You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what's burning inside you… we edit to let the fire show through the smoke.  ~Arthur Polotnik

Style Guide

Kalama English Department

Table of Contents

Formatting

Guide for Daily Assignments/ Homework 3

Guide for Formal Assignments 4

Writing Process

Manuscript Form 5

Guidelines for the Writing Process 6

Proofreading Checklist 8

General Editing Symbols and Abbreviations 9

Reference Information:

Writing Tips and Terminology 10

Chart of Composition Terms 12

Writing Scoring Guide 14

Reference/ Report Writing

Research Guidelines/Rules for Plagiarism 21

Parenthetical Citations 22

Bibliography/ Work Cited Guidelines (MLA Standards) 23

Six Traits of Writing Scoring Handout 26

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Guide for Daily Assignments

The following information will guide you in preparing written work for your classes. When you hand in an assignment, you are responsible for all elements of its appearance and content.

1. Use a full sheet of lined 8.5” x 11” paper.

2. Hand write neatly, type, or word process all papers.

3. No spiral notebook edges.

4. Use black, dark blue, or blue-black ink; pencil is acceptable at the teacher’s

discretion.

5. Heading in upper right corner.

Ron MartinezMs. Orelup, English 9, Per. 2

September 15, 2009TKAM Intro Essay

Courage takes many forms, as Harper Lee shows readers in her novel To Kill a

Mockingbird. From a single father raising his two small children the best he can after his wife's death. . .

Important: Homework Responsibilities: A messy paper is not acceptable. Your teacher may return it for recopying, and

you may lose credit.

You must proofread final drafts and make any necessary corrections.

Handwriting must be legible.

If you have used a word processor, you must correct typographical errors.

If you use a word processor, it is your responsibility to see that the pages are set

up correctly and that all other manuscript requirements have been fulfilled.

Homework must be handed in at the time designated by the teacher. If you are

using a word processor or computer, it is still your responsibility to hand in work

when it is due.

Electronic submissions are accepted but are not preferred.

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Guide for Formal AssignmentsWord Processed Full sheet of 8.5” x 11” paperPrint on one side of paper only

Double spaceTab for each new paragraph

Margins: 1” at the top of all pages1” at the bottom of every page

1” on the left margin1” on the right margin

Order of the Paper:Title PageOutlineBody of PaperAppendixBibliography

1. Title Page: Center the following information in the middle of the page:

Athletes and Their EnergizersKary Vang

Ms. Thang, English 11, Period 2February 25, 2009

10 Essentials of Taking Notes in Class

1. Listen. Sit in assigned seat and pay attention.2. Be organized. Use a three-ring binder because it will allow you to insert handouts and rearrange your own notes.3. Attend class. If you are sick, borrow and rewrite someone else’s notes.4. Put a heading and a date on your notes for each day.5. Try to prepare for each class by pre-reading the material for your class.6. Remain focused during the class discussion. Don’t bring make-up, cell phones, electronic devices, drawing materials, or other distractions to class.7. Identify main points. If your teacher tells you that something is going to be on the test, highlight it. Pay attention to cues.8. Don’t cram everything on one sheet of paper. Write notes neatly. Use adequate spacing so you may add clarifications later. Use margins for questions.9. If you miss something, see the teacher after class. Make sure your notes are complete.10. Review your notes frequently.

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Things You Should Do After Class

Go over your notes as soon as possible. Clear up all misunderstandings by consulting your teacher. Recopy your notes. In doing so reorganize and rephrase your notes to fit your

studying habits. Underline and highlight key information.

MANUSCRIPT FORM

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR FORMAL ASSIGNMENTS

Follow these guidelines to ensure that your compositions meet the proper standards:

• Word process or write neatly in blue or black ink. For in class essays, ink is

acceptable. For extended time essays, please use a word processor.

• Use only one side of the paper.

• Preserve one-inch margins on all sides.

• Double-space when typing.

• Use a standard, legible, twelve-point font if typing.

• Use upper and lower case letters (i.e., do not type or write in all capital letters).

• Staple pages together in the upper left-hand corner.

• Unless otherwise specified, do not place your compositions in a cover or folder.

