Write to think, not think to write.

How to Take Cornell Notes

1. To start using Cornell Notes, use either a blank or ruled sheet of paper that has been hole punched.  Of you are using a bound notebook, that will work as well.

2. Draw a large offset "I" on the page.  I split my "I" so that there's 80% of space on the right and 20% on the left.  I use the paper's already defined header for the top of my I.  I then leave about 5 blank lines for the area under my "I".

3. At the start of class, indicate the date and the topic in section 3A.

4. During class:

   1. Take notes in section 4A.  Separate ideas with a blank line.

   2. Add main ideas or keywords in 4B.  The keywords should be aligned with the corresponding note.

   3. Some students also write down their questions here during class.  If the question is answered during the lesson, great!  Indicate this in your notes.  If your question is not answered, flag it and take care of it.  Ask the teacher, your fellow students, reread or work through the example or your homework.

After class:

1. Read 4A and 4B.  Add questions if you do not understand an idea.  Follow step 3 of "During Class".

2. Summarize your notes in 4C.  The summary is short and focused.  Make your summary after class.

Before the next class:

1. Read your summary and prepare a list of questions to ask.

Before the test:

1. Fold or cover the notes section (4A).  Do you know all the keywords?  Do you know the answers to your own questions?

Paragraph Writing

If you can write a sentence, you can write a paragraph.  If you can write a paragraph, you can write an essay or a presentation, or a seminar.

Writing a paragraph isn't hard.  

• Plan before you write. I want you to think about the paragraph like a thought bubble.  All the thoughts deal with the same subject—usually what you are trying to prove or explain.  If your paragraph is about conflict in the first chapter of a novel, don't introduce other ideas such as the use of symbolism in the first chapter.  

• Write using the active voice, in the present tense.

• Formal English, no personal pronouns ("I")  or contractions ("don't", "can't", etc.).  

• Avoid artificial constructions such as, "One believes . . ." or "One could argue . . . "

• Introduce your proof/quotes properly.  Take a moment to read Dealing With Quotes.

• Don't write "This quote shows".  Take the time to think about why you are using the quote and lead your reader.  If you are looking for suggestions on how to lead the reader BEFORE your quote, read the note on Common Signal Phrases.

• When you don't know how to start a sentence, or want to move from one idea to the next, use transition words.

Basic Paragraph Structure with 2 Arguments

A paragraph has 8 parts.  When you write, use the following as a checklist so that you can be sure that you cover the different parts of a paragraph.  You can use this structure to help you write both formal and opinion paragraphs.  Consider using transitions between ideas, and signal phrases before your quotes.  These ideas will be covered later in the lesson.

1. Topic Sentence- Specifies the exact topic being examined in this paragraph, relates to the question asked.  List your arguments in this sentence if you can.

2. Point 1 - Argument #1 / your idea / what you want to prove

3. Proof 1 - A direct quote from the text.

4. Explain 1 - Explain how your proof supports your first point. Focus on ideas presented in the unit, or previous units such as literary terms / literary elements / figurative language techniques / persuasive language techniques.  

5. Point 2 - Argument #2 / your idea / what you want to prove

6. Proof 2 - A direct quote from the text.

7. Explain 2 - Explain how your proof supports your second point. Focus on ideas presented in the unit, or previous units such as literary terms / literary elements / figurative language techniques / persuasive language techniques. 

8. Concluding Sentence - Final chance to convince reader of your point. If your paragraph is part of a series of paragraphs (an essay), add a transition linking to your next argument.

Basic Paragraph Structure with 3 Arguments

If you are writing a longer paragraph, or if the teacher asks for it in an essay, you can insert a third set of Point, Proof and Explain.  When in doubt, please ask.  As a general rule, I expect 2 arguments (2 sets of point, proof and explain).

Sample Formal Paragraph

This is a sample formal paragraph that attempts to address the following prompt:

Given the following quote from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, prove that Maya Angelou uses figurative language to achieve suspense.

