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Grammar For Writing - Common Core Enriched Edition - Grade 7
Grammar For Writing - Common Core Enriched Edition - Grade 7
Grammar For Writing - Common Core Enriched Edition - Grade 7
Part I: Composition
TOPIC
Next, review your ideas, and narrow the topic you like best. CHECKLIST
Make sure your topic matches the length of the assignment. ✔ How strongly do
I feel about this
too broad the Internet
[This is too much to cover in a short paper.]
topic?
✔ Is it narrow
too narrow checking e-mail last night
enough?
[This is not broad enough to write about in
three pages.] ✔ Can I gather
information
good topic spending less time on the Internet
about it?
Purpose Audience
● Is my purpose to entertain, ● Who will read my paper?
inform, persuade, or describe? ● How much does my audience
● What is the main thing I want my already know?
readers to learn? ● What are their interests? How can
● Why do I want to share this topic I help them connect to the topic?
with others?
Do Don’t
● Open up your mind, and let your ● Don’t stop to wonder about
ideas flow. whether you should include an
● Cross out ideas you don’t like, idea.
and add new ones. ● Don’t expect your draft to be
● Even if you’re not sure how to perfect.
spell some words, use them ● Don’t write so messily that you
anyway. can’t read your own writing.
● Jot notes in the margins about ● Don’t feel you must stick to every
details you want to research more detail of your prewriting plan.
or things you want to check later. Once you begin drafting, your
● Be open to making changes to plan may develop or change.
the plan you created during
prewriting.
● Write legibly.
Writing Model
Knock! Knock! Knock! “Alicia, this is the third
time Cindy has called you. Get off that computer!” Introduction
catches readers’
I could hear Dad’s shouting through my earphones. attention.
REVISING CHECKLIST
Word Choice
Voice
✔ How original and fresh is my writing?
✔ In which places does my writing sound forced or unnatural?
Writing Model
Knock! Knock! Knock! “Alicia, this is the
third time Cindy has called you. Get off that
computer!” I could hear Dad’s shouting through
Vary sentence
One swift click of a
beginnings. my earphones. I swiftly clicked one button, and
the computer was off—well, not completely off.
What if someone sent me an e-mail? What if the
song I was downloading wasn’t finished yet?
Use precise I always left my computer on, no matter what.
words, and add have been disappointed
details. That’s why my parents are upset. I wasn’t doing
homework or practicing the violin
my work. My friends were getting tired of me
Combine short
sentences. ignoring their invitations. They wanted to go out.
All I wanted was to be left alone on my computer.
ExErcisE 2 Revising Your Paper Copyright © 2014 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.
Writing Model
Proofreading Symbols
Delete. My evening away from the computer finally came.
g
Add.
Cindy was smiling and gigling as she led me out the
. Add a period.
, Add a comma. front door and into her older sister’s car. “You’re going to
” Add quotation marks. have fun, I promise. you won’t think about your stupid
Make lowercase.
Switch order. computer or online buddies at all,” Cindy told me as we
Capitalize.
strapped on our seat belts. Immediately her older Sister
¶ Start a new paragraph.
began telling funny stories about her new job. Cindy and
I shared stories about things that happened at school. We
1
“Wow, I had totally forgotten how much I love
battting cages,” I shouted to no one in particular. 2Cindy
and her sister were buying tickets so we could play
minitature golf next. 3it dawned on me that playing real
sports was more fun than playing them on the computer.
4
I felt as if someone had locked me up and kept me away
from all real, fun things. 5Then I realized that the person
who locked me up was me! 6I I felt silly. 7it’s fun to play
computer games online against teens from other country.
8
However, it doesn’t compare to expereincing the crack of
the bat as I slam a softball or sharing such moments with
friends I can see and hear
Be creative about the way you share your work with others.
Try one of the ways below to present your work.
Autobiographical Writing
You share stories about your life often—in a letter, an essay, or
an e-mail to a friend. When you write true stories, or narratives,
about your life, you are writing autobiographically.
Key Features
● natural and logical event ● precise words and sensory
sequence language
● first-person point of view ● resolution that concludes and
● dialogue and descriptive details reflects on the events
● transition words to convey
sequence
Choose a topic that you feel strongly about and remember well.
Take your audience into consideration. Which topic will readers
find most interesting?
ZIGGY © (1997) ZIGGY AND FRIENDS, INC. Reprinted with permission of UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE. All rights reserved.
Prewriting
People Involved
my little brother,
Autobiographical Bill, me
writing revolves
around you. Always Conflict
use first-person younger brother getting
point of view to picked on by bully (external)
tell your story. Use
pronouns, such as I,
me, our, we, and us. Outcome
I learned how to be a good
big brother.
Writing Model
1
Lee’s hands shook, and tears started to run down his Specific details
face. 2“You shouldn’t pick on me,” he shouted. 3That’s
when I raced over from the other side of the cafeteria.
