Grade 12 Common Core Companion Workbook PDF

Literature
COMMON CORE
Common Core
Companion Workbook
The Br itish Tr aditi on
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COMMON CORE COMPANION • COMMON CORE COMPANION • COMMON CORE COMPANION
Table of Contents
The instruction and activities in this book are organized around the Common Core
State Standards for English and Language Arts.
Reading Standards for Literature 1

Literature 1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis
of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text,
including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Instruction and Model............................................................................................ 2
Supporting an Analysis of What a Text Says Explicitly............................................................3
Supporting Inferences..........................................................................................................9
Literature 2: Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and

analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they
interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an
objective summary of the text.
Instruction and Model.......................................................................................... 15
Summarizing a Text...........................................................................................................16
Determining Themes and Analyzing Their Development and Interaction...............................22
Literature 3: Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to

develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set,
how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
Analyzing Characterization................................................................................................29
Analyzing Setting and Plot.................................................................................................35
Literature 4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in
the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact
of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple
meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful.
(Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)
Copyright © Savvas Learning Company LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Understanding Connotations, Figurative Language, and Multiple-Meaning Words...............42
Understanding the Impact of Word Choice on Meaning and Tone.......................................48
Literature 5: Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure

specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the
choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall
structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
Analyzing the Impact of an Author’s Structural Choices......................................................55
iii
Literature 6: Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires

distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g.,
satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
Distinguishing Between What Is Said and What Is Meant...................................................62
Literature 7: Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g.,

recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating
how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by
Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.)
Analyzing Multiple Interpretations.....................................................................................69
Literature 9: Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-

twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how
two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.
Comparing Works of a Period............................................................................................76
Literature 10: By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literature, including
stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 11–CCR text
complexity band independently and proficiently.
Comprehending Complex Texts..........................................................................................83
Reading Standards for Informational Texts 89

Informational Text 1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the
text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Using Textual Evidence to Support an Analysis of Explicit Details.........................................91
Making Inferences.............................................................................................................97
Informational Text 2: Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze
their development over the course of the text, including how they interact
and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective
summary of the text.
Instruction and Model........................................................................................ 103
Analyzing Central Ideas...................................................................................................104
Summarizing Text............................................................................................................110
Informational Text 3: Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and

explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the
course of the text.
Analyzing the Development of Ideas and Events...............................................................117
iv
Informational Text 4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are
used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings;
analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms
over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist
No. 10).
Understanding Connotations, Figurative Language, and Technical Terms...........................124
Analyzing Key Terms........................................................................................................130
Informational Text 5: Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure

an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the
structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
Analyzing and Evaluating Structure..................................................................................137
Informational Text 6: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text

in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content
contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.
Determining Point of View...............................................................................................144
Analyzing Effective Rhetoric.............................................................................................150
Informational Text 7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information

presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well
as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.
Integrating and Evaluating Information............................................................................157
Informational Text 8: Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S.

texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal
reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court majority opinions and dissents) and the
premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy
(e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses).
Evaluating Reasoning......................................................................................................164
Informational Text 9: Analyze seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and nineteenth-

century foundational U.S. documents of historical and literary significance
(including The Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the
Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address) for
their themes, purposes, and rhetorical features.
Analyzing Historical Documents.......................................................................................171
Informational Text 10: By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literary
nonfiction at the high end of the grades 11–CCR text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
Comprehending Complex Texts........................................................................................178
v
Writing Standards 185

Writing 1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics
or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
a. Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the
claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create
an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and
evidence.
b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most
relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of
both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level, concerns,
values, and possible biases.
c. U
se words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major
sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between
claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s)
and counterclaims.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to
the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
e. P
rovide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the
argument presented.
Writing Workshop: Argument . .......................................................................... 186
Prewriting/Planning Strategies.........................................................................................187
Supporting a Claim.........................................................................................................188
Drafting Strategies..........................................................................................................189
Develop Your Claim.........................................................................................................190
Style and Tone.................................................................................................................191
Conclusion......................................................................................................................192
Revising Strategies..........................................................................................................193
Revising..........................................................................................................................194
Editing and Proofreading.................................................................................................195
Publishing and Presenting...............................................................................................196
Writing 2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex

ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective

selection, organization, and analysis of content.
a. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so
that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified
whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and
multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant
facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information
and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic.
c. U
se appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of
the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas
and concepts.
d. Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques such as
metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic.
vi
e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to
the norms and conventions of the discipline in which students are writing.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the
information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the
significance of the topic).
Writing Workshop: Expository Essay.................................................................. 197
Developing a Topic..........................................................................................................199
Organizing Ideas.............................................................................................................200
Using Transitions.............................................................................................................202
Drafting a Conclusion/Evaluating Language.....................................................................203
Evaluating Your Writing Style and Tone............................................................................204
Revising..........................................................................................................................206
Writing 3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events

using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event
sequences.
a. Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or
observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view,
and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of
experiences or events.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and
multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
c. Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one
another to create a coherent whole and build toward a particular tone and
outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense, growth, or resolution).
d. Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey
a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced,
observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.
Writing Workshop: Narrative............................................................................. 209
Introducing Characters, Conflict, and Setting....................................................................211

Creating Point of View.....................................................................................................212
Organizing the Narrative (sequencing events)..................................................................213
Using Narrative Techniques..............................................................................................214
Using Descriptive and Sensory Language/Writing and Evaluating
a Conclusion............................................................................................................215
Developing Your Style......................................................................................................217
Writing 4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,

organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Writing for a Specific Task, Purpose, and Audience ..........................................................221
vii
Writing 5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising,

editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is
most significant for a specific purpose and audience.
Strengthening Your Writing..............................................................................................228
Writing 6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback,
including new arguments or information.
Using Technology to Publish and Revise Writing...............................................................235
Writing 7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer

a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow
or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the
subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
Researching to Answer Questions or Solve Problems........................................................242
Synthesizing Information from Different Sources..............................................................245
Writing 8: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and

digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths
and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience;
integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas,
avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a
standard format for citation.
Writing Workshop: Research Report.................................................................. 248
Researching from Print and Digital Sources......................................................................250
Evaluating Credibility and Usefulness of Your Sources.......................................................252
Recording Information.....................................................................................................254
Organizing and Drafting Your Report................................................................................255
Organizing and Drafting Your Report/Providing Elaboration..............................................256
Citing Sources.................................................................................................................257
Revising..........................................................................................................................258

Publishing and Presenting ..............................................................................................261
Writing 9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,

reflection, and research.
a. A
pply grades 11–12 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Demonstrate
knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century
foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts
from the same period treat similar themes or topics”).
b. Apply grades 11–12 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate
and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application
of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning [e.g., in U.S. Supreme
Court Case majority opinions and dissents] and the premises, purposes, and
viii
arguments in works of public advocacy [e.g., The Federalist, presidential

addresses]”).
Comparing Literature......................................................................................................263
Evaluating an Argument .................................................................................................267
Writing 10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research,
reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or
two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Writing a Cover Letter.....................................................................................................271
Writing a Memo..............................................................................................................273
Writing a Reflective Essay................................................................................................275
Writing a Letter to the Editor...........................................................................................277
Speaking and Listening Standards 278

Speaking and Listening 1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one- on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with
diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’
ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
a. C
ome to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under
study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from
texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-
reasoned exchange of ideas.
b. Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-
making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as
needed.
c. P
ropel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe
reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a

topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote
divergent and creative perspectives.
d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims,
and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when
possible; and determine what additional information or research is required
to deepen the investigation or complete the task.
Speaking and Listening Workshop: Deliver a Research Presentation................ 278
Plan Your Report.............................................................................................................279
Research Your Topic.........................................................................................................280
Organize Your Speech......................................................................................................281
Draft Your Script..............................................................................................................282
Presentation Techniques..................................................................................................283
Discuss and Evaluate.......................................................................................................284
Self-Assessment..............................................................................................................285
ix
Speaking and Listening 2: Integrate multiple sources of information presented

in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to
make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and
accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
Instruction.......................................................................................................... 286
Integrating Multiple Sources of Information.....................................................................287
Speaking and Listening 3: Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use
of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas,
word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.
Instruction.......................................................................................................... 290
Evaluating Elements of a Speech......................................................................................291
Evaluating a Speaker’s Use of Evidence........................................................................... 294
Speaking and Listening 4: Present information, findings, and supporting

evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners
can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are
addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are
appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.
Instruction.......................................................................................................... 297
Presenting a Speech Effectively........................................................................................298
Addressing Other Perspectives.........................................................................................301
Speaking and Listening 5: Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual,
graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance
understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
Instruction.......................................................................................................... 304
Using Digital Media.........................................................................................................305
Speaking and Listening 6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks,

demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
Instruction.......................................................................................................... 306
Adapting a Speech......................................................................................................... 307
Using Appropriate Language...........................................................................................310
Language Standards 313

Language 1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
a. A
pply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change
over time, and is sometimes contested.
b. Resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting references (e.g.,
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, Garner’s Modern American
Usage) as needed.
x
Understanding Usage......................................................................................... 314

Practice Exercises............................................................................................................315
Using Reference Materials to Resolve Usage Issues .............................................316
Language 2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English

capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
a. Observe hyphenation conventions.
Using Hyphenation......................................................................................................318
b. Spell correctly.
Checking Spelling ......................................................................................................320
Language 3: Apply knowledge of language to understand how language

functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style,
and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
a. V
ary syntax for effect, consulting references (e.g., Tufte’s Artful Sentences)
for guidance as needed; apply an understanding of syntax to the study of
complex texts when reading.
Understanding and Using Syntax..............................................................................322
Language 4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning

words and phrases based on grades 11–12 reading and content, choosing
flexibly from a range of strategies.
a. U
se context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a
word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word
or phrase.
b. Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different
meanings or parts of speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable).
c. C
onsult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries,
glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation
of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its
etymology, or its standard usage.
d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase

(e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
Using Context Clues ..................................................................................................324
Understanding Word Forms ......................................................................................326
Using Reference Materials . ......................................................................................328
Verifying Word Meanings from Context or a Dictionary........................................330
xi
Language 5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word

relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze
their role in the text.
b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
Interpreting Figures of Speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox)....................................332
Understanding Connotations and Denotations.......................................................334
Language 6: Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific

words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening
at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in
gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase
important to comprehension or expression.
Using Academic Vocabulary and Domain-specific Words...................................................336
Performance Tasks 338

Performance Task 1: S upport Analysis of a Text��340
Discuss the Responses to a Text��341
Performance Task 2: A
nalyze Themes��342
Discuss the Themes in a Literary Work��343
Performance Task 3: Analyze an Author’s Choices��344

Discuss the Analysis of Author’s Choices��345
Performance Task 4: Analyze Word Choice��346

Evaluate a Speaker’s Presentation��347
nalyze Structure��348

Discuss Author’s Choice of Structure��349
nalyze a Text and Its Point of View��350
Present an Analysis��351
nalyze Multiple Interpretations of a
Literary Work��352
Present an Analysis Using Multiple Media��353
Performance Task 8: Write a Comparative Essay��354

Present an Oral Report Using Digital Media��355
xii
Performance Task 9: Write in the Style of an Author��356

Engage in a Discussion of an Author��357
Performance Task 10: S upport Inferences and Conclusions��358

Discuss the Responses to a Text��359

nalyze Details That Contribute to
Central Ideas��360
Discuss Multiple Perspectives��361
Performance Task 12: E

xplain the Ideas in a Work of Nonfiction��362
Develop a Media Presentation��363

nalyze the Literal and Figurative Language
in a Personal Essay��364
Engage in a Discussion��365
Performance Task 14: C

ompare the Effectiveness of Organizational
Structure ��366
Present a Formal Oral Analysis��367
Performance Task 15: Identify and Analyze Author’s Purpose or

Point of View��368
Present a Clear and Distinct Perspective��369
Performance Task 16: U

se Multiple Sources of Information��370
Produce a Digital Multimedia Presentation��371

nalyze and Evaluate the Reasoning in a
Supreme Court Ruling��372
Take Part in a Panel Discussion��373

nalyze a Foundational U.S. Document��374
Compare and Contrast Perspectives��375
Performance Task 19: W

rite a Critical Response to a Work��376
Participate in a Literature Circle��377
xiii
About the Common Core Companion

The Common Core Companion student workbook provides instruction and practice
in the Common Core State Standards. The standards are designed to help all students
become college and career ready by the end of grade 12. Here is a closer look at this
workbook:
Reading Standards
Reading Standards for Literature and Informational Texts are supported with
instruction, examples, and multiple copies of worksheets that you can use over
the course of the year. These key standards are revisited in the Performance Tasks
section of your workbook.
Writing Standards
Full writing workshops are provided for Writing standards 1, 2, 3, and 8. Writing
standards 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10 are supported with direct instruction and worksheets
that provide targeted practice. In addition, writing standards are revisited in
Speaking and Listening activities and in Performance Tasks.
Speaking and Listening Standards

Detailed instruction and practice are provided for each Speaking and Listening
standard. Additional opportunities to master these standards are provided in the
Performance Tasks.
Language Standards
Explicit instruction and detailed examples support each Language standard.
In addition, practice worksheets and graphic organizers provide additional
opportunities for students to master these standards.
Performance Tasks
Using the examples in the Common Core framework as a guide, we provide
opportunities for you to test your ability to master each reading standard, along
with tips for success and rubrics to help you evaluate your work.
xiv
Reading Standards
for Literature
Literature 1
1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining
where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Explanation
To support your ideas about a piece of literature, you need to provide strong evidence, passages
from the text that are related to the point you are making and that prove that point. Use such
evidence, for instance, when analyzing explicit details, information that the writer provides
directly, such as “he walked with a stoop” or “she regularly showed up late.” Analyze these details
to see which are the most important in conveying a character’s personality and back up your
analysis with evidence from the text.
You would also use textual evidence to support inferences about a work. For example, you might
make inferences about a character’s secret motives based on her actions, thoughts, feelings, or effect
on others. Another type of inference relates to ambiguity, the effect created when an aspect of a work
can be interpreted in two or more different ways. Writers sometimes create ambiguity to express
complex ideas, perhaps even to demonstrate for readers that many aspects of life are uncertain. In
pointing out an ambiguity, cite strong evidence that it could be interpreted in more than one way.
Examples
The following passages from a discussion of a short story illustrate the use of textual evidence.
• (a) an analysis of what the text says explicitly
… Of all the explicit details about Zella presented in the first paragraph, the following is
the most important in establishing her brashness: “Zella wore wide leather belts studded
with metal gizmos she picked up at the hardware store.” Other details, relating to her
love of spaniels and her dislike of science fiction, do not suggest she is necessarily either
bold or shy.
• (b) inferences about what the text suggests
… Yet, in the end, Zella seems insecure and fragile. After the scene where she dances
wildly on the pavement for her friends, she goes home to sit in the dark yard behind her
apartment building, twisting her hair around her finger as she stares into space. That is
not what a confident person would do.
• (c) the determination of an ambiguity in the text
… The reader is never certain whether the things that Zella brags about to her friends
are really true. Since there are no witnesses, we have to take Zella’s word for all the
outrageous things she claims to have done before moving to Mayfield. Perhaps this
ambiguity is the writer’s way of preserving a sense of mystery about her.
Academic Vocabulary
inference conclusion based on the reader’s experience, reasoning, and details from the text
ambiguity aspect of a text that can be interpreted in two or more possible ways
Apply the Standard

Use the worksheets that follow to help you apply the standard as you read. Several copies of each
worksheet have been provided for you to use with a number of different selections.
2
Name Date Selection
Citing Textual Evidence: Supporting an Analysis of What a Text

Says Explicitly
In the left column, write a brief summary of a play or story you have read. Then, in the right
column, cite textual evidence to support your choices of the most important details to include in the
summary
Summary of Story or Play Textual Evidence to Support Your Choice of

Title: the Most Important Details
A For use with Literature 1
3
Name Date Selection

Says Explicitly
summary

B For use with Literature 1
4
Name Date Selection

Says Explicitly
summary

C For use with Literature 1
5
Name Date Selection

Says Explicitly
summary

D For use with Literature 1
6
Name Date Selection

Says Explicitly
summary

1.
E For use with Literature 1
7
Name Date Selection

Says Explicitly
summary

F For use with Literature 1
8
Name Date Selection
Citing Textual Evidence: Supporting Inferences

In the left column of the organizer, state inferences that you have made about a story or a play. In
the right column, support each inference by citing strong evidence from the text. Place quotation
marks around any direct quotations you use.
My Inference Details That Support My Inference

1.
2.
3.
4.
9
Name Date Selection


1.
2.
3.
4.
10
Name Date Selection


1.
2.
3.
4.
11
Name Date Selection


1.
2.
3.
4.
12
Name Date Selection


1.
2.
3.
4.
13
Name Date Selection


1.
2.
3.
4.
14
Literature 2
2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their
development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on
one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.
Explanation
The theme of a literary work is the central idea or insight into life it explores. The theme is not the
subject of a text, as for example “war” or “sports” might be, but the insight that the work conveys
about its subject. Following are examples of common themes that writers explore: the danger of
reckless ambition, the destructive force of jealousy, and the importance of loyalty. Some literary
works may have multiple themes that interact to give the work a sense of complexity and depth.
Instead of directly stating a theme, writers often imply or suggest it. In those cases, you can
determine the theme by considering elements such as the following: hints contained in a work’s
title and people, places, and things, described so vividly that they become symbols suggesting
deeper meanings. You can also analyze the development of a theme by seeing how an important
character changes over the course of a work.
To start determining themes and analyzing their development, write an objective summary.
Examples
• Summary The following summary identifies a story’s main character, conflicts, and
key events.
An engineer is assigned the complicated job of building a massive bridge. Several problems
hold up the project, but the engineer comes up with creative solutions for each. However, she
also pushes her workers and takes unnecessary risks. She manages to finish the project on
time, but one worker is seriously injured on the job.
• Multiple Themes One theme is the importance of willpower. Several elements in
the story help develop this theme: the story’s title (“Accomplishing the Impossible”);
the determination that the main character shows; and a flashback revealing she was a
determined student. A second, but related, theme that the story explores is the harmful
effects that a willful person can have on others.
• Analysis of How Themes Interact A successful analysis of the story would cite textual
evidence to indicate the presence of these two themes. It would also cite details showing
how the themes interact to provide the positive and negative aspects of perseverance.
Academic Vocabulary
theme the central idea that a literary work explores
objective summary brief restatement of the central idea and key details of a work that does not
express a judgment of the work
Apply the Standard

worksheet have been provided for you to use with a number of different selections.
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Summarizing a Text
In the left-hand column of the organizer, list the most important elements of the text. Then, use the
information from your list to write an objective summary in the column on the right. Remember not
to include your own judgments and interpretations of the work.
Main Characters and Traits

Summary
Central Conflict and Events
Climax and Resolution
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Summarizing a Text

Summary
B #
For use with Literature 2
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Summarizing a Text

Summary
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Summarizing a Text

Summary
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Summarizing a Text

Summary
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Summarizing a Text

Summary
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Determining Themes and Analyzing Their Development and

Interaction
Keeping your summary in mind, determine two different themes in the text. First, state the themes
and provide textual details that reveal each one. Then, tell how the themes interact in the text to
produce a complex account.
Theme 1: Theme 2:
Supporting Textual Details: Supporting Textual Details:

1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
How the Themes Interact to Produce a Complex Account
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Interaction
Theme 1: Theme 2:

1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
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Interaction
Theme 1: Theme 2:

1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
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Interaction
Theme 1: Theme 2:

1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
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Interaction
Theme 1: Theme 2:

1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
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Interaction
Theme 1: Theme 2:

1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
27
Literature 3
3. Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate
elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered,
how the characters are introduced and developed).
Explanation
As an author develops a story or drama, he or she makes deliberate choices regarding the major
literary elements described below. These choices determine the impact of the work.
• Setting is the time and place of the action. It may also include the social and cultural
dimensions, including the customs, rituals, and beliefs. For example, a harsh natural
setting may serve both as a dramatic backdrop to the action of the plot and also as a kind
of antagonist in a human versus nature conflict. The cultural dimensions of the setting may
play an important role in determining the outlook and decisions of characters.
• Plot is the linked sequence of events in a literary work. Authors can present the plot in
chronological order. However, authors can also change this pattern, beginning in the middle
of the action and later introducing flashbacks that reveal past events. An author’s decisions
with regard to the structure or pacing of the plot will influence the mood of the story and
how the readers or audience will react to characters.
• Characterization is the way authors create and develop characters. In direct
characterization, a writer simply states a character’s traits. When using indirect
characterization, a writer reveals a character through: (1) words, thoughts, or actions of the
character; (2) descriptions of the character; or (3) what others say about the character or how
they react.
Examples
Charles Dickens sets his story The Christmas Carol in mid-nineteenth century London, a time
and place where the poor suffered great hardships. Dickens opens his story on Christmas Eve,
when special attention is given to the plight of the poor. He then uses both direct and indirect
characterization to contrast the stingy, rich, Scrooge and the kindly, poor Bob Cratchit. After setting
the scene and establishing the basic social issues, he centers the plot on an internal conflict—a moral
struggle within Scrooge. Dickens resolves the conflict with the transformation of Scrooge. Dickens’s
choices regarding the setting, plot, and characterization effectively dramatize the story’s message,
that people should be loving and kind to one another at all times of the year.
Academic Vocabulary
direct characterization the process of developing a character by directly expressing his or her
traits;
indirect characterization the process of developing by using telling details to hint at his or her
traits
Apply the Standard

Use the worksheets that follow to help you apply the standard as you read. (Filling out both
worksheets for the same story or drama will help you answer the final question on the “Analyzing
Setting and Plot” worksheet.) Several copies of each worksheet have been provided for you to use
with a number of different selections.
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Analyzing Characterization
Use the character wheel to analyze the author’s characterization of the main character in a story
or drama.
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Character’s Name
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In your own words, describe the character’s personality, how he or she develops over the course of
the selection, and the impact of that development on the reader or audience.
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or drama.
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or drama.
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Character’s Name
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or drama.
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te
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ch doe
a
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Character’s Name
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or drama.
W
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te
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a
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Character’s Name
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or drama.
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Analyzing Setting and Plot

Use the graphic organizer to identify the key elements of setting and plot in a story or drama. Then,
keeping in mind your work on the “Analyzing Characterization” organizer, answer the question
below the chart.
SETTING
Time:
Place:
PLOT
3 Key Events:
1.
2.
3.
Conflict:
Climax:
Resolution:
Describe the way in which these elements relate to the development of the main character and the
impact that the interaction of all the work’s elements has on readers.
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below the chart.
SETTING
Time:
Place:
PLOT
3 Key Events:
1.
2.
3.
Conflict:
Climax:
Resolution:
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below the chart.
SETTING
Time:
Place:
PLOT
3 Key Events:
1.
2.
3.
Conflict:
Climax:
Resolution:
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below the chart.
SETTING
Time:
Place:
PLOT
3 Key Events:
1.
2.
3.
Conflict:
Climax:
Resolution:
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below the chart.
SETTING
Time:
Place:
PLOT
3 Key Events:
1.
2.
3.
Conflict:
Climax:
Resolution:
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below the chart.
SETTING
Time:
Place:
PLOT
3 Key Events:
1.
2.
3.
Conflict:
Climax:
Resolution:
40
Literature 4
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific
word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or
language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare
as well as other authors.)
Explanation
Good writers choose words that will enrich the meaning of their work and create a distinctive tone, or
attitude toward the subject. To achieve such effects, they pay attention to these qualities of language:
• Connotative meanings, or the ideas, emotions, images and associations of a word.
• Multiple meanings of words that can signify two or more things.
• Figurative language, or words that go beyond their dictionary meanings
s imile: a comparison of two unlike things using the word like or as
metaphor: a comparison in which something is described as though it were something else
Examples
In the opening speech from Richard III, William Shakespeare uses connotative meanings, figurative
language, and multiple-meaning words to engage the audience and suggest Richard’s unhappiness with
the present state of affairs. His brother, Edward IV, has just become king, but Richard wants the throne
for himself. Shakespeare’s word choices convey Richard’s sarcastic tone and hint at his ambitions.
Richard: Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this son of York;
And all the clouds that low’r’d upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
Connotative meanings — Glorious usually has positive connotations, but Richard suggests that
“glorious summer” is the official view of things and not one he shares.
Figurative language — The new reign is metaphorically described as a passage from winter to
summer.
Multiple meanings — The phrase “son of York” refers to Edward IV’s status as the “son” of
Richard, Duke of York, to the “sun” on the badge Edward IV adopted, and to the metaphorical
summer of his reign.
Academic Vocabulary
connotation the images, feelings, ideas, and associations a word calls to mind
figurative language writing or speech that is not meant to be taken literally
Apply the Standard

worksheet have been provided for you to use with different literature selections.
• Understanding Connotations, Figurative Language, and Multiple-Meaning Words
• Understanding the Impact of Word Choice on Meaning and Tone
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Understanding Connotations, Figurative Language, and

Multiple-Meaning Words
Use the charts shown below to determine figurative and connotative meanings and the definitions
of multiple-meaning words in a text you have read.
Use of Figurative Language Meaning

1.
2.
3.
Word or Phrase from the Text Connotation

1.
2.
3.
Passage with Multiple- Meaning 1 Meaning 2

Meaning Word
1.
2.
3.
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1.
2.
3.

1.
2.
3.

Meaning Word
1.
2.
3.
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1.
2.
3.

1.
2.
3.

Meaning Word
1.
2.
3.
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1.
2.
3.

1.
2.
3.

Meaning Word
1.
2.
3.
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1.
2.
3.

1.
2.
3.

Meaning Word
1.
2.
3.
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1.
2.
3.

1.
2.
3.

Meaning Word
1.
2.
3.
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Understanding the Impact of Word Choice on Meaning and Tone

In the left column, list examples of figurative and connotative meanings and multiple-meaning
words from the text. In the right column, explain how each word choice influences the meaning and
tone of the text
Examples of Figurative and Connotative How the Word Choice Impacts Meaning
Meanings and Multiple-Meaning Words and Tone
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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tone of the text
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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tone of the text
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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tone of the text
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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tone of the text
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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tone of the text
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Literature 5
5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of
a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a
comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as
well as its aesthetic impact.
Explanation
Specific choices that authors make regarding a work’s structure influence its total design, meaning,
and aesthetic, or artistic impact on a reader. Following are some examples:
• Authors must choose how to structure the plot, the linked sequence of events in a literary
work. For example, a story can begin with the earliest event in a sequence and continue,
in chronological order, to the last event. Authors can begin in the middle of things so
that readers are immediately plunged into uncertainty. A device called a frame story can
introduce one or more characters who then tell a story-within-a-story. This allows authors
to develop the same theme in parallel tales. The choice of a work’s form will guide the
writer in developing and resolving a story’s conflict. In a comic work, various mishaps and
misunderstandings will come out right in the end. However, the resolution of a tragedy will
involve the downfall and destruction of the main character.
• From the outset, authors must also make a structural choice regarding a story’s point
of view, the perspective from which it is told. A narrator who is outside the action but
knows what every character thinks will provide readers with a complete picture of events
(omniscient point of view). Readers may not get such a complete picture from a character
who participates in the action and tells the story (first person point of view).
Example
Joseph Conrad’s choices in structuring his story “The Lagoon” affect its design, tone, and meaning.
Conrad’s overall design involves a frame story and a story-within-a-story. At the beginning of the
frame story, told from the limited third person point of view, a character called “the white man”
is being ferried to the lonely hut of his “Malay friend” Arsat. In the story-within-a-story, Arsat’s
brother dies; in the frame story, Arsat’s wife dies. These resolutions and the final image of Arsat
alone on the shore suggest that, in a dangerous world, love can lead to betrayal and suffering.
Academic Vocabulary
aesthetic taking into account artistic issues, rather than social, political, or philosophical ones
plot linked sequence of events in a literary work
point of view vantage point from which a work is told
Apply the Standard

Use the worksheet that follows to help you apply the standard as you read. Several copies of the
• Analyzing the Impact of an Author’s Structural Choices

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Analyzing the Impact of an Author’s Structural Choices

Use the graphic organizer to describe an author’s specific structural choices and explain how they
influence a work’s design, meaning, and aesthetic effect on readers.
Structural Choices Effect on Design, Meaning,

Aesthetic Impact
Point of View
Where to Begin Story
How to Narrate Events (devices such as

frame story, flashback)
How to Resolve Story
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Aesthetic Impact
Point of View

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Aesthetic Impact
Point of View

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Aesthetic Impact
Point of View

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Aesthetic Impact
Point of View

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Aesthetic Impact
Point of View

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Literature 6
6. Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is
directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or
understatement).
Explanation
To clearly understand an author’s point of view, readers must distinguish between what is stated in
a text and what the author really means. Literary writers sometimes use the following techniques:
• Satire is writing that ridicules or exposes the faults of specific individuals, groups,
institutions, or humanity in general. Satire uses indirection by saying the opposite of what it
means or by treating seriously something that is actually ridiculous.
• Irony involves a discrepancy between what is stated and what is meant or between what is
expected and what actually happens. Verbal irony occurs when someone says something
that deliberately contradicts what he or she actually means. Dramatic irony occurs when
there is a contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader or audience
knows to be true.
• Sarcasm is a type of verbal irony in which the tone or attitude is particularly harsh or
mocking. Sarcasm expresses scorn, contempt, or disapproval of a person or situation.
• Understatement is a figure of speech that deliberately says less than is intended. In
describing a downpour using understatement, you might say, “It was a bit damp.”
Examples
• Satire “The Rape of the Lock” by Alexander Pope satirizes the pettiness of high society in
eighteenth-century England. Based on an actual event, the poem tells the tale of a young
aristocrat who cuts a lock of hair from the head of a beautiful woman as a kind of prize.
Because the trivial event created a scandal, Pope mockingly treats the incident as if it had
enormous significance by telling it in the style of a classical epic poem.
• Irony In “Shooting an Elephant,” George Orwell makes this ironic observation: “I
perceived in this moment that when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that
he destroys.” Irony is at work here because one would expect a tyrant to deprive others of
freedom, not himself.
Academic Vocabulary
satire writing that uses humor to ridicule corruption or folly
irony contradiction between expectation and reality or between what is said and what is meant
Apply the Standard

• Distinguishing Between What Is Stated and What Is Meant
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Distinguishing Between What Is Said and What Is Meant

Use the left column of the chart to list instances in which an author states something indirectly by
using satire, irony, sarcasm, or understatement. In the column on the right, explain what the author
really means.
Examples from the Text Actual Meaning
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really means.
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really means.
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really means.
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really means.
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really means.
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Literature 7
7. Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live
production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version
interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play
by an American dramatist.)
Explanation
Dramas are written to be performed on stage or on film. Stories and poems can be read aloud and
recorded. Each production of a play or recording of a story or poem is an interpretation that
conveys an understanding of the work. Each interpretation may take a different approach to the
source text, the original story, drama, or poem. Interpretations can remain faithful to the source
texts, make subtle changes to emphasize particular themes, aim for historical accuracy, or make
significant changes to reflect popular tastes. To analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama,
or poem, focus on elements like the following:
• Characterization: In an interpretation of a story, drama, or poem, actors or readers bring
the characters to life. What aspects of the characters are emphasized? In what ways are the
characters different from how you pictured them while reading the source text?
• Setting: In many interpretations of a play, the original setting is kept. Sometimes the setting
is updated. How does a new setting alter your understanding of the play?
• Mood or atmosphere: Examine how each interpretation creates a mood or atmosphere. Is
the mood or atmosphere appropriate to the source text?
• Narrative elements: Are any narrative elements from the source text—such as a subplot,
character, or scene—left out? What, if any, new narrative elements are added?
• Elements of the medium: How are resources unique to the medium used in each
interpretation? For example, a film adaptation of a play can use realistic, on-site settings,
while a theater production must rely on lighting and constructed sets.
Examples
• One interpretation of William Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Macbeth may strive for
historical accuracy.
• Another production may set The Tragedy of Macbeth in the modern world. This modern
interpretation may stress how the play’s theme of ruthless ambition applies to our
own times.
Academic Vocabulary
interpretation performance of a story, drama, or poem that conveys one understanding of the work
source text an original story, drama, or poem on which an interpretation is based
Apply the Standard

• Analyzing Multiple Interpretations
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Analyzing Multiple Interpretations

Use the graphic organizer, below, to analyze and compare two interpretations of a story, drama, or
poem. Explain how the elements in the left-hand column are developed in each interpretation.
Source Text:
Interpretation 1: Interpretation 2:
1. Characterization
2. Setting
3. Mood or Atmosphere
4. Narrative Elements
5. Elements of the Medium
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Source Text:
1. Characterization
2. Setting
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Source Text:
1. Characterization
2. Setting
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Source Text:
1. Characterization
2. Setting
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Source Text:
1. Characterization
2. Setting
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Source Text:
1. Characterization
2. Setting
74
Literature 9
9. Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth-, and early twentieth-century
foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from
the same period treat similar themes or topics.
Explanation
Foundational texts are influential, trend-setting works that initiate and develop the literary forms,
topics, and themes characteristic of a time period. Just as a course in American literature requires
knowledge of foundational American works, so a course in British literature requires knowledge
of key British texts. In British as in American literature, characteristic topics or themes of a literary
period arise from the historical events and cultural influences of that era. For example, the British
Romantic poet William Wordsworth employed a simpler, more direct language than was common
in previous poetry, and he conveyed a deep appreciation for the beauty of the natural world. In his
use of a more down-to-earth diction, he was responding to events such as the French Revolution,
and his view of nature reflects a new cultural appreciation of wilderness.
Examples
The chart below lists several foundational works of British literature:
Eighteenth Century Nineteenth Century Early Twentieth Century
• Jonathan Swift, Gulliver’s • William Wordsworth, • Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway
Travels The Prelude • T.S. Eliot, “Preludes”
• Alexander Pope, “The Rape of • Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The • W.H. Auden, “In Memory of
the Lock” Rime of the Ancient Mariner W. B. Yeats”
• Samuel Johnson, A Dictionary • Charles Dickens, Great
of the English Language Expectations
• Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
Writers from the same historical period often address similar key topics and themes. For instance,
the positive influence of nature on human development is a theme in William Wordsworth’s
The Prelude. He also expresses reservations about the effects of urbanization, lamenting that the
minds of many people have “been turned aside / From Nature’s way.” In his poem of the same
era, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Samuel Taylor Coleridge explores a similar theme. A seaman
expresses deep remorse and guilt for his thoughtless killing of an albatross, an innocent creature
of Nature, and reminds others of the need to love “man and bird and beast.”
Academic Vocabulary
foundational text work that initiates and develops the key forms, themes, and topics of a period
literary period era in which literary works reflect new perspectives characteristic of the time
Apply the Standard

• Comparing Works of a Period
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Comparing Works of a Period

Use the chart, below, to compare two literary works of the same era that explore a common theme
or topic.
Title of text 1: Author:
Theme or topic common to both texts:
Text 1 Text 2
What main points does the
writer make about the theme
or topic?
What details does the writer

use in exploring the theme or
topic?
In what ways is the literary

form suited to the theme or
topic?
What is unique about the

author’s approach?
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or topic.
Text 1 Text 2
or topic?

topic?

topic?

