Composition I Final Directions. Read the following paragraphs.

First, determine what method of organization / development is being used in the paragraph. (They are listed in the word box below.) Second, identify the thesis statement. Finally, list two specific examples that help prove that the paragraph is using the kind of development you say it is. Place your answers on the Response Sheet at the end of this test. Types of Essays: compare and contrast definition description

Argument Cause and effect Classification

illustration narration process

1. A city walker will notice that most dogs fall into one of three categories. First there are the big dogs, which are generally harmless and often downright friendly. They walk along peacefully with their masters, their tongues hanging out and big goofy grins on their faces. Apparently they know theyre too big to have anything to worry about, so why not be nice? Second are the spunky me3diumpsized dogs. When they see a stranger approaching, they go on alert. The prick up their ears, they raise their hackles, and they may growl a little deep in their throats. I could tear you up, they seem to be saying, but I wont if you behave yourself. Unless the walker leaps for their masters throat, these dogs usually wont do anything more than threaten. The third category is made up of the shivering neurotic little yappers whose shrill barks could shatter glass ad whose needle-like little teeth are eager to sink into a friendly outstretched hand. Walkers always wonder about these dogs dont they know that people who really wanted to could squash them under their feet like bugs? Apparently not, because of all the dogs a walker meets, these provide the most irritation. 2. My office is being ruined by office politics. It seems like everybody is trying to play some sort of game to get ahead and doesnt care what it does to anybody else. One example is Bradley. Although he pretends to be friendly with people, he isnt sincere for the ideas. He is actually being friendly so that he can get them to complain about their bosses. Once they do, he goes back to the bosses and tells the bosses whats been said. This gets the workers in trouble. Melissa is another example of someone who plays office politics games. She steals her coworkers ideas and then takes credit. Last month, I had a good idea about how to reduce office memos. When I was eating lunch with Melissa, I described my idea of requiring people to send all memos through the email system rather than on paper. She immediately went to my supervisor, Ms. Bennet, and told her about my idea. Of course, Melissa claimed the idea was hers and received an employee recognition award for it! As a final example, consider my two supervisors. Ms. Bennet and Mr. Hankins hate each other. They make the office a terrible place to be in because they fight all the time. They are constantly trying to get employees to take sides. In fact, they often give the employees conflicting work orders. I have to be careful about what I do, what I say, and who I listen to. Office politics is really a problem. Maybe I need to find a different office to work in. 3. My senior prom was nothing like I expected it to be. From the start of my senior year, I had pictured putting on a sleek, silvery slip dress that my aunt would make. That same dress would cost at least $400 dollars in a trendy store. No one elses dress would be as attractive and unique as mine. I imagined my boyfriend coming to the door with a lovely rose corsage. The roses would be deep red, and I would happily inhale the sweet perfume all night long. I saw us setting off for the evening in his brothers BMW convertible. We would make a flourish as we swept in and out of a series of parties before the prom. Our evening would be capped by eating a

