Comprehensive Examination in English

Regents Writing Guide

A Note from the ESL Department: This guide is intended to be a collection of graphic organizers for use with ESL students and others in need of supplemental materials. You may choose to use all or part of this guide as needed.

Part 3 (Short-Response Questions) Controlling Idea Paragraph (26)2-4 Literary Technique paragraph (27)....5-8 Part 4 (Essay) Critical Lens Essay (28).9-10

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English Regents Writing Guide

SAMPLE # 26 Controlling Idea Paragraph

Short Response Questions
Directions (26-27): Write your response to question 26 on page 1 of your essay booklet and question 27 on page 2 of your essay booklet. Be sure to answer both questions. 26 Write a well-developed paragraph in which you use ideas from both passages to establish a controlling idea about possessions. Develop your controlling idea using specific examples and details from each passage. Choose a specific literary element (e.g. theme, characterization, structure, point of view, etc.) or literary technique (e.g. symbolism, irony, figurative language, etc.) used by one of the authors. Using specific details from that passage, in a welldeveloped paragraph, show how the author uses that element or technique to develop the passage.

27

Sample response for #26 DO NOT copy this paragraph on any assignment!
There are different ways to look at possessions. We keep our possessions because they are important to us. Both Passage 1 and Passage 2 are connected to this idea. In passage 1 Mrs. Caldera keeps everything. She has a box of plastic hummingbirds, a tray of tineless forks, refrigerator doors, milk bottles, and many other things. The door of a room will not close because of all the possessions Mrs. Caldera keeps in there. Mrs. Caldera keeps all of these things because they are important to her. In Passage 2 the author describes possessions that he had in the past a watch and a car. These possessions were so important to him that he can still hear the watch and feel it on his wrist. He can still see the diagram on the stick shift and feel the knob in his hand. These examples show that the possessions described in passage 1 and Passage 2 were important to the characters.

1. Topic Sentence
There are different ways to look at topic.

2. Controlling Idea* 3. Introduce the texts

Both Passage 1 and Passage 2 are connected to this idea

4. Discuss examples and details from passage 1 that are related to the controlling idea. 5. Explain (directly) how the passage 1 is related. 6. Discuss examples and details from passage 2 that are related to the controlling idea. 7. Explain (directly) how the passage is related. 8. Tell me how BOTH passages relate to the controlling idea.
These examples show

*CHECK your controlling idea:

__ Is it an Arguable Statement? __ Is it related to the topic? __ Is it related to passage 1? __ Is it related to passage 2?

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English Regents Writing Guide

#26 Organizer

There are different ways to look at

topic

. ______________________________
Controlling Idea: your own idea about the topic

__________________________________. Both Passage 1 and Passage 2 are connected to this idea. In passage 1 _____________________________________________________________
Tell me where you see the controlling idea in this passage Connect to controlling idea.

____________________________________________________________________________. In Passage 2 __________________________________________________________________

Tell me where you see the controlling idea in this passage Connect to controlling idea.

____________________________________________________________________________. These examples show ____________________________________________________________.

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English Regents Writing Guide

Question 26
Controlling Idea Paragraph 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Read the first sentence of the Directions for Part 3. Find the word "about" in the first sentence. Underline everything in the sentence that follows the word "about". Think about the word or words that you underlined. Write: There are different ways to look at Finish the sentence with the words you underlined in the directions. Write one more sentence about this idea. (This is your controlling idea.) Write: Both Passage 1 and Passage 2 are connected to this idea. Explain how Passage 1 is connected to this idea. Write: In Passage 1 Finish the sentence with two or three examples from Passage 1 that show how Passage 1 is a good example of your controlling idea. What happens in the Passage? What do the characters say? What do the characters do? What does the author say? How do these things show your controlling idea? 10. 11. Write In Passage 2 Finish the sentence with two or three examples from Passage 2 that show how Passage 2 is a good example of your controlling idea. What happens in the Passage? What do the characters say? What do the characters do? What does the author say? How do these things show your controlling idea? 12. 13. Write Both Passages show Finish the sentence with a connection to your controlling idea.

