Grammar and Composition Composition Practice Grade Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Permission is granted to reproduce material contained herein on the condition that such material be reproduced only for classroom use; and be provided to students, teachers, and families without charge; and be used solely in conjunction with Writer’s Choice Any other reproduction, for use or sale,is prohibited without written permission of the publisher Printed in the United States of America Send all inquiries to: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill 8787 Orion Place Columbus, Ohio 43240 ISBN 0-07-823289-9 079 04 03 02 01 00 ii Contents Unit Personal Writing 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Unit The Writing Process 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 Unit Writing to Discover Keeping a Journal Writing a Personal Essay Writing Autobiography Writing a Poem Keeping a Reader-Response Journal Writing About Biography Writing Process in Action Overview of the Writing Process Prewriting: Getting Started 10 Prewriting: Identifying Purpose and Audience 11 Prewriting: Gathering Information 12 Drafting: Turning Notes into Paragraphs 13 Drafting: Writing Unified Paragraphs 14 Drafting: Ordering the Details 15 Drafting: Writing Coherent Paragraphs 16 Revising: Improving Paragraphs 17 Editing/Proofreading: Final Checking 18 Publishing/Presenting: Sharing Writing 19 Explaining Theme 20 Descriptive Writing 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Writing a Descriptive Paragraph 21 Using Descriptive Language 22 Describing an Imaginary Place 23 Describing an Imaginary Person 24 Analyzing Character Descriptions 25 Writing Process in Action 26 iii Contents Unit Narrative Writing 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Unit Expository Writing 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 Unit Writing Simple Narratives 27 Developing Conflict in Narrative 28 Writing Dialogue 29 Using Anecdotes 30 Writing a Sports Narrative 31 Writing About Suspense 32 Analyzing Point of View in a Narrative 33 Writing Process in Action 34 Explaining and Informing 35 Going into Detail 36 Explaining How To 37 Explaining Cause and Effect 38 Classifying a Subject 39 Comparing and Contrasting 40 Writing with Graphics 41 Writing a Feature Article 42 Answering an Essay Question 43 Comparing and Contrasting Two Myths 44 Writing Process in Action 45 Persuasive Writing 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Writing Persuasively 46 Using Evidence Effectively 47 Checking Reasoning 48 Using Language to Advantage 49 Writing an Editorial 50 Writing a Movie Review 51 Writing Process in Action 52 Answers 53 iv Composition Practice Name Class Date Writing to Discover 1.1 Key Information You can learn a great deal about yourself by freewriting, by making observations, by remembering feelings and experiences, and even by sketching yourself ■ A Learning About Yourself Here’s one more way to learn about yourself Answer the following questions Then record how you feel about your answers Question Answer Comments, Feelings, Reactions What you _ best? _ What you find _ hardest to do? _ What is your _ favorite color? _ Number? Flavor? _ If you could spend _ a day doing anything _ you wanted, what _ would it be? _ What makes you a _ little different _ from everyone else? _ ■ B Writing About Who You Are Use the material in the chart to write a paragraph about what makes you unique Imagine that you are writing to help a new teacher understand your unique personality and abilities Use a separate sheet of paper Suggestion: Begin with a topic sentence that states the particular item or items from the chart on which you will focus Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 9, Unit 1 Composition Practice Name Class Date 1.2 Keeping a Journal Key Information Journals are places in which to store thoughts, feelings, and wishes, as well as your reactions to life You need not share them with anyone ■ A Practicing Journal Entries This exercise should show you how easy it is to make journal entries Follow the directions in each numbered item Make sure you write about something that you are willing to share with your teacher Imagine you just did something really silly Write an exclamation that tells how silly you feel Write a sentence that tells about the silly thing you did Write a sentence describing the reactions of people around you to your action Write a sentence that tells what you or someone else said about the situation Write a sentence telling what you’ll always remember about that moment ■ B Making Your Own Journal Entries Now try your hand at writing a journal entry on your own Write about either an imaginar y experience or an actual one Think of something you might want to look back on and remember You might want to make up an adventure for yourself Explain the experience, how you felt, and perhaps what you learned from it Make sure you write about something that you are willing to share with your teacher Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 9, Unit Composition Practice Name Class Date 1.3 Writing a Personal Essay Key Information A personal essay reflects your thoughts and feelings on a topic you know about It can be organized formally—with an introduction, a body, and a conclusion—or in an informal, loosely organized style ■ A Getting Started You’ve decided to write an essay on how one’s choice of clothing reveals a person’s inner self Here’s an idea to get you started Keep adding arrows and thoughts to see where your ideas take you stylish clothes versus casuals no, that’s not it the collegiate look? the windblown look? the really grungy look? no-o-o, it’s not so much the clothes as the way they’re worn ■ B Drafting the Essay Continue with the topic above, or use the arrow method to get some similar thoughts flowing on another topic Compose a first draft To write a traditional essay, organize your thoughts by topics To use a breezier style, start with an anecdote, a little clothes-related story that really happened Later, if you choose, you may turn your draft into a finished essay Use additional paper to write your essay Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 9, Unit Composition Practice Name Class Date 1.4 Writing Autobiography Key Information An