WRITING MODES
A, AN, THE
0, SOME
GRAMMAR EQUATIONS
THESIS & ACADEMIC ESSAY STRUCTURE
100
What is the definition of a writing mode?
A type of writing or essay that is defined by its PURPOSE.
100
What are the official names of the two types of articles?
Indefinite: A/AN Definite: THE
100
What is the 0 article?
An "invisible" article. In English grammar, every noun must have an article, so we say "zero article" when we refer to a noun that has no article in front of it.
100
What is the grammar equation for the PAST SIMPLE tense?
NOUN + VERB+ED (unless verb is irregular)
100
What is a thesis statement, and where is it usually located in an academic essay? EXTRA: How is a thesis statement different from an ATTENTION GETTER?
A thesis statement is the one main argument of an essay. It is usually located in the introduction (first paragraph). EXTRA: Both a thesis and an attention getter are located in the introduction. While a thesis might be the first sentence, it does not have to be. An attention getter HAS to be a first sentence. An attention getter has to draw the reader in; it has to get the reader to want to read the essay. Very good writers with a good command of the English language can make their thesis statement and their attention getter the same sentence.
200
What are the three main writing modes?
Narrative, Expository, and Persuasive
200
How are articles a bit like adjectives?
Grammatically, they are placed before a noun. They describe a noun; they define what kind of noun it is.
200
Provide 2 examples that use the 0 article. These examples must follow DIFFERENT rules.
ZERO ARTICLE 1. "Horses are noble animals." 2. "Milk is good for you." 3. "Fear is natural." 4. "We decided to miss lunch because we had a late breakfast." 5. "Charlie lived in Chicago in America." 6. "Lift your left arm” / "He removed his hat."
200
What is the grammar equation for the present perfect tense?
NOUN + HAS/HAVE + VERB(perfect)
200
What is a transition word? Provide examples. EXTRA 50 points: Explain the rue about consistency when using transition words.
A transition word is a word or group of words at the very beginning of a paragraph that create a bridge between the preceding paragraph and the new paragraph. Examples: First, second, third, first of all, second of all, last of all, firstly, secondly, thirdly, lastly, etc. EXTRA: Rule of consistency: If you use the word "first," as a transition word in your first body paragraph, you must use the corresponding transition words ("second," "third," "last") instead of a different type of transition word ("firstly," "second of all," etc.)
300
What is the purpose of two of the three main writing modes?
The purpose of the NARRATIVE mode is to tell a story. The purpose of the EXPOSITORY mode is to provide information. The purpose of the PERSUASIVE mode is to prove one side of an argument is right.
300
Explain how articles do different things to the word "panda" in this phrase: I'm not just A big fat panda. I'm THE big fat panda!"
"A" says the panda is one of many possible pandas, and it doesn't matter which one he is. "THE" says the panda is the only panda, the most important panda, or the only panda that matters.
300
Name 2 rules for using the 0 article.
1. Before plural nouns: "Horses are noble animals." 2. Before uncountable nouns: "Milk is good for you." 3. Before abstract nouns: "Fear is natural." 4. Before names of meals (except when preceded by an adjective): "We decided to miss lunch because we had a late breakfast." 5. Before countries, towns, proper names: "Charlie lived in Chicago in America." 6. Before parts of the body and articles of clothing (because they have a possessive adjective instead): "Lift your left arm” / "He removed his hat."
300
What one part of the grammar equation changes between the past continuous tense and the present continuous tense?
The "BE" verb. PAST: NOUN + WAS/WERE + VERB(ING) PRESENT: NOUN + IS/ARE + VERB(ING)
300
What is a body paragraph (main idea paragraph), how many body paragraphs are in a typical academic essay, and where are they located? (Extra 50 points:) Name 2 of the 3 things that should be in each body paragraph.
A body paragraph is a paragraph in the middle of the essay that explains one of several main ideas supporting a thesis statement. Most academic essays have 3 body paragraphs. EXTRA: 1. Body paragraphs should begin with a transition word. 2. Body paragraphs should begin with a topic sentence that summarizes the main idea. 3. Body paragraphs should have at least 2 supporting details that prove the main idea is true.
400
There are several expository essay modes. Name four of them.
Compare (or Compare/Contrast) Contrast (or Compare/Contrast) Classification How-to Description
400
Fill in the blanks using A, AN, THE, SOME, or 0. You will use each article one time. _________ best teacher is Miss Hawbaker. __________ students think Miss Hawbaker gives too much ___________ homework, but I don't. ________ lot of homework means getting ____________ "A" on ___________ test this Wednesday.
(THE) best teacher is Miss Hawbaker. (SOME) students think Miss Hawbaker gives too much ( 0 ) homework, but I don't. A lot of homework means getting (AN) "A" on (THE) test this Wednesday.
