TEACHER COPY

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
TOPIC: PAGE #:
➢ 1. The Writing Process 1-8

➢ 2. BODY PARAGRAPHS 9-14

➢ 3. THESIS STATEMENTS 14-15

➢ 4. INTRODUCTIONS 15-17

➢ 5. CONCLUSIONS 17-18

➢ 6. MLA FORMAT 19-20

➢ 7. Additional Resources 20
 1. THE WRITING PROCESS
KEY TERMS TO KNOW:
TERM: DEFINITION/EXAMPLE:

Prompt Definition: Essay prompts are statements that focus on a topic or an issue, followed by
questions. The purpose of an essay prompt is to inspire a response in the form of an
essay, which will assess your writing, reasoning, and analytical skills.
Examples: How does the setting affect the main character? How does the main character
overcome a problem? How does the author use symbolism to communicate a theme?

Requirements Definition: Essay requirements are the specific elements your teacher is requiring for that
specific essay.
Examples: The number of pages or paragraphs, the number of quotations or sources, etc.

Brainstorming Definition: Brainstorming is the process of generating ideas or solutions before you start
writing an essay.
Examples: quick-writes, mind maps, bullet points, etc.

Graphic Organizer Definition: A graphic organizer is a visual display that demonstrates relationships between
facts, concepts or ideas. A graphic organizer guides the learner's thinking as they fill in
and build upon a visual map or diagram.

Draft Definition: A draft is a preliminary or initial version of a piece of writing that will ultimately
have multiple versions.
Examples: rough draft vs. final draft

Formatting Definition: Formatting is the specific way in which your final piece of writing will be
presented to your reader.
Examples: MLA (font, size, spacing, etc.)

Revision/Revising Definition: Revision literally means to “see again,” to look at something from a fresh,
critical perspective. It is an ongoing process of rethinking the paper: reconsidering your
arguments, reviewing your evidence, refining your purpose, reorganizing your
presentation, reviving stale language/word choice, etc.

Editing/ Definition: Editing involves looking at each sentence carefully, and making sure that it's
well-designed and serves its purpose. Proofreading involves checking for grammatical and
Proofreading punctuation errors, spelling mistakes, etc.

1. Cross out any extraneous “fluff” 2. Circle key action verbs that instruct
words or phrases you to do something
3. Draw an arrow from each circled word to 4. Rewrite a shortened version of the prompt
what the word tells you to do below the original
PRACTICE ATTACKING THE PROMPT:
Often in works of literature, a relationship between two characters leads to problems. From a
work of literature you have read in or out of school, select two characters whose relationship
leads to problems. In a well-developed essay, describe the characters’ relationship and how it leads
to problems, and explain how their experience is important to the work as a whole.

REWRITE: SELECT two characters with a problematic relationship, DESCRIBE it,

and EXPLAIN how it relates to the overall message of the work. 1
 1. THE WRITING PROCESS
ONCE YOU KNOW WHAT THE PROMPT IS ASKING YOU
TO DO, IT’S TIME TO BRAINSTORM.
FREEWRITE:
When you freewrite, you let your
thoughts flow as they will, putting
pen to paper and writing down
whatever comes into your mind. You
don’t judge the quality of what you
write and you don’t worry about
style or any surface-level issues, like
spelling, grammar, or punctuation. If
you can’t think of what to say, you
write that down — really. The
advantage of this technique is that
you free up your internal critic and
allow yourself to write things you
might not write if you were being
too self-conscious.
CLUSTERING/MAPPING/WEBBING:
1. Take your sheet of paper
and write your main topic in
the center, using a word or
two or three.
2. Moving out from the center
and filling in the open space
any way you are driven to fill
it, start to write down, fast,
as many related concepts or
terms as you can associate
with the central topic.
3. Start to cluster. Circle
terms that seem related and
then draw a line connecting
the circles. Find some more
and circle them and draw
more lines to connect them
with what you think is closely
related.
BRAINSTORMING STRATEGIES:
BULLET POINT LIST:
Jot down lists of words or phrases
under a particular topic. You can
base your list on:
● the general topic
● one or more words from
your particular thesis or
claim
● a word or idea that is the
complete opposite of your
original word or idea.
● anything else that suits the
assignment
You might even try making multiple
bullet point lists until you’ve
narrowed down your ideas.
JOURNALISTIC QUESTIONS:
In this technique you would use the
“big six” questions that journalists rely
on to thoroughly research a story.
The six are:
1. Who?
2. What?
3. When?
4. Where?
5. Why?
6. How?
Write each question word on a
sheet of paper, leaving space
between them. Then, write out some
sentences or phrases in answer, as
they fit your particular topic. You
might also answer into a tape
recorder if you’d rather talk out
your ideas.
CUBING:
Cubing enables you to consider your
topic from six different directions;
just as a cube is six-sided, your cubing
brainstorming will result in six “sides”
or approaches to the topic.
Take a sheet of paper, consider
your topic, and respond to these six
commands:
1. Describe it.
2. Compare it.
3. Associate it.
4. Analyze it.
5. Apply it.
6. Argue for and against it.
Look over what you’ve written. Do
any of the responses suggest
anything new about your topic?
Does one side seem particularly
fruitful in getting your brain moving?
Could that one side help you draft
your thesis statement?
PURPOSE & AUDIENCE:
Think about the parts of
communication involved in any writing
or speaking event act: purpose and
audience.
What is your purpose?
What are you trying to do? What
verb captures your intent? Are you
trying to inform? Convince?
Describe? Each purpose will lead you
to a different set of information and
help you shape material to include and
exclude in a draft. Write about why
you are writing this draft in this
form.
Who is your audience?
Who are you communicating with
beyond the grader? What does that
audience need to know? What do they
already know? What information does
that audience need first, second,
third? Write about who you are
writing to and what they need.
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 1. THE WRITING PROCESS
ONCE YOU HAVE BRAINSTORMED YOUR IDEAS, IT’S TIME
TO ORGANIZE THEM AND MAKE SURE THEY FLOW.