autobiography is a written account of a person’s life by that person An autobiographical sketch is a brief account of one period in the writer’s life ■ A Writing a Snappy Beginning Your attitude toward what you write shows in your very first word So begin with confidence and style! Follow the directions to try some snappy openers Write a sentence about yourself beginning “You’d never guess that _ _.” Write a sentence that begins “Today while (doing something ordinary) _ I suddenly remembered _ _.” Write a sentence beginning “When I was only _ years old, I thought that _.” Write an opener that begins “Did you see that _? It reminds me about the time I _.” Write a sentence that begins with a sound word such as CLANG-G-G! (school bell?) or Brrr-ring! (alarm clock? phone?) and see what memory it leads to ■ B Writing the First Paragraph of a Sketch Use your best beginning above, or think of another one like it Then write just the beginning of an autobiographical sketch Think hard about the incident you’ve begun with, then go with it If you feel yourself verging onto another topic, stop Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 9, Unit Composition Practice Name Class Date 1.5 Writing a Poem Key Information A poem is an intensely vivid statement of a feeling, idea, or thought It may be rhymed or unrhymed, but it often includes such figures of speech as simile, metaphor, and personification, as well as strong sensory appeal ■ A Searching for That Intensely Vivid Moment What sudden, vivid awareness you sometimes have when you look at something ordinary? Do you see it as if you’d never seen it before? For each object below, write the phrase, figure of speech, color, or sound image it suggests the deep blue of a lake the warmth of a smile _ the rumble of distant thunder _ one translucent drop of rain _ the trust in a pet’s eyes _ a shivering bird on a bare branch _ the center of a flower _ one blade of summer grass _ the sharpness of winter wind _ 10 the wail of a faraway train _ _ ■ B Getting the Image onto Paper Choose your most vivid image from Part A and write, in poem form, the thoughts and feelings that come to you Use figures of speech if they help express your ideas You might wish to strive for the light touch of a haiku Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 9, Unit Composition Practice Name Class Date W R I T I N G 1.6 AB O U T L I T E R AT U R E Keeping a Reader-Response Journal Key Information A reader-response journal may be a separate notebook or part of an ongoing personal journal In it you can record reactions to literature You may sometimes draw parallels from your reading to situations in your own life ■ A Sorting Out Your Thoughts Think of a piece of literature that impressed you, and use the following questions to begin responding to it Name the literature in your first answer What was it that impressed you overall? What character did you feel closest to? _ What did you like about the way the writer used words? _ What chapter, paragraph, or verse you still remember? What did you take away from this piece of literature that relates somehow to your own life? _ ■ B Making Your Response Write a passage that pulls together your impressions and recollections from Part A Your most personal response will come from the point that elicited your strongest reaction, so you may want to begin with that one Then follow where it leads Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 9, Unit Composition Practice Name Class Date 6.1 Writing Persuasively Key Information Persuasive writing presents a logical argument that tries to influence the reader to accept the writer’s position The argument consists of a central claim and evidence that supports it The connection between the claim and the evidence should always be clear ■ A Stating a Central Claim Read the statements of purpose and audience below For each pair, write a central claim that you believe will catch the attention of the stated audience An example of a central claim has been done for you in the first item Purpose: to persuade people to attend a fund-raiser for the humane society Audience: students at your school Example: Help the homeless dogs and cats in your neighborhood by attending the fund-raiser for the humane society Purpose: to persuade businesses to advertise in the fund-raising brochure Audience: area business owners Purpose: to persuade people to adopt a pet from the humane society Audience: people who attend the fund-raiser Purpose: to persuade people to volunteer their time to take care of animals at the humane society Audience: people who attend the fund-raiser ■ B Supporting a Claim with Evidence From Part A choose one of the central claims that you believe you have the evidence to support Indicate your choice of claim by placing an X beside it in Part A Then write two sentences, each offering evidence that supports the claim, in the spaces below 46 Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 9, Unit Composition Practice Name Class Date 6.2 Using Evidence Effectively Key Information Evidence may take any of the following forms: facts, statistics, examples or incidents, opinions, and reasons It should be relevant to the subject and should come from a reliable source ■ A Deciding Whether Evidence Is Relevant Suppose you want to persuade your school principal that ninth graders need a fall dance of their own Read each bit of evidence below and decide whether it is relevant or irrelevant Then explain your answer A fall dance gives us an informal way to meet and mingle with new students A fall dance gets an important school year off to a good start Sabrina Evans, a friend of mine who is a senior over at Bristol High, pointed out that if senior high students get to have a fall dance, it’s only fair to let ninth graders have one too Mrs Leahy, the school secretary here at West Chester High, checked records of all the ninth-grade dances within the last five years and found no reports of unacceptable behavior ■ B Using Various Kinds of Evidence Write one example of each of the kinds of evidence below Each should contribute to persuading your school principal to allow the fall dance Be sure each kind of evidence is relevant fact _ statistic example or incident opinion _ reason Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 