PeoPle of Denmark…
Hrothgar, king of the Danes, is in danger of losing of his throne because of the attacks on his
country by the beast Grendel. Hrothgar needs to convince his people that he is still worthy of the
throne. Write a letter as Hrothgar to the people of Denmark in which you pose an argument as to
why you should remain king. Use details from what we have read thus far to support your
argument. Much of your grade will be based on your ability to use convincing details from the
text. Not only will this assignment help to understand the text of Beowulf better, it will also help
to improve your persuasive writing skills.
I ask that you focus on the following ideas:

Point of view: Remember from whose perspective you are writing. This means you will
have to use certain pronouns depending on who it is. Is it an onlooker? Is it someone
directly involved?

Known-new contract: Remember to connect what is already known to the new
information you are presenting. Try not to repeat the same words a lot, as this can bore
the reader. Consult the worksheet you completed that is attached to this assignment if you
are unsure of this concept.

Well-Chosen Verbs: Remember that when you are writing you want to let the reader
picture what you are describing in their mind. Try to use verbs that show the reader what
are you describing rather than just telling them.
Example: Sally wore a pink dress to the dance.
Sally was dressed beautifully in a strapless, carnation pink ball gown she
chose especially for the Homecoming dance.
Which sentence gives you a better picture of what is being described?
Compare the use of the verbs, which are underlined in each sentence.
Rubric
Use of Textual
Evidence
Point of View
Known-New
Contract/
Cohesiveness
Well-Chosen
Verbs
General
Grammar and
Comprehension
Excellent
The writer uses
several details
from the text and
is able to explain
how the details
support his/her
argument.
Advanced
The writer uses
many details
from the text, but
it is sometimes
unclear why they
are mentioned.
Point of view is
clear and remains
consistent
throughout the
writing.
Point of view is
mostly clear and
seems to remain
consistent
throughout the
writing.
The text flows
well and is
mostly easy to
understand.
Known
information often
matches with the
new information.
The text flows
very well and is
easy to
understand.
Known
information
matches well with
new information.
The chosen verbs
create a vivid
image in the mind
of the reader.
Showing, not
telling.
Few or no
grammatical
mistakes. Text is
easy to
understand.
Competent
The writer uses
some details from
the text, but does
not fully explain
their purpose in
their argument.
Point of view is
Somewhat clear
and changes a
few times
throughout the
writing.
The text flows
somewhat well,
but is sometimes
hard to
understand.
Known
information
mostly matches
with the new.
The chosen verbs The chosen verbs
create a mostly
create a
clear image in the somewhat clear
mind of the
image in the
reader.
mind of the
Sometimes tells
reader. Often
more than shows. tells more than
shows.
Few grammatical Many
mistakes that do
grammatical
not affect the
mistakes that
reader’s
sometimes affect
comprehension
the reader’s
of the text.
comprehension
of the text.
Emerging
The writer uses
few details from
the text, and they
are not
thoroughly
explained as to
why they support
his or her
argument.
Point of view is
unclear and
changes
throughout the
writing.
The text does not
flow very well
and is often hard
to understand.
Known
information does
not often match
the new
information.
The chosen verbs
do not create a
very vivid picture
in the mind of the
reader. Does
much more
telling than
showing.
Several
grammatical
mistakes that
hinder the
reader’s
comprehension
of the text.
The Known-New Contract
When doing a writing assignment, do your best to keep emphasis on the new information you
present in the sentence. This generally means that known information should come at the
beginning of the sentence and new information at the end and the new information is usually
longer because there is no need to explain what is already known. By adhering to the “knownnew contract,” you will help to increase the reader’s understanding of your writing.
Here are some examples:
Known
New
The dog
ate all of the food we just bought for him.
Her birthday party
is March 14 at the mini-golf course.
You
are going to learn how to be a great writer this year.
His notes
were about the Revolutionary War.
Now try to create some of your own:
Known
New
The news reporter
_____________________________________________________
(You are talking about a news reporter filming at a crime scene.)
These puppies
_____________________________________________________
(You are showing a potential buyer the puppies you breed.)
Sally
_____________________________________________________
(You are talking about your best friend’s Sally’s new bike.)
The meeting
_____________________________________________________
(You are telling someone what your next work meeting will be about.)
My Grandma’s kitchen
_____________________________________________________
Switch worksheets with a partner and ask a classmate if he or she thinks your sentences make
sense. Try to offer suggestions to your partner for improvement and you will also receive some
suggestions from your partner. Try to create situations like the ones in this exercise for your
partner to complete.