• Unless otherwise specified, turn in all elements of the composition process including

prewriting, rough draft(s), peer response, and final draft.

• Final drafts should be proofread, polished, and free of errors.

• Use proper form when citing quotations. Document all sources properly.

• Attach the Six Trait of Writing scoring guide to the front of your essay.

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Guidelines for the Writing Process

A reader of your writing may reasonably expect the following:

Your work will have a clearly stated thesis. Your work will be logically organized. Your choice of words will be appropriate for the audience. Your work will be correct in grammar, spelling and general mechanics

(punctuation and sentence structure).

Pre-writing

1. Select a topic that interests you. If the topic is assigned, brainstorm to find an area within the topic that is of interest to you. 2. Narrow or broaden the topic until it can be thoroughly developed in a specified length.3. Decide on your purpose.4. Use your understanding of purpose and audience to determine the type of language and choice of details.5. Gather and list details that you could use to develop the topic.6. Evaluate and organize your list of details. Delete unrelated ideas.

Drafting

1. Keeping your audience and purpose in mind, begin to write.2. Let your thoughts flow freely. Modify your initial plans for content and organization, if necessary.

Remember: This is an experimental stage! Do not be too concerned with grammar and mechanics at this point.

Revising/Rewriting: Read what you have written and answer the following questions:

1. Did you stick to your topic?2. Did you include everything you wanted to?3. Are there any unnecessary or unrelated details?4. Is each main idea clearly expressed and thoroughly developed?5. Is your writing organized logically, with a beginning, a middle, and an end? Are the ideas presented in an order that makes sense?6. Do your ideas flow smoothly?7. Is your writing interesting and lively? Is there variety in the type and structure of your sentences?8. Are key words vivid and precise?9. Does the language and content suit your audience?10. Have you accomplished the purpose?

Rewrite as necessary: Then proofread your work, using the checklist on the next page.

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A WRITER’S CHECKLIST FOR SUCCESS

Before submitting your essay, you should be able to answer “yes” to all of the following questions.

______ Is your name and other identifying material on the work?

______ Are all pages included and are they in order?

______ Have your correctly spelled the name of the person who is receiving your work?

______ If typed, is the print neat and easily readable?

______ If handwritten, did you write legibly in black or blue ink?

______ Is your paper double-spaced and written on only one side of the page?

______ Have you left sufficient margins (one inch) on all edges of your paper?

______ Have you read your work aloud at least once to “hear” your writing?

______ Have you carefully re-read your work at least once (preferably after setting it aside) to check for spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors?

Note: It is helpful to have your essay proofread by another reader.

______ If you’ve made any last-minute corrections, are they neatly done?

______ If you consulted any outside sources, did you use proper citation and attach a works cited page and/or bibliography page?

______ Does your writing end with an effective closing statement that reinforces your thesis?

If you can answer “yes” to all of the above questions, you can turn your work in with confidence!

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Proofreading Checklist

1. Grammar and UsageAre there any sentence fragments or run-ons?

Yes NoHave you used the correct form of each pronoun?

Yes NoHave you used verb tenses correctly?

Yes NoDo all verbs agree with their subjects?

Yes NoAre compound and complex sentences written and punctuated correctly?

Yes No

2. CapitalizationDid you capitalize first words and all proper nouns and adjectives?

Yes NoAre titles capitalized correctly? Yes No

3. PunctuationDoes each sentence have the proper end mark?

Yes NoAre colons, semicolons, apostrophes, hyphens and quotation marks used correctly?

Yes No

4. SpellingDid you check all unfamiliar words in the dictionary?

Yes NoAre plurals and possessive forms spelled correctly?

Yes NoDid you use a spell-check program, if available?