9, Unit 47 Composition Practice Name Class Date 6.3 Checking Reasoning Key Information Faulty logic can great harm to an otherwise carefully constructed argument Check your work for red herrings, either/or thinking, and cause-and-effect errors Knowledge of these flaws in logic can help you strengthen your argument and detect weaknesses in the arguments of others ■ A Eliminating Red Herrings Suppose you’re trying to convince your parents to buy you a new outfit Which of these arguments would be a red herring? Explain your answer Patsy Crowther’s dad buys her anything she wants The outfit is on sale for this week only ■ B Eliminating Either/Or Thinking You still want your parents to finance that new outfit Which of these arguments exhibits either/or thinking? Explain your answer This is the only outfit I’ve asked for in the last year Unless I get this new outfit, I won’t be able to go to the Drama Club tryouts ■ C Eliminating Cause-and-Effect Errors You’re still trying for that new outfit Which of the arguments below probably contains a cause-and-effect error? Explain your answer I’d feel much more confident at the tryouts if I had a new outfit to wear Sandra Johnson was cut last year because she wore one of her old dresses ■ D Choosing an Argument Look back over the six arguments on this page and decide if one or more would be effective If it would be, write it below and explain its effectiveness If none of the arguments would be effective, invent your own and write it below Then explain why it would be effective 48 Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 9, Unit Composition Practice Name Class Date 6.4 Using Language to Advantage Key Information To make your writing express the meaning you intend, use limiting words, replace general words with specific words, and be aware of the connotations of words ■ A Using Limiting Words Rewrite these gross overstatements by using limiting words Not one rock star deserves so much as fifteen seconds’ listening time On the other hand, that politician epitomizes skill and versatility ■ B Using Specific Words Rewrite these sentences by using specific words Some television shows earn honors for viewership in certain categories Certain students should be barred from various extracurricular activities ■ C Using Words with Strong Connotations To demonstrate that you’re aware of the connotative powers of words, rewrite these negative sentences so that they evoke positive feelings about the people they describe Miguel is an outspoken and thoughtless opportunist; he’s the candidate I’d elect as yes-man of the year Donald is a high-handed intellectual snob with the graciousness of a tyrannosaurus rex Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 9, Unit 49 Composition Practice Name Class Date 6.5 Writing an Editorial Key Information To write an effective editorial, find an issue that interests you, take a stand, accumulate evidence, and write to your specific audience Many editorials end with a call to action ■ A Choosing an Issue You Care About You’ll your best job of persuading if you choose an issue about which you have strong feelings List some issues below that you feel strongly about Then circle one to use in your editorial ■ B Finding Evidence for Your Side Think about what would persuade people to listen to your opinion about the issue you have circled How does the issue affect people’s feelings or beliefs or pocketbooks? Jot down evidence that will appeal to a large number of people ■ C Speaking the Language of Your Audience Identify your audience Are they students? Parents? Sports fans? Community workers? Senior citizens? With your audience in mind, choose two or three of the strongest pieces of evidence you listed in Part B Number your evidence in the order in which you’ll use each point Remember that it is usually best to save your strongest evidence for last ■ D Writing to Your Audience Draft your editorial on another sheet of paper Speak the language your audience will understand 50 Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 9, Unit Composition Practice Name Class Date W R I T I N G 6.6 AB O U T L I T E R AT U R E Writing a Movie Review Key Information A movie review usually begins with an opinion of the movie It then offers background information and examines the movie’s elements to support this opinion A review often emphasizes and focuses on one or two elements ■ A Thinking About the Elements of a Movie Choose a movie that you really liked or really disliked Then write notes about each of the movie’s elements below Title of Movie: _ Plot: Theme: _ Characterization: _ Acting: Special Effects: _ Sound Track: _ ■ B Deciding on a Focus Look at the notes you made in Part A and decide which element is the most interesting or important Underline that element above Then write the opening paragraph of a review Be sure to state your opinion of the movie and make the focus of your review clear Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 9, Unit 51 Composition Practice Name Class Date Writing Process in Action Key Information When you write persuasively, you should begin by zeroing in on your purpose and by considering the needs and attitudes of your audience When you build your case, you need to gather solid, accurate evidence that will help you achieve your purpose and persuade your audience You should also address opposing viewpoints and use forceful, direct language to put your point across ■ A Freewriting for an Editorial Choose one of the general topics below or choose one of your own for an editorial to send to your school or city newspaper On a separate sheet of paper, freewrite about the topic to generate ideas about what your central claim is, what evidence supports your claim, and who your audience is If you find that, after you freewrite about a topic, you don’t have much to say about it, choose another topic and freewrite, and another, if necessary, until you find a topic you feel comfortable with Use your freewriting notes to identify a purpose, state your claim, and determine your audience Write these items down beneath your freewriting notes the effect of television on adolescents mandatory school uniforms wearing animal furs mandatory voting for officials for public office ■ B Drafting an Editorial Use your freewriting notes to draft your