Point of View, Argument, Cause-Effect

“Mom, Garret and I decided to meet at the basketball court at the park and play some 1-on-1. What time do I need to be home for supper?” asked Landon.

“You haven’t finished your chores, have you? Finish them up before you leave for the park, and then be home by 5:30,” answered Mom.

“Can’t I finish my chores after supper? Garret is going to be waiting for me, and it’s rude to keep a friend waiting,” said Landon.

“Yes, it is rude to keep a friend waiting, but you know our family rules, Landon, chores before playing. You should have planned a reasonable time to meet your friend that allowed you time to finish your chores before you left,” Mom replied.

“I don’t know why I have to do chores anyways,” grumbled Landon. “Garret doesn’t have chores to do at his house.”

“Well, I must admit, I feel sorry for Garret then. It will be difficult for him to learn a sense of responsibility if he doesn’t have to help out his family with chores,” reasoned Mom.

As Landon quickly began cleaning the dishes out of the dishwasher he thought about what his mom had said. Although he’d never admit it to her, he had to agree that his mom made a valid point. Garret could definitely be self-centered at times, and perhaps that was partly due to always being waited on by his parents. Plus, it really wasn’t fair for him to expect his mom to do all of the work around the house.

Landon finished his chores within ten minutes. “My chores are done so I am heading to the park, Mom!” Landon called. “See you at 5:30!”

Question: Which of the following statements most likely represents the perspective of the author?

• Kids should never have to do chores at home.

• Every kid should have to clean out the dishwasher.

• It is beneficial for kids to have assigned chores at home.

• Playing basketball is unimportant.

Dear Mr. Williams,

I am writing this letter to explain to you how very disappointed I am with the changes made to the P.E. schedule this year. In previous year, we got to go to P.E. three times a week. This year, it was decided that students would only go to P.E. class two times a week.

I do not agree with this new policy for several reasons. First, P.E. is my favorite subject, and I know that it is the favorite of many of my classmates, too. We miss playing fun games in P.E. three times a week. I am always more excited to go to school on P.E. days, and now that these days don’t happen as often, I am left feeling dejected when I look at the schedule most mornings and see that P.E. isn’t on our list of subjects. In fact, there are some weeks when we only have P.E. once in the entire week.

Second, adults are always telling kids that they need to spend more time being physically active and less time sitting and playing video games. If it is truly important for kids to be physically active, why did you reduce the amount of time we spend being physically active in P.E. each week, and increase the time we spend sitting at our desks?

Please reconsider your decision to decrease the number of days we have P.E. I hope that by next year we will return to our schedule of having P.E. three times a week. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to receiving a response from you.

Sincerely,

Jaheim Grant

Which of the following statements most likely represents the perspective of the author?

• Playing video games is harmful for kids.

• Student should have P.E. class at least 3 times a week.

• Children should spend less time in P.E. and more time learning in their classroom.

• Music is an unnecessary school subject, but P.E. is important.

Do you consider fruit snacks health? I asked 10 12-year-olds that very question, and 8 of the 10 children stated that they considered fruit snacks to be healthy. In fact, one child informed me that, since fruit snacks are made of fruit, they had to be healthy.

Consider this: a tiny bag of fruit snacks contains about 5 teaspoons of sugar per pouch. That’s a lot of sugar for a small snack! Also, they contain no protein, fiber, or healthy fat, so kids who eat a serving of fruit snacks will likely be hungry and wanting another snack again very soon.

Do you still think fruit snacks are healthy? The next time someone mentions munching on fruit snacks, encourage him or her to find a real piece of fruit to eat instead!

What is the author’s perspective?

• Fruit snacks are healthy for you.

• Kids eat a lot of fruit snacks.

• Adults like to buy kids fruit snacks.

• Fruit snacks are not very healthy for you.

Determine the point of view narration for each paragraph.

If you are confused about something in class, don’t wait. Raise your hand and ask for help immediately. Do it while your teacher is still explaining the material. Your teacher will probably be happy that you are taking an active part in your education and should attempt to explain the material in a different way. If you are still confused, ask your teacher is he or she is available after class to give you additional instruction. You are worth it. Don’t give up on yourself.

What point of view is this passage written in?

• First person

• Second person

• Third person Limited

• Third person Omniscient

Determine the point of view narration this paragraph is written in.

Time travel is exhausting. It took me 200 million years to realize that. Well, actually it only took me a few seconds, but I first realized it about 200 million years ago. That was the first time that I traveled through time. "Try it!" said the mad scientist. "History needs you," he told me. I went with my gut.

• First person

• Second person

• Third person limited

• Third person omniscient

Determine the point of view narration the passage is written in.

Julie looked down the street. She was relieved that there was no sign of him. She had been running from him since she left school. She did not recognize this strange man. He drove a small silver car and wore a collared shirt. "Who is the guy and why is he following me?" Julie thought to herself. Just then she heard a sputtering sound. She turned around and saw a small silver car. Her heart started beating quickly. She felt afraid.

