ELA

Writing Handbook

Compiled by Mrs. Pettyjohn

For use at:

St. Peter’s Catholic Middle School

Joplin, MO

July 2017

(Student Name)

Expository Writing

Nonfiction informative writing in an academic style is expository writing.

Teachers may sometimes refer to this writing as a composition, an essay, or a report.

Within an expository writing format, students may be instructed to compare or

contrast; to give examples, analogies, to define; or to examine a cause and effect; or to

write an analysis. You may be asked to use MLA, APA style, or modifications may be

requested per teacher. Whatever instructions are given, the BIG difference between

expository, as compared to creative or persuasive papers, is that the expository paper is

to deliver information.

Structure of an Expository Paper

1) A title page is not used in MLA research papers. However, teachers sometimes

request one. (Also, very long works may include a table of contents following the title

page), 2) the body or text, and 3) a reference list of “Works Cited.”

Title Page: If following MLA format exactly, omit a title page. Begin page 1, on the left

side of your paper with your name, next line: teacher, line 3: class, and line 4: date (day,

month, year) all left-aligned. On next line, center the title of your paper. (Example in a

few pages.)

If your teacher requests a title page, an example for this format is given on the

next page.

Body or Text: This is the message/information the writer wishes to convey to the reader.

Usually, the opening paragraph will include a hook or grabber to get attention, make a

clear statement (thesis), and give an overall idea of the general knowledge the reader

can expect within the paper. Following paragraphs are to prove the thesis statement.

The writer focuses on one supportive idea per paragraph. The final paragraph is

conclusive, restates what has been proven in the paper, and closes up the paper.

Each page should have your last name and a page number in the upper right

portion of the header.

Works Cited Page: The final page should be an alphabetical listing of all reference

materials used in the report. There is a Works Cited section in this handbook with exact

detail on how to format.

Standard Formatting for Expository Paper

Teachers may sometimes have specific requests on the formatting of an

assignment. The formatting below for MLA is to be used at all times when other

instructions have not been given.

When done on computer:

Times New Roman, or Palatino, in 12 point for ALL text

One-inch margins

Print only one-sided

Double spacing – consistently throughout entire paper

Title capitalized and centered

Paragraphs indented 0.5 inches (No extra space between paragraphs)

Your last name and page number in upper-right corner

(No number on a title page)

Do NOT use first person “I,” unless instructed.

Title page as illustrated

(ask teacher if a title paper is requested or if he/she wants MLA format)

Expository Paper MLA Style

The image above shows an example of page 1 from a research paper in MLA

format. (Purdue OWL Online)

Handwritten

When a paper is written by hand, follow the instructions given for computer-

generated papers as closely as possible, with a few exceptions.

Single space your final published draft

Write only on one side of each paper

Use legible handwriting

Adjust necessary conventions; for example, underline book titles (When

keyboarding, book titles are put in italics.)

Preparing For Research and a “Works Cited” Page

If you use index cards and gather your information in an organized manner, you

will have all you need to properly complete your list of resources. If you do not, you

will spend unnecessary time recalling and researching books and sites to gather your

material.

Gathering information on index cards:

Keep your cards in two piles to begin with: 1) Notes, 2) Sources. As you come

across a source you wish to use, make one card with all the information you will

need later. Do not worry about formatting yet. Assign a letter to each source

card. (A, B, C, etc) or a number (Book 1 or Internet 2, etc.) You will need to find:

o Title of book, magazine, Website, etc, as well as title of chapter or article

o Author(s)

o Publisher and copyright / organization responsible for Website and when

it was created or written

o The date you came across the information while researching

o An editor’s name if there is no author found

Below is a sample of how I set up one of my Source index cards. (Note: As of 2016,

MLA asks that you NOT include http:// in your URL addresses.)

Gathering information on index cards (Continued):

Make one card for each source from which you gather notes

In a separate stack, keep your notes. For every note you take, jot down the letter or

number code you have used to indicate from which source that information was taken.

