High School Writing Tip Sheets - Citing Your Sources (Update)

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from HS Coffee Break helps fuel this blog. 

For the past few years I have been teaching high school writing in our homeschool tutorial co-op. Having seen several groups of students through the courses, I've noticed some issues and questions coming up regularly. I hope these Tip Sheets will be helpful to my students, their parents, and perhaps to other students and parent/teachers as well.

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In essays and research papers at the high school level, students should be able to provided a correctly formatted Works Cited page and should be able to use in-text citations, parenthetical citations, and signal phrases in their writing. Most students have learned at least some of these skills by the time they reach high school, but it can still be confusing. Here's a quick refresher and some good sources for more detailed information.

Source Information

As you're researching and taking notes, make sure to keep a record of all the sources you use, and which info came from which source. Note taking is probably an entire tip sheet of its own, but the basic gist is that you need to know specifically where each fact, quote, or reference comes from in the source. A good practice is to keep a Source Page or Working Bibliography as you research. Write down (or type) all the bibliographic information you'll need - author, title, publisher info, and date. For web sources, keep the specific URL and record the date you accessed the information. You may want to consider printing the information as well, if practical.

Works Cited Page

The most commonly used style is Modern Language Association (MLA), and if you use Google Documents or a Word program, you will find templates that format reports and Works Cited pages in MLA style automatically. Foolproof, right?! Well, yes, but you still have to know what information to plug in, what order it appears in, and how to correctly alphabetize the list. Alphabetize by the first item that appears for each source, which is usually the author's last name. Format is hanging indent, which means the first line of each entry starts at the left margin, and the second line is indented. Do not center. Works cited should appear at the end of your essay or paper, and on a separate page. Here's what it looks like using a couple of sources I recommend:

*Note that these examples are done following the 8th edition of MLA style.

In-Text Citations

When you use MLA documentation, you will use in-text citations, meaning you incorporate the source information in the text of your paper. When you use a fact, idea, or quote from one your sources, you use a signal phrase to let the reader know you're about to share something borrowed from the source. At the end of the quote or statement, you include a parenthetical citation that will refer the reader to the complete source information on the works cited page. Examples of signal phrases include:

According to author and teacher Sharon Watson,  . . .

" . . . ," writes Shona McCombes, a contributor at Scribbr.

At the end of the quotation or cited fact, you include a parenthetical citation. This is where you put the page number where the information is found in the source. If you did not include the author's name in the signal phrase, the author's last name should appear in the parentheses as well. Take a look at these examples:

In the textbook The Power in Your Hands, teacher Sharon Watson reminds students to include the credentials of anyone quoted so that readers will know the information is trustworthy (237). 

Correct punctuation can be a challenge, and questions often arise about the placement of quotation marks and end marks. A parenthetical citation is part of the sentence but not the quotation. "In other words, it appears after end quotation marks but before the period" (Watson 241). Another important detail to note is that there is no comma between the author's name and the page number.

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Those are the basics! Using in-text citations is not difficult, but it takes a bit of practice to remember some of the rules. Check out the following online sources with lots of detailed information about citing specific types of sources. 

Purdue Online Writing Lab

Scribbr

Otis College LibGuides

On the Writing with Sharon Watson website, there are a number of free writing prompts and tutorials, including this one for In-text Citations for High School. You should also refer to the updated versions of a couple of lessons from the textbook I mentioned above, as the 8th edition of MLA style came out after publication of the textbook and there are a couple of changes to the format of citations. There is now a 9th edition of MLA style, and in my very quick check for changes to citations and Works Cited pages I didn't see anything different, but don't take my word for it! Go to the 2020 article: New Tutorials to Document Sources for an explanation of updates to MLA style and a link to download the 2020 lessons. These updated lessons from the textbook are available at no charge. 

The textbook The Power In Your Hands from Writing with Sharon Watson is the one I've taught from in the co-op for several years, and I highly recommend it. You can find out more in one of my full reviews. The most recent is: 

That review article was adapted and updated from our previous full review here: The Power in Your Hands (A Schoolhouse Crew Review) and an update in the Blogging Through the Alphabet series here: The Power in Your Hands (Blogging Through the Alphabet).

  

A previous version of this article was published on Homeschool Coffee Break in October 2021.

 Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to HS Coffee Break by email 

 ©2006-2024 HS Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

High School Writing Tip Sheets - Point of View

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Homeschool Coffee Break helps fuel this blog. 

For the past few years I have been teaching high school writing in our homeschool tutorial co-op. Having seen several groups of students through the courses, I've noticed some issues and questions coming up regularly. I hope these Tip Sheets will be helpful to my students, their parents, and perhaps to other students and parent/teachers as well.

