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Their Eyes Were Watching God/
Narrative
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Journal 1
Answer the following journaling prompt:
If there's one thing I've learned about life, it's that
_______________. I learned this when...
(Where were you? Who were you with? What
happened? Was there an “ah-ha!” moment?)
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TEWWG Summer Assignment
1.
Get out your 10 quotations and responses
that you completed this summer.
2.
Re-read through your work and identify
one quote that you think is more
significant or interesting to you than the
others.
3.
Be prepared to share that quote and it’s
significance.
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Journal 2
Answer ONE of the the following journaling
prompts:
1.
One experience that helped make me the
person I am today was…
or
2.
The most important thing that ever happened
to me was ____________
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Who is Zora Neale Hurston?

Born on Jan. 7, 1891

Called Eatonville, Florida home
Alice Walker’s “Zora Neal Hurston—A Cautionary Tale and
Partisan View”

One of the most significant figures of the Harlem Renaissance

Died on Jan. 28, 1960 (Age 69)

http://zoranealehurston.com
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Why do People Write?
With your group, discuss the different reasons people write.
Make a list and prepare to share.
Reasons People Write:
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Writing Domains
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Narrative Writing and
Burke’s Pentad
What is a Narrative?
What is Burke’s Pentad?
Burke’s Pentad is a formula for make sense out of a text by questioning it.
The 5 key questions of Burke’s Pentad are:
1.
What was done?
2.
When or where was it done?
3.
Who did it?
(the agent, the person or kind of person who performed the act)
4.
How was it done?
(the agency, what means or instrument was used)
5.
Why was it done?
(the purpose, the apparent purpose vs. the real purpose)
(the act, that which took place in thought or deed)
(the scene, the background of the act, the
situation in which it occurred; the context—
the time and place and the conditions (social,
economic, political) of that time and place)
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Practice with
Burke’s Pentad
Use Burke’s Pentad to analyze “Remembering Mr. Sweet”
by Alice Walker:
1.
What was done?
2.
When or where was it done?
context—
conditions (social,
that time and place)
(the act, that which took place in thought or deed)
(the scene, the background of the act, the
situation in which it occurred; the
the time and place and the
economic, political) of
3.
Who did it?
(the agent, the person or kind of person who performed the act)
4.
How was it done?
(the agency, what means or instrument was used)
5.
Why was it done?
(the purpose, the apparent purpose vs. the real purpose)
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Journal 3
Getting Started on Your Personal Narrative:
Go back and re-read your writing from journals 1 and
2. Decide whether you are going to write your
personal narrative about something you have learned
about life or if you are going to write it about an
experience and its importance to you. Why did you
make this choice? What do you want people to learn
or understand about you when they read about this
event? How do you want to make your reader feel?
+ What is Syntax?
“it is syntax that gives words the power to
relate to each other in a sequence, to create
rhythms and emphasis, to carry meaning—
of whatever kind—as well as glow
individually in just the right place.”
-Virginia Tufte
Definition: Syntax is the arrangement of
words and phrases to create well-formed
sentences in a language.
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Journal 4
Developing Your Personal Narrative:
Go through and answer the questions of Burke’s
Pentad about the event/experience/lesson you
chose for your personal narrative.
1.
What was done?
2.
When or where was it done?
3.
Who did it?
4.
How was it done?
5.
Why was it done?
+ Syntax Analysis
“it is syntax that gives words the power to
relate to each other in a sequence, to create
rhythms and emphasis, to carry meaning—
of whatever kind—as well as glow
individually in just the right place.”
-Virginia Tufte
Definition: Syntax is the arrangement of
words and phrases to create well-formed
sentences in a language.
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Journal 5
“Setting Up” Your Personal Narrative:
Establish a CONCRETE SPECIFIC SETTING keeping in
mind the effect you want to produce in your reader. Jot
down descriptive words and phrases that have the right
connotations for your mood.
In your "mind's eye", place yourself in that place & time.
Exactly where & when are you?
What do you see around you?
What do you hear, taste, feel, smell?
What are you doing there or how did you get there? What time of year is it?
What time of day?
How old are you?
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Journal 6
How many ways can you find to say no?
Write 10 sentences that say no in
various ways, but without using the
word no.
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Journal 7
In one paragraph, describe a scene
from any sport. Use these words
somewhere in the paragraph:
bounced
struggled
roared
collapsed
giggled
(yes, giggled!)
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Journal 8
Create a much more interesting version of this
sentence:
The dog barked.
What kind of dog was it? Where was it? Why was it
barking? How would you describe the barking?
Make the sentence as interesting as possible by
choosing your words and details carefully.
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Sentence Leveling
by Francis Christensen
Christensen analyzed the polished sentences of
professional writers. He found that:

Most pro's combine several thought units (a.k.a T-units) in one sentence.

When writers add material to a sentence, they usually add detail that gives
more specific information about some idea that is already in the sentence.

Writers tend to subordinate more than they co-ordinate.


