WriterÆs choice composition practice grade 12

2 Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 12, Unit 1 1.1 Writing as Self-Discovery II Personal writing helps to build an awareness of who you are and what is meaningful to you.. Joa

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Composition Practice

Grade 12

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Copyright © 2001 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Permission is granted to reproduce material contained herein on the condition that such material bereproduced only for classroom use; and be provided to students, teachers, and families

without charge; and be used solely in conjunction with Writer’s Choice Any other

reproduction, for use or sale, is prohibited without written permission of the publisher.Printed in the United States of America

Send all inquiries to:

Press/Seymour Lawrence

Society of Japan, Nagaya, Japan

1957, 1958, 1960, 1961 by Vasanthi Rama Rau Bowers Reprinted by permission

of HarperCollins Publishers

by permission of Doubleday, a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell PublishingGroup, Inc

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Personal Writing

1.1 Writing as Self-Discovery I 1

1.1 Writing as Self-Discovery II 2

1.2 Using a Journal 3

1.3 Learning with a Learning Log 4

1.4 Writing a College Application Essay 5

1.5 Writing a Résumé 6

1.6 Writing About Literature: Expressing Opinions About Literature 7

1.7 Writing About Literature: Creative Responses to Literature 8

The Writing Process 2.1 An Overview of the Writing Process 9

2.2 Prewriting: Finding a Topic I 10

2.2 Prewriting: Finding a Topic II 11

2.3 Prewriting: Establishing Purpose and Audience 12

2.4 Drafting: Ordering Your Thoughts 13

2.5 Drafting: Writing with Unity and Coherence I 14

2.5 Drafting: Writing with Unity and Coherence II 15

2.6 Revising: Checking Content and Structure I 16

2.6 Revising: Checking Content and Structure II 17

2.7 Revising: Replacing Clichés, Jargon, and Sexist Language 18

2.8 Editing/Proofreading: Finalizing 19

2.9 Publishing/Presenting: Sharing Your Writing 20

2.10 Writing About Literature: Analyzing Tone 21

Descriptive Writing 3.1 Organizing Descriptions I 22

3.1 Organizing Descriptions II 23

3.2 Writing a Unified and Coherent Description 24

3.3 Using Figurative Language 25

3.4 Using Analogies 26

3.5 Writing About Literature: Analyzing Imagery in Descriptive Writing 27

Unit 3

Unit 2

Unit 1

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Narrative Writing

4.1 Setting the Narrative Landscape 28

4.2 Ordering Time in a Narrative 29

4.3 Building Narrative Suspense 30

4.4 Using Point of View 31

4.5 Writing a Short-Short Story 32

4.6 Writing About Literature: Analyzing a Narrative for Film Adaptation 33

Expository Writing 5.1 Writing an Expository Essay 34

5.2 Writing Instructions 35

5.3 Explaining Causal Relationships 36

5.4 Explaining by Using an Analogy 37

5.5 Using Visuals That Speak 38

5.6 Explaining Problems, Proposing Solutions 39

5.7 Writing an Analysis I 40

5.7 Writing an Analysis II 41

5.8 Writing a Business Letter 42

5.9 Comparing and Contrasting Opinions 43

5.10 Writing About Literature: Comparing and Contrasting Biographies 44

Persuasive Writing 6.1 Writing a Persuasive Essay 45

6.2 Analyzing and Using Evidence 46

6.3 Detecting Errors in Logic 47

6.4 Using Inductive and Deductive Reasoning I 48

6.4 Using Inductive and Deductive Reasoning II 49

6.5 Writing a Satirical Essay 50

6.6 Creating a Satirical Cartoon 51

6.7 Writing About Literature: Analyzing a Critical Review 52

Answers 53

Unit 6

Unit 5

Unit 4

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Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 12, Unit 1 1

1. The left-hand column in the chart below lists ten general areas of personal experience inwhich you may find writing ideas Choose any three of the areas of experience on the chart,and then fill out the middle and right-hand columns for the ones you select The first item

is filled in for you as a sample

2 Create a category of your own, and write it next to number 11 in the left-hand column onthe chart above Then fill in the middle column with a specific instance of your own In theright-hand column list writing ideas suggested by the instance

1.1 Writing as Self-Discovery I

Personal writing offers a unique opportunity to make sense of your experiences and to think more

deeply about your life Freewriting, charts, and cluster diagrams can be used to generate a topic that is important to you Using clear, specific language helps you to focus your subject Personal writ-

ing invites you to create works that accurately reflect your background and interests

Area of Experience Specific Instance Writing Idea

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■ A Using Freewriting

Freewrite about your feelings concerning your graduation from high school Are you looking

forward to it? Do you view it as a beginning? an ending? simply an event? What emotions do

you think the event will spark?

