Session 3: Writing Conventions and Writing Strategies

1
Session 3 Writing Conventions and Writing
Strategies

• Test-Taking Tips 3
• Writing on the CAHSEE
• Writing Strategies
• Writing Conventions
• Writing Applications (CAHSEE Essay Writing)
• Structure of a 5-Paragraph Essay

2
Test-Taking Tips 3

• Make a plan when you first get your test.
• Some people like to do the easy questions first,
  some like to get the hard ones out of the way.
  You have to stay within the section, but you can
  do the questions in the section in any order you
  wish.
• Come to the test prepared by studying this guide,
  and be confident that you can pass!
• On Writing Conventions questions (grammar and
  usage), trust your ear.
• Read the sentence choices aloud in your head to
  decide which one sounds correct.
• Try not to second-guess yourself. Unless youre
  sure you made a mistake, dont over think and
  change a lot of questions.

3
What is the purpose of writing?

• To communicate an idea
• To express emotions
• To entertain
• To explain
• To persuade (convince)
• To describe
• To respond to literature
• Any others??

4
CAHSEE Writing

• 27 Multiple-Choice writing questions total
• 1 Essay Questions

There are three strands Writing Strategies
Writing Conventions Writing Applications
5
CAHSEE Writing

• Writing Strategies
• 12 test questions that ask you to find and
  correct errors and choose better words and
  phrases. They are based on a rough draft of an
  essay or article. .
• In this section, you do not have to write any
  essays, but you have to answer multiple choice
  questions about editing and revising essays.
• Questions may begin, which sentence would best
  begin this essay or which of the following
  sentences do not fit well in the paragraph

6
Writing Strategies Tips

• Read the questions CAREFULLY. The test will
  often have the important word in ALL CAPITALS.
• Exp Which of the following word is the BEST
  substitution for the word employees in sentence
  1?
• Study the rules of grammar provided here, and
  think of what a teacher with a red pen may
  choose. The test is looking for standard English
  grammar, spelling, and sentence structure.
• Study the following information on combining
  sentences carefully. There are typically a few
  questions about combining sentences.

7
Combining Sentences
Sentences can be combined by using three
punctuation marks the hyphen (-), the colon
(), the semi-colon (). (You can also use
coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but,
or, yet, soF.A.N.B.O.Y.S.!!!) to combine clauses
that are grammatically parallel (the same order
of word types).
8
Combining Sentences
A colon () is also used to add more information
and especially to list things after the colon.
What follows a colon may be a clause (She is a
great dancer she practices ballet, salsa and
hip-hop.) or a group of words that cannot stand
by themselves (She practices many types of dance
ballet, salsa and hip-hop.)
9
Combining Sentences
A semi-colon () is used to connect clauses and
is the most important punctuation mark for
combining sentences. It can be used alone to
connect clauses (She is beautiful her eyes
shine like diamonds.) It can also be used to
connect clauses together with special linking
words such as however, moreover, therefore.
10
Combining Sentences
Sample Question Choose the answer that is the
most effective substitute for each underlined
part of the sentence. If no substitution is
necessary, choose Leave as is. I expect you to
finish the work by three, however, if it takes
longer, call me. (A) three however, if it
takes longer, call me. (B) three however, if
it takes longer, call me. (C) three however, if
it takes longer, call me. (D) Leave as is.
11
Combining Sentences
Solution What punctuation mark joins the two
thoughts into one sentence? A semicolon joins
them, since they are both independent clauses
that stand on their own but are related. The
semi-colon prevents run-ons if used correctly.
The correct answer is (C). (A) three
however, if it takes longer, call me. (B)
three however, if it takes longer, call me. (C)
three however, if it takes longer, call me. (D)
Leave as is.
12
Main Ideas and Supporting Details

• see p. 173
• In the Writing Strategies questions, you may have
  to identify main ideas and supporting details.
• Topic-Subject of a piece of writing
• Main Idea- The most important idea the writer
  expresses about this topic
• Supporting Details-The facts, examples,
  statistics, or concepts that back up the main
  idea.

13
Thesis Statement

• see p. 173 (we will also talk about this next
  time when we write essays)
• A topic sentence, usually at the end of the first
  paragraph, that controls the entire essay. In
  other words, the thesis statement is the point
  you are trying to prove in your essay.
• Example thesis statement Most students dislike
  writing essays because they would rather be doing
  exciting science experiments, reading poetry, or
  playing sports.