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS:
SINGLE BODY PARAGRAPH GRAPHIC ORGANIZER:
Topic Sentence:

CONTEXT:

EVIDENCE:

ANALYSIS:

CONCLUSION SENTENCE:

“For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.”

- Benjamin Franklin
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 1. THE WRITING PROCESS
FULL FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAY GRAPHIC ORGANIZER:
INTRODUCTION:
Hook:

TAG (TITLE, AUTHOR, GENRE) & BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

THESIS STATEMENT:

BODY PARAGRAPH #1: BODY PARAGRAPH #2: BODY PARAGRAPH #3:

TOPIC SENTENCE: TOPIC SENTENCE: TOPIC SENTENCE:

CONTEXT: CONTEXT: CONTEXT:

EVIDENCE: EVIDENCE: EVIDENCE:

ANALYSIS: ANALYSIS: ANALYSIS:

CONCLUSION/TRANSITION SENTENCE: CONCLUSION/TRANSITION SENTENCE: CONCLUSION SENTENCE:

RESTATE THESIS: CONCLUSION:

RECAP ALL MAIN POINTS:

CLINCHER/”MIC DROP”:

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 1. THE WRITING PROCESS
ONCE YOU HAVE ORGANIZED YOUR IDEAS, IT’S TIME TO
WRITE A DRAFT.
(This essentially means typing up and formatting the information already written in your graphic organizer.)

THE FINAL STEPS OF THE WRITING PROCESS:

DRAFTING *Note: These steps will look

different and vary from
assignment to assignment. I will
REVISING always provide you multi-step
directions and detailed checklists to
guide the process.

EDITING

Where can I get a

one-on-one writing
EVALUATING
conference to help me with
ANY of the steps during the
writing process?
FEEDBACK
➢ In the Writing Center (E207) any
period during the school day or
after school Mon.-Thurs.
➢ By setting up an after school
conference time with Ms. Fischer
before the essay is due.

“Rewriting is the
essence of writing well
— where the game is
won or lost.”
— William Zinsser

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 1. THE WRITING PROCESS
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REVISING AND
EDITING MY WRITING?

REVISE VS. EDIT

ARMS CUPS

Add words and/or sentences Capitalization (proper nouns, etc.)

Remove any unnecessary words Usage (of nouns and verbs - make
and/or sentences sure they agree)

Move or change a word or Punctuation (periods, quotation

placement of a sentence
Substitute or trade words or
sentences for new ones
marks, commas, semicolons,
apostrophes, etc.)
Spelling (proofread, check for
homophones and commonly
misspelled words, etc.)