Rewrite the following paragraph so that it has a clear focus Use specific language to fill in the

details of the scene Describe the setting, create a mood, and describe particular actions

leave, but I can’t As I look around the room, hoping that no one is looking back, I am struck by

the realization that I feel frightened I don’t know why, but I turn and leave immediately

2 Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 12, Unit 1

1.1 Writing as Self-Discovery II

Personal writing helps to build an awareness of who you are and what is meaningful to you Through

the use of freewriting, you can generate topics that are important to you Once you’ve chosen your

topic, remember that good writing depends on your ability to focus on the topic Clear, specific

lan-guage results from focusing: naming particular actions, describing a setting, creating a mood.

Key Information

Model

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■ A Keeping a Journal

The model below reveals how Joan Didion uses her own journal, which she refers to as her

“notebook.” Read the model and answer the questions that follow

1 What is Joan Didion comparing her journal to?

_

2 Do you think Didion finds keeping a journal useful? Why?

3 What types of information does Didion keep in her journal?

4. On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph describing what you would put in yourown journal and how you would use it

On a separate sheet of paper, write a journal entry describing a typical school day Keep in

mind Didion’s point: Remember what it was to be me.

drained of wonder, some day when I am only going through the motions of doing what I amsupposed to do, which is write—on that bankrupt morning I will simply open my notebook andthere it will all be, a forgotten account with accumulated interest, paid passage back to the worldout there: dialogue overheard in hotels and elevators and at the hat-check counter in Pavillion (onemiddle-aged man shows his hat check to another and says, “That’s my old football number”);

I imagine, in other words, that the notebook is about other people But of course it is not Ihave no real business with what one stranger said to another at the hat-check counter in Pavillion;

Remember what it was to be me: that is always the point.

Joan Didion, On Keeping a Notebook

Literature Model

1.2 Using a Journal

You determine the purpose of your personal journal Keeping a journal of any type helps you to stay

in touch with your feelings and experiences It can be a place to record your reactions to various ple, places, and events Keeping a journal can also help you sharpen your awareness of yourself andthe world around you

peo-Key Information

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■ Using Learning Logs

Read the passage below, focusing on and identifying key words, subject, and meaning Then

answer the questions that follow

1. In your learning log, what would you identify as the subject or focus of the passage?

_

2. What specific words, phrases, or sentences would you note in your learning log as being

particularly important to understanding the material?

3. How would you review the material presented in this passage?

4 What other information would you like to know about the subject?

shape and growth In humans about 250 different types of cancer occur, some more frequentlythan others Sites commonly affected by cancer include the skin and lungs Fortunately, skin cancer

is highly curable, and skin cancer as well as lung cancer is preventable

Fair-skinned people are at greater risk of contracting skin cancer than are those having largeramounts of the pigment melanin in their skin However, the risk can be reduced by using sunblock-

ing agents for protection from cancer-causing ultraviolet rays, by wearing protective clothing, and

by limiting the amount of time spent in the sun For those who do contract skin cancer, 95 percent

of those treated for the disease recover Lung cancer is one of the most preventable cancers:

smokers are ten times more likely to develop lung cancer than are nonsmokers Not smoking or

quitting smoking greatly reduces the risk of developing this deadly disease

1.3 Learning with a Learning Log

A learning log, a notebook kept for writing about what you learn both in and out of school, can

help you to improve your ability to learn new information When you write about what you are

learning, you process the information more deeply by incorporating it into your long-term memory

Try to set aside a specific time to write in your log to ensure that you don’t miss important

oppor-tunities to learn

Key Information

Model

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■ Understanding College Application Essays