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Most students have mastered the differences between first person, second person, and third person pronouns in writing, but choosing the correct style for a writing assignment might pose some challenges. When writing fiction, students tend to fall into the pattern that is most comfortable, but are not consistent throughout the story. And when writing non-fiction, many students have trouble sticking to Third Person.

Four Basic Point of View Styles

First Person - personal pronouns I, me, my, mine (we, us, our, ours) 

Second Person - personal pronouns you, your, yours

Third Person Limited  - personal pronouns he, she, him, her, his, hers (they, them, theirs)

Third Person Omniscient

The Basic Rule

There are four basic Point of View types, and you choose which to use based on the type of writing you're doing. For fiction writing, you may choose any of these or their variations, depending on your preference and the needs of your story. For non-fiction writing, your choice will be more limited, as it will be dictated by the purpose of the piece you're writing and the intended audience. In any writing, once you've chosen your Point of View, be consistent. Choose the point of view and stick to it. That means making the pronouns match too. Don't start out in First Person and switch to Second Person partway through. Don't tell your story in  Third Person except for a few random sentences in First Person. 

When Writing Fiction

You have the most freedom to choose the point of view style when you are writing fiction. Your choice will be based on the kind of story you want to tell, your preference and what comes naturally to you as you write, and what works best to tell the story. 

Consider these aspects: Whose story is it? Would it be more interesting told from one point of view rather than another? How will information outside of the viewpoint character's knowledge be shared?

Establish the point of view very early in the story. If you're switching viewpoint characters (Third Person Multiple Vision), make sure there's a visual break when you switch and that you quickly establish who is taking over as viewpoint character.

Unless you're writing in Third Person Omniscient, you must limit the viewpoint. In other words, what other characters are thinking or feeling must somehow be filtered or interpreted by the viewpoint character and narrator. 

The four basic point of view types can be refined into some additional choices. Here they are, along with how each is commonly used:

First Person is usually the protagonist telling his own story, but if it's a secondary character telling the story (like Dr Watson in the Sherlock Holmes stories), it's called First Person Peripheral. The character telling the story might also be an Unreliable Narrator. In this style, what the first person narrator says is different from what the reader can figure out is true. That unreliable narrator might be deceptive or untruthful - for instance, if it's the antagonist or villain's point of view - or perhaps just not catching on to the real meanings of other character's actions. Another type of First Person is the Epistolary, in which the story is told in a series of letters or journal entries (think Bram Stoker's Dracula). First Person Plural is a very unusual style, in which everything is narrated as though happening to a whole group and the individual telling the story is never identified.

In Second Person stories, the narrator tells what "you" do and say. It's usually in present tense as well. This is commonly seen in fan fiction stories, and in 'choose your own adventure' style stories. It's best for short stories.

The Third Person narrator is usually Third Person Single Vision, which means that the narrator chooses one viewpoint character to focus on and everything is filtered through that character's thoughts and reactions. The narrator can tell the reader what that character is thinking and feeling, but can't get inside any other character's head. In Third Person Omniscient, the narrator can get inside the heads of all the characters. This style was used in many of the classics, but is less often used in more contemporary writing. You may want to switch from one viewpoint character to another, and this is called Third Person Multiple Vision. So one character would be the viewpoint character for a chapter or scene, then there would be a visual break such as a new chapter or a row of asterisks to indicate a change, and then the viewpoint would shift to a different character. 

Point-of-view is a matter that readers rarely pay attention to, yet it's one of the most important story decisions an author makes. ~Therese Fowler

When Writing Non-Fiction

When writing non-fiction, usually the point of view is based on the purpose for your writing and the intended audience. When writing in a casual voice or tone in a descriptive essay, for example, First Person or Second Person would be appropriate. However, more formal writing generally calls for Third Person to keep it objective.

First Person is appropriate for a memoir or autobiography, or for personal experience essays. Second Person can be used for instructional or advice essays, or for process writing (the how-to essay). Sometimes descriptive or personal experience essays can be in Second Person as well.

Most expository and persuasive writing is in Third Person and maintains a more objective and formal tone. When writing a formal essay such as a logical appeal or a research paper, it's very important to maintain the objectivity of Third Person and not slip into using second person pronouns or making first person statements.

That is the strangest thing about the world: how it looks so different from every point of view. ~Lauren Oliver

 

As usual, proofreading is an indispensable step! Watch for inconsistencies when proofreading your story or essay, especially in the pronouns used.

