Winston Churchill's Way With Words

LitWeb - The Norton Introduction to Literature: W. W. Norton & Company StudySpace When it comes to the study of literature, reading and writing are closely inter-related—even mutually dependent—activities. On the one hand, the quality of whatever we write about a literary text depends entirely upon the quality of our work as readers. On the other hand, our reading isn’t truly complete until we’ve tried to capture our sense of a text in writing. Indeed, we often read a literary work much more actively and attentively when we integrate informal writing into the reading process—pausing periodically to mark especially important or confusing passages, to jot down significant facts, to describe the impressions and responses the text provokes—or when we imagine our reading (and our informal writing) as preparation for writing about the work in a more sustained and formal way. Writing about literature can take any number of forms, ranging from the very informal and personal to the very formal and public.

LitWeb - The Norton Introduction to Literature: W. W. Norton & Company StudySpace W. W. Norton Home | Help | Contact Us | Site map | Site Credits LitWeb - The Norton Introduction to Literature StudySpace Genres Workshops Writing About Literature Glossary Tutorials Writing about Literature Paraphrase, Summary, Description Quiz Take the quiz about this section. Norton/Write The Norton Gradebook Instructors and students now have an easy way to track online quiz scores with the Norton Gradebook. Go to the Norton Gradebook American Passages Visit our companion site, American Passages. Back to Top Links Norton Website College Books Professional Books Trade Books Help Desk About W. W. This site and the materials contained herein ©2014 W.W. Commonly Confused Words Commonly Confused Words (printable version here) Words that sound alike or nearly alike but have different meanings often cause writers trouble. Here are a few of the most common pairs with correct definitions and examples: ACCEPT-to receive ex: He accepts defeat well. AFFECT-to influence ex: Lack of sleep affects the quality of your work. A LOT (two words)-many. ALLUSION-an indirect reference ex:The professor made an allusion to Virginia Woolf's work. ALL READY-prepared ex: Dinner was all ready when the guests arrived. ALTOGETHER-entirely ex: Altogether, I thought that the student's presentation was well planned. APART-to be separated ex: The chain-link fence kept the angry dogs apart. ASCENT- climb ex: The plane's ascent made my ears pop. BREATH-noun, air inhaled or exhaled ex: You could see his breath in the cold air. CAPITAL-seat of government. CITE-to quote or document ex: I cited ten quotes from the same author in my paper. LEAD-noun, a type of metal ex: Is that pipe made of lead?

Paragraphs and Topic Sentences A paragraph is a series of sentences that are organized and coherent, and are all related to a single topic. Almost every piece of writing you do that is longer than a few sentences should be organized into paragraphs. This is because paragraphs show a reader where the subdivisions of an essay begin and end, and thus help the reader see the organization of the essay and grasp its main points. Paragraphs can contain many different kinds of information. A paragraph could contain a series of brief examples or a single long illustration of a general point. It might describe a place, character, or process; narrate a series of events; compare or contrast two or more things; classify items into categories; or describe causes and effects. A well-organized paragraph supports or develops a single controlling idea, which is expressed in a sentence called the topic sentence. Most paragraphs in an essay have a three-part structure—introduction, body, and conclusion. Repeat key words or phrases.

Exquisite corpse an exquisite corpse Exquisite corpse, also known as exquisite cadaver (from the original French term cadavre exquis) or rotating corpse, is a method by which a collection of words or images is collectively assembled. Each collaborator adds to a composition in sequence, either by following a rule (e.g. "The adjective noun adverb verb the adjective noun," as in “The green duck sweetly sang the dreadful dirge”) or by being allowed to see only the end of what the previous person contributed. History[edit] In a variant now known as picture consequences, instead of sentences, portions of a person were drawn.[3] Later the game was adapted to drawing and collage, producing a result similar to children's books in which the pages were cut into thirds, the top third pages showing the head of a person or animal, the middle third the torso, and the bottom third the legs, with children having the ability to "mix and match" by turning pages. Modern examples[edit] William S. See also[edit] Notes[edit]

Brief Timeline of American Literature and Events, 1620-1920 Brief Timeline of American Literature and Events: Pre-1620 to 1920 This timeline provides a short chronology of events in American history and literature. It is linked to course pages and bibliographies as well as to a set of more general linked resources: pages on American authors, literary movements, and American literature sites. Each author page contains a picture (if available), a bibliography (if available), links to major sites about the author, and links to works online.

Nominalizations Are Zombie Nouns Draft is a series about the art and craft of writing. Take an adjective (implacable) or a verb (calibrate) or even another noun (crony) and add a suffix like ity, tion or ism. You’ve created a new noun: implacability, calibration, cronyism. Sounds impressive, right? Nouns formed from other parts of speech are called nominalizations. The proliferation of nominalizations in a discursive formation may be an indication of a tendency toward pomposity and abstraction. The sentence above contains no fewer than seven nominalizations, each formed from a verb or an adjective. Writers who overload their sentences with nominalizations tend to sound pompous and abstract. Only one zombie noun – the key word nominalizations – has been allowed to remain standing. At their best, nominalizations help us express complex ideas: perception, intelligence, epistemology. Elena Giavaldi Most major scientific theories rebuff common sense. Why does reading this paragraph feel like trudging through deep mud?

Neil Gaiman's 8 Rules of Writing By Maria Popova In the winter of 2010, inspired by Elmore Leonard’s 10 rules of writing published in The New York Times nearly a decade earlier, The Guardian reached out to some of today’s most celebrated authors and asked them to each offer his or her commandments. After Zadie Smith’s 10 rules of writing, here come 8 from the one and only Neil Gaiman: WritePut one word after another. For more timeless wisdom on writing, see Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 rules for a great story, David Ogilvy’s 10 no-bullshit tips, Henry Miller’s 11 commandments, Jack Kerouac’s 30 beliefs and techniques, John Steinbeck’s 6 pointers, and Susan Sontag’s synthesized learnings. Image by Kimberly Butler

Every Witch Way: Learning From the Infamous Trials of Salem Check out these resources for teaching about this dark chapter in America's past. The Salem witch trials offer rich fodder for social studies lessons. The following Web sites offer ideas for using the events as a springboard for discussing seventeenth-century society, women's roles, tolerance, justice, and more: Salem Witch Trials Unit This unit for fifth graders presents a synopsis of the events, two dozen simple activities, and a bibliography for teachers and students. The Salem Witch Trials WebQuest On this Web site, kids work in groups of four, playing the role of accused, afflicted, and two judges. Salem Witch Trial Reenactment In this sixty- to ninety-minute lesson, fifth graders play the parts of historical figures from Salem. Salem Witch Trials: Lesson Plans This Web site provides links to numerous lesson plans for grades 5-12, including a unit on Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, a classic dramatization of the events surrounding the witch trials.

EasyBib: Free Bibliography Maker - MLA, APA, Chicago citation styles English Language Arts: Writing Prompts/Journal Topics What is... What is something you dislike about yourself? What is something you do well? What is your favourite room in your home and why? What is a good neighbour? What if... What would happen if you could fly whenever you wanted? What do you think... What do you think of 3D movies? What...misc. What do you like most about yourself? How... How do you feel when it's your birthday? I wish... I wish I had a million... When... When you are angry, how do you look? Which... Which quality best describes your life--exciting, organised, dull--and why? Why... Why is it important to be honest? Misc... Do you think there is too much fighting on t.v.