Power Writing

Power Writing

Mrs. McDermottYHS

By Using Three Numbers, Power Writing Assigns the Value of:

• 1st Power- Main ideas, topic sentences, and topic paragraphs

• 2nd Power- Major details that explain main ideas

• 3rd power- Minor details that elaborate upon or clarify details

• Stage 1 Word Power• Stage 2 Phrase Power • Stage 3 Sentence Power• Stage 4 Powergraph 122• Stage 5 Powergraph 12323• Stage 6 Powergraph 12323- Active Voice (No

“to be” verbs)• Stage 7 Sentence Patterns• 1232323, 1233233233,etc. Powergraphs

Stage 1-Word Power1. Cities2. Roads3. Families4. Disasters5. Music6. Friends7. Games8. Lies9. Vacations10. Jobs

Roads

Stage 2- Phrase Power

• A phrase a NOT a complete sentence1. big cities in Arizona2. roads in Buckeye3. famous families 4. major national disasters5. music I like

• Turn the rest of the words in stage 1 into phrases

Stage-3 Sentence Power• For our purposes right now, all stage 3

sentences will start with “there are two”• Turn your phrases into “there are two”

sentences1. There are two big cities in Arizona I like to

visit.2. There are two major roads in Buckeye. 3. There are two famous families I admire.

• Turn the rest of your phrases into “there are two” sentences

More Stage-3 Practice• Turn the following phrases into “there

are two” sentences1. Countries of Europe2. Names of children3. Leaders of the world4. Professional sports in America 5. States in the southwest6. Fast cars7. Movies for children8. Stores in Buckeye

Stage 4 122

• After practicing power 1 (topic) sentences we are ready to move on to stage 4

• A power 2 represents concrete detail. Here you mention specifically what you are talking about

• You will use transitions followed by a comma

Major Transitions• For example• For instance• To clarify• Additionally• First- NO such word as firstly • Second (ly)• Third (ly)• Basically

Set up• Power 1= “There are two…” sentence• Power 2= Name the two things (the support)

• (1) There are two mean teachers at BUHS.• So now name the two teachers in a complete

sentence (make sure you have a verb)• (2) To begin, Ms. Ramey is wickedly evil.• (2) Finally, her brother, Mr. Ramey, yells at us

all the time.

Example• Cities• Cities in Arizona

(1) There are two cities in Arizona I would like to visit .

(2) For example, Flagstaff is home to many unique things.

(2) Furthermore, Phoenix has a lot of entertaining things to do.

Another Example

• Roads• Roads in Buckeye

(1) There are two roads in Buckeye the police always watch.

(2) First, there is MC85 which cuts through the town.

(2) Next, Miller Road always has people speeding down it.

Stage 5 12323

1= Topic Sentence2=Concrete Detail (supporting the topic sentence)3=Commentary- More specific explanations

Example• Word= Students

(1)There are two students I am very close to.(2) First, there is Danny.(3) Specifically, I have had him in class for the last

three years for journalism, English 4, AP Lit and Comp, and English 101-102.

(2) Next, I am very close to Ryan.(3) For example, sometimes we hang out after

school and talk about our problems.

Another Example(1)There are two cities in Arizona I would like to

visit.(2) For example, Flagstaff is home to many unique

things.(3) Specifically, there is NAU and Snow Bowl.(2) Furthermore, Phoenix has a lot of entertaining

things to do.(3) For instance, we can go to an AZ Diamondback

baseball game.

Your Turn

• Take the phrase “stores in Buckeye” and make a 12323 powergraph

• Label each sentence as a 1,2, or 3

Turn these phrases into a 12323

1. students at school2. tasty foods3. things that stink (don’t use bad words)4. fun things5. attractive people

No, There Are Two Sentences

• Develop a 12323 powergraph without the use of “There are two”

• Olympics • Candy• Cell Phones

Stage 6- “no to be verbs”

• The passive voice in writing is boring and imprecise.

• By using an active voice your writing comes alive and becomes more detailed.

