Today’s Objectives 9/23/2013:

Understand the proper elements of an effective paragraph

**ONE THING TO CLARIFY**:Ignore anything with a blue X over it; you do

not need that information right now

Homework: Final draft of paragraph due Wednesday 9/25/2013

Writing Strong Paragraphs

The Significant Parts of an Essay

Top Left:◦ Writer’s full name◦ Teacher’s name◦ Class◦ Date

Reed A. Lot Miss PhilippEnglish I Honors20 September 2013

MLA Formatting

Top Right:◦ Writer’s last name ◦ Page number ◦ No comma needed

between the two!

Reed A. Lot Lot 1

Miss Philipp

English I Honors

20 September 2013

Title:◦ Centered ◦ Creatively address topic and

subject of essay◦ Do not: bold, underline,

italicize, or change size

Heading Header

Title Goes Here

Type Double-space 12 point font Legible, standard

font ◦ Times New Roman

1 inch margins Indent paragraphs **For our paragraph

we are only focusing on body paragraphs do not look at introduction notes!

Reed A. Lot Lot 1 Miss PhilippEnglish I Honors20 September 2013

Title Goes Here

Here is my general statement about my topic. From here, I say some more stuff, then I funnel to the thesis statement.

A topic sentence goes here. I support my arguments in this paragraph and I include analysis.

Topic Sentence Transitions/Background information Supporting Example(s) Analysis Closing Sentence

Elements of a Paragraph

Topic Sentence Supporting

Examples Conclusion

will always establish topic of paragraph; provides reader with focus

if within an essay – relates back to thesis statement

if within an essay – transitions from previous paragraph

Each supports topic sentence and thesis

Includes internal transitions leading from one example to the next

Incorporates direct evidence from text in the form of a quotation

Includes analysis of evidence ◦ Explains HOW direct

evidence proves topic sentence and thesis

Topic Sentence Supporting

Example(s) Closing

sentence

relates to topic sentence provides insight to the

topic discussed if within a single paragraph

If within an essay – relates back to thesis

if within an essay – does not preview the next paragraph

Topic Sentence Supporting

Examples Closing

Sentence

Example Thesis Statement: In “The Most Dangerous Game” the mood of suspense is shown through the tropical night, Zaroff’s chateau, and the fight in the bedroom.

Topic Sentence for Body Paragraph 1: The suspenseful mood is illustrated through the image of the dark, tropical night.

Topic Sentence for Body Paragraph 2: In addition to the imagery of the tropical night, Zaroff’s chateau also helps to emphasize the mood of suspense.

Examples of Topic SentencesRemember! Will always establish

topic of paragraph; provides reader with focus

if within an essay – relates back to thesis statement

if within an essay – transitions from previous paragraph

Drawn from conclusions gained from text or story

Come from the ideas generated from the reader

Should not be repeated or redundant but distinctive

Some ideas that we came up with from our themes are…

Developing Examples

Incorporating Direct Evidence Borrowed from text Must be quoted exactly as is written

Including punctuation Includes “lead-in” and analysis – THINK BURGER!

Cite using parenthetical citations Author’s last name Page number

While Rainsford is on the boat, he attempts “[…to] peer through the dank tropical night that was palpable as it pressed its thick warm blackness upon the yacht” (Connell 5).

Citation using author’s name, page #

Examples of Direct Evidence & Citations

Lead-ins◦Necessary to

provide smooth transition

◦Includes context ◦If the quote is

spoken in the text, the speaker must be identified.

Examples: When Zaroff does

this he says, “…quote goes here...”(author #).

When Rainsford jumps from the ship, he is described as “…quote goes here...”(author #).

Lead-ins & Analysis

Final component for quote incorporation Offers an explanation of HOW quote supports

topic sentence EXAMPLE: While Rainsford is on the boat, he

attempts “to peer through the dank tropical night that was palpable as it pressed its thick warm blackness upon the yacht” (Connell 5). The author’s use of the words “dank,” “palpable,” and “pressed” help to emphasize the suffocation the characters feel. The word dank gives one a feeling of a heavy wetness, which would then weigh on the characters. Something that is palpable can be touched, and therefore, if the air is pressing on the characters, they would feel suffocated.

Analysis

On one side of Zaroff’s chateau, the sea is described as “lick[ing] greedy lips in the shadows” (Connell 7). The personifcation of the sea helps to add suspense because it emphasizes that Rainsford’s only option is the chateau; both the jungle and the sea threaten death.

Analysis continued…

Remember-◦ relates to topic sentence◦ provides insight to the

topic discussed if within a single paragraph

◦ If within an essay – relates back to thesis

◦ if within an essay – does not preview the next paragraph

Example Thesis Statement: In “The Most Dangerous Game” the mood of suspense is shown through the tropical night, Zaroff’s chateau, and the fight in the bedroom.

Topic Sentence for Body Paragraph 1: The suspenseful mood is illustrated through the image of the dark, tropical night.

Closing Sentence for Body Paragraph 1: The feeling of suffocation as well as the inability to see through the night air helps to build the suspense of the story.

Closing Sentence

Avoid: “In conclusion…” and “As you can see…”

Present tense Third person Spell check Avoid excessive

pronoun usage Use the

apostrophe to mark possession

Grammar & Mechanics

The author wants readers to reconsider how jealousy rules their lives.

The author wants readers to reconsider how jealousy rules their lives.

Julie borrowed Meghan’s necklace because she wanted to look good for her husband. She is a shallow person.

The teecher wantz stoodentz to be smart and use spehl check.

Pay attention to sentence structure Vary sentence lengths Pay attention to comma placement and

other punctuation Write complete sentences

Do:

then now that it get or got starts to (as a phrase) As you can see, Overall, In Conclusion run on and fragment sentences

Avoid:

Please pull out your homework from last night

**Those of you that were absent…

Today’s Objectives 9/24/2013:

Understand and demonstrate the correct

use of: Background information

Quote incorporation Analysis

in paragraphs

Homework: Final draft of paragraph due

TOMORROW! 9/25/2013

Structure of a Body Paragraph

Topic Sentence

Analysis

Lead In Quotation

Transition

Concluding Sentence

Lead In

Analysis

Quotation

TOPIC SENTENCE: In the acclaimed novella, Of Mice and Men, author John

Steinbeck utilizes George and Lennie to demonstrate how important loyalty is to successful friendship.

BACKGROUND: Before George and Lennie move to Soledad, they work on a

farm in Weed. However George’s loyalty to Lennie is tested when Lennie is accused of “raping” a girl on the farm.

QUOTE INCORPORATION: George chose to stick by Lennie “that night we scrammed

outa there (Steinbeck 42)”. **Tense

ANALYSIS: George is loyal to Lennie even though his careless actions

cause them to lose another job. George risks his own life in order to save Lennie from the men on the ranch.This behavior demonstrates George’s continual loyalty to Lennie and proves the dedication of their friendship.