Other helpful articles on the web:

• How Point of View Changes the Feel of a Story on Writing With Sharon Watson
• Point of View in 2021: Third Person Omniscient vs Third Person Limited vs First Person at The Write Practice
• Point of View in Grammar and Composition at ThoughtCo

Some of this article is based on information in the wonderful textbook Writing Fiction [In High School] from Writing with Sharon Watson. This textbook is the one I've taught from in the co-op for several years, and I highly recommend it.

Read our full review at Writing Fiction - Bringing Stories to Life (A Homeschool Coffee Break Review)

A previous version of this article was published on Homeschool Coffee Break in October 2021.

Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to HS Coffee Break by email 

©2006-2022 HS Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/ 

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

 

Homeschool Live Special with Kirk Cameron

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from HS Coffee Break helps fuel this blog. 

Have you noticed promotions lately for an upcoming movie called The Homeschool Awakening? Kirk Cameron has been working on this project for the past couple of years and it will be in theaters June 13th and 14th. 

I've graduated my four students out of our homeschool, but I'm still very interested in seeing the movie. If you're currently homeschooling, considering homeschooling, or just curious and want to know more about what homeschooling is really like, I think this will be a fascinating and eye-opening look at the home education world. 

If you want to find out more BEFORE the movie comes out, check out the Homeschool Live Special tomorrow. Join Paul and Gena Suarez on June 7, 2022, at 2pm EDT, as they interview Kirk Cameron LIVE on Facebook about this timely film. Get a glimpse into its development, purpose, and vision before it hits the theaters. Select audience questions will be answered during this live event, so come prepared to ask Kirk Cameron your questions about his new movie. Here is your link to the Facebook Event page: Homeschool LIVE Special With Kirk Cameron. (Or click on the graphic below)

If you're not familiar with Paul and Gena Suarez, they are the publishers of The Old SchoolhouseⓇ Magazine, and there's a whole family of resources that has grown out of the publication. So if you're homeschooling or considering it, The Old SchoolhouseⓇ has valuable resources and help available for you. You can give your kid a solid, well-rounded education at home. One TOS website to help you get started is Schoolhouse Connect. This is a hub website for families considering homeschooling, new to homeschooling, or just looking for ways to connect with other homeschoolers in their area. The Old SchoolhouseⓇ makes all kinds of homeschool information available on this site, and makes it easy for you to explore The Old SchoolhouseⓇ Magazine, SchoolhouseTeachers.com, and to find Schoolhouse Ambassadors and support groups in your area. Reach out to the homeschooling community in your area and you're sure to find some people who are enthusiastic and welcoming.

 If you're in Maryland, you can comment here or message me and I can help you get connected with someone local. (Up until recently, I was a Schoolhouse Ambassador) Since this blog was homeschool focused for most of its existence, there are lots of how to homeschool articles here too. Comment or message me and ask questions!

Here's one about getting started:

Suddenly Homeschooling - How to Get Started

See also: 

The previous Suddenly Homeschooling - Pro Tips posts:

Carrying On At Home

Resources For You!

Establishing A New Normal

and the rest of the How Do You Homeschool Series here on HS Coffee Break.

 

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Get your tickets to The Homeschool Awakening movie at: Fathom Events - Kirk Cameron Presents The Homeschool Awakening

Find out more about the movie in this article at The Discovery Institute. 

 Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to HS Coffee Break by email 

 ©2006-2022 HS Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

High School Writing Tip Sheets - How To Write a "How To" Paper

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from HS Coffee Break helps fuel this blog. 

For the past few years I have been teaching high school writing in our homeschool tutorial co-op. Having seen several groups of students through the courses, I've noticed some issues and questions coming up regularly. I hope these Tip Sheets will be helpful to my students, their parents, and perhaps to other students and parent/teachers as well.

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Any type of essay or writing that explains how to do something or how something works can be considered a "how to" paper or a Process Analysis paper. It might bring to mind a textbook or instruction manual, but it could also take the form of a lighthearted or humorous piece about how the simple act of packing for a weekend trip became a huge ordeal when everything went wrong.

As with any essay, plan the body first. If you'll be explaining how to do something, go through the process yourself taking notes on each step. Decide how much explanation is needed for the various steps, and this may depend on your audience. Once you have written down all the steps in the process, and if necessary, a list of items needed to complete the process, you can compose sentences and paragraphs from that skeleton. Use clear transition word and phrases to guide the reader from one step to the next. 

Some examples of transition words and phrases: next; once that is complete; after this is in place; begin by; when you are ready; etc. Be careful that you don't overuse just one transition, and that your sentence structures are varied. You don't want to end up with a long list of "then do this, next do this" because that's not very interesting to read.

