Formal Writing Review

Spring Semester

What to exepct

​Order of Events

​1. Research Unit

​2. Nonfiction Unit (A Long Way Gone)

​3. Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night's Dream or Romeo and Juliet)

​4. Choice Novel

​

​Minor Units of Study

​1. Grammar

​2. Vocabulary

​ a. Receive vocabulary every other week

​ b. Minor assessment every two weeks

​ c. Major assessment every three units

Grade Expectations

	Practice: 5% Minor: 40% Major: 55%Practice	5%
		Minor

​Grade Expectations

Practice: 5%

​Minor: 40%

​Major: 55%

​

​Recovery

All students will have one (1) opportunity each nine weeks to redo/retake one (1) major assignment/assessment.

Eligibility for a redo/retake is for students who receive a 79 or below on a specific major assignment/assessment.

Students are eligible to earn a replacement grade on a redo/retake no higher than 79.

Student redo/retakes must be completed before the next major assignment/assessment is given or 5 school days before the end of a marking period if there is not another major assignment/assessment given (exceptions can be made for students who have excused absences during this five-day window.)

​

​Late Work

All categories of work will be accepted late (practice, major, and minor). Each day an assignment is late, 10 points will be deducted from the final score for up to three days and 30 points. Work submitted on or later than three days late will only be able to earn up to a 70.

Formal Writing Review

Ninth Grade Honors ELA

Formal Writing Review

Ninth Grade Honors ELA

​Rules of Formal Writing

1. No first person pronouns UNLESS in quoted material.

   1. ​The only acceptable pronouns are third person (he, she, they, it)

​Rules of Formal Writing

1. No contractions! Remember, these are two words combined into one.

   1. ​Do + Not = Don't

   2. ​They + Are = They're

   3. ​Is + Not = Isn't

​Rules of Formal Writing

1. Do not ever call attention to the reader.

   1. ​Bradbury shows the reader that fire has redeeming qualities.

   2. ​The reader sees how Montag grows as a character.

​Rules of Formal Writing

1. Do not use demonstrative pronouns as subjects.

   1. ​This demonstrates that fire is good.

   2. ​There are multiple reasons that Montag is a dynamic character.

​Rules of Formal Writing

1. The subject of your sentence should be the author, the character, the doer of the action, or the concept you're analyzing.

   1. ​Montag demonstrates his conflicted attitude towards his job when he has a discussion with Faber.

   2. ​Bradbury uses Fahrenheit 451 to make social commentary on life in the 1950's.

   3. ​The phoenix symbolizes rebirth.

​Rules of Formal Writing

1. Literary analyses live in the present tense, so your verbs should be present tense action verbs.

   1. ​Montag is showing that he has a conflicted attitude toward his job should read Montag shows that he has a conflicted attitude toward his job.

​Rules of Formal Writing

1. Do not reference use the phrasing "the quote," "the excerpt," "the passage," etc. in your writing.

   1. ​As shown in the quote, Montag tries to help Mildred and her friends.

   2. ​It is implied since your analysis will be coming after the quote.

Final Thoughts

This semester, you will be asked to write quite a bit more than last semester. Your writing should show an elevate level of analysis and diction. To that end, words like bad, good, and very should no longer be a part of your writing vocabulary. Strive to find stronger words that make your writing more analytical.

Multiple Select

What is wrong with the following sentence?

Montag believed that he could change society, but Beatty didn't believe him.

• Incorrect subject

• Incorrect verb tense or type.

• Contractions

• Incorrect pronouns

• Nothing is wrong with this sentence.

Multiple Choice

What is wrong with the following sentence?

Clarisse disappears from the story, and we never truly find out what happens to her.

• Incorrect subject

• Incorrect verb tense or type.

• Contractions

• Incorrect pronouns

• Nothing is wrong with this sentence.

Multiple Choice

Is this sentence written formally?

Typically, many readers feel that Montag is a pitiable character.

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

Is this sentence written formally?

Montag and Faber planned to overthrow the society in Fahrenheit 451.

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

Is this sentence written formally?

I think that Fahrenheit 451 could come true in our own society if we don't stop government overreach.

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

Is this sentence written formally?

I think that Fahrenheit 451 could come true in our own society if we don't stop government overreach.

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

What is wrong with the following sentence?

Montag attempted to read poetry to Mildred and her friends.

• Incorrect subject

• Incorrect verb tense or type

• Contractions

• Incorrect pronouns

• Nothing is wrong with this sentence.

Multiple Choice

What is wrong with the following sentence?

In the novel, the reader recognizes that Mildred is a vapid character.

• Incorrect subject

• Incorrect verb tense or type.

• Contractions

• Incorrect pronouns

• Nothing is wrong with this sentence.

Multiple Choice

What is wrong with the following sentence?

The main character of the story is Montag.

• Incorrect subject

• Incorrect verb tense or type.

• Contractions

• Incorrect pronouns

• Nothing is wrong with this sentence.

Multiple Choice

What is wrong with the following sentence?

Granger represents the hope of a new society.

• Incorrect subject

• Incorrect verb tense or type.

• Contractions

• Incorrect pronouns

• Nothing is wrong with this sentence.

Multiple Choice

What is wrong with the following sentence?

Mildred doesn't realize that Montag is trying to help her because she doesn't really love him.

• Incorrect subject

• Incorrect verb tense or type.

• Contractions

• Incorrect pronouns

• Nothing is wrong with this sentence.

Multiple Choice

What is wrong with the following sentence?

In the story you will see that too much government censorship will lead to negative consequences.

• Incorrect subject

• Incorrect verb tense or type.

• Contractions

• Incorrect pronouns

• Nothing is wrong with this sentence.

Multiple Choice

What is wrong with the following sentence?

Mildred explains to Montag that she wants another parlor wall.

• Incorrect subject

• Incorrect verb tense or type.

• Contractions

• Incorrect pronouns

• Nothing is wrong with this sentence.

Multiple Choice

This sentence follows formal writing:

Bradbury teaches the reader that they should care more about personal relationships than things.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

This sentence follows formal writing:

The quote shows that Montag and Mildred are foil characters.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

This sentence follows formal writing:

Beatty represents what happens when the knowledgeable in society refuse to make a difference.

• True

• False