Ms. Mathews
English 10 Honors
1.
Basic Writing Expectations
2.
Introduction Paragraphs
3.
Thesis Statements
4.
Using Quotations Appropriately
5.
Transitions Between and Inside Paragraphs
6.
Conclusion Paragraphs
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Formatting (just do it right!)
Tense (LPT!)
POV (3rd only!)
Contractions (DO NOT do it!)
Titles (seriously?!)
A person is a WHO, not a THAT.
 “Macbeth is someone WHO goes after what he wants.”
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Use clear, concise diction.
Avoid weak words, clichés, and informal tone.
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Avoid rhetorical questions and exclamation
points in formal writing. (They are cheesy!!!!!!)
Remove extra THAT’s from your writing.
 “Macbeth knows he will need to do something that he
might not otherwise consider so that he can be king.”
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Avoid vague or wishy-washy statements:
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He can be described as…
Macbeth seems to be…
It appears as though…
One can see…
Avoid repetition, redundancy, and saying the
same thing multiple times. (get it?)
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The introduction should fill readers in on the
important information they need to know before
reading your essay.
You are literally introducing readers to the play:
 “Reader, this is Macbeth. Macbeth, this is the reader.”
(Well, not really the second part)
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You may provide a BRIEF overview of the plot,
but don’t retell the entire story.
Introduction paragraphs should be more than
one sentence of background + a thesis. Aim for
approximately FOUR sentences.
Do not gush excessively about how wonderful
the text is. After all, who are you to judge
Shakespeare’s work? He’s a heck of a lot more
famous than you!
 But seriously, avoid judging the work as
“excellent,” “brilliant,” “exceptional,”
“magnificent,” or any other cheesy adjectives.
 (In short, you do not need to convince me it is a
brilliant piece of literature; I would not have
assigned it if it was not. Do not be a suck up.) 
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“Set during the middle ages, Shakespeare’s play
Macbeth is a story about political intrigue and regicide.
Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth embark on a
murderous path in search of power….”
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“Shakespeare’s tragic play Macbeth, traces the rise and
fall of an ambitious Scottish lord. At the beginning,
Macbeth is a well honored general and thane of the
King of Scotland; however, after a peculiar run in with a
trio of prophetic witches, Macbeth begins to question
his subservient nature and begins also to wonder
whether he should be king….”
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Provide a TAG either in the thesis itself, or
elsewhere in the intro paragraph.
Your thesis must be ONE sentence!
 I realize some of you may have learned to write a
separate thesis and method statement; however, it is
best to combine them into one concise statement.
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It must also be clear, concise, & defendable,
not simply a fact.
In English 10 Honors, the thesis statement
appears LAST in the intro paragraph.
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A truly insightful thesis should not simply
regurgitate the prompt.
 “In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, Macbeth and Lady
Macbeth’s relationship changes.”
 This is only a level one thesis: it doesn’t provide any
insight into how or why the relationship changes.
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A Level Two thesis provides an extension:
 “In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the initially unnatural
balance of power between Macbeth and Lady
Macbeth ultimately shifts when Macbeth no longer
feels remorse for his murderous actions and Lady
Macbeth experiences the tangible effects of her sins
in the form of hallucinations and sleepwalking.”
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A method statement indicates to readers HOW you
plan to prove your thesis or the specific points or
events you will address.
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Basic Thesis: “Macbeth changes from a war hero to
a tyrant in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth.”
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Thesis with Method Statement: “His decisions to
murder Duncan and Banquo, as well as his irrational
slaughter of Macduff’s family demonstrate
Macbeth’s downward spiral from a war hero to a
cruel tyrant desperate to maintain power in
Shakespeare’s tragic play Macbeth.”
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For the purposes of this assignment, the
assertions of your two body paragraphs
should address the entire course of the play.
 If you wrote about Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s
character changes, one assertion should address how M
is at the beginning AND at the end; the next should
address the same for LM.
