Warm-up

1. Warm-up • Name and define the parts of an introduction and conclusion. • Name and define the parts of a body paragraph.

2. From the UNC Writing Center: • A thesis statement: • is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper. • directly answers the question asked of you. • A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel. • makes a claim that others might dispute. • is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader. • The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

3. Thesis Possibilities • Throughout the novel, Orwell argues that freedom, relationships, and consciousness are the core of what it means to be human. • Orwell demonstrated what it means to be human by showing the other end of the spectrum in a dystopian society where these traits were suppressed. In his view, the most significant elements that separate people from animals are raw emotions, freedom of thought, and lust for power.

4. Active and Passive Voice

5. Voice • Voice - a characteristic of verbs which indicates the relation of the verb’s action to its subject. • Voice of a verb may be either “active” or “passive.”

6. Active Voice • Active voice - the subject is acting in a sentence. • Example: Cindy steered the boat. • “Steered” is an active verb because it allows the subject to undertake an action.

7. Passive Voice • Passive voice - used when the subject is being acted upon in a sentence. • Example: The mountain’s peak was reached by Ed Danvers. • “Was reached” - passive because it indicates that the subject (peak) is receiving an action.

8. Uses • Both constructions are grammatically correct. • Active voice - more effective in academic and business writing because it is simpler and more direct. • Passive construction - effective only when the doer of the action is unknown or irrelevant. Examples • The cruiseliner was hijacked. • The ball was hit. • The town was quarantined.

9. Recap • Active voice verbs: Verbs that indicate the sentence’s subject as actively acting: • Marvin hit the ball. • Passive voice verbs: Verbs that indicated the sentence’s subject as being acted upon: • The ball was hit by Marvin

10. Practice - Directions: Rewrite the following sentences, changing them so that each is written in a consistent voice. • Before I began my research, only German fascism was studied by me. • Professor Warren assigned each group a research project; however, the documentary sources were not located. • For the opening flag ceremony, a dance was choreographed by Kema Jones to Bill Withers’ song “Lean on Me.” • When the tickets are ready, the travel agent notifies the client. Each ticket is then listed on a daily register form, and a copy of the itinerary is filed. • Seismologists have examined data concerning the recent earthquake, and reports will be filed.

11. Essay Evaluation • Read the essay through completely. • Re-write two sentences where they use passive voice and make it active or write two examples of active voice. • If you can’t find two places, write down as many as you can and then for the remaining sentences, copy down examples where they use active voice. • What are the three major weaknesses of this paper? • What are the three major strengths? • Do they have all of the necessary parts to their body paragraphs? Evaluate each (positives/negatives). • Do they have all of the necessary parts to their introduction and conclusion? Evaluate each (positives/negatives). • What grade would you give this paper?