 “Yes, sir.” He was looking at the stove and the red glow fell on his face. It seemed as if he had a fire going inside his head. “First I called, ‘Florida, Florida. What do you want?’ And that devilish angel kept on laughing to beat the band.” Mr. Taylor tried to laugh and only succeeded in looking frightened. “‘I want some ...’ That’s when she said ‘I want some.’” He made his voice sound like the wind, if the wind had bronchial pneumonia. He wheezed, “‘I want some ch-il-dren.’” (Page 8).

Angelou uses anaphora and simile to create suspense in chapter 22 of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.  Young Maya spends the stormy night listening to Mr. Taylor, an unexpected visitor to the Store.  Mr. Taylor explains that in his vision, he heard his wife say, "I want some . . . I want some . . . I want some ch-il-dren" (Angelou 8).  Angelou's use of anaphora allows her to focus on how terrified Mr. Taylor is by employing the deliberate repetition of the spine-chilling phrase.  The suspense of the repeated phrase is broken when the ghost tells Taylor what she wants.  Furthermore, Angelou uses a simile that compares Mr. Taylor's voice to something terrible.  Maya states, "He made his voice sound like the wind" (Angelou 8).  The simile allows the reader to hear the sound that Taylor made as he retold the vision by comparing a human voice to the sound of the wind.  Taylor's voice transformed into the sound of an ill wind just as he lets Maya's family know what the ghost wants, finally breaking the suspense created by the apparition. Both the terrifying sound and the dire phrase help create suspense in effective ways in chapter 22. 

Take a look at the paragraph writing lesson, and see if you can identify all the parts I colour coded in this sample paragraph.

Opinion Paragraph Writing

An opinion paragraph allows you to express your opinion using the pronoun "I".

Writing an opinion paragraph isn't hard, but you do need to plan before you write.  Whichever side of the question you decide to take, you cannot bounce back to the other side.  Ignore the other side when you write your final response.

1. Read the prompt and make a pro and con t-chart.  Whichever side has stronger arguments should be the side you take.

   1. If my prompt was: Should teenagers have part-time jobs during the school year?  My chart would be:

      1. Pro:

         1. Money

         2. Freedom

         3. It's fun

         4. Good experience

      2. Con:

         1. It may lower your grades

         2. Less time to spend with your friends

         3. Low pay

         4. Your parents make you

         5. Less freedom / more commitments

2. Reread the prompt and eliminate any responses that don't work:

   1. Pro:

      2. 1. Money

         2. Freedom

         3. It's fun

         4. Good experience

   2. Con:

      2. 1. It may lower your grades

         2. Less time to spend with your friends

         3. Low pay

         4. Your parents make you

         5. Less freedom / more commitments  (This one is similar to Con #2)

3. When I read the list, I find that the Pros outweigh the Cons.  I decide on Pro.  WRITE AN "I" STATEMENT USING THE PROMPT:

   1. Should teenagers have part-time jobs during the school year?  Becomes: I think that teenagers should have a part-time job during the school year.

4. Choose your best 2-3 arguments for the side you chose:

   2. 1. Money

      2. Good experience

      3. Fun

5. Add 2 ideas or facts that support each argument.

   1. Money

      1. I like to be able to spend money without asking for it

      2. My parents already do a lot, and I want to start to take care of my own things

   2. Good experience

      1. I might get a part-time job in a place where I might want to work later on

      2. My high school job will be good experience for when I fill out my next, more serious job application

   3. Fun

      1. I might get a job where my friends work

      2. I might get a job doing something I already like to do

6. Follow this pattern:

   1. Topic sentence which lists your arguments

   2. Argument 1

      1. Idea or Fact 1

      2. Idea or Fact 2

   3. Argument 2

      1. Idea or Fact 1

      2. Idea or Fact 2

   4. Argument 3

      1. Idea or Fact 1

      2. Idea or Fact 2

   5. Concluding sentence which lists your arguments

7. Add transitions to help the ideas in your paragraph to flow.

Sample Opinion Paragraph

This is a sample opinion paragraph that attempts to address the following prompt:

Should teenagers have part-time jobs during the school year?