There are different ways to look at possessions. We keep our possessions because they are important to us. Both Passage 1 and Passage 2 are connected to this idea. In Passage 1 Mrs. Caldera keeps everything. She has a box of plastic hummingbirds, a tray of tineless forks, refrigerator doors, milk bottles, and many, many other things. The door of a room will not close because of all the possessions Mrs. Caldera keeps in there. Mrs. Caldera keeps all of these things because they are important to her. In Passage 2 the author describes possessions that he had in the past - a watch and a car. These possessions were so important to him that he can still hear the watch and feel it on his wrist. He can still see the diagram on the stick shift and feel the knob in his hand. Both Passages show that the possessions were important to the characters.

ESL Department Thomas R. Proctor High School

English Regents Writing Guide

SAMPLE # 27 Literary Technique Paragraph

Short Response Questions
Directions (26-27): Write your response to question 26 on page 1 of your essay booklet and question 27 on page 2 of your essay booklet. Be sure to answer both questions. 26 Write a well-developed paragraph in which you use ideas from both passages to establish a controlling idea about possessions. Develop your controlling idea using specific examples and details from each passage. Choose a specific literary element (e.g. theme, characterization, structure, point of view, etc.) or literary technique (e.g. symbolism, irony, figurative language, etc.) used by one of the authors. Using specific details from that passage, in a welldeveloped paragraph, show how the author uses that element or technique to develop the passage.

27

Sample response for #27 DO NOT copy this paragraph on any assignment! Passage 1 is about possessions. In this passage the author uses imagery to develop the idea of possessions. One image that the author uses is the tray of forks at your elbow. This image is a good example of the subject of possessions because it represents one of the many things that Mrs. Caldera keeps because she believes it is important, but that other people may believe to be of no value at all. Another image the author uses is Upstairs, where her children slept, the doors will not close. The reason the doors will not close is because of all the possessions that Mrs. Caldera keeps in there. For example, there are stacks of magazines, snowshoes, lampshades, bedsprings and picture tubes. The author uses imagery to develop the idea that Mrs. Calderas possessions are important to her, but are probably of no use to anyone else. 4. Introduce the second example of the literary element.
See pages 7 and 8 for sentences starters

1. Topic Sentence
Passage 1 is about topic.

2. Tell me what literary element the author uses. Tell me what he develops. 3. Introduce the first example of the literary element.
See pages 7 and 8 for sentences starters

5. Conclude by explaining how the author uses this to develop the passage.
The author uses ___ to develop the idea that The author uses __ to make the story more realistic The author uses ___ to teach us about life.

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English Regents Writing Guide

# 27 Organizer

Passage _________ is about __________. In this passage the author uses

(1 or 2) topic

________________to develop the idea of ___________. One example is __________

choose a literary element topic give example

__________________________________________________________________. This ____________ is a good example of __________ because _________________

literary element topic explain why the example is important

_________________________________________________________________.

Another example of _____________ is _____________________________________

literary element give example

___________________________________________________________________.

This ____________ is a good example of __________ because _________________

literary element topic explain why the example is important

_________________________________________________________________.

The author uses __________to teach readers _______________________________.

literary element What does it teach us?

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English Regents Writing Guide Question 27 Literary Technique Paragraph 1. 2. Pick the passage you want to use. Write In Passage 1 (or Passage 2) the author uses 3. 4. 5. Finish the sentence with the literary technique or literary element you want to use. Follow the directions for that literary technique or literary element. Complete the paragraph with This shows the author uses _________________ to develop the idea of ___________________.

Characterization 1. Write (Characters name) is characterized as a _________ person. Or (Characters name) is characterized as a person who . 2. 3. Finish the sentence with a word or words that describe the character. Prove it. Use examples from the passage. What does the character say? What does the character do? What does the author say about the character?

