Power Paragraphs is a writing workbook that uses a simple and memorable analogy: that the parts of an essay are like the parts of a sandwich. The "bread" at the top and bottom represents the main idea; the "meat" of the essay is the topic sentences; the "lettuce" develops with supporting ideas; the "mayo" and "mustard" are transitional elements. Add a "garnish" at the top for an interest statement and your sandwich is complete, delicious, satisfying, and easy to read and understand. The book is ideal for writers at all levels because, in one memorable picture, the organizational pattern of any piece of writing can be easily stated and easily understood. Use this book to improve your personal communications or in classes for English language speakers at any level.

**This is the chapter slice "Forms and Purposes of Paragraphs" from the full lesson plan "How to Write a Paragraph"** Learning to express one's thoughts in well-written sentences and paragraphs is an essential skill for all students. Designed to make the writing process logical and easy to learn, our workbook provides opportunities for students to complete the prewriting process using various graphic organizers and introduces four of the main types of paragraph forms. The learning objectives are based on Bloom’s Taxonomy and you can use this material to supplement your present reading program or for independent student work. Also included is a detailed implementation guide, student assessment rubric, word puzzles and comprehension quiz. The six color graphic organizers will assist the introduction of the skill focus and in guiding your students through their successful writing process. All of our content meets the Common Core State Standards and are written to Bloom's Taxonomy.

An important challenge to what currently masquerades as conventional wisdom regarding the teaching of writing. There seems to be widespread agreement that—when it comes to the writing skills of college students—we are in the midst of a crisis. In Why They Can't Write, John Warner, who taught writing at the college level for two decades, argues that the problem isn't caused by a lack of rigor, or smartphones, or some generational character defect. Instead, he asserts, we're teaching writing wrong. Warner blames this on decades of educational reform rooted in standardization, assessments, and accountability. We have done no more, Warner argues, than conditioned students to perform "writing-related simulations," which pass temporary muster but do little to help students develop their writing abilities. This style of teaching has made students passive and disengaged. Worse yet, it hasn't prepared them for writing in the college classroom. Rather than making choices and thinking critically, as writers must, undergraduates simply follow the rules—such as the five-paragraph essay—designed to help them pass these high-stakes assessments. In Why They Can't Write, Warner has crafted both a diagnosis for what ails us and a blueprint for fixing a broken system. Combining current knowledge of what works in teaching and learning with the most enduring philosophies of classical education, this book challenges readers to develop the skills, attitudes, knowledge, and habits of mind of strong writers.

Keys to Academic English presents Academic English and its building blocks in an accessible, easy-to-use format.

The novel has often been characterized as the art form without a form. Although there may not be any rules for how to write a novel, as Matthew Clark shows in his new work of practical analysis, a good novel is as carefully formed as a good poem. From Paragraphs to Plots uncovers large compositional features of narrative construction, thereby excavating elements that constitute the architecture of the novel. Clark begins by discussing the segmentation of narratives, from the paragraph level up to the whole novel, with case studies of the composition of Jane Austen’s Emma and Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway. The next chapter explores an important, though often neglected, feature of narrative architecture called ring composition: a particular kind of repetition where the beginning and the end of a text are the same or similar. From there, Clark analyzes in detail two novels, Ford Madox Ford’s The Good Soldier and Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, identifying the repetitions, inversions, links, and fragmented narrations that comprise each narrative. The book’s second half focuses on simple and complex plot forms. Examining iterations of simple forms—plots that begin with a specific initiating event and proceed in an essentially regular chronological progression from beginning to middle to end—Clark outlines several common beginnings (Arrival, Departure, Meeting, Need, Birth, Death) and endings (Departures, Returns, Marriages, Need Satisfied, Death), along with a short account of less common ways to begin a novel. Subsequent discussions examine devices used in complex plot forms, such as Beginning with the Ending, Second Chapter Retrospects, Ghosts from the Past, Multiple Retrospects, One-Day Novels, One-Year Novels, Mirror Plots, Simultaneous Narration, Unnatural Chronology, and Non-Narrative Elements. The final chapter draws together the preceding discussions with a detailed case study of a recent novel, Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize–winning The Sympathizer. By analyzing common practices of narrative construction, From Paragraphs to Plots identifies sources of beauty and meaning in literature, approaching the aesthetic and the thematic as simultaneous and inextricable.

Includes music.

Grade Level: 3-6 ​The step-by-step lessons in this book will result in a complete understanding of the makeup and development of a paragraph. From learning the format, to identifying sentences that do not belong in a given paragraph, to writing a paragraph prompted by leading questions, to understanding the significance of a topic sentence, and maintaining sentence order within a paragraph, students advance to writing their own paragraph about a variety of suggested ideas. Clearly-stated examples and plentiful practice reinforce comprehension and retention of paragraph development skills. Clever illustrations and high-interest subject matter add to the effectiveness of this comprehensive teaching aid.

An interactive, multimedia text that introduces students to reading and writing at the college level.

Author and former literary agent Nathan Bransford shares his secrets for creating killer plots, fleshing out your first ideas, crafting compelling characters, and staying sane in the process. Read the guide that New York Times bestselling author Ransom Riggs called "The best how-to-write-a-novel book I've read."