© Pearson Education, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved.Performance Task: WriTing focus
The writer uses a participial
phrase to indicate that the
information to follow comes
from the start of the play.
The prepositional phrases
at the end of the paragraph
announce that this event
affects future events.The words however and
nevertheless indicate that
the information to follow
contrasts with what came
before. Thus means that the
information that follows is
supported by what came
before.LauncH TeXT eXamPLesWinding back the clock, we begin in Verona, where
we find Romeo, heir of the noble House of Montague,
feeling sorry for himself. His reason: rejection at the
hands of Rosaline, niece to Lord Capulet, leader of the
House of Capulet and rival to the Montagues. Romeo’s
friend, Mercutio, wishing to improve his friend’s spirits,
disguises Romeo and sneaks him into a Capulet party.
Romeo has his own motive for going—he wants to
see Rosaline again—but at the party he meets Juliet,
daughter of Lord Capulet, instead. From that moment in
time, they are in love, and everyone’s life gets worse....However, Shakespeare would disagree on this point.
His argument against this comes at the play’s very
beginning, where he writes:A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents’ strife.Thus, the miserable, painful deaths of so many
characters and the grief of their friends and relatives
lead to a lasting peace between the rival families. Future
generations, living without strife, might consider the
sacrifice a necessary step to a better age.Nevertheless, it is doubtful that Shakespeare’s own dead
characters would agree with him. Mercutio certainly
would not.making WriTing soPHisTicaTeD
Creating Cohesion: Structuring Sentences As writers develop
arguments, they must tie evidence together to establish logical support
for a claim. Writers may link ideas in any of several ways. The most
common methods include:
• introductory phrases or clauses that connect ideas
• transition words that express specific relationshipsRead It
These examples from the Launch Text demonstrate how to use transition
words and sentence structure to connect ideas and create a logical flow.Writing
Use words, phrases, and clauses
as well as varied syntax to link the
major sections of the text, create
cohesion, and clarify the relationships
between claim(s) and reasons,
between reasons and evidence, and
between claim(s) and counterclaims.364 UNIT 3 • FACING THE FUTURE, CONFRONTING THE PASTLIT17_SE12_U03_A_WC_PT.indd 364 3/20/16 4:40 AMTEACHING
AUTHOR'S PERSPECTIVE Jim Cummins, Ph.D.
The Importance of Frequent
Writing Writing on a daily basis for varied
audiences is especially important for second
language learners because it enables them
to express their ideas and also brings home
to them and their teachers what aspects
of language challenge them. Frequent
writing can be accomplished through
a combination of low-stakes (informal,ungraded) and high-stakes (formal, revised,
graded) writing. Using this approach allows
the teacher to nurture writing without
needing to grade everything. Here are some
suggestions for fostering regular writing:
• Do Quickwrites daily to review lessons
and learning.
• Assign public writing, aimed at real
audiences.• Include personal writing, such as
journals and diaries.
• Have students write reactions in
response to their readings. Students can
upload their reviews to class or school
webpages.
• Have students write across genres. Try
each one, having students pay attentionMaking Writing Sophisticated
Read It
Point out to students that when linking ideas,
an author can use a general transition, such
as “Before that time.. .,“ or a more specific
transition, such as “In 1842.” Have students
notice that in the launch text excerpt, the
writer uses figurative language in the transition
“Winding back the clock.” Explain that this was a
creative decision. Similarly, the author chose the
transitional phrase “From that moment in time”
instead of more common options, such as “From
then on” or “Following these events.”Make It InteractIve
Have volunteers suggest alternative transitions for
however, thus, and nevertheless as they are used
in the launch text excerpts. Encourage students to
try out creative transitions. Lead a class discussion
about how well the suggested alternatives work
and why.364 UNIT 3 • FacIN g The FUTU re, coNF ro NTIN g The pasT
LIT17_TE12_U03_A_WC_PT.indd 364 11/04/16 8:30 AM