14
Writing Conventions

• 15 test questions that test your
• understanding of grammar
• and your knowledge in the
• mechanics of punctuation
• (e.g. semicolons, colons, ellipses, hyphens).
• You will also have to identify and use clauses
  and understand sentence construction (parallel
  structure, proper placement of modifiers, etc.).

15
Grammar Review

• The test will not ask you directly about the
  parts of speech, but they are important in
  order to understand
• Noun person, place, or thing (dog, New York,
  OFL)
• Verb action word (talk, study, run)
• Adjective word that describes (happy, bright,
  fast)
• Adverb a word that modifies a verb, an
  adjective, another adverb usually ends in -ly
  (happily, very, slowly)
• Subject the subject is the part of the sentence
  (usually a noun) that performs the action. (she
  gave me the book the dog slept)
• Predicate the part of the sentence that is not
  the subject (she gave me the book the dog slept)
• Subject Predicatecomplete sentence

16
Grammar Review Clauses

• see p. 194
• A clause is a group of words that has a verb and
  a subject. Some are complete sentences, but
  others need to be linked to another clause to
  make sense.
• Independent (Main) Clause a complete thought,
  and can stand alone as a sentence or be linked to
  another clause.
• Exp People had to keep a fire going all the
  time.
• Dependent (Subordinate) Clause does not express
  a complete idea, so it has to be linked to the
  independent clause.
• Exp Before matches made it easy to start a fire
• Complete sentence using both types of clauses
• Before matches made it easy to start a fire,
  People had to keep a fire going all the time.

17
Grammar Review Punctuation

• see p. 194-195
• Semicolon used between independent clauses
  without conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or,
  yet, soF.A.N.B.O.Y.S.!!!)
• Exp Fire is our good friend fire is our
  deadly enemy.
• Colon used between independent clauses when the
  second clause explains the first or provides a
  list.
• Exp Fire is important it heats our home and
  our food.
• Ellipses three spaced dots, show that something
  has been omitted (left out)
• Exp The firefighter said, Its really
  dangerousbut we have the blaze under control.
• Hyphen Used in some compound adjectives,
  numbers, and prefixes.
• Exp The well-organized squad of twenty-four
  firefighters are pro-American.

18
Grammar Review Sentence construction and usage

• see p. 198
• Parallel structure
• Subordination
• Proper placement of modifiers
• Consistency of tenses
• Talk to the Text in your Measure Up book and
  discuss with the class

19
Grammar Review Proofreading

• see p. 202
• Usage
• Structure
• Diction
• Grammar
• Mechanics
• Talk to the Text in your Measure Up book and
  discuss with the class

20
CAHSEE Writing
Writing Application On the writing portion of
the CAHSEE exam, you will be given a Writing
Task which is one essay question. You may be
asked to do one of the following Biographical
Narrative Response to Literature Expository
Essay Persuasive Essay Business Letter
21
Biographical Narrative
see p. 210 Tells the story from the life of a
real person. Often, this type of CAHSEE essay
question will ask you to write about someone who
is important in your life.
22
Response to Literature
see p. 214 You read a (literature) text and are
asked to respond (write an essay) based on a
question regarding that passage. This type of
question asks that you first comprehend the text,
then write about it (use TtT and chunking!).
23
Expository Essay
see p. 219 Expository essays (also called
compositions) are most often nonfiction, meaning
that it deals with real people, things, events
and places. The question may ask you to write
about an important moment in history or
technology, or a question about school.
24
Persuasive Essay
see p. 223 A persuasive essay (or composition)
asks you to defend a position or argue for your
side of an issue about which people disagree.
A sample question may ask you to write an
essay for your school paper in which you convince
the readers of the importance of volunteer hours
as a graduation requirement or a convincing essay
about whether or not there should be art and
music in school. The readers want you to
think about the other side of the argument and
keep that in mind as you defend your ideas
25
Business Letter

• see p. 227
• A Business Letter is a formal correspondence
  about a business related matter.
• When youre writing a business letter, your
  purpose may be
• to apply for a job
• to complain
• to request information
• Etc.