Below are excerpts from college application essays Read each excerpt, and on a separate sheet

of paper answer the questions that follow

1. What is the focus of this essay?

2. Is the tone of this paragraph formal or satirical? Cite words or phrases to support yourview

3. Do you think the rest of this essay will be interesting to read? Why?

4. What kind of information can you anticipate will follow this opening paragraph?

5. Do you think the tone of this essay is serious or light-hearted?

6. Is the topic of this essay important to the applicant? How do you know?

7. What are some illustrative details the author might include in this essay?

1.4 Writing a College Application Essay

litera-ture teacher’s casual remark was more powerful than her most emphasized assertions Ibegan to see that things were not as simple as they once seemed While I admit that sometimes Idon’t want to grow up, and I still see things in either-or terms, I feel that I am beginning to acceptambiguity I have learned that things aren’t black or white in the humanities or the sciences Whyshould they be in my life? I would say that I have embarked on the road to maturity and that I’mready for new challenges

Model 2

The goal of your college application essay is to show who you are: a unique individual Focus on amemorable and interesting aspect of your life Once you have chosen a focus, relax and write a goodstory about yourself Remember to revise and edit your draft until you are ready to copy it onto yourapplication

Key Information

esteemed classmates, and enthusiastic teammates, I actually stumbled upon my life

philoso-phy while watching a television program during my sophomore year Bill Cosby, as in The Bill Cosby Show, was advising his fictional and wayward son, “You gotta read and study, but you also gotta

do.” That seemed like a good dictum upon which to hang my hat—and by which to guide my life Since then I have been fairly successful at balancing book learning with “hands-on” experience

Model 1

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On a separate sheet of paper, condense the following information into a clear, concise, and

well-organized résumé Use the information provided, and make up appropriate dates Be sure

to include each of the following headings, in order, as part of the résumé: Objective,

Experience, Education, Skills and Interests, and References Reword the information in any way

that you wish

• Michael Planco is applying for a job as a part-time worker He wants to work in a pet shop

after school and on Saturday

• Michael lives at 1469 Washington Street in Hollywood, Florida His phone number is

305-652-0076 His ZIP code is 33143

• Michael worked at Publix Supermarket as a bag boy and stock clerk all last summer For two

years before that, he worked after school and on Saturdays as a clerk at Eckerd’s Drugstore

on Miami Gardens Drive In the 7th and 8th grades he delivered a weekly newspaper in his

neighborhood

• Michael has been a volunteer for the Broward County Society for Prevention of Cruelty to

Animals for the past three years He has been helping the staff take care of dogs and cats

brought to the animal shelter

• Michael is graduating in June from MacArthur High School He is a senior

• He can feed and care for birds, snakes, dogs, cats, gerbils

• He is willing to clean cages, stock merchandise, and do whatever is asked of him

• Michael can operate a cash register

• Michael is giving the following people as references:

Mr Roger Reeves, biology teacher, MacArthur High School, Hollywood, FL 33143, tel

# 305-652-8943Mrs Juanita Greene, assistant manager, Publix Supermarket, Hollywood Boulevard,Hollywood, FL 33143, tel # 305-652-3261

• He has worked on his aunt’s horse farm since he was nine

• Michael owns six snakes, three birds, two gerbils, and a dachshund named Snorkel

• He plans to attend Florida State University to major in biology He hopes to become a

veterinarian

• He has read many books about animals and animal care

Read the two model résumé entries below Choose the one that is appropriate for a résumé

On a separate sheet of paper, explain why

1 My senior independent project was to report how the city could be better run I

interviewed many people in the city government, did research, made comparisons to

other cities, and delivered my report at a city council meeting

2 Conducted study assessing city management Interviewed civic officials, researched

management in other cities, presented findings before city council

1.5 Writing a Résumé

A résumé summarizes your work experience, education, career objective, applicable skills, and

experi-ence, and lists people who can attest to your character and abilities Your résumé is the first

demon-stration your prospective employer sees of your communication skills Therefore it is crucial that you

describe everything accurately and concisely A well-organized résumé that is clearly and precisely

written will always put you in a positive light

Key Information

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The model below is an opinion piece about the short novel The Old Man and the Sea Read the

model, and answer the questions that follow

1. What is the writer’s opinion of the book?

2 What example does the writer use to show perseverance and strength of the old man in hisstruggle with the marlin?

3. How could a person tell that the fisherman was cheerful and undefeated at the beginning ofthe story?

4. According to the writer, what is Hemingway’s writing style? What is this writing style characterized by?

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W R I T I N G A B O U T L I T E R A T U R E

