Formal Writing Review

​1. Research Unit

​2. Nonfiction Unit (A Long Way Gone)

​3. Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night's Dream or Romeo and Juliet)

​4. Choice Novel

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​Minor Units of Study

​1. Grammar

​2. Vocabulary

​ a. Receive vocabulary every other week

​ b. Minor assessment every two weeks

​ c. Major assessment every three units

Practice: 5%

​Minor: 40%

​Major: 55%

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​Recovery

All students will have one (1) opportunity each nine weeks to redo/retake one (1) major assignment/assessment.

Eligibility for a redo/retake is for students who receive a 79 or below on a specific major assignment/assessment.

Students are eligible to earn a replacement grade on a redo/retake no higher than 79.

Student redo/retakes must be completed before the next major assignment/assessment is given or 5 school days before the end of a marking period if there is not another major assignment/assessment given (exceptions can be made for students who have excused absences during this five-day window.)

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​Late Work

All categories of work will be accepted late (practice, major, and minor). Each day an assignment is late, 10 points will be deducted from the final score for up to three days and 30 points. Work submitted on or later than three days late will only be able to earn up to a 70.

Ninth Grade Honors ELA

Ninth Grade Honors ELA

1. No first person pronouns UNLESS in quoted material.

   1. ​The only acceptable pronouns are third person (he, she, they, it)

1. No contractions! Remember, these are two words combined into one.

   1. ​Do + Not = Don't

   2. ​They + Are = They're

   3. ​Is + Not = Isn't

1. Do not ever call attention to the reader.

   1. ​Bradbury shows the reader that fire has redeeming qualities.

   2. ​The reader sees how Montag grows as a character.

1. Do not use demonstrative pronouns as subjects.

   1. ​This demonstrates that fire is good.

   2. ​There are multiple reasons that Montag is a dynamic character.

1. The subject of your sentence should be the author, the character, the doer of the action, or the concept you're analyzing.

   1. ​Montag demonstrates his conflicted attitude towards his job when he has a discussion with Faber.

   2. ​Bradbury uses Fahrenheit 451 to make social commentary on life in the 1950's.

   3. ​The phoenix symbolizes rebirth.

1. Literary analyses live in the present tense, so your verbs should be present tense action verbs.

   1. ​Montag is showing that he has a conflicted attitude toward his job should read Montag shows that he has a conflicted attitude toward his job.

1. Do not reference use the phrasing "the quote," "the excerpt," "the passage," etc. in your writing.

   1. ​As shown in the quote, Montag tries to help Mildred and her friends.

   2. ​It is implied since your analysis will be coming after the quote.

This semester, you will be asked to write quite a bit more than last semester. Your writing should show an elevate level of analysis and diction. To that end, words like bad, good, and very should no longer be a part of your writing vocabulary. Strive to find stronger words that make your writing more analytical.