I think that teenagers should have a part-time job during the school year because it allows them to earn money, it gives them good experiences, and they are fun.  Firstly, a part-time job during the school year allows a teenager to earn money.  The teenager can then use their money on what ever they want without asking for permission.  Teenagers also are aware of how hard their parents work.  Having a part-time job during the school year allows them to not have to rely on their parents for spending money.  Secondly, a part-time job during the school year allows a student to work in a place where they may be interested to work after they have graduated from post-secondary education.  Even if that is not the case, having a job during the school year allows a student to fill out a job application in the future with a previous employer listed as a reference for a new job.  Thirdly, a student might get a part-time job during the school year where their friends work.  Working where your friends are is fun because you get to spend more time with them.  A high school student might also get a job in a place where they already enjoy being.  For example, a student who likes working out at the gym might get a part-time job in a gym.  In conclusion, I think that teenagers should have a part-time job during the school year because it lets them earn their own money, have great experiences, and enjoy their free time.

Take a look at the opinion paragraph writing lesson, and see if you can identify all the parts I colour coded in this sample paragraph.

Theme

The theme is an understanding about life that the writer wishes to share with the reader. The theme is usually closely tied to the change a character undergoes in the story, or is something the character learns as a result of the situations that occur in the story.  It is the meaning or purpose of the story.

Take a moment, and look at the review notes you already took for theme from the Literary Terms package.

Theme

• The theme is a general statement about life or human experience that an author makes through the specific events in his work.

• It is the central insight in a work of fiction.

• The story writer is an observer of life and an interpreter of it.

To Understand the Theme of a Text, Ask Yourself:

1. What insights into life does the story reveal?

2. What view of life does the story give?

The Theme Becomes More Focused When You Ask Yourself:

1. How did the main character change and what has he/she learned?

2. What is the conflict of the story and what is its outcome?

3. Is the title a clue to understanding the meaning of the story?

Writing A Theme Statement:

1. A theme statement is 1-2 formal sentences in length.

2. Do not use question marks or exclamation marks.

3. A theme statement must be stated as a generalisation about life, not about a specific character in a story.  It makes statements about all humans.

4. A theme statement should not be written as a familiar saying or cliché. For example: You can't teach an old dog new tricks. Or, truth vs falsehood.

5. Theme is the central and unifying concept of the story. All incidents must refer back to the statement of theme and not contradict it.

AI vs Google Search vs Wikipedia

Here are some links to help us see the differences between using AI, a Google search and Wikipedia:

Wikipedia

Postmodern Literature

Postcolonial Literature

Google Search

Postmodern Elements

Postcolonial Elements

ChatGPT

Is Indian Horse a postcolonial novel?

Yes, *Indian Horse* by Richard Wagamese can be considered a postcolonial novel. Postcolonial literature often deals with the effects of colonization on indigenous cultures, particularly the legacy of oppression, cultural erasure, and the ongoing struggles of formerly colonized peoples.

Here are key reasons why *Indian Horse* fits within postcolonial literature:

1. **Colonial Impact**: The novel depicts the traumatic experiences of Indigenous people in Canada, particularly the protagonist Saul Indian Horse, as he confronts the colonial legacy of the residential school system. Residential schools were a tool of colonization aimed at erasing Indigenous culture, language, and identity, a core theme in postcolonial discourse.

2. **Cultural Erasure**: One of the novel's central themes is the loss of cultural identity. Saul and other Indigenous children are forcibly removed from their families and taught to reject their heritage in favor of Eurocentric values and practices, reflecting the deep scars left by colonization.

3. **Resistance and Resilience**: Postcolonial literature often highlights acts of resistance to colonial oppression. In *Indian Horse*, Saul resists through his connection to hockey, a sport where he excels. Though the game becomes a complex space for both empowerment and racism, it also allows him to express himself and find temporary freedom.

4. **Critique of Colonial Institutions**: The novel critiques the Canadian government and the Church's roles in institutionalizing violence and oppression through residential schools. This challenge to colonial power structures is central to postcolonial narratives.

5. **Healing and Reclaiming Identity**: Saul's journey toward healing represents the broader effort to reclaim Indigenous identity after colonial trauma, another key postcolonial theme. The novel ends with Saul reconnecting with his heritage and confronting the painful history of colonization, offering hope for healing.

By examining the themes of identity, resistance, and the lingering effects of colonization, *Indian Horse* clearly fits within the framework of postcolonial literature.

Is Indian Horse a postmodern novel?