Process writing might also describe more than one way of completing a task or approaching a problem. For instance, you could prepare to host a party by carefully planning each menu item and cooking ahead of time, or you could have a potluck and just see what your guests bring, or you could order pizzas. 

The trouble with so many of us is that we underestimate the power of simplicity. ~Robert Stuberg

Use the smallest word that does the job. ~E.B. White

Another type of process essay is one explaining how you did something. This is more personal and may be something like how you pulled off a huge surprise party for your mom or explaining the method of cleaning your room that's most efficient for you. You should still start with the basic steps and then flesh them out into a narrative. This type of essay may be serious or light in tone.

Instruction does not prevent wasted time or mistakes; and mistakes themselves are often the best teachers of all. ~James Anthony Froude

Other process essays may explain how you would solve a problem. It's easy to see how this type of writing could be used in the business world, isn't it? This is the proposal for improvements and repairs for a building, or to solve a conflict in the community. The problem-solving process essay is usually written in a serious and formal style.

"How it works" essays may explain exactly that - how a hummingbird builds a nest or how satellite radio works - or these types of process essays may work backwards to explain what processes caused a particular result. This second type is called a causal-process essay and seeks to answer questions like these: What caused the breach in the dam? What factors are causing the decline in the manatee population? In the causal-process essay, you'll examine the factors that led to a result and you may also analyze what could have been done differently or evaluate the effectiveness of measures that were taken. This is more of an investigative essay and requires research and logic. 

As with most essays, it's often best to write the introduction and conclusion once the body is complete. Your introduction to a how-to essay should have an attention getter to interest your audience, and the thesis statement should clearly indicate what you will explain in your essay. The conclusion of a process essay does not need a call to action, but may sum up the project or encourage the reader to try it. 

Overall, I think process analysis essays are some of the easiest to write! How about you? 

See also: High School Writing Tip Sheets - The Essay Writing Process

 Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to HS Coffee Break by email 

 ©2006-2022 HS Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

High School Writing Tip Sheets - Creating Characters in Fiction

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Homeschool Coffee Break helps fuel this blog. 

For the past few years I have been teaching high school writing in our homeschool tutorial co-op. Having seen several groups of students through the courses, I've noticed some issues and questions coming up regularly. I hope these Tip Sheets will be helpful to my students, their parents, and perhaps to other students and parent/teachers as well.

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So you've got a creative writing assignment and you do have a good plot idea for your story, but you'll need a cast of characters to pull off the story. Most of us have read a book or watched a movie that was a decent story, but we didn't really connect well with the characters. Authors want their characters - especially the leads - to be memorable and distinctive, and to be engaging to readers. After all, if I start reading a book in which I don't care about the lead characters, it's less likely that I'll stick with the book.

The Creative Writing class I teach has been working on developing well-rounded characters recently. Here are some of the tips (most are from the textbook Writing Fiction [In High School] by Sharon Watson) that we've discussed and practiced.

Base characters on multiple sources.

In general, it's better to create a character that is a combination of traits and features from people you know, characters in literature, people in history, and yourself. Placing a character in your story that is  pretty obviously your best friend or family member might not be a compliment. 

Make the details and descriptions count.

Be choosy about the physical descriptions of your characters. It's not necessary to give a detailed description of exactly what the character looks like - so mention the descriptors that are relevant and use physical features, clothing, and movements in a meaningful way. Sometimes those descriptors become part of who the character is - like Harry Potter's round glasses and lightning-bolt scar hint at his personality and background and help define his character. What you choose to say about how the character dresses or moves is important to building the reader's impression of the character, so make sure to mention the details that develop that picture or will shape the story.

Don't write about a character. Become that character, and then write your story. ~Ethan Canin

By the way, the lead character(s) and antagonist need some description, but the 'extras' in the cast really don't. If you spend time carefully describing the three nameless guys that are waiting with the lead character at the bus stop, the reader expects those guys to be important to the plot and that they will show up later in the story. If they don't, you've misled your reader.

Establish the viewpoint character and voice.

If you're writing in first person, your viewpoint character is obvious. Give them a narrative style that suits the personality and setting you've assigned to the character. If you're writing in third person, you'll still have a viewpoint character, and the way the narration describes their thoughts and feelings should reflect the character's 'voice' as well. The voice of a naive young child as a viewpoint character is different from that of an arrogant college student, and different from that of a lonely elderly widow. 

Figure out what makes the character tick.

What is the character's motivation? What does he want? Why does he take the actions that get the story rolling? What is the challenge she is trying to overcome? What is she afraid of? Who does she love? 

The conflict of the story, at its most basic, is the lead character trying to get what he or she wants most despite the antagonist (or antagonistic forces) standing in the way. The character's biggest fear is often the challenge he must overcome in order to reach his goal. So as an author, get inside your character's head and decide who he is and what drives him. 