Yes No5. FormWere corrections made neatly? Yes No

In your final copy, is the writing legible? Yes No

Have you used the proper heading and margins? Yes No

Did you follow all points of good manuscript form? Yes No

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Insert

Delete

Move

New paragraph needed

Subject/verb or noun/antecedent do not agree

Awkward

Dangling modifier

Misplaced modifier

Sentence fragment

Run on sentence

Transition needed

Meaning needs clarification

Parallel structure

Vary the sentence structure

Poor word choice

Spell the word correctly

Inconsistent or incorrect verb tense

Change the word order

Use capitals correctly

Comma splice

Close up/ no space needed

Space needed

Make lowercase/uppercase

Kalama High School General Editing Symbols & AbbreviationsCreated 6/2009

or [ ]

¶arg

awk

dm

mm

frag

ro

trans

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var/s

wc

sp

vt

cap

cs

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WRITING TIPS AND TERMINOLOGY

DETAILED DEFINITIONS

1. When composing, good writers consider four critical elements of writing:Voice: establishes the tone of communication between writer and audience and reflects the writer’s attitude or stance toward the subject.Audience: specific reader(s) targeted by the writer.Purpose: the prime source of motivation for writing. Examples include writing to inform, to explain, to comfort, to record, to persuade, to complain or to entertain.Form: the structure and format of the writing.

2. Writing can be divided into two general types, the components of which are listed below.

Personal Writing Analytical WritingFocuses on: personal experience information/literature

Is composed in: first person third person

Employs: sensory detail objective datanarration interpretationdescription analysisreflection examination of topic

Results in: self-discovery deeper understanding of topic

3. Pre-writing: getting your ideas and support down on paper before you organize your essay into paragraphs. You can use any or all of the following: webs/clusters, outlines, flow charts, drawings, or free writing.

4. Shaping: establishing a pattern of development for your essay.

5. Rough draft: the first complete version of our essay. It is often necessary to revise a rough draft more than once.

6. Revise: does not mean recopy. Revise literally means to “see again.” Revision involves changing and improving content and style.

7. Edit: proofreading and correcting mechanical errors such as spelling and grammar.

8. Final draft: a revised, edited, and polished version which is clean and professional in appearance.

9. Peer response: others’ oral and/or written reactions to your paper.

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10. Thesis: a sentence which states both your topic and your point of view toward it. It may also suggest a pattern of development for the essay. Every essay you write must contain a thesis in the introductory paragraph.

11. Introduction: an opening paragraph. It has three major purposes: to catch the reader’s attention, to provide some general remarks that establish the topic, and to include your thesis.

12. Body: the paragraphs of your essay in which you develop your thesis through the use of concrete detail and commentary.

13. Topic sentence: frequently the first sentence in the paragraph, it expresses the controlling idea. While the thesis controls the entire essay, the topic sentence guides the individual paragraph by stating both your topic and your point of view toward it.

14. Transition: a statement which links two paragraphs together.

15. Concrete detail: varies according to the type of writing. In personal writing concrete detail is usually specific sensory details and facts. In analytical writing, concrete detail means examples and quotations from the text of critical / reference works. Synonyms for concrete detail are “evidence” and “support”.

16. Commentary: what you have to say about the concrete details or evidence / support in your essay. Synonyms for commentary include: opinion, interpretation, analysis, explanation, insight, and speculation.

17. Conclusion: the last paragraph of the essay which may do one or more of the following: sum up your ideas, reflect on what you’ve said in your essay, provide additional insight, draw conclusions, make predictions, or call to action. The conclusion does not introduce new material; the conclusion should provide closure for the entire essay.

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CHART OF COMPOSITION TERMS

A THESIS STATEMENT IS the controlling idea behind your essay which establish thedirection your thoughts will take

A THESIS STATEMENT SHOULD appear in the introduction of your essay

A THESIS STATEMENT CONTAINS 1) a topic / subject2) an opinion / position / attitude3) an indication of the direction your essay will take

A TOPIC SENTENCE IS the controlling idea behind a paragraph often the mostgeneral statement in the paragraph

A TOPIC SENTENCE CONTAINS 1) a topic / subject2) an opinion / position / attitude

A CONCRETE DETAIL IS a specific fact or a quotation

COMMENTARY “comments” on the concrete detail of the essay.