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or topic.
Text 1 Text 2
or topic?

topic?

topic?

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or topic.
Text 1 Text 2
or topic?

topic?

topic?

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or topic.
Text 1 Text 2
or topic?

topic?

topic?

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or topic.
Text 1 Text 2
or topic?

topic?

topic?

81
Literature 10
10. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literature, including stories,
dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 11-CCR text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
Explanation
Successful readers are able to independently read and comprehend complex texts, works that
present difficulties as a result of challenging concepts, organization, language, or sentence structure.
Examples
Be aware of specific factors that can make texts difficult to read, including the following items:
Language
• The level of vocabulary is high, with many unfamiliar words.
• Sentences are long and involved, with one or more dependent clauses.
• The text contains long blocks of description unbroken by dialogue.
Writer’s Style
• The writer uses figurative language, such as metaphors, similes, or personification.
• The writer’s use of ambiguity, irony, symbolism, or satire makes the text less accessible.
Subject Matter
• The writer makes allusions to unfamiliar events, places, or people.
• Understanding the text requires special background or technical knowledge.
Successful readers employ strategies like these to master complex texts:
• Stay focused by setting a specific purpose for reading.
• Stop reading after a specified period of time and summarize what you have read. Then
reread parts of the text as needed.
Academic Vocabulary
complex texts works with challenging concepts, organization, language, or sentence structure
paraphrase simplify and rephrase a passage in one’s own words
visualize create a mental picture of characters or events in a text
Apply the Standard

• Comprehending Complex Texts
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Comprehending Complex Texts

• Use the left-hand column of the graphic organizer to evaluate the complexity of the text
that you are reading independently. For each category, list factors that make the selection
difficult.
• Use the right-hand column to describe the strategy or strategies that helped you master each
difficulty mentioned in the left-hand column.
Title: Writer:
Factors That Make the Text Complex Helpful Reading Strategies

1. Language
2. Writer’s Style
3. Subject Matter
4. Other
Rating the Text

In your opinion, how complex was the text you read? Rate the complexity of the text on a scale of
one to ten, with one being “easy” and ten being “very difficult.”
My Rating:
83
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difficult.
Title: Writer:

1. Language
2. Writer’s Style
3. Subject Matter
4. Other
Rating the Text

My Rating:
84
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difficult.
Title: Writer:

1. Language
2. Writer’s Style
3. Subject Matter
4. Other
Rating the Text

My Rating:
85
Name Date Selection

difficult.
Title: Writer:

1. Language
2. Writer’s Style
3. Subject Matter
4. Other
Rating the Text

My Rating:
86
Name Date Selection

difficult.
Title: Writer:

1. Language
2. Writer’s Style
3. Subject Matter
4. Other
Rating the Text

My Rating:
87
Name Date Selection

difficult.
Title: Writer:

1. Language
2. Writer’s Style
3. Subject Matter
4. Other
Rating the Text

My Rating:
88
Reading Standards for
Informational Text
Informational Text 1
1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining
where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Explanation
In an informational text, authors provide many explicit details, direct statements about the subject
under discussion. In addition, authors suggest certain details or ideas, rather than expressing them
directly. In order to understand this hinted-at information, readers must draw inferences from the
text, making educated guesses based on what the text says explicitly and their own experience.
To support inferences, you will have to cite textual evidence, relevant and sufficient supporting
information from the text, to support the inferences that you make.
Sometimes writers not only hint at ideas, but intentionally create ambiguity. They may do so in
order to suggest the complexity of a subject and to prompt readers to think about it more deeply.
Examples
An informational text about Maya Lin provided explicit details like these to support the central idea
of the text, namely, that she is a gifted artist:
• At the age of 21, in 1981, she won a competition for the design of the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial. The competition was open to the public. Over 1,400 competitors submitted designs.
You might analyze details in an informational text by determining which ones provide support for
the central idea and are therefore important enough to be included in a summary.
Authors may also imply or suggest information. The reader must draw inferences from the text—
make educated guesses based on textual evidence, reasoning, and experience—to determine what
the author is suggesting. For example, note the textual evidence, below, and the inference drawn
from them:
• Several thousand personal items are left at the memorial each year.
• Visitors lining the stark black granite wall are openly weeping.
• Inference: People’s experience of the memorial is both moving and intimate.
In one ambiguous passage from the informational text on Maya Lin, a veteran reaches out to
touch the name of a fallen comrade and mourns his death. Readers are left to wonder whether the
Memorial evokes loving memories of a lost buddy or emphasizes the fact that he is gone.
Academic Vocabulary
inference educated guess based on textual details, reasoning, and life experience
textual evidence items from a text that support an analysis of explicit details or an inference
ambiguity text that can be interpreted in two or more possible ways
Apply the Standard

worksheet have been provided for you to use with different informational texts.
• Using Textual Evidence to Support an Analysis of Explicit Details
• Using Textual Evidence to Support an Inference and Identify Ambiguity
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Using Textual Evidence to Support an Analysis of Explicit Details

Use the graphic organizer, below, to analyze which explicit details in an informational text are the
most important. In the left column, state one of the author’s central ideas. In the middle column,
note the most important explicit details from the text that back up the idea. In the right column,
explain how evidence from the text supports your choice of important explicit details.
Informational Text: Author:

Central Idea Most Important Explicit Textual Evidence Supporting
Details Backing up Idea Choice of Explicit Details
1.
2.
3.
A For use with Informational Text 1
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1.
2.
3.
B For use with Informational Text 1
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1.
2.
3.
C For use with Informational Text 1
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1.
2.
3.
D For use with Informational Text 1
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1.
2.
3.
E For use with Informational Text 1
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1.
2.
3.
F For use with Informational Text 1
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Using Textual Details to Support an Inference and Identify

Ambiguity
In the left column, enter inferences you draw from the text and ambiguities you identify. In the right
column, explain how textual details support your inference or confirm a passage’s ambiguity.

Inference Textual Details Supporting Inference
1.
2.
Ambiguity Textual Details Confirming Ambiguity

3.
4.
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Ambiguity

1.
2.

3.
4.
98
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Ambiguity

1.
2.

3.
4.
99
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Ambiguity

1.
2.

3.
4.
100
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Ambiguity

1.
2.

3.
4.
101
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Ambiguity

1.
2.

3.
4.
102
2. Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development
over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another
to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.
Explanation
The central ideas in an informational text are the key messages or insights the writer wishes to
convey. Many nonfiction pieces—including essays and expository articles—develop two or more
central ideas. As you read, note the central ideas the author presents. Then, analyze how they
interact with one another, giving greater depth and complexity to the treatment of a topic, or subject.
Creating an objective summary of a text can help you identify and focus on the central ideas.
Examples
• An article may focus on a single topic while providing two or more central ideas, A text
about the Great Fire of London in 1666 may develop these two ideas:
• The fire blazed for three days, taking the lives of only sixteen people but destroying
more than eighty percent of the city and causing many to become homeless.
• Despite the terrible damage, a new and better London—with wider streets and
buildings made of brick, not wood—arose from the ruins.
The author develops these central ideas over the course of the text in order to analyze all the
consequences of the Great Fire of London. The ideas interact with one another as the author
compares the immediate devastating effects of the fire with its subsequent positive effects.
• Making an objective summary of such an article will help you to identify two central ideas
and analyze how they interact:
The Great Fire of London in 1666 caused enormous property losses, including the
destruction of eighty percent of the city proper. Nonetheless, the rebuilding of the city
after the fire brought many benefits, including wider streets, brick buildings, and the
construction of St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Academic Vocabulary
central ideas key messages or insights conveyed by a text
topic chief subject of a text
objective summary brief restatement of most important points in a text, without expressing
an opinion
Apply the Standard

• Analyzing Central Ideas
• Summarizing Text
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Analyzing Central Ideas

Use the top graphic organizer to state key details and central ideas of the text. Use the bottom
graphic organizer to explain how the ideas build or interact over the course of the text.
Key Detail
Central Idea
Key Detail
How the Ideas Interact
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Key Detail
Central Idea
Key Detail
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Key Detail
Central Idea
Key Detail
106
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Key Detail
Central Idea
Key Detail
107
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Key Detail
Central Idea
Key Detail
108
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Key Detail
Central Idea
Key Detail
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Summarizing Text
In the left column of the graphic organizer, briefly state the central or essential ideas of the text.
Then, use these ideas to write an objective summary in the right column, being careful not to
express your own opinions of the ideas.
Central Idea
Objective Summary
Central Idea
Central Idea
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Summarizing Text
Central Idea
Objective Summary
Central Idea
Central Idea
111
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Summarizing Text
Central Idea
Objective Summary
Central Idea
Central Idea
112
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Summarizing Text
Central Idea
Objective Summary
Central Idea
Central Idea
113
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Summarizing Text
Central Idea
Objective Summary
Central Idea
Central Idea
114
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Summarizing Text
Central Idea
Objective Summary
Central Idea
Central Idea
115
3. Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific
individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.
Explanation
Science articles, history books, and reports are three examples of the wide variety of informational
texts you will encounter in your reading. These texts can be challenging to read because they
present a complex set of ideas or sequence of events. You can analyze and master such texts by
using a multidraft reading strategy, as follows:
First Reading
• Skim and scan the text to gain a sense of the whole.
• Note high-level and subject-specific vocabulary.
• Note section headings, bulleted lists, and graphics like charts and tables.
Second Reading
• Read slowly and in depth, identifying the main idea and supporting details.
• Monitor your understanding and reread confusing or difficult passages.
• Use context clues to help define unfamiliar terms.
• Use reference materials to clarify terms or ideas that remain unclear.
• Clarify the relationships between the text and graphics.
Third Reading
• Analyze how individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop.
• Express your understanding of the work as a whole.
Example
The following notes come from a third reading of Arthur C. Clarke’s 1945 science article
“Extra-Terrestrial Relays: Can Rocket Stations Give World-Wide Radio Coverage?”
Clarke first introduces several key ideas, some of which may have been familiar to readers:
rockets can escape Earth’s gravity and orbit the planet; soon, radio-steered and manned rockets
will be possible; and many Earth-orbits are available. This initial development brings Clarke
to a crucial concept, namely that in one particular orbit, an object will circle with the earth and
therefore remain stationary above a spot. With this concept established, Clarke can present his
revolutionary idea: Stationary satellites with the proper equipment can relay transmissions from
one spot on earth to another. Beginning with concepts more familiar to readers, Clarke works
his way toward a dramatically new idea, but one that he makes sound plausible. . . .
Academic Vocabulary
sequence of events events that occur in order, one after another
skim read quickly to discover the main ideas
scan look over to identify format and main features
Apply the Standard

Use the worksheet that follows to help you apply the standard as you read. Several copies have
been provided for you to use with different informational texts.
• Analyzing the Development of Ideas and Events
116
Name Date Assignment
Analyzing the Development of Ideas and Events

Use the graphic organizer, below, to analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events in an
informational text you have read recently. Then, answer the question at the bottom of the page.
Title: Author: Subject:
Analysis
What does the text describe?
❏ a complex set of ideas
❏ a sequence of events
Set of Ideas Sequence of Events

Outline the main ideas and supporting details: List the events in order:
I. 1st Event:
A. 2nd Event:
.B. 3rd Event:
II. 4th Event:
A.
.B.
III.
A.
B.
How do ideas interact and develop over How do events interact and develop over
the course of the text? the course of the text?
117

Analysis

I. 1st Event:
A. 2nd Event:
.B. 3rd Event:
II. 4th Event:
A.
.B.
III.
A.
B.
118

Analysis

I. 1st Event:
A. 2nd Event:
.B. 3rd Event:
II. 4th Event:
A.
.B.
III.
A.
B.
119

Analysis

I. 1st Event:
A. 2nd Event:
.B. 3rd Event:
II. 4th Event:
A.
.B.
III.
A.
B.
120

Analysis

I. 1st Event:
A. 2nd Event:
.B. 3rd Event:
II. 4th Event:
A.
.B.
III.
A.
B.
121

Analysis

I. 1st Event:
A. 2nd Event:
.B. 3rd Event:
II. 4th Event:
A.
.B.
III.
A.
B.
122
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and
refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text.
Explanation
When reading informational texts, you will come across words and phrases that are new to you
or used in unfamiliar ways. Figurative language is writing not meant to be interpreted literally.
Authors use figurative language to express ideas in a fresh way. Words also have connotative
meanings, or emotions and feelings that are associated with them. Connotations can be positive,
neutral or negative. Informational texts often include technical terms specifically related to a
subject. Figuring out technical meanings is an important part of reading informational text.
Sometimes an author refines the meaning of a key term over the course of the text, introducing it in
the opening paragraphs and later providing more and different examples or explanations. Authors
add new layers of meaning to words on purpose. Pay special attention to words that authors repeat.
They can often provide clues about the themes an author is trying to develop.
Examples
• Figurative language “The sound of the cicadas is like a buzz saw that cuts the night.” The
author uses a simile to help readers grasp that cicadas make a loud, harsh noise.
• Connotations Describing a scent as pungent creates a stronger impression than
overpowering. Authors choose words carefully, because connotations affect readers’
impressions.
• Technical language. Use context clues to figure out technical terms: “The Amazon
rainforest is a lush ecosystem that contains an enormous variety of species, including some
that are not found anyplace else on Earth.” If the text does not provide context clues or
definitions, check the terms’ meanings in a dictionary.
Academic Vocabulary
connotative meaning the associations related to a word
figurative language writing that is not meant to be interpreted literally
technical meanings word meanings specifically related to a subject
Apply the Standard

• Understanding Connotations, Figurative Language, and Technical Terms
• Analyzing Key Terms
123
Understanding Connotations, Figurative Language,

and Technical Terms
Use the graphic organizers to analyze the connotations, figurative language, and technical terms
found in informational text.
• In the top organizer, list words from the text that have connotations beyond their
dictionary meanings. Circle the kind of connotation (negative, positive, or neutral) and supply
the word’s meaning.
• In the bottom organizer, list examples of figurative language or technical terms, and
explain what the figures of speech mean or imply.
Connotations
Words with Connotations Kind of Connotation Connotative Meaning
(Circle one.)
1. negative positive neutral
Figurative Language and Technical Terms

Figurative Language What It Means or Implies
or
Technical Term
1.
2.
3.
4.
124

and Technical Terms
Connotations
(Circle one.)

or
Technical Term
1.
2.
3.
4.
125

and Technical Terms
Connotations
(Circle one.)

or
Technical Term
1.
2.
3.
4.
126

and Technical Terms
Connotations
(Circle one.)

or
Technical Term
1.
2.
3.
4.
127

and Technical Terms
Connotations
(Circle one.)

or
Technical Term
1.
2.
3.
4.
128

and Technical Terms
Connotations
(Circle one.)

or
Technical Term
1.
2.
3.
4.
129
Analyzing Key Terms

Use the graphic organizer to analyze several uses of a key term over the course of the text, and
describe which context clues help you better understand the term.
Key Term
What are textual examples of the key term? How does context help further your
understanding of the key term?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Summarize the understanding that you have of the key term after reading the entire text:
130
Analyzing Key Terms

Key Term
1.
2.
3.
4.
131
Analyzing Key Terms

Key Term
1.
2.
3.
4.
132
Analyzing Key Terms

Key Term
1.
2.
3.
4.
133
Analyzing Key Terms

Key Term
1.
2.
3.
4.
134
Analyzing Key Terms

Key Term
1.
2.
3.
4.
135
5. Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or
her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear,
convincing, and engaging.
Explanation
Writers deliberately structure, or organize, their ideas in order to make their points clear,
convincing, and engaging. The structure of an exposition or argument can follow several different
patterns of organization. Here are four common patterns of organization:
• Chronological order Listing steps in a process in the order in which they happen or should
be done. Telling events in time order.
• Cause-and-effect Showing how one situation or condition causes or influences another

• Comparison-and-contrast Pointing out similarities and differences between items
• Order of Importance Proceeding from least important point to most important, or from
most to least important point
Knowing the ways authors structure their writing can help you understand it more thoroughly and
quickly. Look for these text structures when reading informational text.
Examples
• Chronological order: A writer who proposes a plan to improve the national economy may use
this structure to list steps in the order in which they should be carried out.
• Cause-and-effect: This structure might be effective when explaining multiple causes leading
to a war or multiple effects produced by it.
• Comparison-and-contrast: A writer attempting to persuade an audience of the advantages of

one product over another might use this structure effectively.
• Order of importance: This structure would work well for a text that presents several
reasons for building a new dam. Reasons could be presented from most important to least
important, or vice versa.
Academic Vocabulary
argument the position that a writer presents, supported by evidence
exposition writing that explains a process or presents information
Apply the Standard

Use the worksheet that follows to help you apply the standard as you read. Several copies have
been provided for you to use with different informational texts.
• Analyzing and Evaluating Structure
136
Analyzing and Evaluating Structure

Writers can choose among several types of organization to structure their texts, such as:
chronological order comparison and contrast
cause-and-effect order order of importance.
Use this graphic organizer to analyze and evaluate the structure of the text you are reading.
1. What is the writer’s central idea or argument?
2. What type of organization does the writer use?
3. What details from the text show this type of organization?
4. Is this the best type of organization for the text? Explain your answer.
137

138

139

140

141

142
6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is
particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power,
persuasiveness or beauty of the text.
Explanation
In an informational text, a writer’s point of view is his or her position or perspective on an issue.
A writer may explicitly state his or her point of view, telling readers exactly what he or she thinks.
Other times writers may implicitly suggest a position in their arguments. You can determine a
writer’s point of view by paying close attention to the details and rhetoric he or she includes.
Rhetorical devices are the methods that writers use to emphasize their points and achieve their
purpose. Below are several rhetorical devices:
• Repetition is the repeating of a word, phrase, or idea to add emphasis.
• Rhetorical questions are questions with obvious answers, such as, “Are we incapable
of change?”
• Parallelism involves repeating similar grammatical structures to create rhythm or
add emphasis.
• Allusion is a reference to a well-known person, event, place, literary work, or work of art.
Examples
• In his “Speech to Parliament: In Defense of the Lower Classes,” George Gordon, Lord Byron
poses the rhetorical question: “Can you commit a whole country to their own prisons?”
The unstated answer (no) emphasizes Byron’s defense of factory workers.
• In the “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” speech, Winston Churchill employs repetition to
stress the urgency of defending Britain from German aggression: “We shall go on to the end,
we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing
confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island.”
• “Work had become his own personal Gulag of sorts” has an allusion (gulags). It is an
allusion to the network of horrible forced labor prisons in the former Soviet Union. In this
sentence, the allusion helps convey the absolute unpleasantness of work.
Academic Vocabulary
rhetoric the art of writing or speaking effectively
Apply the Standard

Use the worksheets that follow to help you apply the standard as you read informational texts.
Several copies of each worksheet have been provided for you.
• Determining Point of View
• Analyzing Effective Rhetoric

143
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Determining Point of View

Use the graphic organizer below to determine the writer’s point of view.
• Give details from the text that explicitly or implicitly reveal the writer’s point of view.
• Paraphrase the author’s viewpoint in your own words.
Title of Selection:
Details from the text:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Author’s point of view:
144
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Title of Selection:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
145
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Title of Selection:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
146
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Title of Selection:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
147
Name Date Selection

Title of Selection:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
148
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Title of Selection:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
149
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Analyzing Effective Rhetoric

Use the graphic organizer below to analyze the rhetorical devices that are used in a text you are
reading. (Note that the text you are analyzing may not include examples of each type.) Then answer
the question at the bottom of the page.
Title of Selection:
Type of Rhetorical Device Examples from the Text

Repetition:
Rhetorical questions:
Parallelism:
Allusions:
How does the author’s use of these devices contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of
the text?
150
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Title of Selection:

Repetition:
Parallelism:
Allusions:
the text?
151
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Title of Selection:

Repetition:
Parallelism:
Allusions:
the text?
152
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Title of Selection:

Repetition:
Parallelism:
Allusions:
the text?
153
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Title of Selection:

Repetition:
Parallelism:
Allusions:
the text?
154
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Title of Selection:

Repetition:
Parallelism:
Allusions:
the text?
155
7. Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different
media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to
address a question or solve a problem.
Explanation
When you investigate a topic, you may find several sources that present information in different
formats. Visual formats include photographs, maps, and illustrations. Quantitative formats
include charts, graphs, and tables. Oral formats include speeches and other types of audio material.
Print information includes primary source documents—nonfiction works that are firsthand
accounts of a specific historical period or event. Below are several examples of primary source
documents:
• Diaries and journals are private, personal records of events. Diaries and journals often
provide unique glimpses of real life during notable times. They contain valuable personal
details that only a participant or an eyewitness can supply.
• A letter is a written message addressed to a specific reader or readers.
• A field report is a first-hand record of observations and data written by researchers in the
field. Depending on their subjects, writers of field reports may include specialized scientific
or technical language and illustrations.
• A government memorandum is a brief official message that summarizes reasons for a

particular action and gives instructions on how it is to be performed.
In order to fully address a question or to solve a problem, it helps to integrate and evaluate several
sources. Each source or format adds unique content to an in-depth understanding of a subject.
Examples
Several sources can help you address the question, “What was life like for the Allied soldiers
fighting in Europe during World War II?” Newsreels and photographs show actual scenes of
the war. Graphs and charts can provide statistics on battle casualties, war evacuations, and
numbers of battleships. Maps of European battlefields illustrate troop movements or the sites of
important battles.
Academic Vocabulary
primary source a first-hand document or recording of an event
quantitative containing data that deals with measurements or amounts
Apply the Standard

Use the worksheet that follows to help you apply the standard as you read informational texts.
Several copies of the worksheet have been provided for you.
• Integrating and Evaluating Information

156
Name Date Selection
Integrating and Evaluating Information

Use this organizer to integrate and evaluate information from several sources. First, determine a
question or problem that you will address by gathering information. Then select three different
sources that present information about the subject in different formats (e.g., map, diary, letter,
graph), and answer the questions.
What question or problem will you investigate?
Evaluating Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

Information
1. In what format
is the information
presented?
2. Who is the author

and what is the date
of the source?
3. What is the most

helpful information
the source provides?
Integrating Information: Think about what you’ve learned from all three sources. What
conclusions can you draw about your topic?
157
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Information
1. In what format
is the information
presented?

of the source?
3. What is the most

helpful information
158
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Information
1. In what format
is the information
presented?

of the source?
3. What is the most

helpful information
159
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Information
1. In what format
is the information
presented?

of the source?
3. What is the most

helpful information
160
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Information
1. In what format
is the information
presented?

of the source?
3. What is the most

helpful information
161
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Information
1. In what format
is the information
presented?

of the source?
3. What is the most

helpful information
162
8. Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the
application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning (e.g., in U.S.
Supreme Court majority opinions and dissents) and the premises, purposes,
and arguments in works of public advocacy (e.g., The Federalist, presidential
addresses).
Explanation
Persuasion is writing that presents an argument, or message that is meant to move readers to think
a certain way or take a specific action. Strong writers often rely on the following persuasive appeals
to convince readers of their premises: appeals to emotion to influence readers’ feelings; appeals
to logic to show that an argument is correct; and appeals to ethics to show that a higher principle
supports the idea.
Persuasive writers also use a variety of rhetorical devices to stress their key points and to move
readers’ emotions: restatement, repetition, parallelism, rhetorical questions, and allusions.
When you evaluate an argument—such as those in influential U.S. texts, Supreme Court opinions
and dissents, and presidential addresses—look for uses of persuasive appeals and rhetorical
devices. Ask if the writer has used sound evidence and reasoning to support his or her message.
Examples
Notice the appeals, reasoning, and rhetorical devices that Franklin D. Roosevelt used in his third
inaugural address on January 20, 1941, to rouse the country’s faith in democracy:
• Appeal to logic; repetition; parallelism; restatement: “We know [democracy] cannot

die—because it is built on the unhampered initiative of individual men and women joined
together in a common enterprise—an enterprise undertaken and carried through by the free
expression of a free majority.”
• Appeal to emotion: “We know it because democracy alone, of all forms of government,
enlists the full force of men’s enlightened will.”
• Allusion: “[Democracy’s] vitality was written into our own Mayflower Compact, into the
Declaration of Independence, into the Constitution of the United States, into the Gettysburg
Address.”
Academic Vocabulary
reasoning: the use of logical thinking in order to draw conclusions
premise: basis of an argument
Apply the Standard

Use the worksheets that follow to help you apply the standard as you read informational texts.
• Evaluating Reasoning
163
Name Date Selection
Evaluating Reasoning
Answer the questions in the graphic organizer to help you evaluate the reasoning in a text that
pertains to governmental or legal matters.
Text: Writer:
1. What main arguments or

explanations are presented?
2. What reasoning or evidence

supports the writer’s argument?
3. What appeals does the writer

make to emotions, logic, or
ethics?
4. What rhetorical devices does

the writer use?
5. What is the writer’s main

purpose in writing the text?
6. Overall, would you say the

argument is convincing or
effective? Why or why not?
164
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Text: Writer:



ethics?

the writer use?


165
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Text: Writer:



ethics?

the writer use?


166
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Text: Writer:



ethics?

the writer use?


167
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Text: Writer:



ethics?

the writer use?


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Text: Writer:



ethics?

the writer use?


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9. Analyze seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and nineteenth-century foundational U.S.
documents of historical and literary significance (including The Declaration of
Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Lincoln’s
Second Inaugural Address) for their themes, purposes, and rhetorical features.
Explanation
Documents that helped to establish guiding principles for U.S. government, law, and society are
known as foundational documents. In addition to having historical significance, many of these
documents also have literary merit. Foundational documents from U.S. history include:
• The Declaration of Independence: a declaration of the colonies’ independence from

Britain, written in 1776 by Thomas Jefferson
• Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address: the address delivered on March 4, 1865, when the
Civil War was nearly at an end. Lincoln urges the country to reunite in peace and charity.
To analyze a foundational document, first determine the purpose or aim of the author. The purpose
of most historical documents is persuasion—an attempt to convince the audience to take an action
or adopt an idea. Next, determine the theme of the work, or its central message or insight. Lastly,
analyze the rhetorical devices the writer used to highlight his or her key points, such as:
• Connotations: the associations that a word calls to mind
• Allusions: references to well-known people, events, or texts
• Repetition: repeating a word or phrase
• Parallelism: repeating a grammatical structure
• Appeals to emotion: appeals to readers’ feelings

• Appeals to logic: the use of reasoning
• Appeals to ethics: appeals to readers’ principles
• Figurative language: language that is not intended to be interpreted literally
Examples
The purpose of President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address was not to glory in victory but to
advise against harsh treatment of the South. The theme running through the address is a plea for
the country to heal by moving forward in a sense of brotherhood. In support of this idea, Lincoln
makes an allusion to the Bible (“but let us judge not, that we be not judged”).
Apply the Standard

Use the worksheet that follows to help you apply the standard as you read informational texts.
• Analyzing Historical Documents

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Name Date Selection
Analyzing Historical Documents

Answer the questions in the graphic organizer to analyze a historical document.
Selection:
1. When was the document written? What

main historical events were happening at
that time?
2. What is the writer’s main purpose?
3. What key points does the writer make?
4. What is the theme of the work? (Synthesize

the key points you listed in #3.)
5. What rhetorical devices are employed? Give a.

four examples from the text.
b.
c.
d.
6. What makes this document significant?

Does it have both historical and literary
significance? Explain.
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Selection:

that time?


b.
c.
d.

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Selection:

that time?


b.
c.
d.

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Selection:

that time?


b.
c.
d.

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Selection:

that time?


b.
c.
d.

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Name Date Selection

Selection:

that time?


b.
c.
d.