delicious shrimp dinner at the prom and by dancing close together into the early morning hours. The prom was held on May 15, 2006, at the Pony Club on Black Horse Pike. However, because of sickness in her family, my aunt had no time to finish my beautiful gown. Instead, I had to buy an ugly pink one off the discount rack at the last minute. My corsage of red roses looked terrible on my pink dress, and I do not remember the roses having any perfume. As I walked outside, I saw the stripped-down Chevy that my boyfriend usually used at races on the weekends. His brother was out of town, and Kevin was forced to bring this vehicle instead. We only went to one party, and I got sick from the cheap wine. When we finally got to the prom, I was so upset that I could only eat a roll and some celery sticks. Worst of all, we left early without doing any dancing. My boyfriend and I had been fighting, and had to leave the prom because of it. 4. A Mickey Mouse course is any college course that is so easy that even Mickey Mouse could achieve an A. A student who is taking a heavy schedule, or who does not want four or five especially difficult courses, will try to sandwich in a Mickey Mouse course. A student can find out about such a course by consulting other students, since word of a genuine Mickey Mouse class spreads like wildfire. Or, a student can study the college master schedule for telltale class descriptions. A title for a course such as The Art of Pressing Wildflowers, History of the Comic Book, or Watching Television creatively is a sure sign that this class is going to be easy. Students in one of the courses can attend classes while half-asleep, hung-over, listening to an iPod or wearing a blindfold. It doesnt matter what they do during class, or even if they attend all the time; they will still pass. The exams (if there are any) would not challenge a five-year-old. The lectures usually consist of information that anyone with common sense already knows. Attendance may be required, but participation or involvement in the class is not. The main requirement for passing seems to be that a students body is warming a seat in the classroom. There are no difficult labs or frustrating group projects, and the subject of five-page essays never comes up. Once safely registered for such a course, all the student has to do its sit back and watch the credits accumulate on a transcript. 5. I have perfected the art of sneaking into the house at night. First, I plan ahead by bringing my key along with me. Obviously, I dont want to have to knock on the door early in the morning. That would wake my parents up, and it would result in a lecture to me about being inconsiderate. Second, I make it a point to stay out past midnight. If I come in before then, my father is still up. Hell give me that disapproving look that shows he is disappointed in me. I dont need any more guilt and stress; being in college is as much stress as I can handle. Next, I am very careful to be quiet upon entering the house. This involves lifting the front door up slightly as I open it, so that it does not creak. It also means treating the floor and steps to the second floor like a minefield, stepping carefully over the spots that squeak. When Im upstairs, I stop briefly in the bathroom without turning on the light. Finally, I tiptoe to my room, put my clothes in a pile on the chair, and slip quietly into bed. I dont think students should make a practice of sneaking into the house, but my method will work for those who need to avoid major hassles with parents. 6. As I filled out the accident report for the police officer, I realized that several factors caused my recent car accident. First of all, the road I was driving on was hazardous. There had been a heavy snow and freezing rain the day before. The road had been plowed, but was dangerously icy in spots where dense clusters of trees kept the early-morning sun from hitting the road and melting the ice. Second, I wasnt driving as cautiously as I should have. Despite the slick patches, I was stupidly going along at about fifty miles an hour, and that would be fast for that road even in normal conditions. I have a daredevil streak in my nature and sometimes feel that I am a stock-car racer in disguise. Third, I have to mention the green Chevy van. A small intersection was about fifty yards ahead of me, and that Chevy pulled out onto the road from the intersection with no warning. To avoid the

unexpected Chevy, I had to apply my break while trying to swing my car into the next lane. This wasnt entirely successful because of the final factor in the accident. I drive a Honda Civic, which is generally a pretty light car. However, the rear of the Honda was heavy because I had a set of barbells in the backseat. The exercise equipment doesnt normally travel around in my car. I had just sold my old set of weights to a classmate, and I had them in the car so that I could bring them to him. Because of all of the extra weight in the back of my car, my cars front tires couldnt grip properly. I spun out of control and slid all over the slick road. For a few horrifying, helpless moments, I was sliding down the highway backwards at fifty miles an hour. Then, I slid off the road and thumped into a huge snow bank. My car was damaged, but I had avoided certain death. As I looked out the window, I saw a huge telephone pole not even three feet from where I was sitting. The police officer agreed that I had been pretty lucky.

7. My teenage sons room is a jungle, filled with obstacles only the bravest mom could navigate. I push open the door with difficulty. The doorknob is loose and has to be jiggled just right before the catch releases from the doorjamb. It is further impeded by the basketball shoe lying on the floor in front of it. I manage to squeeze in through the narrow opening. I am immediately aware of a pungent odor in the room, most of which is coming from the closet to my right. Thats the location of a white wicker clothes hamper, heaped with grass-stained jeans, sweat-stained T-shirts, and smelly socks. But the half-eaten burrito, lying dried and unappetizing on the bedside table across the room, contributes a bit of aroma, as does the glass of curdles sour milk sitting on the sunny windowsill. To my left, the small wire cage on Gregs desk is also fragrant, but pleasantly. From its nest of sweet-smelling cedar chips, the gerbil peers out at e with its bright eyes, its tiny claws scratching against the cage wall. The floor around the wastebasket that is next to the desk is surrounded by what appears to be a sprinkling of snowballs. Theyre actually old wadded-up school papers, and I can picture Greg sitting on his bed, c rushing them into balls and aiming them at the basket the trash can. I glance a the bed across from the desk and chuckle because pillows stuffed under the tangles nest of blankets make it look as if someone is still sleeping there, thought I know Greg is in history class right now. I step carefully through the room, trying to walk through the obstacle course of science fiction paperbacks, a wristwatch, sports magazines, and a dust covered computer on which my son stacks empty soda cans I leave everything as I find it, but tape a note to Gregs door saying, Isnt it about time to clean up? 8. While many students regard proms as peak events in high school, I believe that high school proms should be banned. They are expensive, they cause hurt feelings and unwanted social stigma, and they contribute to teenage drinking and driving. One pre-prom problem is money. A girl can spend hundreds of dollars finding a dress and a pair of shoes, not to mention the accessories. A guy must rent a tux. Often there is the cost of a meal, or a rented limo. Even the prom tickets can cost up to a hundred dollars per person! Students do not have this kind of money to be spending on one event. If money wasnt enough of a problem, a person should also think about the social trauma associated with the prom. Students are separated into those who were asked and those who werent asked. Some students ask a person to go only to be rejected. Before prom ever arrives, many students are feeling depressed, unloved, and unpopular. It doesnt get any better at the prom. Girls can make other girls feel bad about their dresses. The popular students leave for exclusive parties. Much awkwardness ensues. Besides the money and social problems, there is also the problem of drinking and driving. Several teens sneak alcohol into the prom. Many more attend parties both before and after the prom. Some rent hotel rooms just to do some partying as well. However they are getting the alcohol, it is a fact that prom nights cause an excess of accidents, most of them caused by drunk, inexperienced teen drivers. Some