Decide on the subtopics you will use in your research to prove your thesis. At the top of

each index card, write the subtopic that note refers to.

Once you have several notes, sort them by subtopic.

Next sort each card in the order you want to mention the information.

Once all of your sorting is done, number your cards.

Flip each card over one-by-one and write your paper IN YOUR OWN WORDS.

Note on plagiarism: Plagiarizing someone else’s words AND ideas is a serious offense. Contrary

to what some students believe, * if you copy and paste someone else’s words and then change

them around, that is still plagiarizing. *If you only use one source for any writing, that is

plagiarizing because you have taken the idea of one person. The best way to take notes is to read

a section you like on an internet source, turn off your monitor screen, and jot down all the

keywords and things you want to remember. When you turn the screen back on, avoid the

temptation to write more. If you are using short notes, and you later elaborate upon your own

memory, you will be sure you are writing your own thoughts.

Below is an example of a notes index card:

Formatting the Works Cited List

BASIC FORMATTING INFORMATION:

Separate sheet at the end of your research paper

Continue standard formatting: 12” type, 1-inch margins, double spaced (no extra spaces

between sources, header with your last name and page number in right top corner)

Label the page: Works Cited, and center that at the top of the page

Indent the 2nd and any following lines of citations (if they take more than one line)

Capitalize first letter of important words in titles. Follow basic capitalization rules.

Each citation ends with a period

Dates should be entered in this order: day month year.

Citations are in alphabetical order by 1st word on your citation (typically an author)

o Pettyjohn, Julie

Italicize titles of books; quotation marks for shorter works (poems, articles)

Do not list titles or degrees (except Jr. or II, III)

If you have more than one work by one author:

Alphabetize by title. On 2nd and 3rd ones, start with three hyphens in place of author name

With no known author: alphabetize by title

ONLINE SOURCES:

Use the URL, but do NOT use http://

Use the word “accessed” before the date you found it

Include in this order: Author and/or editor (if available); title of the website, project, or

book in italics; any version numbers, volumes, issue numbers; publisher; publication

date; any page numbers or paragraphs specific if not a full website used; the URL without

https://; “Accessed” and the date you came across the material

BOOK & MAGAZINE SOURCES:

Basic book format: (Use commas and periods accurately.)

Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date.

EXAMPLES:

Magazine examples:

Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Periodical, Day Month Year, pages.

Poniewozik, James. "TV Makes a Too-Close Call." Time, 20 Nov. 2000,

pp. 70-71.

Buchman, Dana. "A Special Education." Good Housekeeping, Mar. 2006, pp. 143-48.

Online example:

The Purdue OWL Family of Sites. The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and

Purdue U, 2008, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl. Accessed 5 June 2008.

Follow this link for all up-to-date formats for MLA:

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

On the next page find a sample from Purdue OWL of a Works Cited page.

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, http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/an-

inconvenient-truth-2006. Accessed 15 June 2016.

Gowdy, John. "Avoiding Self-organized Extinction: Toward a Co-evolutionary Economics of

Sustainability." International Journal of Sustainable Development and World

Ecology, vol. 14, no. 1, 2007, pp. 27-36.

An Inconvenient Truth. Directed by Davis Guggenheim, performances by Al Gore and Billy

West, Paramount, 2006.

Leroux, Marcel. Global Warming: Myth Or Reality?: The Erring Ways of Climatology. Springer,

2005.

Milken, Michael, et al. "On Global Warming and Financial Imbalances." New Perspectives

Quarterly, vol. 23, no. 4, 2006, p. 63.

The above example was copied from Purdue OWL.

How to Put Quotes in an Essay

1. If you are quoting from one book only, you can give the author credit by saying

the book title and author in your first paragraph.

2. A quote from a book does not mean it has to be someone speaking.

3. Write the quote exactly as it appears in the book.

4. You do not have to start at the beginning of a sentence or end at the period. Use

ellipses for the parts that are missing. (“…. was a most glorious day.”) You can

use ellipses for a part missing in the middle too.