editorial Choose language that is forceful and to the point Decide how to present your information so that it has a strong impact on your audience For example, will you first present your central claim and then provide supporting evidence, or will you begin with a presentation of supporting evidence and gradually build up to your claim? In what order will you present your evidence—from most important to least important, or vice versa? Remember to address the opposing view and to reinforce your argument with a strong conclusion ■ C Revising and Editing an Editorial Review your draft carefully Decide if your central claim is clear and direct, and if your evidence is accurate and supports your central claim Could you change the organization to make your editorial stronger? Have you used sound reasoning and phrasing that appeals to your audience? Revise your editorial as needed Then edit it, checking your use of language closely Have you used words and phrases that make your argument stronger and more convincing? 52 Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 9, Unit Composition Practice Answers ■ PAGE Part A Guidelines: Student should include specific details in the answer column Fragments of thoughts, speculations,and feelings should be recorded in the second column ■ PAGE Part A Guidelines: Student should name the piece of literature in the first answer Other reactions should be appropriate to the question, referring to both the literature and to the student Part B Guidelines: Student should produce a paragraph on one or two ideas from the charts Paragraph should include specific details and description,and be fairly focused Part B Guidelines: Student’s passage need not cover anything except a point to which he or she had an emotional response The piece of literature to which student is responding should be named somewhere in the passage ■ PAGE ■ PAGE Part A Guidelines: Together, the sentences should produce an amusing model journal entry Part A Guidelines: Be sure answers relate to the questions asked and make sense for the subject and the time period Part B Guidelines: Entries need have no special format and not even have to be in sentence form Be sure student expresses feelings about what happens Emphasize that this writing is an exercise but that real journal writing is private Part B Guidelines: If students work in pairs, their biographical subject will be the same, but their responses will be different Subject should be the same person “interviewed”in Part A ■ PAGE ■ PAGE Part A Guidelines: Bits and pieces of ideas are fine here,as long as they seem to flow in a logical direction and deal with the topic Part A Guidelines: Each comparison should consist of one or more sentences and should help the rea der visualize the person, event,place, or season Part B Guidelines: Student should choose either the traditional, organized-by-topic essay or the informal style, but be sure that one type is followed throughout Lapses in style and tone may be excused since this is only a first draft Part B Guidelines: Student should include himself or herself as one of the speakers in a dialogue Dialogues should use noticeably different speech patterns to show personality and/or background differences between the student and the other person ■ PAGE Part A Guidelines: Be sure student writes a complete sentence, using vivid, engaging details Part B Guidelines: Student should use one of the beginnings from Part A or something similar The student should continue that thought and not veer off into another topic ■ PAGE Part A Guidelines: Images,thoughts,and feelings should be appropriate to the subject matter of each item Part B Guidelines: Some student products may not even look like poems, but each should be an extension of one of the responses from Part A ■ PAGE Part A Guidelines: Student’s responses should clearly demonstrate an understanding of topic,purpose,and audience Part B Guidelines: Student’s sentences should all be about the topic chosen in Part A and should be close ly related to one another Sentences may be quite rough Part C Guidelines: Student should revise in a different color on the drafted sentences Revision should improve individual sentences as well as the flow of ideas from one sentence to the next Accept any revising marks that student may have learned earlier Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 53 Composition Practice Part D Guidelines: Be sure that student’s sentences reflect revisions from Part C Grammar, spelling, and mechanics corrections should be made in a second color Again, accept any editing marks student has already learned Part E Guidelines: Final sentences should include all editing done in Part D Methods of sharing should be logical ■ PAGE 10 Part A Guidelines: Student may freewrite on any topic related to family history Part B Guidelines: List of facts may be on any aspect of family history Facts should be as accurate as possible Part C Guidelines: List should include any events and memories of family activities of interest to the student Part D Guidelines: Questioning response should focus on a single topic and should follow the format in the student text as closely as possible Part E Guidelines: Student should write a one-page paper consisting of three or four paragraphs on a single topic Student’s final topic should be appropriately covered in the assigned length ■ PAGE 11 Part A Possible answers: purpose A: to inform readers of the dangers of ignoring the dump site purpose B: to tell the story of a dump site made beautiful decision: Student may select either of the stated purposes if he or she feels that these two purposes will be difficult to handle together purpose A: to describe the science curriculum purpose B: to persuade readers to donate funds or equipment needed for students to get the most benefit from the science curriculum decision: Student may decide to handle these two pur poses together, since information provided for purpose A may help in fulfilling purpose B Part B Guidelines: Audience should be appropriate for the topics described in Part A,and the expected level of knowledge should make sense for the audience selected In identifying the language to use, student should indicate a tone that is appropriate for the audience and refer to a general or technical