Plot grows out of character. If you focus on who the people in your story are, something is bound to happen. ~Anne Lamott

Give characters emotions and reactions that are relatable.

Consider how you feel physically when you're nervous or furious or excited. Pay attention to the facial expressions and actions of others that indicate their emotional state. Use those observations to make your characters come alive with believable responses to their stories, and to do justice to the descriptions. A first person narrator can mention her racing heart and clammy hands when she's feeling panicky about a showdown with her rival, and that's more effective than just saying "I was so nervous." A third person narrator can tell about the viewpoint character gritting his teeth and clenching his fists and the reader will get a feel for how angry he is. And those viewpoint characters will have to interpret the actions of other characters to figure out how they feel. As the lead character watches another character's face go pale and hands start to shake, it's obvious that the character is frightened. 

Character exists in emotions and sensations. Without it, he no more represents a living person than a fleshless skeleton. ~Francis Marion

Characters should react appropriately to the story's situations. When the Big Bad Wolf comes snarling at the door, the little pigs can be expected to be quaking in fear. When the hero finally succeeds in slaying the dragon, he should be relieved or happy, or both. And likely exhausted. The reactions and responses of characters should indicate the impact of the situations they are facing.

You've got to have characters you can identify with, and there'd better be trouble brewing somewhere. Whatever these people's lives have been before, they're about to change in a big way. That's what stories are all about. ~Jenny Wingfield

Create an empathetic lead.

In general, the lead character shouldn't be practically perfect in every way. Mary Poppins is perhaps the exception. In order for readers to be engaged with the protagonist, he should have some weaknesses or flaws that make him vulnerable or relatable. Even a lead character that is an overall lousy person can be empathetic if he has a sense of humor, is in danger, shows integrity or courage, or is vulnerable in some way. 

The character that lasts is an ordinary guy with some extraordinary qualities. ~Raymond Chandler

Some favorite examples we use in class are Tony Stark at the beginning of the movie Iron Man and The Grinch. 

Tony Stark is not a good person in that opening scene. He's arrogant, sexist, selfish, and rude. But he does have a sense of humor, and he does graciously kid around with the young soldiers. The way the soldiers react to him lets the viewer know they don't take his insensitive and sexist comments seriously - they smile and laugh, and they aren't offended. Then when the armored vehicle comes under attack, Stark is in danger and winds up alone and seriously injured - by his own weapon. Viewers might not like Stark at that point, but we've been drawn in and most of us want to know what happens to Stark and if he will have a chance to redeem himself. 

The Grinch is another character that doesn't seem to have any redeeming qualities. He's selfish and grouchy and irritable. He's not attractive. He plots ways to hurt the Whos just because he is annoyed by their singing. He is not nice to his little dog . . . but wait . . . he must look after the dog somehow because the dog sticks around. The Grinch is alone and friendless, his shoes are too tight, and perhaps he is cold and hungry. He is an empathetic character. 

Think of your main characters as dinner guests. Would your friends want to spend ten hours with the characters you've created? Your characters can be loveable, or they can be evil, but they'd better be compelling. ~Po Bronson

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For more about Point of View and Viewpoint Characters, see: High School Writing Tip Sheets - Point of View

Most of this article is based on information in the wonderful textbook Writing Fiction [In High School] from Writing with Sharon Watson. This textbook is the one I've taught from in the co-op for several years, and I highly recommend it.

Read our full review at Writing Fiction - Bringing Stories to Life (A Homeschool Coffee Break Review)

Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to HS Coffee Break by email 

 ©2006-2021 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

High School Writing Tip Sheets - Citing Sources

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Homeschool Coffee Break helps fuel this blog. 

For the past few years I have been teaching high school writing in our homeschool tutorial co-op. Having seen several groups of students through the courses, I've noticed some issues and questions coming up regularly. I hope these Tip Sheets will be helpful to my students, their parents, and perhaps to other students and parent/teachers as well.

**********

In essays and research papers at the high school level, students should be able to provided a correctly formatted Works Cited page and should be able to use in-text citations, parenthetical citations, and signal phrases in their writing. Most students have learned at least some of these skills by the time they reach high school, but it can still be confusing. Here's a quick refresher and some good sources for more detailed information.

Source Information

As you're researching and taking notes, make sure to keep a record of all the sources you use, and which info came from which source. Note taking is probably an entire tip sheet of its own, but the basic gist is that you need to know specifically where each fact, quote, or reference comes from in the source. A good practice is to keep a Source Page or Working Bibliography as you research. Write down (or type) all the bibliographic information you'll need - author, title, publisher info, and date. For web sources, keep the specific URL and record the date you accessed the information. You may want to consider printing the information as well, if practical.