400
In the following example, name all the NOUNS that receive the zero article. __________ IMAGINATION is _________ essential QUALITY if you’re __________ ARTIST, but sometimes it can lead to… ________ PROBLEMS. Take __________ NIGHT before last, for example. It was __________ fine summer NIGHT and you could see __________ MOON and _________ STARS quite clearly. It was shortly before _________ longest DAY of ____________ YEAR. ___________ CHARLIE was sitting in __________ DECKCHAIR, thinking about _____________ LOVE, __________ LIFE, and ____________ DEATH.
1. Imagination 2. Problems 3. Charlie 4. Love 5. Life 6. Death
400
What is the grammar equation for the future simple, future perfect, and future continuous tenses? (Be sure to specify what type of verb is used.)
FUTURE SIMPLE: NOUN + WILL + VERB(base) FUTURE PERFECT: NOUN + HAVE + VERB(perfect) FUTURE CONTINUOUS: NOUN + BE + VERB+ING
400
What are the five rules of writing a good thesis statement? Provide an example of each. EXTRA 50 points: When the answer is shown, rewrite each of the bad thesis examples as good thesis examples.
1) Do not be too broad. "Mountain City Elementary is a fantastic school." 2) Do not be too specific. "Strawberries are the best fruit for desserts because of their sweet smell." 3) Do not be an announcement. "This paper will be a profile about Harper Lee." 4) Do not state a simple fact without making an argument. "HPA is a boarding school on the Big Island of Hawaii." 5) Do not have more than one argument (two-headed thesis). "Natalie Portman is the best American actress of all time, and she is living proof that child stars can grow up to be successful adults."
500
What is the purpose of three of the four expository essay modes?
Compare/contrast: To state the differences and similarities of two things. Classification: To classify (divide) one thing into parts and explain each part. How-to: To explain a process Description: To explain or define something by describing it.
500
Name three of the eight rules for using the definite article, and three or the nine rules for using the indefinite article. (You may use your notes or your classroom handouts to answer this question.)
INDEFINITIE RULES: 1. Before a singular noun which is countable when it is mentioned for the first time and represents no particular person or thing. ("A horse is a noble animal.") 2. Before a singular countable noun which is used as an example of a class of things. ("A book is something you read.") 3. With a noun complement, including names of professions. ("She is a doctor; he became a famous actor.") 4. In certain numerical expressions. ("a dozen, a hundred") 5. In expressions of price, speed, ratio. ("60 miles an hour, 4 hours a day, 30 cents a box") 6. With "lot of" "few" and "little" ("a lot of rain, a few people, a little sugar") 7. In exclamations before singular, countable nouns. ("What a pity! What a sunny day!") 8. It can be placed before Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms. + surname when the person is not known. ("A Mr. Brown phoned today.") DEFINITE RULES 1. Before nouns of which there is only one. ("The earth is round.") 2. Before a noun which has become definite as a result of being mentioned a second time. ("We saw a good film last night. It was the film you recommended.") 3. Before a noun made definite by the addition of a phrase or clause. ("The woman dressed in black.") 4. Before a noun which, by reason of locality, can represent only one particular thing. ("There’s a bee in the kitchen.") 5. Before superlatives (best, longest, most, least, etc.) and "first", "second" and "only" ("The longest river in the world.") 6. Before singular nouns used to represent a class of objects. ("The donkey is a very stubborn animal.") 7. Before an adjective used to represent a class of persons. ("That tax hurts the rich.") 8. Before names of seas, rivers, chains of mountains, groups of islands and plural names of countries. ("the Pacific Ocean, the Thames, the Andes, the West Indies, the Netherlands") 9. Before musical instruments. ("She plays the piano")
500
Explain when you should use "some" instead of the zero article, and provide two examples.
Use "some" when you want to refer to a smaller percentage (less than half) of a large amount of something. For example, when you want to say that 6 out of 20 students did their homework, you would say, "Some students did their homework." Or if you want to say that one student only did 1 out of 3 homework assignments, you would say, "He did some homework."
500
Write the grammar equation for all three perfect continuous tenses.
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS: NOUN + HAD + BEEN + VERB+ING PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS: NOUN + HAS/HAVE + BEEN + VERB+ING FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS: NOUN + WILL + HAVE + BEEN + VERB+ING
500
Where is a conclusion in an essay? Then, write an example of a good conclusion paragraph. Make sure you have all the things that need to be in a good conclusion. EXTRA 50 POINTS: Why is a conclusion paragraph more important that an introduction?
Conclusions are the last paragraphs of academic essays. What should be in a good conclusion, and does your example have all of them? 1) Begin with a transition word or sentence that connects the conclusion to the rest of the essay. 2) Include 1-3 sentences summarizing Main Idea #1, Main Idea #2, and Main Idea #3 again. 3) Restate the thesis statement in a different way: Keep in mind that the reader now knows everything you want them to know. 4) Have a concluding sentence that brings the essay to a logical conclusion. (Feels like "The End.") EXTRA: Because it is the first thing the reader will remember about your essay. When remembering something they have read, people remember the last thing they read first.
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