write all commentary, end with your claim
• start with an anecdote--a very short story
• start with a startling bit of information or a startling fact
• start with dialogue (two characters speaking to each other) • start with a quotation ("To be or not to be…")
• start with a universal idea (People will do what they feel is necessary to protect their lives.)
• start with an analogy (Lies are like brushfires: they spread quickly, and you can't control them.)
• do any of these:
poem background (author, etc.)
definition historical insight or example
simile or metaphor comparison/contrast
cause/effect generalization/stereotype
Introduction Structure
•
Sentence #1: attention grabber.
•
Sentence #2: says more about sentence #1
•
Sentence #3: says more about sentence #2,
narrowing the subject closer to the thesis
•
Sentence #4: the claim/thesis. Includes
Introduction Example
“It’s alive!”
This 70-something-acre piece of
land that used to be an empty, dirt and grass pile
has come to life with lively young bodies and staff
members who will change the community for the
better. The city of Moorpark has waited a long
time for its high school to open, and now it is off
and running towards a promising future.
Moorpark
High School is a valuable addition to the growing
city because it saves families time as they no
Conclusion
The conclusion is the last paragraph in your essay. It gives your writing a finished feeling and helps your reader understand the
implications of the thesis. It does not include any new evidence. It also does not repeat words from your paper, especially not your claim/thesis. Your conclusion should do the following:
1. Restate your thesis idea and sum up your ideas
2. Address the “so what?” question
Conclusion – 3-5 sentences
a) Restate your thesis idea and sum up your ideas.
Ex. Willa Cather challenges her characters with conflicts so that her reader can learn how to create effective relationships.
b) Address the “so what?” question – Consider why it is important for readers to recognize or understand the point of your thesis.
Ex. The number of road-rage incidences and the number of divorces and failed relationships today indicate that society needs to listen to Cather’s words of wisdom. Even in this school, students and staff could consistently practice
understanding and trust to create a more positive, pleasant learning atmosphere.
c) Finish with an impact statement that ties back to the title or AG – leave the reader with a powerful thought that extends the implication.
Step VI.
Read, Edit, and Revise your Essay
•
These are vital step in
the production of a
thoughtful and error
free essay. Writing is a
process
, and as you are
shaping your essay, it
will be necessary to
arrange
,
rearrange
,
add
Step VII. Final Draft
1. Type your essay in MLA format.
Writing the Body Paragraph (cont.)
• Concrete Details/Evidence are facts, examples, details, statistics,
and data that support your claim. In literature essays, this means
quotes or paraphrased examples from the literature.
• Commentary is your personal opinion, inference, response,
Read the following paragraph and decide what is wrong or missing.
Saturday morning cartoons are often criticized by
public officials because of their violence and themes. For
example, critics complain about coyotes jumping off
cliffs, of dogs and cats blackening each other’s eyes, and
Martians spying on Earth and making plans to destroy it.
In addition, these same animals battle over birds,
carrots, or the right to a hole in the ground. Finally, when
the fights are over, the most violent person often gets
food, toys, or candy as a reward. Children’s
programming needs to be changed to avoid the
Here’s the same paragraph with commentary added.
Saturday morning cartoons are often criticized by public officials because of their violence and themes. For example, critics complain about coyotes jumping off cliffs, of dogs and cats blackening each other’s eyes, and Martians spying on Earth and making plans to destroy it. This violence may be realistic, but there is no accompanying realistic blood, pain, or
mutilation. These scenes emphasize destruction and winning through
physical harm to others. In addition, these same animals battle over birds, carrots, or the right to a hole in the ground. The theme of these actions— greed and selfishness- is not appropriate for young children. The wrong values are encouraged and children do not see any examples of
compromise or peaceful resolution to problems. Finally, when the fights are over, the most violent person often gets food, toys, or candy as a reward. The idea that showing greed or inflicting pain is rewarded in any way, large or small, is a subtly distasteful message. If children see this behavior being successful on television, they have no reason not to try it themselves.