Works Cited Page

The most commonly used style is Modern Language Association (MLA), and if you use Google Documents or a Word program, you will find templates that format reports and Works Cited pages in MLA style automatically. Foolproof, right?! Well, yes, but you still have to know what information to plug in, what order it appears in, and how to correctly alphabetize the list. Alphabetize by the first item that appears for each source, which is usually the author's last name. Format is hanging indent, which means the first line of each entry starts at the left margin, and the second line is indented. Do not center. Works cited should appear at the end of your essay or paper, and on a separate page. Here's what it looks like using a couple of sources I recommend:

*Note that these examples are done following the 7th edition of MLA style. The 8th edition of MLA style does not require the city of publication or the medium.

In-Text Citations

When you use MLA documentation, you will use in-text citations, meaning you incorporate the source information in the text of your paper. When you use a fact, idea, or quote from one your sources, you use a signal phrase to let the reader know you're about to share something borrowed from the source. At the end of the quote or statement, you include a parenthetical citation that will refer the reader to the complete source information on the works cited page. Examples of signal phrases include:

According to author and teacher Sharon Watson,  . . .

" . . . ," writes Shona McCombes, a contributor at Scribbr.

At the end of the quotation or cited fact, you include a parenthetical citation. This is where you put the page number where the information is found in the source. If you did not include the author's name in the signal phrase, the author's last name should appear in the parentheses as well. Take a look at these examples:

In the textbook The Power in Your Hands, teacher Sharon Watson reminds students to include the credentials of anyone quoted so that readers will know the information is trustworthy (237). 

Correct punctuation can be a challenge, and questions often arise about the placement of quotation marks and end marks. A parenthetical citation is part of the sentence but not the quotation. "In other words, it appears after end quotation marks but before the period" (Watson 241). Another important detail to note is that there is no comma between the author's name and the page number.

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Those are the basics! Using in-text citations is not difficult, but it takes a bit of practice to remember some of the rules. Check out the following online sources with lots of detailed information about citing specific types of sources. 

Purdue Online Writing Lab

Scribbr

Otis College LibGuides

On the Writing with Sharon Watson website, there are a number of free writing prompts and tutorials, including this one for In-text Citations for High School. You should also refer to the updated versions of a couple of lessons from the textbook I mentioned above, as the 8th edition of MLA style came out after publication of the textbook and there are a couple of changes to the format of citations. Go to the article: New Tutorials to Document Sources for an explanation and a link to download the lessons. These updated lessons from the textbook are available at no charge. 

The textbook The Power In Your Hands from Writing with Sharon Watson is the one I've taught from in the co-op for several years, and I highly recommend it. You can find out more in one of my full reviews. The most recent is: 

That review article was adapted and updated from our previous full review here: The Power in Your Hands (A Schoolhouse Crew Review) and an update in the Blogging Through the Alphabet series here: The Power in Your Hands (Blogging Through the Alphabet).

  

Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to HS Coffee Break by email 

 ©2006-2021 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

High School Writing Tip Sheets - Point of View

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Homeschool Coffee Break helps fuel this blog. 

For the past few years I have been teaching high school writing in our homeschool tutorial co-op. Having seen several groups of students through the courses, I've noticed some issues and questions coming up regularly. I hope these Tip Sheets will be helpful to my students, their parents, and perhaps to other students and parent/teachers as well.

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Most students have mastered the differences between first person, second person, and third person pronouns in writing, but choosing the correct style for a writing assignment might pose some challenges. When writing fiction, students tend to fall into the pattern that is most comfortable, but are not consistent throughout the story. And when writing non-fiction, many students have trouble sticking to Third Person.

Four Basic Point of View Styles

First Person - personal pronouns I, me, my, mine (we, us, our, ours) 

Second Person - personal pronouns you, your, yours

Third Person Limited  - personal pronouns he, she, him, her, his, hers (they, them, theirs)

Third Person Omniscient

The Basic Rule

There are four basic Point of View types, and you choose which to use based on the type of writing you're doing. For fiction writing, you may choose any of these or their variations, depending on your preference and the needs of your story. For non-fiction writing, your choice will be more limited, as it will be dictated by the purpose of the piece you're writing and the intended audience. In any writing, once you've chosen your Point of View, be consistent. Choose the point of view and stick to it. That means making the pronouns match too. Don't start out in First Person and switch to Second Person partway through. Don't tell your story in  Third Person except for a few random sentences in First Person. 