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10. B
y the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end
of the grades 11–CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Explanation
Works of literary nonfiction vary widely in their complexity, or how difficult they are to
understand. The factors that contribute to the complexity of a text vary. The level of vocabulary may
be high, the writer’s style may be challenging, or the subject matter may require special background
or technical knowledge. However, you can comprehend even the most complex texts by employing
a variety of reading strategies. Examples of the best nonfiction reading strategies are given below.
Examples
• Preview the text: Previewing or scanning a text before reading it can give you a basic
understanding of what the text is about. Pay close attention to the title, subheadings, and
boldfaced words since they often give information about the text’s main ideas. In addition,
look over the visual features such as photos and informational graphics.
• Monitor your comprehension: Check your understanding of the text as you read. If you
lose the thread of meaning, reread the confusing passages. Slow your reading pace as you
reread, and use punctuation cues to break complex sentences into meaningful parts. If you
still don’t understand the passage, read ahead to see if the meaning is clarified.
• Summarize: A summary is a short statement that presents the key ideas and main points
of a text. Summarizing helps you remember the key points of a text by focusing on the
most important information. When reading nonfiction, stop about every five minutes and
summarize what you’ve read. When summarizing, follow these steps: (1) Reread to identify
main ideas. Jot them down. (2) Organize your points in order and cross out minor details
that are not important for an overall understanding of the work. (3) Summarize by restating
the major ideas in as few words as possible.
• Use context clues: Context is the text around a particular word. When you come upon
unfamiliar words, use context clues like these to figure out the meaning: synonyms (words
that mean the same as the unfamiliar word), antonyms (words with opposite meanings),
explanations (words that give information about the word), and sentence role (the way the
word is used).
Academic Vocabulary
complexity the degree to which a work is difficult to understand
clarify explain; make clearer
Apply the Standard

Use the worksheet that follows to help you apply the standard as you read informational text.
• Comprehending Complex Texts
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Name Date Selection

Explain what makes the literary nonfiction text you are reading complex. Then explain how you
used reading strategies to understand the difficult parts of the text.
• Use the left-hand column of the graphic organizer to list specific examples of complex text.
• Use the right-hand column to identify reading strategies that you used and how they
helped you.
Title: Writer:
What makes this selection complex?
Examples of Complex Text Helpful Reading Strategies
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Name Date Selection

helped you.
Title: Writer:
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Name Date Selection

helped you.
Title: Writer:
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Name Date Selection

helped you.
Title: Writer:
1.
2.
3.
4.
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helped you.
Title: Writer:
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Name Date Selection

helped you.
Title: Writer:
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Writing Standards
Writing 1
1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts,
using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
Writing Workshop: Argument

When you develop an argument in writing, you present and support a claim. An argument is
not just an expression of your personal opinion. Sound arguments are reasoned and supported
with evidence. For example, if you are developing an essay about community service, you might
present the claim, “Young people should commit to volunteering in their communities.” Valid
reasoning and evidence form the heart of that argument. If you support your claim with compelling
reasons for volunteering and relevant, sufficient evidence—and make effective use of rhetorical
techniques—your argument will be persuasive.
Assignment
Write a persuasive essay in which you take a position on an issue and include these elements:
✓✓a claim, or brief statement that identifies an issue and clearly states your position
✓✓evidence and reasoning to support your position or claim
✓✓acknowledgement of opposing positions or claims, recognizing their

strengths as well as pointing out their limitations
✓✓effective and coherent organization
✓✓use of rhetorical technique, including make effective choices for meaning or

style and varying syntax for effect
✓✓a formal style and objective tone
✓✓correct use of language conventions
*Additional Standards
Writing reasons, and evidence. clarify the relationships Language
1. Write arguments to between claim(s) and 2. Demonstrate command of
1.b. Develop claim(s) and
support claims in an analysis reasons, between reasons the conventions of standard
counterclaims fairly and
of substantive topics or and evidence, and between English capitalization,
thoroughly, supplying the
texts, using valid reasoning claim(s) and counterclaims. punctuation, and spelling
most relevant evidence for
and relevant and sufficient each while pointing out the 1.d. Establish and maintain when writing.
evidence. strengths and limitations a formal style and objective 3.a. Vary syntax for effect,
1.a. Introduce precise, of both in a manner that tone while attending to the consulting references (e.g.,
knowledgeable claim(s), anticipates the audience’s norms and conventions of Tufte’s Artful Sentences) for
establish the significance knowledge level, concerns, the discipline in which they guidance as needed; apply
of the claim(s), distinguish values, and possible biases. are writing. an understanding of syntax
the claim(s) from alternate 1.c. Use words, phrases, 1.e. Provide a concluding to the study of complex texts
or opposing claims, and and clauses as well as statement or section that when reading.
create an organization varied syntax to link the follows from and supports
that logically sequences major sections of the the argument presented.
claim(s), counterclaims, text, create cohesion, and
186
Prewriting/Planning Strategies
Choose a topic. Think carefully about issues that are important to you.
Be sure that you can develop a fully-reasoned argument on your topic.
Identify your claim. After choosing a topic, decide what position you will take on the issue.
Begin by conducting research to learn more about the issue. Explore your feelings about the issue
by taking notes on the information you gather. Write a sentence that clearly states the position you
develop. That is your claim.
My Topic:
Source 1: Notes:
Source 2: Notes:
Source 3: Notes:
My Claim:
Define task, purpose, and audience. At all points of the writing process, consider your task,
or what specifically you are writing; your purpose, or the effect you want your writing to have;
and your audience, or the people you want to persuade.
187
Supporting a Claim
Develop compelling reasons. To support your claim, develop strong reasons that will grab
readers’ attention and hold their interest. For example, your claim might be that “Young people
should commit to volunteering in their communities.” One compelling reason supporting your
claim is that students who do volunteer work are much more likely to win college scholarships.
As you develop reasons, be sure to consider both your purpose for writing and your audience. Use
the chart below to help develop compelling reasons.
• Your reasons should clearly support your claim. You should be able to link each reason to
your claim using the subordinating conjunction because.
• Under each reason, write how the reason grabs your audience’s attention and helps achieve
your purpose.
My Claim:
Reason 1:
Purpose: Audience:
Reason 2:
Purpose: Audience:
Reason 3:
Purpose: Audience:
188
Drafting Strategies
Create a structure for your draft. Plan a strategy for presenting your ideas. Be sure to structure
your persuasive essay in a way that helps you achieve your purpose and is easy to follow. Use the
organizer below to plan the structure of your argument.
• Evaluate your reasoning and evidence. Are your reasons valid and compelling? Are they
supported by relevant, sufficient evidence?
• Consider starting with a valid yet obvious reason—for example, “Volunteering helps
improve our communities”—and building to your strongest, most compelling reason.
Introduction/Claim:
Background on your topic:
Reason 1:
Reason 2:
Reason 3:
Counterclaims:
Conclusion:
189
Develop your claim. Use the organizer below to develop your claim, gather and evaluate your
evidence, and anticipate and respond to counterclaims.
1. Write your claim and reasons, using precise wording to state your position on the issue and
to explain your reasoning.
2. Gather evidence to support your claim and reasons.
• Record your evidence in the center of the organizer.
• Evaluate your evidence to ensure it’s both relevant and sufficient to support your claim.
3. Anticipate counterclaims and plan your responses. Strive to be fair as you respond to
counterclaims, pointing out their strengths as well as their limitations.
My Claim:
Reason 1: Reason 2: Reason 3:
My Evidence:
Is all of my evidence relevant? Is my evidence sufficient to support my claim?
Counterclaims: Addressing Counterclaims:
190
Style and Tone

Establish a formal style and an objective tone. A formal style is appropriate for a persuasive
essay that will be read by a variety of people, such as an essay submitted for a class assignment. In
addition, a formal style is suitable for writing about an important issue, such as community service.
An objective tone communicates respect for your audience, including readers who disagree with
your position.
Examples:
Informal Style: Community service shows people things that they might not find out about
any other way. Young people who volunteer in their communities learn a lot about the real
world.
Formal Style: Community service exposes volunteers to aspects of contemporary life that
they might not experience otherwise. Young people who volunteer in their communities
develop new understanding of the world in which they live.
Subjective Tone: I go to school, do homework, do my chores, and go to an afterschool job,
just like my busiest classmates. I still find time for community service, however, and so can all
of you.
Objective Tone: Between school, homework, household chores, and afterschool jobs, many of
us are extremely busy already. However, most young people can spare a few hours a month for
community service.
As you draft your persuasive essay, choose words and phrases carefully to maintain a formal style
and an objective tone.
Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion. Link the sections of your persuasive
essay by using transitional words, phrases, and clauses. Transitions improve your writing by
helping your audience follow your claim, reasoning, and evidence.
• Linking your claim to your reasoning: because, for these reasons
• Linking reasons to each other: also, in addition, what’s more, more importantly
• Linking reasoning to evidence: for example, in this case, specifically
• Linking your claim to counterclaims: although, while, however

Include transitions to clarify the relationships between your claim and your reasoning, between
your reasons and your evidence, and between your claim and any counterclaims. Here are some
examples:
• Young people should commit to volunteering in their communities because the experience
offers them new perspectives and enriches their lives.
• Community service can help young people establish firm foundations for their futures.
Specifically, volunteer work helps to develop skills that will be crucial in the workplace.
191
Conclusion
Include a powerful conclusion. Your persuasive essay should end with a compelling and
persuasive conclusion. A powerful conclusion follows from and supports your argument, while
reaching your audience in a new and dramatic way. The examples below illustrate strategies for
writing a powerful conclusion.
• Take a forceful stand on your issue: Each of us is an important part of our community. Our
communities shape our lives, and what happens to us affects our communities in turn. Given
how important our communities are, we should place the highest of values on community service.
Whatever our age, we all owe this much to the people and places that make us who we are.
• Return to your claim and offer a final, personal example to support it: Every young person
should commit to volunteering in their communities. Community service can be more rewarding than
you can imagine. I know, because I volunteer each week at a nursing home in my town. The hours I
have spent there are among the most important and valuable in my life so far.
• Urge your audience to take action: Young people who volunteer in their communities reap
concrete benefits and gain valuable experiences. Furthermore, community service organizations need
volunteers to help carry out their missions. It’s time for every one of us to commit to doing his or her
part. Together, we can make our communities and our own lives richer.
My Conclusion
Describe the strategy you used to write your conclusion:
Evaluating My Conclusion
o Does my conclusion follow from my o Is my conclusion powerful? Explain.
argument?
o Does it support my claim, reasoning, and
evidence?
o Did I maintain an appropriately formal style
and objective tone?
o Does it offer a memorable analogy or final
reason?
192
Revising Strategies
Put a checkmark beside each question as your address it in your revision.
Questions to Ask as You Revise

Writing Task o Have I fulfilled my task?
o Does my writing contain the elements of a persuasive essay?
o Did I begin with a claim that identifies an issue and takes a clear
position on the issue?
o Did I address alternative or opposing arguments?
o Did I include valid reasoning and relevant, sufficient evidence?
Purpose o Is my argumentative essay persuasive?
o Are my reasons compelling?
o Is there enough evidence to support my argument?
o What reasons and evidence in my essay helped me achieve my
purpose?
o Should I add more evidence? If so, list below:
o Have I included a powerful conclusion?

Audience o Have I addressed my audience’s knowledge? Have I addressed their
concerns?
o Will my reasoning grab my audience’s attention and hold their
interest?
o Is my style of writing and tone suited to my audience? If not, what
words and phrases need revision?
o Will my audience be able to follow my persuasive essay?

o What transitions should be added to link sections of my essay, create
cohesion, and clarify relationships between ideas?
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Revising
Revise to make effective choices for meaning or style. The choices you make as you write
and revise affect both the meaning of your persuasive essay and its style. The meanings of similar
words are often different in small but important ways. In addition, one choice can be formal and
another casual.
Choices that Affect Meaning

Original: Community service can be difficult, but the rewards of volunteering are unlimited.
Revised: Community service can be challenging, but the rewards of volunteering are immeasurable.
Choices that Affect Style
Original: Teens who volunteer in their communities learn a lot from the experience.
Revised: Young people who volunteer in their communities learn a great deal from the experience.
To revise word choices, follow these steps:
1. Read through your draft carefully. Sentences with word choices that are not effective will
stand out.
2. Using a thesaurus or the “synonyms” function of your word processing software, search for
synonyms of any words in your essay that are not effective.
3. Rewrite the sentences, choosing words that more effectively communicate your meaning or
maintain a formal style.
Revise to vary syntax. Syntax describes the ways in which words and phrases are organized into
sentences. If too many sentences have the same or similar structures, your persuasive essay will
not be interesting to read. To vary syntax, change repetitive structures by rewriting and combining
sentences.
Original: Community service organizations help many people. They provide important
services. Our communities need these organizations. The organizations need volunteers.
Young people can meet that need.
Revised: Community service organizations help many people by providing important
services. Our communities need these organizations, and in turn, the organizations need
volunteers. Young people can meet that need.
Revision ChecklistC
o Are there words that do not convey your intended meaning effectively?
o Are there words that create an inappropriately casual style?
o Are there paragraphs in which the syntax is unvaried, or many sentences have the same or
similar structures?
194
Editing and Proofreading

Review your draft to correct errors in capitalization, spelling, and punctuation.
Focus on Capitalization: Review your draft carefully to find and correct capitalization errors. If
you make reference to or cite information from newspapers, magazine articles, journals, books, or
other sources, be sure that you have capitalized the titles correctly.
Incorrect capitalization: Correct capitalization
the Hilldale county gazette the Hilldale County Gazette
“Community Service And You” “Community Service and You”
Focus on Spelling: A persuasive essay that includes spelling errors loses its authority to convince.
Check the spelling of each word. Look for words that you frequently misspell and make sure they
are correct. If you have typed your draft on a computer, use the spell-check feature to double-check
for error. Carefully review each suggested change before accepting the spell-check’s suggestions.
Also note that spell-check features will not catch all errors. Proofread carefully even after running a
spell-check.
Focus on Punctuation: Titles and Quotations Proofread your writing to find and address
punctuation errors. In particular, look for places in your writing where you include the titles of
articles, newspapers and magazines, and books. Also, look for places where you have included
quotations.
Rule: Use quotation marks for the titles of short works. The titles of articles, essays, short
stories, short poems, and other short works should be enclosed in quotation marks.
Rule: Use italics for the titles of periodicals and long works. The titles of newspapers,
magazines, journals, books, plays, long poems, and other long works should be italicized.
Example: The article “Community Organizations Call for Volunteers” appeared in News for
Students magazine.
Rule: Use quotation marks for direct quotations. Enclose a source’s exact words in quotation
marks. Commas and periods that end quotations are placed within the quotation marks.
Example: “Organizations around the country are desperately in need of committed
volunteers,” explains the article.
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Publishing and Presenting

Consider one of the following ways to present your writing:
Create a Web site. Create a Web site focusing on the issue you address in your persuasive essay.
Explain the issue and identify your position on your Web site’s home page. Create links to pages
that detail each of your reasons and present your evidence. You may wish to create links to related
Web sites, including sites you used in your research.
Record an audio documentary. Use your persuasive essay as the basis for an audio
documentary. Record your explanation of the issue you addressed in your essay and a brief
presentation of your claim and argument. Then, record other students discussing their positions on
the issue. You may wish to include music as well. Play your audio documentary for your class.
Rubric for Self-Assessment
Find evidence in your writing to address each category. Then, use the rating scale to grade your
work. Circle that score that best applies for each category.
Evaluating Your Argument not very very

Focus: How clearly has your claim been stated? 1 2 3 4 5 6
Organization: How effectively and coherently have you organized your 1 2 3 4 5 6
argument?
Style: How well have you maintained a formal, objective tone throughout 1 2 3 4 5 6
your argument?
Support/Elaboration: How valid, sufficient, and suited to your audience is 1 2 3 4 5 6
your evidence?
Conventions: How free of errors in grammar, usage, spelling, and 1 2 3 4 5 6
punctuation is your argument?
196
Writing 2
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas,
concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection,
organization, and analysis of content.
Writing Workshop: Expository Essay

When you write an expository essay, your task is to inform your audience and provide them with
accurate and persuasive information. In a specific form of the expository essay known as a cause-
and-effect essay, you examine the relationship between two or more events by explaining how one
event causes or influences another. As with other types of informative text, the first paragraph of a
cause-and-effect essay must clearly identify the connection between specific causes and effects in
a thesis sentence. In the body of the essay, you should fully develop that analysis by supporting it
with facts, quotations, concrete details, and other relevant information.
Assignment
Write an expository essay that focuses on a cause-and-effect relationship in history, in current
events, in your school, in your community, or in the wider world. Include these elements:
✓✓a clear statement of the relationship between or among cause(s) and effect(s)
✓✓an organization with formatting that helps make the cause(s) and effects clear
✓✓graphics or multimedia, if they are useful for exploring cause(s) and effect(s)
✓✓explanation, sufficient facts, quotations, concrete details, and other

development specific to your purpose and audience
✓✓appropriate transitional words and phrases
✓✓precise language and techniques such as metaphor, simile, and analogy
✓✓a logical and effective conclusion
✓✓correct use of language conventions and a formal style and objective tone
2.a. Introduce a topic; most significant and relevant 2.d. Use precise language, that follows from and
organize complex ideas, facts, extended definitions, domain-specific vocabulary, supports the information or
concepts, and information concrete details, quotations, and techniques such as explanation presented (e.g.,
so that each new element or other information and metaphor, simile, and articulating implications or
builds on that which examples appropriate to the analogy to manage the the significance of the topic).
precedes it to create a audience’s knowledge of the complexity of the topic. Language
unified whole; include topic.
2.e. Establish and maintain 1. Demonstrate command of
formatting (e.g., headings), 2.c. Use appropriate and a formal style and objective the conventions of standard
graphics (e.g., figures, varied transitions and syntax tone while attending to English grammar and usage
tables), and multimedia to link the major sections of the norms and conventions when writing or speaking.
when useful to aiding the text, create cohesion, of the discipline in which
comprehension. and clarify the relationships 2.a. Observe hyphenation
students are writing.
2.b. Develop the topic among complex ideas and conventions.
2.f. Provide a concluding
thoroughly by selecting the concepts.
statement or section
197
List phenomena, events, and trends. Make a list of scientific phenomena, historic events, or
popular trends that you find interesting, important, startling, or amazing. Look over your list to
find a topic you would like to explore in an essay.
Scan newspapers and magazines. Review print or online articles, looking for stories or ideas
that grab your attention or make you ask “Why?” Jot down possible topics, then focus on the one
topic that most stimulates your curious.
Narrow your topic. If the topic you choose is too broad, you will not be able to analyze it in
depth. The best analyses tend to be tightly focused on a specific topic—that is, they begin with
a relatively narrow topic and develop it in detail. The funnel organizer below helps show this
progression from a topic that is too broad to one that is appropriately narrow. For example:
Broad: Exercise brings benefits.
Less Broad: Exercise can boost your performance at school.
Narrow: Regular aerobic exercise can boost your performance at school.
Broad:
Less Broad:
Narrow:
For use with Writing 2
198
Developing a Topic
Explore the cause(s) and effect(s). To develop your topic, list the causes and effects as well
as concrete details about each cause and effect. Depending on your topic, add or delete boxes and
arrows from this diagram as needed.
Cause:
Effect: Effect: Effect:
199
Organizing Ideas
Outline your essay. Use an informal outline to begin developing the major parts of your essay.
Follow the structure of the model provided below.
1. Introduction
Opening hook:
Clear statement of cause-and-effect relationship:
2. Body: Exploration of Causes and Effects
Cause or Effect 1:
Supporting Facts/Examples/Details:
Cause or Effect 2:
Cause or Effect 3:
Cause or Effect 4:
Cause or Effect 5:
3. Conclusion
Restatement/Summary:
Closure:
200
Choose a logical organization for the body of your essay. The structure of your body
paragraphs depends on the information you are conveying to your readers.
• Chronological order. Arranging your main ideas in chronological order makes sense for
cause-and-effect essay. You can start with a cause and then continue by describing its effects
over time, or you could start with the effect, and then work back through time to discuss its
causes. Keep in mind, however, that a time-order relationship is not in itself proof of a cause
and effect relationship between events.
• Order of importance. This method of organization works well if you are describing
multiple causes. You can either begin with your most important cause, or you can save the
most important cause for last.
In the organizer below, arrange your causes and their effect(s) in chronological order or by order of
importance. Cross out or add a box or boxes if you need to.
1.
▼
2.
▼
3.
▼
4.
▼
5.
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Using Transitions
Use appropriate and varied transitions. Link the ideas in your writing by using transitional
words, phrases, and clauses such as the following:
as a result for this reason so that
because if … then therefore
because of since thus
consequently so why
for
To help your audience move easily from one sentence or paragraph to the next, you may use
transitions that suggest time order, such as first, second, then, and last, or order of importance, such
as first, next, more important, and most important.
You might also link the final sentence of one paragraph with the opening sentence of the next
paragraph by means of repetition:
Paragraph 1 ends: . . . are the major causes of criticism aimed at for-profit colleges.
Paragraph 2 begins: Perhaps the most common criticism is . . .
Create coherence. Just as repetition can form an effective link between paragraphs by causing
them to cohere, or “hang together,” repetition can also be used successfully within a paragraph
to create coherence. In addition, other elements such as clear pronoun-antecedent agreement,
transitional language that links ideas and sentences, and words that qualify or intensify meaning
also help a block of prose “flow” as a unified whole.
In the writing example below, identify each boldfaced word as a transitional word or phrase, a
pronoun with a clear antecedent, a repeated word, or word and phrases that qualify or intensify
meaning.
Exercise results in neurogenesis, the creation of neurons in the learning center of the
brain. It is also believed to initiate responses that protect already existing neurons and
to promote the plasticity of the brain. These effects potentially translate to benefits for
learners in the classroom. Studies conducted with people between the ages of 18 and 24
have shown that effects of exercise may include better abilities to plan, to schedule, and to
remember. All of these abilities are crucial for classroom success.
Include formatting, graphics, or multimedia. Depending on the information you are trying
to convey to your audience, you may want to use formatting options such as headings and bulleted
points. You may also want to include tables, graphs, charts, and other figures. These can help you
provide a more comprehensive analysis or help relay information in the most effective manner, and
they also help to engage or sustain an audience’s interest.
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Drafting a Conclusion
Write an effective conclusion. The task of informing an audience is usually a formal one. For
that reason, you should follow a conventional essay structure and include a formal conclusion.
That conclusion must support the information and explanation you have provided in the thesis and
body of your essay. To create an effective conclusion, synthesize, summarize, or restate your main
ideas in a fresh way that re-emphasizes your thesis and the significance of the topic. Then provide
a satisfying sense of closure by leaving your reader with a sense of the greater significance of
implications of your topic. One effective way to do this is with a final question or a prediction about
the future. Other techniques include placing the discussion in a larger or global context, or referring
back to what one of your quoted experts or sources might say in summary.
Evaluating Language
Check for precise language. If the cause you are presenting is “fast food contributes to
childhood obesity,” your statement might be accurate, but you are not precise. To be precise, you
must be concrete and support your argument with specific details and information. For example,
you might add details such as the following: children who eat fast food are less likely to consume the
recommended numbers of fruits and vegetables, they increase their caloric intake by approximately 190
calories per day, and they are likely to gain 6 more pounds per year than children who do not eat fast food.
When you are revising your essay, general, imprecise, or overused words and phrases should be
deleted or replaced with more precise and concrete language.
Check for technological or topic-specific language. Suppose that the effects you are
analyzing include the effects of exercise on the brain. If so, you should include technical or topic-
specific language such as neurogenesis, neurons, and endorphins if they help explain effects. If you
are writing for a general audience, briefly define these terms as you introduce or first use them.
Alternatively, you might include an illustration to help illustrate and explain certain technical
concepts to your reader or audience.
Replace everyday explanation with literary techniques. A metaphor, simile, or analogy
can be every bit as powerful in nonfiction writing as it can be in a work of literature. You may also
find that such techniques help to keep your audience interested, as well as help you to achieve your
writing purpose. To create a metaphor, you might say “fast food is a magnet” or, for a simile, that
“fast food is like a magnet.” You might even develop that figurative language by noting that people
are always drawn to it or that they cannot get enough of it.
203
Evaluating Your Writing Style and Tone

Evaluate your tone. When you are writing an expository essay, aim for an objective tone. To
create an objective tone, eliminate any friendly, chatty language. Never use sarcasm, and be wary
of making any statement that implies disrespect or condescension toward your reader or toward
an opposing point of view. You should also avoid the first or second person, except in cases where
a personal anecdote is both relevant and persuasive. Instead, create a little distance between your
audience and yourself by using the tone and language of textbooks or other credible, authoritative
sources.
Evaluate your style. A large part of your style is created through tone, but you most also make
other style choices to ensure that your writing is appropriate to your purpose and audience. For
example, you should use standard English and avoid slang and informal wording. Avoid fragments
except where they are rhetorically appropriate, such as for dramatic effect or emphasis. You should
also avoid punctuation choices such as unwarranted exclamation marks, and revise to edit out
contractions. Also, craft your sentences for pleasing variety and rhythm, and create formal grace
through the use of parallelism.
In the following writing example, examine the tone and style choices that are printed in bold.
Decide why each is inconsistent with the task, purpose, and the audience, and suggest replacements
in the blanks that follow the example.
A keyword search (1) thru the school paper shows that an unforeseen result of cutting the activities
budget six years ago was a (2) pretty dramatic increase in absenteeism. When students (3)
couldn’t play sports after school, they (4) just plain (5) didn’t show up some days, or they
(6) cut out early (7) ! (8) Ditto for students in the music program. (9) Kids who found their
identity in the band or jazz group were suddenly left without a compelling reason to come to
school. Administrators who were (10) bent out of shape by the rise in absenteeism during those
years seem to have forgotten all about it now.
1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.
204
Revising Strategies
Using the checklist below, put a checkmark beside each question as you address it in your essay
revision.
Questions To Ask as You Revise

Task o Have I written a cause-and-effect essay?
o Is there a clear relationship between each cause and each
relationship that I present?
Purpose o Have I presented a clear cause-and-effect relationship beginning with

my introduction?
o Have I fully developed each cause and effect with sufficient facts,
statistics, quotations, concrete details, examples, or other forms of
development?
o Have I sufficiently explained and supported my major points?
o Are all of the details I’ve included relevent to my explanation of
cause and effect?
o Have I provided a formal and effective conclusion?
Audience o Will my audience understand the relationship between each cause

and effect?
o Do I need to add, delete, or adjust any details to suit them better to
my audience’s interest, knowledge, or experience?
o Have I adequately explained technical or topic-specific or technical
language?
o Have I maintained an objective tone throughout?
o Is my style and tone specific to my audience?
o Have I included appropriate graphics, headings, or multimedia as
needed to help my audience understand and follow causes and
effects?
o Have I used transitions, clear pronoun references, and other
connectors so that my audience can easily follow my ideas?
205
Revising
Revise for pronoun-antecedent agreement. Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns,
such as him, her, them, or it. Antecedents are the nouns that the pronouns refer to, such as Dr. Miller,
Sharon, the listeners, or the committee.
Identifying errors in pronoun-antecedent agreement In your writing, check to be sure each
pronoun agrees with its antecedent in number (singular or plural), person (first person, second
person, or third person), and gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter).
Use a plural personal pronoun with two or more antecedents joined by and.
Incorrect: In separate papers, Cohen and Wu came to the same conclusion in his research.
Correct: In separate papers, Cohen and Wu came to the same conclusion in their research.
Use a singular personal pronoun with two or more antecedents joined by or or nor.
Incorrect: Neither an 8-year-old nor a 40-year-old should increase their intake by 180 calories
per day.
Correct: Neither an 8-year-old nor a 40-year-old should increase his or her intake by 180
calories per day.
Fixing Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Errors

To correct a pronoun and antecedent that do not agree, choose the pronoun that expresses the
correct number, person, and gender.
1. Identify the number, person, and gender of the antecedent.
2. Choose a pronoun with the same number, person, and gender. Be sure you choose the right
pronoun case: nominative, objective, or possessive.
Revision ChecklistC
o Does every pronoun I used clearly refer back to an antecedent?
o Does each pronoun agree with its antecedent in number, person, and gender?
o Does each pronoun agree in sentences in which compound subjects are joined by and, or, or
nor?
206

Focus on Usage Errors: Check your writing for commonly confused words. Remember that then
is often used for time and that than is used for comparisons. Use since to refer to a previous time, not
to mean because. If you are unsure about a word, consult a dictionary or usage guide.
Focus on Capitalization: Review your draft carefully to find and correct capitalization errors.
Capitalize all proper adjectives.
Incorrect capitalization: Recent statistics show that 30% of american children, 24% of mexican
children, and 23% of british children are obese.
Correct capitalization: Recent statistics show that 30% of American children, 24% of Mexican
children, and 23% of British children are obese.
Focus on Spelling: As you read, circle any words that you are not sure how to spell, frequently
misspell, or seldom use. Then, use reference resources such as a dictionary or thesaurus to confirm
the correct spelling. Follow these steps to find spellings in a dictionary:
• Check the first letters of a word. Think of homophones for that sound.
• Check the other letters. Once you spell the first sound correctly, try sounding out the rest
of the word. Look for likely spellings in the dictionary. If you do not find your word, look
for more unusual spellings of the sound.
Focus on Punctuation: Hyphens in Compounds Proofread your writing to find and address
punctuation errors. In particular, look for compound words that may need hyphens, or pairs or
groups of words that form temporary compounds. Be sure you use hyphens correctly.
Rule: Use hyphens with year-old: Shouldn’t a three-year-old be eating foods selected and prepared by
his or her own family?
Rule: Use a hyphen in compound nouns using self- or vice-. Vandals frequently have low self-
esteem.
The vice-principal was concerned about recent acts of vandalism.
Rule: Use a hyphen in temporarily formed compound adjectives before a noun. She led
a fact-finding session to isolate causes of vandalism.
207

Give a class presentation. Use your essay as the basis of a class presentation. Use photographs,
charts, tables, or other graphics to help make the cause-and-effect relationship clear. Practice
combining visuals with your oral presentation, deciding when you will show each visual as you
share ideas from your essay.
Use e-mail. Share your writing electronically. Type the essay using word processing software.
Attach the essay to an e-mail to a friend or relative. Save a printout of the essay and any responses
in your portfolio.
work. Circle the score that best applies for each category.
Evaluating Your Expository Essay not very very

Focus: How clearly have you stated the cause-and-effect relationship? 1 2 3 4 5 6
Organization: How effectively have you organized your essay, 1 2 3 4 5 6
especially body paragraphs that analyze the cause(s) and effect(s)?
Support/Elaboration: How effectively is your topic developed with 1 2 3 4 5 6
significant and relevant facts, concrete details, and other information
appropriate to your audience’s knowledge of the topic?
Style: How effectively have you created a formal style and objective 1 2 3 4 5 6
tone that are appropriate to your task, purpose, and audience?
Conventions: How free is your essay from errors in grammar, spelling, 1 2 3 4 5 6
and punctuation?
208
Writing 3
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective
technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
Writing Workshop: Narrative

When you write a narrative, you task is to tell a story that grabs and holds your audience’s interest
from the first detail to the last. The elements of the type of narrative called the short story, which
include characters, a point of view, a setting, a conflict, rising action, a climax, and a resolution,
can arise solely out of your imagination or be based, to a large or small degree, on real people and
events. Successful short stories rely on a carefully plotted and effectively paced series of events that
move realistic or otherwise compelling characters from a state of conflict to a state of resolution.
Assignment
Write a short story from any genre, including realistic fiction, historical fiction, mystery, fantasy, or
science fiction. Include these elements:
✓✓a effective single or multiple point of view
✓✓characters, a setting, and an inciting incident
✓✓a conflict that precipitates the rising action until the action reaches a climax
✓✓a clear sequence of events that builds toward a particular tone and outcome
✓✓narrative techniques, including natural dialogue, reflection or interior

monologue, multiple plot lines, and appropriate pacing
✓✓precise words, telling details, and sensory language
✓✓a satisfying conclusion narrative

✓✓correct use of language conventions
Writing 3.b. Use narrative and outcome (e.g, a sense of reflects on what is
3.a. Engage and orient techniques, such as dialogue, mystery, suspense, growth, experienced, observed, or
the reader by setting pacing, description, or resolution). resolved over the course of
out a problem, situation, reflection, and multiple plot the narrative.
3.d. Use precise words and
or observation and its lines, to develop experiences, phrases, telling details, Language
significance, establishing one events, and/or characters. and sensory language to 2. Demonstrate command of
or multiple point(s) of view, 3.c. Use a variety of convey a vivid picture of the the conventions of standard
and introducing a narrator techniques to sequence experiences, events, setting, English capitalization,
and/or characters; create events so that they build and/or characters. punctuation, and spelling
a smooth progression of on one another to create a 3.e. Provide a conclusion when writing.
experiences or events. coherent whole and build that follows from and
toward a particular tone
209
Name Date Selection
Try out an idea in a story map. Use the story map below to record ideas for a short story with
the following parts:
• Exposition. Introduce the characters, setting, and basic situation.
• Inciting incident. Introduce the main conflict.
• Rising action. Develop the conflict.
• Climax. Bring the conflict to a high point of interest or suspense.
• Falling action. Wind down the conflict.
• Resolution. Provide a general insight or change in the characters.
Exposition
Characters
Settitng
Basic Situation
Conflict and Inciting Incident
Rising Action
Event 1
Event 2
Event 3
Climax
Falling Action
Resolution
210
Name Date Selection
Introducing Characters, Conflict, and Setting