4
Sweat dripped from my forehead. 5I grabbed Lee by the
hand and looked Bill Jackson in the eye.
6
“You leave my little brother alone!” I yelled. 7As Bill Dialogue
backed away, I could feel Lee’s hand tightly gripping
mine. 8I really was a big brother. Writer’s feelings
Revising
Now that you have written your draft, slowly reread your
As you revise,
keep in mind the
writing, and look for ways to improve your work. Begin by
traits of good considering the overall structure and organization of your story.
writing. See Ask yourself if the story would make sense to your readers. Use
Lesson 1.3. the Revising Questions below to help guide your revision.
Revising Questions
❏ How clearly have I described the event or person
that caused a change in my life?
❏ Where can I improve the chronological order?
❏ How well have I used first-person point of view?
❏ Where can I add dialogue?
❏ How clearly have I expressed my feelings?
As you read the passage below, notice how the author uses vivid
details.
Literary Model
1
I remember one summer a friend of my mother’s in
Kansas City sent her son to pass a few weeks with me at
my grandmother’s home in Lawrence. 2But the little boy
only stayed a few days, then wrote his mother that he
wanted to leave, because we had nothing but salt pork and
wild dandelions to eat. 3The boy was right. 4But being only
eight or nine years old, I cried when he showed me the
letter he was writing his mother. 5And I never wanted my
mother to invite any more little boys to stay with me at my
grandmother’s house.
6
You see, my grandmother was very proud, and she
would never beg or borrow anything from anybody.
—Excerpt from The Big Sea by Langston Hughes
u Reading as a Writer u
1. What specific details does the author use to show that the
family is poor?
2. How do the vivid details shape your impression of the
narrator?
Capitalize proper
nouns, which are
specific names of
people, places, and
ideas. See Editing and Proofreading Checklist
Lesson 12.1.
❏ Have I checked that all words are spelled correctly?
Was Bill new at
Elmer School? ❏ Have I used quotation marks around dialogue?
❏ Have I correctly used commas with dialogue?
❏ Have I capitalized all proper nouns and the first
word of every sentence?
Proofreading Symbols
1
lee and I sat in the backyard talking about how
. Add a period.
scared Bill Jackson looked when I confronted him. 2Lee
, Add a comma.
Make lowercase. looked up to me as a Brother, and I was going to be a
Capitalize.
great big Brother, no matter what .3“Come on, let’s go
inside”
, I suggested. when Lee took my hand, I realized
4
R e v i e w
5. My friend and me sometimes have misunderstandings
A B
due to our different learning styles. No error
C D E
C h a p t e r
A B C D
prefer movies to books. No error
E
10. No matter what your learning style is, you and him can
A B C D
find a way to succeed. No error
E
Then label its function: S for subject, PN for predicate nominative, O for
object, or PS for possessive.
��� 1. My sister and (me, I) decided to make dinner for our mom last
night.
��� 2. I told (her, she) that we should make something simple, like
spaghetti.
��� 3. My sister baked a soufflé for Lennie and (we, us). Copyright © 2014 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.
R e v i e w
2. Rachel discussed cat care with Hannah before she went to the
shelter.
3. Hannah gave Rachel a few tips as she looked at the cats in front of
them.
4. Rachel liked the black cat best because she was friendly.
5. In the shelter, it advises visitors to stay quiet.
C h a p t e r
1
Principal tate is considering cutting our schools
budget for arts education in order to provide student’s
with more test-prep materials. 2These would be a big
mistake. 3Everyone should have the best education
they can. 4In order to live fully in the world, students’
need to be exposed to culture in the form of music,
art, theater, and dance. 5If Principal Tate cuts the art
budget, no one will leave School prepared to appreciate
and understand the world around them.
Verbs
The runner may have fallen behind during the last lap. Some Helping
hv mv mv
Verbs
Will the coach change his mind and call us?
be did is
been do were
being does will
can have
1
Austrian Markus Stockl is a great athlete. 2He set a
new world speed record in the downhill mountain bike
class. 3Stockl crushed his own record by 14.3 mph. 4He
flew down a snow slope in Chile and hit a speed of
130.7 mph. 5Videos of his record-breaking run have
flooded the Internet, and sports chat rooms have been
filled with talk about him. 6His skills are amazing.
In some cases the past and past participle forms are the same.
om
10. The startled bear (known, knew) it was time to lumber off.
artoonStock.c
http://www.C
Do not switch from one verb tense to another unless you Notice that you need
need to show a change in time. Keep tenses consistent. helping verbs to form
some of the six verb
FaUltY Habib takes piano lessons and practiced a lot. tenses shown above.
See Lessons 8.1 and
coRRect Habib took piano lessons and practiced a lot.
8.2 for more about
coRRect Habib takes piano lessons and practices a lot. helping verbs and
verb forms.
To: mlmcnulty@internet.com
From: jvaladez@internet.com
Subject: Important news
Dear Martin,
Guess what happened? 2A letter for me comes
1
Your friend,
Juan