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 1. THE WRITING PROCESS
GENERAL REVISION TIPS:
1. Find your main point.
2. Identify your readers and your
purpose.
3. Evaluate your evidence.
4. Save only the good pieces.
5. Tighten and clean up your language.
6. Eliminate mistakes in grammar and
usage.
7. Switch from writer-centered to
reader-centered.
“I have rewritten — often several times — every word I have ever
published. My pencils outlast their erasers.”
- Vladimir Nabokov
What are you trying to say in the paper? In other words, try to
summarize your thesis, or main point, and the evidence you
are using to support that point. Try to imagine that this paper
belongs to someone else. Does the paper have a clear thesis?
Do you know what the paper is going to be about?
What are you trying to do in the paper? In other words, are
you trying to argue with the reading, to analyze the reading,
to evaluate the reading, to apply the reading to another
situation, or to accomplish another goal?
Does the body of your paper support your thesis? Do you offer
enough evidence to support your claim? If you are using
quotations from the text as evidence, did you cite them
properly?
Do all of the ideas relate back to the thesis? Is there anything
that doesn't seem to fit? If so, you either need to change your
thesis to reflect the idea or cut the idea.
Do all of the ideas in the paper make sense? Are there
unclear or confusing ideas or sentences? Read your paper out
loud and listen for awkward pauses and unclear ideas. Cut
out extra words, vagueness, and misused words.
Do you see any problems with grammar, punctuation, or
spelling? If you think something is wrong, you should make a
note of it, even if you don't know how to fix it. You can always
talk to Ms. Fischer or a Writing Center teacher about how to
correct errors.
Try to detach yourself from what you've written; pretend that
you are reviewing someone else's work. What would you say
is the most successful part of your paper? Why? How could
this part be made even better? What would you say is the
least successful part of your paper? Why? How could this part
be improved?
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 1. THE WRITING PROCESS
GENERAL EDITING & PROOFREADING TIPS:
1. Spelling
2. Left out and doubled
words
3. Sentence Fragments
sentence has an independent clause. Remember that a dependent clause cannot stand on its own.
4. Run-on Sentences
5. Comma Splices
6. Subject/Verb
Agreement
7. Sentence Structure
8. Parallelism Look through your paper for series of items, usually separated by commas. Also, make sure these
9. Pronoun
Reference/Agreement
10. Apostrophes
● Do not solely rely on your computer's spell-check—it will not get everything!
● Be especially careful of words that have tricky letter combinations, like "ei/ie.”
● Take special care of homonyms like your/you're, to/too/two, and there/their/they're, as
spell check will not recognize these as errors.
Read the paper slowly aloud to make sure you haven't missed or repeated any words. Also, try
reading your paper one sentence at a time in reverse—this will enable you to focus on the
individual sentences.
Sentence fragments are sections of a sentence that are not grammatically whole sentences. For
example, “Ate a sandwich” is a sentence fragment because it lacks a subject. See that each
● Review each sentence to see whether it contains more than one independent clause.
● If there is more than one independent clause, check to make sure the clauses are
separated by the appropriate punctuation.
● Sometimes, it is just as effective (or even more so) to simply break the sentence into two
separate sentences instead of including punctuation to separate the clauses.
● Look closely at sentences that have commas.
● See if the sentence contains two independent clauses. Independent clauses are complete
sentences.
● If there are two independent clauses, they should be connected with a comma and a
conjunction (and, but, for, or, so, yet, nor). Commas are not needed for some
subordinating conjunctions (because, for, since, while, etc.) because these conjunctions
are used to combine dependent and independent clauses.
● Another option is to take out the comma and insert a semicolon instead.
● Find the subject of each sentence.
● Find the verb that goes with the subject.
● The subject and verb should match in number, meaning that if the subject is plural, the
verb should be as well.
Read through your sentences carefully to make sure that they do not start with one sentence
structure and shift to another. A sentence that does this is called a mixed construction.
items are in parallel form, meaning they all use a similar form.
● Skim your paper, searching for pronouns.
● Search for the noun that the pronoun replaces.
● If you can't find any nouns, insert one beforehand or change the pronoun to a noun.
● If you can find a noun, be sure it agrees in number and person with your pronoun.
● Skim your paper, stopping only at those words which end in "s." If the "s" is used to
indicate possession, there should be an apostrophe, as in “Mary's book.”
● Look over the contractions, like “you're” for “you are,” “it's” for “it is,” etc. Each of these
should include an apostrophe.
● Remember that apostrophes are not used to make words plural. When making a word
plural, only an "s" is added, not an apostrophe and an "s."
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 2. BODY PARAGRAPHS
WHAT IS A BODY PARAGRAPH?
● Whenever you are assigned to write just one paragraph in response to a
prompt, that one paragraph is considered a body paragraph.
● You will also write body paragraphs as the middle paragraphs in a longer essay
(Think of the typical five paragraph essay: Introduction, Three Body
Paragraphs, Conclusion).