Develop ideas for characters. Use the chart to jot down ideas for important characters or
antagonists.
Character 1: Character 2:
Personality
Habits
Key Strengths
Key Weaknesses/Flaws
Appearance/Gestures/
Movements
211
Name Date Selection
Develop a setting. Establish a time and a place for your story. Also, record details that relate to
environmental factors, such as the weather, the light, and the ambient sounds. Determine the mood
you are aiming to create, such as gloom, excitement, or fear.
Time:
Place:
Environment:
Mood:
Creating Point of View

Select a point of view. Use the chart below to develop ideas for different narrators. Recall that
narrators may know all, or they may observe or understand only part of what happens. Then
choose a single point of view, or, perhaps, use multiple points of view by telling your story first
from one point of view and then from another.
Relationship to Knows Doesn’t Know

Conflict and Main
Character
Narrator 1:
(or)
Narrator 2:
(or)
Narrator 3:
212
Name Date Selection
Organizing the Narrative

Structure your plot. In addition to using chronological or time order, you might integrate a
flashback or foreshadowing. Alternatively, consider flashing forward to a future time. Other options
include starting at the middle or end of the story and then going back to the beginning.
Climax: ion
Fall
Act
ing
ing
Act
Ris
ion
Exposition: Resolution:
213
Using Narrative Techniques

Move the plot along with dialogue. Dialogue is one of your best choices for communicating
events to the reader. You can and should use it to create rising action and to increase narrative
tension. Furthermore, you can develop characters through dialogue. Characteristic speech patterns
may help distinguish, for example, the old man at the café, who perhaps speaks formally, from the
young woman who finds out about his life, perhaps as she speaks in the language of text messages
and online chat.
Follow these guidelines for writing natural sounding, effective dialogue:
• Use real-life, informal language. Real conversations usually proceed in brief bits and
fragments. Characteristics include contractions, hesitations, unfinished sentences, informal
language, and limited vocabulary.
• Incorporate dialect and jargon. Dialect can help you show the background of your
character or the region he or she lives in or comes from. Jargon can make your characters
and the action more real; for example, a computer scientist is going to use specialized terms
that range from bitmap to refresh rate.
• Don’t overuse dialogue. Keep in mind that dialogue is just one tool in your writer’s
toolbox; don’t rely on it to tell the whole story.
Employ interior monologue. You can balance your use of dialogue with monologue. An interior
monologue reveals a character’s inner thoughts and feelings, and may take the form of an unbroken
reflection on events, the past, or another character.
Pace your narrative. Recall the skewed-pyramid structure of fiction, and pace your narrative to
reflect its shape and proportion. That is, introduce the characters, establish the setting, and lay out
the basic situation without haste. Get the action going with an inciting incident, and build, as if you
were up heading up the pyramid toward its apex, event by event, from that incident to a high point
of tension. Structure your narrative so that most of it is devoted to everything that leads up to the
climax. After you reach that high point of excitement, then you can move far more quickly as you
present the falling action and the resolution.
Build toward a particular tone or outcome. All your details must combine to present a
unified whole. Although you may incorporate surprises or reversals in your plot, your details, in
the main, should build toward a particular tone, such as humorous, sarcastic, celebratory, playful,
or vengeful. Similarly, the final outcome must spring organically from the details that have
preceded it.
214
Using Descriptive and Sensory Language

Use sensory language. Sensory details are a key to developing the setting and mood of your
story. Also use them to help the readers see your characters and experience the conflict and action.
In selecting sensory language, prefer just the right word to a pileup of sights, sounds, colors,
textures, tastes, and smells. If the aroma of camellias is the trigger that takes the character back in
time to the evening when she first met the stranger, there is no need to also mention the flavor of
gum she was chewing at the time.
Use descriptive language. In addition to using sensory language, make your settings,
characters, and actions more lifelike and vivid through a combination of these techniques:
• Open your mind’s eye. Imagine the character is in the room with you and record what you
sense about that person’s appearance, such as heft or slightness; hair or baldness; pleasing
smile or grimace; squared, upright posture or stooped roundedness. Then select the most
revealing or suggestive details, the trait or traits that will best help the reader understand
the character in relation to the conflict and events.
• Choose exact nouns and verbs. Favor concrete, specific nouns over abstract or vague
ones; for example, prefer, “the small and gloomy looking Victorian with peeling paint” to
“the house.” Similarly, choose precise verbs instead of general ones, such as flap, flit, flutter,
and sail to fly.
• Describe with phrases and clauses. Effective description requires more than adding
adjectives to nouns. In addition to using adjectives, also use adjective and adverb phrases,
as well as participles, and participial phrases. Clauses can also modify. Notice how much
more descriptive it is to write “Claudia could not finish reading the e-mail, which was full of
accusations” than to write “Claudia could not finish reading the e-mail.”
• Use figurative language. Similes, metaphors, and personification are often powerful and
creative ways to reveal characters, events, and the setting.
Writing and Evaluating a Conclusion

Resolve the conflict. Your conclusion must tie your story together, which means it must relate to
the central conflict. That doesn’t mean that a surprising event couldn’t occur, or that you couldn’t
present a final twist, but neither can you depart entirely from what you’ve already written.
Consider showing the ending through a main character’s action, such as coming over the finish line
in a big race, locking the gate, or returning the journal to the old chest—as long as that action relates
to the conflict.
Evaluate your ending. Be sure you have ended with a satisfying sense of closure. Ask a peer
reader to help you determine how well your story ends and what qualities it has that make it
effective.
215
Name Date Selection
Revising Strategies

Task o Have I written a short story?
o Have I included the following elements of a short story: characters,
setting, and inciting incident; conflict; rising action; climax; and
resolution?
Purpose o Have I created an effective and consistent point of view, or have I

effectively and clearly used multiple points of view?
o Have I used dialogue to move the plot along?
o Have I paced my story to lead slowly to the climax and more quickly
from the climax to the resolution?
o Have I varied narrative techniques, such as by including reflection or
interior monologue, or by incorporating one or more additional plot
lines?
o Have I sequenced events in an interesting, effective, and clear
manner?
Audience o Have I engaged my readers from start to finish?

o Have I used precise words, telling details, and sensory language to
create interest?
o Do I need to add, delete, or adjust any details to make the characters
or setting more interesting, more convincing, or more appropriate to
the conflict and events?
o Do I need to add, delete, or adjust any details to make the events
clearer, more interesting, or easier to follow in sequence?
o Have I provided my readers with a conclusion that relates clearly to
the conflict and follows from the story events?
216
Developing Your Style

Use punctuation in dialogue. Dialogue shows what people say, and the punctuation in
dialogue often helps to show how they say it. Punctuation at the end of a speaker’s line helps to
create the tone of that line. Other forms of punctuation help readers to hear the rhythms and pauses
of natural speech.
Rule Example
Use commas to indicate short pauses. “Well, yeah, it’s no problem.”
Use an ellipsis to show a longer pause or “Yes . . . I guess I could do that.”
hesitation. An ellipsis can also show a voice “I thought she said . . . ”
trailing off.
Use a dash to indicate a sudden stop, such as an “But what if—.”
interruption.
Use italics to emphasize a word or phrase. “You may think that’s a great idea, but I sure
don’t.”
Use apostrophes to show dropped letters in “I’ll be sayin’ the same thing till the day I die.”
dialect.
Apply It to Your Writing

To improve dialogue in your story, follow these steps:
1. Read each line aloud. Listen for whether or not it sounds natural. Consider adding
punctuation to indicate natural pauses in your character’s voice.
2. Decide whether there is more than one possible reading the line. For important lines,
consider adding italics to show which word or words the character emphasizes.
3. Be careful not to overuse special punctuation such as ellipsis points, dashes, and italics.
Limit exclamation points as well—they are more effective when used sparingly. Reread all of
the dialogue in your story, paying attention to the balance of punctuation.
Revision Checklist
o Have I used punctuation to help show the natural pauses, stops and starts, and other
rhythms and emphases of everyday speech?
o Have I used commas for short pauses, dashes for sudden stops, ellipses for longer pauses or
trailing off, italics for emphasis, and apostrophes to show the dropped letters or sounds of
dialect or informal speech?
o Have I refrained from overusing punctuation, especially exclamation points, dashes,
ellipses, and italics?
217

Focus on Capitalization: Review your draft carefully to find and correct capitalization errors.
Capitalize the first word in each new bit of dialogue.
Incorrect capitalization: “what’s up with you and Mai?” Tom asked.
Correct capitalization: “What’s up with you and Mai?” Tom asked.
Capitalize the first word in dialogue that is interrupted by speaker tag if the words that follow form
a complete sentence.
Incorrect capitalization: “Nothing,” Dylan said, adding as an afterthought, “don’t even ask.”
Correct capitalization: “Nothing,” Dylan said, adding as an afterthought, “Don’t even ask.”
Focus on Spelling: To add -ing, -ish, or -ist to words that end in y, keep the y and add the suffix.
For example, comply becomes complying, yellow becomes yellowish, and hobby becomes hobbyist.
Focus on Punctuation: Use punctuation to set off nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements.
Proofread your writing to find phrases and clauses that are not essential to the meaning of the
sentence. Be sure you have used the correct punctuation before and after these elements.
Rule: Use commas to set off nonrestrictive information.
The subsystems, which Steve programmed, did not all default to the secure setting.
Steve, who had set up many systems, should have known better.
Rule: Use dashes to set off nonrestrictive information, especially when it interrupts the
established train of thought.
The new system—the very first to use “defense in depth”—was installed last year.
Rule: Use parentheses to set off nonrestrictive or extra information.
The new system (installed in 2010) is based on automatic theorem proving.
218
Name Date Selection

Make an audio recording. Set your story to a soundtrack. Manipulate the song you choose as
needed to work with a dramatic reading of your story. Play the recording for your classmates.
Videotape a scene. Gather props and a camera, and with classmates, practice and act out a single
scene from your story. Post the tape on line for others to view.
Evaluating Your Narrative not very very

Focus: How clear and consistent are the point of view, the characters, the 1 2 3 4 5 6
setting, the inciting incident, and the conflict?
Organization: How well is the narrative sequenced in a clear and effective 1 2 3 4 5 6
manner? How well have you used appropriate pacing, dialogue, and
other narrative techniques to help move the plot along and reach a
satisfying ending?
Support/Elaboration: How effectively are details used to show the 1 2 3 4 5 6
characters, the conflict, and the sequence of events?
Style: How effectively have you engaged the reader with an interesting 1 2 3 4 5 6
conflict, precise words that create a vivid picture of the characters and
their experiences, and an apt conclusion?
Conventions: How free of errors in grammar, usage, spelling, and 1 2 3 4 5 6
punctuation is your narrative?
219
Writing 4
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Explanation and Examples

Clarity and coherence are essential goals for all writers, but producing writing that is appropriate
for your particular writing situation—your task, purpose, and audience—is important as well.
Your task is the specific reason you are writing—anything from writing a research report for
English class to writing a story just for fun. Your purpose for writing is related to your task. It
is the goal you want your writing to achieve, such as persuading people, explaining a topic, or
entertaining readers. The person or people who will read what you write are your audience.
Consider each of these elements as you develop and organize your writing and select an
appropriate style.
• Development: Develop your argument, topic, or narrative by selecting information,
evidence, and details that are appropriate for your specific writing situation. For example,
if you are writing a persuasive essay on the issue of mass transit, present your argument
by showing that a lack of public transportation is a problem in your community. Build
your case for a new bus system with evidence and rhetorical devices that appeal to your
audience. One effective rhetorical device is parallelism, the use of similar grammatical
structures to express similar ideas (buses can save more fuel, carry more commuters, and
build more communities than automobiles ever could).
• Organization: Use transitional words, phrases, and clauses to show how your ideas
are related to each other. For example, if you are writing a research report on the effects
of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, consequently, as a result, and other transitions can
help establish causal links. Also, sequence your ideas and information—or the events in a
narrative—appropriately for your writing situation. In a personal narrative, for example,
chronological order will help readers follow events.
• Style: The language and tone in your writing should be appropriate for your task, purpose,
and audience. Most academic writing requires a formal style and an objective tone, while a
book or movie review can be less formal and more subjective. For a personal narrative, use a
conversational style, a friendly tone, and precise words and descriptive details.
Academic Vocabulary
development the use of information, evidence, and details in writing to build an argument,
present a topic, or unfold a narrative
organization the way ideas, information, and other elements are arranged and connected in
writing
style the language and tone used by a writer to communicate clearly and engage readers
Apply the Standard

Use the worksheet that follows to help you apply the standard as you write. Several copies of the
worksheet have been provided for you to use with different assignments.
220
Writing for a Specific Task, Purpose, and Audience

Identify your writing task, your purpose for writing, and your audience. Then, use the organizer to
plan a development, organization, and style appropriate for your writing situation.
Task:
Purpose:
Audience:
Argument, Topic, or Narrative:

DEVELOPMENT
Appropriate Information/Evidence/Detail:
Sequencing:
ORGANIZATION
Describe Appropriate Style:

STYLE
Describe Appropriate Tone:
A For use with Writing 4
221

Task:
Purpose:
Audience:

DEVELOPMENT
Sequencing:
ORGANIZATION

STYLE
B For use with Writing 4
222

Task:
Purpose:
Audience:

DEVELOPMENT
Sequencing:
ORGANIZATION

STYLE
C For use with Writing 4
223

Task:
Purpose:
Audience:

DEVELOPMENT
Sequencing:
ORGANIZATION

STYLE
D For use with Writing 4
224

Task:
Purpose:
Audience:

DEVELOPMENT
Sequencing:
ORGANIZATION

STYLE
E For use with Writing 4
225

Task:
Purpose:
Audience:

DEVELOPMENT
Sequencing:
ORGANIZATION

STYLE
F For use with Writing 4
226
Writing 5
5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most
significant for a specific purpose and audience.

The writing process starts before you draft your introduction and continues after you write the
conclusion. The steps you take before and after writing are as essential as writing your first draft.
• Before you begin, develop your writing by generating ideas and gathering information.
• After completing a draft, strengthen your writing by reviewing and making changes to
improve it.
Develop and strengthen your writing by planning before you write and revising and editing after
you finish a draft. As you plan, revise, and edit, focus on addressing your purpose, or the goal you
want to achieve. Consider also what is significant for your audience.
Planning Look for ideas and information that will help you achieve your purpose. For example,
if you are planning a persuasive essay about renewable sources of energy, you might choose to
take the position that more funding is needed. To achieve your purpose, gather information about
renewable energy projects that will persuade your audience to agree with you.
Revising Review what you have written, focusing on what is most significant for your purpose
and audience. For example, when revising an expository essay about England during William
Shakespeare’s lifetime, ask yourself: Did I include enough information for my audience to understand
what life was like? Is my style appropriately academic and formal? Be prepared to add, delete, or
change ideas, details, sentences, and paragraphs to address your writing purpose and audience.
Editing After you have revised, edit for errors in grammar, spelling, usage, and punctuation. For
example, if you are editing a personal narrative, make sure readers can easily find the antecedents
to which pronouns refer.
If your writing still does not achieve its purpose or meet the audience’s needs, consider trying a
new approach to your task and rewriting your narrative or essay. For example, with a persuasive
essay, try rewriting your piece by including additional evidence for your case.
Academic Vocabulary
develop present and build an argument, topic, or narrative in writing with information, evidence,
and details
editing checking a piece of writing and correcting errors in grammar, spelling, usage, and
punctuation
revising reviewing and making changes to a piece of writing to better address the purpose and
audience
Apply the Standard

227
Strengthening Your Writing

Use the checklists below to strengthen your writing as you revise and then edit your work.
Your Purpose for Writing:

Your Audience:
Writing Stage Questions to Ask and Answer

Revising o Will my claim, topic, or subject be clear to my audience?
o Do the ideas in my writing help to achieve my purpose?
o Will my ideas appeal to my audience?
o Does the information in my writing help to achieve my purpose?
o Have I included enough information for my audience?
o Is my style appropriate for my purpose and audience?
o Does my draft address what is most significant for my purpose?
o Does my draft meet the needs of my audience?
To better address my purpose and meet the needs of my audience,
I should add:
I should delete:
I should change:
Do I need to rewrite or try a new approach? Yes No

If “yes,” describe the new approach.
Editing o Have I used verb tenses consistently?

o Are there sentence fragments or run-on sentences?
o Have I introduced and punctuated quotations correctly?
o Are my pronoun references clear?
o Have I checked for other errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation?
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Use the checklists, below, to strengthen your writing as you revise and then edit your work.

Your Audience:

I should add:
I should delete:
I should change:


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Your Audience:

I should add:
I should delete:
I should change:


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Your Audience:

I should add:
I should delete:
I should change:


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Your Audience:

I should add:
I should delete:
I should change:


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Your Audience:

I should add:
I should delete:
I should change:


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Writing Standards
Writing 6
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual
or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new
arguments or information.
Explanation
Today’s technology provides writers with many powerful tools. For example, you can use
technology—including the Internet—to produce, publish, and update your writing in response to
ongoing feedback, continuing comments on your work. With your teacher’s guidance, you can
create a blog on your school’s Web site where classmates can read and comment on your writing.
You can also receive and respond to such feedback through an e-mail exchange with classmates.
Examples
Following are examples of a blog post on Shakespeare’s Macbeth, ongoing feedback in response to
the post, and the writer’s updating of the original post.
• Original Post Macbeth’s tragic flaw is his desperate ambition. That he wants to be king of
Scotland at any cost is evident from the beginning of the play. In Act I, Scene iii, Macbeth
meets the three witches for the first time and looks surprised and frightened when the Third
Witch says he will “be King hereafter!” He is fearful because the witch has discovered his
secret ambition
• Ongoing Feedback I disagree with your suggestion that Macbeth is entirely defined by
his ambition. Note, for example, the doubts about the prospective assassination that he
expresses in the soliloquy at the beginning of Act I, Scene vii. He realizes that Duncan is
“here in double trust: / First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, / . . . then, as his host . . .”
• Updated Post: The soliloquy you cite actually proves the original point, that Macbeth is
driven by ambition. If you read it carefully, you will see that he is not so much concerned
with the morality of what he plans to do as with the practical consequences of the deed. He
is afraid that it will encourage others to assassinate him: “. . . that we but teach / Bloody
instructions, which, being taught, return / To plague the inventor . . .”
Academic Vocabulary
blog short for “Web log,” a popular online format that generally includes entries from writers as
well as comments from readers.
ongoing feedback continuing comments on a piece of writing
post to publish a piece of writing online (verb); also, an entry on a blog (noun)
Apply the Standard

• Using Technology to Publish and Revise Writing

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Using Technology to Publish and Revise Writing

In the left column of the organizer, below, note the ongoing feedback in response to your writing.
In the right column, explain how you will respond to new arguments and information presented in
these responses. Then, answer the question at the bottom of the page.
Subject/date of original post or e-mail:
Format: Blog Post E-mail Other:
ONGOING FEEDBACK RESPONDING TO FEEDBACK
Summarize feedback from blog comments Summarize your response to

or emails: feedback:
Describe any new arguments: How you will respond to new arguments:
Describe any new information: How you will respond to new information:
Describe how you used technology and the Internet to receive and respond to ongoing
feedback.
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feedback.
236


feedback.
237


feedback.
238


feedback.
239


feedback.
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Writing 7
7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question
(including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden
the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject,
demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

Research projects vary in scope. Short research projects focus on narrow subjects and involve only a
few sources. Complex subjects require more sustained research involving in-depth investigation
and multiple sources. Be prepared to narrow or broaden your inquiry, as appropriate for the scope
of your research.
Narrowing an Inquiry: Narrow a broad question or problem for a short research project. For
example, if you are researching William Shakespeare, the question “How does Shakespeare use
language?” is too broad. Narrow your inquiry to focus on language in Shakespeare’s sonnets. If the
question is still too broad for a short project, narrow it again: “In Sonnet 106, how does Shakespeare
use words and images referring to the Middle Ages?”
Broadening an Inquiry: Broaden a narrow question or problem for a more sustained research
project. For example, the problem of installing new computers in your school’s computer lab might
be too narrow for a sustained project. Consider broadening your inquiry to focus on securing funds
for upgrading your school’s computers or on devising a new computer science program for your
school.
Develop an understanding of your subject by gathering ideas and information from multiple
sources, rather than only one or two. Then, synthesize, or combine, information from your sources,
drawing your own conclusions. When you present the results of your research, demonstrate your
understanding of the subject under investigation by supporting your answer or solution with
relevant information from several different sources. Be sure to properly credit the sources you use.
Academic Vocabulary
inquiry process of looking for information to answer questions about a topic or to solve a problem
sustained research in-depth investigation or inquiry involving multiple sources
synthesize combine information from different sources to reach your own conclusion
Apply the Standard

Use the worksheets that follow to help you apply the standard as you write. Several copies of each
• Researching to Answer Questions or Solve Problems
• Synthesizing Information from Different Sources
241
Researching to Answer Questions or Solve Problems

First, narrow or broaden your inquiry, as appropriate. Then, use the chart, below, to list your
sources and summarize the ideas and information that you gather.
Subject:
Scope of Research Project:
Initial Question or Problem
Narrow Inquiry Broaden Inquiry

Narrowed/Broadened Question or Problem:
RESEARCH
List your sources:
Summarize ideas and information from your sources:
242

Subject:

RESEARCH
List your sources:
243

Subject:

RESEARCH
List your sources:
244
Synthesizing Information from Different Sources

List your subject and sources. Then, use the chart to synthesize information from these sources
in order to reach your own conclusion. Support your conclusion with information from multiple
sources. Then, answer the questions at the bottom of the page.
Subject:
Information from Source 1:
SYNTHESIS
Your Conclusion:
Support 1:
Support 2:
Which sources provide the information you used to support your conclusion?
Have you demonstrated understanding of the subject under investigation? Yes No

Explain why or why not:
245

Subject:
SYNTHESIS
Your Conclusion:
Support 1:
Support 2:

246

Subject:
SYNTHESIS
Your Conclusion:
Support 1:
Support 2:

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Writing 8
8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources,
using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each
source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the
text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance
on any one sourc and following a standard format for citation.
Writing Workshop: Research Report

When you write a research report, your task is to conduct sustained and focused research in order
to present your own analysis and perspective on a topic. First, gather enough information about a
topic to arrive at a thesis; then develop, refine, and support that thesis as you continue to research.
Your report must have a clear beginning, body, and conclusion, and ideas must be smoothly
integrated. Also, a research report requires an ongoing process of documentation. From the moment
you consult your first source, you should be recording bibliographic information.
Assignment
Write a historical investigation report about a literary work. That is, investigate an issue that helps
to form the literary context of the work, such as the closing of theaters in Elizabethan England, the
Long Parliament, the Civil Wars, the Corn Laws or Poor Laws, or the new warfare of World War I.
Include these elements:
✓✓a sufficiently narrow topic that you can cover in satisfying depth
✓✓a clear thesis that serves as the unifying statement of your paper
✓✓supported body paragraphs that relate to your thesis
✓✓substantial support from a variety of respected and authoritative sources
✓✓your own clarifications, explanations, and insights
✓✓organized paragraphs that integrate source material and your commentary
✓✓complete parenthetical citations or notes and a bibliography or Works Cited list
Writing 7. Conduct short as well as multiple sources on the Language
1.d. Establish and maintain more sustained research subject, demonstrating 2. Demonstrate command of
a formal style and objective projects to answer a understanding of the subject the conventions of standard
tone while attending to question (including a self- under investigation. English capitalization,
the norms and conventions generated question) or punctuation, and spelling
9. Draw evidence from
of the discipline in which solve a problem; narrow when writing.
literary or informational
students are writing. or broaden inquiry when texts to support analysis,
appropriate; synthesize reflection, and research.
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Review your textbooks and notebooks. Review school notebooks, textbooks, and writing
journals to list the topics that interest you. Also review selections from your literature textbook, and
consider topics related to the historical context of your favorite works. Frame your favorite topic
ideas as research questions. That is, focus them by thinking of an aspect of the era or context that
you would like to explore and asking about what you want to learn.
Do a research preview. When you have two or three good research questions, spend ten to
fifteen minutes researching each topic on the Internet or at the library. Seek out both primary and
secondary sources. This quick research preview will help you identify how much information is
readily available on each topic. Look for both primary sources, such as letters, diaries, interviews,
and eyewitness accounts, as well as secondary sources, such as encyclopedias, nonfiction books,
and articles.
Freewrite to find your focus. If your topic can be divided into significant subheads, each
with its own focus, it is probably too broad. Using what you already know or have learned in
preliminary research, write freely on your topic for two or three minutes. Review your writing and
circle the most important or interesting idea. Continue this process until you arrive at a topic that is
narrow enough for your paper.
Identify your audience. If your audience is not specified, decide who would be most interested
by your topic or most likely to benefit by learning about it. Then, whether assigned or imagined,
think about what your audience already knows about your topic and what their expectations might
be for a paper on that topic:
Audience:
Audience’s Prior Knowledge:
Audience’s Possible Expectations:
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Draft a working thesis statement. Your research report must develop a worthy thesis. This
controlling idea cannot be a simple or obvious fact. To go beyond simple fact, strive for something
a bit more complex as you write your thesis. For example, think of an original comparison or
contrast, state a cause and effect, or classify an idea or phenomenon within a larger context.
Do not worry if you are not precisely sure of what your thesis will be at this point. Instead, regard
your working thesis as a kind of a signpost to a far off destination. As you do more research and
reading, and as your own understanding of your topic becomes clearer and more developed, you
can and should revisit this thesis and rework it appropriately. In fact, it is good to aim to revisit and
revise or fine-tune your thesis at several stages in the writing process.
Researching From Print and Digital Sources

Do the research. Use both library and Internet resources to locate information. Because
information is the basis of a successful research report, you must be discriminating in the
information you choose. Furthermore, even if you are using the best sources, it will only be through
systematic and careful research, reading, and notetaking that you will succeed in producing a
compelling and high-quality research report.
Work systematically. To enlarge the overview of your topic that you began in the research
preview, as well as to learn new aspects of it, begin the formal research process with general reading
in encyclopedias and reference books. That is, look for specialized encyclopedias or references,
such as those that index topics in British literature, or eras in history. Many of these resources
are available online with a public library card. You may have to visit a library to find others on
the shelves of the reference section. You can also access high-quality overview documents on the
Internet, using search words that specify the literary work and the era in history. Of course, before
use, you must check any and every source for its validity and reliability, being especially careful
with Internet sources.
Do advanced searches. Because the first search results returned by most search engines are
based on advertising revenue for the search engine company, advanced searches are particularly
important when you are searching the Internet. You can also use them effectively with your library
catalog and specific database searches.
• Internet advanced searches. Look for the “Advanced Search” link on the home page of
your favorite search. Typically, it will allow you to limit your search to documents with
some words but not others, as well as by the domain. For example, you can limit your
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search to government publications only by specifying the domain .gov or to institutions,

such as the British Museum, by specifying the domain .org. (The address of the British
Library does not follow this pattern; it is www.bl.uk.)
• Library catalog advanced searches. To use the advanced search function in a library
catalog, look for a link on the catalog home page. An advanced search in a library catalog
might allow you to limit your results to the material type (print book, e-book, DVD,
periodical, software, and so on); to the collection type (adult or children’s); to the language,
and to the publication date. You might also be able to order your search results by relevance,
by date, or by other criteria.
• Database advanced searches. Each database will have its own methods for conducting
advanced searches, but the effect of using the advanced search will be the same: you will
more quickly and easily arrive at the specific information you want or need.
Use primary sources. When you are writing about literature, the literary work or works on which
you base your paper are the primary source; also, any sources on which the literary work was based
are primary. Therefore, if lines from a Shakespeare play first appeared in Ovid, Ovid’s work is also
primary. Such works are often at the heart of a historical research report that is based on literature.
To investigate and analyze the historical context in which a work is set, or its specific historical
references, consult other primary sources, which are original or firsthand accounts of events.
Use a variety of other sources. Among the most valuable sources for research are databases,
which index magazines, newspapers, general and specialized encyclopedias, and scholarly journals.
You can access databases from terminals in your local library. To access them from home, you
usually need a library card number. Other sources you might consult include almanacs, atlases,
microfiche, and even government documents such as records of proceedings in Parliament. A good
research paper is based on a variety of appropriate sources and avoids overreliance on any single
source.
Re-evaluate your topic and thesis. One of the many possible stopping points for evaluating
and refining your thesis is after conducting initial research. Sometimes, you might find that the
topic is actually a problem. Remember that it is better to abandon or revise a bad topic now, during
the prewriting stage of the writing process, than to plow forward heedlessly.
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Evaluating Credibility and Usefulness of Your Sources

Evaluate Web sites. To evaluate a Web site, begin by analyzing the URL. This may help you
determine whether a search result is even worth clicking on. Check the domain name, such as .com,
.org, .gov, and .edu. Do not assume that a site with an .edu domain is either authoritative or reliable.
If the domain .edu is followed by a slash and then a designation of faculty, it is probably more
reliable than a student page. Still, keep in mind that what appears on a faculty site is not necessarily
edited or reliable either. Sometimes a Web site will include a country extension, such as .de for
Germany or .uk for the United Kingdom.
The URL may contain hints as to who created the site and whether it is a personal page, a special
interest site, a news site, or a site intended to sell a product or service. If you cannot determine this
information based on the URL, visit the site to decide its purpose.
In the end, the most important factor in assessing the worth of a site is its author or the sponsoring
institution. Look for authorities on your topic, as well as documentation of sources on the site. Also
consider how current the site is and its potential bias(es).
URL and analysis of URL:
Author/Sponsor:
Documentation:
Dates created and last updated:
Bias(es):
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Evaluate Other Sources. You must evaluate every source you use relative to your task, purpose,
and audience. Use a form or questions such as the following for this purpose:
Source (with complete bibliographic information):
Criterion My Evaluation
Writing task
Is the source authoritative and
credible? What are the author’s or
editor’s qualifications? Is he or she
an authority on the subject?
Timeliness
Is the source sufficiently current
in relation to the information I am
seeking? Would a work published
later be more up-to-date on the
latest scholarship?
Reliability and Validity

Who is the publisher? Is this a
well-edited, respected publication
or publisher such as a scholarly
journal or university press? Is
there a bias? If so, does that bias
affect the quality of the information
I am using? How well documented
is this source?
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Recording Information
Taking notes. For every source you consult, make a source card. On the source card for a book,
record the name of the author, editor, and or translator; the title of the work; the publisher and
city of publication; and the copyright date. If the source is a Web site, your source card should
list the name and Web address of the site, the author and sponsoring institution if available, and
the date you accessed the site. To create source cards for other types of sources, refer to the style
guide you are using, such as the Modern Language Association (MLA) handbook or the American
Psychological Association (APA) style guide. Determine the types of information your will need to
cite the work in a list at the end of the paper, such as the volume and issue number of a journal, and
record that information on your source card. Label each source you create with a letter, beginning
with A, or a number, beginning with 1.
Make notecards. Create a separate notecard for every bit of information you take from your
sources. Number or letter each source card or listing in the upper right hand corner with the
number or letter you assigned to the source on your source card. Then record any useful or
interesting information.
Avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism is using the words or ideas of others as if they were your own.
Plagiarism is a serious legal and ethical offense. Furthermore, it inhibits your progress as a writer if
you shirk the responsibility for doing your own thinking. There are many ways to avoid plagiarism.
Be sure to use all of them beginning with the very first source you consult.
• Avoid copying and pasting. It is greatly tempting to copy and paste information from a
Web site into your notes or into a paper, but this method can easily lead to plagiarism. You
may forget to properly credit your source, or every detail you use from your source. You
may also let the Web site’s author do your thinking for you.
• Paraphrase as much as possible. As you take notes, use your own words whenever you
can. This interaction with the topic will help you understand your source material better as
well as help you avoid plagiarism.
• Credit summaries. If you distill large chunks or even many pages of text into your own
words, remember that you still have to credit your summary.
• Quote sparingly and with care. Quote only when the words of the source are particularly
important or potentially memorable. Be sure to enclose those words in quotation marks on
your notecard. If you omit anything from the quoted material, use an ellipsis to show that
omission.
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Organizing and Drafting Your Report

