Midterm+Review

** The Right Write Midterm Exam Review ** ** Fall 2011 **
 * EAST HARTFORD ADULT EDUCATION **
 * A. Thesis Statements: **
 * 1) Functions and Purposes of a Thesis Statement
 * To announce the topic to the reader
 * To reflect a judgment about the topic
 * To provide the reader with a blueprint for what is to come in the paper


 * 1) Four steps to writing a thesis statement:
 * 2) Re-state the assignment or topic.
 * 3) Take a position on the issue.
 * 4) Briefly state your reasons why/how.
 * 5) Revise: take out any wordiness or vague ideas, and make sure the thesisrelates to the topic.


 * B. Topic Sentence: ** the most important sentence in your paragraph, which clearly states the subject and main idea of the whole paragraph
 * 1) A good topic sentence:
 * informs the reader of the subject that will be discussed in the paragraph
 * asserts the writer’s point of view or attitude
 * intrigues the reader to continue reading
 * creates a sense of action
 * is not vague, rambling, too narrow or too broad


 * C. Types of Sentences **** : **
 * 1) A __ simple sentence __ consists of an //independent clause, so// it contains a //subject// and a //verb//.
 * 2) A __ compound sentence __ consists of two or more simple sentences joined by
 * 3) a comma followed by a coordinating conjunction (//and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so//): The dog barked, and the cat yowled.
 * 4) a semicolon: The dog barked; the cat yowled.
 * 5) a comma, but ONLY when the simple sentences are being treated as items in a series: The dog barked, the cat yowled, and the rabbit chewed.
 * 6) A __ complex sentence __ consists of a combination of an independent clause and a dependent clause.
 * 7) A __ compound-complex sentence __consists of a combination of a compound sentence and a complex sentence


 * D. Subject and Predicates: **
 * 1) The __ simple subject __ is the essential noun or pronoun that cannot be left out of the complete subject.
 * 2) The __ simple predicate __ is the essential verb or verb phrase that cannot be left out of the complete predicate.
 * 3) The __ complete subject __ contains who or what the sentence is about.
 * 4) The __ complete predicate __ contains what is happening (the verb).


 * E. Compare/Contrast: [|VennDiagramTemplate.doc] **