High School Writing

I’m teaching a co-op writing class for 11th and 12th graders. After years of online teaching, I get a huge kick out of seeing my students’ faces react to the things I say. I love the immediate feedback! Very fun.

We’re using my high school writing manual as the basis for our studies. Here are a few things I noticed in their writing from the first Module: Musical Language. If you’re using it, you might like to pay attention to these potential issues:

  1. Adverbs
    Pay attention to adverbs in descriptive writing. They can be a substitute for getting to the core of the experience.

    Example: “She opened the door, timidly.”

    Better: “She cracked open the door and peeked around the corner before entering.”

  2. Passive voice
    Put the passive in active voice.

    Example: “I was being shot by my dad when we went paintballing last weekend.”

    Better: “My dad shot me. After all, we went paintballing last weekend.”

When you revise, check for these and then make adjustments.

More suggestions for high school revisions to come! Feel free to send me your questions and suggestions for high school blogging topics, particularly if you are using the Help for High School manual.

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