Additional Time & Support for English
How do I get additional time and support if I need it?
 9th Hour – You can request a pass to work in 9th hour after school. This silent setting provides a study
hall environment where you can access a computer and work independently. If you get stuck, you can
ask Mr. Watkins for help on your English assignments. He works in some of the English classes, so he
is familiar with the assignments and expectations.
 ELO – You can request a purple pass from Mr. Parker or Ms. Menard for ELO. This pass needs to be
pre-arranged, and it is an appropriate time to request extra tutoring or to check your progress on an
assignment to see if you’re on the right track before the due date. This is not one-on-one time, so be
prepared have a group of students receiving support at the same time.
 Research Paper Support Nights and Open Labs – During the research paper unit, students may get a
purple pass to attend the open lab. Some students work independently while others request step-by-step
help in completing the project. Open lab nights will be available twice a week during the unit.
Arrangements need to be made for parents to pick up students at or before 5:00 p.m.
 Other Pre-arranged Times – If students are unable to meet during the other support times, other
arrangements can be made to meet before school, after school, or perhaps during lunch.
 Wiki Support – If students lose an assignment, need to review the homework, or are unsure about how
to complete homework, they may visit the wiki to view the homework calendar and to print
assignments or documents.
 Email the teacher – Students can email Mr. Parker (stevenp@psdschools.org) or Ms. Menard
(mmenard@psdschools.org) if they’ve checked the wiki for the answer and are still confused.
Writing with Strong Verbs
What are the state of being verbs that I’m not supposed to use in my formal writing?
is, be, am, are
was, were, been,
has, have, had,
do, does, did,
can, could,
shall, should,
will, would,
may, might, must, being
How do I replace these verbs with a strong verb?
Think like Yoda from Star Wars and switch the order of the sentence to remove the state of being verb. Then
replace the verb with a powerful verb instead.
 It is raining in torrents. (Delete “is”, switch the order of the sentence, and use a strong verb)
 Torrential rain pours from the sky.
 Elie Wiesel enters the concentration camp and is discouraged.
 Discouragement saddens Elie Wiesel when he enters the concentration camp.
Documenting and Selecting a Title
1. Selecting a title – Titles are typically a clever combination of 3-6 words.
 Hurricanes – This is a topic, not a title.
 Viola in Twelfth Night – This is not a title.
 Viola’s Journey Home in Twelfth Night – This provides key words about what the text discusses.
2. Documenting Titles - Also, titles may be typed in bold font with all words capitalized except for
articles. Correct documentation looks like this:






Book Titles - are in italics (the slanted I button next to Bold on your toolbar)
Plays – are in italics
Movies – are in italics
“Internet Websites” – are in “quotation marks”
“Poems,” “Short Stories,” “Speeches,” “Essays,” and “Articles” are in “quotation marks”
The Title of Your Own Essay – is not in “quotes” or italics
Somebody, Anyone, & Nobody
Mixing Singular and Plural References - A reference to somebody, anyone, or Nobody is a reference to
ONE person. Students can use the hint of one and body in the word to remind them that these words refer
to person.
 Somebody left their phone on the desk.
 Somebody left his or her phone on the desk.
 Anyone can bring their dog to the drive-in movie.
 Anyone can bring his dog to the drive-in movie.
Achieving Sentence Variety in Writing