Stargirl Ch 8 Writer's Style & Colons

Stargirl Ch 8 Writer's Style & Colons

A style is a way of writing. It involves how something is said, not what is said. Many elements contribute to style, including:

• word choice,

• questioning the reader,

• tone,

• and figurative language.

Two elements that Jerry Spinelli uses are very evident in this chapter:

• questioning the reader

• and the use of figurative language.

Read the following passage that is written on page 25. Notice the question.

The change began around Thanksgiving. By December first, Stargirl Caraway had become the most popular person in school.

How did it happen?

Why does he ask this question?

Dash - a mark of separation; a mark that can add “flavor” to your writing.

Some uses of a dash:

• to indicate an abrupt stop or a change in thought or tone

• to insert an extra thought

• to add emphasis or a pause

• to replace a colon or parentheses 

Multiple Choice

“Stargirl began strumming and humming. She stood. She strolled between the tables, humming, strumming. Three hundred pairs of eyes followed her. She came to Hillari Kimble’s table ― and kept on walking, right up to the table where Kevin and I sat with the Hot Seat crew.”

Why does Spinelli use this dash?

• to indicate an abrupt stop or a change in thought or tone

• to insert an extra thought

• to add emphasis or a pause

• to replace a colon or parentheses

Multiple Choice

“I was feeling nine ways at once, and they all ended up at the touch of her hand on my ear ― until Kevin reached over and yanked the same earlobe.”

Why does Spinelli use this dash?

• to indicate an abrupt stop or a change in thought or tone

• to insert an extra thought

• to add emphasis or a pause

• to replace a colon or parentheses

Multiple Choice

Simile – compares two things using the words like or as

Page 26 –Its tiny unblinking eyes were bulging, black as cloves.

What two things are being compared with this simile?

• tiny and unblinking

• eyes and black

• eyes and cloves

• unblinking and black

Multiple Choice

What is the strong verb in the sentence? "She had shinnied up a goalpost, tightrope-walked out to the middle of the crossbar, and was now standing there with her arms raised in a touchdown sign."

• had and was

• touchdown and crossbar

• tightrope-walked and was

• shinnied and tightrope walked

Multiple Choice

What is being compared in the simile ? Hillari "marched in, leading her girlfriends like an invading general."

• marching and leading

• Hillari and an invading general

• girlfriends and Hillari

• marched and invading

Colons (:) – This is a list of when to correctly use colons:

•  to signal the reader that a series of words, phrases, or clauses follows a complete sentence

•  to signal the reader that a name or description follows a complete sentence when you want to put a lot of emphasis on that item

•  to introduce a long quotation after a complete sentence

• to separate titles and subtitles

• to express time

• to cite a law or Biblical passage

• to end a salutation (in a business letter)

Multiple Choice

Where should the colon (:) be placed in the sentence? The grandstand was packed students, parents, and alumni.

• The grandstand: was packed students, parents, and alumni.

• The grandstand was packed students, parents: and alumni.

• The: grandstand was packed students, parents, and alumni.

• The grandstand was packed: students, parents, and alumni.

Multiple Choice

Where should the colon (:) be placed in the sentence? Every inch of Archie's house was filled old fossils, necklaces, rocking chairs, cactus.

• Every inch of Archie's house: was filled old fossils, necklaces, rocking chairs, cactus.

• Every inch of Archie's: house was filled old fossils, necklaces, rocking chairs, cactus.

• Every inch of Archie's house was filled old fossils, necklaces, rocking chairs: cactus.

• Every inch: of Archie's house was filled old fossils, necklaces, rocking chairs, cactus.

• Every inch of Archie's house was filled: old fossils, necklaces, rocking chairs, cactus.