nature of information that suits the audience’s level of knowledge 54 Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade Part C Guidelines: The new sentence should be formal and respectful and should deal with possible ways of solving the problem Student should assume that neighbors will not recognize the chemical compounds mentioned Instead, sentences should use everyday language to present an evaluation of the realistic hazards of the dump The new sentence should be serious and professional, not pompous or sarcastic The writer should offer reasons for changing the curriculum Rewritten sentence should address voters respectfully, using a tone that is realistically persuasive.Student should avoid slang ■ PAGE 12 Part A Possible answers: Check through the cards that follow for titles of appropriate books Call up the subject WOMEN IN HISTORY; then scan for likely subjects and titles Narrow the search by specifying a time period, a geographic area, or an area of specialization Check the index for entries listed under women as well as for recognizable names such as Clara Barton, Mary Bickerdyke, Belle Boyd, Sarah E.Edmonds, Florence Nightingale, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Sojourner Truth,and Harriet Tubman Use the subject volume if you don’t know where to start Next, cross-reference to specific authors and titles Then check the library card catalog to see what books are in the collection If you know the names of some women in the news, use the latest supplements to find listings for those you want to read more about Also, check the references listed after each article Part B Guidelines: Procedures for a successful interview should include some of the following:listing some women you’d like to know more about; making an appointment; preparing questions using the five Ws and H technique; taking thorough notes; recording the conversation if possible; asking intelligent follow-up questions; phoning later to clarify facts ■ PAGE 13 Part A Guidelines: Student should write details that clearly support the main idea stated Part B Possible answer: European settlement in Australia began slowly but then picked up dramatically Composition Practice Part C Guidelines: Student’s paragraph should resemble this logical paragraph Make sure that students correct the sentence fragments Visitors to the new colonies in Australia noticed the pidgin English that was quickly springing up Less than a decade after Captain Phillip’s landing, one new arrival observed that this mixture was the standard language spoken by both English settlers and Aborigines It has become one of the trademarks of Australian English The number of Aboriginal words in Australian English is,in fact, quite small When it came to names of places, trees,and animals, however, the Aboriginal influence was much greater About one third of all Australian place names are Aboriginal Part D Guidelines: Student paragraphs should include clear topic sentences and be fairly focused ■ PAGE 14 Part A Guidelines: Sentences should explain why the United States is the best place in the world to live Sentences should give examples or recount incidents to show that the writer is not the way others see him or her Part B Guidelines: Sentences should support the topic sentence The type of supporting details should make clear the st udent’s reasons for selecting a particular state Part C Guidelines: Make sure student includes a topic sentence and that all other sentences are related to it.Student may use any combination of the four types of supporting details ■ PAGE 15 Part A cause-and-effect order order of importance chronological order spatial order chronological order or cause-and-effect order Part B Guidelines: The topic sentences themselves should suggest the kind of order that the paragraphs would use Part C Guidelines: Each paragraph should be developed according to the order inherent in the chosen topic sentence and should be unified ■ PAGE 16 Part A Possible answers: however—t First—t; she—p; then—t;she—p our classmate—s; airborne mailbag—s; although—t; her—p Above—t; jet—s; then—t Back on the ground again—t; she—p Part B Guidelines: Make sure the topic of the paragraph is narrow enough to achieve completeness and coherence ■ PAGE 17 Parts A–D Guidelines: You may want to measure student success in revision for meaning, unity, and coherence by noting how close each one comes to the model below Of course, some variation, such as placement of topic sentence (first or last) and students’ actual wording (as long as language follows standard usage),should be accepted The Gateway Arch, which is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial,is the tallest monument in the United States The 629.5-feet-high stainless-steel structure stands on the western shore of the Mississippi River in Saint Louis, Missouri Eero Saarinen designed the Arch to celebrate the role of Saint Louis as “Gateway to the West.” Inside the monument small cars carry people to the top for a spectacular view ■ PAGE 18 Parts A-D Guidelines: Student may decide which of his or her own and peer editor’s changes to include You may want to measure student success in editing and proofreading by noting how close the revised paragraph comes to the model below Proofreading corrections appear in brackets Barney woke just as the sun was coming up Glancing out the window[,] he saw that the beach was deserted except for a few browsing seagulls.A [slight] breeze ruffled their feathers as they poked in the sand looking for breakfast One gull[,] finding an oyster[,] flew up with it about twenty feet and [dropped] it onto the rocks below Yes, everything was exactly the same Sighing, Barney picked up a towel and walked out onto the warm sand ■ PAGE 19 Part A Possible answers: school or community newspaper, class anthology class or school anthology, teen magazine school newspaper school assembly, parent-teacher night, radio show school or community newspaper Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 55 Composition Practice class anthology, school literary magazine, teen magazine community newspaper or magazine class anthology, school newspaper, school literary magazine school yearbook, school newspaper 10 community newspaper or magazine, regional magazine Part B Possible answers: use the names of class