26
Business Letter (continued)

• See p. 228 for an example of format
• Besides the way it looks, treat the business
  letter pretty much the same way you would treat
  an essay. It should include
• Salutation
• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion
• Signature

27
CAHSEE Essay Writing
1. Remember Make sure to answer all parts of
the writing task. If the question is asking
you to describe the main characters decisions and
emotions, make sure to address both.
28
CAHSEE Essay Writing
2. Remember Make sure you have the correct
five-paragraph essay structure with a strong
introduction, three body paragraphs, and
conclusion. Use specific details and examples
from the passage to demonstrate your
understanding of the main ideas and the authors
purpose. Vary your sentences to make your
writing more interesting.
29
CAHSEE Essay Writing

• 3. Remember
• Real people (usually teachers) are hired by the
  testing company to grade essays.
• They read a lot of essays, give it a score (1
  through 4) quickly, and two graders scores are
  combined for your final score.
• Make your essay easy to read both in terms of the
  structure, and in terms of handwriting. If the
  grader has to struggle to read your essay, they
  cant pay attention to your great ideas!

30
Your CAHSE Essay Should Include

• Five strong paragraphs (at least four sentences)
• A thesis statement at the end of the introduction
  paragraph
• Clear main ideas
• Supporting evidence
• Understandable writing
• Clearly written (check your handwriting!)
• Good (enough) spelling
• Clear grammar

31
How should my essay look?
Introduction
Body paragraph 1
Body paragraph 2
Body paragraph 3
Conclusion
32
Kind of like a hamburger.
Introduction
Body Paragraph 1
Body Paragraph 2
Body Paragraph 3
Conclusion
33
Stay Tuned.

• We will go over more information about writing
  essays next time, and you will practice with the
  help of your classmates and your teacher.
• For now, follow the structure described as well
  as you can when you respond to the essay assigned
  for tonights homework! (page 212)

34
Homework Due Next Session

• Page, 167-170, 174-176, 196-197, 204-206,
  Measuring Up
• Do your best to respond to the essay topic on
  page 212. We will go over it in class.
• Use p. 211 as a model
• Use everything we have learned so far about essay
  structure
• Write at least 5 paragraphs
• Vocabulary Flashcards for all bolded words p.
  167-202

35
Session 3 Writing Conventions and Writing
Strategies

• Test-Taking Tips 3
• Writing on the CAHSEE
• Writing Strategies
• Writing Conventions
• Writing Applications (CAHSEE Essay Writing)
• Structure of a 5-Paragraph Essay

36
Test-Taking Tips 3

• Make a plan when you first get your test.
• Some people like to do the easy questions first,
  some like to get the hard ones out of the way.
  You have to stay within the section, but you can
  do the questions in the section in any order you
  wish.
• Come to the test prepared by studying this guide,
  and be confident that you can pass!
• On Writing Conventions questions (grammar and
  usage), trust your ear.
• Read the sentence choices aloud in your head to
  decide which one sounds correct.
• Try not to second-guess yourself. Unless youre
  sure you made a mistake, dont over think and
  change a lot of questions.

37
What is the purpose of writing?

• To communicate an idea
• To express emotions
• To entertain
• To explain
• To persuade (convince)
• To describe
• To respond to literature
• Any others??

38
CAHSEE Writing

• 27 Multiple-Choice writing questions total
• 1 Essay Questions

There are three strands Writing Strategies
Writing Conventions Writing Applications
39
CAHSEE Writing

• Writing Strategies
• 12 test questions that ask you to find and
  correct errors and choose better words and
  phrases. They are based on a rough draft of an
  essay or article. .
• In this section, you do not have to write any
  essays, but you have to answer multiple choice
  questions about editing and revising essays.
• Questions may begin, which sentence would best
  begin this essay or which of the following
  sentences do not fit well in the paragraph

40
Writing Strategies Tips

• Read the questions CAREFULLY. The test will
  often have the important word in ALL CAPITALS.
• Exp Which of the following word is the BEST
  substitution for the word employees in sentence
  1?
• Study the rules of grammar provided here, and
  think of what a teacher with a red pen may
  choose. The test is looking for standard English
  grammar, spelling, and sentence structure.
• Study the following information on combining
  sentences carefully. There are typically a few
  questions about combining sentences.