Establish your organizational plan. Decide whether you will present conclusions about your
sources as part of your introduction or build toward your conclusions throughout your paper. Use
one these organizational plans and try it out with details specific to your topic in the organizer
below:
• Plan 1. Present the historical context and your thesis in the introduction. That is, draw a
conclusion at the outset. Then use your body paragraphs to present, analyze, and compare
your sources: that is, to prove your conclusion. Then summarize in your formal closing.
• Plan 2. Use your introduction to present the historical context and establish the issue in
your thesis statement. Then use your body paragraphs to present, analyze, and compare
your sources in order to lead up to a conclusion. Draw the conclusion in your formal
closing.
Plan 1 Plan 2
Context: Context:
Thesis/Conclusion: Thesis/Issue:
Support/Proof: Analysis/Support:
Summary: Draw Conclusion:
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Organize paragraphs effectively. Even if you select an overall organizational strategy such
as chronological order, you should still use other methods where they help clarify relationships
or otherwise prove effective. For example, you might structure entire paragraphs, or significant
portions of paragraphs, in any of these ways:
• Chronological order. Discuss events in time order.
• Cause and effect. Analyze the causes and/or effects of an event.
• Problem and solution. Identify a specific problem or conflict and tell how it was resolved.
• Parts-to-whole order. Relate elements of a single event or topic to a whole.
• Order of importance. Present your support from most to least important, or from least to
most important.
• Compare and contrast. When comparing two topics, discuss their similarities and then
their differences, or discuss each topic separately.
Place topic sentences effectively. Each of your body paragraphs should contain a topic
sentence and supporting details. Remember that the topic sentence can appear as the first sentence,
the last sentence, or anywhere else in the paragraph. Place it where it is most effective.
Write a powerful introduction. Consider your readers, and include background information
they may need to understand your topic, such as the time, the place, and relevant political and
social conditions and issues. An effective introduction will create interest at the same time that it
provides the audience with necessary information.
Create a serious tone and formal style. Strive to sound as reasonable and objective as you
can. Throughout your paper, choose formal words and phrases and standard usages. Avoid
contractions, exclamation points, and fragments—unless fragments are absolutely crucial for
creating rhetorical effect.
Providing Elaboration
Handle your sources well. When you present your sources, use a mix of mainly paraphrases or
summaries and well-chosen quotations. Do not string quotations together without interpretation.
Instead, frame your quotations so that your reader understands why you chose them. One way
to frame a quotation is by describing your source. You can also provide an analysis of whether a
particular source agrees or disagrees with other sources, accounting for differences that occur. If a
writer’s perspective is unique, explain it, if possible, by analyzing the writer’s circumstances and
motives.
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Integrate source material smoothly. You must create other logical, smooth connections
between ideas as well. Be sure to use transitional words and phrases to create links between your
quoted, paraphrased, or summarized information and your thesis and analysis. One way to create
links or coherence is to introduce quoted and paraphrased material with a transitional word or
phrase, such as “[Author’s name] notes,” “According to…,” or “In [title of work].” You should also
make use of transitional words and phrases such as the following:
above all aside from however on the whole

accordingly because in other words otherwise
alternatively consequently instead particularly
although for example likewise similarly
as a result for that reason on the contrary therefore
as well as furthermore on the other hand usually
Similarly, keep in mind that whatever you quote or paraphrase may not only need explanation to
relate it to your topic sentence and thesis, but it may also need to be clearly connected to the ideas
that follow it. In some cases, you may need to insert a sentence or more to explain the significance
of the cited information. In fact, don’t waste this precious opportunity to express your own thinking
and to relate your source material to your controlling idea.
Citing Sources
Provide appropriate citations. You must cite the sources for the information and ideas you use
in your report. In the body of the paper, include a footnote, an endnote, or a parenthetical citation
that identifies the sources of facts, quotations, summaries, and paraphrases. At the end of your
paper, provide a bibliography or Works Cited list, a list of all the sources you cite. Follow the format
your teacher recommends, such as the MLA or APA style, for both your notes or parenthetical
citations and your bibliography or Works Cited List.
Decide what to cite. A general fact that can be found in three or more sources is probably
common knowledge and does not have to be cited. For example, common knowledge about
William Butler Yeats includes his dates of birth and death, the names of his poems, and the fact
that he was Irish. Words from Yeats’s letters, however, are not common knowledge, no matter
how many sources you find them in. You must cite all facts and opinions that are not common
knowledge.
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Revising
Define jargon or specialized vocabulary. Almost all topics have some form of specialized
vocabulary or jargon. You should not assume that such terms do not belong in your research paper.
For one thing, it may be hard to delve thoroughly into your topic without them. For another, you
may need to use such terms to maintain an appropriate level of sophistication. You must be careful
to clearly and simply explain or define specialized vocabulary at its first point of use, however.
Original: Phosgene proved far more potent than chlorine.
Revised: Phosgene, a type of gas developed after chlorine, proved far more potent than its
predecessor had been.
In some cases, you will find that specialized vocabulary or jargon, or certain selected bits of jargon,
are not appropriate to your task, your purpose, or your audience. In those cases, you will need to
replace the jargon with simpler language.
Original: Although the Germans were the first to use gas successfully, the French fired xylyl
bromide against the Germans during the first weeks of the war.
Revised: Although the Germans were the first to use gas successfully, the French fired tear gas
against the Germans during the first weeks of the war.
Revising for Word Choice

When you revise for appropriate or inappropriate jargon, follow these steps:
1. Review your work and identify specialized vocabulary or jargon that may be unfamiliar to
your intended audience.
2. If you judge the use of the jargon to be appropriate to your purpose and audience, check to
see whether you defined it as clearly and simply as possible the first time you used it.
3. If you judge the use of jargon to be inappropriate to your purpose and audience, replace it
with simpler, more accessible language.
Revision ChecklistC
o Are all my uses of specialized vocabulary or jargon necessary?
o If I have used specialized vocabulary, have I made its meaning clear to my intended
audience?
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Revising Strategies

Task o Have I presented a historical investigation?
o Have I chosen a topic that is appropriate to the assignment
requirements?
o Have I consistently used one style manual for all citations and
correctly given credit to every source I used?
o Have I formatted my paper according to the assignment
specifications or according to standard conventions for a research
report?
Purpose o Have I presented a worthy thesis or drawn a conclusion that is more

than a statement of simple fact?
o Have I fully developed my thesis by presenting relevant, in-depth
information from a variety of valid sources?
o What details, if any, do not relate to my purpose and should be
deleted?
o Where do I need to add more support or explanation to achieve my
purpose?
Audience o Is my thesis or conclusion immediately recognizable to my reader?

o Will my audience be able follow the development of my thesis
throughout the paper?
o Have I used a logical overall method of organization, as well as
effective paragraph-by-paragraph organization?
o Have I provided enough information to link my support to my thesis?
Have I introduced and analyzed that support?
o Is my tone appropriately objective?
o Have I limited myself to formal and standard word choices? Have I
clearly defined or replaced any jargon?
o Can my audience follow the sources of all my ideas?
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Review your draft to correct errors in format, capitalization, spelling, and punctuation.
Focus on Format: Prepare the final copy of your research report according to your teacher’s
requirements. These requirements often include the following:
• Use 12-point type. It is also best to choose a clean, professional looking font, such as one
you would find on the front page of a newspaper or on the pages of a respected journal.
Examples of these fonts include Times Roman and Courier.
• Leave one-inch margins on the top, bottom, and sides of every page.
• Double-space the body of the paper and the entries on the Works Cited list.
Focus on Capitalization: Make sure you have capitalized all proper nouns and proper adjectives
correctly. Capitalize the names of historical events and eras according to a respected style handbook
by consulting the conventions their use as both proper nouns and proper adjectives. You may need
to look up correct capitalization for choices such as Tudor era, Stuart period, Medieval scholar, the Great
War, Edwardian fashion, and Darwinian principles.
Focus on Spelling: Follow this spelling rule: for adjectives that end in -ent, such as the words
dependent, delinquent, and competent use c in place of t to form parallel forms, as in dependence,
delinquency, and competence.
Focus on Punctuation: Colons to Introduce List and Long Quotations Proofread your
writing to find places where you have introduced lists or long quotations.
Rule: Use a colon before a list of items following an independent clause: Poison gas was the
most controversial weapon used during World War I: it was deadly, it could be used even when an attack was
not occurring, and it left its victims to suffer for days and weeks before they died.
Rule: Use a colon to introduce a formal quotation or a long quotation that follows an
independent clause. “In Dulce et Decorum Est,” Wilfred Owen may well have referred to a gas attack like
this one reported by The New York Times in April, 1915:
“[The vapors from the poison gas] settled to the ground like a swamp mist and drifted toward the French
trenches on a brisk wind. Its effect on the French [soldiers] was a violent nausea and faintness, followed
by an utter collapse. . . .”
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Present an oral historical investigation report. Deliver your paper as an oral report. Be sure
to rehearse well, focusing clear diction and accessible syntax. Also practice using slight modulations
in pacing, volume, and pitch to help sustain interest.
Submit your paper for publication. Identify a magazine or Web site that publishes student
writing or that covers your research topic. Revise your paper as needed for your new intended
audience. Then submit it for publication.
Evaluating Your Historical Investigation Report not very very

Focus: Have you maintained a focus on a clear, specific thesis throughout your 1 2 3 4 5 6
report, or have you led smoothly and logically to a reasonable conclusion? Have
you avoided plagiarism?
Organization: Have you organized your paper with a clear introduction, body 1 2 3 4 5 6
paragraphs, and a conclusion? Do your paragraphs employ logical patterns of
organization?
Support/Elaboration: Is your support from multiple authoritative, reliable, and 1 2 3 4 5 6
varied print and digital sources? Have you smoothly integrated information into
the text to maintain the flow of ideas? Have you used your own thinking and
insights to elaborate on source material?
Style: Have you used a formal style and a serious tone that are appropriate 1 2 3 4 5 6
to your task, your purpose, and your audience? Have you followed a single,
standard format for all your parenthetical citations and your Works Cited list or
bibliography?
Conventions: Is your research report free from errors in grammar, spelling, and 1 2 3 4 5 6
punctuation? Does it use appropriate manuscript conventions for a research
report?
261
Writing 9a
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection,
and research.
• Apply grades 11–12 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Demonstrate
knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational
works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same
period treat similar themes or topics”).

To demonstrate your understanding of literature, you might compare how two works from the
same period reflect similar topics, themes, styles, or other literary elements. For a course in British
literature, a comparison of British works would be appropriate.
Here is how to proceed with such a comparison:
• Determine the basis for comparing the two works, whether it be similarly motivated main
characters, similar settings, or related themes.
• Decide on the significance of the comparison. For example, does the comparison reveal
a certain type of British colonial officer in the late Victorian Era? Does it help to show the
individualism, or alienation, of the modern person in the post-World War I era?
• Plan your thesis statement, noting the titles of the two works and the basis on which you
will compare them.
• Incorporate the significance of your comparison into your thesis statement.
• Gather evidence from both works to support your thesis. Choose the best examples. A few
clear comparisons are better than many shaky ones.
• Clearly link the exact lines or ideas from each work to the specific points you are making in
support of your thesis.
Academic Vocabulary
theme central idea, concern, or insight explored by a literary work
Apply the Standard

Use the worksheet that follows to help you apply the standard as you write. Several copies have
been provided for you to use with different assignments.
• Comparing Works of Literature
262
Comparing Works of Literature

Use the chart, below, to develop a thesis and record evidence for your comparison.
Works to Compare:
Basis for Comparison:
Significance of Comparison:
Thesis:
Evidence in Support of Thesis:
Work 1 Work 2
A For use with Writing 9a
263

Works to Compare:
Thesis:
Work 1 Work 2
B For use with Writing 9a
264

Works to Compare:
Thesis:
Work 1 Work 2
C For use with Writing 9a
265
Writing Standards
Writing 9b
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection,
and research.
• Apply grades 11–12 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate
and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of
constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning [e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court
Case majority opinions and dissents] and the premises, purposes, and arguments
in works of public advocacy [e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses]”).
Explanation
Two main types of reasoning are used in argumentation. Inductive reasoning is based on
observations. For example, a writer might observe that a particular highway is always jammed
during rush hour. From these observations, the writer draws the conclusion that the town needs to
build more roads. Inductive reasoning is more likely than deductive reasoning to be illogical or to
be characterized by fallacies, or errors in reasoning.
A writer using deductive reasoning, however, begins with a generalization or premise, then
presents a specific situation, and provides facts and evidence that leads to a logical conclusion.
For example, a writer might argue: “Fruit is nutritious food. Blueberries are a type of fruit. They
provide healthy antioxidants. Eating blueberries is good for me.”
Thomas Jefferson uses deductive reasoning in the Declaration of Independence. He asserts that
God gives people the right to be free, and that people have an obligation to claim that right (by
overthrowing a government that denies that freedom, if necessary). He concludes that people have
a duty to overthrow the government of George III.
When you evaluate an argument, look not only at the reasoning, but also at the quality of evidence
or support. For example, in the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson lists the many tyrannies
George III has visited on “these States” as support for his assertions.
Academic Vocabulary
deductive reasoning a writer arrives at a conclusion by applying a general principle to a specific
situation
inductive reasoning a writer draws a general or broad conclusion from specific observations
premise a statement that proposes; a proposition
Apply the Standard

Use the worksheet that follows to help you apply the standard as you complete your writing
assignments. Several copies of the worksheet have been provided for you.
• Evaluating Reasoning
266
Name Date Selection
Use the organizer to evaluate the reasoning in an argument.
Observations or Premises
1.
2.
3.
Conclusion:
Type of Reasoning:
Reason(s) why the conclusion is/is not logical/valid:
Reason(s) why the support is/is not logical or sufficient:
A For use with Writing 9b
267
Name Date Selection
1.
2.
3.
Conclusion:
Type of Reasoning:
B For use with Writing 9b
268
Name Date Selection
1.
2.
3.
Conclusion:
Type of Reasoning:
C For use with Writing 9b
269
Writing Standards
Writing 10
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of
tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Explanation
Writing is a routine part of every student’s life. Some writing tasks, such as essays or research
reports, may require a week or more to complete. Other writing activities can be finished in one
class period or over a day or two. A cover letter is an example of writing that can be completed in a
shorter time frame.
A cover letter is a formal letter in which the writer asks to be considered for a job. It usually
accompanies or “covers” a completed job application, a résumé, or both.
Prewriting:
• Carefully study the job ad or listing. Underline or highlight key words.
• Note how your interests, experiences, and education match the job requirements.
Drafting:
• Create a consistent format such as block format or modified block format.
• Include the six main business letter parts: heading, inside address, salutation, body, closing,
and signature. In the heading, write your phone number and e-mail address on separate
lines after your city, state, and zip code.
• State the position you are applying for in the first sentence.
• Use your voice to express a high level of interest in the position. Find sophisticated, formal
ways to say, “I really want this job!”
• Explain what makes you a good fit for the job, but do not repeat your résumé. Stress your
most relevant skills and experience.
Revising and Editing:

• Check that you have consistently and correctly formatted your letter.
• Evaluate your voice: Have you created a professional first impression?
Academic Vocabulary
voice the writer’s distinctive “sound” or way of “speaking” on the page
Apply the Standard

assignments.
• Writing a Cover Letter

270
Writing a Cover Letter

Use the organizer during prewriting to plan what you will say in your cover letter.
Key Requirements in the Job Ad How My Experience, Interests, and

Education
Match the Key Requirements
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
Ways I Can Communicate My Interest
A For use with Writing 10a
271
Writing Standards
Writing 10
Explanation
A memo is an example of writing that usually can be completed in one class period. A memo—short
for memorandum—is a brief written message that may focus on completing tasks, policy changes, or
other updates. Effective memos are clear and focused, using a formal style and a professional tone.
Prewriting
• Determine who the audience for your memo will be.
• Write a clear, succinct subject line that accurately conveys your purpose.
• If you’re planning a longer memo, map out the opening statement, paragraphs or bullet
points, and a closing point or reminder.
Drafting
• Start with a conventional memo heading, which features these elements, each on a separate
line: TO, FROM, DATE, and Re or SUBJECT.
• Begin the body of the memo with an opening statement. Then explain major points that
develop the purpose stated in the subject line.
• Use a block format, and use paragraphs and bullet points as needed for clarity.
Revising and Editing

• Is your subject line clear and accurate? Is the memo focused on your purpose?
• Check for inappropriate word choices or unprofessional comments.
Academic Vocabulary
block format each part of the memo begins at the left margin, and a double space is used between
paragraphs
Re Latin for “about”; may be used instead of “Subject” in conventional memo heading
Apply the Standard

assignments.
• Writing a Memo
272
Writing a Memo
Use the organizer to plan a memo.
Audience:
Purpose:
Subject/Re Line:
Body Information and Details
First Sentence/Statement of Purpose:
Paragraphs or Bullet Points:

•
Closing/Final Instruction/Reminder:
A For use with Writing 10b
273
Writing Standards
Writing 10
Explanation
A reflective essay is an example of writing that can be completed in one or two class periods or
over a day or two. A reflective essay expresses a writer’s life-changing personal experience in order
to move an audience. Effective reflective essays are written in the first person and use concrete
language, vivid imagery, and a personal style.
Prewriting
• Choose an experience or event that affected you deeply and that you can interpret in a
meaningful way for an audience. List details and images related to your topic.
• In your notes, link the experience and a key insight you learned, or a new belief.
Drafting
• Identify and describe your experience or event.
• Elaborate by describing your thoughts and feelings, and by including concrete details and
sensory images that make your writing vivid and interesting.
• Establish an appropriate and effective tone. Your subject matter may require a serious tone;
on the other hand, humor or irony may be appropriate.
• End with an insight or a belief that you gained from the event or experience.

• Have you emphasized your insight, as well as the experience or event itself?
• Check for language: Have you used concrete language and vivid imagery? Can you vary
sentence lengths and structures to create interest?
Academic Vocabulary
elaborate extend ideas and statements by adding explanation, details, or images
Apply the Standard

assignments.
• Writing a Reflective Essay
274
Writing a Reflective Essay

Use the organizer to plan a reflective essay.
Experience/Event:
Details of the Experience/Event

⇓ Insights/Beliefs
1.
2.
3.
Broader Themes
4.
What tone is appropriate for your reflective essay?
A For use with Writing 10c
275
Writing Standards
Writing 10
Explanation
A letter to the editor is an example of writing that can be completed in a shorter time frame. A
letter to the editor is a type of persuasive writing that comments on an issue or responds to a news
story or an editorial. For example, you might write a letter to the editor to take issue with how a
news article depicted your community. Effective letters to the editor are brief, clear, specific, and
supported with evidence.
Prewriting
• Choose an issue, news story, or editorial about which you have a strong opinion.
• Write a thesis that states your opinion clearly and confidently.
• Gather factual evidence to support your argument.
Drafting
• Begin by clearly identifying the issue, story, or editorial to which you are responding. For
stories or editorials, include the date and title in parentheses.
• Present your argument, supporting it with facts and other evidence. Keep your letter
concise; many letters to the editor are shortened for publication.
• State your qualifications if they help your argument. For example, if you are arguing for a
new soccer field, being a soccer player is a qualification.
• Establish and maintain a polite tone.
• Avoid ad hominem attacks.

• Replace vague words and clichés with powerful, well-chosen, and precise words.
• Check your evidence: Do you need to add facts or other evidence?
Academic Vocabulary
ad hominem attacking a person associated with a policy, rather than the policy itself
Apply the Standard

assignments.
• Writing a Letter to the Editor
276
Speaking and Listening
Standards
Listening and Speaking Standards
Speaking and Listening 1

1. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-
on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics,
texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and
persuasively.*
Workshop: Deliver a Research Presentation

Research presentations present, interpret, and analyze information gathered through
comprehensive study of a subject. Creating a research presentation is a good way to learn about a
topic that is outside your own experience.
Assignment
Present a research report on a topic of your choosing. Include these elements:
✓✓a specific thesis statement
✓✓supporting details and evidence
✓✓a logical organization of details and ideas
✓✓graphics and media elements to help illuminate important points
✓✓appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation
✓✓language that is formal and precise and that follows the rules of Standard
English
Speaking and Listening 1.b. Work with peers to on all sides of an issue; 5. Make strategic use of
1. Initiate and participate promote civil, democratic resolve contradictions when digital media (e.g., textual,
effectively in a range of discussions and decision- possible; and determine graphical, audio, visual,
collaborative discussions making, set clear goals and what additional information and interactive elements)
(one-on-one, in groups, and deadlines, and establish or research is required to in presentations to enhance
teacher-led) with diverse individual roles as needed. deepen the investigation or understanding of findings,
partners on grades 11–12 1.c. Propel conversations complete the task. reasoning, and evidence and
topics, texts, and issues, to add interest.
by posing and responding 4. Present information,
building on others’ ideas and to questions that probe findings, and supporting 6. Adapt speech to a variety
expressing their own clearly reasoning and evidence; evidence, conveying a clear of contexts and tasks,
and persuasively. ensure a hearing for a full and distinct perspective, such demonstrating command
1.a. Come to discussions range of positions on a that listeners can follow the of formal English when
prepared, having read and topic or issue; clarify, verify, line of reasoning, alternative indicated or appropriate.
researched material under or challenge ideas and or opposing perspectives Language
study; explicitly draw on that conclusions; and promote are addressed, and the
preparation by referring divergent and creative organization, development, 1. Demonstrate command of
to evidence from texts perspectives. substance, and style are the conventions of standard
and other research on the appropriate to purpose, English grammar and usage
1.d. Respond thoughtfully
topic or issue to stimulate a audience, and a range of when writing or speaking.
to diverse perspectives;
thoughtful, well-reasoned formal and informal tasks.
synthesize comments,
exchange of ideas. claims, and evidence made
278
Plan Your Report

A research report can provide information on any topic under the sun. As a result, choosing a
topic can be challenging. But finding and refining your topic is the first step in creating an effective
research report.
Choose your topic. Consult with a partner to brainstorm ideas for your topic. Consider topics
from other disciplines that interest you, such as history or math. Jot down ideas in a notebook. You
may also wish to review newspaper and magazine articles for topics that you find intriguing. For
example, you might consider researching the history behind a story that is currently in the news.
Determine what you already know about the topic and what you would like to learn. Remember
that the topic you choose should be complex and multifaceted so that you will have sufficient
information for your research. Use a chart like the one below to organize your thoughts:
What I Know What I Want to Know
Collaborate and decide. Next, consult with a small group to help make your choice. Ask
students for feedback about your ideas, including whether the topic is too narrow or too broad.
Listen for good suggestions about your ideas, and offer your thoughts about other students’ ideas.
Respond to and ask questions of the group to help clarify your main idea.
For use with Speaking and Listening 1
279
Research Your Topic

Conduct research. Gather a variety of sources to learn about your topic. Seek out both primary
and secondary sources. Keep careful notes so that you can accurately cite them.
Take notes to capture or identify the most useful information you find in each source. Conduct
further research to settle any discrepancies you find among your sources. Be sure to consider the
reliability of sources as you plan. Evaluating sources is especially important on the Internet. Some
Web pages may include information that is unreliable, invalid, or inaccurate. The most reliable Web
sites tend to have URLs ending in .edu and .gov.
Use the graphic organizer to help you research and take notes.
Source Main Point It Supports Where to Include It and

How to Introduce It
(Name, type, author, date) Is this source
o useful?
o current?
o accurate?
o free from bias?

o useful?
o current?
o accurate?
o free from bias?

o useful?
o current?
o accurate?
o free from bias?

o useful?
o current?
o accurate?
o free from bias?
280
Organize Your Speech

Write a thesis. Review your notes and researched materials. Write a thesis—one clear statement
that will express the focus of your presentation. All aspects of your presentation, from script to
visuals, graphics, audio, and charts, should support this main idea.
Thesis Statement:
Choose a structure. Choose an organizational pattern that matches the content and purpose of
your writing. Consider these options.
• Chronological order offers information in the sequence in which it happened.
• Cause-and-effect analyzes the causes and/or effects of an event.
• Part-to-whole order examines how categories affect a larger subject.
• Order of importance presents information in order of increasing or decreasing importance.
• Comparison-and-contrast presents similarities and differences between two topics.

To select an appropriate organization, use the graphic organizer to review the patterns and consider
their pros and cons. For example, chronological order can present a sequence of events clearly, but
may not establish the importance of a particular event. Choose the overall organizational method
that best supports your thesis statement.
Chronological Cause-and- Part-to-Whole Order of Comparison-

Order Effect Importance and-Contrast
Pros: Pros: Pros: Pros: Pros:
Cons: Cons: Cons: Cons: Cons:
Which organizational structure will best support your purpose? Explain.
281
Draft Your Script

Write a draft. Use the following graphic organizer to arrange your presentation so that your
thesis and main points follow a logical progression. Make sure to support each point with detailed
evidence that you gathered through your research. As you prepare, remember that you must end
your presentation with a strong conclusion. The conclusions should restate your main idea and one
or two of your main supporting details. Build in time to answer your classmates’ questions.
I. Introduction
A. Interesting Opening:
B. Thesis Statement:
II. Point 1
A. Topic Sentence:
B. Supporting Evidence:
C. Supporting Evidence:
III. Point 2
A. Topic Sentence:
IV. Point 3
A. Topic Sentence:
V. Conclusion
A. Restatement of Thesis:
B. Memorable Closing:
282
Presentation techniques
The way you deliver your research report is just as important as what you say in it. Practice your
presentation in front of a mirror or for family and friends so that you can present your information
smoothly and with confidence.
Use presentation techniques. Use these tips to help you practice your delivery:
• Eye contact: Maintain eye contact with your audience so that listeners feel as though you
are speaking directly to them rather than at them.
• Speaking rate: Speak slowly when explaining new concepts and pause to emphasize
important ideas or for effect when appropriate. Do not rush.
• Volume: Project your voice so everyone in your audience can hear you and increase or
decrease your volume for dramatic effect.
• Enunciation: Pronounce words clearly, especially words that are unfamiliar to your
audience, so that listeners can understand what you are saying.
• Purposeful gestures: Use gestures to illustrate ideas and emphasize important points, but
be aware of movements that may be distracting.
• Language conventions: Use formal language and follow conventions of Standard English
to ensure that your audience can understand you.
Use visual displays and multimedia components. Work with a small group to brainstorm ideas
for visuals and multimedia to use in your presentation. Remember to choose a few strong elements
that clearly support your main ideas. Try to use them throughout the presentation, instead of
clustering their use at one point.
Visual Element Main Idea or Evidence it Where to Include It

or Multimedia Supports
Component
283
Discuss and Evaluate

After you have completed your research presentation, take time to participate in a group discussion
of the content and delivery of your speech.
Discuss and evaluate the research presentation.

Hold a discussion with a group of classmates to determine what worked well in your presentation
and what did not. Each member of the group should identify where explanations need to be
clarified or where your evidence and support were insufficient. Try to reach a consensus, and if a
consensus cannot be reached, then summarize the points of agreement and disagreement among
group member. Refer to the Guidelines below to ensure that your discussion is productive.
Guidelines for Discussion

In order to prepare for the discussion, review the rubric for evaluating a research presentation
below.
• Help the group set goals for the discussion and assign roles, such as leader and note-taker,
as applicable.
• Ask questions and answer others’ questions and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and
conclusions.
• Be open to new ideas suggested by others and change your own thinking to take such ideas
into account when appropriate.
• Make sure all group members have a chance to participate and express his or her views.
Guidelines for Group Discussion

Discussion Rubric Notes
o Did everyone participate in the discussion?
o Was each group member able to freely express his or her opinion?
o Was a leader guiding the discussion?

o Did someone take notes for everyone to share at the end of the
discussion?
o Did people in the group ask questions and answer those posed by
others?
o Did group members’ questions and answers stay focused on the
topic?
o Did participants accept comments from others?

o Were participants open to new ideas or perspectives suggested by
others?
284
Self-Assessment
After you’ve completed your presentation, you should reflect on your speech. Ask yourself how
well you thought it went. Was your speech organized and logical? Was your delivery effective? Did
you clearly define any unfamiliar terms and phrases for your audience? Did you integrate visual
and multimedia elements effectively? Consider how your classmates reacted to your presentation
and whether or not the group discussions helped you to realize anything about your speech.
Using a rubric for self-assessment. Combine your self-evaluation with what you learned from
your classmates’ response to your speech. Then, apply those insights as you fill in the rubric below.
Use the rating scale to grade your work, and circle the score that best applies to each category.
Self-Assessment Rubric
Criteria for Discussion Rating Scale

not very very
Focus: How clear was my thesis, and did all of my details and support 1 2 3 4 5 6
focus on the topic of my speech?
Organization: How well-organized was my presentation so that 1 2 3 4 5 6

listeners could easily follow it?
Support/Elaboration: How well did I support main idea with 1 2 3 4 5 6

examples and detailed evidence, using visual displays and multimedia
components where appropriate?
Delivery: How effectively did I create a relaxed but formal tone, 1 2 3 4 5 6
making eye contact with listeners, maintaining an adequate volume,
and speaking clearly?
Conventions: How free was my presentation from errors in grammar, 1 2 3 4 5 6
spelling, and punctuation?
285

2. Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media
(e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve
problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any
discrepancies among the data.
Explanation
When you have a problem to solve or a decision to make, a good first step is to find useful
information. Check a variety of print and non-print sources, such as newspapers, Web sites,
documentary films, and recorded political speeches.
Once you have found several sources of information, you must evaluate their credibility and
accuracy. As you evaluate each source, consider the author’s, sponsor’s, or creator’s interests or
bias, the intended audience and purpose, and the date of the source.
To share your findings, integrate information from all your sources and create a cohesive,
convincing multimedia presentation. Be sure to select the appropriate media to support each point.
Examples
• Gather Information Gather multiple sources to learn about a topic or issue. Then, decide
which sources can help you. For example, a newspaper article about local traffic patterns
could help identify solutions to traffic problems in your town. However, a book on traffic
regulations throughout America would be too general.
• Note Discrepancies Sources sometimes contradict one another. When they do, conduct
research to resolve the discrepancy.
• Evaluate Sources Is a source accurate? Is it credible? Evaluating the credibility of sources

is especially important when you use the Internet. The most reliable Web sites are usually
those with URLs ending in .edu and .gov. However, in using college or university sites with
an .edu suffix, be sure you are not relying solely on information posted by a student.
• Integrate Information Weave together information presented in diverse formats and

media, recognizing that written text is not the only source of valuable facts.
Academic Vocabulary
credibility power or ability to inspire belief or confidence
evaluate judge or assess value or usefulness
integrate bring together parts to create a coherent whole
Apply the Standard

Use the worksheet that follows to help you apply the standard. Several copies of the worksheet
have been provided for you to use with different assignments.
• Integrating Multiple Sources of Information
286
Name Date Selection
Integrating Multiple Sources of Information

Use the chart, below, to take notes on your sources and evaluate the information in each. Then,
explain how the sources support your decision, viewpoint, or solution.
Topic or Issue:
Source What information does this Is this source credible and

source provide? accurate? Explain.
Source:
Media Type:
Format:
o Visual
o Quantitative
o Oral
Source:
Media Type:
Format:
o Visual
o Quantitative
o Oral
Source:
Media Type:
Format:
o Visual
o Quantitative
o Oral
Perspective, Decision, or Solution:
How do your sources support your decision, viewpoint, or solution?
A For use with Speaking and Listening 2
287
Name Date Selection

Topic or Issue:

