Mrs. King's Semester Exam: Essay Writing, MLA Formatting, and Grammar Topics

Thesis statement in a persuasive essay

Presents your topic to the reader, provides your opinion on that topic and summarizes the argument you'll make in the paper by offering evidence for your opinion. It generally appears after a brief introduction of your topic, often as the last sentence of your first paragraph.

MLA format for in-text citations

Refer to Purdue OWL page for specifics. Here is a sample of what an in-text citation should look like: In-text citations: Author-page style MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. For example: Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263). Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263). Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263). Both citations in the examples above, (263) and (Wordsworth 263), tell readers that the information in the sentence can be located on page 263 of a work by an author named Wordsworth. If readers want more information about this source, they can turn to the Works Cited page, where, under the name of Wordsworth, they would find the following information: Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads. Oxford UP, 1967.

Name the 2 parts a persuasive essay must contain

1. A claim -- what you are arguing for Ex: "Mom, I really need a new cell phone!" 2. A counterclaim -- what the reasonable argument(s) against your claim would be. Ex: "The cellphone you have works perfectly well, you don't need a new cell phone!"

5 basic ingredients of a narrative story

1. Characters 2. Setting 3. Plot 4. Conflict 5. Theme

MLA Format

1. Font = 12 point font, Times New Roman 2. 4 part heading including: Brandon Ciccone Mrs. King 9th Grade Literature 1 December 2017 3. 1 inch margins around entire paper 4. Paper is double spaced without any extra spaces separating the title or paragraphs. 5. Include header at the top of your essay formatted as follows: Ciccone 1 6. Italicize the names of larger works. Song titles, poems, articles go in quotation marks. 7. Works cited page is a separate page from the rest of your essay and must include all sources referenced in paper. 8. Title must be centered and written in the same size and type font as the rest of the paper. Do not BOLD title. 9. Indent the first sentence of each paragraph by using the tab key (one time). 10. Single space after each period.

MLA format for a Works Cited page

1. Use same font and text size as body of paper (Times New Roman, 12 point font). 2. All entries in your works cited page must be in alphabetical order. 3. All entries must be entered using a hanging indent format and should include the URL. 4. Works cited pages should be double-spaced without any extra spaces between entries. 5. Sample entry is below -- formatting did not hold so see link to Purdue OWL site for clarification: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/24/ Works Cited Dean, Cornelia. "Executive on a Mission: Saving the Planet." The New York Times, 22 May 2007, www.nytimes.com/2007/05/22/science/earth/22ander.html?_r=0. Accessed 12 May 2016. Ebert, Roger. Review of An Inconvenient Truth, directed by Davis Guggenheim. rogerebert.com, 1 June 2006, www.rogerebert.com/reviews/an-inconvenient-truth-2006. Accessed 15 June 2016.

Comma splice

A comma splice is the use of a comma to join two independent clauses.

What determines a good thesis statement?

A good thesis statement is: Clear and concise and can be written in a single sentence. Proves the author's point or claim In a shorter paper, it is usually located at the end of the introduction and reemphasized (in different words) again in the conclusion Answers the questions: Why, How, So what?

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis is a simple sentence that answers the question and tells the main idea of the essay. It is located at the end of the introductory paragraph.

Persuasive Essay

An essay written for the sole purpose of trying to convince the reader to agree with the writer's opinion or position about an issue.

Narrative Essay

An essay written to tell the events of a story -- it is usually a true story about a personal experience

Pathos

Appeal to emotion

Ethos

Appeal to ethics, or the moral character of a person

Logos

Appeal to logic

What does the HOT MEAL NOW acronym stand for?

H: Hook O: T: M: E: A: L: N: O: W:

MLA format for quotations in a text

See the OWL: Rules for Short quotes: To indicate short quotations (four typed lines or fewer of prose or three lines of verse) in your text, enclose the quotation within double quotation marks. Provide the author and specific page citation (in the case of verse, provide line numbers) in the text, and include a complete reference on the Works Cited page. Punctuation marks such as periods, commas, and semicolons should appear after the parenthetical citation. Question marks and exclamation points should appear within the quotation marks if they are a part of the quoted passage but after the parenthetical citation if they are a part of your text. For example, when quoting short passages of prose, use the following examples: According to some, dreams express "profound aspects of personality" (Foulkes 184), though others disagree. Rules for long quotes (You MUST block text for quotes that are more than 4 lines long): For quotations that are more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse, place quotations in a free-standing block of text and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented ½ inch from the left margin; maintain double-spacing. Only indent the first line of the quotation by an additional quarter inch if you are citing multiple paragraphs. Your parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark. When quoting verse, maintain original line breaks. (You should maintain double-spacing throughout your essay.) For example, when citing more than four lines of prose, use the following examples: Nelly Dean treats Heathcliff poorly and dehumanizes him throughout her narration: They entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in their room, and I had no more sense, so, I put it on the landing of the stairs, hoping it would be gone on the morrow. By chance, or else attracted by hearing his voice, it crept to Mr. Earnshaw's door, and there he found it on quitting his chamber. Inquiries were made as to how it got there; I was obliged to confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity was sent out of the house. (Bronte 78)

How to correct a comma splice

Strategy 1 — Make two complete sentences. Wrong: Grandma still rides her Harley motorcycle her toy poodle balances in a basket between the handlebars. Right: Grandma still rides her Harley motorcycle. Her toy poodle balances in a basket between the handlebars. Strategy 2 — Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction. Right: Grandma still rides her Harley motorcycle, and her toy poodle balances in a basket between the handlebars. Strategy 3 — Use a semicolon. Right: Grandma still rides her Harley motorcycle; her toy poodle balances in a basket between the handlebars.

What is an Expository Essay?

an essay that explains, informs, or presents information