WHAT GOES IN A BODY PARAGRAPH AND IN WHAT

ORDER?
1. TOPIC SENTENCE

2. CONTEXT

3. EVIDENCE/QUOTATIONS/CITATIONS

4. ANALYSIS/EXPLANATION

5. CONCLUSION/TRANSITION SENTENCE

*Note: When in doubt, follow this recipe for every body paragraph that you write. Any time you write a body paragraph for an
English essay, it should look like this. Plus, believe it or not, any time you answer a question (in English class or any other
class) in a paragraph, this is a great format to use! So, what does it all mean?

TOPIC SENTENCES:
A topic sentence... A topic sentence is a sentence that introduces a paragraph by
presenting the one topic that will be the focus of that paragraph.

TOPIC SENTENCES DO: TOPIC SENTENCES DO NOT:

1. Answer prompt/connect to 1. Ask a question

thesis 2. Include a quotation
2. Introduce argument 3. Include plot summary
3. Include support

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 2. BODY PARAGRAPHS
TOPIC SENTENCES CONTINUED:
Every paragraph must begin with a topic sentence that follows these rules. You can structure your topic sentence in any way
you want as long as you include all of the necessary components. Here are some general frames to get us started.

GENERAL TOPIC SENTENCE FRAMES:

(Argument) because (support/evidence). (Example) shows (argument).

Because (support/evidence), (argument). (Argument) is shown through (example).

CONTEXT:

SPEAKER AUDIENCE SITUATION

GENERAL CONTEXT RULES:

● Always comes before the quotation

● Explains the basic background/situation of the quote

● Introduces the speaker, audience, and situation of the quote

(can also include the tone or how the quotation is said)

● Does not include opinion or analysis (yet)

● Does not provide unnecessary/extraneous plot summary

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 2. BODY PARAGRAPHS
EVIDENCE/QUOTATIONS:
You already mentioned your evidence in your topic sentence, but the next part of body paragraph is where you explain your
evidence in detail.

PARAPHRASED EVIDENCE: DIRECT QUOTATIONS:

● Facts from the text ● Copied exactly as they

paraphrased in your own appear in the text
words ● Chosen carefully to support
● Used to support thesis/topic ideas
sentence ● Always provide context first
● No opinion or analysis (yet) ● Always integrate into a
● No extraneous plot summary sentence
● Always cite using MLA
format

QUOTATION INTEGRATION METHODS:

1Introductory Phrase +
comma,
DEFINITION + EXAMPLES:
Definition: Begin with the speaker of the quote,
followed by a verb like “says,” or “states”, or
or “exclaims”, then possibly the audience or receiver of
the quote, followed by a comma, and then add in the
Speaker + verb + comma, quotation.
Examples:
George tells Lennie, “I got you to look after me”
(Steinbeck 3).
Lennie yells, “Tell me about the rabbits!” (Steinbeck 5).

DEFINITION + EXAMPLES:
Definition: Write a full sentence that introduces the
context of the quotation, add a colon, and then add
2
quotation.
Note: Quotation must be a full sentence. Full Sentence + Colon:
Example:
George and Lennie share a dream together: “We’re
gonna get a little ranch” (Steinbeck 25).

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 2. BODY PARAGRAPHS
EVIDENCE/QUOTATIONS CONTINUED:
QUOTATION INTEGRATION METHODS:

3 FLOW
DEFINITION + EXAMPLES:
Definition: Weave the quotation into your sentence/your
Or own words so that it flows naturally. Without looking,
you would not know where the quotation marks are.
WEAVE Watch out for your pronouns.
Examples:
George and Lennie “travel together” which makes them
different from the other workers (Steinbeck 30).
*Note: You will never use a semicolon (;) to
integrate a quotation. Lennie always wants George to “tell [him] about the
rabbits” (Steinbeck 5).

MLA CITATION RULES:

● Cite all quotations using (parenthetical citations)

● Always cite at the end of the sentence

● Punctuate correctly: put the period after the parentheses

● Include the appropriate information and make sure it is

accurate
EXAMPLE OF A PROPERLY INTEGRATED QUOTE USING
CONTEXT AND AN MLA CITATION:

In a moment of frustration, George explodes at Lennie and yells, “Whatever we

ain't got, that's what you want. God a'mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy”
(Steinbeck 12).