Subordinate: give primary emphasis to one idea in a sentence and add details to
describe the main idea
Co-ordinate: give equal emphasis to two or more ideas in a sentence

While there is LOTS of variation (deliberately), the average length of
sentences in modern prose is 25 to 50 words. Pre-modern writers tended to
have longer sentences.

Individual writers tend to use certain syntactic structures a lot while never, or
hardly ever, using others. These preferences become part of a writer's style.
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What is Sentence Leveling?
In Sentence Leveling, we start with the
finished, polished sentences and break
them apart to see how the ideas relate
to each other. At the same time, we can
still look at the kinds of surface
structures the writer has used and study
the effects of his choices. While it is
theoretically possible to look at each
individual word as a unit of thought, this
is not what Christensen did.
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What is Sentence Leveling?
Words are combined into other units of meaning smaller than
the sentence, namely phrases and clauses.
Phrase: a collection of words that may have nouns or verbals,
but it does not have a subject doing a verb
ex. running to the store
Clause: a collection of words that has a subject that is actively
doing a verb
ex. because she smiled at him
It is possible to give descriptive labels to different KINDS of
phrases and clauses.
Phrases are usually named according to the main word--e.g.
noun phrase, verb phrase, etc. while clauses are usually named
according to their function in the sentence--e.g. noun clause,
adjective clause, etc.
Christensen did NOT use independent and
dependent/subordinate to identify clauses because he used
subordinate in a different way.
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What is Sentence Leveling?
Christensen used co-ordinate & subordinate to describe the
relationships between phrases and clauses in the same
sentence. Co-ordinate elements carried equal "weight" in
the sentence--they might modify the same thing, perform the
same function or be members of the same list. Basically,
Christensen said, they operate on the same level of
generality. Subordinate elements have less "weight” than
some other element in the sentence, although it is still
possible to have several elements all subordinate to the same
thing. An element is subordinate to the thing it modifies or
adds more specific information about.
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What is Sentence Leveling?
Christensen used the term modifiers for all levels other than
level one. If you think about it, this makes sense in terms of
their function within the sentence. Each level 2 T-Unit refers in
some way to something in Level one--and most of the time it
provides more information about its referent. In other words,
it modifies the reader's understanding of the level one T-Unit.
Each level 3 T-Unit modifies our understanding of some
element in a Level 2, and so on.
He then categorized all the modifiers according to where
they are placed in the sentence, relative to the Level One TUnit. Initial modifiers come in front of the Level One unit.
Final modifiers come after the Level One unit. Medial
modifiers interrupt , or come in the middle of, another T-Unit.
(see Examples sheet & section below)
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How It Works
Christensen analyzed the structure of a sentence by assigning levels
to the different T-Units he identified--co-ordinate structures are given
the same level number while subordinate structures have different
numbers. Note that a T-Unit can be either a phrase or a clause. Every
English sentence has at least ONE T-Unit, which is called the main
clause. Christensen used this as the basis for his diagram, calling it
level one. (This is the only level which MUST be a clause) Any other
clause anywhere in the sentence which is connected to it by a
coordinating conjunction (and, but, or) or coordinating
punctuation (;) is also labeled as level one.
SO
John ran down the street.
would be diagrammed as
1.
John ran down the street.
since it is a simple sentence containing one T-Unit.
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How It Works (cont.)
John ran down the street but he could not catch
the bus.
Is a compound sentence with TWO level one T-units,
joined by the co-ordinating conjunction “but”.
Therefore it would be diagrammed as
1. John ran down the street
1. but he could not catch the bus.
*NOTE that prepositional phrases are usually not
broken off as separate T-Units.
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How It Works (cont.)
T-Units which are added with subordinating
conjunctions are given a different level
number NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE IN THE
SENTENCE.
SO
2. Although he ran down the street,
1. John could not catch the bus.
AND
1. John could not catch the bus
2. although he ran down the street.
NOTE the
indentation
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How It Works (cont.)
Phrases and reduced clauses also get a different
number from whatever they modify.
2. Shouting and waving,
1. John chased the bus down the street.
NOTE these
give more info
about John
It is, of course, possible to have BOTH co-ordinate
and subordinate elements in the same sentence.
2. Shouting and waving,
1. John chased the bus down the street
1. but he could not catch it.
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How It Works (cont.)
A sentence can also have "modifiers of
modifiers". That is, some elements may not
connect to the main clause directly, but rather to an
already subordinate element.
2. Although John chased the bus down the street,
3. shouting and waving,
1. he could not catch it.
NOTE that the level 3 phrase
modifies HOW John chased, NOT
how he did not catch the bus.
+ Coordinating and Conjunctive
Conjunctions
Adverbs
Yes, these are our
FANBOYS:
For
And
Nor
But
Or
Yet
So
accordingly
again
also
besides
consequently
finally
for example
further
furthermore
hence
however
indeed
in fact
instead
likewise
moreover
namely
nevertheless
otherwise
still
that is
then
therefore
thus
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Subordinating Conjunctions
There are a ton of these. Here are the most
common ones:
after
although
as
as if
as long as
as much as
as soon as
as though
because
before
even if
even though
how
if
inasmuch
in order that
lest
now that
provided (that)
since
so that
than
that
though
till(‘til)
until
unless
when
whenever
where
wherever
while
who/whom
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Now, Let’s Try It!
Follow these steps to level the sentences below:
1. Identify and mark off the T-Units in the sentence. Two things to look for:
-verbs and verbals -- each new action will usually mean a new T-Unit
-punctuation -- semi-colons, dashes, parentheses, colons and most commas (except for
those in a list) usually indicate a new T-Unit.
2. Decide which T-Unit is the main clause (and remember it HAS to be a clause!) This
states the main idea of the sentence and should be the most general statement.
3. Determine HOW the other T-Units relate to the main clause and to each other. Remember
to look for coordinators & subordinators. Also you may well have several units on the same
level and they don't have to be right together.
4. Assign a level to each unit. The Main Idea is Level One. Any T-Unit that refers to
something in Level One is a Level 2. Any unit that refers most directly or closely to a Level 2
unit will be a Level 3, and so on.
5. Write out a diagram of the sentence, placing each T-Unit on a separate line. IMPORTANT
NOTE: Keep the units in the order they occur in the sentence!
 The
puppy scratched his ear with his large paw.
Now, Let’s Try It!
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Follow these steps to level the sentences below:
1. Identify and mark off the T-Units in the sentence. Two things to look for:
-verbs and verbals -- each new action will usually mean a new T-Unit
-punctuation -- semi-colons, dashes, parentheses, colons and most commas (except for
those in a list) usually indicate a new T-Unit.
2. Decide which T-Unit is the main clause (and remember it HAS to be a clause!) This states the
main idea of the sentence and should be the most general statement.
3. Determine HOW the other T-Units relate to the main clause and to each other. Remember to
look for coordinators & subordinators. Also you may well have several units on the same level and
they don't have to be right together.
4. Assign a level to each unit. The Main Idea is Level One. Any T-Unit that refers to something in
Level One is a Level 2. Any unit that refers most directly or closely to a Level 2 unit will be a Level
3, and so on.
5. Write out a diagram of the sentence, placing each T-Unit on a separate line. IMPORTANT NOTE:
Keep the units in the order they occur in the sentence!

