English 9
The teacher said that she was “excited” about grade 9 because it had essay writing or something.
Sentences
- Another name for a compound sentence is a coordination sentence, and another name for a complex sentence is a subordination sentence.
- Compound-complex sentences are also known as coordination-subordination sentences.
- Appositive sentences add in additional information about the subject via what’s called an apposition, often surrounded with commas. (Ketchup chips, the worst kind of chips, are somehow liked by many people.)
Essay Writing
- Essays do numerous things, including explaining, persuading, arguing, describing, and storytelling, but regardless of the purpose of an essay, it will always have a main idea and some supporting details.
- In the introduction, an overview about the information the whole essay will include is provided.
- The hook grabs the reader’s attention right from the start. An essay should be engaging from the first sentence. (What’s more dangerous: vending machines or sharks?)
- A good hook can be interesting information, a question, general statement, quote, symbolic/metaphorical connection, or anecdote (brief story).
- The bridge connects the hook to the thesis statement. If it weren’t for a bridge, a hook would surround like an out-of-context sentence with no connection the main point. (Although it might seem like sharks kill more, vending machine statistics prove this wrong.)
- The thesis statement is the most important sentence in the essay; it states the main idea and tells the reader what’s going to be proved in the writing. (Vending machines are dangerous and more regulations should be put in place to keep everyone safe.)
- The direction statement tells the reader what the three body paragraphs of the essay will be about and in what order they will be written. (I’m sort of stumped for this one; I don’t want to write a direction statement about dangerous vending machines!)
- The three body paragraphs of an essay contain the proof for the thesis statement and develop the main idea.
- In each paragraph, there’s a topic sentence, for they state the main idea of the paragraph. They must be connected to the thesis statement.
- Each paragraph must have three supporting or key details. They must follow the following structure:
- The focus of the key detail is stated.
- Evidence will be provided in favor of the point.
- This evidence will be explained.
- All of this must relate to the topic sentence of the paragraph.
- Transition words should be used to connect every point together. (first, furthermore, for example, similarly, however, finally)
- In the conclusion sentence of a paragraph, the topic sentence is restated in different words. It also links the paragraph to the next one.
- An essay finishes with a conclusion paragraph. It restates the main idea again, and it should end with an insight that shows a new or deeper understanding of the thesis statement.
Consistency and Parallelism
- When possible, discourse, pronouns, and verb tenses should be consistent in sentences. (Mark said, “I’ll be late and that we should not wait up for him”/Mark said that he’d be late and don’t wait up for me -> Mark said, “I’ll be late. Don’t wait up for me”/Mark said that he’d be late and that we shouldn’t wait up for him, People in this town know that you should not be out alone after dark -> People in this town know that they should not be out alone after dark/In this town, you should not be out alone after dark, Alice ate supper and then goes to the game -> Alice ate supper and then went to the game)
- A parallel structure has the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. It happens at the word, phrase, or clause level using coordinating conjunctions. (Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to cycle/Mary likes to hike, swim, and cycling -> Mary likes hiking, swimming, and cycling/Mary likes to hike, swim, and cycle, The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and in a detailed manner -> The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and thoroughly, The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, not eat too much, and to do some warm-up exercises before the game -> The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, not eat too much, and do some warm-up exercises before the game)
Persuasive Techniques
- There are many techniques used in persuasive language to convince someone to believe or do something. Persuasive language is used everywhere: advertising, politics, editorials, reviews, and speeches.
- Ethos is the establishment of authority and reliability. It’s used to gain the confidence and trust of audiences. (Recommended by 9 out of 10 dentists!)
- Anecdotes are short personal short stories used to connect with the audience and add evidence or credibility to an argument. (Ever since I bought this sugary, artificially-flavored beverage, my skibidi ohio sigma gyatt rizz has been increasing exponentially!)
- Assertions present ideas as facts without full explanations or evidence. They add authority and give a feeling of factuality. (Improves intelligence!)
- Jargon is the specialized terminology of a specific profession or group. It’s used to signal expertise and establish credibility. (By scaling our microservices to the cloud, we can utilize advanced LLMs and CNNs to make our backend more efficient. The API can then be used by IoT devices.)
- Pathos is the use of language that accentuates feelings of love, hate, or fear. It creates an emotional response in audiences. (the smoke of a cigarette in the shape of a gun pointed to the smoker’s head)
- Loaded words are words charged with underlying meanings or implications that produce emotion in audiences. (race, ethnicity, religion, gender, abortion, social class, Vim, Emacs, spaces, tabs)
- Logos is the use of logic and rationality to convince audiences of judgements. (I haven’t seen an ape turn to a human in a zoo, so the theory of evolution is therefore false.)
- Using evidence to prove facts or information to indicate whether a view is true or valid. This gives weight to arguments or beliefs. (Research has proven that these study notes will increase your grades by approximately 10%!)
- Alliterations can be used to make phrases more memorable. (Coca Cola, Dunkin’ Donuts, PayPal, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Buggs Bunny, Fred Flintstone)
- Repeating a word or phrase repeatedly can emphasize certain ideas and make them more memorable. (“Just Do It” in almost every Nike advertisement, “I’m Lovin’ It” in almost every McDonald’s advertisement).
- The rule of three is a principle that states words or phrases in groups of three are more memorable. (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; stop, drop, and roll; snap, crackle, and pop)
- Biased language favors one side or viewpoint over another. (If you hate increased taxes, then the only logical party to vote for is ours!)
- Claims can be generalized to make it seem like they apply to most or all people to speak to prevailing beliefs or prejudices. (Because after all, everyone can use a Slap Chop!)
- Rhetorical questions are statements which are voiced as questions, but they’re not expected to be answered. They draw audiences to conclusions. (Ever thought of wanting to lose over 69,420 metric tons of weight in only two weeks?)
- Sometimes, speakers or writers address opposing views, speakers, or writers with attacks on arguments or character. (The damn commies want to take our freedom and liberty!)
- Things can be exaggerated to grab the attention of audiences and emphasize certain points. (The greatest invention since sliced bread!)
Business Emails
- In a business email (written on paper), you have to start with writing the recipient’s email and the subject of the email. (Email: j.doe@cock.li, Subject: Promotion of Yamin Shihab’s Absolutely Excellent and Outstanding Study Notes)
- You then write a salutation. (Dear Mr. Doe)
- What follows is a paragraph providing some background information about yourself and the issue at hand, as well as the purpose of the email itself.
- You will then have two paragraphs providing details drawing the recipient’s attention to the issue, providing evidence, reasoning, explanations, and other persuasive techniques.
- Additionally, you will write a paragraph providing suggestions and/or solutions to the issue at hand, and how this will all be a good thing. Be sure to also leave in some critical and contact information if necessary.
- Finally, write a statement of thanks, maybe summarize the key information the email, and leave a lasting impression.
- Be sure to write a last line with your first and last name.