Essay Writing
What types of words are never okay to use in an academic essay?
Personal pronouns (I, me, my, you, yours, we, us)
Slang/abbreviated words
Dreams
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
1. How does the author use figurative language?
A. to describe different dreams B. to make a point about dreams C. to ask what people's dreams are about D. to show where the speaker is while he dreams
B. to make a point about dreams
Where does the thesis statement go?
In order to answer multiple choice questions, should you skim through the passages beforehand? Or should you read the passages carefully?
Read the passages carefully. You will have time to make sure you thoroughly understand the meaning of the passage(s) before answering the questions.
Figurative Language that compares two objects using '"like" or "as"
Simile
How and where do you use evidence in an essay?
You use evidence by pulling specific examples and quotes from the passages to support what you are saying. You should use evidence in each of you body paragraphs. Remember: don't ever quote more than two lines of text.
Dreams
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
2. What does the speaker suggest in both stanzas?
A. Dreams can be dangerous things to have B. Dreams help people live life to the fullest C. Dreams are not valued by everyone D. Dreams tend to disappoint people
B. Dreams help people live life to the fullest
Which paragraphs are the body paragraphs? What is NOT considered a body paragraph?
The body paragraphs are the three paragraphs in the middle of the essay. Body paragraphs do NOT include the introduction paragraph or the conclusion paragraph.
In Part A, Part B questions, how are they scored? How do you earn 2 points, 1 point, 0 points?
2 points - Part A and Part B are correct
1 point - Part A is correct, Part B is incorrect
0 points - Part B correct, Part A incorrect
0 points - Part and and Part B incorrect
The author's/narrator's overall attitude or feelings
Tone
"After reading the two speeches, write an essay in which you examine both the authors' beliefs about the importance of remembering the past. Why is it important to remember painful aspects of the past rather than forget them?" Is this prompt informative or argumentative?
"Should high schools provide recess time for students? Write a multi-paragraph response in which you make and support an argument about whether high schools should provide recess time for students." Is this prompt informative or argumentative.
The first prompt is informative (compare/contrast)
The second prompt is argumentative
Dreams
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
Identify an example of a word or phrase that is repeated in the poem and explain why the poet makes this repetition.
Answers will vary: First line of each stanza; "dreams" "life"
The author does this to:
to stress his main point
to emphasize the importance of his message
to help the reader remember the idea
to show the importance of the idea
to tell the reader two reasons
to keep to the idea or topic
What makes an informative essay different from an argumentative essay as far as the outline/organizational structure goes?
The third body paragraph in an argumentative essay should be for Counterclaims (what the opposite side of the argument would say) and Rebuttals (what you will say to prove them wrong).
What should you do if you don't immediately know the answer to a question after reading the answer choices?
Re-read the question and refer back to the passage
"I'm dying of laughter" is an example of...
Hyperbole
Write a three-point thesis statement for the following prompt:
Should media images manipulated with filters or Photoshop be required to carry a label?
Answers will vary
Example: Manipulated media images should be required to carry a label because they can spread false information, hurt the credibility of news outlets, and could be used to socially attack the subject of the photo.
How could you describe the overall mood of Animal Farm by the end of the story?
A. The overall mood is tense and fearful. The animals know that there is wrongdoing, but aren't sure how to fight back.
B. The overall mood is angry and violent. The animals on the farm want to take down the pigs so they can be leaders.
C. The overall mood is lighthearted and whimsical. The animals are happy that the pigs are finally in control and that they are forming positive relationships with the humans.
D. The overall mood is optimistic and hopeful. The animals know that the windmill will be up and running soon, and they cannot wait to have the best harvest season yet.
A. The overall mood is tense and fearful. The animals know that there is wrongdoing, but aren't sure how to fight back.
In a compare/contrast essay with two passages, how should the body paragraphs be organized?
Body Paragraph 1 = Passage 1 (don't summarize, analyze what the prompt is asking you to analyze)
Body Paragraph 2 = Passage 2 (don't summarize, analyze what the prompt is asking you to analyze)
Body Paragraph 3 = Draw conclusions/make comparisons between the two passages
What should you try to do to find the right answer choice versus the other choices?
Eliminate the wrong answers; find a quote from the passage that supports the correct answer; prove why the other answer choices are incorrect
What are the two types of themes?
Write an outline for the following prompt:
Think back to "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "House Taken Over." Compare the importance of the home to the characters in both stories. How do the authors create a sense of the mood through each setting?
Include: Thesis, MP 1, MP 2, MP 3, Conclusion
Answers will vary.
Example:
Thesis: While both Gothic stories have an eerie mood, the vivid descriptions and tense, hurried writing style of Poe while describing the Usher house create and even more haunting, terrifying setting for the characters to try to survive.
Main Point 1: In "House Taken Over," the modern setting and realistic suburban home don't leave much to the imagine; the creepy mood within the story is better developed by the visitor and his actions.
Main Point 2: In "The Fall of the House of Usher," the disarray of the house in combination with the old, isolated estate create a tense mood from the very beginning of the story; this further develops as Usher's panicked, frantic mood unfolds.
Main Point 3: In both stories, the theme of home is vastly important to the characters as those who are most connected to their respective homes ultimately lead to not only their own demise, but death-like experiences for others within the story.
Conclusion: The way that an author describes the setting in a story is imperative to the overall mood felt and experienced by the reader.
Select two pieces of evidence from the following passage that show how population problems can arise in the wild:
(1) One of the most important modern functions of zoos is supporting International breeding programmes, particularly for endangered species. (2) In the wild, some of the rarest species have difficulty in finding mates and breeding, and they might also be threatened by poachers, loss of their habitat and predators. (3) A good zoo will enable these species to live and breed in a secure environment. (4) In addition, as numbers of some wild species drop, there Is an increased danger of populations becoming too genetically similar. (5) Breeding programmes provide a safeguard: zoo-bred animals can be released into the wild to increase genetic diversity.
2 and 4
(2) In the wild, some of the rarest species have difficulty in finding mates and breeding, and they might also be threatened by poachers, loss of their habitat and predators.
(4) In addition, as numbers of some wild species drop, there Is an increased danger of populations becoming too genetically similar.
How can you tell the difference between the prompt for an informative essay versus and argumentative essay?
The passages will be two conflicting viewpoints; The prompt may use words like "should" "believe" in an argumentative; The prompt may use words like "explain" or "compare" in an informative essay.
You're really stuck on a question. You have no idea what the answer choice is... What should you do?
Move on and come back to it later. Just make sure to come back to it later! Answer EVERY question - don't leave anything blank!
Describe, with examples, the theme of something we have read this school year.
Answers will vary
Ex. In Animal Farm, a potential them is corruption. We see this corruption through the actions of the pigs as they become more and more greedy with power and take advantage of the other animals.