members; slant issues more toward school interests rewrite the essay as a play; issues should be of general interest simplify the vocabulary; change topics to reflect children’s interests practice speaking it aloud; develop facial expressions and gestures same as for 4; also, make issues applicable to towns in general ■ PAGE 20 Part A Possible answers: “The Fisherman and His Wife”—The more we have,the more we want “Snow White”—Envy can make people hurt even those who are closest to them “The Three Little Pigs”—Intelligence can defeat brute strength “Beauty and the Beast”—Character cannot be judged by outward appearance Part B Guidelines: Check the correspondence between the chosen theme and the contents of each set of notes Part C Guidelines: Paragraph should begin with a topic sentence identifying the story and its theme Make sure three important points relating to characters, setting, and plot are used to complete the paragraph ■ PAGE 21 Part A Possible answers: Ominous mood: leaves casting eerie patterns; children hiding behind fence;approaching wail of a siren Happy mood: sun shining; children playing and laughing; radio playing and cheerful lively music Part B Guidelines: Details should be logical and clearly support only one of the moods noted in Part A Part C Guidelines: Student should write a paragraph that conveys a single mood Paragraph should support the chosen mood with appropriate details from the paragraph in Part A, along with additional details the student created in Part B 56 Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade ■ PAGE 22 Part A Guidelines: Be sure student has captured the shade of meaning that makes each word different Possible answers: Fantastic has a positive connotation It means “wondrous,” “awe-inspiring,” “imaginative,” “inventive.” Bizarre has a negative connotation It means “strange and unpleasant.” Slender has a positive connotation It means “gracefully, appealingly thin.” Skinny has a negative connotation It means “extremely, unhealthfully, unattractively thin.” Fashion suggests a popular but acceptable form of dress; fad implies a style followed for a brief time by exaggerated interest To hint means simply “to suggest”; to insinuate has a more negative connotation It implies “to suggest,” but with both an evil motive and a stealthy, sly approach To run means simply “to move quickly”; to flee means “to run with urgency or abandon from a specific danger.” Part B Possible answers: play drama Romeo and Juliet entertainment music rock concert happy joyful ecstatic money coin dime sad downcast miserable Part C Guidelines: Paragraphs should contain lively, specific words that reflect the student’s recognition of the connotations The descriptions should help the reader visualize and “feel” the scene ■ PAGE 23 Part A Guidelines: Student’s answers should all correspond to a single imaginary place Be sure that student explores all of the possibilities,particularly for question Part B Guidelines: Student should list several details that convey a single mood Details should be specific and help the reader feel the mood Part C Guidelines: Rather than grade the draft,help student refine it Circle details that might not work; make suggestions that will improve organization or help strengthen the specific feeling the student wants to convey You might have student take these paragraphs through the entire w riting process Composition Practice ■ PAGE 24 Part A Guidelines: Student answers should explore a single imag inary character Descriptive details should be very specific, making it possible for the reader to form a clear impression of the character Part B Guidelines: Details should arouse the reader’s interest and curiosity in the characters Part C Guidelines: Drafts should incorporate vivid, sensory details about the character’s appearance and personality and organize them in a way that makes the character come alive ■ PAGE 25 Part A Guidelines: Details should indicate that the student has given careful thought to specific traits of each character Part B Guidelines: Be sure student has incorporated material from the chart and has organized the paragraphs logically (not necessarily in the same order as chart entries) Look for a topic sentence introducing the main idea ■ PAGE 26 Guidelines: Be sure student has written each paragraph using the organizational method specified Paragraph should contain enough descriptive details to give the reader a clear image of the car and the cafeteria ■ PAGE 27 Part A Guidelines: Student’s answers should contain enough information about each of the basic narrative elements to provide a good background to a story Part B Guidelines: Narrative events should follow one another in chronological order The plot should contain a conflict and its resolution ■ PAGE 28 Part A Guidelines: Student should invent conflicts that correctly correspond to each type listed Examples: with another person: difference in background leading to disagreement with new friend over approach to take in solving a mutual problem with nature: working against an obstacle that had not been a part of his or her previous environment; i.e., racing to harvest a crop before an expected weather change, or helping to sail a small boat back to land in a storm with society: conflict with school or town over a law or custom that is the opposite of expected behavior in the place the student moved from with self: struggle with self about whether a conflict caused by background differences is a risk to a new friendship; or struggling to decide whether to request a class change because school officials placed you inappropriately due to a misunderstanding of your background Part B Guidelines: Paragraph should tell the story of a conflict identified in Part A, describing its progression to climax Resolution should make sense for the characters and situation ■ PAGE 29 Guidelines: Student should write realistic dialogue that gives specific details about the e vent he or she has just attended Variations in speech patterns should provide information about the personalities, age differences,and relationships of the three participants ■ PAGE 30 Guidelines: Student should use an anecdote that clearly makes the point of one of the statements listed Anecdote should be both entertaining and instructive ■ PAGE 31 Guidelines: Narrative should begin with a strong lead and concentrate on developing the conflict detailed in items 7–10 ■ PAGE 32 Guidelines: Student’s paragraphs should identify details in the story’s events, explaining how they create suspense Examples follow: foreshadowing—“before the thing outside got in” withholding—“thing outside,” “fusillade of knocks reverberated” details in descriptions—“fusillade of knocks reverberated,” “scraping of a chair,” “creaking of the bolt” events in plot—“groping wildly in search of the paw,” “his wife put it [chair] down in the passage against the door,” “as it [bolt] came slowly back,” “frantically breathed his third and last wish” ■ PAGE 33 Possible answers are given as follows: point of view—effect of point of view third-person limited—The excerpt relates the thoughts of one character whose impressions may or may not be accurate The reader has no information regarding the fear or comfort of the other passengers third-person omniscient—The narrator appears to be relating the thoughts of both characters objectively Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 57 Composition Practice first person—The reader is drawn into the action and empathizes with the character ■ PAGE 34 Part A Guidelines: Student should decide on an incident to write about, make a list of events in a logical order, and clearly identify the point of view from which to write Part B Guidelines: Student should focus on the incident identified in Part A; provide information about the characters,the conflict,and the resolution; and write appropriate dialogues and anecdotes Writing may be rough Part C Guidelines: Student should add details where necessary, clarify the sequence of events, and develop ways to hold the readers’ attention Improved word choices should create the precise feeling desired Part D Guidelines: Edited paragraphs should flow smoothly, be neatly written,and be free of errors in grammar and spelling ■ PAGE 35 Part A definition process classification comparison-contrast cause and effect 10 PAGE 38 Part A Guidelines: Each thesis sentence should flow coherently from the rest of the paragraph and should indicate the direction the essay will take The first paragraph is attention-getting and dramatic; the second is suspenseful and tension-building Possible thesis sentences follow: The extraordinary effects of the hurricane’s power were being felt all over Miami Within twenty-four hours, Hurricane Marta would make its strength known to Miami Part B Guidelines: Student’s outline should provide at least two points each for two or more paragraphs Outline should indicate what the conclusion will include ■ PAGE 39 cause and effect classification process comparison-contrast classification Part B Guidelines: Each statement should be a sentence that expresses the main idea of a paper and suggests the kind of exposition that the writer will use ■ PAGE 36 Guidelines: Student should be sure supporting details are logical, given the stated purpose and audience Sample answers for item I follow: fact: Our community has built a new park with a swimming pool and almost doubled the size of the library Sensory detail: Perhaps it’s the scent from the rose garden that attracts small groups of strollers of all ages to the northeast quarter of the four-square-block park ■ PAGE 37 Part A Sample answer: The introduction and conclusion are missing; the few transitions used are not right for the situation; the steps are not complete, and those included are in incorrect order; not enough information is given in each step; questions to the reader are inappropriate; the writer gets bogged down in trivialities 58 Part B Guidelines: Student should clearly identify the topic, audience,specific sources of information,steps in the process, and result Paragraph should state what the process is and give a complete list of steps in correct order Appropriate transition words and phrases should clarify the sequence of steps.Student should not include information that does not contribute to an understanding of how to complete the process Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade Part A Guidelines: Student’s categories should be mutually exclusive and original Examples should be specific Sample answers are given for item 2: Categories: aquarium dwellers—fish,snails,tadpoles; cage dwellers—canaries,parakeets, gerbils, ferrets; pets whose homes are the homes of their owners—dogs,cats Part B Guidelines: Thesis statement should identify a subject from Part A and name the feature by which memb ers are classified Categories to be covered should be clearly listed in the paragraph.Student should make classifications as complete as possible ■ PAGE 40 Part A contrast comparison and contrast comparison comparison and contrast Part B Guidelines: If student uses Venn diagrams, be sure the common features are in the intersecting space Check the logic of other arrangements Composition Practice Part C Guidelines: Student should write a thesis statement that identifies the items being compared and contrasted Topic sentences for the other paragraphs should make the method of development clear ■ PAGE 41 Guidelines: Be sure the graphic is labeled accurately and clearly Following are suggested graphics that might convey the information in a useful way Bar graph—total populations of the three nations; total population and portion over 60 in each nation; population per square mile in each nation pie graph—total population and percent over 60 for each nation map—population per square mile table—all information given ■ PAGE 42 Part A Guidelines: Student may list any topics of interest Part B Guidelines: Student should write an opening paragraph about one of the topics in Part A Paragraph should begin with a detail, description, or anecdote that will catch the reader’s interest Paragraph should feature lively writing with vivid,specific details Part C Guidelines: Student should write an outline that includes at least two facets of his or her interest or two anecdotes about the interest ■ PAGE 43 Part A Guidelines: Student might underline “Explain,” “why,” “going to the movies,” “popular,” and “cable television and VCRs.” Part B Guidelines: Notes should be specific.Student should identify differences between watching a movie at home and in a theater Some attractions of