Source:
Media Type:
Format:
o Visual
o Quantitative
o Oral
Source:
Media Type:
Format:
o Visual
o Quantitative
o Oral
Source:
Media Type:
Format:
o Visual
o Quantitative
o Oral
Perspective, Decision or Solution:
B For use with Speaking and Listening 2
288
Name Date Selection

Topic or Issue:

Source:
Media Type:
Format:
o Visual
o Quantitative
o Oral
Source:
Media Type:
Format:
o Visual
o Quantitative
o Oral
Source:
Media Type:
Format:
o Visual
o Quantitative
o Oral
Perspective, Decision or Solution:
C For use with Speaking and Listening 2
289

3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric,
assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of
emphasis, and tone used.
Explanation
Evaluating a speech or presentation involves identifying and assessing a number of elements. One
is the speaker’s tone, or attitude towards a subject. Another is the premise, or underlying belief, of
the speaker and how that premise is supported. In addition, speakers can:
• appeal to emotion by arousing an audience’s feelings, and
• appeal to authority by claiming that experts support an idea.
It is also important to assess a speaker’s use of rhetorical devices to persuade an audience:
• alliteration: repeating the same initial sound in nearby words
• parallelism: using the same grammatical structure to express related ideas
• rhetorical questions: asking a question with a self-evident answer
Example
In evaluating a presentation on the need to build an animal shelter for stray cats and dogs, you
might jot down notes like these:
• point of view — pressing need for such a shelter
• expressed premise — morality of avoiding needless suffering of animals
• tone — serious and urgent
• words with an emotional appeal — poor creatures
• logical support — argument showing shelter will save money in the long run
• evidence — financial report of nearby town that built such a shelter
• rhetorical device — alliteration (“. . . pets that were abused and abandoned . . .”)
Academic Vocabulary
premises expressed or implied assumptions behind an argument
tone attitude toward a subject
rhetorical device specific use of language to persuade
Apply the Standard

• Evaluating Elements of a Speech
• Evaluating a Speaker’s Use of Evidence

290
Evaluating Elements of a Speech

Use the chart, below, to evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and persuasive appeals.
Then, assess the speaker’s word choice and tone and their effects on the audience.
Topic and speaker
Audience
Speaker’s point of view
Speaker’s reasoning
Persuasive appeals o appeal to emotion
Example:
o appeal to authority
Example:
Rhetorical Devices and Word Choice Examples:
Effect on Audience:
Tone Description of Tone:
Effect on Audience:
How well did the presentation convey and support the argument? Explain.
291

Topic and speaker
Audience
Example:
Example:
Effect on Audience:
Effect on Audience:
292

Topic and speaker
Audience
Example:
Example:
Effect on Audience:
Effect on Audience:
293
Evaluating a Speaker’s Use of Evidence

Use the chart, below, to evaluate the evidence a speaker uses.
Topic and speaker
Speaker’s Point of View
Supporting Evidence Example:
Was the evidence

o relevant?
o of good quality?
o credible?
o persuasive?
o exaggerated or distorted?
Example:
Was the evidence

o relevant?
o of good quality?
o credible?
o persuasive?
Examples of exaggerated or distorted evidence:
How well did the evidence support the speaker’s reasoning? Explain.
294

Topic and speaker
Was the evidence

o relevant?
o of good quality?
o credible?
o persuasive?
Example:
Was the evidence

o relevant?
o of good quality?
o credible?
o persuasive?
295

Topic and speaker
Was the evidence

o relevant?
o of good quality?
o credible?
o persuasive?
Example:
Was the evidence

o relevant?
o of good quality?
o credible?
o persuasive?
296

4. P
resent information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear
and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning,
alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization,
development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a
range of formal and informal tasks.
Explanation
First identify your purpose, audience, and task to determine how much depth to go into and how
to adapt your argument. Then identify your perspective on the topic and how you will address
opposing perspectives. Identifying and refuting opposing arguments will help persuade your
audience that your perspective is correct.
Make sure your line of reasoning is focused and coherent, and your findings and evidence are
strong. To develop and present your ideas clearly, consider using one of these organizational
patterns:
• Order of importance: Present your ideas and evidence from most to least important, or from
least to most important.
• Cause-and-effect: Analyze the cause of an event or problem and its effect or effects.
• Problem/solution: Identify a specific problem and tell how it might be solved.
Examples
• Address opposing perspectives. For example, your perspective is that litter is creating an
unsafe environment in your town, and a community clean-up day should be mandatory for
all students. To address and refute opposing perspectives, you might say: “Some students
might argue that they didn’t create the mess. However, they will benefit from a cleaner
town, so they should take part in the clean-up.”
• Consider which organizational structure will best highlight your ideas and make them clear
and easy to follow. For example, a problem-and-solution organization would work well for
the issue of how to handle litter in your community.
Academic Vocabulary
evidence support or proof of something
perspective a way of regarding a topic or situation
Apply the Standard

Use the worksheets that follow to help you apply the standard. Several copies of each worksheet
have been provided for you to use with different assignments.
• Presenting a Speech Effectively
• Addressing Other Perspectives

297
Presenting a Speech Effectively

Use the chart below to help you plan and deliver your presentation clearly and effectively
Topic
Intended Audience
Purpose
Task The task is

o formal.
o informal.
Explain:
Purpose
Supporting Evidence
Audience The presentation

o meets the needs of the audience.
o meets the needs of the purpose.
o meets the needs of the task.
o conveys a clear perspective.
o uses effective supporting evidence.
A For use with Speaking
298

Topic
Intended Audience
Purpose
Task The task is

o formal.
o informal.
Explain:
Purpose
Supporting Evidence

B For use with Speaking
299

Topic
Intended Audience
Purpose
Task The task is

o formal.
o informal.
Explain:
Purpose
Supporting Evidence

C For use with Speaking
300
Addressing Other Perspectives

After you have completed a rough draft of a speech, use the chart below to help you make sure that
you address any possible questions and opposing perspectives.
Topic:
My Perspective:
My Argument:
Possible questions: My answers:
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
Possible objections: Ways to minimize or refute them:
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
A For use with Speaking
301

Topic:
My Perspective:
My Argument:
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
B For use with Speaking
302

Topic:
My Perspective:
My Argument:
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
C For use with Speaking
303

5. Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and
interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings,
reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
Explanation
Making strategic use of digital media is an important part of creating a good multimedia
presentation. Digital media include a variety of formats.
• Textual elements, such as titles, captions, and bulleted lists
• Graphical elements, such as charts, maps, and diagrams
• Audio elements, such as music, recorded interviews, and sound effects
• Visual elements, such as still photographs and video clips
• Interactive elements, such as message boards and games

Choose only those that have a clear meaning and relevance to the presentation.
Examples
• To add interest, pace your use of digital media elements. For example, in a presentation on
rain forests, include photographs, audio clips, and video clips at various points throughout
the presentation. Avoid clustering media elements together at either the beginning or end.
That will prevent your audience from absorbing the information the media convey.
• Use media elements that complement one another. For example, photographs of birds that
live in rain forests can be accompanied by recordings of their calls. By creating interplay
among media elements, you can avoid repeating in words what other media elements have
already communicated in sounds or visuals.
• Create a varied, rich experience for your audience. Avoid overusing any one form of media.
For example, images of rain forest plants and insects may become repetitive. Add variety by
including a recording of rainforest sounds.
Academic Vocabulary
strategic integral or essential to a carefully made plan
Apply the Standard

Use the worksheet that follows to help you apply the standard.
• Using Digital Media
304
Using Digital Media

Use this chart to help you plan which digital media elements to use in your presentation. After your
presentation, evaluate your use of digital media elements by answering the questions at the bottom
of the page.
Textual Element(s): How element(s) enhance understanding:
Location in Presentation:
Graphical Element(s): How element(s) enhance understanding:
Audio Element(s): How element(s) enhance understanding:
Visual Element(s): How element(s) enhance understanding:
Interactive Element(s): How element(s) enhance understanding:
How did the digital media elements in your presentation enhance your audience’s understanding
of findings, reasoning, and evidence?
How did the digital media elements add interest?
305

6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal
English when indicated or appropriate.
Explanation
To effectively present a speech, it is important to first identify the context and the audience—be it
a formal presentation in class or a group discussion with peers. Identifying your task, or purpose,
is another key factor. Are you aiming to persuade, to share information, to entertain, or to offer a
solution to a problem?
With your context and task in mind, determine how to adapt your presentation to appeal to
your particular audience, focusing on delivery techniques. Speak each word clearly and precisely
and vary the tone of your voice as needed. Remember to make eye contact with members of the
audience and vary the pace of your delivery using appropriate body language to stress key points.
When you deliver a presentation, use formal English to communicate your ideas. Formal English
shows that you respect both your subject and your audience. Avoid using casual, everyday
language and slang when speaking.
Examples
• The context and task of a presentation should determine its level of formality and its tone.
For example, if you were giving a presentation about a local sporting event, informal
language may be appropriate. However, a speech about the death of a famous political
leader would call for formal language and a serious, solemn tone.
• Observe your command of formal English in presentations that require you to use it. Avoid
common usage problems, including incorrect verb tenses. “She rung the doorbell three
times,” is incorrect. It should be “She rang the doorbell three times.”
• Avoid using filler words and phrases, which interrupt the flow of a presentation. These
words include um, like, you know, and I mean.
Academic Vocabulary
adapt change to suit a new purpose or different conditions
context circumstance or situation that determines interpretation
Apply the Standard

Use the worksheets that follow to help you apply the standard. Several copies of each worksheet
have been provided for you.
• Adapting a Speech
• Using Appropriate Language
306
Name Date Selection
Adapting a Speech
Use this chart to help you adapt a speech to the appropriate context, audience, and, task.
Topic:
What is the context, or situation?
Who is your audience?
What is your task, or purpose?
Adaptations I Will Make Reasons for Changes

1.
2.
3.
307
Name Date Selection
Adapting a Speech
Topic:

1.
2.
3.
308
Name Date Selection
Adapting a Speech
Topic:

1.
2.
3.
309
Name Date Selection
Using Appropriate Language

Before you give a speech, use the checklist to evaluate your use of language.
Audience:
Context:
Speaking Task:
Speech Checklist
Language o Is my language appropriate for the context and speaking task?
o Have I avoided making common usage errors?
o Is my language and word choice precise and engaging enough to
keep the listeners interested?
o Have I avoided using filler words?
Sentences o Are my sentences varied enough?

o Can I change sentences lengths to vary my pace and tempo?
o Have I avoided using fragments and run-on sentences?
Verbs o Am I using the correct form of irregular verbs?

o Are my verbs vivid and precise?
310
Name Date Selection

Audience:
Context:
Speaking Task:
Speech Checklist


311
Name Date Selection

Audience:
Context:
Speaking Task:
Speech Checklist


312
Language Standards
Language 1a
1a. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and
usage when writing or speaking.
• Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over
time, and is sometimes contested.
Explanation
Throughout your school career, you have studied the rules of standard English grammar and
usage. People are expected to demonstrate a strong command of these rules in their formal writing
and speaking. Grammar and usage rules are conventions, or agreements, accepted by most
speakers and writers. These conventions often change over time and are sometimes contested, or
challenged. To succeed in society, however, you need to understand and consistently apply the
conventions of standard English that are accepted at any given time.
Examples
Over time, the conventions of standard English usage can change. Up until very recently, for
example, commas were used to separate only the first and second in a series of items. For example:
Suzanne brought her guitar, her harmonica and her accordion. Now the convention is to separate all three
items in a series: Suzanne brought her guitar, her harmonica, and her accordion. However, because this
convention shifted only fairly recently, many people still follow the old rule.
It is important to have command of the current conventions of standard English grammar and
usage. The table below summarizes some of the most important conventions.
Convention Errors Corrections

A present-tense verb must One of these games are One of these games is difficult.
agree with its subject. difficult. The expressions on her face
The expressions on her face change often.
changes often. Jen wants a new phone.
Jen want a new phone.
A pronoun must agree with One of the men lost their voice. One of the men lost his voice.
its antecedent in person and Athletes need to build your Athletes need to build their
gender. stamina. stamina.
Place a modifier as close Torn to shreds, I tried to repair I tried to repair my math paper,
as possible to the word it my math paper. which was torn to shreds.
modifies.
Use verbs in the active voice, The ball was hit over the Deion hit the ball over the
unless you want to emphasize outfield fence by Deion. outfield fence.
the receiver of the action or the
doer of the action is unknown
or unimportant.
314
Apply the Standard

A. Circle the correct or best word in parentheses to complete each sentence.
1. The poems of the Romantic Period (is, are) well known.
2. One of the qualities that people admire in Romantic poems (is, are) an emphasis on emotions.
3. Equally admired (is, are) the subject matter of the poetry.
4. William Wordsworth’s poems are known for (its, their) celebration of nature.
5. The poet Lord Byron is most remembered for (his, its) creation of a figure known as
the “Byronic hero.”
6. Wordsworth, one of the most famous poets of this period, (was, were) from the Lake District.
7. An area in northwestern England, (it, they) was a place where he spent much time in his youth.
8. Both of Wordsworth’s parents (died, were dead) before he left to pursue his education at
Cambridge University.
9. The approaches of the different Romanic poets (is, are) different in many respects.
10. After becoming caught up in the French Revolution, Wordsworth (return, returned) to England a
changed man.
B. Each sentence contains one or more errors in standard English grammar and usage. Circle the
errors, and write the sentences correctly on the lines.
1. A controversial character, people were shocked by Lord Byron.

2. A gloomy, mysterious outcast, the Byronic hero feels no satisfaction in their accomplishments.

3. One of the most famous lines in English poetry were created by John Keats in its poem “Ode on a
Grecian Urn.”

4. “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” the best-known of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poems, is
remembered for their vivid imagery and spooky mood.

5. Mary Shelley, the wife of poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, is remembered for his famous novel,
Frankenstein.

For use with Language 1a
315
Language 1b
1b. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and
usage when writing or speaking.
• Resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting references (e.g.,
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, Garner’s Modern American
Usage) as needed.
Explanation
When usage conventions are complicated or contested, even professional editors are not always
sure which word is considered correct in a certain context. To resolve usage issues, writers and
editors turn to reliable reference books, such as an up-to-date college dictionary or usage handbook.
Examples
The comparative form of an adjective or adverb is used to compare two persons, places, or things.
The superlative form is used to compare three or more. To form the comparative, you add –er to
the modifier or use the word more before the modifier. To form the superlative, you add –est to the
modifier or use the word most before it.
Modifier Comparative Form Superlative Form

smart smarter smartest
tiny tinier tiniest
narrow narrower narrowest
handsome handsomer handsomest
useful more useful most useful
interesting more interesting most interesting
quickly more quickly most quickly
Usage conventions once required using more and most with modifiers of two or more syllables.
Today, however, many two-syllable modifiers have correct forms that end in –er and –est. For
example, the comparative and superlative forms of handsome are handsomer and handsomest. If you
look up handsome in an up-to-date dictionary, you will find these forms listed after the entry word.
If you look up other two-syllable adjectives such as lonesome, helpful, and loyal, however, you will
not find any comparative or superlative forms listed. The absence of these comparative forms in
the dictionary entry tells you that you must use more and most with these modifiers to form the
comparative. If you are not sure of the correct comparative and superlative forms of a modifier, look
up the word in a recently published dictionary. For other complex or contested usage issues, consult
an authoritative usage guide such as Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage.
316
Apply the Standard

A. Circle the correct modifier in parentheses to complete each sentence. Use a dictionary if necessary.
1. Ebenezer Scrooge is the (more famous, most famous) character created by Charles Dickens.
2. As Scrooge becomes (wealthier, wealthiest), he becomes even (greedier, greediest) than he was as a
young man.
3. He has no compassion for even the (needier, neediest) family in all of London.
4. After being visited by three ghosts, however, Scrooge becomes (generouser, more generous).
5. The (memorablest, most memorable) scene in A Christmas Carol is when Scrooge buys the (hugest,
most huge) goose in the whole market for the Cratchit family.
6. One of the (popularest, most popular) novellas ever written, A Christmas Carol is now often
performed as a drama.
7. The story has become one of the (more traditional, most traditional) representations of what
Christmas spirit means.
8. A Christmas Carol is known (best, bestest) because of its brilliant characters, Scrooge and Bob
Cratchit.
9. As Scrooge’s (more miserable, most miserable) assistant, Bob Cratchit represents many of the poor,
working-class people in England at that time.
10. Dickens’s classic novella remains to this day one of the (more, most) frequently adapted works of all
time.
B. Write the correct comparative or superlative form of the modifier to complete each sentence. Use
an up-to-date college dictionary to check that you are using the currently accepted form.
1. My progress was than his. (steady)
2. Which of the three paths is the ? (narrow)
3. Sandstone is than marble. (porous)
4. Jan’s report was than Joe’s. (timely)
5. That Chinese restaurant offers the service in town. (speedy)
6. What is the problem you have ever faced? (difficult)
7. Which of the three lakes is the ? (shallow)
8. Snow is in December than it is in April. (welcome)
9. My dog is the member of my family. (loyal)
10. Your meal is than mine. (tasty) For use with Language 1b
317
Language 2a
2a. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when writing.
• Observe hyphenation conventions.
Explanation
In American standard English, hyphens are used with certain compound adjectives and compound
nouns. They are also used to separate certain prefixes from the words that follow. Consult an up-do-
date college dictionary or an authoritative usage guide if you are not sure whether to use a hyphen.
Examples
The table below summarizes current American standard English conventions for using hyphens.
Use a hyphen… Rule Examples

after a prefix when the second word is capitalized. mid-September
when the second word is a number. pre-1900
when more than one word follows it. pre-twentieth-century
to distinguish a word from its homophone. repress a memory, but
re-press a shirt
when the prefix ex- means “former” ex-husband
in compound adjectives when they come before a noun, unless the brown-eyed girl
first word ends in -ly. widely read magazine
in compound nouns when they name numbers. fifty-six

when they name equally important poet-scholar
functions.
when they include a prepositional phrase. mother-in-law
for great relatives and with year-old. great-grandfather
two-year-old
when they begin with self or vice. self-esteem
vice-chairman
318
Apply the Standard

A. Circle the words in each sentence that require a hyphen. Then write each hyphenated word
correctly.
1. The month of March has thirty one days.
2. We saw a thought provoking video about pre Columbian architecture in Guatemala.

3. She was taking care of a high spirited four year old boy.

4. The vice president’s mother in law is the well known architect engineer Rosa Gonzalez.

5. We are studying post 1917 Russian history.
6. My mother wants to recover the high backed chairs, using brightly colored paisley fabric.

7. The president announced a ten year plan for redeveloping the poverty stricken city.

8. Twenty five all American sports heroes received new state of the art video recorders.

B. Rewrite the paragraph below, adding hyphens where they are needed.
The Polish born writer Joseph Conrad eventually became one of the masters of late
nineteenth century British fiction. The son of a Polish nobleman nationalist, Conrad was
orphaned at the age of eleven and fled his Russian occupied homeland when he was
seventeen. He did not learn English until 1878 when, at the age of twenty one, he took a job
on a British merchant ship. As a seaman, he made voyages to Asia, Africa, and South America,
places that eventually became richly detailed settings in novels and stories such as Lord Jim,
“The Secret Sharer,” and “Heart of Darkness.” His fiction can be read as adventures in which
men face life threatening dangers, but also as voyages of self discovery, in which men face
soul threatening isolation and moral dilemmas.

319
Language 2b
2b. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when writing.
• Spell correctly.
Explanation
Readers will not be convinced by your brilliant arguments or be swept up in your suspenseful
story if they are stumbling over misspelled words. You can avoid spelling errors by learning a few
spelling rules, consulting a dictionary when needed, and using spell-check cautiously as you write.
Examples
The tables below provide rules to help you avoid some common spelling errors. Notice which ones
apply to you, and check those words carefully when you edit your writing.
TROUBLESOME SOUNDS
Many words contain similar sounds, yet have different spellings. Check a dictionary if you are unsure
of the correct spelling.
Rule Examples
The “seed” sound at the end of a word can be spelled cede, precede, recede, concede,
ceed, or sede. intercede
exceed, proceed, succeed
supersede
The “er” sound can be spelled many different ways: ar, er, ear, calendar, verse, learn, first,
ir, or, our, ur, or ure. neighbor, furniture, courage,
pasture
ADDING SUFFIXES
Become familiar with the following rules for adding suffixes.
Rule Examples
When adding –ly to form an adverb from an adjective reasonable + ly = reasonably
ending in –le, first drop the –le. intelligible + ly = intelligibly
When adding –ing, -ish, or –ist to words that end in y, keep pity + ing = pitying
the y at the end of the root word. essay + ist = essayist
The shus sound can be spelled with the suffix -cious or -tious. gracious, suspicious
Check a dictionary to be sure of the correct spelling. infectious, cautious
The shun sound is usually spelled with the suffix -tion. The ration, mention
zhun sound is usually the suffix -sion. confusion, decision
320
Apply the Standard

A. Write the words described below. Be sure to spell them correctly. Check a dictionary if you are
unsure of the correct spelling.
1. Write the word that means “a person who acts.”
2. Add the suffix –ly to the word remarkable.
3. Write the word that means “to have success.”
4. Write the word that begins with re- and means “to move back,” like a tide or a hairline.
5. Add the suffix –ist to the word hobby.
6. Add the shun sound to the end of prevent.
7. Add the zhun sound to the end of revise.
8. Add the suffix –ing to the word carry.
9. Add the suffix –ly to the word comfortable.
10. Add the suffix –ing to the word cry.
B. Each sentence below contains one or more misspelled words. Circle each misspelled word, and
write the correct spelling on the line. Use a dictionary if you are unsure of the correct spelling.
1. The spectaters at the fireworks display said that they saw a spectaculer presentation.

2. My parents praised me for behaving responsiblely and said they were no longer worrying about my
futur or feeling suspishous about my decisions.

3. My cousin preceeded me up the circuler stairway.

4. To succede in life, you need to accept disappointment grashiously and proceed with confidence.

5. Some lobbyists may exceed the bounds of ethical behavier when dealing with legislaters such as
senaters.

For use with Language 2b
321
Language 3
3a. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different
contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend
more fully when reading or listening.
• Vary syntax for effect, consulting references (e.g., Tufte’s Artful Sentences) for
guidance as needed; apply an understanding of syntax to the study of complex
texts when reading.
Explanation
To keep their readers interested, good writers use different kinds of sentences. Writers become
experts in syntax—the different ways of arranging words in sentences. They vary the syntax of
their sentences to create certain effects, such as suspense, surprise, or humor. By expanding your
understanding of syntax, you can become a better writer and a more discerning reader.
Examples
To create dramatic effects and to prevent your writing from becoming monotonous, use a variety
of sentence structures. Short sentences quicken the pace and create a sense of drama, while longer
sentences cause the reader to slow down and reflect. Simple sentences focus the reader’s attention on
a single idea, while compound and complex sentences emphasize the relationships between ideas.
SENTENCE TYPES
Simple: a single independent clause I want to have a challenging career.
Compound: Two or more independent clauses, joined by I want to have a challenging career, but I
a comma and coordinating conjunction (and, but, or) or a don’t want to sit at a desk all day.
semicolon
Complex: One independent clause and one or more Because I like sports, I think athletic
subordinate clauses training is a career that I’d enjoy.
Compound-Complex: Two or more independent clauses Trainers earn a good living, and the job
and one or more subordinate clauses is never boring because it involves the
drama of athletic competition.
SENTENCE BEGINNINGS
Notice how you can express the same idea in five different ways, just by changing the beginning
of a sentence.
Subject Many high school students suddenly start planning their futures during their
senior year.
Prepositional Phrase During their senior year, many high school students suddenly start planning
their futures.
Participle Starting suddenly during their senior year, many high school students plan
their futures.
Adverb Suddenly, during their senior year, many high school students start planning
their futures.
Subordinate Clause When they become seniors, many high school students suddenly start
planning their futures.
322
Apply the Standard

A. Combine each group of sentences, using the sentence type indicated in parentheses.
1. Careers in health care are booming. Many of them pay quite well. (compound)

2. Some careers require many years of training. Others do not. (compound)

3. You may participate in an internship. You are going to school at the same time. (complex)

4. Physical therapy is a career. Many people find it rewarding. (complex)

5. Your college advisor will write recommendations. The placement office will help you find a job.
They will do this when you are ready to graduate. (compound-complex)

B. Rewrite each sentence to begin as indicated in parentheses.
1. Representatives at the college fair greeted our high school seniors with information and advice.
(prepositional phrase)

2. Dan, confused about his future, asked about many different areas of study. (participial phrase)

3. He gradually began to focus on the field of broadcast communications. (adverb)

4. He found a college with a great communications program when the fair was almost over.
(subordinate clause)

5. When he got home, he talked to his parents about his plans. (subject)

323
Language 4a
4a. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on grades 11–12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a
range of strategies.
• Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph or text; a word’s
position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
Explanation
To become a proficient reader of complex texts, you need to master the strategies for using context
clues—the nearby words, phrases, and sentences. Context clues can help you determine and clarify
the meaning of unknown words as well as words with multiple meanings. There are many different
types of context clues, the most common of which are explained below.
Examples
Clues in Nearby Words Look for a nearby word or phrase that may have a meaning similar to, or
the opposite of, the unknown word. Look, too, for examples that may clarify a word’s meaning.
Similar meaning: Some animals take on the same look as their habit and change their hue as
they change their surroundings.
(The context clues suggest that hue means “color.”)
Opposite meaning: Samuel Johnson once said that authors can aspire to praise but
lexicographers can only hope to escape reproach.
(The clue suggests that reproach means the opposite of praise, so it must mean “negative
criticism.”)
Examples: The anatomy of the frog resembles that of many aquatic animals, with lungs,
heart, brain, and other organs.
(The examples suggest that anatomy means “the structures that make up a living creature.”)
Clues in the Meaning of the Passage Look for the main idea of a sentence or passage. You can
often use the main idea to figure out the meaning of an unknown word.
The soldiers divided their food into rations that would last the entire month. None were
allowed to eat more than their daily portion.
(The general meaning of the passage suggests that rations means “limited amounts allowed
during a shortage.”)
Clues in the Word’s Function in the Sentence Look at where the word falls in the sentence.
Think about its job, or function. Does it follow an article or an adjective? Does it serve as a subject
or as an object of a preposition? If so, it is a noun. Does it express action? If so, it is a verb. Use that
information, plus any of the first two types of clues, to figure out the unknown word’s meaning.
According the account by Thomas Malory, King Arthur smote Sir Mordred with a thrust of a spear.
(Smote comes after the subject King Arthur and appears to be acting as a verb. The clue words
“with a thrust of his spear” suggest that smote means “attacked” or even “killed.”)
324
Apply the Standard

A. Use context clues in each sentence to determine or clarify the meaning of each underlined word.
Write the probable meaning of each word on the line provided.
1. At Arthur’s death, a number of ladies brought the dead corpse here and prayed me to inter him in
this chapel.
2. King Arthur’s servant asked the hermit if he might abide with him, fasting and saying prayers for
the rest of his days.
3. Robbers ransacked the castle and took away all the goods that were left there, both the king’s and
those of the tenants.
4. At the funeral for the king, the multitudes from the surrounding villages came out to pay tribute to
their beloved leader.
5. Few texts were as scrutinized and studied as those detailing the lives and triumphs of the kings who
ruled in feudal times.
B. Think about the function of the underlined word and its position in the sentence. Use that
information, plus any other context clues, to define the underlined word. Then write its meaning
on the line.
1. Several knights on horses suddenly appeared before the castle and brandished their swords,
demanding immediate entry.
2. The knight’s antagonist in the jousting match was also his rival in the love of the king’s fair
daughter, Gwendolyn.
3. One first hears about Arthur, a High-King of Britain, from his predecessor, who had ruled the
country in the years before Arthur first appeared.
4. At the time, the question of who would rule the country and who was to be the rightful heir cast
Britain into turmoil that seemed as if it might never end.
5. The specter of his father, the previous king who was much beloved, continued to haunt the young
prince who had so recently ascended to the throne.
325
Language 4b
4b. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
• Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different
meanings or parts of speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable.)
Explanation
By adding suffixes to root words, you can change their meaning and part of speech. Many root
words change their parts of speech in predictable ways. When you learn these patterns of word
changes, you can figure out the meaning of related words by analyzing their root words and suffixes.
You can also easily identify whether a word is acting as a noun, verb, or adjective in a sentence.
Examples
Many adjectives end in –ent or –ant. You can usually transform them into nouns by changing –ent
to –ence and –ant to –ance:
• adjectives: persistent, omniscient, defiant, predominant
• nouns: persistence, omniscience, defiance, predominance
Many verbs have similar endings, such as those that end in the suffix –ate. These verbs can be
changed into nouns by adding the suffix –ation:
• verbs: obliterate, intimidate, extenuate, exonerate,
• nouns: obliteration, intimidation, extenuation, exoneration
Many words also share Latin or Greek word parts. For example, a number of verbs that end in -olve.
These verbs can be changed into nouns, following a predictable pattern:
• verbs: solve, absolve, resolve, revolve, evolve, dissolve
• nouns: solution, absolution resolution, revolution, evolution, dissolution
Verbs that end in –ceive also follow a predictable pattern, which includes two different adjective
forms. Notice how the two adjective forms differ in meaning.
Verb Noun Adjective: able to Adjective: able to be

ed
deceive deception deceptive deceivable
perceive perception perceptive perceivable or perceptible
receive reception receptive receivable
conceive conception conceivable
For verbs that end in –ess, add –ion to form a noun and -ive to form an adjective:
• verbs: impress, depress, express, transgress
• nouns: impression, depression, expression, transgression
• adjectives: impressive, depressive, expressive, transgressive
326
Apply the Standard

A. Look at the suffix in each word. Then write the word’s part of speech.
1. repression 11. repressive
2. confiscate 12. absolve
3. affluent 13. reliant
4. equivocation 14. intimidation
5. revolve 15. unreceptive
6. perceptive 16. obliterate
7. receivable 17. dominance
8. predominance 18. dissemination
9. transgress 19. believable
10. resolution 20. speculation
B. Fill in each blank with the correct form of the word in italics.
1. When you deceive someone, you are being a person.
2. When someone absolves you of blame, they are offering you .
3. A person is one who likes to defy authority.
4. When you exasperate someone, that person feels the emotion of .
5. If an idea can be conceived, it is a idea.
6. A malevolent person is spiteful. A person who demonstrates spitefulness shows his

.
7. A perception is something you .
8. When something evolves, it undergoes an .
9. A person who has a transcendent experience has a feeling of .
10. Vigilance is a quality exhibited by people.
327
Language 4c
4c. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
• Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries,
glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of
a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its parts of speech, its
etymology, or its standard usage.
Explanation
Use a dictionary to determine or clarify a word’s precise meaning and part of speech. You can
also check a dictionary to learn a word’s etymology, or history, as well as whether it is considered
standard English, colloquial (conversational English), or slang. Textbooks will often include a
glossary, or alphabetical listing of important terms.
To vary the word choice in your writing, check a thesaurus, or book of synonyms. Many of the
synonyms listed in a thesaurus have the same general meaning, but different connotations.
Examples
Sample Dictionary Entry
Entry word in
bold and Pronunciation Part of speech Inflected forms
divided
into
de vout (di vout’) adj. –er, est 1. very religious; pious
syllables Definitions
See synonyms at religious. 2. showing reverence 3. sincere;
earnest [Midle English devouren, from Old French, from
Latin devotus, past participle of devovere, to vow. See DEVOTE.]
—de vout’ ly adj. —devoutness n.
Etymology Related words
Usage Indicators: Devout, is considered standard English. For words that are not standard
English, the dictionary entry will include a label before the definition, such as colloq: colloquial,
conversational English (not to be used in formal writing).
Sample Thesaurus Entry
Entry Word Part of speech Definitions Synonyms
de vout adj. deeply concerned with religion: devotional, godly,

holy, pious, prayerful, religious, saintly, reverent, fervent.
See RELIGION. Ant. See IRRELIGION.
Cross-reference for more Synonyms Cross-reference for antonyms