Imagery 1. Write One image the author uses is 2. 3. Copy the words from the passage that are the image you want to use. Use quotation marks. Write This image shows 4. 5. Finish the sentence by explaining what the image shows. Repeat this two more times. (Another image the author uses is . A third image the author uses is .)

External Conflict 1. Write The conflict is between (Characters name) and (Characters name). 2. Write

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English Regents Writing Guide The problem is . 3. Finish the sentence by explaining the problem. Write The conflict is resolved when OR The conflict is resolved for (Characters name), but not for (Characters name). OR The conflict is never resolved. 4. Internal Conflict 1. Write (Characters name) has a problem. 2. 3. Explain the problem that the character has. Write The conflict is resolved when OR The conflict is never resolved. 4. Repetition 1. Write The author repeats 2. 3. Finish the sentence by copying the words that the author repeats. Use quotation marks. Write The author repeats these words to emphasize the idea that 4. Finish the sentence by explaining the idea that the emphasizes. Finish the sentence by explaining how the conflict is, or is not, resolved. Finish the sentence by explaining how the conflict is, or is not, resolved.

ESL Department Thomas R. Proctor High School

English Regents Writing Guide

Task 4 Outline
Write about two works of literature that you read in high school. Introduction

Sentence 1: According to __________, ______________________________.

Speaker Copy Critical Lens

Sentence 2-4: This means __________________________________________.

Explain Quotation

Sentence 5: I ____________with this quotation.

(agree/disagree) __________________________________ Sentence 6: From my experience I have learned that Explain your own experience

Sentence 7: ________and________ are both connected to this quotation.

Title 1 Title 2

Body Paragraph 1 About Title 1

Sentence 1: __________ by _________ is a ________________.

Title 1 Author 1 Genre 1

Sentence 2: In this story _______ wants _____, but ___________, so _______.

Somebody/Character Something Conflict Resolution

Sentence 3: The author uses _________. It helps readers understand _________.

Literary element copy the critical lens

Sentence 4: For example,

_____________________________________________________________________________ Give an example of how this literary element is used.

Sentence 5: This__________________________________ is a good example of the quotation Literary Element because_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Explain connection between this example and the quotation

Body Paragraph 2 About Title 1

__________________________________ . Sentence 1: The author also uses Another literary element

Sentence 2-4: For example,_____________________________________________________________________________ Give an example of how this literary element is used. Sentence 5: This__________________________________ is a good example of the quotation Literary Element because_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Explain connection between this example and the quotation

ESL Department Thomas R. Proctor High School

English Regents Writing Guide

Body Paragraph 3 About Title 2

Sentence 1: __________ by _________ is a ________________.

Title 2 Author 2 Genre 2

Sentence 2: In this story _______ wants _____, but ___________, so _______.

Somebody/Character Something Conflict Resolution

Sentence 3: The author uses _________. It helps readers understand _________.

Literary element copy the critical lens

Sentence 4: For example,

_____________________________________________________________________________ Give an example of how this literary element is used.

Sentence 5: This__________________________________ is a good example of the quotation Literary Element because_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Explain connection between this example and the quotation

Body Paragraph 4 About Title 2

__________________________________ . Sentence 1: The author also uses Another literary element

Sentence 2-4: For example,_____________________________________________________________________________ Give an example of how this literary element is used. Sentence 5: This__________________________________ is a good example of the quotation Literary Element because_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Explain connection between this example and the quotation

Conclusion

Sentence 1: Both ________________________ Title 1 quotation. Sentence 2: In

________________________ Title 1

and

________________________ Title 2

show the truth of this and

the author uses________________________ Literary Element

________________________ Another literary element

to develop the story.

Title 2

Sentence 3: In________________________ ________________________ Title 2

________________________ Another literary element

the author uses________________________ Literary Element

and

to develop the story.

Sentence 4: From these two stories I learned that _________________________________________ . Copy critical lens
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