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 2. BODY PARAGRAPHS
analysis/explanation:
WHAT IS ANALYSIS?
Merriam Webster defines “analyze” as “to study (something) closely and carefully: to learn the nature
and relationship of the parts of (something) by a close and careful examination”.

In English class, analysis is the part of your paragraph where you explain how your
evidence supports your argument.

ANALYSIS HAS TWO BASIC PARTS:

2. Connect
1. Explain your
quotation to your
quotation
overall argument

*Note: Analysis is a major

English-class word that you
will hear, see, and say
hundreds of times this year
Deeper Levels of
and beyond. Analysis is the
part of the essay that students Textual Analysis
most often skimp on. Don’t
skimp on analysis! Analysis
should always be the biggest
and most detailed section of
your body paragraph.

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 2. BODY PARAGRAPHS
CONCLUSION/TRANSITION SENTENCES:
Once you prove the main point of the paragraph, you need to end your paragraph with a conclusion or transition sentence.
As the names imply, there are two main techniques available: the conclusion sentence or the transition sentence.

CONCLUSION SENTENCES: TRANSITION SENTENCES:

● Neatly summarize the main ● Smoothly transition and

idea of the paragraph connect the main idea of
● Include the topic/argument one paragraph to the main
and support idea of the next paragraph
○ (similar to a topic ● Include the topic/argument
sentence) and support of this
● Do not introduce any new paragraph
ideas ● Include the topic/argument
of the next paragraph

3. THESIS STATEMENTS
Where do thesis A strong thesis statement/claim must...
statements typically
go in an essay? ● Fully answer the prompt/question being asked
LAST SENTENCE(S)
OF INTRODUCTION
● Present your specific argument to your reader in a
clear/organized way

● Explain your own personal interpretation of the text

in response to the prompt/assignment

● Include the “How/Why” in addition to the “What”

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 3. THESIS STATEMENTS
FACT VS. INFERENCE
FACT: INFERENCE:

● Cannot be argued ● Arguable claim based on

● Usually too vague/broad evidence
● Not specific enough ● Audience can be
● Cannot be fully proven with convinced/persuaded to believe
evidence from text thesis
● Doesn’t fully answer the ● Someone could argue against or
“How/Why” of prompt dispute it
● Relies on examples from the text
to be proven

Reminder: Your paper topic may shift or change as you write, so you may need to revise your
thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.

4. INTRODUCTIONS
WHAT GOES IN AN INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH AND IN
WHAT ORDER?

1. HOOK

2. T.A.G (Title, Author, Genre)

3. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

4. THESIS STATEMENT

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 4. INTRODUCTIONS
HOOKS
WHAT IS A HOOK?

A hook is the first sentence of your introduction paragraph. It

is meant to HOOK your reader’s attention and get them
interested in the topic of your specific essay.

GENERAL HOOK TIPS:

1. CONTENT: To brainstorm, write down all of the most interesting things
about your essay. Is there something surprising in what you have written? Does
a specific image, idea, or moment come to mind?
2. AUDIENCE: Try to explain the most interesting aspect of your essay to
someone else. Determine the aspect of your essay that would be the most
interesting and compelling to someone who has no idea what you are going to
say in the rest of your paper.
3. TONE: A hook should always match the tone of the rest of your essay. Avoid
informal language, slang, personal pronouns, etc.
4. TRANSITION: Don’t forget to transition from your hook/opening lines
into the more specific content of your introduction.
*Note: Writing a strong hook is HARD WORK. The perfect first line of your essay may not be easy
to come by, but don’t focus on that first. Sometimes it is easier to write the entire essay, and then
go back and think of the appropriate hook.

T.A.G

Title of Work
Author of Work Genre of Work
(in italics)

FRAME: In the (genre) (Title) by Author, (start background information here)...

EX: In the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, ...

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 4. INTRODUCTIONS
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
BACKGROUND INFO. SHOULD MOVE FROM...

Start with some brief general BROAD

information about the work
you will be writing about. TO
(setting, key characters,
background etc.)
SPECIFIC Then, transition into more
specific details/events that are
relevant to your specific essay
topic and overall argument.

After you have included 2-4 sentences of background information, transition

into your thesis statement. Your thesis should be the last sentence(s) of your
introduction paragraph.