He stood at the edge of the packed dooryard in the flat thrust of sunrise, looking at
the ground washed clean and smooth and trackless, feeling the cool mud under his
toes.
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Now, Let’s Try It!
Follow these steps to level the sentences below:
1. Identify and mark off the T-Units in the sentence. Two things to look for:
-verbs and verbals -- each new action will usually mean a new T-Unit
-punctuation -- semi-colons, dashes, parentheses, colons and most commas (except for
those in a list) usually indicate a new T-Unit.
2. Decide which T-Unit is the main clause (and remember it HAS to be a clause!) This
states the main idea of the sentence and should be the most general statement.
3. Determine HOW the other T-Units relate to the main clause and to each other. Remember
to look for coordinators & subordinators. Also you may well have several units on the same
level and they don't have to be right together.
4. Assign a level to each unit. The Main Idea is Level One. Any T-Unit that refers to
something in Level One is a Level 2. Any unit that refers most directly or closely to a Level 2
unit will be a Level 3, and so on.
5. Write out a diagram of the sentence, placing each T-Unit on a separate line. IMPORTANT
NOTE: Keep the units in the order they occur in the sentence!
 The
voices made a single, steady noise in the room, a noise without words,
rising and falling but still steady, coming at a man like waves and washing
upon him.
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Now, Let’s Try It!
Follow these steps to level the sentences below:
1. Identify and mark off the T-Units in the sentence. Two things to look for:
-verbs and verbals -- each new action will usually mean a new T-Unit
-punctuation -- semi-colons, dashes, parentheses, colons and most commas (except for
those in a list) usually indicate a new T-Unit.
2. Decide which T-Unit is the main clause (and remember it HAS to be a clause!) This
states the main idea of the sentence and should be the most general statement.
3. Determine HOW the other T-Units relate to the main clause and to each other. Remember
to look for coordinators & subordinators. Also you may well have several units on the same
level and they don't have to be right together.
4. Assign a level to each unit. The Main Idea is Level One. Any T-Unit that refers to
something in Level One is a Level 2. Any unit that refers most directly or closely to a Level 2
unit will be a Level 3, and so on.
5. Write out a diagram of the sentence, placing each T-Unit on a separate line. IMPORTANT
NOTE: Keep the units in the order they occur in the sentence!
 The
voices made a single, steady noise in the room, a noise without words,
rising and falling but still steady, coming at a man like waves and washing
upon him.
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Journal 9
Chris walks into the room. By
describing only the reactions of the
others in the room, let us know
something about him.
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Journal 10
Write three different sentences, each
using the word crumpled. Create an
entirely different image with each
sentence.