Leite 1 Mrs. Leite s H English 10 Writer s Handbook CONTENTS: I. Mla Format--2&3 II. In-Text Citations & Works Cited--2 III. Introduction & Thesis--4 IV. TopiC Sentences & Transitions--5 V. Embedding Quotations--6 VI. Conclusion--7 VII. Editing Your Paper--7 VIII. The Reject Rules--8
Leite 2 MLA Format Before you start typing your paper, set up your document: 1. Font should be Times New Roman, size 12 2. Line spacing should be set to double (including your heading and title). (In Google Drive, click Format --> Line Spacing --> Double ) 3. Your last name and page number should be in the header. This must be size 12, Times New Roman as well. (In Google Drive, click Insert --> Header, then type your last name and a space. To add the page number, click Insert --> Page Number. DO NOT type 1, or it will say 1 on every page!) Once your document is formatted, type your heading and title, hitting Enter only ONCE to go to the next line. No extra spaces! When you are ready to start your first paragraph, use the Tab key to indent it an appropriate amount. ( Tab is typically equivalent to about 12 spaces.) Do not include extra spaces between paragraphs! In-Text Citations & Works Cited The first time you mention a text, you should include the title (italicized for Books, in quotation marks for Poetry, and in quotation marks for Articles or Short Stories ) and the author s full name. After that, you can use in-text citations. If you use sources OTHER than the assigned book, you should include them in a separate Works Cited page at the end of your document. (See https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/05/ for more info on Works Cited.) If you only refer to ONE text, your in-text citations should only include the page number. If you refer to MULTIPLE texts, your in-text citations should include the author s last name and the page number. NO COMMAS OR Pg. / Page!! ex. At one point, Ralph decides that he would like to have a pair of scissors [to] cut [his] filthy hair (Golding 123).
Leite 3 Jennifer Leite Mrs. Leite Honors English 10 2 24 November 2014 This Is Where the Title Goes This page shows what a properly formatted document should look like. Notice that all of the text is size 12 Times New Roman. The text is also double spaced, and there are no extra spaces between the heading, title, and paragraphs. Normally, the page number in the top right corner would say 1, but this is the third page of the packet, so you ll have to pretend. By formatting your document according to the MLA guidelines (or any other style guide requested by your teacher or professor), you ensure that the person grading your paper judges you only on your paper s content, and not on what it looks like. When you get to your body paragraphs, make sure that your topic sentence relates back to your thesis and tells your reader what to expect in the body paragraph. Don t include quotations until the second sentence, because, as Shakespeare said, Words without thoughts never to heaven go (15). You need to think carefully about what quotes you choose to include in your paper. You shouldn t include a really long quote, or a quote that is not relevant to your thesis. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit
Leite 4 Introduction & Thesis Statement Your introduction needs to help your reader put aside his or her own thoughts and circumstances and focus on your argument, so you should open with a few sentences related to your topic. Explain the premise of your book, or explain how your general topic functions in society. You should NOT include a complete summary of the book, but you can definitely include information that helps your reader understand what you will be talking about. For example: Harper Lee s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, examines the racial tensions of the 20th century American South. The story focuses on a young girl named Scout, her brother Jem, and their father, Atticus Finch, whose role as a lawyer involves him in a controversial court case. Once you have introduced your book or topic, you are ready to present your thesis. Your thesis statement is like a roadmap of your paper. It should state your argument (the response to the prompt) as well as the steps you will take to prove that argument. To create a working thesis, restate the prompt, adding your position / opinion and some possible steps. Don t stress out about making it sound perfect; you can (and should) edit your thesis as you get further into your paper. For example, if the prompt says, What kind of parent is Atticus Finch? Discuss the values he seeks to instill in his children through the lessons he teaches Scout and Jem directly and those he teaches by example, your thesis might be: Atticus is a loving father who wants his children to learn the values of tolerance and determination. He directly teaches Scout and Jem about tolerance, but he also models determination and honesty in his own life. Based on this thesis, I would expect to see an essay with body paragraphs about (1) the lesson Atticus directly teaches about tolerance, (2) the times when Atticus shows determination, and (3) the times when he models honesty. More than one body paragraph could be presented for each of the three topics BUT the order presented in the thesis should stay the same (e.g. one paragraph about tolerance, then two about determination, and finally one about honesty).
Leite 5 Topic Sentences & Transitions Topic sentences are often a weak point for developing writers. Each body paragraph MUST start with a sentence that (a) relates directly to the thesis and (b) tells readers what information the paragraph will include. For example, the topic sentences for the TKAM thesis from the last page might read: When Scout and Jem, Atticus encourages them to be more tolerant. In addition to tolerance, Atticus demonstrates determination when. Atticus also shows the value of determination by. From the beginning of the story, Atticus models honesty by and. Each of these sentences brings the reader s attention to the part of the thesis to be proven in the paragraph and provides additional information about HOW that part of the thesis will be demonstrated. The topic sentence should never contain a quote, but it should open the door for your evidence. A strong body paragraph might take the following structure: -Topic Sentence -Concrete Detail (a quote or specific example from the text) -Two sentences of Commentary explaining how the quote or example connects to your thesis -Another Concrete Detail -Two more sentences of Commentary -A final Concluding Sentence that refers back to the topic sentence Transitions between sentences and paragraphs help connect your evidence to your thesis. Here are some transition words to consider using: Accordingly After all As a result At the same time Besides Consequently Finally For instance For this purpose Furthermore Hence However In addition In fact In other words Instead Later Likewise Meanwhile Moreover Nevertheless Next On the contrary On the other hand Therefore Thus Similarly Not all of these transitions function in the same way, so choose carefully.