Expressing Opinions About Literature

Developing good, solid responses to literature results from paying close attention to your impressionsand feelings while you are reading, not just after you’ve finished To keep track of your responses,keep a reader-response journal beside you as you read Once you discover your general attitudetoward a piece of literature, look to find examples from the text to support your opinions; remember,you must be able to defend your critical observations with specific examples

Key Information

Cuban fisherman and his epic struggle with a giant marlin and the sea “Everything about himwas old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and unde-feated.” This sentence describes the old man who is seemingly part of the sea in which he fishes Asea that gives him life as well as takes life away

The central character of the novel is the old man, who is of singular character and strength.Hemingway’s understated writing style takes the reader on a three-day odyssey as the old man, themarlin, and the sea battle for survival The stoic old man “ settled comfortably against thewood [of the boat] and took his suffering as it came “ But the old man must battle more thanjust the marlin; before the story ends, he must battle his age, hunger, and sharks

Model

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■ Understanding Parodies

In the excerpt below, Romeo, a character from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, is

out-side looking up as Juliet comes to stand at the window Read the excerpt carefully, focusing on

Shakespeare’s style

On a separate sheet of paper, write a parody of Romeo’s monologue above, re-creating

Shakespeare’s style but changing the object of his affections to something or someone else

The best parodies are those that reflect the original work, while adding a unique and

humorous twist to the language and the story line

It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!

Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,

Who is already sick and pale with grief

That thou her maid art far more fair than she

Be not her maid, since she is envious

Her vestal livery is but sick and green,

And none but fools do wear it Cast it off

It is my lady; O, it is my love!

O that she knew she were!

She speaks, yet she says nothing What of that?

Her eye discourses; I will answer it

I am too bold; ‘tis not to me she speaks

Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,

Having some business, do entreat her eyes

To twinkle in their spheres till they return

What if her eyes were there, they in her head?

The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars

As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven

Would through the airy region stream so bright

That birds would sing and think it were not night

See how she leans her cheek upon her hand!

O that I were a glove upon that hand,

That I might touch that cheek!

William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

1.7

W R I T I N G A B O U T L I T E R A T U R E

Creative Responses to Literature

Creative responses to fiction include writing a spoof or parody, extending the story line, creating an

imaginary journal for one of the characters, adapting an existing story for a new medium, or rewriting

the story from a different point of view Regardless of your response, the success of your endeavor

rests on how well acquainted you are with the original piece of fiction The best parodies are those

that reflect the original setting, characters, themes, and conflicts with a unique or humorous twist to

the language or story line When writing a parody, familiarize yourself with the author’s word choices,

sentence lengths, punctuation, and any trademark idiosyncrasies

Key Information

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Think about a writing assignment that you have recently completed Write a paragraph ing and explaining how and when you got your preliminary ideas, refined your ideas, decidedhow to organize your material, turned your thoughts into sentences and paragraphs, polishedyour work, and put it into final form In other words, describe your writing process Pay par-ticular attention to times you returned to previous stages of the writing process: for example,did you go back and gather more information to fill “holes” in your draft?

2.1 An Overview of the Writing Process

The writing process is made up of five stages: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing/proofreading,

and publishing/presenting Like all writers, you will probably use this process in your own way, moving

in and out of the various stages to suit the task at hand

Key Information

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1 In the space below, explore one of the following general subjects through clustering: cities,

computers, health, sports, medical ethics

2 Look over your cluster carefully Select a bubble that contains a promising writing topic,

and use it as the center for another cluster that you create below This time use the cluster

to gather ideas and details about the subject rather than to find a topic.

2.2 Prewriting: Finding a Topic I

Clustering is a useful technique for finding a writing topic Clustering involves connecting related

words, phrases, and ideas graphically

Key Information

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On the lines below, use either brainstorming or freewriting to find two or three possible topicsfor an essay entitled “The Person I Would Most Like to Meet.”

On the lines below, use either brainstorming or freewriting to explore one of the topics you

selected in Part A Use categories such as personality, achievements, amusing incidents, and

physical characteristics to get started.