5. CONCLUSIONS
WHAT GOES IN A CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH AND IN
WHAT ORDER?

1. RESTATE/REPHRASE YOUR THESIS STATEMENT

2. RECAP ALL MAIN POINTS

3. CLINCHER/”MIC DROP”/FINAL THOUGHTS

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 5. CONCLUSIONS
THESIS RESTATEMENT
Start your conclusion by restating and rephrasing
(NOT REPEATING VERBATIM OR COPY AND PASTING)
your original thesis statement. Try using new wording or rearranging how your
thesis is phrased.

RECAPPING MAIN POINTS

Revisit the main ideas of each of your body paragraphs in the order in which you
wrote them. Remind your reader of your main points. Try including a sentence
recap per body paragraph. Make sure you are not just repeating your topic
sentences.

CLINCHER/”MIC DROP”

The final lines of your entire

essay are
SO IMPORTANT!

For your clincher, you want to “zoom out” and leave your reader with your final
thoughts and ideas on the topic. Try connecting your specific topic/argument to a
broader idea or concept. Bring the topic back to the “real world”. Remember: this
is the last thing they will read about your topic after all of your hard work
supporting your claim with evidence and analysis!

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 6. MLA FORMAT
GENERAL FORMATTING CHECKLIST:
❏ Times New Roman font and 12 point font size
❏ Paper evenly double-spaced throughout
❏ (NO extra spaces above/below title or in between paragraphs).
❏ Also make sure that under “format” on your word processor, paragraph, the line-spacing
for Before Paragraph and After Paragraph are both set to 0. The default setting in some
versions of Word add extra spaces, which does not follow MLA format.
❏ 1-inch margins
❏ For older versions of Word: Go to file, page set up, and margins. Make the
top/bottom/left/right margins 1 inch. Do not worry about the gutters or the header/footer.
❏ For newer versions of Word: Click the Page Layout tab. Select Margins. Select Normal,
with Top, Bottom, Left, and Right all set to 1”.
❏ For Google Docs: Click File, then Page Setup. Type 1 for Top, Bottom, Left, and Right.
❏ Correct heading (in the top left corner – double spaced)
❏ Your Name
❏ Teacher’s Name
❏ Class (English 1 ACP or English 1 Honors)
❏ Date (in international format: 12 September 2018)
❏ Correct header that is in Times New Roman Font
❏ For old versions of Word: Go to View, Header and Footer, type in your last name, a space,
and then hit the button in the Header/Footer box on the screen that has a # icon on it
(insert page number). Then hit the “align right” icon in the formatting toolbar (Hint: if you
hover your mouse over the icon, words will pop up that describe what that icon does).
❏ For new versions of Word: Click the Insert tab and select Header and Footer. From the
Header & Footer menu, click Header. Then select the first option (just includes text on the
top left). To place information on the right side of the page, click Insert Alignment Tab in
the Position group of the Design tab, click Right, and then click OK. Type your last name.
Then, add the page number by clicking the Insert tab, clicking Quick Parts, clicking Field, and
then click Page Number.

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 6. MLA FORMAT
CONTINUED:
❏ Correct header that is in Times New Roman Font
❏ For Google Docs: Click Insert, Page number, then select the image that has the page
numbers on the top right hand corner. Type your last name on the left side of the number
and press space. (Tip: If your header is at the very top of the page, you must hit “enter”
twice to move it down to .5”)
❏ Correct essay title format
❏ Centered, Times New Roman 12 point font, NOT bolded, italicized, or underlined, no extra
spaces before or after, and title is original and creative in content (so not: Summer
Reading Essay or Odyssey Essay)
❏ Press TAB key to indent all new paragraphs
❏ Numbers: write out all numbers below 100 (except dates)
❏ Always use formal language
❏ No first or second person, no contractions, no slang or inappropriate language
❏ Always use present tense verbs (when writing about literature)
❏ Cite quotes using (Author Page #) format

7. ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES
● The FHS Writing Center (E207)
○ Open all periods of the school day (including lunch) and most days after school until
roughly 3:00 pm.
● Your English Teacher
○ If you are struggling with something specific or simply want some eyes on your work,
schedule a writing conference with Ms. Fischer.
● Your Classmates
○ We will often do peer editing exercises in class. Always take your classmates’
feedback seriously and apply it to your work!
● The Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab)
○ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html
● The UNC Writing Center Website
○ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/
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