*Indian Horse* by Richard Wagamese can be viewed through a **postmodern** lens, although it is not typically categorized as postmodern literature. The novel shares some characteristics of postmodernism, but it is more firmly rooted in Indigenous storytelling and realism. However, it exhibits several traits that align with postmodern themes:

1. **Fragmentation and Non-Linear Storytelling**:

   - The novel is structured around Saul Indian Horse's reflection on his life, told through flashbacks and fragmented memories. This non-linear storytelling is a hallmark of postmodern literature, where time and narrative are often presented in a disjointed manner. Saul recounts his childhood, his experiences in residential school, and his struggles with hockey and identity in a way that reflects his fragmented sense of self.

2. **Intertextuality**:

   - While *Indian Horse* doesn’t rely heavily on intertextuality in the traditional postmodern sense (references to other literary works or texts), it engages with Indigenous oral traditions and Canadian history, recontextualizing these within the novel’s framework. This could be seen as a form of cultural intertextuality, where Indigenous history and colonial narratives collide.

3. **Rejection of Grand Narratives**:

   - Postmodernism often critiques and deconstructs grand narratives—overarching stories or ideologies that claim to explain the world in totality. *Indian Horse* challenges the grand narrative of Canadian progress and the myth of benevolent colonization by exposing the brutal realities of the residential school system and the ongoing racism faced by Indigenous peoples. It questions the national narrative that Canada is a fair and just society by showing how Indigenous people have been systematically oppressed.

4. **Subjectivity and Truth**:

   - Saul’s story is deeply personal, and his perception of reality is influenced by trauma, memory, and personal interpretation. In postmodernism, the idea of a single, objective truth is often rejected in favor of multiple, subjective truths. Saul’s understanding of himself and his past evolves throughout the novel, reflecting the postmodern emphasis on fluidity in identity and truth.

5. **Metafiction**:

   - While *Indian Horse* is not overtly metafictional (a hallmark of postmodernism where the text calls attention to its own status as a work of fiction), there is a subtle awareness in the narrative about the act of storytelling. The novel opens with Saul in a treatment facility, recounting his life to work through trauma. This act of storytelling as healing could be seen as a postmodern reflection on the power of narrative itself.

6. **Blurring of Boundaries**:

   - In some ways, *Indian Horse* blurs the boundaries between traditional Indigenous storytelling and Western narrative forms. While it uses a modern novel structure, it incorporates Indigenous ways of understanding time, memory, and experience, challenging the Western linear and rationalist worldview, which is a postmodern strategy to deconstruct dominant cultural narratives.

Conclusion:

While *Indian Horse* isn’t a quintessential example of postmodernism—especially given its focus on realism and the very real history of Indigenous oppression in Canada—it does share some postmodern traits, such as fragmented storytelling, rejection of grand narratives, and subjective exploration of truth. Ultimately, the novel straddles multiple literary modes, including Indigenous storytelling, realism, and elements of postmodernism, making it a complex and multifaceted work.

Descriptive Paragraph Writing

An descriptive paragraph allows you to express yourself. You can use the pronoun "I", but use it judiciously.

Writing an descriptive paragraph isn't hard, but you do need to plan before you write.  You need to plan both your structure and your description.

Step 1

Determine your purpose.  Are you writing to:

• Explain

• Give an opinion

• Tell a story

• To tell an imaginary story

• To describe a person, place or thing

Step 2

• Complete a Spider Map planner.  This website has a miniature version for reference.  The actual one is located in our Google Classroom in the The Perks of Being a Wallflower section.  

• Use the Spider Map to help you brainstorm ideas and layout the structure of your paragraph.

Step 3

• Complete a Sensory Details Chart.  This website has a miniature version for reference.  The actual one is located in our Google Classroom in the The Perks of Being a Wallflower section.  

• Use the Sensory Details Chart to help you brainstorm the details which support your ideas of your paragraph.

Step 4

Follow this structure for your 200 - 250 word descriptive paragraph:

Topic Sentence - Link this to your topic

Supporting Sentences - You will need several sentences that explain your ideas in order (beginning, middle, end).  You also need to provide details and descriptions.

Concluding Sentence - End your response by having the reader think about the ideas you presented in the introduction and and the supporting sentences.  Focus on what you learned or what you want us to remember about your reaction to the prompt.