COMMENTARY IS your analysis, interpretation, insight, evaluation, explication,discussion, speculation, opinion, reflection, response, orreaction

THE INTRODUCTION IS the first paragraph of an essay

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CHART OF COMPOSITION TERMS(Continued)

THE INTRODUCTION SHOULD 1) catch the reader’s attention2) include the thesis statement

STRATEGIES INCLUDE anecdotes, dialogues, startling statements, commentary

A TRANSITION SENTENCE 1) provides a finished feeling to the paragraph 2) links the paragraph to the one that follows

THE CONCLUSION IS the last paragraph of the essay

THE CONCLUSION PROVIDES closure and a finished feeling for the entire essay

THE CONCLUSION MAY 1) sum up your ideas2) reflect on what you’ve said3) culminate in new insights4) offer solutions or make predictions5) reshape or restate your thesis6) resonate in style or substance with the introduction

THE CONCLUSION DOES NOT introduce new or distracting information.

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Writing GuidelinesPlagiarism

Plagiarism, improper use of another person’s ideas or language, is a serious

offense. The Kalama School District adheres to the Modern Language Association’s

definition of plagiarism. Achert and Garibaldi state: “Plagiarism is the act of using

another person’s ideas or expressions in your writing without acknowledging the

source.” (p. 21) Plagiarism is a form of cheating and in the event that plagiarism is

discovered, instructors will deal with the situation as specified in the Kalama School

District Student Code of Conduct.

Students are often confused about what constitutes plagiarism. If you copy the

paper, ideas, or words of a friend, then you are guilty of plagiarism. If you submit work

that has been written, revised or edited—in part or whole—by another person, you are

committing plagiarism. Likewise, if you use a concept from a

book, movie, speech, magazine, documentary, lecture, journal, or electronic source, and

then represent it as an original piece-even if it is expressed in your own words-then you

have committed plagiarism. A reader has a right to know which words are yours and

which belong to others, and where to find the information you have used.

Avoiding Plagiarism in a Summary or Paraphrase

Original version: Hughes, Robert. The Fatal Shore. New York: Knopf, 1987.

England attempted to solve its crime problem by transporting criminals to Australia;

however, transportation did not stop crime in England or even slow it down. The

“criminal class” was not eliminated by transportation, and could not be, because

transportation did not deal with the causes of crime. (168)

Version A: Transportation did not stop crime in England or even slow it down. Criminals

were not eliminated by transportation because transportation did not deal with the

causes of crime.

This version is plagiarism because the writer of Version A does not indicate in the text or

in a parenthetical reference that the words and ideas belong to Hughes. She has

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attempted to cover her theft by changing or omitting an occasional word.

Version B: Hughes argues that transporting criminals from England to Australia “did not

stop crime in England…The ‘criminal class’ was not eliminated by transportation, and

could not be, because transportation did not deal with the causes of crime.” (168)

This is one satisfactory way of handling the source material. The writer has identified

her source at the beginning of a sentence, letting her readers know who is being

quoted. She defines the concept of transportation, and then borrows only those sections

of the original text which serves her purpose, using ellipsis points to indicate where she

has deleted words. She then provides a parenthetical reference to the page number in

the source.

Parenthetical Documentation

Parenthetical documentation MLA style means putting the author’s last name and the page number in parentheses after citing the author’s ideas. There are several options of how you may present his information.

• Cite all facts not covered under “public domain.” In other words, if you would not know this information without researching it, then cite the source.• Direct quotes are always cited. Refer to the section on plagiarism for clarification. There are several styles of in-text citation. The following section provides guidelines and examples for the most commonly used.

There are several styles of in-text citation. The following section provides guidelines and examples for the most commonly used.

1. Author and page number in parentheses-MLA “Washington is like the Winter Palace under Nicholas and Alexandra” (Peters 3).

2. Author in text, page in parentheses-MLAPeters compares Washington to the Winter Palace under Nicholas and Alexandra (3).

3. An unsigned work-MLANew York Magazine reprinted a story on country dining (“Country Inns and Byways” 213).The spectrum is visible when light is sent through a prism (“Color and Light”).

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MLA QUICK SHEETExamples of MLA Works Cited entries - Common Sources:

Book:

Martin, Betty.  Gentle Parenting:  Raising Kind Children.  Boston:  Parenting Co-Op. Press,

2007.

Neelie, Sean and Missy L. Harbor.  The Ethics of Industrial Design.  Belleville, TN:  Smithville

Press, 1999.

Weberton, Saul, et al.  Whales as Environmentalists:  A Study.  New York: Saulman Co., 2006.