people might say that prom is a time for a teen to feel special, and a night that is filled with wonderful memories of friends. I say in response that no memories are worth the pain and problems that proms produce. For all these reasons, proms have no place in a high school. 9. Brittany and I had gotten engaged in August, just before she left for college. She was heading to the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, while I was going to go to the University of Minnesota. A week before Thanksgiving, I drove over to see her as a surprise. When I knocked on the door of her dorm room, she was indeed surprised. However, she didnt look happy. She introduced me to Ashley, her roommate. Ashley was very awkward with me, and left very soon after being introduced. I was beginning to have a strange feeling about this situation, but I really wanted to spend time with Brittany so I stayed. I didnt see her ring on her finger, but that didnt mean much because she often wore it on a chain instead of her finger. I started making small talk about classes and professors. As she was talking about her classes, a poster on her side of the room caught my eye. Oddly enough, it was a picture of Brittany and some guy I had never met before. Brittany had her arms around him, and they were both laughing. It could have been just a guy friend, but the body language didnt look right. I tried to casually point to the picture. So, I said, this is another friend? Um, well. Yeah. Thats Andy, she hesitantly offered. I figured it out without her saying anything else by the way she said his name. She was obviously dating him even though she was engaged to me. I was stunned. I couldnt even reply. I wanted to tear down the picture and run out, but I did nothing. My knees felt weak, and I barely had control of my body. I opened the dorm door, and suddenly more than anything I wanted to slam that door shut so hard that the dorm was would collapse. Instead, I managed to close the door quietly. I grabbed my coat and walked out the door. I saw Ashley returning as I was leaving. Even though I knew what was going on, I still asked her, Is she dating him? Ashley said, Yeah, theyve been dating since the beginning of September. She never mentioned a boyfriend from back home. I walked away understanding what was meant by a broken heart.

Response Sheet Paragraph 1 is a paragraph that uses _____________________________________________________________ Two pieces of evidence:________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Thesis: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Paragraph 2 is a paragraph that uses _____________________________________________________________ Two pieces of evidence:________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Thesis: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Paragraph 3 is a paragraph that uses _____________________________________________________________ Two pieces of evidence:________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Thesis: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Paragraph 4 is a paragraph that uses _____________________________________________________________ Two pieces of evidence:________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Thesis: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Paragraph 5 is a paragraph that uses _____________________________________________________________ Two pieces of evidence:________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Thesis: _____________________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph 6 is a paragraph that uses _____________________________________________________________ Two pieces of evidence:________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Thesis: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Paragraph 7 is a paragraph that uses _____________________________________________________________ Two pieces of evidence:________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Thesis: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Paragraph 8 is a paragraph that uses _____________________________________________________________ Two pieces of evidence:________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Thesis: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Paragraph 9 is a paragraph that uses _____________________________________________________________ Two pieces of evidence:________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Thesis: ____________________________________________________________________________________

Answer Key: 1. Classification. Thesis: A city walker will notice that most dogs fall into one of three categories. 2. Illustration. Thesis: My office is being ruined by office politics. 3. Compare and contrast. Thesis: My senior prom was nothing like what I expected it to be. 4. Definition. Thesis: A Mickey Mouse course is any college course that is so easy that even Mickey Mouse could achieve an A. 5. Process. Thesis: I have perfected the art of sneaking into the house at night. 6. Cause and effect. Thesis: Several factors caused my recent car accident. 7. Description. Thesis: My teenage sons room is a jungle, filled with obstacles only the bravest mom could navigate 8. Argument. Thesis: While many students regard proms as peak events in high school, I believe that high school proms should be banned. They are expensive, they cause hurt feelings and unwanted social stigma, and they contribute to teenage drinking and driving. 9. Narration. Thesis: I walked away understanding what was meant by a broken heart.