• First person

• Second person

• Third person limited

• Third person omniscient

Determine the point of view narration this passage is written in.

“You already told me that story,” said Shanice. She looked genuinely disappointed. I laughed awkwardly. “Sorry,” I said, “I didn’t mean to bore you with a rerun.” I tried to laugh it off but she just wouldn’t let it go. “Don’t you even consider your listener before you tell a story?” she inquired harshly. This caught me off guard. I replied, “I’m just trying to keep you entertained, Shanice.” I pleaded. She smacked me down with another sharp comment, “Yeah, well, you should try harder.”

• First person

• Second person

• Third person limited

• Third person omniscient

Determine the point of view narration the passage is written in.

The sun was rising. Ivan saw the light piercing through the drawn curtains in his bedroom and knew that he would have to get up soon. He hadn’t been sleeping for the last hour. He had been thinking about the future. He nudged his wife Nadia. Nadia awoke slowly. She smiled, still thinking about the pleasant dream that she had been having, until she looked at Ivan’s face. She could tell that something was wrong.

• First person

• Second person

• Third person limited

• Third person omniscient

Parts of an argument. Please refer to the printed paper your teacher handed to you.

Hang Up and Drive

You see it every day, especially in freeway traffic. A car is weaving back and forth, speeding up then slowing down, or suddenly stopping. No, it’s not a drunk driver. It’s a cell phone driver. Cellphones are used everywhere, but on the road they are a dangerous distraction to drivers and should be prohibited.

The New England Journal of Medicine reported that “motorists using a cellphone were four times more likely to have an accident than those not using a phone.” The major problem is that the driver is not focused on the road, but on his or her conversation. Cellphone drivers are very unpredictable: they weave, tailgate, drive too fast or too slow, make improper turns, run red lights, and even stop at green ones. It’s not only annoying; it’s dangerous. Cellphone related accidents include rear-ending vehicles; running off a road and crashing into trees, fences, and buildings. The drivers could also flip over and have head-on collisions. Many of these accidents result in fatalities. In October at the California Traffic and Safety Summit, experts testified that “cellphones used by drivers lead to at least 1,000 deaths per year in California.” These are the same problems that occur with drunk driving, which is strictly outlawed and harshly enforced. For the same reasons, California needs laws that restrict the use of cellphones in cars.

Though many would say that people use their cellphones to navigate where they are going and therefore need them while driving, it is still true cell phones cause many accidents on the road. People should not be looking at their cellphone to navigate where they are going. Cars now come with built in GPS-systems to help with navigation or you can simply stop your car, type in your destination, and then continue driving. In addition, there are parts you can buy that can hold your cell-phone in place while you drive. This way you can glance at it without taking your hands off the wheel.

What is this author's main claim?

• Driving is the best way to get to places.

• Cars now come with a built in GPS-system.

• Drunk driving is dangerous.

• Driving while on your cellphone is dangerous and leads to many accidents on the road.

Hang Up and Drive

You see it every day, especially in freeway traffic. A car is weaving back and forth, speeding up then slowing down, or suddenly stopping. No, it’s not a drunk driver. It’s a cell phone driver. Cellphones are used everywhere, but on the road they are a dangerous distraction to drivers and should be prohibited.

The New England Journal of Medicine reported that “motorists using a cellphone were four times more likely to have an accident than those not using a phone.” The major problem is that the driver is not focused on the road, but on his or her conversation. Cellphone drivers are very unpredictable: they weave, tailgate, drive too fast or too slow, make improper turns, run red lights, and even stop at green ones. It’s not only annoying; it’s dangerous. Cellphone related accidents include rear-ending vehicles; running off a road and crashing into trees, fences, and buildings. The drivers could also flip over and have head-on collisions. Many of these accidents result in fatalities. In October at the California Traffic and Safety Summit, experts testified that “cellphones used by drivers lead to at least 1,000 deaths per year in California.” These are the same problems that occur with drunk driving, which is strictly outlawed and harshly enforced. For the same reasons, California needs laws that restrict the use of cellphones in cars.

Though many would say that people use their cellphones to navigate where they are going and therefore need them while driving, it is still true cell phones cause many accidents on the road. People should not be looking at their cellphone to navigate where they are going. Cars now come with built in GPS-systems to help with navigation or you can simply stop your car, type in your destination, and then continue driving. In addition, there are parts you can buy that can hold your cell-phone in place while you drive. This way you can glance at it without taking your hands off the wheel.

Identify the counterclaim in this argument.

• Drivers should not be on their cell phones while driving.

• People use their cellphones to navigate where they are going and need them while driving.

• Cell phone drivers are very unpredictable.

• Cell phones are used everywhere.