Editing and Revising Practice….

DIRECTIONS. Fix the grammatical errors in each of the following sentences by writing them correctly on a separate sheet of paper.

1. This weekend the best team in football new england patriots play the baltimore ravens at there home stadium gillete feild.

2. My friend sarah and me wanted to watch the cowboys game this weekend but we isnt sure what time their on.

3. Finally it occurs to me that the dallas cowboys arent in the playoffs this weekend which is to bad.

EssaysMrs. Patterson

English III

Types of Essays

Narrative - Tells a story Creative and imaginative

Expository - Gives information Research Paper

Persuasive - Tries to convince audience to see your point of view Argument

Descriptive - Describes a person, place, event etc… Journals

What is the TAKS essay?

It is the writing portion of the ELA TAKS test

It follows the Reading portion, after the three OERs

The prompt is thematically connected to the literature and visual in the Reading portion.

What do I have to write?

The most popular way to approach the TAKS essay is by writing a personal narrative essay a form of writing in which the writer relates an event, incident, or experience in his or her own life.

The personal narrative incorporates vivid descriptive details as well as the thoughts,  feelings, and reactions of the writer.

Narrative Essay

Focuses on specific event, related to the prompt, coming from your personal experience. Introduction - Sets up the story; grabs the

reader’s attention (hook) Body - Tell the story Conclusion - What you learned from

experience; tie back to prompt.

How do I write it?

Use first person POV Write from what you know! Be specific…NAME the

characters, places, and things…eliminate vague generalities (i.e.-everyone, anybody, someone, we, you)

Use vivid active verbs

Focus and narrow the story to the real story – hover over the action

Use authentic voice – eliminate street language (“cuz”, “dat”, “thru”, “2”, “til” etc.)

Create smooth transitions…avoid “First, we…”, “Second, we…” – Don’t list events!

SHOW don’t TELL

Some sentences just simply tell the reader information

EXAMPLE – The man was really old and walked slowly.

Let your words create a picture in the reader’s mind

EXAMPLE – A frail, stooped man with

paper-thin skin shuffled along slowly in front of me.

Give the reader the opportunity to imagine it for themselves and engage in your writing.

How do I structure my essay?

Begin with an introduction that includes purpose and motivation for the action as well as the characters, setting and time

Build the body of the text around the ideas you presented in the introduction

Finish the essay with an insightful and meaningful conclusion; reflect on what you learned from the experience

Of course, don’t forget…

to use correct punctuation and spelling! to develop sentencesNo 1-pagersevoke a reader response for the highest

score…not just tears…

How is the essay scored?

On a scale of 0 – 4 (“4” being the highest score)

You must score a “2” or higher in order to pass the entire ELA TAKS test

What qualifies as a “1”?Focus and Coherence Hard to understand Incomplete or extra information that is off subject You aren’t clear about what you’re saying about the prompt

Organization Few/no transitions Ideas are hard to follow

Depth of Development You give 1+ ideas but don’t develop You just list ideas, and the reader can’t understand them You leave out information, creating gaps that make it hard to understand Voice You don’t seem to care about your ideas, so the reader can’t either No personality

Conventions Your writing does not show the reader you can correctly spell or capitalize, and you have

many errors in grammar, usage, and sentence structure that make it really hard to read

What qualifies as a “2”?Focus and Coherence Has some focus but may shift quickly from idea to idea Some sense of completeness, but has extra information that doesn’t make your

writing clearer or more interestingOrganization Need better transitions Weak organization and/or too many repeated ideasDepth of Development You make lists of ideas and don’t explain them much You write one or more ideas and try to develop them, but you don’t write from

the heart about themVoice In some places you make the reader feel like they know you, but you don’t keep

it up Some parts are real/original, but the reader has no sense of your personalityConventions Many spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, usage, and sentence

structure errors that make it harder for me to follow your ideas

What qualifies as a “3”?Focus and Coherence Most parts are focused Clear links between ideas Most of your writing is good quality The introduction and conclusion add focusOrganization Sentences and paragraphs are smoothly linked to each other Mostly good organizationDepth of Development Good, clear ideas; most are elaborated Try to develop all ideas, but some are more developed than others You seem to be afraid to take risks and write from the heartVoice The reader feels connected to you through most of your writing Sounds mostly real and original You let your personality come throughConventions Mostly good spelling, capitalization, punctuation, usage, grammar, and sentence

structure. Your few, small mistakes don’t get in the way of your writing

What qualifies as a “4”?Focus and Coherence Focused! Ideas fit together to form a while Good intro. and conclusion Good overall quality Most writing, if not all, leads to the endOrganization Sentences and paragraphs are smoothly linked to each other Your PLAN makes your ideas clearDepth of Development Ideas are clear with lots of elaboration How you tell your ideas is thoughtful/wise You aren’t afraid to take risks, to write from your heart, to weave in your experiencesVoice Your writing sounds real and original The reader feels like they know you when they read your writingConventions No problems with mechanics at all You take some chances by writing at high levels, but any errors in doing this doesn’t take away

from your paper

Before you begin…

Read the prompt a couple of times

Have a plan…Brainstorm about ideas that you could use to address the prompt

Create an outline or write a draft before you put your pencil to the essay paper

When you’re done…

PROOFREAD!!!Make any correctionsIf you aren’t sure about spelling of a word,

use the dictionary!!!

Introduction Example

While sitting alone on a stormy night bored out of my mind, I heard my phone ring from across the room. I ran over the pile of pizza boxes and empty soda cans to answer it just before it disconnected. It was my friend Jake. I should have known then that trouble was ahead.

Conclusion Example

Although I did not enjoy the harsh consequences, I did learn a valuable lesson through my poor choice. The pain and disappointment I caused for my parents cannot be erased, but I will strive to make them proud of me by making better decisions that show my true moral character in the future.

Your Assignment: Integrity

Tell of a time when your integrity (moral character, honesty) was tested. What was the situation and what was your choice? What was the outcome of your decision?

Minimum of 1.5 to 2 pages hand-writtenFocus on the 3 primary components of the

essay (intro, body, and conclusion), but remember that you should also proof-read for any grammatical or spelling errors.

Rough Drafts due next clas.