Support and elaboration 8 Strategies for Better Writing

Explain what you mean, or what the text evidence is saying. This means that… To clarify, To explain, In other words, explanation Explain what you mean, or what the text evidence is saying.

practice Topic Sentence: Victor had a bad day. Explanation: To clarify, from the moment Victor woke up, everything he touched turned to chaos and unimaginable destruction.

Provide an example of what you mean or an example from the text. For example, For instance, An example from the text is… An example of this is… example Provide an example of what you mean or an example from the text.

practice Example: Just this morning, for example, Victor’s boss asked him to deliver the weekly watermelon crop to the nearby market. He failed drastically; he dodged a cat that ran across the street, but hit a fire hydrant instead. This of course caused the street to flood and the back door to unlatch.

Describe the subject in literal language. Adjectives Verbs Describe the person Describe the situation Literal description Describe the subject in literal language.

practice Literal Description: Poor Victor tried desperately to gather the floating watermelons back into his yellow van. He had to work quickly since, by this time, he was causing a horrendous traffic jam.

Figurative description Similes & Metaphors Imagery – appeal to the 5 senses Other Figurative Language One time… Figurative description Describe the subject using figurative language.

practice Figurative Description: As he slopped through the rapidly rising water, they escaped his grasp like impossible dreams.

Show what you mean by providing a personal example. This relates to a time when I… Personally, *This is NOT appropriate for formal writing* Personal experience Show what you mean by providing a personal example.

practice Personal Experience: Victor’s upsetting experience reminds me of the time I was babysitting an energetic bunch of toddlers at the local park. No matter how strategically I tried to wrangle them, they squirmed out of my grasp and bolted for the monkey bars! 

Show what you mean by providing someone else’s personal experience. Tell the story of someone that was impacted by the situation, event, person… He, she, they, the character, the author… Another’s experience Show what you mean by providing someone else’s personal experience.

practice Another’s Experience: Victor’s father, Farmer Jones, is likely able to commiserate with his son. A feeling of hopelessness rushes over him when he recalls that fateful day when five of his precious steer blatantly ignored his lasso and wandered beyond his ranch onto Highway 105. He worked tirelessly to gather them back together.

Show what you mean by comparing or contrasting the subject. This compares to… Compared to… Similarly, In contrast, On the other hand, Compare/Contrast Show what you mean by comparing or contrasting the subject.

practice Compare/Contrast: During this frenzy, Victor couldn’t help but fantasize about his former job in car sales where this disastrous day delivering watermelons would not have been one of his duties. On the other hand, he recalled how much he loathed being a pushy salesman and decided both jobs were equally dreadful.

Show what you mean by explaining the cause or effect of the situation. Because… Because of this, As a result, An effect of this is… The reason… Cause/effect Show what you mean by explaining the cause or effect of the situation.

practice Cause/Effect: As a result of Victor’s unfortunate experiences in numerous entry level positions, and lacking the desire to herd cattle like his father, he decided to enroll in college. He ultimately chose to pursue a degree in Education in order to teach 8th grade Language Arts.

Pass the paragraph Directions: Steps: You will be writing an elaborate paragraph with the help of your classmates. Your sentences may be shared with the class, so make sure they are high quality and school appropriate. Steps: 1. Write the topic sentence on your paper: It was the scariest thing she had ever seen. 2. Write an EXPLANATION sentence. 3. Write a LITERAL DESCRIPTION sentence. 4. Write a PERSONAL EXPERIENCE sentence. 5. Write a CAUSE/EFFECT sentence. 6. Write a FIGURATIVE DESCRIPTION sentence. 7. Write a COMPARE/CONTRAST sentence. 8. Write an EXAMPLE sentence. 9. Write an ANOTHER’S EXPERIENCE sentence.

Group activity Topic Sentence: Directions: Within your group, work together to create a paragraph that uses all 8 Support and Elaboration Strategies. You may be called upon to share a sentence in front of the class, so be sure each sentence you write includes the best ideas from your group members. Topic Sentence: The morning announcements at Saugerties High School are quite entertaining.

Directions: Within your group, work together to create a paragraph that uses all 8 Support and Elaboration Strategies. You may be called upon to share a sentence in front of the class, so be sure each sentence you write includes the best ideas from your group members. Topic Sentence: Mike found a great deal at a yard sale. Group practice

Exit ticket Directions: Answer the following questions on an index card. Turn it in to the green basket as you leave class. 1. Which strategy is inappropriate for use in a formal essay? 2. Which strategy uses stems like “similarly” and “on the other hand”? 3. Which strategy would work best if you were asked to give reasons why a character acted a certain way? 4. Which strategy would work best if you wanted to paint a picture in your reader’s mind? 5. Which part of A.C.E. could be used to incorporate these 8 writing strategies (write out what it stands for)?