5. If someone is talking within your quote, you must put inside quotes

(apostrophes) around what they say.

6. Be sure to put the page number in parenthesis behind your quote and a period

after the parenthesis.

7. Do not quote more than three lines from a book using the format above. If you

must do so, the information must all be indented on left and right. Ask.

Why Use Quotes

1. Details help prove your thesis.

2. When you quote, this is a way to cite evidence to support a claim.

3. Your writing is stronger when you provide evidence and support.

Middle School Revision Checklist

My writing has a hook in the first paragraph.

I have a thesis sentence in my first paragraph and a topic sentence in each

paragraph.

I used some of the following: sensory details, examples, facts,

or figurative language.

I replaced common words and adjectives with interesting words.

I moved sentences into an order that makes the best sense.

I deleted unnecessary words and sentences.

I looked at the first word of every sentence. I made sure

I have used a variety of first words.

My sentences vary in length.

I have a good concluding paragraph and clincher sentence.

Middle School Editing List:

The first letter of every sentence is capitalized.

Every sentence has an end mark. I used the correct punctuation.

I capitalized the word I and all proper nouns.

I used lower case letters for all common nouns and other

parts of speech.

I used complete sentences (with at least one subject, one verb, and

a complete thought.)

I made a new paragraph: every time the setting or topic changed,

and every time a new person speaks.

I checked spelling.

I used commas: in a series, in dialogue, between independent

clauses (right before the FANBOYS), following subordinate

clauses that begin a sentence.

Science Fair Paper Format

ROUGH DRAFT OF INTRODUCTION: Date due: __________________________

Introduce your topic

5 – 10 sentences including your hypothesis statement

o You CANNOT tell the reader the specifics of what you are going to do or materials you

will use.

ROUGH DRAFT OF BACKGROUND. MATERIALS & PROCEDURES: Due: ______

Background paper:

o 4 – 5 paragraphs (5 – 10 sentences in each paragraph)

Answer these types of questions about your topic: Who? What? Where? When?

Why? How? Who discovered it? What is it made of? When was it discovered?

Tell how it reacts and why it reacts that way, melting point, etc. You may not be

able to answer all these questions. Pretend your reader has never heard of

anything in your project and explain everything.

Materials:

o What you used. Be specific: ½ teaspoon of water, 3 pots, etc. Bulleted list format.

Procedure:

o Step-by-step detailed instructions so someone else can duplicate your work. Bulleted list

format.

ROUGH DRAFT OF VARIABLES, RESULTS, CONCLUSIONS, & BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE:

Variables: 1 paragraph minimum. What are some things that could/may have affected your

experiment? Ex: Temperature, could it affect your project? How? How can you control the

temperature?

Results: 1 paragraph minimum. 5 – 10 sentences interpreting what happened with your

experiment. Again, be specific: “Pot #1 with ½ teaspoon of dish soap grew 13.5 inches compared

to Pot #2 w/o dish soap in the first seven days”; tell the reader what you observed about the

experiment exactly.

Conclusion: 1 paragraph minimum. 5 – 10 sentences accepting or rejecting your hypothesis and

why. Explain the issues you may have had and how you could fix those problems if you were to

repeat the experiment.

Bibliography: 5 resources you used to get your background information. 2 sources may come

from the internet; 3 must come from a book/magazine/encyclopedia.

BIBLIOGRAPHY FORMAT:

Follow all the rules of MLA given in this booklet with one exception. Do not label the page

Works Cited. Instead, label it as Bibliography.

No Wikipedia, Answers.com, Cha Cha answers, or any other website where any person on the

planet can answer incorrectly.

FINAL PAPER:

All parts are to be combined into one paper (except for bibliography)

Title page

Follow MLA format except: a) include title page; and 2) NO subtitles except for Materials,

Procedure, and Bibliography

Formatting a Business Letter in Block Format

Date

Their Name

Their Company

Their Street Address

City, State Zip Code

Dear Mrs. Frazier:

The first paragraph is to state the main point of the letter. You may begin with a friendly opening

if appropriate, then quickly transition into the purpose of your business. Use a few sentences to

summarize your situation, but do not go into detail.