328
Apply the Standard

A. Use an up-to-date print or electronic dictionary to answer these questions.
1. Which syllable of the word reciprocal is accented when you pronounce the word?
2. Which word is a verb: breath or breathe?
3. Trace the path by which the word khaki entered the English language. What was the
original meaning of the root from which the word comes?
4. Which definition of the word wicked is not considered standard English usage?
5. How do the words showy and pretentious differ in their connotative meanings?
B. Use a thesaurus to find five synonyms for each underlined word. Then use a dictionary to choose
the best synonym to replace the underlined word in the context of the sentence.
1. In some typefaces, it is difficult to discriminate a capital letter I from a lowercase letter l.
synonyms: best synonym:
2. My mother finds it very annoying when telemarketers call at dinner time.
3. The police officers were ordered not to discharge their weapons.
4. The convicted criminal was vindicated when new evidence came to light.
5. Two of the judges expressed their dissent from the majority opinion.
329
Language 4d
4d. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
• Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase
(e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary.
Explanation
To infer the meaning of an unfamiliar word, you can analyze its word parts—prefix, root, suffix.
You can also use context clues—other nearby words, phrases, and sentences. Sometimes the first
inference you make about a word’s meaning will not be exactly correct. As you read on, you can
use more context clues to verify the meaning of the word. If you are still not sure of a word’s exact
meaning, check your understanding of the word by looking it up in a dictionary.
Examples
Unfamiliar terms In the following passage from Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights
of Woman, you may not be familiar with the word frivolous.
The education of women has of late been more attended to than formerly; yet they are still
reckoned a frivolous sex, and ridiculed or pitied by the writers who endeavor by satire or
instruction to improve them.
Since the women are ridiculed and pitied, you may infer from the context that frivolous means
“inferior.” If you read on, however, you discover that frivolous has a more specific meaning:
It is acknowledged that they spend many of the first years of their lives in acquiring a
smattering of accomplishments; meanwhile strength of body and mind are sacrificed to . . .
notions of beauty, . . . [W]hen they marry they act as such children may be expected to act—
they dress, they paint, and nickname God’s creatures.
Now you may infer that frivolous means “vain,” “silly,” or “not serious”. To verify your inferences
and confirm the word’s meaning, look up frivolous in a dictionary, where you find this definition:
“lacking in seriousness.”
Multiple-meaning words Some of the puzzling words you encounter in your reading will
be familiar, multiple-meaning words that are used in unfamiliar ways. When you infer their
meaning in context, try replacing the word with the inferred meaning to see if it makes sense. For
example, Wollstonecraft writes, “[C]ivilized women . . . are only anxious to inspire love, when they
ought to cherish a nobler ambition, and by their abilities and virtues exact respect.” Obviously,
Wollstonecraft is not using the word exact as an adjective meaning “precise.” Instead she is using at
as a verb, meaning “demand.” Try replacing the word exact with the word demand in the sentence.
Then its meaning makes sense.
330
Apply the Standard

Read this passage from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, in which Pepys describes the Great Fire of
London. As you read, try to infer the meaning of each underlined word, using word analysis and
context clues. Use additional context clues to verify whether your preliminary determination was
correct. Then look up each word in a dictionary to confirm its meaning.
So I down to the waterside, and there got a boat and through bridge, and there saw a
lamentable fire. Poor Michell’s house, as far as the Old Swan, already burned that way, and
the fire running farther, that in a very little time it got as far as the steel yard, while I was
there. Everybody endeavoring to remove their goods, and flinging into the river or bringing
them into lighters that lay off; poor people staying in their houses as long as till the very
fire touched them, and then running into boats, or clambering from one pair of stairs by the
waterside to another. And among other things, the poor pigeons, I perceive, were loth to
leave their houses, but hovered about the windows and balconies till they were, some of them
burned, their wings, and fell down. Having stayed, and in an hour’s time seen the fire rage
every way, and nobody, to my sight, endeavoring to quench it, but to remove their goods, and
leave all to the fire . . . and everything, after so long a drought, proving combustible, even the
very stones of churches, and among other things the poor steeple by which pretty Mrs. —
lives, and whereof my old schoolfellow Elborough is parson, taken fire in the very top, and
there burned till it fell down.
Word Inferred Meaning Dictionary Meaning

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
For use with Language 4d
331
Language 5a
5a. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and
nuances in word meanings.
• Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze
their role in the text.
Explanation
Writers use figurative language to express ideas in vivid, original, and memorable ways.
Figurative language is writing or speech that is used imaginatively. Its meaning must be
interpreted, rather than taken literally. Together, the many types of figurative language are known
as figures of speech.
Examples
Figure of Speech Definition Example
simile compares two unlike things, using Her eyes glowed like the moon.
like or as
metaphor compares two unlike things; does He was a bulldozer running over
not use like or as all of her objections.
personification gives human qualities to a The trees danced in the wind.
nonhuman thing
oxymoron fuses two contradictory ideas in Let’s create a new tradition this
just a few words holiday season.
paradox states a idea that seems A coded message both increases
contradictory or impossible, but is communication and decreases
actually true in some way communication.
hyperbole exaggerates; overstates the truth Not even Einstein could have
passed that math test.
understatement says less than is really meant I was a just a tiny bit embarrassed
when I tripped over my shoelaces
as I walked across the stage.
verbal irony says the opposite of what is really I just love it when we have a pop
meant quiz in math. My whole body
tingles with excitement.
332
Apply the Standard

A. Identify the type(s) of figurative language used in each sentence or passage.
1. The actress became just a little bit nervous when she forgot her lines.
2. It is so crowded here. Did you invite the entire school to this party?
3. As we grow older, we understand that change is the only constant in life.
4. Writer John Donne once said, “[A]ffliction is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it.”
5. The flowers are beckoning us to them.
6. The man’s massive stone home was like a fortress.
7. Jonathan Swift once remarked, “Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover
everybody’s face but their own.”
8. I think I will order the jumbo shrimp.
9. She cried so hard she had to wear a raincoat.
10. Shakespeare is known for using moving language, as in this passage: “I think our country sinks
beneath the yoke; / It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash / Is added to her wounds.”
B. Read the passage below. Identify examples of figurative language. Then explain how the figures
of speech affect your understanding of the text and your emotional response to it.
Some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern about that vast number of poor people,
who are aged, diseased, or maimed, and I have been desired to employ my thoughts what course
may be taken to ease the nation of so grievous an encumbrance. But I am not in the least pain
upon that matter, because it is very well known, that they are every day dying, and rotting, by
cold, and famine, and filth, and vermin, as fast as can be reasonably expected. And as to the
younger laborers they are now in almost as hopeful a condition.
—Jonathan Swift
333
Language 5b
5b. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and
nuances in word meanings.
• Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
Explanation
The denotation of a word is its basic meaning, while the connotations of a word are the feelings
or ideas associated with it. Some synonyms with similar denotations convey different nuances,
or slight differences in meaning. It is important to notice the nuances of word meanings as you
read. When you write, it is important to choose words that have the connotations and nuances of
meaning that you intend.
Examples
This chart shows words that are synonyms for take. Notice the different connotations and shades of
meaning that each word conveys.
Word Connotation/Nuance Example Sentence

1. grasp to take firm hold of something The gymnast grasped the parallel
bars and began her routine.
2. clutch to take and anxiously hold on to a She clutched her purse as she
thing you fear losing walked through the crowd.
3. snatch to take suddenly, without I snatched a cookie that had just
permission come out of the oven.
4. seize to take someone or something by The police seized the fugitive.
force
5. confiscate to seize something with official The state confiscated the criminal’s
authority to do so illegally obtained property.
334
Apply the Standard

A. Use a synonym for took to complete each sentence.
clutch confiscate grasp seize snatched
1. The kidnappers a wealthy man and held him for ransom.
2. She carefully the fragile eggs and walked across the kitchen.
3. He the handlebars of the bike as he made a left turn.
4. The stolen merchandise was by federal authorities.
5. Tanya my test paper while I wasn’t looking.
B. Look up each pair of synonyms in a dictionary. Think about their different shades of meaning.
Then use each word in a sentence that conveys the word’s connotations.
1. anxiety/panic
2. donated/conferred
3. appreciate/cherish
4. divulge/expose
5. bashful/modest
335
Language 6
6. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and
phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college
and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary
knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or
expression.
Explanation
Throughout your years in school, you have learned many academic and domain-specific
vocabulary words and phrases.
• Academic words include words that you use every day at school to solve problems,
analyze texts, express your ideas, and so on.
Examples include critique, clarify, refute, annotate, and debate.
• Domain-specific words are words that are specific to a course of study. In a science course,
examples include inertia, radioactive, and catalyst. In a social studies course, examples include
imperialism, assimilation, and parliamentary.
Learning the meanings of academic and domain-specific words and using them frequently will help
you to complete assignments effectively and express yourself clearly.
Examples
In many of your courses, you are asked to complete assignments based on specific academic
words and phrases. On many tests, you are asked to write essays that fulfill directions containing
academic words and phrases, such as the ones below.
Paraphrase the thesis of . . . Refute the argument that . . .
Debate the merits of . . . Clarify the meaning of . . .
Summarize the effects of . . . Categorize the different types of . . .
In a literature course, you learn and use many domain-specific words and phrases, as shown below.
Make an effort to learn these domain-specific words in each of your courses.
caesura assonance epic legend
frame story characterization alliteration allegory
336
Apply the Standard

A. Match each domain-specific word or phrase with its definition. Write the letter of the correct
definition on the line provided.
1. caesura a. long narrative poem about heroic deeds
2. assonance b. narrative with both literal and symbolic meaning
3. epic c. repeated vowel sounds
4. legend d. technique for revealing character traits
5. frame story e. traditional story inspired by real events
6. characterization f. repeated initial consonant sounds
7. alliteration g. pause in the middle of a line of poetry
8. allegory h. story that brackets one or more other stories
B. Each statement includes one or more academic words or phrases. Circle the letter of the phrase
that completes each statement.
1. When you summarize a text, you .
a. evaluate evidence c. analyze its meaning
b. classify concepts d. tell the main ideas in your own words
2. When you debate the merits of a plan, you .
a. discuss its pros and cons c. propose a new idea
b. give step-by-step directions d. annotate its sources
3. When you refute an argument, you .
a. provide reasons to support it c. synthesize the pros and cons
b. provide reasons to reject it d. summarize its merits
4. When you categorize types of fiction, you .
a. evaluate their quality c. sort them into related groups
b. summarize their themes d. tell why they are important
337
Performance Tasks
Performance Task 1A
Literature 1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of
what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including
determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Task: Support Analysis of a Text

Write an essay in which you cite textual evidence to support your analysis of a literary text. In
addition to including literal interpretation, provide strong and thorough textual support for any
inferences you make. Identify instances of ambiguity, supporting all conclusions with evidence.
Tips for Success

Present a response to a literary selection you have read. In your essay, include these elements:
✓✓a brief and objective summary of the work
✓✓a thesis statement that clearly and concisely summarizes your analysis and
interpretation of the work
✓✓textual evidence that explicitly supports your interpretation, conclusions, and

inferences
✓✓evidence from the text that supports your analysis of ambiguities
✓✓a formal style and objective tone appropriate for your audience and the genre
Criteria for Success not very very

How effectively have you summarized the work? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How clear and concise is your thesis statement? 1 2 3 4 5 6
To what extent have you based your thesis on an in-depth analysis of 1 2 3 4 5 6
the work?
How effectively have you used relevant quotes, facts, or examples from 1 2 3 4 5 6
the text to support your thesis?
How well have you supported any inferences you made with explicit 1 2 3 4 5 6
evidence from the text?
How well have you supported your analysis of ambiguities with textual 1 2 3 4 5 6
references?
To what extent did you use a formal style and appropriate tone? 1 2 3 4 5 6
*Other standards covered include Writing 1, 1d, 2, 2b, 2e, 9; Speaking 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 4
For use with Speaking andLiterature

For use with Listening 1
340
Performance Task 1B
Speaking and Listening 1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on grade 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Task: Discuss the Responses to a Text

Participate in a group discussion in which you explain your analysis of a literary text and engage in
a thoughtful discussion about it. Deepen the discussion by building on the ideas of others.
Tips for Success

Participate in a discussion about an analysis of a literary text. As part of your participation, follow
these tips for success:
✓✓read or re-read the literary text and take notes on your interpretation
✓✓with the group, develop discussion guidelines that ensure equal and full
participation for each person
✓✓prepare questions that will evoke further discussion from participants
✓✓formulate clear and full responses to questions asked by other group

members
✓✓locate passages from the text that support the points of view of other group
members
✓✓summarize the group’s responses to the text
Criteria for Discussion not very very

To what extent did you prepare for the discussion? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How effectively did the guidelines established by the group ensure full 1 2 3 4 5 6
and fair inclusion of ideas from all group members?
To what extent did you provide complete, but concise, responses to 1 2 3 4 5 6
questions?
How successfully did you ask thoughtful questions that helped explore 1 2 3 4 5 6
the points of view presented?
How effectively did you and other group members build on one 1 2 3 4 5 6
another’s ideas?
How well did the discussion summarize the main perspectives of the 1 2 3 4 5 6
participants?
341
Performance Task 2A
Literature 2 Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze
their development over the course of the text, including how they interact
and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective
summary of the text.
Task: Analyze Themes

Write an analytical essay in which you identify and analyze two or more themes in a literary work.
Provide an objective summary of the text, and identify how the themes interact with one another to
produce a complex story.
Tips for Success

Present an informative analysis of the themes in a literary selection and include these elements:
✓✓a concise and objective summary of the work
✓✓an analysis of two or more themes in the work
✓✓a thesis about how the themes interact and relate to one another and how
they influence the work
✓✓evidence from the text that supports your interpretation
✓✓a discussion of how the author integrates theme with other literary elements

How concise and objective was your summary of the work? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How effectively have you analyzed the themes in the work? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How effectively have you described your premise about the interaction 1 2 3 4 5 6
of themes in the work?
To what extent have you discussed the effect of this interaction on the 1 2 3 4 5 6
overall work?
How effectively have you supported your analysis of the themes? 1 2 3 4 5 6
To what extent have you included examples from the text to show how 1 2 3 4 5 6
the integration of themes creates a complex work?
To what extent have you used a formal style and appropriate tone for 1 2 3 4 5 6
your audience?
* Other standards covered include Writing 1, 1d, 1e, 2, 2b, 2c, 2f, 4, 9; Speaking 1a, 1b, 1c, 3, 4
For use with Speaking and Listening

For use with Literature1d
1
342
Performance Task 2B
Speaking and Listening 1d Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives;
synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve
contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or
research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.
Task: Discuss the Themes in a Literary Work

With one or more classmates, participate in a discussion to compare and contrast your
interpretations of how the author of a literary text uses themes to produce a complex work.
Tips for Success

Participate in a discussion about the themes of a literary text. Follow these tips for success:
✓✓read or re-read the literary text and take notes to use in your discussion
✓✓listen attentively to the points made by others and ask questions to deepen
understanding
✓✓analyze similarities and differences in the interpretations of group members
✓✓identify further research to deepen an investigation of the themes
✓✓synthesize and evaluate conclusions reached by group members

To what extent did you come to the discussion prepared to discuss the 1 2 3 4 5 6
themes of the literary work?
How effectively and clearly did you present your ideas? 1 2 3 4 5 6
To what extent did you listen attentively and ask probing questions 1 2 3 4 5 6
that deepened understanding?
How thoroughly did you explore the similarities and differences in the 1 2 3 4 5 6
interpretations of themes?
To what extent did the group identify issues that could be clarified by 1 2 3 4 5 6
further research?
How well did you and others synthesize comments, claims, and 1 2 3 4 5 6
evidence presented by the group?
343
Performance Task 3A
Literature 3 Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop
and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action
is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed.)
Task: Analyze an Author’s Choices

Write an analysis of a literary text in which you focus on the author’s choices regarding how
to develop and relate elements of a story or drama, such as setting, sequence of action, and
characterization.
Tips for Success

Produce an analysis in which you focus on an author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate
elements of a story or drama. In your analysis, include these items:
✓✓a brief, objective summary of the work
✓✓an analysis of setting and how that setting influences the work
✓✓an analysis of ways in which the author introduces and develops characters
✓✓an analysis of how the sequence of action creates suspense or surprise
✓✓an analysis of any other important influences, such as organization, voice, or

literary devices

How effectively have you summarized the work? 1 2 3 4 5 6
To what extent have you explained how the setting influences other 1 2 3 4 5 6
elements of the work, such as the action and characters?
How effectively have you analyzed the author’s choices regarding 1 2 3 4 5 6
character development?
How well have you explained the overall effect of the sequence of 1 2 3 4 5 6
action?
How well have you supported your analysis with strong evidence from 1 2 3 4 5 6
the text?
your audience?
* Other standards covered include Writing 1, 1a, 1b, 1d, 1e, 2, 2b, 2e, 4, 9; Speaking 1a, 1b, 1d, 3, 4, 6

For use with Literature1c
1
344
Performance Task 3B
Speaking and Listening 1c Propel conversations by posing and responding to
questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of
positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions;
and promote divergent and creative perspectives.
Task: Discuss the Analysis of Author’s Choices

As part of a group discussion, explain your analysis of a literary text and use probing questions to
clarify, verify, or challenge the ideas and conclusions of others.
Tips for Success

Participate in a discussion focusing on an analysis of an author’s choices in a literary text. As part of
your participation in the discussion, include these elements:
✓✓preparation by having read and analyzed the literary text
✓✓guidelines that ensure a hearing for a full range of analyses by all participants
in the group
✓✓participation by everyone to clarify, illustrate, or expand on a response when

asked to do so
✓✓questions that probe reasoning and respectfully challenge the speaker to

clarify, verify, or defend conclusions
✓✓thoughtful consideration of divergent and creative perspectives
Criteria for Discussion Assignment Rubric

To what extent did you come to the discussion prepared to discuss and 1 2 3 4 5 6
make a thoughtful analysis of the literary work?
How effective were the groups’ guidelines in insuring that everyone 1 2 3 4 5 6
had an opportunity to explain their ideas and respond to questions?
How effectively did you answer questions and provide textual examples 1 2 3 4 5 6
to support your ideas?
To what extent did you respectfully challenge other speakers to clarify, 1 2 3 4 5 6
verify, or defend conclusions?
To what extent were you open to consideration of divergent and 1 2 3 4 5 6
creative perspectives?
To what extent were you polite and respectful of other points of view? 1 2 3 4 5 6
345
Performance Task 4A
Literature 4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in
the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact
of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple
meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful.
Task: Analyze Word Choice

Write an essay in which you examine the author’s choice of connotative, denotative, and figurative
language, especially in terms of how they influence the meaning and tone of the work.
Tips for Success

Produce an essay about a literary selection you have read. In your essay, include these elements:
✓✓an explanation of how the author uses denotations, connotations, and

figurative language
✓✓identification of specific words, phrases, or language that you found fresh,

engaging, or beautiful
✓✓examples of how figurative language and literary devices contribute to the

meaning and tone of the work

To what extent does your summary provide the reader with the 1 2 3 4 5 6
information needed to understand your essay?
To what extent have you focused on the author’s choices of particular 1 2 3 4 5 6
words and phrases?
How effectively have you analyzed the influence of specific word 1 2 3 4 5 6
choices on the meaning and tone of the work?
How extensively have you identified specific words, phrases, or 1 2 3 4 5 6
language that you found particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful?
How well have you supported your analysis with evidence from the 1 2 3 4 5 6
text, as well as your own reasoning, word choice, and tone?
To what extent have you used a formal style and appropriate tone? 1 2 3 4 5 6
* Additional standards covered include Writing 1, 1c, 1d, 2, 2b, 2c, 2d, 4, 5, 9; Speaking 1d, 4, 6

3
346
Performance Task 4B
Speaking and Listening 3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of
evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word
choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.
Task: Evaluate a Speaker’s Presentation

In small groups, take turns sharing your reflections on the word choices made by the author in a
literary work. Focus on your own use of reasoning, evidence, word choice and tone as you present
your reflection. When listening to others present, evaluate the speaker’s point of view, reasoning,
and use of evidence and rhetoric.
Tips for Success

Participate in a discussion about an author’s word choices in a literary text. As part of your
participation, follow these tips for success:
✓✓prepare by reading and taking notes on the literary text that will be discussed
✓✓identify the point of view and major premises put forth by the speaker
✓✓evaluate the extent to which the speaker supported ideas through reasoning
and evidence
✓✓evaluate the extent to which the speaker’s word choice, organization,

emphasis, and tone supported his or her ideas

To what extent were you prepared to discuss the literary work and the 1 2 3 4 5 6
word choices in it?
How effectively did you identify each speaker’s point of view? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How well did you follow each speaker’s reasoning and evidence? 1 2 3 4 5 6
To what extent did you notice any bias, ambiguity, stereotypes, or 1 2 3 4 5 6
cultural assumptions in each speaker’s presentation?
To what extent did you consider the effect of word choice, emphasis, 1 2 3 4 5 6
and tone as you evaluated each presentation?
To what extent did you offer respectful, constructive criticism to the 1 2 3 4 5 6
speakers?
347
Performance Task 5A
Literature 5 Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific
parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to
provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and
meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
Task: Analyze Structure

Write an analysis of a literary text in which you examine the author’s choices concerning how to
structure and organize the work. Explain how these choices contribute to the overall meaning and
aesthetic impact of the work.
Tips for Success
Produce a literary analysis of a short story you have read. In your essay, include these elements:
✓✓a clear thesis statement that sums up your conclusions
✓✓a discussion of the work’s structure or pattern of organization
✓✓an analysis of ways in which the author creates mood and tone
✓✓a reflection on how the author’s choices influence the overall meaning of the
work, as well as its aesthetic impact

To what extent does your summary provide readers with a basis for 1 2 3 4 5 6
understanding your thesis and conclusions?
How detailed is your analysis of the work’s structure or pattern of 1 2 3 4 5 6
organization?
How thoroughly have you supported your analysis of structure with 1 2 3 4 5 6
textual examples?
How effectively have you analyzed the relationship between the 1 2 3 4 5 6
structure and the mood and tone?
How effectively have you reflected on the meaning and aesthetic 1 2 3 4 5 6
impact of the work?
your audience?
* Additional standards covered include Writing 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 2, 2b, 2c, 2d, 9; Speaking 1d, 6

4
348
Performance Task 5B
Speaking and Listening 4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence,
conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the
line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the
organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose,
audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.
Task: Discuss Author’s Choice of Structure

Present your analysis on the author’s choice of structure in a manner that clearly conveys and
supports your perspectives, including a comparison and defense of your ideas against opposing or
alternative perspectives.
Tips for Success

Present your reflection about an author’s choice of structure in a literary text. As part of your
presentation, follow these tips for success:
✓✓prepare by reading and reflecting on the literary text
✓✓present your reflection in a clear and organized manner to engage your

audience and allow them to follow your reasoning
✓✓make effective use of reasoning, evidence, word choice, and tone
✓✓explain alternative or opposing perspectives objectively, while arguing for

your own interpretation
✓✓make use of a tone and language appropriate to your purpose and audience

How well prepared were you for your presentation? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How clear and organized was your presentation? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How effectively did you engage your audience? 1 2 3 4 5 6
To what extent did you use reasoning, evidence, and effective word 1 2 3 4 5 6
choice and tone to persuade your audience?
How successfully did you explain alternative or opposing perspectives 1 2 3 4 5 6
and counter them with evidence supporting your own conclusions?
How effectively did you vary the tone and pacing of your presentation? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How successfully did you use a tone and language appropriate to your 1 2 3 4 5 6
purpose and audience?
349
Name Date Selection
Performance Task 6A
Literature 6 Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing
what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm,
irony, or understatement).*
Task: Analyze a Text and Its Point of View

Write an analysis of a literary text in which you identify and discuss the author’s use of literal
and figurative meaning, and other literary devices, such as satire, sarcasm, and irony. Use your
analysis to develop a thesis about the work’s point of view. Provide textual evidence to support any
conclusions you draw.
Tips for Success

Produce an analysis of a literary selection you have read. In your analysis, include these elements:
✓✓a thesis statement that describes the author’s point of view
✓✓evidence from the text that supports your thesis and any inferences you make
✓✓evidence from the text that supports your conclusions about how the author’s
use of literary devices reveals point of view
✓✓a clear and coherent analysis that leads to a strong and compelling conclusion

How effective is your summary of the work? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How well does your thesis statement describe the author’s point of 1 2 3 4 5 6
view?
To what extent have you provided textual evidence to support your 1 2 3 4 5 6
thesis and inferences?
To what extent have you described the relationship between the 1 2 3 4 5 6
author’s use of literary devices and the author’s point of view?
How successfully have you concluded your analysis? 1 2 3 4 5 6
your audience?
* Other standards covered include: Writing 1c, Writing 1d, Writing 1e, Writing 2b, Writing 2c, Writing 2f, Writing 4, Writing 9,
Speaking 2, Speaking 4, Language 3, Language 4, Language 5
350
Name Date Selection
Performance Task 6B
Speaking and Listening 6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks,
Task: Present an Analysis

Present to the class your analysis of the devices used in a literary text. Incorporate into your
presentation readings of sections of the text that support your interpretation and conclusions. Invite
questions and comments at the end of your presentation.
Tips for Success

Present your analysis of a literary text. Follow these tips for success:
✓✓prepare by revising your written analysis, adapting it for an oral presentation

while maintaining a formal tone
✓✓incorporate dramatic readings of supporting sections of text at appropriate

points in your analysis
✓✓assemble the analysis and readings into a coherent presentation
✓✓rehearse your presentation, adapting your tone to suit your tasks
✓✓demonstrate a command of English usage by avoiding incorrect tenses, and

temporizing slang such as you know and I mean.

How clearly organized and professional was your presentation? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How effectively did you integrate your analysis of the text with 1 2 3 4 5 6
dramatic readings from the text?
How coherent was your presentation? 1 2 3 4 5 6
To what extent did you demonstrate a command of formal English? 1 2 3 4 5 6
To what extent did you avoid slang and words and phrases such as like 1 2 3 4 5 6
and you know?
How effectively did you adapt your presentation to your audience? 1 2 3 4 5 6
351
Performance Task 7A
Literature 7 Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g.,
recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how
each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare
and one play by an American dramatist.).*
Task: Analyze Multiple Interpretations of a Literary Work

Write an evaluative analysis of two or more interpretations of a literary work, such as Shakespeare’s
play The Tragedy of Macbeth. In your essay, tell how each version interprets the original work.
Tips for Success

Read the original text and then compare and contrast the different versions in a written, critical
response. In your analysis, include the following:
✓✓a synopsis of the work
✓✓a summary of analyses from scholars about the underlying meaning of the
work
✓✓a description of each of the versions you watched or listened to
✓✓an evaluation of how closely each version adhered to the original
✓✓an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of each version

How well does your synopsis summarize the work? 1 2 3 4 5 6
To what extent have you researched analyses of the work by scholars? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How concisely have you described each of the versions you watched or 1 2 3 4 5 6
listened to?
How effectively have you compared and evaluated each version with 1 2 3 4 5 6
respect to the original?
How thoroughly have you analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of each 1 2 3 4 5 6
version?
To what extent have you used a formal style and appropriate tone? 1 2 3 4 5 6
* Other standards covered include: Writing 1a, Writing 1b, Writing 1d, Writing 1e, Writing 2b, Writing 2c, Writing 2d, Writing 2f,
Writing 4, Writing 8, Writing 9, Speaking 4, Speaking 5, Speaking 6, Language 3, Language 4, Language 5

2
352
Performance Task 7B
Speaking and Listening 2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in
diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make
informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of
each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
Task: Present an Analysis Using Multiple Media

Present your analysis of how various versions of a literary work adhere to the original version.
During your presentation, include video and audio clips from the versions, as well as dramatic
reading of the original work to support your evaluation.
Tips for Success

Prepare a multimedia presentation of your analysis of several versions of a literary text. Follow
these tips for success:
✓✓familiarize yourself with the original work as well as with the selected
versions
✓✓identify sections of the works and its versions that demonstrate their
similarities and differences
✓✓combine audio and video clips into a multimedia program that supports your
evaluation
✓✓practice your presentation so that it flows smoothly and effectively
✓✓invite your audience to participate in a question and answer discussion

How well did you study the literary work and the chosen versions? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How successfully did you choose sections of the play and other versions 1 2 3 4 5 6
to demonstrate their similarities and differences?
How effectively did you combine audio and video clips and incorporate 1 2 3 4 5 6
them into your evaluation?
How smooth, seamless, and effective was your presentation? 1 2 3 4 5 6
To what extent did you invite your audience to participate in a question 1 2 3 4 5 6
and answer discussion?
353
Performance Task 8
Literature 9 Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early
twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two
or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.*
Task: Write a Comparative Essay

Write an essay that compares and contrasts how the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emily
Dickinson, and Henry David Thoreau embody the ideas of Transcendentalism.
Tips for Success

Read works expressing Transcendentalist ideas by all three authors and then write a comparative
essay on the similarities and differences in their points of view and include:
✓✓a thesis statement about the common point of view of the three authors
✓✓an analysis of the similarities between the works related to this common
point of view
✓✓an analysis of the differences between the works related to this common
point of view
✓✓an evaluation of how well the authors expressed the ideas of

Transcendentalism
✓✓an effective organizational pattern
Rubric for Self-Assessmentt

How clearly have you identified the common philosophical point of 1 2 3 4 5 6
view in the works of these authors?
How effective is your analysis of similarities and differences in the 1 2 3 4 5 6
works?
To what extent have you analyzed the ideas of Transcendentalism 1 2 3 4 5 6
found in the works of these authors?
To what extent is your essay logically and effectively organized? 1 2 3 4 5 6
your audience?
* Other standards covered include: Writing 1a, Writing 1c, Writing 1d, Writing 1e, Writing 2b, Writing 2c, Writing 2d, Writing 2f,
Writing 4, Writing 9, Speaking 2, Speaking 4, Speaking 6, Language 2, Language 3, Language 4, Language 5, Language 6

5
354
Performance Task 8B
Speaking and Listening 5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual,
Task: Present an Oral Report Using Digital Media

Transform your comparative essay into an oral report that integrates digital media, such as a
computer slideshow or Powerpoint. Use the digital components to enhance your analysis of the
authors’ ideas about Transcendentalism.
Tips for Success

Prepare a visual presentation of your analysis of the work of several authors. Follow these tips for
success:
✓✓select the most relevant and important points in your analysis
✓✓prepare a slide on each key point, while summarizing the content
✓✓vary the look of your slides, including video, audio, and other effects, where
appropriate
✓✓assemble your slides into a coherent, logical presentation
✓✓rehearse your presentation, seamlessly integrating commentary with the

slides

How effectively did you integrate digital components throughout your 1 2 3 4 5 6
oral report?
How well do your slide illustrate your major points? 1 2 3 4 5 6
To what extent did you make your slideshow appealing by varying the 1 2 3 4 5 6
look of the slides?
To what extent were your slides well organized and easy to follow? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How interesting and effectively organized was your presentation? 1 2 3 4 5 6
355
Performance Task 9A
Literature 10 By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literature, including
stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 11–CCR text
complexity band independently and proficiently.
Task: Write in the Style of an Author

Select a favorite author of stories, novels, or drama. Demonstrate your comprehension of the
author’s unique style and use of literary devices by writing in the style of the author, but on a
different theme. Publish your writing and share with the class.
Tips for Success

Write in the style of one of your favorite authors. Follow these tips for success:
✓✓read several works by your chosen author and take notes on his or her style
and the themes he or she explores
✓✓in your writing, explore themes like those explored by the author
✓✓in your writing, create a mood and tone similar to those in works by the
author
✓✓in your writing use structures and syntax that reflect your author’s style
✓✓revise your work to strengthen its impact

How closely did analyze the works of your chosen author? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How effectively have you explored themes like those explored by the 1 2 3 4 5 6
author?
How well have you emulated the author’s style? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How closely have you followed the author’s use of sentence structure 1 2 3 4 5 6
and patterns of organization?
To what extent have you strengthened your writing by editing? 1 2 3 4 5 6
* Other standards covered include: Writing 3a, Writing 3b, Writing 3c, Writing 3d, Writing 3e, Writing 5, Writing 6, Speaking 1b,
Speaking 1c, Speaking 1d, Speaking 3, Speaking 6, Language 1, Language 2, Language 3, Language 5