2.2 Prewriting: Finding a Topic II

Brainstorming and freewriting are two useful techniques for finding a writing topic Brainstorming

involves the free association of ideas, either on your own or with other people When you use

freewriting, you write without stopping for a specified time, using sentences or fragments, without

worrying about form or content

Key Information

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1 You have decided to write about a close relative For each of the potential audiences below,

suggest an appropriate purpose and main idea

your classmates guests at your relative’s birthday party school literary magazine _

2. You have developed an interest in modern sculpture Write two different purpose-audience

combinations you could use for writing about sculpture Be as specific as possible in

characterizing your audience

3. Your general topic for a piece of writing is the beach Write two different combinations of

audience, purpose, and main idea that you could use to create two very different pieces of

writing about the beach

2.3 Prewriting: Establishing Purpose and Audience

After you have chosen your topic for a piece of writing, decide on your purpose and audience Your

purpose may be to inform, persuade, entertain, narrate, or describe At times these purposes will

overlap Also identify the characteristics of your audience Your audience may be students,

profes-sionals, or special interest groups

Key Information

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Write the organizational pattern you would use if you were writing a paragraph on each of thefollowing topics for a general audience:

1 explaining the relationship between a computer and your memory _

2. describing stress reduction through exercise and relaxation _

3 explaining how to pitch a tent

4. describing three of your favorite foods

5 explaining the shape of a constellation

Choose one of the topics above, and draft a paragraph below using the organizational patternand topic sentence you chose Review your paragraph to be sure your supporting material iseffective and well organized and your conclusion reemphasizes your main idea Revise yourparagraph on a separate sheet of paper

2.4 Drafting: Ordering Your Thoughts

Once you have determined your purpose and the main idea of a piece of writing, you need to decide

how to order your material Possible organizational patterns include chronological order, spatial

order, order of importance, cause and effect, and compare and contrast Your writing should

open with an introduction that presents your main idea, follow with supporting materials, and closewith a conclusion that effectively reemphasizes your main idea

Key Information

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■ A Using Transitions to Show Order of Importance

Read the paragraph below, and underline the topic sentence Then circle any transitional words

or phrases that indicate order of importance

On the lines below, write a paragraph about a tourist attraction you know well Underline your

topic sentence and check to see that each sentence in the paragraph relates to it Then circle the

transitional words or phrases you used

New Orleans welcomes visitors with a feast for the senses High on the list of favorite NewOrleans tourist attractions is Dixieland jazz Jazz clubs abound throughout the city, and the music

can often be heard in the streets Second in popularity is touring the historic buildings of the Old

French Quarter, and third is taking a ride on the showboats of the Mississippi River Last, but not

least, are the tastes and aromas of Cajun and Creole cooking

2.5 Drafting: Writing with Unity and Coherence I

A paragraph has unity when each sentence contributes to the main idea expressed by the topic

sentence Coherence means that the sentences proceed logically and smoothly with no gaps in

reasoning Transitional words and phrases often indicate the links and relationships among ideas

Key Information

Model

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Use the paragraph above as inspiration for thinking about times when you especially like to bealone or particularly need to be with your friends, your family, or your dog or cat Write aparagraph about those times Be sure to use transitional words or phrases to indicate compari-son and contrast or to introduce examples

2.5 Drafting: Writing with Unity and Coherence II

A unified and coherent paragraph needs transitional words and phrases that indicate the links andrelationships among ideas

Key Information

enjoy being alone After a confrontation with a family member—my brother, (2) _ —I oftenneed to get away from everyone and cool off Even when I’m happy about something, (3) _ anunexpectedly high grade on an exam, I like to jog in the park or take a run around the track before

I go home

Model

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Keeping revision criteria in mind, read the following paragraph Then answer the questions

below

1. What is the main idea of the paragraph? _

2 Which sentence is irrelevant?

3 Where are more details necessary? _

4. Is the opening effective? Why or why not? _

5. Is the close effective? Why or why not?

2.6 Revising: Checking Content and Structure I

When revising your writing for content, be sure that the opening is inviting, the main idea is clearly

stated or implied, supporting ideas are clearly expressed and relevant, and there are no unnecessary

details

Key Information

the day Since the declared end of the Cold War and the subsequent dissolution and ing of the Soviet bloc, the popularity of Soviet spy stories has decreased greatly Writers have had to

reshap-look elsewhere for villains and plots Some have simply reshap-looked to their own backyard Revised

thrillers now tend to hinge on other issues The rather sedate English country-house murder mystery

made famous by Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham is as popular as ever