Sample Descriptive Paragraph

Skateboarding is a dance of motion and balance. The feel of the gritty pavement beneath the wheels vibrating through my feet as I glide forward. The steady drone of skateboard wheels fills the air as I travel along the pavement, a rhythmic sound that builds as I pick up speed, like a heartbeat in sync with the pulse of the street. The wind whips against my face, sharp and cool, while the distant sounds of people, cars, bikes, and buses blend meaninglessly. The deck, solid and firm, clicks and snaps beneath my shoes as I pop into an ollie, the rush of weightlessness lasting just long enough for a quick inhale before gravity pulls me back down. I smell the city in the air, blending with the faint scent of polyurethane wheels. Every moment feels raw and alive, each movement teetering on the edge of control.

Take a look at the descriptive writing lesson, and see if you can identify all the parts I colour coded in this sample paragraph.  Use the Spider Map and the Sensory Details Chart to help you identify both the structure of my paragraph and the supporting details.

What is a Thesis Statement?

A thesis statement:

• Is a statement, not a question.

• Is the central focus / topic of your essay.

• Is located at the end of your introduction paragraph in your formal essay.

• Is one sentence in length.  If you MUST, use two sentences.  CHECK WITH YOUR TEACHER BEFORE YOU DO THIS.

• Must also be included in the beginning of your conclusion paragraph. This should be a revised thesis statement.

• The topic sentences of your body paragraphs must link back to your thesis statement.

• Author + Title of work + Argument 1, Argument 2, Argument 3 is a basic thesis statement structure. 

This basic structure may do well at the grade 9 and 10 level, but it is essentially a list.  By the end of grade 10, you should be confidently able to write a clear 1 sentence thesis statement.  If you can already do this, consider adding a position to your thesis.  If you attempt this, make sure that you clearly indicate your position on the topic.

By grade 11 and 12, you need to make sure that your thesis statement takes a position.  Positions start (come from) with the material you cover at the beginning of the unit, during the unit, or large course-long ideas.

Instead of thinking about your paper as something your teacher is making you write, think about it as something you want your teacher to read.  That's your position.

Final thesis statement check

Does your thesis statement:

• list the arguments 

• indicate the author and the text

• and only if you can, and you are able, does it take a position (link back to an important idea studied in that unit)?

Sample Thesis Statements Without a Position

Chapter 22 of Angelou's I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings is an example of Gothic fiction because of the eerie atmosphere, the physical description of the characters, and the terror that Maya feels.

Chapter 3 of Elie Wiesel's Night uses anaphora, irony, and allusion allowing the reader to understand the terror of the concentration camp.

Chapters 5 through 7 of Richard Wagamese's Indian Horse focus on Saul's growth.  His time in Gods Lake allows him to participate in a coming-of-age ceremony, he has a vision, and witnesses the death of his older brother.

Chapter 1 of Angie Thomas' The Hate U Give allows for the characterization of Starr by what she says, what she does, and what others say about her.

The December 17, 1991 letter in Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower allows the reader empathise with Charlie through his poignant mixtape by including the songs "Time of No Reply", "Blackbird", and "Asleep".

Sample Thesis Statements With a Position (see underlined sentences)

Chapter 22 of Angelou's I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings is an example of Gothic fiction because of the eerie atmosphere, the physical description of the characters, and the terror that Maya feels.  By the end of the chapter, both the reader and young Maya have a deeper appreciation for the strength of her grandmother Momma.

Chapter 3 of Elie Wiesel's Night uses anaphora, irony, and allusion allowing the reader to understand the terror of the concentration camp.  Wiesel uses poetic figurative language in an attempt to make real the impossibility of life in the camp.

Chapters 5 through 7 of Richard Wagamese's Indian Horse focus on Saul's growth.  His time in Gods Lake allows him to participate in a coming-of-age ceremony, he has a vision, and witnesses the death of his older brother.  These chapters are in contrast with the subsequent three chapters of the novel where death surrounds the protagonist.

Chapter 1 of Angie Thomas' The Hate U Give allows for the characterization of Starr by what she says, what she does, and what others say about her.  The realistic setting of the house party permits the reader to identify with the teenage protagonist.

