HOW TO FORMAT A PAPER

Zane Allender Hour 7 9/19/13 Ms. Wolf Title (12 pts. Times New Roman, Dbl. Space) ______ Indent

Writing Dos and Donts

12 point font Times New Roman Double Space 5 Paragraphs Thesis, Introduction, andConclusion

Zane Allender Hour 7

DOS
1. Use your Writing Dos and Donts
sheet. Bold the ones you think are most important

6 TRAITS
Use your notes and your thinglink to help you. List each of the 6 traits, a definition of each and what the scorers are looking for Ideas and Content: An interesting topic with a clear message that has enough info. Scorers will look for a clear message and an answered prompt. Word Choice: A writers selection of words that sound like them. Scorers will look for little word repetition and descriptive words. Voice: Being able to write like how you sound in real life. Scorers will look for If it sounds like somebody your age wrote it. Organization: the act of organizing something. Scorers will look for 5 paragraphs, titles, intros, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Sentence Fluency: Flow of a piece of writing, the way it sounds. Scorers will look for long and short sentences, different starts to sentences and if it flows well. Conventions: The mechanical correctness of a piece of writing. Scorers will look for punctuation, capitalization, and no major errors. Presentation: The finished look of your writing when you are presenting. Scorers will look for uniform spacing, and bullets.

DONTS
Use your writing dos and dont sheet. Bold the ones you think are most important Never begin a sentence with a conjunction (FANBOY for, and, nor, but, or, yet) Write out all numbers under 10 in words. This excludes times, dates, temperatures, scores. Never use well or so to begin a sentence. You are not writing a note, keep your paper formal! Always watch out when using the pronouns me and I. If the prompt doesnt call for you to write in first person, DONT DO IT! Dont use you or any FORM OF YOU in a formal paper. Instead use words like people, one, and teenagers. Dont end your sentence with prepostions. Avoid using like you are not a valley girl. Never end a sentence with the word at. (writing or speaking) Dont text write in any assignment you hand in. Dont call your essay/papers storiesDo NOT end a paper with phrases like: Thats all I have to say. Now you know what I researched. The End. Goodbye.

2. Do read your out loud after each

draft. Pause at each punctuation when reading paper to yourself. When reading aloud you will spot run-on sentences. If you feel like you have to take a breath when reading a sentence, it is probably a run-on.

3. Do check spelling. 4. Do check pronoun use. 5. Do be careful about shifting

tense.stay in past tense.

6. Do be careful about homonyms. 7. Do learn the use of the word

too. It means ALSO!

8. Do start sentences in a variety of

ways.

9. Do vary sentence length.

TIPS FOR WRITING

Think of two-five tips that you always forget before a test and write them here!

Company Name Street Address Address 2 Company Name City, ST ZIP Code Street Address Address 2 Phone 555-0125 City,(704) ST ZIP Code Fax (704) 555-0145 Web site address Phone (555)555-0125 Fax (555)555-0145 Web site address