 If you wrote about power shift in M & LM’s relationship,
the first assertion should clearly state who has power in
the beginning; the second should explain who is in
control at the end.
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Make sure you use enough of the original
quote so it makes sense in the paragraph you
are writing (no quote frags!)
 After killing Duncan’s guards, Macbeth exclaims,
“Th’ expedition of my violent love” (II.iii.129).
 This is not a complete quote OR a complete thought
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Do not use [square brackets] to translate
Shakespearean phrasing into modern
language; brackets should only be used to
clarify or add necessary information
Do not use quotes longer than four typed lines
When giving context, do not simply list act/scene—
provide a brief explanation of situation.
 Be sure to provide the quote’s context IN the
couching sentence—otherwise you will slip into plot
summary after the quote, when you should be
providing commentary.
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 Example: When Macbeth wavers in his determination
to kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth questions his masculinity,
saying, “When you durst do it, then you were a man”
(I.vii.56).
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Consider the following. Which example
demonstrates proper context and commentary?
 Example One: Macbeth says, “Be innocent of the
knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed”
(III.ii.51-2). Macbeth is telling Lady Macbeth not to
worry and to let him take charge of their plans.
 Example Two: Macbeth reassures Lady Macbeth that he
will take care of their plans: “Be innocent of the
knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed”
(III.ii.51-2). Macbeth has asserted his power, regaining
his role as man in their relationship.
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Do NOT rely on contrived transitions to link
two paragraphs.
 Furthermore, Additionally, Secondly, In conclusion, etc.
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Use TOPICAL transitions between body
paragraphs.
To transition between paragraphs, refer to a
word, phrase, or idea from the LAST
sentence of the previous paragraph in the
FIRST sentence of the next paragraph.
He is so frightened about feeling even guiltier
that he invokes darkness to hide his
conscience from guilt.
Although Macbeth and his wife call upon
darkness to conceal their actions, it is common
knowledge amongst characters in Macbeth that
unnatural events and murderous actions occur
when night falls.
With the night assisting them, Macbeth and
Lady Macbeth feel much better about killing
their great king.
After the murder of Duncan, Macbeth
and Lady Macbeth call on darkness once more,
this time to help cover up their murder.
By undermining his masculinity and bribing him
with her affection, Lady Macbeth gains
complete control over Macbeth’s decision.
This controlling element of their
relationship continues throughout the play, but
Lady Macbeth’s role switches to the subservient
one.
In this marriage…Macbeth plays the woman
and his wife the man.
Although Macbeth possesses womanly
qualms, he soon reverts back to a more “manly”
state, while Lady Macbeth becomes more
delicate and troubled by comparison.
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Use transition words INSIDE paragraphs to link
together ideas and sentences.
Do not jump from one idea to the next without
drawing readers along.
In this assignment, many people switched tracks
too quickly, leaving readers confused.
Use transition words like Furthermore, Similarly,
Additionally, Consequently, etc. to move from the
first half of an Assertive Paragraph to the second
half (from evidence/comm #1 to ev/comm #2).
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A strong conclusion must start with the
restated thesis.
 Do not repeat your thesis word for word; simply
rephrase the idea (you don’t need a full TAG)
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Your conclusion should NOT simply repeat all
your previous points, but should:
 EXTEND—take your analysis one step further
 EXPAND—connect to a larger them or idea
 It should NOT jump to an entirely new topic.
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End your essay by somehow relating the
topic you are writing about to life, to the
world at large, or to a message or moral the
author is trying to impart to readers.
You are NOT introducing a new topic, simply
extending the one you have already
presented.
This will be the profound thought that sets
your essay apart from the average analysis.
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What the heck is PV? (Passive Voice)
 John threw the football  active voice
 The football was thrown by John  passive voice
 Which constructions is WORDIER?
 We’ll study this rule in detail later this year . . .
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What do semicolons do?
 They LINK two closely related COMPLETE
SENTENCES
 They do NOT introduce quotations!