Writing Strong Paragraphs Parts 1 & 2 Topic Sentences that Make a Claim How To Use Quotes And How Not To

Topic Sentences That Make a Claim Your topic sentence is like a mini-thesis for your paragraph because it makes a claim of some sort. When the topic sentence makes a claim, the paragraph which follows must expand, describe, or prove that claim/argument in some way. Topic sentences make a point and give reasons or examples to support it.

Topic Sentences That Make a Claim Examples: Dogs make wonderful pets because they help you live longer. Cooking requires a number of different skills including math. Graduating from high school is important for may different reasons. Eight to Ten hours of sleep is necessary for teenagers to function at their best. Percy Jackson follows the archetype of a hero described in “The Hero’s Journey.”

Problem: Good writers use quotations from multiple sources to support and help the arguments they make in their own writing When students first begin to integrate quotations into their writing, they run into some very common mistakes By making these mistakes, students do not end up with a strong piece of their own writing. Rather, they have let other authors’ words, ideas, and arguments take over their writing. Or, students use quotations in a way that actually causes their writing to sound more confusing to the reader.

Problem 1: “Drop and Run” Throwing in a quotation without setting up an introduction or comment first Example: “‘Most of the kids here did. If you weren’t like us, you couldn’t have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar.’” What is the author’s point in saying this quote?

Problem 2: “The Last Word” Letting the quotation have the last word This forces the reader to figure out the significance of the quotation. Example: Percy Jackson’s experiences make him a hero.“‘Most of the kids here did. If you weren’t like us, you couldn’t have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar.’” What does this quote prove? Does the author of the paragraph explain HOW the quotes proves this?

Problem 3: “Superfluous” Superfluous – unneeded, extra, unnecessary Quoting information that would better be summarized or left out Example: Percy Jackson’s experiences make him a hero.“‘Most of the kids here did. If you weren’t like us, you couldn’t have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar.’ ‘Ambrosia and nectar.’ ‘The food and drink we were giving you to make you better. That stuff would have killed a normal kid. It would have turned your blood to fire and your bones to sand and you’d be dead.’” Is this entire quote necessary? What can we take out?

SOLUTION 1: Signal & Assert Alert the reader a quoting is coming and who is being quoted with a short signal-phrase (author’s name or reference to the text) An assertion tells the reader how the quote is related to your text or argument Usually, the signal and assertion will be in one introductory statement Example: Annabeth, Camp Half-Blood’s longest camper, tells Percy she know’s he is like all the other Half-Bloods. “ ‘If you weren’t like us, you couldn’t have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar.’ ”

SOLUTION 2: Vary Your Verbs Use multiple verbs to introduce a quote. Start your sentences off differently. Demonstrates Emphasizes Explains Illustrates Verbs: Implies Argues Observes Agrees Notes Asserts Responds Claims States Comments Suggests Compares Writes Declares Disagrees Disputes

SOLUTION 3: Put the Quote in the Middle Integrate part of the quotation into the complete sentence. Example 1: Annabeth, Camp Half-Blood’s longest camper, tells Percy how she know’s he is like all the other Half-Bloods: “ ‘If you weren’t like us, you couldn’t have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar.’ ” Example 2: Joseph Cambell explains the hero “enters a world which they have previously never experienced,” which for Percy, is Camp Half-Blood.

The Connector Sentence Write a sentence after using your quote(s) that comments on how the quotes are related Doing this will help your readers understand why the quote is significant (important) Example: Annabeth, Camp Half-Blood’s longest camper, tells Percy how she know’s he is like all the other Half-Bloods: “ ‘If you weren’t like us, you couldn’t have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar.’ ” Since ambrosia and nectar are the foods of the gods, Percy’s ability to digest them demonstrates he is part god.