In the second paragraph state the details. You may have to justify your purpose. This may require

some facts, statistics, or explanation. Support your reasoning clearly but briefly.

In the third paragraph, restate your purpose and why it is important. Depending on what your

letter is about, you may want to close with gratitude, but always close strongly and directly. This

is not a place to use the word “if.” For example, stating, “If you would like to contact me,” puts

the idea into the reader’s mind that he/she has the choice to not contact you. It is stronger to say,

“Please contact me at your convenience.” Three paragraphs is typical for business, never more

than four.

Sincerely,

Your name

Your address is optional

Format for a Friendly Letter in Modified Block Format

Date

Dear Rebecca,

It was wonderful to see you at church this past Sunday. I had been so worried about you

since you came down with the flu. I hope you received the flowers I sent. Long ago you told me

you love daisies. I hope it is not long before you are back in the choir. We have missed your

beautiful voice.

I know it may take some time until your full strength returns. When you are feeling back

to your old self, give me a call. I would love to take you out for lunch. We can discuss ideas and

themes for Vacation Bible School.

Again, you looked great last Sunday. Please get well and fully recovered soon.

Your friend,

Florence

How to Address an Envelope

Your name

Your street address

Your city, state and zip

Name of Person

Street Address

City, State Zip

Structure for a Five-Paragraph Essay Using the Bing, Bang, Bongo Method

Before you write on a given topic, you have to figure out a few things.

What is your opening hook?

What will your thesis be? (That’s like the biggest topic sentence of all time.)

And, ….. what will be your Bing? Your Bang? And your Bongo?

Paragraph 1:

Hook: Something that will hook your reader and get them interested.

(Possible hooks are: a question, an interesting fact, a surprising fact, short anecdote.)

_____________________________________________________________________________

Thesis: _______________________________________________________________________

Paragraph 2: The Bing: Your first point.

Transition: ____________________________________________________________

Topic Sentence: ________________________________________________________

Supporting Sentences provide details: ____________________________________

Clincher: ________________________________________________________________

Paragraph 3: Your Bang:

Topic Sentence: __________________________________________________________

Supporting Sentences (Sensory, Facts, Examples): ____________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Clincher: _______________________________________________________________

Paragraph 4: Your Bongo:

Topic Sentence: __________________________________________________________

Supporting Sentences: ____________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Clincher: _______________________________________________________________

Paragraph 5: Concluding

Topic Sentence: _________________________________________________________

Supporting Sentences: ___________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Clincher:________________________________________________________________

Persuasive Paper Formats

Who wants OREOs?

Paragraph 1: State your opinion

O

Paragraphs 2, 3, and 4: Give a good reason in each paragraph

R

And don’t forget to give great examples for your reasons in paragraphs 2, 3, and 4.

E

Paragraph 5: Restate your opinion in another way and close.

O

Compare or Contrast Papers in Block Arrangement

Introduction (my 1st Paragraph) Hook:

Topic statement:

Topic #1 (my 2nd Paragraph):

I need three things to talk about

within this paragraph on my 1st topic:

1.

2.

3.

Topic #2 (my 3rd Paragraph)

I need to talk about the same three

things that I talked about in the last

paragraph. Only this time, I will tell

how these things relate to my 2nd topic:

1.

2.

3.

Optional 4th Paragraph. I don’t have to

have this one, but I can use it if I need

to do some more analyzing of the two

topics.

Conclusion. (my 4th Paragraph – my 5th if

I use the option above)

I’m going to close well.

I’m going to think of new and different

ways to sum up my information and

restate the topic sentence in the first

paragraph.

Compare or Contrast in Point-By-Point Arrangement

Introduction (my 1st paragraph)

What are my two topics?

Hook:

Topic statement:

2nd paragraph: The first difference (or

the first similarity) is:

Mention both topics here, but stay on

the same difference (or similarity).