The December 17, 1991 letter in Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower allows the reader empathise with Charlie through his poignant mixtape by including the songs "Time of No Reply", "Blackbird", and "Asleep".  The lyrics of each song allow the reader to understand about Charlie's state of mind in the middle of grade 9.

Writing a Thesis Statement if you were given a list of topics

1. Choose a topic that interests you:

• Gothic elements in chapter 22 of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

2. Make a declaration (formal statement) about the topic:

• Angelou uses Gothic elements at critical moments chapter 22 of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.

3. Rewrite the topic into a question. Questions begin with who, what, where, why, when and how:

• Why does Angelou use Gothic elements at critical moments chapter 22 of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings?

4. Answer the question:

• Angelou use Gothic elements at critical moments chapter 22 of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings to emphasize how Maya feels.

5. State your 3 arguments:

• eerie atmosphere, the physical description of the characters, and the terror that Maya feels.

6. Combine the author's name, title of text, #2, #4 and #5:

• The eerie atmosphere, the physical description of the characters, and the terror that Maya feels in chapter 22 of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings are all important in understanding the Gothic mood of the chapter. In Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Gothic elements are used in critical moments to emphasize how Maya feels. 

Writing a Thesis Statement if you were given a list of questions

1. Choose a question that interests you:

• Why does Angelou use Gothic elements at critical moments chapter 22 of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings?

2. Make a declaration (formal statement) about the topic:

• Angelou uses Gothic elements at critical moments chapter 22 of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.

3. Answer the question: 

• Angelou use Gothic elements at critical moments chapter 22 of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings to emphasize how Maya feels.

4. State your 3 arguments:

• eerie atmosphere, the physical description of the characters, and the terror that Maya feels.

5. Combine the author's name, title of text, #2, #3 and #4:

• The eerie atmosphere, the physical description of the characters, and the terror that Maya feels in chapter 22 of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings are all important in understanding the Gothic mood of the chapter. In Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Gothic elements are used in critical moments to emphasize how Maya feels. 

Opinion Essay Writing - A Series of Paragraphs Expressing an Opinion (OSSLT Prep)

An opinion essay allows you to express your opinion using the pronoun "I".  It is the main component of the written portion of the OSSLT.

Writing an opinion essay isn't hard, but you do need to plan before you write.  Whichever side of the question you decide to take, you cannot bounce back to the other side.  Ignore the other side when you write your final response.

Plan your answer and stick to your plan during the OSSLT.  Check off the arguments in your plan as you write that paragraph.

During this lesson, we will cover:

• Opinion Essay Planner

• Writing an Opinion Essay

• Opinion Essay Planner - Filled in

• Sample Opinion Essays

Writing an Opinion Essay

3 Pre-Writing Steps

1. You need to understand the prompt.

2. You need to make a personal connection to the prompt.

3. If the essay you are being asked to write is happening in during a unit, ask yourself if there is a connection between a character you studied and yourself.  Can you see the connections between the prompt, yourself and the character?

Notes

1. Decide whether you agree or disagree with the prompt. 

2. Do not argue both sides.

3. You can use personal pronouns.

4. Use phrases like: I believe, in my opinion, I think, I feel

5. Use transitions to link the paragraphs together

6. The planner only provides the basic structure. You still need to fill it with good ideas, support and strong writing! Please look at the last two essays in the Opinion Essay Samples.  How do they compare to the opinion planner?

Opinion Essay Structure

Paragraph 1

Introductory statement

• Use keywords from the prompt to focus your reader

Thesis Statement

• indicate if you agree or disagree with the prompt

• link you thesis to 2 reasons. Let's call them A and B

Paragraph 2

Topic Sentence

• Introduce reason A

Supporting statement 1

• Give an example of reason A

Supporting statement 2

• Give another example of reason A

Paragraph 3

Topic Sentence

• Introduce reason B

Supporting statement 1

• Give an example of reason B

Supporting statement 2

• Give another example of reason B

Paragraph 4

Restate thesis statement

Summarize supporting reasons (A and B)

The planner only provides the basic structure. You still need to fill it with good ideas, support and strong writing! Please look at the last two essays in the Opinion Essay Samples.  How do they compare to the opinion planner?

