Writing the Formal EssayTips for Success

Copy the rules as we review the examples.

AnnouncementsFor tomorrow: Finish Quentin’s chapter in The

Sound and the Fury and complete study guide.

Vocabulary Quiz List 7 tomorrow

Vogt Scholarship ($10,000) deadline Dec. 3◦ 3.2 GPA◦ 25 or higher ACT (1150 SAT)◦ AP program ◦ Leadership in school, extra-curricular and

community activities

Today’s Agenda Senior class meeting

has been changed to Wednesday.Have you finished chapters 1-2 in A Pearl

in the Storm and turned in the study guide?

Have you finished Chapter 3 and turned in the Dialogue Journal?

Read Chapter 4 and answer questions on study guide. (We left off on p. 48 Friday)

Tip for Success # 1

Identify the author by first and last name in the introduction, and then refer to him/her by last name from that point on.

Unless you know the author personally, do not refer to him/her by first name.

Hello, William.

How to use an author’s nameIn the introduction:

In his novel Grendel,John Gardner uses the main character to explore the principles of existentialism.

In subsequent chapters:Gardner’s use of dark humor allows

Grendel to explore his nihilistic tendencies.

Captain America Knows Tip for Success # 2

Italicize or underline titles of longer works like novels, movies, newspapers, poems that are published separately (Beowulf, Odyssey).

Use quotation marks around shorter works like individual poems, songs, articles and short stories.

Tip for Success # 3Write in literary present

tense.

Why??? Texts speak to the present even if their authors are dead and/or wrote the words in the past.

Example of literary present tense In Eudora Welty’s “A Worn

Path,” crossing the threshold means Phoenix must endure the physically challenging task of crossing over the log bridge. Likewise, Beowulf crosses a threshold when he dives through the fiery waters of Grendel’s mother’s lair into the unknown and dangerous realm of the monster’s existence. NOTE ALL VERBS ARE IN PRESENT TENSE

Tip for Success # 4Avoid using first person pronouns

(I, we, me, my, mine, our, ours)

Avoid second-person pronouns (you, your, yours).

I, me, my, mine, you,

your

How to Avoid 1st person pronouns

Instead of: I think that Poe is trying to establish a

gloomy and foreboding mood through the use of diction in “The Fall of the House of Usher.”

Try:Poe establishes a gloomy and foreboding

mood through the use of diction in “The Fall of the House of Usher.”

See how much stronger the sentence is?

How to Avoid 2nd person pronouns

Instead of:You should never judge a book by its cover

is a theme that John Gardner communicates through his character Grendel.

Try:People are often unfairly judged based on

their appearance is a theme that John Gardner communicates through his character Grendel.Second-person pronouns sound “preachy.”

Tip for Success # 5

Write insightful analysis instead of stating the obvious.

What can I tell my reader that they don’t already know?

Example of insightful analysis Instead of:

The “savory odors” of the desert’s vegetation have helped establish a scene of tranquility as the evening “light is thinning” and the air is cooling. The author is saying that as the evening is coming on and the night is getting cooler, he can smell the odors of the dessert.

Try this:

The “savory odors” of the desert’s vegetation have helped establish a scene of tranquility as the evening “light is thinning” and the air is cooling. The author’s use of synesthesia to describe a smell that is so sweet it is mouthwatering, creates a sharp contrast to the abrupt intrusion he/she is about to encounter.

Words that contribute

to the analysis

Stating the

obvious

Tip for Success # 6

Avoid hollow praise for the author.

A literary analysis is not a book talk or recommendation. It is an analysis of literary choices made by the author.

How to Avoid Hollow Praise

Avoid phrases like: ◦ Faulkner does a fantastic job of using the

stream-of-consciousness style to allow the reader to see the same events through the eyes of four different narrators.

Try this instead:Faulkner’s stream-of-consciousness style

allows the reader to see the same events through the eyes of four different narrators.

Tip for Success # 7

Use precise word choice

Use specific

academic

language

instead of words

like good, bad,

happy,

everyone,

something, etc.

Tip for Success # 8Eliminate non-specific adverbs such as very and extremely that contribute little to the meaning.

Instead of: ◦ Beowulf was very confident as he fought

Grendel without weapons.Try:

◦ Beowulf’s confidence was evident when he announced that he would fight Grendel without weapons.

Tip for Success # 9

Spell out numbers under 100.

Ten,Nine, etc.

Tip for Success # 10

Avoid abbreviations and texting language

&

Tip for Success # 11

Do not confuse characters (in fiction or drama) or speakers (in

poetry) with the author.author Fic

tional

chara

cter

Tip for Success # 12

When using quotes as evidence, embed them in an original sentence instead of plugging them into a paragraph with little or no context.

How to Embed QuotesInstead of: In “The Rattler” the author

says, “Light was thinning: the scrub’s dry savory odors were sweet on the cooler air.” This shows a scene of tranquility.

Try: The “savory odors” of the desert’s vegetation help establish a scene of tranquility as the evening “light is thinning” and the air is cooling.

Helps maintain a

seamless flow of ideas

Tip for Success #13

Avoid Contractions

Instead of this: don’t, can’t, I’ve

Do this: do not, cannot, I have

Exit SlipWhat is one piece of information you learned

today that you did not already know or had forgotten?

Read the prompt on the following slide and write an introductory paragraph and one body paragraph about Chapter 1 in The Sound and

the Fury.

Use the tip sheet to ensure your paragraph maintains that formal academic tone.

Today’s AgendaCheck vocabulary hw List 7

Check AP Practice Test with partner

Evaluate intro and body paragraph on Sound and Fury

Today’s Practice Prompt Some works of literature use the element

of time in a distinct way. The chronological sequence of events may be altered, or time may be suspended or accelerated. Show how Faulkner’s manipulation of time contributes to the effectiveness of Benjy’s chapter.

Write an introduction using the inverted pyramid organizational structure and one body paragraph using the “two chunk” rule.

Organizing the Body Paragraph Sentence 1: claim statement

Sentence 2: 1st piece of evidence – sentence that incorporates 2-3 words/ phrases from the passage

Sentence 3: 1st piece of analysis for sentence 2

Sentence 4: 2nd piece of analysis for sentence 2

Sentence 5: 2nd piece of evidence – another sentence that incorporates 2-3 different words/phrases from the passage

Sentence 6: 1st piece of analysis for sentence 5

Sentence 7: 2nd piece of analysis for sentence 5

Sentence 8: Concluding sentence