Pamphlet:

Omar, Joe.  Smoking: The Internal Time-Bomb.  New York: Health and Wellness Inc., 2004.

Essay from a Collection or Anthology:

King, Robert D. "Should English Be the Law?" Our Times: Readings from Recent Periodicals. 

Ed. Robert Atwan.  Boston:  Bedford Books, 1998. 206-215.

Article from a Magazine, Journal, or Newspaper (see handbook for variations):

Jameson, Janice.  "Is it Time to Stand Up?"  The Messenger-Inquirer [Owensboro] 15 December

2004: 2B.

Milltown, Bob.  "This is Why We Go to School." Education Impact 19.2 (2005): 21-30.

"The President's New Agenda."  The Globe June 2004: 3.

Personal Interview:

Pearson, Margaret.  Personal Interview.  21 Jan. 2003.

Television Program:

"Why We Can't Sit Still." 60 Minutes. Prod. Bob Goldenson.  WNBC, New York. 15 October

2001.

Essay from an Online Database:  (See handbook for examples)

Milltown, Bob.  "This is Why We Go to School."  Education Impact 19.2 (2005): 21-25.

Academic Search Elite. EBSCO.  Owensboro Community and Technical College LRC,

KY.  11 Feb. 2006 <http://www.academicsearch.weeducateforum12235.com>.

Website:

Preston, Rose.  “Pagan Christmas.”  Holiday History.  May 2001.  5 March 2006

<http://www.rsso.com/pagan>.

Preston, Rose.  “Holiday Hams and Crispy Yams.”  Holiday History. May 2001.  17 April 2006

<http://www.rsso.com/hoam>.

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“Hope Springs Fraternal.”  Greek Life on Your Campus.  April 2006. Greeks Inc.  4 May 2008

<http://www.grlfe.com/h>.

What We Believe about Kids and Violence.  2001.  Parents' Guide, Inc. 3 Dec. 2002

<http://www.partsideviolence.com>.

NOTE:  What comes in the in-text (parenthetical) note will be based on the first item in your

works cited entry, as it appears on the Works Cited page.  Use the authors’ last name/s; when a

last name is unavailable, use a shortened from of the title in its appropriate form.   End cited

sentences with a period following the in-text citation.  Examples:

Books:  (Martin 14). one author or  (Neelie and Harbor 54). two authors  or   (Weberton et al.

45-49).  three or more authors (et al. means “and others”)

Article:  (Jameson 2B). with an author or   (“The President’s” 3).  no author

Website:  (Preston).  with an author or  (“Hope”). title of a sub- or linked page without an

author or  (What We Believe).  title of a homepage without an author

If you have more than one work by the same author, use both the name & part of the title: 

(Preston, “Pagan”). 

 Citing works within your text:

To document your sources, cite the author's name and the page number of the source in

parentheses at the end of the sentence, before the final period:

     Lowfat cream cheese can save you 300 grams of fat per year (Valenza 35).

If the author's name is used in your sentence you may just refer to page numbers:

     Copaset argues that "yellow simply does not interact well with khaki" (45).

If you are referring to the whole work rather than a specific section, you may omit any

reference in parentheses:

     Berger's main thesis is that by using motifs, organic unity is easier to achieve.

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Additional References

EasyBib – The Automatic Bibliography and Citation Maker - http://www.easybib.com/

BibMe – Bibliography Generator - http://www.sdst.org/shs/library/mlamaster.html

The OWL at Purdue – The Classic Online MLA Reference Site -

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/

University of Hawaii - MLA Online Reference Style Sheet -

http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/lrc/handouts/MLA_Online.pdf

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The Six Traits of Writing Scoring Sheet

The scoring grid below is an example of the Six Traits of Writing Scoring handout which will be attached to all formal writing assignments in Language Arts classrooms. See pages 14 -20 for more information on the characteristics of each trait that will be considered for assignment scoring.

Category 6 Points 5 Points 4 Points 3 Points 2 Point 1 Point

Ideas

Organization

Word Choice

Sentence Fluency

Voice

Conventions

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Writer’s Name________________________ Editor’s Name_______________________________Unit/Assignment_____________________________ Date___________ Period_______________