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Writing

The information listed on this page is compiled of frequently asked questions about St. Edmund's, the school's rules and regulations and some general information. Most, if not all, of the information shown can be found in the student handbook.


Writing is a necessary skill for each student to master. Through writing we communicate and learn about the world, ourselves, and each other. Furthermore, the only way for a student to master this skill is to write regularly. Each student is expected to follow the writing standards in every subject area. By following these standards each student will enhance his/her own ability to communicate. Both the content of the written assignment, as well as the presentation, serve as criteria for evaluating student writing. To receive full credit for an assignment, students must follow the writing standards. Failure to do so may result in a deduction of points.


Presentation Of A Written Assignment

The intelligent thoughts and ideas within a writing assignment are the most important. It is expected that effort will be evident in the writing task that a student completes; however, students are expected to follow a specific format for the presentation of every written/typed assignment that is handed in. This includes all homework, projects, and tests.


Heading: Students are to use the following heading for all written and typed assignments: name, subject, date, teacher.


Typed Work: Students are to adhere to the criteria below for typed work: proper heading, 8 1/2 x 11 printer/typing paper, 1" margins on all sides, 12 pt. standard font, double-spaced lines, black ink.


Written Work: Any handwritten work must be presented in a clear and legible fashion. Students are expected to use only: the proper heading, 8 1/2 x 11 standard loose-leaf, blue or black ink.


Spelling/Grammar/Mechanics

All written work should follow the conventions of Standard English, since this is the form of English that is most widely used and accepted. There may be exceptions to this standard, as in the case of creative writing. Students can find, in the handbook, quick rules of grammar, mechanics, and spelling.


Plagiarism

To plagiarize is to take the ideas or writing from another and to offer them as one’s own without giving credit to the original source. Students who do not use the appropriate citation and references when using the ideas of another commit plagiarism. Plagiarism is cheating and will be dealt with in the same way as is stated in the student handbook.


The "ideas of another" refers to any written thought or idea from the Internet, an essay, book, poem, story, research piece, and so on that did not originate with the individual submitting the work. Students should understand that:

  1. Writing/Typing word for word the ideas of another without using appropriate citations and references is plagiarism.
  2. Paraphrasing/Summarizing the ideas of another without using the appropriate citation and references is plagiarism.
  3. Using any material from the Internet as one’s own ideas without incorporating appropriate citation and references is plagiarism.


Writing Process

Students may engage in various types of writing. The process of writing involves the stages of prewriting, drafting,revising,editing, and proofreading. A student can improve his/her writing skills by following the writing process. Teachers may observe the process that each student uses to complete an assignment; drafts of writing tasks may be collected for point value.


Below are the standards for final drafts of a Short Response, Formal Essay, and Research Paper. Furthermore, for each type of task completed, the student is expected to follow the appropriate guidelines for presentation, spelling/grammar/punctuation, and citation.


I. Short Response

A short response is any written assignment that is one sentence to one paragraph in length. This kind of writing assignment may be given as a homework activity, class work activity, or a test question. Each student is expected to always write his/her short responses in complete sentences, even in the case of one sentence responses. Furthermore, each student will write in Standard English, following the conventions of grammar, spelling, and punctuation.


II. Formal Essay

Formal essay writing revolves around a specific thesis/focus and attempts to prove or expand that thesis/focus. Each student is expected to follow the format for formal essays when completing final drafts. A student will be evaluated based on his/her ideas and ability to use details to expand those ideas, the organization of the essay, the successful use of Standard English, and the presentation of the essay. format of the Formal Essay:

 

  1. Introduction: The starting paragraph begins with sentences that introduce the topic and attempt to grab the attention of the reader. (Students may not use "In this essay, I will be writing about..." in the starting paragraph.) The beginning sentences lead into the thesis or focus of the essay. The thesis/focus must be in the introduction; often it is the last sentence of the introduction.
  2. Body: The progressing paragraphs prove or expand on the thesis/focus. These paragraphs should be organized around the details which support the thesis/focus. Students should not include any information that does not support his/her thesis. Often, these paragraphs should include a topic sentence as well.
  3. Conclusion: The closing paragraph ties up all of the significant points in the essay. These ending remarks leave the reader with the sense that the essay is significant.


