Magic 3’s
This PowerPoint activity will introduce the
writing technique of a “Magic 3.” Be sure to
follow the links at the bottom of each page to
navigate through the activity.
Magic 3
A “Magic 3” is a parallel group of words,
usually separated by commas, that create a
poetic rhythm or add support for a point.
Magic 3
The athlete, prepared, confident, and ready,
took to the field.
This sentence is an example of a simple
Magic 3. The writer used three adjectives
to describe the athlete. There is
parallelism since the writer used three
simple adjectives, not adjective phrases,
to describe the athletes.
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Magic 3
If I had a sticker on my shirt that said “Loser” of if
my hair looked like a zombie’s or if I had spinach
stuck between my teeth, she would tell the truth
no matter what.
Notice that this student used 3 phrases that all
started with “If.” Using the same beginning word
of the phrase contributes to parallelism
(following a pattern when you create a sentence
or phrase).
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Last sentence
Magic 3
What is the writer trying to convey?
a.
The writer is trying to convey that she is a “Loser.”
b. The writer is trying to convey that her friend will help her in
embarrassing situations.
c. The writer is trying to convey that her friend is a “Loser.”
d. The writer is trying to convey that she will help her friend in
embarrassing situations.
How does using a Magic 3 help to convey his/her
thought? Click here to check your answer.
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Last sentence
Magic 3
Sometimes I wonder why the geeks get
picked on. It’s always, “Hey, look, it’s the
nerd boy again, going to his daily session of
chess club,” or “Where do you think you’re
going, smarty pants,” or “Brain on feet, do
my homework for a while—say till school’s
out-and I’ll try to get you a date with the girl
who has glasses thicker than yours.”
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Magic 3
Click on the best answer. The writer in this Magic 3
used
a. Three descriptive phrases
b. Three quotations showing what people have said
c. Three actions
The writer used ___ to create parallelism in this
Magic 3.
a. Complete sentences and name-calling
b. Questions and name-calling
c. Name-calling only
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Last sentence
Practice with Magic 3
Click on this link to add your best Magic 3
sentence to the description of what is going on
right now in the classroom. When you’ve added
your Magic 3 sentence, save the file and return
to the PowerPoint.
Here is an example:
Pondering over the choices they made, critiquing
the words on paper, and using their erasers
fervently, students revised their essays.
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Last sentence
Apply a Magic 3
1. Now that you’ve practiced with Magic 3’s,
include one in your essay.
2. Highlight or underline the Magic 3 you
have used in your essay.