Writing Warm-ups: Increasing skills in analytical writing

1. Writing Warm-ups: Increasing skills in analytical writing 2nd 6 weeks All warm-ups are due by 3:30 on Tuesday, November 1st. No late work!

2. Wed/Thurs, Oct 5th/6th Focus: Extending Elaboration of ideas It requires the writer to --reflect on the evidence --comment on aspects of the text that are not immediately apparent to the reader --the analysis moves beyond plot summary --marks a sophisticated writer Now, let’s practice. . .

3. Practice #1 • Original Sentence: Medea is a complex character who is driven by her need for revenge. She tells Jason her pain from killing her children is a “fair price” to make him pay. ***Elaborate on the main idea of these sentences. Be prepared to share in class. You may add sentences. (You probably should  )

4. Friday, October 7 • Common problems with sentence structure • Comma splice: occurs when two sentences (2 independent clauses) are joined together with a comma only. A coordinating conjunction should follow the comma in such a case. (you may also use a semicolon) • Original: John walked down to the candy store, he decided to buy Jolly Ranchers. • Revised: John walked down to the candy store; he decided to buy Jolly Ranchers • OR John, deciding to buy Jolly Ranchers, walked down to the candy store.

5. Practice #2 • Make the necessary corrections 1.) Jason’s situation appears entirely hopeless to the audience, he does not realize the seriousness of Medea’s plan. 2.) Audiences are unclear as to whether Euripides supports Medea or abhors her, the text is simply too complex to provide one single reading. 3.) ***Now, write your own sentence that is composed of TWO independent clauses and correct punctuation.

6. Wed/Thurs Oct 12th/13th • Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement • When we write our sentences, our pronouns and antecedents must agree in number, gender, and person. • A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun (I, me, he, most). • An antecedent is a word or group of words to which a pronoun refers. • This is a common question on the AP exam • Today, we’re going to practice avoiding vague, confusing or ambiguous pronoun reference.

7. Practice #3 • Correct the sentences • When Michelle purchased some groceries, they asked her for her Kroger’s discount card. • The teacher discussed the student’s failing grades with her mother after she finished drinking the cup of coffee. • The coach told the boy to leave practice because he was tired.

8. Wed/Thurs, Oct 19th/20th • Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement • A collective noun takes a singular pronoun when considered a unit; if considered in terms of individual parts, the collective noun takes a plural pronoun. • Example: The faculty unanimously voted to increase its salaries by four percent. • “its” as opposed to “their”

9. Practice #4 • Correct the following sentences • The football team agreed to cancel their early morning practice due to inclement weather. • Either Bob or Bill will earn their degree at the end of the term. • Each of the boys is ready to give their best in the soccer game.

10. Friday, October 21st • Sentence combining using subordinating conjunctions • For contrast: although, even though, while • For cause and effect: because, since, as • Example: I do not have any money. I’ll have to borrow twenty dollars from someone else. • Revised: Since I do not have any money, I will have to borrow twenty dollars from someone else. • Notice how the revised sentence just “sounds” better. 

11. Practice #5 • Revise the following sentences • A 1948 law says that women cannot be assigned combat duty. It is possible women will be involved in combat in the next war. • Michelangelo’s sculpture Pieta is now displayed only behind a protective glass shield. It was damaged by a lunatic. • Other composers have been more inventive. None have captured the American spirit like Duke Ellington. • An innocent man was executed for a crime. The real murderer was eventually caught.

12. Monday, October 24th • Sentence combining with absolute phrases • An absolute phrase is a group of words that modifies an independent clause as a whole • Example: Julia listened in stunned silence, her smile vanishing from her face. • Notice the difference: Julia listened in stunned silence. Her smile was vanishing from her face.

13. Practice #6 • Combine the following sentences by creating an absolute phrase in the pair and joining that phrase to the other. Underline the absolute phrase. • 1. John waited in the classroom. He fingers tapped on the desk nervously. • 2. The bank robbers fled the scene within minutes. The security guard saw part of the license plate numbers. • 3. Mrs. Jones stared at the class. She had two research papers in her hand. She gritted her teeth. • 4. Carl knelt on the fifty-yard line. He looked up at the tied score. He realized the team only had two seconds.