Villains have become more and more like termites, attacking from within However, some diehard

novelists, those who don’t want to come in from the Cold War, plan fictional coups to restore the

wall of suspicion All the world, it seems, loves an enemy

Model

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■ Revising Structure

Revise the following paragraph on the lines provided Pay particular attention to the issuesmentioned above In addition, make any other changes that you think would improve theparagraph

short-lived They are like some clothes They soon go out of style When Sherlock Holmes asked Dr

Watson what his drawbacks were as an apartment mate, Watson answered, “I keep a bull pup.”Teacher and critic Jacques Barzun thinks that even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle occasionally fell victim toslang It doesn’t mean he had a pet He was using 1880s army lingo for “a bad temper.” The origi-nal readers of Sherlock Holmes probably had no difficulty with that expression Today almost no oneknows what it means Slang terms create images that jolt and distract the reader Writers shouldalways aim to be as clear and brief as possible

2.6 Revising: Checking Content and Structure II

When revising the structure of your writing, make sure that your writing is unified and coherent, thatthe progression of ideas and details is logical, and that clear transitions are used where needed

Key Information

Model

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When clichés, jargon, and sexist language collide, the results can be hilarious Consider the

fol-lowing paragraph

Rewrite the paragraph to eliminate as many examples of clichés, jargon, and sexist language as

you can Aim to make your finished paragraph four or five sentences long

2.7 Replacing Clichés, Jargon, and Sexist Language

Clichés are stale expressions that your reader has heard many times before Jargon is the language of

special groups Sexist language reflects gender bias; it limits possibilities because it limits our

think-ing Consider replacing fireman, mankind, and he with firefighter, humankind, and he or she.

Key Information

enjoyed by a medieval serf In today’s modern world, the average working man has 126 days offeach year including holidays, sick days, and vacation time We are all busy as bees the live-long day

A medieval serf worked only an average of 180 days a year Time after time, he spent the day with

his community or family, and enjoying his many holidays with state-of-the-art activities such as log

splitting His little woman busied herself with women’s work that was never done, until a day off

afforded her a chance to gossip or complete the proverbial stitch in time on her needlework

Model

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Using proofreader’s marks, correct the errors in the paragraphs below Follow the above lines as you check for one type of error at a time Note that proper names are spelled correctly

2.8 Editing/Proofreading: Finalizing

Editing entails fine-tuning of usage and sentence structure; proofreading entails correcting errors in

mechanics and spelling When editing, check for subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, clear noun antecedents, correctly placed modifiers, and sentence fragments and run-ons Keep a dictionaryhandy, and use the standard proofreading symbols

pro-Key Information

For a long time, the place of garlic in cookery was eclipsed by its medicinal roll A medievalchronicler named boorde attests to poplarity in the French duchies He credited garlic with clearingthe chest and killing parasights It’s role as a medicinel herb, however, extends far beyond BoordesFrance, for example, consider some of its uses in Russian folk medicine

One garlic preparation is reputed to cure nervous spasms and prevent siezures Boiled in milk,the nervous person is supposed to drink hot mixture of crushed garlic Some people swear to this day swear that a mixture of crushed garlic onions, barley, oats, roots, and honey–cooked to the consistency of very thick cream–fight ageing Others say that a potion of finely ground garlic inlemin juice, fought obesity 1st, however, the mixture must have been left standing in a cheesecloth-covered jar One wonders about causeand effect Did the smell drive the dieter out of the kitchen

Model

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You are the campaign manager for a friend who is running for a class office Your job is to

“sell” your candidate to the voters Decide how best to advertise your candidate (through an

ad? a flier? a poster? something else?) Assume that you can truthfully claim that your

candi-date is competent, involved in school affairs, and experienced in school government Add any

other qualifications or appropriate details Then, on the lines provided below, complete the

memo outlining your publicity campaign Choose, describe, and defend your mode of

presen-tation (format), theme (platform, motto), and supporting graphics Include or attach rough

sketches for any accompanying illustrations or graphics

Format: _

Theme: _

Illustrations/Graphics: _

2.9 Publishing/Presenting: Sharing Your Writing

Presenting your finished work is a logical and satisfying way to bring the writing process to a close