41
Combining Sentences
Sentences can be combined by using three
punctuation marks the hyphen (-), the colon
(), the semi-colon (). (You can also use
coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but,
or, yet, soF.A.N.B.O.Y.S.!!!) to combine clauses
that are grammatically parallel (the same order
of word types).
42
Combining Sentences
A colon () is also used to add more information
and especially to list things after the colon.
What follows a colon may be a clause (She is a
great dancer she practices ballet, salsa and
hip-hop.) or a group of words that cannot stand
by themselves (She practices many types of dance
ballet, salsa and hip-hop.)
43
Combining Sentences
A semi-colon () is used to connect clauses and
is the most important punctuation mark for
combining sentences. It can be used alone to
connect clauses (She is beautiful her eyes
shine like diamonds.) It can also be used to
connect clauses together with special linking
words such as however, moreover, therefore.
44
Combining Sentences
Sample Question Choose the answer that is the
most effective substitute for each underlined
part of the sentence. If no substitution is
necessary, choose Leave as is. I expect you to
finish the work by three, however, if it takes
longer, call me. (A) three however, if it
takes longer, call me. (B) three however, if
it takes longer, call me. (C) three however, if
it takes longer, call me. (D) Leave as is.
45
Combining Sentences
Solution What punctuation mark joins the two
thoughts into one sentence? A semicolon joins
them, since they are both independent clauses
that stand on their own but are related. The
semi-colon prevents run-ons if used correctly.
The correct answer is (C). (A) three
however, if it takes longer, call me. (B)
three however, if it takes longer, call me. (C)
three however, if it takes longer, call me. (D)
Leave as is.
46
Main Ideas and Supporting Details

• see p. 173
• In the Writing Strategies questions, you may have
  to identify main ideas and supporting details.
• Topic-Subject of a piece of writing
• Main Idea- The most important idea the writer
  expresses about this topic
• Supporting Details-The facts, examples,
  statistics, or concepts that back up the main
  idea.

47
Thesis Statement

• see p. 173 (we will also talk about this next
  time when we write essays)
• A topic sentence, usually at the end of the first
  paragraph, that controls the entire essay. In
  other words, the thesis statement is the point
  you are trying to prove in your essay.
• Example thesis statement Most students dislike
  writing essays because they would rather be doing
  exciting science experiments, reading poetry, or
  playing sports.

48
Writing Conventions

• 15 test questions that test your
• understanding of grammar
• and your knowledge in the
• mechanics of punctuation
• (e.g. semicolons, colons, ellipses, hyphens).
• You will also have to identify and use clauses
  and understand sentence construction (parallel
  structure, proper placement of modifiers, etc.).

49
Grammar Review

• The test will not ask you directly about the
  parts of speech, but they are important in
  order to understand
• Noun person, place, or thing (dog, New York,
  OFL)
• Verb action word (talk, study, run)
• Adjective word that describes (happy, bright,
  fast)
• Adverb a word that modifies a verb, an
  adjective, another adverb usually ends in -ly
  (happily, very, slowly)
• Subject the subject is the part of the sentence
  (usually a noun) that performs the action. (she
  gave me the book the dog slept)
• Predicate the part of the sentence that is not
  the subject (she gave me the book the dog slept)
• Subject Predicatecomplete sentence

50
Grammar Review Clauses

• see p. 194
• A clause is a group of words that has a verb and
  a subject. Some are complete sentences, but
  others need to be linked to another clause to
  make sense.
• Independent (Main) Clause a complete thought,
  and can stand alone as a sentence or be linked to
  another clause.
• Exp People had to keep a fire going all the
  time.
• Dependent (Subordinate) Clause does not express
  a complete idea, so it has to be linked to the
  independent clause.
• Exp Before matches made it easy to start a fire
• Complete sentence using both types of clauses
• Before matches made it easy to start a fire,
  People had to keep a fire going all the time.

51
Grammar Review Punctuation

• see p. 194-195
• Semicolon used between independent clauses
  without conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or,
  yet, soF.A.N.B.O.Y.S.!!!)
• Exp Fire is our good friend fire is our
  deadly enemy.
• Colon used between independent clauses when the
  second clause explains the first or provides a
  list.
• Exp Fire is important it heats our home and
  our food.
• Ellipses three spaced dots, show that something
  has been omitted (left out)
• Exp The firefighter said, Its really
  dangerousbut we have the blaze under control.
• Hyphen Used in some compound adjectives,
  numbers, and prefixes.
• Exp The well-organized squad of twenty-four
  firefighters are pro-American.