Common Writing Errors

This is a list of common writing errors that occur.  No writer is immune to them.  Understanding what they are, and learning how to fix them, will make you a stronger writer.

1. Spelling errors

   • Use a dictionary (digital or paper) if you cannot confidently spell a word.

2. Contractions, Possession, Plural

   • In formal writing, do not combine words.  They're is the contraction of they are.

   • If you are writing in a creative mode, contractions allow your dialogue to sound natural.

   • Plural vs Possession

3. Personal pronouns

   • In formal writing, do not use the personal pronoun, "I".  Avoid the use of "we".

   • In opinion writing, personal pronouns are fine.

4. Awkward (Awk.)

   • An awkward phrase is a statement that is difficult to understand or sounds unnatural because of grammatical mistakes, punctuation errors, or unnecessary words.

5. Vague / Unclear

   • A vague phrase is a word or phrase that is not exact or precise.

6. Slang / Cliché

   • A cliché is a phrase or expression that has become overused and lost its impact, while slang is a type of informal language that is often spoken rather than written. 

7. Comma Splice / Run-On

   • an instance of using a comma to link two independent clauses (which should instead be linked by a colon, semicolon, or conjunction)

8. Parenthetical Comma Error

   • A common comma error with parenthetical expressions is forgetting to include a comma after the closing parenthesis. Parenthetical expressions are non-essential information that can be removed from a sentence without changing its meaning.

9. Semicolon Error

   • A semicolon error can occur when a semicolon is used incorrectly, such as when it's used to separate incomplete sentences or when it's used in place of a colon

10. Em Dash (—) Error

    • Confusing hyphens, em dash and the implications of an em dash in formal writing.

11. Exclamation / Question Marks

    • Is the rhetorical question absolutely necessary? 

    • The use of the exclamation point in formal vs informal writing

12. Missing Periods / Commas

    • A comma (or period) error occurs when a comma (or period) is used incorrectly or when a comma (or period) is needed but is not present.

13. Capitalization Errors

    • A capitalization error occurs when a word is capitalized incorrectly or when a word that should be capitalized is left uncapitalized

    • Proper nouns

14. Sentence Fragment

    • A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence that can't stand on its own. It's usually a dependent clause that needs to be combined with an independent clause to make a complete thought.

15. Active Voice

    • Active voice is a grammatical structure where the subject of the sentence performs the action

16. Present Tense / Tense Shift

    • The present tense is a grammatical tense used to describe actions that are happening right now or are continuous. It can also be used to describe habits, unchanging situations, facts, and planned events in the near future.

17. Wordiness

    • Wordiness most often occurs when a writer wants to sound more professional, academic, or complex; being wordy actually detracts from your argument, though, and hides your ideas among big words and inflated language

18. Words in Parenthesis

    • Avoiding words in parentheses in formal writing.  Words in parenthesis are used to add extra information to a sentence that is not grammatically essential to the sentence. This information can be a single word, a sentence fragment, or multiple sentences.

19. Word Choice

    • Word choice errors can include: using words with negative connotations, using jargon or abbreviations, using incorrect collocations (make a mistake NOT do a mistake), using pronouns incorrectly, using "then" instead of "than", using the wrong prefix, suffix, or modifier, and clichés.

20. Repetitive (RPT.)

    • Repetitive sentence structure can refer to a few different things, including parallelism, repetition of words, or repetition of phrases

Common Writing Errors Presentation

In a small group (3 students max), create and deliver a 5 minute presentation on one of the common writing errors outlined in the Common Writing Errors lesson.  All presentations are due at 8 AM in the Google Classroom on the first day of presentations.  All groups must be ready to present on the first day.

Your group will make a creative presentation which will: 

• explain the error

• identify the error

• explain how to correct the error

• give solutions as to how to avoid the error

• be 5 minutes in length

• will focus on the class, not the teacher

• will use Google Slides

Reminders:

1. One member from each group will sign the entire group up.  Sign up will happen via our Google Classroom.  Topics will be assigned by the teacher.