III. Research Paper

All research papers should be typed and double-spaced with a one inch margin, in a standard font, 12pt. The paper should include a cover sheet with the title of the paper, the student’s name, the date, the class, and the teacher’s name.


A research paper is, first and foremost, a form of written communication. Like other forms of nonfiction writing, it should present information and ideas clearly and effectively. When researching and writing the paper, keep the following in mind:


  1. Selecting a topic - Students should research a subject that is interesting and will maintain his/her interest throughout the various stages of research and writing. Some preliminary readings in the library will help to determine the extent of your interest. In selecting a topic, keep in mind the time allotted to you and the expected length of the research paper.
  2. Determine the purpose in writing the paper. For example, is the purpose of the paper to describe something, explain something, argue for a certain point of view, or persuade the reader to think or do something?
  3. Develop a thesis statement expressing the central idea of the paper.
  4. Place the ideas and information in a preliminary list, and eliminate anything that would weaken the paper.
  5. A detailed outline may help to order the ideas of the paper.
  6. Write a first draft that has a clear-cut introduction, body, and conclusion.
  7. The first draft should be read over. This is a good time to revise ideas, rearrange sentences, and add/delete words and phrases. Follow the same procedure with each subsequent draft.
  8. Proofread and edit the final draft, making all final corrections.


Notation In A Research Paper/Essay

All information taken from an outside source or sources must be cited and credited within the research paper or essay. Not to do so constitutes plagiarism. This includes material that is paraphrased. General information, such as an author’s date of birth or place of birth, need not be cited. When in doubt about what information to include, ask your teacher.


Two forms of citation are acceptable for a Saint Edmund Prep student:

  1. Footnotes or End notes are references that are numbered consecutively throughout the paper and contain much of the same basic information found in a bibliographic entry. The notes are placed either at the bottom of the page (footnotes) or all on one page (end notes). End notes appear after the last page of the text and before the bibliography page.
  2. A simpler way to cite material is to place the author’s name and the page of the cited material at the end of the citation. For example, (Johnson, p.74). A list of the works cited will then appear in the bibliography with all the relevant information.


Bibliography Of A Research Paper/Essay

A bibliography is a list of works consulted and cited in the writing of the research paper or essay. All works cited must be included in the bibliography. However, do not include, in the bibliography, works that made no significant contribution to the paper.


The individual entries on your bibliography page should be listedalphabetically according to the author’s last names. Each entry should begin atthe margin with each subsequent line indented five spaces. Never number the entries. Samples of common bibliographic entries are listed below. (For further information, consult the MLA Handbook or a teacher.)


Sample Bibliography Entries

The following information is taken from the MLA Handbook of Research Papers. Keep in mind that an entry has three main divisions: title,author, and publication information each followed by a period and two spaces.

 

  • Sample 1 - Books.

          Lobdell, Jared. England and Always; Tolkien’s World of the Rings.

          Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981. 62-70.

  • Sample 2 - Books without authors, such as encyclopedias, guides, atlases.

          Encyclopedia of Photography. New York: Crown, 1984.

          A Guide to Our Federal Lands. Washington: National Geographic Society, 1984.

          The Times Atlas of the World. Rev. ed. London Times, 1984.

  • Sample 3 - Newspaper.

          Fuerbringer, Jonathan. "Budgetary Rhythms."

          New York Times 20 Mar. 1987, late ed. : A8.

  • Sample 4 - Magazine.

          Prince, Dinah. "Marriage in the 80’s." New York

          1 June 1987 : 30-38.

  • Sample 5 - Journal.

          Santley, Robert S. "The Political Economy of the Aztec Empire."

          Journal of Anthropological Research 41 (1985) : 327-337.

  • Sample 6 - Electronic journal (no print version).

          Elkhart, Wolfgang. "Planning for Resource Shortages." Earth

          Care 8.3 (10 Apr. 1996) : 8 pp. Online. Internet. 6 June 1996.

          Available FTP: berline.cc.stanfordu.ca


There are many other sources such as online information that also exists in print, films, and recorded documents. Consult the MLA Handbook for the citation format for these other types of sources.