theaters might be the large screen, being a part of an audience, and the enjoyment of being away from home Part C Guidelines: Be sure thesis statement indicates what will follow in the essay Sample: Despite the convenience of cable television and VCRs, going out to the movies has remained popular for the following reasons Part D Guidelines: Be sure outline is organized around the thesis statement ■ PAGE 44 Part A Guidelines: Student’s comparison frame should include the following information about the story elements: Setting—Each myth occurs in heaven and on earth,sometime in the early history of humanity Characters—Each myth involves a virtuous husband and wife The first myth features two gods,the second myth one Conflict—Each myth involves conflict between gods and evil humanity The first myth involves conflict about how to punish evil Plot—The first myth involves the building of an ark,the flood,and the survival and blessing of the husband and wife The second myth involves the flood,the survival and prayer of husband and wife, and creation of the human race Theme—Each myth teaches that good is rewarded, evil punished The first myth teaches that, with the gods,the idea of punishing only evildoers for evil prevailed The second myth teaches about Jupiter’s wrath and mercy and teaches that humanity was made from the earth Part B Guidelines: Student should write a thesis statement that clearly identifies the two myths and the fact that the two are being compared and/or contrasted Thesis statement may mention both similarities and differences but should emphasize one or the other ■ PAGE 45 Part A Guidelines: Student should make sentences specific to one particular animal Example for item 1: Explaining how to select, train, and care for a dog is one way to tell why a dog is my favorite kind of pet Part B Guidelines: Student should list the kinds of details practical for the strategy chosen Part C Guidelines: Thesis statement should indicate what strategy will be followed and should reflect the kinds of details generated in Part B ■ PAGE 46 Part A Guidelines: Student’s claims should be directly related to the purpose and written to appeal to the stated audience Part B Guidelines: Student’s evidence should be based on logic and not appeal to sentimentality or other emotions Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 59 Composition Practice ■ PAGE 47 PART A relevant—New and transferred students might have a hard time making friends; a fall mixer is both timely and effective for this purpose irrelevant—Any number of school activities could get the year off to a good start irrelevant—A student in another school can’t effectively judge the situation in a school she doesn’t attend; moreover, the issue of what is “fair”is not up to her to determine relevant—A record found in the school’s own files and going back for five consecutive years makes sense and is certainly relevant Part B Guidelines: Evidence should be relevant and as specific as possible ■ PAGE 48 Part A Argument is a red herring Patsy Crowther’s dad’s buying habits have nothing to with those of your parents Part B Argument exhibits either/or thinking The outfit may be the only one you want to wear to the tryouts, but you probably have others that are suitable Part C Argument exhibits a cause-and-effect error It is unlikely that Sandra was cut from the club because of her outfit Part D Guidelines: Student should select one of the arguments that was not identified for flaws in logic or write such an argument In explaining why a particular argument would be effective,student should be specific about his or her audience ■ PAGE 49 Part A Possible answers: Not one rock star that appeared on last night’s television special deserves as much as fifteen seconds’ listening time On the other hand,most of that politician’s work demonstrates that he is skilled and versatile Part B Possible answers: Some Saturday morning television shows earn honors for their appeal to young viewers Students who have received three detentions for behavior problems during the school year should be barred from all school-sponsored extracurricular activities 60 Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade Part C Possible answers: Miguel is outspoken and a real go-getter; he’s the candidate who will work with others in government to get things done Donald is an intelligent man with the conduct and bearing of a real leader ■ PAGE 50 Part A Guidelines: Student may list any current issues of interest Be sure the one each student will use is cir cled Part B Guidelines: Be sure that each piece of evidence relates to the circled issue and affects a significant number of people Part C Guidelines: Be sure student identifies the two or three strongest arguments and numbers them in the order in which they’ll be used Part D Guidelines: Student’s draft should include an introduction and a conclusion as well as two or more body paragraphs, one for each piece of evidence numbered in Part C ■ PAGE 51 Part A Guidelines: Student should support evaluative comments with evidence Part B Guidelines: Paragraph should clearly indicate which element is the focus of the review ■ PAGE 52 Part A Guidelines: Student’s freewriting should result in selection of a purpose, claim,audience,and some ideas for supporting evidence Notes may be rough.Student need not use complete sentences Part B Guidelines: Student should use his or her notes from Part A to draft an editorial with a clear focus and organization Student should be sure to address one or more anticipated opposing arguments Part C Guidelines: In revising, student should be sure the central claim is clear and that all other sentences are accurate and provide strong support to the central claim Student should use sound reasoning that appeals to the specified audience ... of sentences that cause problems 16 Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 9, Unit Composition Practice Name Class Date 2 .9 Revising: Improving Paragraphs Key Information... _ Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 9, Unit 19 Composition Practice Name Class Date W R I T I N G 2.12 AB... a finished essay Use additional paper to write your essay Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 9, Unit Composition Practice Name Class Date 1.4 Writing Autobiography