Page 34 - SpringBoard_Writing_Workshop_Grade7_Flipbook

• A rhetorical question is either not meant to be answered or suggests a desired reply. Writers use rhetorical questions to emphasize an idea or to draw a conclusion from the facts. A rhetorical question may help remind your reader of a main point.
EXAMPLES: “But what’s in this toothpaste, so carefully being extruded out?” (thesis of the sample essay, paragraph 1); “Is that it?” (paragraph 12)
Another stylistic choice is the use of sentence variety. Inserting word groups, such as appositives or appositive phrases, into sentences adds variety to your sentence structure. An appositive is a noun, pronoun, or phrase placed beside another noun or pronoun to identify or explain it. Notice that appositives and appositive phrases are set off by commas.
• Our teacher, Ms. Greig, is out sick today.
• Heroes, ones who act selflessly, are found all around us. • Mika studies biology, the science of life or living matter.
Coherence refers to the logical organization of the essay and how the ideas are tied together to flow smoothly, thus making the essay easy for the reader to follow. One way to revise for coherence is to use transitional words and phrases within and between paragraphs. Transitional words help you move from one sentence or thought to another. For example:
• Transitions that show a list or order: furthermore, additionally, also, besides,
further, in addition, moreover, again, and, final, first of all, first, second, third,
next, last of all
• Transitions that show a conclusion: as a result, therefore, finally, last, in
conclusion, in summary, all in all
Language and Writer’s Craft: Phrases and Clauses
Writers use phrases and clauses to add interest and details to their writing. They also use them to vary sentence structure and to change simple sentences into compound and complex sentences.
A clause is a group of words that includes a subject acting on a verb. An independent clause has a subject and verb and can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent clause has a subject and a verb, but it cannot stand alone as a sentence because it does not form a complete thought.
EXAMPLES:
Independent clause: “This seaweed ooze spreads in among the chalk, paint, and antifreeze, ...”
Dependent clause: ... because I forgot to charge it.
A phrase is a group of words that does not include a subject acting on a verb. EXAMPLES:
Noun phrase: Heroes, ones who act selflessly, are found all around us.
Adverbial phrase: My need to use a computer, like my need for food and water, is a matter of daily survival.
When writing, take care to ensure that you use phrases and clauses correctly. For example, make sure that you place phrases and clauses so that they modify (add information to) the proper word in the sentence. Phrases and clauses that are incorrectly placed are called dangling modifiers because it is difficult to tell which word is being modified.
EXAMPLE: Two friends walked along the sidewalk with computers. (Do the friends or the sidewalk have the computers?)
Writing Workshop 3 • Expository Writing: Writing to Inform 7
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