Whether you do so formally or informally depends on both your purpose and targeted audience

Key Information

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Read the paragraph below, and decide how the words in italics suggest the writer’s attitudetoward the subject (the car) and the audience (potential car buyers) Then rewrite the para-graph on a separate sheet of paper, replacing the words in italics to make the paragraph suit-able for describing an economy car for a practical, ecologically aware consumer

The opening lines of a poem about a gull appear below Read them carefully, and then writewhat you think the poet’s attitude toward the bird is Cite the specific words and details thatconvey that attitude

tion of a word is what the word suggests or implies Its dictionary meaning is called denotation For

example, slender, thin, and skinny might be applied to the same person but would show very different

attitudes toward that person’s appearance

Key Information

dri-vers From the moment you open the door, the sumptuous upholstery and fully appointed trol panel convey a timeless elegance that announces you as a member of an elite group of new car owners—those who demand the very best.

con-Model

That gull, for instance,

a clam in his straw beaklike a growth, or a black snout—

see how he loops it in toward shore

& with a roughegg-breaking guess, drops itthen swoops to gargle the soft stuff

John Malcolm Brinnin, “That Gull”

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For each of the passages below, identify the type or types of sensory details used: sight,

hear-ing, smell, taste, or touch Then identify the organizing technique used: spatial order, order of

importance, or order of impression

Type(s) of sensory details: _Organizing technique:

3.1 Organizing Descriptions I

Sensory details—those appealing to sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—create vivid descriptions.

Depending on the effect you want to create, organize these details by using spatial order, order of

importance, or order of impression.

Key Information

up on the slope the gray farmhouse was struck by the sun While his head had been bent the land

had grown bright around him

Gina Berriault, “The Stone Boy”

Literature Model 1

blot-ting out the summit, the shoulder, everything beyond the tiny white-walled radius of our tents

Hour after hour we lay in our sleeping bags, stirring only to eat or to secure the straining rope and

canvas Our feet froze under their thick layers of wool and rawhide Our heads and bodies

throbbed with a dull nameless aching, and time crept over our numbed minds like a glacier

James Ramsey Ullman, “Top Man”

brick, which was cloaked in ivy and Virginia creeper In the center there was a stone fountainand a lily pool, where two enormous indolent carp lived

J R Salamanca, A Sea Change

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If the topic sentence in each of the passages below is stated, underline it If the topic sentence isimplied, write a sentence on the line below the passage that could serve as the topic sentence

3.1 Organizing Descriptions II

Topic sentences may be placed at the beginning of paragraphs to establish mood or prepare readers for what is to follow Topic sentences may be placed at the end of paragraphs to add emphasis or

keep readers in suspense When the topic and purpose of a paragraph are clear from the content,

the topic sentence may be implied.

Key Information

silver tankard he held, but left his face in shadow: a dark face always shadowed by the thicklowgrowing hair and heavy brows and lashes, and by a somber blandness of expression Can oneread a cat’s face, a seal’s, an otter’s? Some Gethenians, I thought, are like such animals, with deepbright eyes that do not change expression when you speak

Ursula K Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness

camp still slept Tom stood up and looked over the side of the truck The eastern mountains wereblue-black, and as he watched, the light stood up faintly behind them, colored at the mountainrims with a washed red, then growing colder, grayer, darker as it went up overhead, until at a placenear the western horizon it merged with pure night Down in the valley the earth was the lavender-gray of dawn

John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath

thorned stalks—I guess you could call them trees—came in fewer numbers but were biggeraround and less brittle; at the base of each was a tangled mass of vine with the same blue-greencolor, which spread out in a flattened cone some ten meters in diameter There was a delicate greenflower the size of a man’s head near the top of each tree

Joe Haldeman, The Forever War

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Identify the main idea in the paragraph below, and underline it Then draw a line through the

details that do not support the main idea

(1) This year I decided it would be a good idea to get involved in school activities (2) I joined

several after-school clubs, including the Spanish Club, Students Against Drunk Driving, and the

Literary Club (3) There are many after-school activities in which a student can participate outside of

school (4) A friend of mine encouraged me to sign up with him for try-outs for freshman soccer (5) I made the team and played as a forward in the games we’ve had so far (6) Most of my teammates

have an after-school job, too (7) Getting involved in school activities is a wonderful way to make

friends (8) My friend Gary makes friends easily (9) Being with a small group that shares the same

interests has made it easier for me to open up and be myself with new people (10) My confidence

is growing, and I’m overcoming some of my shyness at meeting new people (11) My good idea was

a great idea!