For use with Literature1a
1
356
Performance Task 9B
Speaking and Listening 1a Come to discussions prepared, having read and
researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring
to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a
thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
Task: Engage in a Discussion of an Author

Form a group with other students who have written in the style of a particular author. Prepare for a
discussion of each student’s writing by reading a variety of selections from the author, making note
of particularly characteristic use of literary devices and other features of style. After each student’s
presentation, contribute to a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
Tips for Success

Prepare for a discussion of the style and point of view of a particular author. Follow these tips for
success:
✓✓read selections by the author that clearly convey the author’s unique style
✓✓make note of word usage and literary devices that exemplify the author
✓✓summarize the elements that make the author unique and memorable
✓✓listen attentively to the passages, scenes, or poems written by others in the

group
✓✓analyze the extent to which each piece of writing has successfully imitated
the author
✓✓contribute to a thoughtful and courteous exchange of ideas

How thoroughly did you familiarize yourself with the author’s style? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How well did you make note of examples of the author’s style? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How well did you summarize the elements that make the author 1 2 3 4 5 6
unique?
How attentively did you listen to the speaker? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How well did you evaluate the extent to which the speaker imitated 1 2 3 4 5 6
the author?
How effectively did you contribute to a thoughtful and courteous 1 2 3 4 5 6
exchange of ideas?
357
Performance Task 10A

Informational Text 1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis
of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text,
including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.*
Task: Support Inferences and Conclusions

Write an analysis of a work of informational nonfiction in which you present a thesis and cite
textual evidence to support your analysis of the text. In addition to including literal interpretation,
provide strong and thorough textual support for any inferences you make. Identify instances of
the author’s use of literary devices to advance his or her thesis, supporting your conclusions with
textual evidence.
Tips for Success

Produce a response to an informational text. In your response, include these elements:
✓✓a brief, objective summary of the text
✓✓a thesis statement that clearly and concisely describes your conclusions
✓✓evidence from the text that identifies both explicit details and ambiguities
✓✓inferences and conclusions about the work
✓✓evidence from the text that supports your conclusions, interpretation, and
any inferences you make

How clearly and objectively have you summarized the text? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How clearly does your thesis reveal your conclusions? 1 2 3 4 5 6
To what extent have you provided evidence from the text that 1 2 3 4 5 6
identifies explicit details and ambiguities?
To what extent have you made inferences and drawn conclusions about 1 2 3 4 5 6
the text?
To what extent have you provided textual evidence that supports your 1 2 3 4 5 6
conclusions, interpretation, and inferences?
To what extent did you use a formal style and appropriate tone for 1 2 3 4 5 6
your audience?
* Other standards covered include: Writing 1c, Writing 1d, Writing 1e, Writing 2b, Writing 2c, Writing 2d, Writing 2e, Writing 4,
Writing 9, Speaking 4, Speaking 6, Language 3, Language 6
358
Performance Task 10B

Speaking and Listening 1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on grade 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Task: Discuss the Responses to a Text

Participate in a group discussion in which you explain your analysis of an informational text and
respond thoughtfully to the points of view of others.
Tips for Success

Participate in a discussion in which you analyze a work of informational text. Follow these tips for
success:
✓✓prepare by reading the work and identifying explicit details and ambiguities
✓✓with group members, develop discussion guidelines that ensure equal and
full participation for each person
✓✓prepare questions that will evoke further discussion from participants and
propel the discussion forward
✓✓craft complete and concise responses to questions asked by others in the group
✓✓summarize different points of view presented in the responses

To what extent did you prepare for the discussion of the work? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How effectively did the guidelines established by the group ensure full 1 2 3 4 5 6
and fair inclusion of ideas from all members?
To what extent did you provide complete, concise, and convincing 1 2 3 4 5 6
responses to questions?
To what extent did you ask thoughtful questions that helped explore 1 2 3 4 5 6
the points of view presented?
How effectively did you and other group members build on one 1 2 3 4 5 6
another’s ideas?
How well did the discussion summarize the main perspectives of 1 2 3 4 5 6
participants?
To what extent were you polite and respectful of other points of view? 1 2 3 4 5 6
For use with Informational Text 1
359

Informational Text 2 Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their
development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on
one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the
text.*
Task: Analyze Details That Contribute to Central Ideas

Write a complex analysis of an informational text in which you examine how central ideas are
conveyed through key details, and how those ideas interact and build on another in the course of
the text. Be sure to support your ideas with textual evidence.
Tips for Success

Produce an analysis of an informational work of nonfiction. In your analysis, include these
elements:
✓✓an objective summary of the work
✓✓identification of two or more central ideas in the text
✓✓identification of particular details relevant to two or more central ideas
✓✓an analysis, supported by textual evidence, of how the details are developed
to express central ideas
✓✓analysis of how the central ideas work together to convey the overall message
of the work
✓✓revision and editing to produce a well-organized, coherent analysis
✓✓language that is formal, precise, and follows the rules of standard English

How objectively have you summarized the work? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How effectively have you identified key details relevant to the central 1 2 3 4 5 6
ideas?
To what extent have you described how the central ideas are 1 2 3 4 5 6
developed?
How effectively have you analyzed how the central ideas work 1 2 3 4 5 6
together to convey the author’s point of view?
To what extent did revise and edit your writing to produce a stronger 1 2 3 4 5 6
analysis?

For use with Literature1c
1
360

Speaking and Listening 1c Propel conversations by posing and responding to
questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of
positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions;
and promote divergent and creative perspectives.
Task: Discuss Multiple Perspectives

Participate in a group discussion with other students who have analyzed the central ideas of the
same informational text. After each student identifies central ideas and how they are developed in
the text, discuss any differences among the group’s ideas ideas and creative perspectives by posing
and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence.
Tips for Success

Participate in a discussion about an analysis of an informational text. Follow these tips for success:
✓✓prepare by anticipating questions about your analysis
✓✓with group members, develop discussion guidelines that ensure equal and
full participation for each person
✓✓develop questions that require group members to clarify, verify, or challenge

ideas and conclusions
✓✓formulate clear and convincing responses to other students’ questions about

your conclusions
✓✓use non-verbal cues that convey your attention to the speaker

How thoroughly did you prepare to defend your ideas? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How effectively did the group establish guidelines for the discussion? 1 2 3 4 5 6
To what extent did you ask thoughtful questions that required others 1 2 3 4 5 6
to clarify and verify their ideas and conclusions?
How effectively and convincingly did you respond to questions asked 1 2 3 4 5 6
by others?
To what extent did you use non-verbal cues to convey your attention to 1 2 3 4 5 6
the speaker?
361

Informational Text 3 Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and
explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the
course of the text.*
Task: Explain the Ideas in a Work of Nonfiction

Write an essay in which you analyze the ideas developed in a work of nonfiction that you have
read. In the essay, show how the author’s ideas develop and evolve over the course of the work and
identify the strategies the author employs to development those ideas.
Tips for Success

Provide an analysis of an informational text. In your analysis, include these elements:
✓✓a clear explanation of the events and ideas in the text and the relationships
among them
✓✓an explanation of the development of the ideas and events over the course of
the work
✓✓a description of how the ideas, events, and individuals interact
✓✓sufficient information and details to support your explanation
✓✓an appropriate tone and formal style that uses standard English

How clear and thorough is your description of the ideas in the work? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How effectively have you described the ideas and their development 1 2 3 4 5 6
over the course of the work?
How effectively have you explained the interaction between the ideas, 1 2 3 4 5 6
events, and individuals over the course of the work?
How well have you described the strategies the author used to 1 2 3 4 5 6
organize and develop the ideas?
How well have you supported your ideas with sufficient textual details? 1 2 3 4 5 6
To what extent have you maintained an appropriate tone and a formal 1 2 3 4 5 6
style?
* Other standards covered include: Writing 2a, Writing 4, Writing 5, Writing 9b, Speaking 4, Speaking 6, Language 1, Language 2,
Language 3, Language 6

5
362

Speaking and Listening 5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g. textual,
Task: Develop a Media Presentation

Create a media presentation in which you show the development and interaction of ideas, events,
and individuals in a work on nonfiction. Utilize various and strategic visual, audio, and interactive
elements to enhance your audience’s understanding of the work, your reasoning, and the evidence
that supports your reasoning.
Tips for Success

Create a presentation in which you explain the development of ideas, events, and individuals in a
work of nonfiction. In your presentation, include these elements:
✓✓a description of the strategy used by the author to develop the ideas in the
work
✓✓visual, audio, and interactive elements that enhance the audience’s

understanding of the work, your reasoning, and the details that support your
reasoning
✓✓the use of gestures, eye contact, and varied tone and volume to maintain
audience interest
✓✓an appropriate tone and formal style

How effective was your presentation in explaining the development of 1 2 3 4 5 6
the events, ideas, and individuals over the course of the work?
How well did you explain the author’s strategy for presenting his or her 1 2 3 4 5 6
ideas?
To what extent did you add text, graphics, audio, and multimedia to 1 2 3 4 5 6
enhance the audience’s understanding?
To what extent were you able to enhance your presentation with text, 1 2 3 4 5 6
visuals, audio, or even interactive digital elements?
How effective were your use of eye contact, gestures, and varied tone 1 2 3 4 5 6
and volume in maintaining audience interest?
To what extent did you maintain an appropriate tone and formal style 1 2 3 4 5 6
in your presentation?
363

Informational Text 4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used
in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how
an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of
a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).*
Task: Analyze the Literal and Figurative Language

in a Personal Essay
Write an analysis of a personal essay in which you identify and determine how words and phrases
are used in a denotative, connotative, figurative, and/or technical way. In addition, analyze how
the author uses and refines the meaning of key terms over the course of the essay.
Tips for Success
Produce a written analysis of a personal essay. In your analysis, include these elements:
✓✓an analysis of key words or terms in each paragraph
✓✓an analysis of the effect of figurative language in advancing the author’s
purpose
✓✓an analysis of the author’s word choices in producing a compelling message
✓✓description of the author’s word choices and insights
✓✓strong textual evidence to support your inferences and conclusions

How well have you identified the key words or terms that reflect the 1 2 3 4 5 6
author’s beliefs?
How effectively have you analyzed the effect of figurative language in 1 2 3 4 5 6
describing his or her beliefs?
To what extent have you analyzed the effectiveness of the author’s 1 2 3 4 5 6
word choices in producing a compelling message?
How effectively have you commented on the extent to which the 1 2 3 4 5 6
author focuses on and/or returns to key ideas?
To what extent have you cited strong textual evidence to support your 1 2 3 4 5 6
inferences and conclusions?
How well have you maintained an appropriate tone and a formal style? 1 2 3 4 5 6
*Other standards covered include: Writing 1b , Writing 1c , Writing 1d, Writing 1e, Writing 2b, Writing 2c, Writing 2d, Writing 2f,
Writing 4, Writing 9b, Speaking 1a, Language 3, Language 4, Language 5, Language 6

3
364

Speaking and Listening 3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of
evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word
choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.
Task: Engage in a Discussion

Participate in a discussion in which you evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of
evidence and rhetoric in a speech, and then compare evaluations with other group members.
Tips for Success

Prepare an evaluation form and use it as you watch a speech. Follow these tips for success:
✓✓with the group, agree on a videotaped speech to view and analyze
✓✓list and evaluate the speaker’s underlying assumptions and logic of those
assumptions
✓✓list and evaluate the speaker’s word choice, particularly emotionally-charged
words and their effect
✓✓list and evaluate the speaker’s use of evidence and rhetoric in explaining key
points
✓✓list and evaluate the speaker’s use or avoidance of ambiguities, bias,
stereotypes, cultural assumptions, and propaganda
✓✓list and evaluate the speaker’s ability to smoothly link his or her ideas
✓✓compare your evaluations with those of other group members

How well did you evaluate the logic of the speaker’s assumptions? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How well did you list and evaluate word choice, particularly 1 2 3 4 5 6
emotionally-charged words and their effect?
To what extent did you evaluate the speaker’s use of evidence and 1 2 3 4 5 6
rhetoric in explaining key points?
To what extent did you identify ambiguities, bias, stereotypes, cultural 1 2 3 4 5 6
assumptions, or propaganda in the presentation?
How well did you evaluate the speaker’s use of smooth transitions to 1 2 3 4 5 6
link ideas and conclusions?
How thoughtfully did you compare your evaluation of the speaker’s 1 2 3 4 5 6
overall effectiveness with other listeners?
365

Informational Text 5 Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an
author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure
makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.*
Task: Compare the Effectiveness of Organizational Structure

Write an analysis in which you compare and contrast the effectiveness of the organizational
structure of two informational texts. Include texts with two or more of the following methods of
organization: chronological or sequential, cause-and-effect; compare and contrast; and order of
importance. Note whether the organization has produced an engaging text.
Tips for Success

Produce a written comparison of the effectiveness of the organizational structure of two
informational texts. In your comparison, include these elements:
✓✓a discussion of the organizational structure of each work
✓✓evidence to support your identification of the organization in each work
✓✓an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of each organizational structure
✓✓an analysis of the effectiveness of each text’s organizational structure
✓✓a strong closing statement summarizing your conclusions

How effectively have you identified the organizational structure of 1 2 3 4 5 6
each work?
To what extent have you provided textual evidence to support your 1 2 3 4 5 6
identification of organizational structure?
How effectively have you analyzed the strengths and weakness of each 1 2 3 4 5 6
text’s organizational structure?
How thoroughly have you analyzed the effectiveness of each text’s 1 2 3 4 5 6
organizational structure?
How effectively does your closing summarize your conclusions? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How well did you maintain an appropriate tone and a formal style? 1 2 3 4 5 6
*Other standards covered include: Writing 1b , Writing 1d , Writing 1e, Writing 2b, Writing 2c, Writing 2d, Writing 2e, Writing 2f,
Writing 4, Speaking 2, Speaking 4, Language 1, Language 3, Language 4a, Language 6

6
366

Task: Present a Formal Oral Analysis

Give a formal oral presentation of your comparison of the effectiveness of organizational structure
in two informational texts. Incorporate readings from the texts as part of your presentation. Invite
questions from the audience at the conclusion of your presentation.
Tips for Success

Present a formal oral presentation of your comparison of organizational structure. Follow these tips
for success:
✓✓prepare by practicing your presentation until it is polished
✓✓develop an organization that is interesting, appealing, and thought-

provoking for your audience
✓✓incorporate relevant excerpts from the works
✓✓vary your tone, volume, and pacing to add interest to your presentation
✓✓use formal English for your presentation; switch to a less formal tone when
responding to questions

How thoroughly did you prepare for your presentation? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How effectively did you organize your presentation to make it 1 2 3 4 5 6
interesting, appealing, and thought-provoking for your audience?
How effectively did you integrate relevant excerpts from the speeches 1 2 3 4 5 6
you are comparing?
To what extent did you vary your voice qualities, pacing, and tone to 1 2 3 4 5 6
engage your audience?
To what extent did you adapt your presentation to suit the needs of 1 2 3 4 5 6
your audience?
367

Informational Text 6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in
which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content
contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.*
Task: Identify and Analyze Author’s Purpose or Point of View

Write an analysis of a speech or persuasive essay in which you identify how the author’s style and
choice of content contribute to the power and persuasiveness of the text in advancing a particular
purpose or point of view.
Tips for Success

Write an analysis of the author’s point of view and purpose in a speech or persuasive essay. In your
analysis, include these elements:
✓✓a strong opening, clear thesis, and a strong conclusion
✓✓identification of the speaker’s purpose or point of view
✓✓analysis of how the speaker uses literary elements to advance a particular

purpose or point of view
✓✓examples of how the speaker expresses point of view through word choice
and/or figurative language
✓✓examples and analysis of the way in which the speaker’s style and content
contribute to the power, beauty, and persuasiveness of the speech

How effective were your opening, thesis, and conclusion? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How well did you identify the speaker’s purpose and point of view? 1 2 3 4 5 6
To what extent did you analyze the author’s purpose and the speaker’s 1 2 3 4 5 6
use of literary elements?
To what extent did you provide examples of the author’s use of word 1 2 3 4 5 6
choice and figurative language to express a point of view?
How effectively did you analyze the way in which the author’s style and 1 2 3 4 5 6
content contribute to the power, beauty, and persuasiveness of the
speech?
*Other standards covered include: Writing 1, Writing 1c, Writing 1d, Writing 1e, Writing 2, Writing 2c, Writing 2d, Writing 2e,
Writing 2f, Writing 4, Speaking 1a, Speaking 1d, Speaking 3, Speaking 6, Language 1, Language 2, Language 3, Language 6

4
368

Speaking and Listening 4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence,
conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the
line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the
organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose,
audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.
Task: Present a Clear and Distinct Perspective

Present your analysis of a speaker’s point of view or purpose in a speech, editorial, or persuasive
essay. Your presentation should include your own line of reasoning as well as addressing
alternative or opposing perspectives.
Tips for Success

In groups of four or five, each student should give an oral presentation about his or her analysis of
an informational text, followed by a discussion and questions from other group members. As your
part of the discussion, include these elements:
✓✓passages from the speech integrated into your presentation
✓✓evidence from the text to support your line of reasoning
✓✓discussion of alternative or opposing perspectives about the purpose and

point of view
✓✓questions that probe the reasoning of other group members
✓✓effective responses to the questions from others in the group about your
conclusions

How well did you integrate passages from the text into your 1 2 3 4 5 6
presentation?
How effectively did you include evidence from the text to support your 1 2 3 4 5 6
line of reasoning?
To what extent did you include alternative or opposing perspectives 1 2 3 4 5 6
about the purpose or point of view?
To what extent did you ask thoughtful questions about the ideas of 1 2 3 4 5 6
other group members?
How effectively and convincingly did you respond to questions asked 1 2 3 4 5 6
by other members in the group?
369

Informational Text 7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information
presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as
in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.*
Task: Use Multiple Sources of Information

Integrate a variety of informational sources and formats to describe a historical issue or event, such
as the role of Theodore Roosevelt in America’s entry into and participation in the Spanish-American
War. Evaluate information from biographical, autobiographical, and historical sources, as well as
information in a variety of formats, in your summary.
Tips for Success

Write a summary describing a historical issue or event. As you do, synthesize various types of
informational texts and sources and include these elements:
✓✓multiple sources of information in various formats
✓✓comparison and analysis of the information each source provides
✓✓evaluation of the reliability of the information from each source
✓✓integration of information into a chronological organization
✓✓supporting textual evidence from each source
✓✓conclusion that sums up your perspective on the event

How effectively did you incorporate multiple sources of information in 1 2 3 4 5 6
various formats?
How well did you compare and analyze the types of information 1 2 3 4 5 6
provided by each source?
To what extent did you analyze the reliability of the information from 1 2 3 4 5 6
each source?
How effectively did you integrate the information into a chronological 1 2 3 4 5 6
organization?
To what extent did you include textual evidence from each source? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How effective was your conclusion? 1 2 3 4 5 6
*Other standards covered include: Writing 1a, Writing 1b, Writing 1d, Writing 1e, Writing 2b, Writing 2c, Writing 2e, Writing 2f,
Writing 4, Writing 6, Writing 7, Writing 8, Writing 9, Speaking 1d, Speaking 2, Speaking 4, Speaking 6, Language 1, Language 2,
Language 3, Language 6
5
370

Speaking and Listening 5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual,
Task: Produce a Digital Multimedia Presentation

Present a summary of a historical issue or event, such as the role of Theodore Roosevelt in
America’s entry and participation in the Spanish-American War. Research the issue from a variety
of sources and integrate it into a well-organized, informative, and interesting presentation.
Tips for Success

Prepare and present a summary on a historical issue or event. Include some kind of digital media in
the presentation, as well as these elements:
✓✓opening that introduces the event in an appealing way
✓✓research from a variety of different sources and types of sources
✓✓integration of digital elements, such as graphics, sound, animations, and text
✓✓chronological organization that is easy to follow
✓✓include visual or auditory support from the sources to enhance

understanding
✓✓question and answer session after the presentation with other members of
your group

How effective was your opening in introducing the event in an 1 2 3 4 5 6
interesting, appealing manner?
How well were you able to integrate research from a variety of 1 2 3 4 5 6
different sources into your presentation?
How effectively were you able to integrate digital elements? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How well were you able to produce an easy-to-follow sequential 1 2 3 4 5 6
organization?
To what extent did you include visual or auditory support from the 1 2 3 4 5 6
sources to enhance understanding?
How useful was the question and answer session afterwards? 1 2 3 4 5 6
371

Informational Text 8 Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts,
including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning
(e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court majority opinions and dissents) and the premises,
purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy (e.g., The Federalist,
presidential addresses).*
Task: Analyze and Evaluate the Reasoning in a Supreme

Court Ruling
Write an analysis of a seminal Supreme Court ruling. In your analysis, identify, analyze, and
evaluate the effectiveness of legal reasoning and constitutional principles.
Tips for Success

Write an analysis of a written opinion in a seminal Supreme Court ruling in which you identify,
analyze, and evaluate the judge’s legal reasoning. In your analysis, include these elements:
✓✓identification of the judge’s legal point of view
✓✓analysis and evaluation of appeals to reason, emotion, ethics, or authority
✓✓identification, analysis, and evaluation of the judge’s use of rhetorical

devices, such as parallelism, rhetorical questions, and anecdotes
✓✓evaluation of the constitutional evidence used to support the judge’s

premises, purposes, arguments, and legal reasoning
✓✓analysis that includes the most significant and relevant facts and quotations

How clearly did you identify the judge’s legal point of view? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How effectively did you analyze and evaluate appeals to reason, 1 2 3 4 5 6
emotion, ethics, and authority?
How well did you analyze the speaker’s use of rhetorical devices? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How effectively did you evaluate the Constitutional evidence used to 1 2 3 4 5 6
support the speaker’s premises, arguments, and legal reasoning?
How thoroughly did you develop the topic by supporting it with 1 2 3 4 5 6
relevant facts, quotes, and examples?
*Other standards covered include: Writing 1, Writing 2b, Writing 2c, Writing 2e, Writing 2f, Writing 4, Writing 5, Writing 7,
Writing 8, Writing 9, Speaking 1b, Speaking 1c, Speaking 1d, Speaking 3, Speaking 4, Language 1, Language 2, Language 5

6
372

Task: Take Part in a Panel Discussion

Hold a conversation with a partner and take part in a group discussion in which you analyze the
legal reasoning and constitutional principles in a Supreme Court ruling. Each member of the group
should focus a different aspect of the ruling, such as persuasive appeals; word choice, connotation,
and emotion; and constitutional reasoning and precedent.
Tips for Success

Prepare for the group discussion by holding a conversation with a partner about the requirements
of this assignment and your role in it. As you converse, decide which topic each of you will present.
Then, as a part of your participation in the group discussion, include these elements:
✓✓description of how the ruling illustrates your assigned topic
✓✓examples from the ruling to illustrate the points you make
✓✓evaluation of the effectiveness of rhetorical elements in the ruling on its

persuasive power
✓✓analysis of how effectively elements were used to support legal reasoning
✓✓discussion among group members regarding their agreement with the

Court’s position

How well did you describe your assigned element in your introduction? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How effectively did you integrate examples of your assigned element? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How well did you analyze the effectiveness of your element relative to 1 2 3 4 5 6
the persuasive power of the ruling?
To what extent did you analyze the effectiveness of rhetorical elements 1 2 3 4 5 6
in supporting legal reasoning?
To what extent did you discuss as a group your agreement with the 1 2 3 4 5 6
Court’s position?
373

Informational Text 9 Analyze seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and nineteenth-century
foundational U.S. documents of historical and literary significance (including
The Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, the Bill of
Rights, and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address) for their themes, purposes, and
rhetorical features.*
Task: Analyze a Foundational U.S. Document

Write an analysis of a foundational U.S. document, such as the 1841 argument of John Quincy
Adams before the Supreme Court regarding the capture of the schooner Amistad. Identify and
analyze Adam’s thesis, purpose, and the rhetorical devices used to persuade the Court.
Tips for Success

Write a brief analysis of the document you chose, identifying and analyzing its theme, purpose, and
use of rhetorical features. In your analysis, include these elements:
✓✓description of the theme, purpose, and background of the document
✓✓analysis of appeals to reason, emotion, ethics, or authority used in the document
✓✓identification, analysis, and evaluation of rhetorical devices used, such as

parallelism, rhetorical questions, and anecdotes
✓✓textual examples to support your analysis of rhetorical devices
✓✓conclusions about the effectiveness of the document

How clearly did you describe the thesis, purpose, and background of 1 2 3 4 5 6
the document you chose?
How thoroughly did you analyze its appeals to reason, emotion, ethics, 1 2 3 4 5 6
and authority?
To what extent did you identify, analyze, and evaluate the use of 1 2 3 4 5 6
rhetorical devices?
To what extent did you provide examples to support your analysis? 1 2 3 4 5 6
How effectively were you able to draw conclusions about what makes 1 2 3 4 5 6
the document of lasting historical significance?
*Other standards covered include: Writing 1, Writing 2b, Writing 2c, Writing 2e, Writing 2f, Writing 4, Writing 9, Speaking 1a,
Speaking 1b, Speaking 1c, Speaking 3, Speaking 4, Language 1, Language 2, Language 3, Language 5

For use with Literature1d
1
374

Speaking and Listening 1d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives;
synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve
contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or
research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.
Task: Compare and Contrast Perspectives

Participate in a group discussion in order to compare and contrast each group member’s analyses
of a foundational U.S. document. Discuss each of the diverse perspectives among the analyses,
ask probing questions to elicit deeper thinking. At the end of the discussion, determine what other
information may be needed to expand the discussion and resolve contradictions.
Tips for Success

Participate in a group discussion on an analysis of a major U.S. document, such as John Quincey
Adam’s argument before the Supreme Court regarding the capture of the schooner Amistad. As a
part of your participation in the discussion, include these elements:
✓✓present your own position on the document and its significance
✓✓listen attentively to the analyses of others and compare them to your own
✓✓identify diverse perspectives among the group participants
✓✓probe and clarify differences through thoughtful questions
✓✓resolve contradictions through discussion and identify opportunities for

additional research

How well did you present and describe your own position on the 1 2 3 4 5 6
significance of the document?
How attentively did you listen to the analyses of other group members 1 2 3 4 5 6
and compare them to your own?
How well were you able to identify differences in perspectives of other 1 2 3 4 5 6
group members?
To what extent did you ask thoughtful questions designed to probe 1 2 3 4 5 6
and clarify differences?
How effectively were you able to resolve contradictions through 1 2 3 4 5 6
discussion or identify opportunities for additional research?
375

Informational Text 10 By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literary
nonfiction at the high end of the grades 11–CCR text complexity band
independently and proficiently.*
Task: Write a Critical Response to a Work

Write a critical response to a work of literary nonfiction in which you demonstrate your
comprehension by discussing the elements of writing, such as the quality of content, clarity of the
thesis, organization, themes, sentence variety, word choice, and the use of rhetorical devices.
Tips for Success

Write a critical response to a work of literary nonfiction and include these elements:
✓✓summary of the work including description of the thesis and themes
✓✓evaluation of the quality and clarity of content with supporting examples
✓✓analysis of the author’s use of word choice, sentence variety, and style to
advance the themes
✓✓analysis of the author’s use of rhetorical and literary devices, such as

metaphor, repetition, and appeals to emotion or reason
✓✓thoughtful comparison of your own personal response to literary criticism of

the work

How clearly did you summarize the work and identify the thesis and 1 2 3 4 5 6
themes?
How effectively did you evaluate the quality and clarity of the work? 1 2 3 4 5 6
To what extent did you support your evaluation with textual examples? 1 2 3 4 5 6
To what extent did you analyze the effect of the author’s sentence 1 2 3 4 5 6
structure, word choice, and style to advance the themes of the work?
How well did you analyze the author’s use of rhetorical and literary 1 2 3 4 5 6
devices?
How effectively did you compare your own personal response to 1 2 3 4 5 6
literary criticism of the work?
*Other standards covered include: Writing 1, Writing 2b, Writing 2c, Writing 2e, Writing 2f, Writing 4, Writing 7, Writing 9,
Speaking 1a, Speaking 1b, Speaking 1c, Speaking 3, Speaking 4, Language 1, Language 2, Language 3, Language 5

6
376

Speaking and Listening 6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks,
Task: Participate in a Literature Circle

Participate in a literature circle in which you discuss a work of literary nonfiction with others
who have read the same work. Before beginning, work with peers to promote civil democratic
discussions, set clear goals, and insure equal participation by all group members.
Tips for Success

Participate in a literature circle with others who have read and formed a critical response to the
same work of literary nonfiction. As a part of your participation, include these elements:
✓✓present your own thoughts on the work clearly and concisely
✓✓compare and contrast your responses with the responses of others
✓✓listen attentively to the comments and responses of other group members
✓✓ask thoughtful questions to clarify and expand upon the ideas of others
✓✓convincingly answer questions about your own responses and conclusions
✓✓summarize the responses of all group members regarding the work

How clearly and concisely did you present your own comments on the 1 2 3 4 5 6
work?
To what extent did you compare and contrast your responses with the 1 2 3 4 5 6
responses of others?
How attentively did you listen to the comments and responses of other 1 2 3 4 5 6
group members?
To what extent did you ask thoughtful questions designed to clarify the 1 2 3 4 5 6
ideas of others?
How convincingly did you answer questions about your own responses 1 2 3 4 5 6
and conclusions?
To what extent did your group summarize responses? 1 2 3 4 5 6
377

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Literature

Reading Standards for Literature 1

Literature 2: Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and

Literature 3: Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to

Instruction and Model.......................................................................................... 41

Literature 5: Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure

Literature 6: Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires

Literature 7: Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g.,

Literature 9: Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-

Reading Standards for Informational Texts 89

Informational Text 3: Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and

Informational Text 5: Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure

Informational Text 6: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text

Informational Text 7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information

Informational Text 8: Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S.

Informational Text 9: Analyze seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and nineteenth-

Writing Standards 185

Writing 2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex

Copyright © Savvas Learning Company LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Writing 3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events

Introducing Characters, Conflict, and Setting....................................................................211

Writing 4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,

Writing 5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising,

Writing 7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer

Writing 8: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and

Copyright © Savvas Learning Company LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Writing 9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,

arguments in works of public advocacy [e.g., The Federalist, presidential

Speaking and Listening Standards 278

reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a

Speaking and Listening 2: Integrate multiple sources of information presented

Speaking and Listening 4: Present information, findings, and supporting

Speaking and Listening 6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks,

Copyright © Savvas Learning Company LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Language Standards 313

Understanding Usage......................................................................................... 314

Language 2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English

Language 3: Apply knowledge of language to understand how language

Language 4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning

d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase

Language 5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word

Language 6: Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific

Performance Tasks 338

Performance Task 3: Analyze an Author’s Choices�������������������������������������344

Performance Task 4: Analyze Word Choice�������������������������������������������������346

Copyright © Savvas Learning Company LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Performance Task 8: Write a Comparative Essay����������������������������������������354

Performance Task 9: Write in the Style of an Author���������������������������������356

Performance Task 10: S upport Inferences and Conclusions�����������������������358

Performance Task 11: A

Performance Task 12: E

Performance Task 13: A

Performance Task 14: C

Performance Task 15: Identify and Analyze Author’s Purpose or

Performance Task 16: U

Performance Task 17: A

Performance Task 18: A

Compare and Contrast Perspectives������������������������375

Performance Task 19: W

d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase

Performance Task 3: Analyze an Author’s Choices��344

Performance Task 4: Analyze Word Choice��346

Performance Task 8: Write a Comparative Essay��354

Performance Task 9: Write in the Style of an Author��356

Performance Task 10: S upport Inferences and Conclusions��358

Performance Task 15: Identify and Analyze Author’s Purpose or

Compare and Contrast Perspectives��375