Editing for Present Tense

Writing verbs in the present tense will make your review more lively. The present tense shows that something is happening now or happens regularly. Even though you read the book in the past, you can describe things that happened in the book in the present tense.

1. Something bad (happenshappens, happened) to the main character.
2. Shiloh (cowered, cowerscowers) around people.
3. Marty and his family (livelive, lived) in West Virginia.
4. When Shiloh (ran, runsruns) away, Marty (built, buildsbuilds) him a cage.

Revising to Cite Evidence

Citing specific details from the book can help you explain the characters, conflict, and theme. You can make a general idea (purple) stronger or more convincing by adding different types of specific evidence (green).

• Dialogue is something a character says.

Marty feels bad about lying to his family. He says, “Funny how one lie leads to another, and before you know it your whole life can be a lie.”

• Reasons answer the question why?

Marty feels sad. He catches Judd kicking Shiloh.

• Actions are something a character does.

Lucy wants her own space. She builds a wall to split her shared bedroom.

• Examples provide a specific instance of something.

Lucy doesn't feel connected to some Chinese customs. She doesn’t like traditional Chinese food such as octopus and frog.

Writing the Beginning Paragraph

The purpose of your beginning paragraph is to grab your reader's attention, introduce the title and author of your book, and tell something interesting about it. The paragraph should start with a lead sentence, which gets the reader interested in the book. You can introduce the title and author in the lead or in a new sentence. Then, to close out the paragraph, introduce the big challenge the main character must face in the book. But don't spoil the ending!

1. Ask a question related to the work.

Have you ever felt like a stranger in your school or community?

2. Talk directly to your readers.

You never know when you will meet someone who will change your life.

3. Provide a suspenseful detail from the story.

Just when Lucy thought she was getting her very own room, a stranger showed up and changed everything.

4. Share a feeling you have about the work.

The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang changed the way I think about my heritage.

Prewriting for Topic and Character Details

Your first prewriting step is to choose a work of fiction for your review. Make sure the work is something you like and remember well. You can also read something new—a mystery, an adventure book, a novel, or even a play.

Revising to Add Sensory Details

To help your story come alive, you can add details about what you saw, heard, smelled, tasted, and touched. These are called sensory details.

Sensory details help you show readers what is happening, rather than just telling them. You can collect these details in a sensory chart.

Writing the Beginning Paragraph

The first sentence in your narrative should grab the reader’s attention. It is called a lead. The following strategies will help you write an effective lead.

1. Start in the middle of the action:

   I thought I was ready when I arrived at our school’s auditorium.

2. Start with dialogue:

   “Just wait a little longer,” said my grandpa.

3. Start with an interesting fact or statement:

   When Manny came to my school, I didn’t expect to become best friends.

Lead:

Introductory Details:

Prewriting to Focus Your Ideas

Warm-Up for Personal Narratives

All of us have important times in our lives. By thinking back to these times, we understand ourselves better. By sharing these times with those we love, we become closer. This lesson will help you think about events in your life.

What Is a Narrative?

(c) Thoughtful Learning 2015

A narrative is a story. It tells something that happened, like in a book or a movie. But books and movies are not the only places to find good stories. Your experiences make great stories, too.

A personal narrative is a true story about something that happened in your life. You might share an exciting, surprising, or scary experience, like the time you went camping and saw a bear. Or you might share a moment when you learned an important lesson.

The best personal narratives include many details, helping readers feel like they are a part of the story, too. In this unit, you will write a true story from your own life in way that makes it come alive once again!

Thinking About a True Story

Before you can share a story, you need to remember all the important things that happened. Asking and answering the 5 W’s questions can activate your memory and help you record important details about your experience.

• Who was with me?
• What exactly happened?
• Where did this happen?
• When did this happen?
• Why did it happen?

Writing On-Demand Essays

A writing assessment gives you a short time to write a response to a prompt.

To do so, you should use a shortened form of the writing process:

Prewriting (5 Minutes)

Answer the PAST questions.

Purpose? Explain how it’s made

Audience? New person

Subject? A favorite food

Type? Essay

Write a focus statement.

Most Americans like tacos, but they haven’t had Mexican tacos.

List supporting details.

—Using cilantro, goat cheese, homemade white corn tortilla

—Making tortillas

—Cooking meat, cutting cilantro

—Putting taco together

Analyzing Writing Prompts

Often tests contain writing prompts that you must respond to. Your first step is to understand the writing prompt. You can use the PAST questions:

• Purpose? Why am I writing? (To explain? To demonstrate?)
• Audience? Who will read my writing? (Tester? Classmates?)
• Subject? What subject should I write about? (Games? Pizza?)
• Type? What type of writing should I create? (Essay? Letter?)

Sample Writing Prompt

Answers to PAST Questions

• Purpose?

  To explain the meaning of the sayings and give examples

• Audience?

  A person who is learning English

• Subject?

  Animal sayings

• Type?

  Essay