“To Be” or passive verbs

• Be• Is • Are• Were• Was• Being• Been• Am

Example powergraph

• I enjoy shopping at two different stores in Buckeye

• First, you can always find everything you need at Wal-Mart.

• For example, they have food, clothes, and sporting goods.

• Next, Fry’s carries a wide variety of foods.• Specifically, they sell chips, cereal, and steak.

Your turn: Turn these passive sentences into active ones (hint, the rewrite may be

shorter than the original)1. Mike is a student2. I am a writer3. Sandra and Ryan are happy4. Maria was here yesterday5. Brandon and Erik were absent6. Martin is being naughty7. Sophia has been here all day

More Practice

8. I’m reading the book The Great Gatsby9. We’re going to have fun this semester. 10. They’re having their party over there. 11. I am playing in a tournament this weekend. 12. Jose will be getting an A for the class.13. Mr. Seward can be very talkative at times. 14. We are going to BUHS in order to learn.

Stage 7 Sentence Patterns- for use on power one sentences

1. Strong, active verb2. Ask a question3. Use an exclamatory sentence4. Open with an adverb5. Open with a prepositional phrase6. Open with an adverbial clause7. Use parallel structure8. Use apposition

Strong Active Verb Examples

• Two problems perplexed the students• The police dogs patrolled two areas• Cats purr for two strange reasons

A question

• What two places in the world would I like to visit?

• What two types of candy do I like?• Where would I like to go to college?

An Exclamation

• Wow, two happy events occurred in my life!• Two terrible things happened today!• I want a ride on a camel for two reasons!

Prepositional Phrase Opener

• In Southern California, a tourist will find two unique spots of interest.

• Through my magic glasses, I saw two awesome sights.

• Down the street, live two interesting people.

Apposition

• Buckeye, a suburb of Phoenix, offers its residence two fun activities.

• Ramey, my English teacher, appears weird for two reasons.

• Chipotle, my favorite restaurant, makes two real tasty dishes.

Parallel Structure

• Washing dishes, cleaning house, and doing laundry annoy me for two reasons.

• Listening in class, following directions, and finishing assignments make me proud of myself in two ways.

• Baseball, hockey, and football excite me for two reasons.

Adverbial Clause Opener

• If I was lost, I would do two things.• While I shopped for clothes, I discovered two

ways to save money.• After Ramey gave us homework, the class

thanked him for two things.

Adverb Opener

• Wisely, Sam made two course decisions.• Happily, she made her parents proud for two

reasons.• Suddenly, as I slept in the woods late at night,

I heard two strange noises.

Your Turn

• Using each type of sentence pattern (8) label the sentence pattern and write a power one sentence for the following:– Classes at school– Strong Active Verb Example – Choosing two elective classes at school proved

exciting

Stage 8

• Stage 8 wraps everything up.• Keep doing what you’ve been doing but you

are just adding more detail• 1233233233• 1232323• Ect.

1232323 example

• (1)In the morning, I do three things before I go to school. (2) First, I wake up. (3) For example, my alarm is set at 7:04 am. (2) Next, I brush my teeth. (3) Specifically, I use Crest toothpaste. (2) Finally, I fix my hair. (3) For instance, I wet my hair, then rub some hair glue to give it a spiky look.

1233233233 Example

• (1)BUHS should have a closed campus for all students. (2)First of all, safety should be the number one concern. (3) For example, students are in a rush during lunch and may exceed the speed limit. (3) Moreover, every year there is at least one major car accident involving students during lunch.

• (2) Next, a closed campus helps limit people ditching. (3) Specifically, when a student is forced to stay on campus during lunch, they are more likely to go to their next class. (3) Statistically, more students ditch during fourth period than any other period.

1233233233 Example

1233233233 Example

• (2) Finally, in order to make a closed campus work, the school needs to provide more food choices. (3) For instance, they could create a food court. (3) Moreover, the school could ask Subway, Pizza Hut, and McDonalds to set up stations to serve the students.

Your Turn

• Write a 1232323 powergraph on your thoughts about a closed campus using a strong active verb sentence pattern.

• Write a 1233233233 powergraph about something that’s happened in your life using a strong active verb or question sentence pattern.