When Writing Fiction

You have the most freedom to choose the point of view style when you are writing fiction. Your choice will be based on the kind of story you want to tell, your preference and what comes naturally to you as you write, and what works best to tell the story. 

Consider these aspects: Whose story is it? Would it be more interesting told from one point of view rather than another? How will information outside of the viewpoint character's knowledge be shared?

Establish the point of view very early in the story. If you're switching viewpoint characters (Third Person Multiple Vision), make sure there's a visual break when you switch and that you quickly establish who is taking over as viewpoint character.

Unless you're writing in Third Person Omniscient, you must limit the viewpoint. In other words, what other characters are thinking or feeling must somehow be filtered or interpreted by the viewpoint character and narrator. 

The four basic point of view types can be refined into some additional choices. Here they are, along with how each is commonly used:

First Person is usually the protagonist telling his own story, but if it's a secondary character telling the story (like Dr Watson in the Sherlock Holmes stories), it's called First Person Peripheral. The character telling the story might also be an Unreliable Narrator. In this style, what the first person narrator says is different from what the reader can figure out is true. That unreliable narrator might be deceptive or untruthful - for instance, if it's the antagonist or villain's point of view - or perhaps just not catching on to the real meanings of other character's actions. Another type of First Person is the Epistolary, in which the story is told in a series of letters or journal entries (think Bram Stoker's Dracula). First Person Plural is a very unusual style, in which everything is narrated as though happening to a whole group and the individual telling the story is never identified.

In Second Person stories, the narrator tells what "you" do and say. It's usually in present tense as well. This is commonly seen in fan fiction stories, and in 'choose your own adventure' style stories. It's best for short stories.

The Third Person narrator is usually Third Person Single Vision, which means that the narrator chooses one viewpoint character to focus on and everything is filtered through that character's thoughts and reactions. The narrator can tell the reader what that character is thinking and feeling, but can't get inside any other character's head. In Third Person Omniscient, the narrator can get inside the heads of all the characters. This style was used in many of the classics, but is less often used in more contemporary writing. You may want to switch from one viewpoint character to another, and this is called Third Person Multiple Vision. So one character would be the viewpoint character for a chapter or scene, then there would be a visual break such as a new chapter or a row of asterisks to indicate a change, and then the viewpoint would shift to a different character. 

Point-of-view is a matter that readers rarely pay attention to, yet it's one of the most important story decisions an author makes. ~Therese Fowler

When Writing Non-Fiction

When writing non-fiction, usually the point of view is based on the purpose for your writing and the intended audience. When writing in a casual voice or tone in a descriptive essay, for example, First Person or Second Person would be appropriate. However, more formal writing generally calls for Third Person to keep it objective.

First Person is appropriate for a memoir or autobiography, or for personal experience essays. Second Person can be used for instructional or advice essays, or for process writing (the how-to essay). Sometimes descriptive or personal experience essays can be in Second Person as well.

Most expository and persuasive writing is in Third Person and maintains a more objective and formal tone. When writing a formal essay such as a logical appeal or a research paper, it's very important to maintain the objectivity of Third Person and not slip into using second person pronouns or making first person statements.

That is the strangest thing about the world: how it looks so different from every point of view. ~Lauren Oliver

As usual, proofreading is an indispensable step! Watch for inconsistencies when proofreading your story or essay, especially in the pronouns used.

Other helpful articles on the web:

• How Point of View Changes the Feel of a Story on Writing With Sharon Watson
• Point of View in 2021: Third Person Omniscient vs Third Person Limited vs First Person at The Write Practice
• Point of View in Grammar and Composition at ThoughtCo

Some of this article is based on information in the wonderful textbook Writing Fiction [In High School] from Writing with Sharon Watson. This textbook is the one I've taught from in the co-op for several years, and I highly recommend it.

Read our full review at Writing Fiction - Bringing Stories to Life (A Homeschool Coffee Break Review)

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High School Writing Tip Sheets - The Essay Writing Process

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Homeschool Coffee Break helps fuel this blog.

For the past few years I have been teaching high school writing in our homeschool tutorial co-op. Having seen several groups of students through the courses, I've noticed some issues and questions coming up regularly. I hope these Tip Sheets will be helpful to my students, their parents, and perhaps to other students and parent/teachers as well.

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You've been given a writing assignment - let's say it's an essay of at least 500 words. You've decided on a general topic for your essay, but now you're staring at a blank screen or page and you don't quite know how to get your thoughts on paper or where to start. Sometimes maybe it comes naturally and the writing just flows, but honestly that is pretty rare. More often than not, you'll need to put in some planning and preliminary work before doing the actual writing; and your work will go through a few revisions before it's polished enough to submit. Plan on putting in the time and effort for every assignment, because using a solid writing process will help you stay on track and produce quality writing.