Leite 6 Embedding Quotations Here are a few tips on embedding quotations. 1. You should include at least one embedded quotation per body paragraph. Paraphrasing the text is okay, but be specific. Do not summarize big portions of the story. 2. Always embed a quotation within a sentence of your own. Do not let quotations float. They cannot stand alone! BAD EXAMPLE: Rachel feels alienated. I wish I was invisible but I m not. She does not want to stand apart from her peers. BETTER EXAMPLE: Rachel s alienation becomes apparent when she says, I wish I was invisible, but I m not (5). She does not want to stand apart from her peers. 3. Embed the quotation smoothly in the middle or at the end of your own sentence. Use brackets to indicate any alterations to verb tense or pronouns in the text. Notice that the page number goes at the end of the sentence even when the quote is in the middle. EXAMPLE: Rachel wish[es] [she] was invisible because she does not want to stand apart from her peers (5). 4. Use ellipses [...] if you leave something out of the middle of the quotation, but NEVER at the beginning or end of your quote. EXAMPLE: Rachel expresses her longing for maturity by wishing she were one hundred and two...because [she] want[s] today to be far away already (7). 5. Quote the part of the text that illustrates your point. DO NOT find a quote that simply repeats your topic sentence. Similarly, make sure that your commentary adds information to your concrete detail. Do not merely repeat the quote in your own words. A few notes on punctuation: --Periods and commas should go inside the quotation marks [asdf. ]unless you are following the quote immediately with a page number [asdf (9).] --Semi-colons and colons should go outside the quotation marks [asdf ;]
Leite 7 Conclusion The conclusion is an important part of your argument. Its purpose is two-fold: (1) You need to review your paper s main points. You do not need to include a lot of detail, but you should remind the reader of each step of your argument. (2) You need to establish the significance of your evidence, thereby showing your reader how your evidence proves your thesis statement. Remember, your thesis (and your paper as a whole) should explain WHAT you observed in the literature and WHY it matters to the book/work as a whole. Remember, a strong conclusion will not merely summarize your argument, but will enrich it. Don t be discouraged if you find conclusions difficult; writing a strong conclusion takes practice. The more essays you write, the easier it will be. Editing Your Paper Editing your paper is a critical part of the writing process. Too often, students type their essays and submit them without a second look. This can make a major difference in their final grade. Here are some tips for the editing process: (1) Try to budget enough time to take a break between writing and editing. I always try to walk away from my papers for at least a half hour. This break allows you to edit with fresh eyes and a more objective perspective. (2) Use spell-check (Tools-->Spelling in Google Drive), but remember that it won t catch all errors (e.g. too/to/two, their/they re/there, etc.). (3) Use the Reject Rules (see page 8). (4) Read your paper out loud at least once (preferably twice or even three times). This will help you catch typographical errors, excessively long sentences, and awkward phrasing. (5) Have someone else read your paper (a classmate, parent, friend, or sibling). They do NOT need to be familiar with your topic. In fact, it can be helpful if they aren t. Be sure to ask them if there are any parts that are unclear or illogical, and edit accordingly. (6) Don t be afraid to make big changes (to your thesis, for example).
Leite 8 The Reject Rules The following Reject Rules are adapted from Mrs. Lund, who taught English at Hart High for about 30 years. Following these rules will help you establish a formal, academic tone. 1. Do not use the second person (you, your) in your essay unless it is in a quote. 2. Do not use slang or cliches in your writing. 3. Spell out numbers of less than three digits (except for dates). 4. Do not use abbreviations, ampersands (&), or etc./etcetera. 5. Do not use The reason is...because constructions. 6. Avoid using This means or similar phrases. 7. Avoid the verb combination used to or use to to indicate past tense. 8. Avoid using going to indicate the future tense. Instead, say will go. 9. Avoid has to, have to, or had to. Use must instead. 10. Do not use they or their or them to refer to ONE person. These words are plural. Use he or she instead. 11. Do not say just when you mean simply, only, merely, exactly, or barely. Just refers to justice. Use adverbs sparingly. 12. Avoid using the verb get in any form. (NEVER use it! See list of alternatives.) 13. Avoid it, thing, and this/that unless the word refers to a specific noun in the preceding sentence. 14. Avoid using of as in he should of. He should have is correct. 15. Watch out for commonly confused words: a. It s means it is b. Its is the possessive pronoun c. They re means they are d. Their is the possessive pronoun e. There means in that place or is used to introduce a sentence f. Who s means who is g. Whose is the possessive pronoun h. Too means also or very i. j. Two means the number 2 To is a preposition