2. Only 1 group member hands in the presentation. 

3. Your presentation must use GOOGLE SLIDES  

4. Your presentation must be made with your STUDENT GOOGLE ACCOUNT

5. Your presentation time will be 5 minutes

6. All group members will be marked individually.  While the speaker presents, the slides are solely theirs.  You will only be evaluated for the slides or ideas that appear while you present.

7. The second slide must include the first and last names of all members.

8. If any member of your group opens, checks, views, "unsubmits", or edits the presentation in the CLASSROOM DROPBOX after the deadline, ALL MEMBERS WILL BE MARKED LATE. If you want a copy of the presentation to practice with, please download a pdf of it, and share that pdf with your group.

9. All presentations are due at 8 AM in the Google Classroom on the first day of presentations.  

10. All groups must be ready to present on the first day.  

See the presentation rubric for details.

OSSLT Prep

OSSLT Reminders

All students get extra time, up to double of the writing period.

When you write an OLD practice test, do not write the New Report.  The current OSSLT does not require students to write a News Report.

There are two different writing tasks

1. A Series of Paragraphs Expressing an Opinion is an Opinion Essay.  Follow the Opinion Essay Writing - A Series of Paragraphs Expressing an Opinion (OSSLT Prep). There is only one of these.

2. An Open-Response Question is a formal paragraph.  There are several of these.

   • Take the question given, turn it into a statement.  Use this as your topic sentence.

   • Add your arguments to the topic sentence.  

   • State your first point in one sentence.  

   • Prove it with a quote.  

   • State your second point in one sentence.

   • Prove it with a quote.

   • Write a concluding sentence if you can.

The reading tasks can be split into the following categories

Real-Life Narrative (RLN): a reading selection and seven multiple-select reading questions 

Information Paragraph (IP): a reading selection and six multiple-select reading questions 

News Report (NR): a reading selection, one written response and five multiple-select reading questions 

Dialogue: a reading selection and five multiple-select reading questions 

Past Tests

Please note that if you would like answers to any of these question packs, please include the year in your Google search.  For instance, 'OSSLT 2015 Answers'.

5 Part Essay Planner - Checklist

This planner is a simple tool that helps to reinforce structure.  It is a starting point, not an ending point.

Introduction: 

1) General Statement - Interesting, clear, related to topic. Do not mention the author or the title of the work.

2) Topic Sentences - Focuses in on specific topics being discussed throughout the essay. You will need at least 1 sentence per argument in your thesis.

3) Mention work and author - Follow MLA rules.

4) Thesis Statement - Clear, specific, tells you exactly what will be discussed (3 arguments).

Body Paragraph #1:

1. Topic Sentence - Specifies exact topic being examined in this paragraph, relates to thesis.

2. First Point Stated - Related to thesis.

   1. Proof 1 - Direct quote

   2. First Point Explained

3. Second Point Stated - Related to thesis.

   1. Proof 2 - Direct quote

   2. Second Point Explained

4. If you require (speak with your teacher) a third point, proof, and explain, insert it here

5. Concluding Statement - Final chance to convince reader of your point. Transition linking to your next argument.

Body Paragraph #2:

6. Topic Sentence - Specifies exact topic being examined in this paragraph, relates to thesis.

7. First Point Stated - Related to thesis.

   1. Proof 1 - Direct quote

   2. First Point Explained

8. Second Point Stated - Related to thesis.

   1. Proof 2 - Direct quote

   2. Second Point Explained

9. If you require (speak with your teacher) a third point, proof, and explain, insert it here

10. Concluding Statement - Final chance to convince reader of your point. Transition linking to your next argument.

Body Paragraph #3:

11. Topic Sentence - Specifies exact topic being examined in this paragraph, relates to thesis.

12. First Point Stated - Related to thesis.

    1. Proof 1 - Direct quote

    2. First Point Explained

13. Second Point Stated - Related to thesis.

    1. Proof 2 - Direct quote

    2. Second Point Explained

14. If you require (speak with your teacher) a third point, proof, and explain, insert it here

15. Concluding Statement - Final chance to convince reader of your point. Transition linking to your next argument.

Conclusion:

1. Restated Thesis - States all three points discussed, does not include "I believe".

2. Conclusive statement about these points.

3. General Statement relating to the text or a life lesson statement.