I only write when I'm inspired, so I see to it that I'm inspired every morning at nine o'clock. ~Peter De Vries

What are the first steps in the writing process?

Before you start, make sure you understand the assignment and expectations. What type of essay are you to write? Persuasive, compare and contrast, research, analysis, how-to, descriptive . . . Choose your topic and your approach so that it suits the assignment parameters. Obviously, a compare-contrast essay will require you to have two subjects that can be compared in order to draw a conclusion. A research or how-to essay topic may need to be broadened or narrowed depending on the assignment word count. (See: High School Writing Tip Sheet - Word Count Requirements for more on that.) When writing a persuasive essay, remember that you will need to close with a specific and measurable call to action. If you don't have any idea what that call to action might be, maybe you need to reconsider your topic. 

You may be assigned a topic, or you may have one in mind right away. Or you may have a couple of ideas and need to think which one would be best. Brainstorm a bit - what supporting arguments do you have? What aspects can you compare and contrast? Once you've decided on your topic, you can start plotting the essay outline. Start with your purpose statement - what will you be attempting with your essay? For this article, my purpose statement was:

I am going to help students understand the writing process and persuade them to use it for their assignments.

A purpose statement helps the writer focus on what points should be included and gives direction to the essay, especially if it's to be a persuasive essay. Write a working thesis statement, which states the main idea of the essay and let the reader know what to expect. You may need to adjust your thesis statement as you research and write.

You'll need to do some brainstorming and some research to gather the information that supports your purpose. Choose your best points and plan what order to present them for best effect. The supporting arguments you use, and the order in which you present them should be chosen with your target audience in mind. If you're writing about the risks or benefits or teens working part-time, your arguments may be slightly different depending on whether your audience is the teens, their parents, or the prospective employers.

If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write. ~Martin Luther

Do I need an outline?

Yes! If you're an experienced writer, or the essay isn't a particularly long one, you may not need to write down your outline. But you probably have one in your head! Practice using an outline, even if it's just scribbled in the margins of your notebook. Plan what you need to say and the order to say it before you start writing. Most high school essays will be organized with an introduction, at least three supporting points, and a logical conclusion. A common visual aid for this organization is a Greek temple, with the introduction and thesis statement as the roof, the supporting points as the pillars, and the conclusion as the base. 

Where does the thesis statement belong?

In most essays, the thesis statement appears at the end of the introduction paragraph. Or paragraphs, if the introduction and essay is longer. Did you find the thesis statement of this article? It's this:

Plan on putting in the time and effort for every assignment, because using a solid writing process will help you stay on track and produce quality writing.

Now you're ready to start writing!

Start with your supporting arguments or points. Write those paragraphs and get them in the best order for your purpose. Then write your introduction and your conclusion. Remember that your thesis statement will usually be the last sentence in the introduction. Make sure your introduction captures the reader's attention and makes the subject clear. If it's an opinion or persuasive essay, your opinion or position on the topic should be made clear in the introduction. 

If you would persuade, you must appeal to interest rather than intellect. ~Benjamin Franklin

Write a conclusion that sums up your essay's argument and issues a clear call to action if appropriate. The conclusion should reiterate the main idea in your thesis statement without repeating it. Don't bring up a new reason or supporting point in the conclusion, and don't do a repeat of everything you've said. If you can relate your conclusion to your introduction, that can be a very satisfying way to bookend your essay. Answer a question posed in the introduction, or finish up an anecdote or example that was used in the introduction. 

The final step is always proofreading!

I'll repeat a point I make in High School Writing Tip Sheets - Proofreading Properly - Writing and proofreading are separate processes. You cannot skip the proofreading step. Always go back and read your paper, checking for any errors and double checking that you've fulfilled all the assignment requirements.

Once you've finished proofreading, and have made any necessary corrections or edits, you will have a polished and well-planned essay to submit. Putting in that time for planning and crafting your paper should pay off in the satisfaction of completing the assignment to the best of your ability, and in a good grade. 

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I've based most of my suggestions on ideas shared in the wonderful textbook The Power In Your Hands from Writing with Sharon Watson. This textbook is the one I've taught from in the co-op for several years, and I highly recommend it. You can find out more in one of my full reviews. The most recent is: 

That review article was adapted and updated from our previous full review here: The Power in Your Hands (A Schoolhouse Crew Review) and an update in the Blogging Through the Alphabet series here: The Power in Your Hands (Blogging Through the Alphabet).

  

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 ©2006-2021 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/ 

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