Editing for Comma Splices

A comma splice is a sentence error that happens when you join (splice) two sentences using a comma. A comma alone is not strong enough to join two sentences. You can correct the error in one of three ways: (1) replacing the comma with end punctuation, (2) replacing the comma with a semicolon, or (3) adding a coordinating conjunction after the comma.

1. Mars shines with red and orange light, it is often called the Red Planet.
2. The Romans named Mars after their god of war, its red color reminded them of blood and war.
3. Mars is only one-half the size of Earth, the Red Planet actually has more moons than Earth.
4. Someday, astronauts will go to Mars, they will live on the planet for a while and check for signs of life.
5. Mars is much colder than Earth, the astronauts will need food and heated suits.

Editing the Punctuation of Titles

Different types of titles need different types of punctuation. Titles of shorter pieces of writing—such as short stories, articles, and poems—should be placed in quotation marks. Titles of longer pieces—such as books and magazines—should be italicized. Can you recognize the difference in these examples?

Revising to Replace General Details

If parts of your writing sound uninteresting, they may contain too many general words and details. Revise those parts by including more specific words and details. The specific details could come from the work itself or your own thinking. For example, instead of stating something is "good" or "interesting" provide details about why it is good or interesting.

• General words: After a bit, Superman got really popular.
• Specific words: After a few months, Superman's popularity erupted.

• General detail: He imagined having superpowers would finally get the attention of the girls in his class.
• Specific detail: He imagined having the power to jump over tall buildings would finally get the attention of the girls in his class.

1. Find at least two general words (good, interesting, boring) and replace them with specific words. (Ask a partner or look in a thesaurus for help.)
2. Find one general detail about the book or article, and replace it with a specific detail from the work. (Consider replacing it with something a person said or did.)

Writing the Beginning Paragraph

Your beginning paragraph should start with a lead sentence, which gets the reader interested in the book. In the next sentence or two, you should identify the title and author of the book. In the last sentence, you should state the focus or the main idea of the book.

1. Ask a question related to the work.

Have you ever wondered where superheroes come from?

2. Talk directly to your readers about the work.

It’s not every day that you learn how a superhero was born. But when you read “Superman Takes Off” by Stephen Krenzky, you sure do!

3. Introduce an interesting or suspenseful detail from the work.

One day, sometime during the Middle Ages, valuable jewels disappear from the Royal Treasury.

4. Share a feeling you have about the work.

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World is an exciting book by Jennifer Armstrong.

The article tells about how Superman made his debut and why he, literally, took off.

Prewriting for Topics

Your first prewriting step is to choose a nonfiction work for your review. Ideally, the work is something you have recently read and enjoyed and want others to know about. Consider a memorable biography, autobiography, magazine story, newspaper story, or online article. Remember that the work needs to provide true information about a real person, place, thing, or event.

1. What is the last book or article you really enjoyed reading? Was it a true story?
2. What is your favorite book or article about a person you admire?
3. What is your favorite book or article about one of your interests or hobbies?
4. When was the last time a book or article surprised you? Did it tell a true story?

Reading Nonfiction Reviews

Before you write your own review, you should see how other students reviewed nonfiction. As you read the samples on this page, pay close attention to the types of details included, and consider how you might share similar details in your own review.

Reading a Short Nonfiction Review

In just a single paragraph, a short review can inspire others to read a nonfiction book or article. A short review includes three parts: The topic sentence introduces the title and author of the work in an interesting way. The body sentences tell what the book is about and why you like it. The ending sentence predicts who else would like the book and recommends they read it.

Sample Short Review

1. How does the writer introduce the book being reviewed?
2. What is the book about?
3. What is the purpose of the ending sentence?

Reading a Full Nonfiction Review

A full nonfiction review provides more details and analysis than a short review. It reveals just enough about the book or article to help readers decide whether or not to read it. The beginning paragraph introduces the nonfiction work and gets the reader's interest. The middle paragraphs describe what the book or article is about, explain why you liked it, and reveal the book's theme or the article's main idea. The ending paragraph answers why others would like reading it.

Warm-Up for Writing Nonfiction Reviews

(c) Thoughtful Learning 2018

Have you ever read something so great that you just had to tell someone else about it? Writing a nonfiction review gives you that chance. In this unit, you will write a review of a nonfiction book or article you have recently read.

What Is a Nonfiction Review?

A nonfiction review gives just enough information about a book or article to help another reader decide whether or not to read the whole thing. Nonfiction is another word for "true story," so a nonfiction review focuses on a work about real people, places, events, or information. Some examples of nonfiction include biographies, autobiographies, diary entries, historical documents, online news stories, textbook chapters, and newspaper and magazine articles.

A review not only describes what the story is about but also what you think about it and why. The reading and writing activities in this unit will help you create an effective review of a nonfiction text (without spoiling the ending). Afterward, you can share what you've written with your friends and classmates. Who knows, your review might influence what they choose to read next!

Thinking About Nonfiction

Writing a great nonfiction review begins with close reading. To read closely, remember SQ3R—Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review. This reading strategy will help you identify the key elements of nonfiction: title, author, headings, images, graphics, main idea, beginnings, endings, and supporting details.

1. Survey the text: Highlight the title, author, and headings.
2. Question the topic and purpose: Write comments on the document.
3. Read the text: Underline the main idea. (Hint: The main idea is usually located in the first few paragraphs.)