1. Common Mistakes Made on essays…

2. Spelling and Conventions  Aloud vs.allowed  Lose vs. loose  Bye vs. buy  Principle vs. Principal  There-Their-They’re  Meen, posestions, tooken, alot, oprutunities,  Exclamation point! WHY ARE YOU YELLING!  Edgar Allan Poe  Poem or short story….a poem is not a story  Aloud vs.allowed  Lose vs. loose  Bye vs. buy  Principle vs. Principal  There-Their-They’re  Meen, posestions, tooken, alot, oprutunities,  Exclamation point! WHY ARE YOU YELLING!  Edgar Allan Poe  Poem or short story….a poem is not a story

3. Thesis Statement  A thesis statement is a sentence in your introductory paragraph that tells your audience/reader what your main point is that you are making in your paper.  Generally a thesis has a subject and then an opinion. Which is where you provide your three reasons.  Thesis= Subject + opinion because 1, 2, & 3!  Then it is also included in your conclusion paragraph. Re-worded, not exactly the same!  A thesis statement is a sentence in your introductory paragraph that tells your audience/reader what your main point is that you are making in your paper.  Generally a thesis has a subject and then an opinion. Which is where you provide your three reasons.  Thesis= Subject + opinion because 1, 2, & 3!  Then it is also included in your conclusion paragraph. Re-worded, not exactly the same!

4. Thesis

5. Citations  New rules in MLA…  From The Great Gatsby to The Great Gatsby  The medium has also changed. At the end of the information on Works Cited page…ex: Print, Web, Radio, Television, DVD, etc  They are constantly changing MLA. It is impossible to memorize all of it. We just need to know how to find the correct information/way with MLA.  Font 12, times new roman, double-spaced  “The Bells”  And list the title and author in introduction!  New rules in MLA…  From The Great Gatsby to The Great Gatsby  The medium has also changed. At the end of the information on Works Cited page…ex: Print, Web, Radio, Television, DVD, etc  They are constantly changing MLA. It is impossible to memorize all of it. We just need to know how to find the correct information/way with MLA.  Font 12, times new roman, double-spaced  “The Bells”  And list the title and author in introduction!

6. MLA format  Make sure your heading is correct and you have a header for each page!  12 font, Time New Roman, double-spaced  Mandy Massaro Massaro 1  Mrs. Jorgenson  L.A. 7  13 December 2013  Header: Massaro 2  Make sure your heading is correct and you have a header for each page!  12 font, Time New Roman, double-spaced  Mandy Massaro Massaro 1  Mrs. Jorgenson  L.A. 7  13 December 2013  Header: Massaro 2

7. Like like like like!  Word Choice: Don’t write “like” you speak. Use formal speech in your writing.

8. Confidence!  This is your opinion, your paper. Be confident in what you are presenting to the reader. Even if you don’t know if you are right but you are confident in your writing, your reader may not even notice…  No more “seems”! It is or it isn’t.  No “I” “you” or “we”  This is your opinion, your paper. Be confident in what you are presenting to the reader. Even if you don’t know if you are right but you are confident in your writing, your reader may not even notice…  No more “seems”! It is or it isn’t.  No “I” “you” or “we”

9. Proper use of quotation marks!

10.  Some questions to ask yourself…  Are you using them because it is “so called”?  Who are you quoting?  After a “quote” did you cite your source?  The narrator states, “the pit- typical of Hell” (Poe).  “The pit- typical of Hell” is evidence that the pit symbolizes Hell (Poe).  Poe writes “the pit- typical of Hell.”  Some questions to ask yourself…  Are you using them because it is “so called”?  Who are you quoting?  After a “quote” did you cite your source?  The narrator states, “the pit- typical of Hell” (Poe).  “The pit- typical of Hell” is evidence that the pit symbolizes Hell (Poe).  Poe writes “the pit- typical of Hell.”

11. Showing vs. Telling  Your title is a good indication of what your reader is about to read. Plus, you spent an entire introductory paragraph telling your reader what they are about to read….  It is hard to say similar or different so many times…I know! But the reader knows this so continue on without wearing those words out.  Do not ever tell the reader: My paper is about a, b, and c. Or: You will be reading about how…  No “I” or “you”  This is higher order of thinking for you, the writer, and for the reader. You are good writers somewhere deep in there! Just try!  Give the reader some credit!  Your title is a good indication of what your reader is about to read. Plus, you spent an entire introductory paragraph telling your reader what they are about to read….  It is hard to say similar or different so many times…I know! But the reader knows this so continue on without wearing those words out.  Do not ever tell the reader: My paper is about a, b, and c. Or: You will be reading about how…  No “I” or “you”  This is higher order of thinking for you, the writer, and for the reader. You are good writers somewhere deep in there! Just try!  Give the reader some credit!

12. Your Essay  The Characterization of ________________  You drafted this in your worksheets  How does your character develop over the course of the novel: how do they change for better or worse?  What did they learn about themselves?  What is the point? (connection w/ audience? Message from author?)  The Characterization of ________________  You drafted this in your worksheets  How does your character develop over the course of the novel: how do they change for better or worse?  What did they learn about themselves?  What is the point? (connection w/ audience? Message from author?)