Writing Guidelines of West Catholic High School
These guidelines follow the MLA (Modern Language Association) style and give directions for basic structure and typing requirements. For individual content guidelines, students should always follow instructions from their teacher in a specific subject area. If a teacher requires APA (American Psychological Association) or other styles, students should refer to handbooks on those particular styles.
The writing process:
1. Prewriting – understanding the assignment, question, or prompt annotating key works and phrases
-creating a writer’s (informal) outline writing a thesis statement
2. Drafting – writing the initial version
3. Revising – correcting errors in unity, coherence, and sentence structure
-This step is abbreviated in timed writings.
4. Editing – correcting mechanical, grammatical, and usage errors
-This step is abbreviated in timed writings.
5. Publishing – final, typed version
- This step is not a part of timed writing
Basic structures of a well-written paragraph and essay:
Paragraph Essay
Topic sentence – 1st paragraph begins with introduction and the thesis statement, usually at the end.
First subtopic – 1st body paragraph begins with a transition and topic sentence, followed by at least six alternating support and commentary sentences, and ends with a concluding sentence.
Second subtopic - 2nd body paragraph begins with a transition and topic sentence, followed by at least six alternating support and commentary sentences, and ends with a concluding sentence.
Third subtopic – 3rd body paragraph begins with a transition and topic sentence, followed by at least six alternating support and commentary sentences, and ends with a concluding sentence.
Concluding sentence
Examples of thesis statements:
These are examples; students are encouraged to create their own or use examples given by their teachers.
For an analytical essay:
In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the author uses _______________, ____________, and ____________________ ( devices*, elements, events, etc.) to show that John Putnam is_____________________ (motivated by greed) to __________________ (name an action or decision).
*Devices: diction, imagery, tone, figures of speech, etc.
For an argumentative essay:
Many of the high school graduates in ABC County can not read above the fifth-grade level, so ABC County Community College should offer some classes in reading improvement.
For a comparison and/or contrast essay:
Although both _______________________ and ____________________ are American writers, _________________ and ______________________ their main characters ( or subjects, etc.) reflect different _______________ (values, etc.) of American society in the 1860’s.
Revising guidelines correct errors in organization and sentences:
More on ideas
Transitions
Supports: quotes, examples, antecdotes, events, etc.
Logical order
Consistent verb tense
Variety in sentence beginnings
Reworking sentences for clarity
Details
Sentence structure
Editing guidelines correct errors in grammar, usage, mechanics, and work choice:
More on technical correctness
Spelling
Punctuation (especially commas)
Capitalization
Grammar usage
Consistent Point of view – except for personal essays use third person( he, she, etc.) not I, you, etc.
-Example: The author states. . .
Abbreviations and numbers
Consistent verb tense – literary(historical) present tense
Timed Writing:
Purpose: To prepare students for college, state and nationally required writing tests.
Benefits: To give students confidence for testing situations and to teach students to think quickly, logically, and effectively.
Expectations by the end of the first semester:
Freshmen should be able to correctly answer the prompt, organize thoughts in a clear thesis and practical writer’s outline, and write a handwritten two hundred word essay in forty minutes.
Sophomores should be able to correctly answer the prompt, organize thoughts in a clear thesis and a practical writer’s outline, and write a handwritten three hundred word essay with ten or less editing errors in forty minutes.
Juniors should be able to correctly answer the prompt, organize thoughts in a clear thesis and practical writer’s outline and write a handwritten four hundred work essay with five or less editing errors in forty minutes.
Seniors should be able to correctly answer the prompt, organize thoughts in a clear thesis and practical writer’s outline, and write an in-depth handwritten five hundred word essay with five or less editing errors in forty minutes.
Suggested Timing:
10-15 minutes for annotating prompt and organizing thoughts
30- 35 minutes writing
5-10 minutes for editing
Research Writing:
Expectations:By the end of first quarter, all freshmen will have been introduced to
1. the West Catholic library
2. plagiarism and its consequences
3. writing guidelines
4. effective research methods
5. summary and paraphrasing
Typing Requirements:
Use white, clean 8X11 paper
Title needs to be original, punctuated correctly, and centered
Citations:
For a play: supply act, scene, and line numbers (2.2.17-21)