3rd paragraph: The 2nd difference (or

2nd similarity) is:

Mention both topics, but stay on the

same difference (or similarity).

4th paragraph: The 3rd difference (or

similarity) is:

Mention both topics, but stay on the

same difference or similarity.

5th paragraph: Conclusion Wrap it up. Restate that both have

differences (or similarities) and what

my point is to the writing piece.

How to Write a Constructive Response on a Test or Assignment

You’re taking a test, and come upon this question: Is there ever a reason to break rules in

a school or library? You write, “Yes.” The test is returned with a comment in red ink,

“Ellaborate.” What do you do? Remember the acronym ACES for a strategy to write better

constructive responses and ace your tests.

A = Answer the question

C = Cite evidence to support

E = Explain your answer

S = Summarize A = Answer the question. Restate the question in a statement form.

Although rules are important to follow most of the time, there are a few

circumstances where it might be necessary to break a rule in a school or library.

C = Cite evidence from a text or other source

… In the book, The Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen, the rule to be quiet in the library was

strictly enforced. However, Lion chose to break that rule and roar. …

E Explain your answer

… Miss Merriweather, the librarian, had broken her wrist and was on the floor needing help.

Lion felt he had to roar to get the attention of Mr. McBee. Lion had a difficult decision to make.

He sacrificed his fun time at the library because getting help for a friend was more important.

We may have times in our lives where we are faced with tough decisions, and we will have to

weigh the consequences against the deed. If there were a fire in the school, for instance, and the

alarm was not sounding, I would run and yell, “Fire!” as loud as I could even though I am

normally not supposed to run and yell in the hall….

S = Summary

… Therefore, I believe that there could be times when a school or library rule might need to be

broken, but we should not make those decisions lightly. Only when breaking the rule is

necessary to the well-being of others should we break important rules.

The Writing Process

Prewrite:

Be clear on the audience and purpose / Brainstorm / Plan / Decide on a hook /

Write a thesis / Choose your subcategories / Use a graphic organizer

Rough Draft:

Get your thoughts on the page / Using your plans and notes, organize your

paragraphs and write. / Leave room for comments and rewriting – double space

Revise:

ARMS – Add, Remove, Move, and Substitute

Look over the Middle School Revision Checklist

Replace weak verbs with strong words

Remove unnecessary words or phrases

Read to a friend or out loud to yourself

Rewrite – Rewrite - Rewrite

Edit:

CUPS – Capitalization, Usage, Punctuation, Spelling

Use your editing checklist

Focus on conventions

Make editing marks

Publish:

The final draft

Neat, presentable

Writing Traits

These traits make a great writer. Another acronym: VOICES

Voice:

This is evident when you make a connection with your audience.

Your personality and the personalities of your characters show.

You have style.

Organization:

You have a hook

Everything follows a logical sequence

You elaborate and build, using transitions when necessary

You have a conclusion

Ideas:

Focused and on topic without straying

Ideas are specific and descriptive, not general

Use a balance of showing and telling

Conventions:

There are very few errors

Spelling, punctuation, and usage are near perfect

Excellent Word Choice:

Adjectives are descriptive and thoughtful

Specific use of nouns make the reading more memorable

Figurative language feels natural

Strong verbs

You take risks

Sentence Fluency:

Sentences mostly begin with different words

Structure and length varies from one sentence to the next

There is a rhythm with words

Writing Crimes

The following are considered the very basic rules that all papers should follow. Therefore,

disregard of any of these is considered a “writing crime.”

When a teacher comes across a “writing crime,” the teacher has the option to write a

capital “WC” on your paper, stop grading, and return the paper with the expectation that

you will correct your crimes and resubmit the paper the following day.

St. Peter’s Writing Crimes

1. Begin all sentences with

a capital letter.

2. End all sentences with

punctuation.

3. The word “I” is always

capitalized.

4. God and Jesus are

always capitalized

except when referencing

something that is not the

one true God. (ie, Greek

gods)

5. When using quotation

marks, periods and

commas always go

inside quotation marks.