52
Grammar Review Sentence construction and usage

• see p. 198
• Parallel structure
• Subordination
• Proper placement of modifiers
• Consistency of tenses
• Talk to the Text in your Measure Up book and
  discuss with the class

53
Grammar Review Proofreading

• see p. 202
• Usage
• Structure
• Diction
• Grammar
• Mechanics
• Talk to the Text in your Measure Up book and
  discuss with the class

54
CAHSEE Writing
Writing Application On the writing portion of
the CAHSEE exam, you will be given a Writing
Task which is one essay question. You may be
asked to do one of the following Biographical
Narrative Response to Literature Expository
Essay Persuasive Essay Business Letter
55
Biographical Narrative
see p. 210 Tells the story from the life of a
real person. Often, this type of CAHSEE essay
question will ask you to write about someone who
is important in your life.
56
Response to Literature
see p. 214 You read a (literature) text and are
asked to respond (write an essay) based on a
question regarding that passage. This type of
question asks that you first comprehend the text,
then write about it (use TtT and chunking!).
57
Expository Essay
see p. 219 Expository essays (also called
compositions) are most often nonfiction, meaning
that it deals with real people, things, events
and places. The question may ask you to write
about an important moment in history or
technology, or a question about school.
58
Persuasive Essay
see p. 223 A persuasive essay (or composition)
asks you to defend a position or argue for your
side of an issue about which people disagree.
A sample question may ask you to write an
essay for your school paper in which you convince
the readers of the importance of volunteer hours
as a graduation requirement or a convincing essay
about whether or not there should be art and
music in school. The readers want you to
think about the other side of the argument and
keep that in mind as you defend your ideas
59
Business Letter

• see p. 227
• A Business Letter is a formal correspondence
  about a business related matter.
• When youre writing a business letter, your
  purpose may be
• to apply for a job
• to complain
• to request information
• Etc.

60
Business Letter (continued)

• See p. 228 for an example of format
• Besides the way it looks, treat the business
  letter pretty much the same way you would treat
  an essay. It should include
• Salutation
• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion
• Signature

61
CAHSEE Essay Writing
1. Remember Make sure to answer all parts of
the writing task. If the question is asking
you to describe the main characters decisions and
emotions, make sure to address both.
62
CAHSEE Essay Writing
2. Remember Make sure you have the correct
five-paragraph essay structure with a strong
introduction, three body paragraphs, and
conclusion. Use specific details and examples
from the passage to demonstrate your
understanding of the main ideas and the authors
purpose. Vary your sentences to make your
writing more interesting.
63
CAHSEE Essay Writing

• 3. Remember
• Real people (usually teachers) are hired by the
  testing company to grade essays.
• They read a lot of essays, give it a score (1
  through 4) quickly, and two graders scores are
  combined for your final score.
• Make your essay easy to read both in terms of the
  structure, and in terms of handwriting. If the
  grader has to struggle to read your essay, they
  cant pay attention to your great ideas!

64
Your CAHSE Essay Should Include

• Five strong paragraphs (at least four sentences)
• A thesis statement at the end of the introduction
  paragraph
• Clear main ideas
• Supporting evidence
• Understandable writing
• Clearly written (check your handwriting!)
• Good (enough) spelling
• Clear grammar

65
How should my essay look?
Introduction
Body paragraph 1
Body paragraph 2
Body paragraph 3
Conclusion
66
Kind of like a hamburger.
Introduction
Body Paragraph 1
Body Paragraph 2
Body Paragraph 3
Conclusion
67
Stay Tuned.

• We will go over more information about writing
  essays next time, and you will practice with the
  help of your classmates and your teacher.
• For now, follow the structure described as well
  as you can when you respond to the essay assigned
  for tonights homework! (page 212)

68
Homework Due Next Session

• Page, 167-170, 174-176, 196-197, 204-206,
  Measuring Up
• Do your best to respond to the essay topic on
  page 212. We will go over it in class.
• Use p. 211 as a model
• Use everything we have learned so far about essay
  structure
• Write at least 5 paragraphs
• Vocabulary Flashcards for all bolded words p.
  167-202