In Part A you eliminated extraneous details from the paragraph above Now add transitions

to help the writing flow smoothly from one idea to the next In the appropriate space below,

write the transitional word or phrase you would use before each of the sentences indicated

by number

Select from the transitions below, or use those of your own choosing

3.2 Writing a Unified and Coherent Description

Make your descriptive writing unified by eliminating details that do not reinforce the main idea of the

piece To make your description coherent, create a smooth flow from one detail to the next by using

transitional words and phrases

Key Information

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Complete each of the following sentences by using a figure of speech Then indicate whetheryou have used a simile, a metaphor, or personification

1 The smog covering the city was as thick as _

2. The clouds moving through the sky were _

3. The child raced through the house like a

4 The fear I experienced as I entered the school for the first time was _

5. With a great shudder, the old ship hit her keel on the reef and _

Develop the following metaphor and simile by adding one or two more sentences to each pair

3.3 Using Figurative Language

Figures of speech can make your descriptive writing more vivid and effective A simile associates

the qualities of one thing with the qualities of another The comparison is made by using the word like

or as:

The pounding waves were like drumsticks beating upon the beach.

A metaphor equates or identifies one thing with another The comparison is made directly, without

the use of the word like or as:

The pounding waves were drumsticks upon the beach.

Personification attributes human characteristics to animals, objects, or ideas:

The undertow grabbed my legs and pulled me under.

Key Information

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Read the following famous analogy, and answer the questions below

1 What two ideas are being compared in the analogy? _

2. To what are the exits of plays being compared? The entrances of plays? _

3. What insight or conclusion about life is expressed in this analogy?

Shakespeare develops his analogy further by describing the “seven ages”: infant, schoolboy,

romantic suitor, soldier, professional, retiree, and very elderly person Choose three of these

ages or roles that a person plays, and use the chart to characterize them in terms of the

analogy For example, Shakespeare uses whining, satchel, and creeping like a snail unwillingly

to school to describe the schoolboy Make up your own details for each age Then use a

separate sheet of paper to write a paragraph in which you develop the entire analogy

3.4 Using Analogies

An analogy is an extended, point-by-point comparison between two things that are usually

consid-ered dissimilar but that share some common characteristics To create successful analogies, find at

least three similarities in the ideas you are comparing and use specific details and examples, as well as

similes and metaphors, to support your comparisons Then write a topic sentence that establishes the

basis of the comparison Finally, decide on a logical order for the points of the analogy, and use

transi-tions to link them smoothly and clearly

Key Information

All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players:

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts,

His acts being seven ages

William Shakespeare, As You Like It

Age or Role Costume Action or Speech Prop

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Analyzing Imagery in Descriptive Writing

Imagery is a broad term referring to language that appeals to the senses To help you understand

how a writer uses imagery to express ideas and create emotional effect, ask the following questionsabout each image: What type of image is it? What comparison or other meaning is suggested by theimage? How does the image relate to other images in the piece? What is the author’s purpose inchoosing these images?

Key Information

now he takes his mark

at the farthest end of the runwaylooking straight ahead, eager, intensewith his sharp eyes shining

he takes a deep, deep breathwith his powerful lungsexpanding his massive chesthis burning heart beating like thundersthen after a few tense moments of pondering

he roars at his utmostand slowly begins to jogkicking the dark earth hardand now he begins to runkicking the dark earth harderthen he dashes, dashes like mad, like madhowling, shouting, screaming, and roaringthen with a most violent kick

he shakes off the earth’s pullsoftly lifting himself into the airsoaring higher and higher and higher stillpiercing the sea of clouds

up into the chandelier of stars

Naoshi Koriyama, “Jetliner”

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