Textbook Return

We will be returning our textbooks on Wednesday, June 4th to the textbook office at 10:35 (towards the end of the period). Be sure to bring your textbook to class on this date.

Make-Up Work

All make-up work for the semester is due on Tuesday, June 3rd. No assignments will be accepted after this date (no excuses--if you are not on campus on the 3rd and have work to submit, you had better send it with a friend or family memeber--I will not accept any work after Tuesday, regardless of the reason).

Extra-Credit--Socratic Seminar

There are only a couple of weeks left of school and many of you could use some extra points before grades are submitted. As such, I am offering extra-credit to any individual who would be willing to plan and execute a socratic seminar for the class. If you are interested, you must come up with an article on a topic that would be appropriate to discuss in class (newspaper article, poem, excerpt from a story, lyrics, etc.) and develop at least five questions with which to engage the participants in the seminar. You must bring this sheet to me so that I may review it and give you the o.k. to present it to the class and execute the discussion. You must submit this information to me at least one day in advance of the discussion (preferably two). You will then be required to make copies of the article and questions for each student in the class and to lead the discussion on the date agreed upon. Please see me if you have any questions or concerns.

Extra Credit--Reading Project

The following is an extra credit opportunity for students. It is not required to complete but is recommended for anyone who would like to improve his or her grade in the course.

Step 1: Read one of the following plays:
1. Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
2. The Importance of being Ernest by Oscar Wilde
3. Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen
4. A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen
5. An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen
6. The Wild Duck by Henrik Ibsen
7. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
8. Othello by William Shakespeare


Step 2(Project): After reading one of the stories, complete a "report ball" on the information from the reading. Please see Mr. Hall with specific questions, especially with construction of the ball. The report ball has 12 sides. The necessary information that should appear on each side is as follows:

1. Title
2. Author
3. Settings
4. Summary of what happened in the beginning of the story
5. Summary of what happened in the middle of the story
6. Summary of what happened in the end of the story
7. Favorite part of the story and why
8. Favorite character in the story and why
9. Main characters of the story along with descriptions and importance to the plot
10. Recommendation (would you recommend this story for others to read. Explain why or why not)
11. Picture/Drawing of a theme or event from the story
12. Your Name

*This assignment is due on Friday, May 30th

Extra Credit--May 17th

Extra Credit due Tuesday, May 20th:

If you can figure out the significance of May 17th (what happened that would cause a people to celebrate this day) and write a summary on what you have found, I will give you extra credit for completing the challenge. Hint: it is a historical event from outside of the United States--think of a culture that I would be celebrating.

*Be sure to include as much information as possible, including the historical events that led up to it as well as the cultural events by which it is now celebrated.

Sample Research Paper

*Note: The following is a research paper that I had written in 2007. Unfortunately, this blog does not allow me to reproduce this paper in the correct format. Anyhow, this example will at least show you how the content should appear (how to integrate quotes and paraphrases into the text as well as offering one's own insight and interpretation to the topic). The numbers that appear randomly on their own lines are the page numbers of the original paper. I simply did a copy and paste and this is the format that it spit out onto the blog. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Brett Hall
English 551
Dr. Baker
3-2-07
Through a Glass Darkly: An Interpretation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight through the Lens of Biblical Covenants and Allusions
There are a variety of lenses with which one may explore the text of Sir Gawain and the Green knight, and a variety of layers, which may be peeled back and explored within the context of each of those lenses. One such lens is to explore the Christian elements and influence within the text. While chivalry appears to be the dominant code for the characters, it is obvious that Christianity plays a defining role in the lives of the characters. The influence of Christianity is found in the language and, to a smaller extent, the actions of the characters. Yet imbedded within the covenants and contracts with which the characters engage is the subtle influences of Biblical covenants and Biblical allusion which forms the strength of the covenants entered into, thereby binding Gawain, Bertilak, the Lady, and ultimately Morgan Le Fee to one another.
To understand the strength of the covenant, which seemingly will bind Gawain to his death, we must first explore the context of the covenant—the parameters which are subtly placed through Biblical types and allusions. We begin at Arthur’s court which according to William F. Woods “seems transcendently simple and practically Edenic, in their ‘first age / On sille’ (54-55)” (209). The appearance of innocence, youth, and a carefree environment at court is reminiscent of the scene within the Garden of Eden. It is
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in the Garden of Eden where the first covenant made by man is entered into, and Arthur’s court, which resembles it, is the first place a covenant is made in the text. Just as there is a three-way covenant in the Garden (Adam, Eve, and God), there is a three-way covenant in Arthur’s court (Arthur, Gawain, and the Green Knight or Gawain, The Green Knight, and Morgan Le Fee, depending upon how one chooses to view the original covenant). Not only does the story begin with a reference to the Garden but likewise ends with such a reference. This is seen not only with Gawain’s return to Arthur’s court, but in his defense of being duped by a woman: “But it is no wonder if a fool acts insanely / And is brought to grief through womanly wiles; / For so was Adam beguiled by one. . .” (2414-2416).
The Christian overlay is further enforced by the events taking place in the Christmas season. The Green Knight even refers to the initial covenant as a “Christmas game” (283). In this sense, the “game” or covenant is made in honor of Christ’s Mass. Hence, while chivalry plays an important role in the life of Gawain, and those with whom he comes in contact, the motivating factor for being faithful to his oath is centered in his Christian beliefs. There are those who will argue that Christianity plays such a little role in the story of Gawain and that the references are more cultural than religious in nature. To those who would focus solely on culture without exploring the influence of religion, Anthony Low states: “There is a growing recognition that we cannot talk about culture, especially in earlier periods, without talking about religion. That is hardly surprising, since ‘culture’ derives from the Latin cultus, a word with roots in religion, sacrifice, ritual, and communal ontology” (1). In this sense, Christianity is fused into the culture
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as is the culture into the religion; it becomes difficult to determine where one influence ends and the other begins. Regardless, there is plenty of evidence to support Gawain’s motives as being fundamentally Christian.
To understand the import of Christianity on the influence of the oaths and covenants that Gawain enters into we must first explore the religious tradition of covenant making and explore how it relates to Gawain’s own experiences. Covenant making in a Christian culture has its roots in the experiences of the Old Testament. The first covenant between God and man was made in the Garden of Eden and was by way of command. In Genesis 2: 15-17 Adam covenants with God to tend the garden and not to partake of the forbidden fruit and in return is promised the right to eat freely within the garden. Adam and Eve’s breaking of the commandment (which was a form of a covenant or agreement) lead to sin and death being introduced into the world. Previous to this time Adam and Eve lived in harmony with all the animals and knew them (Adam having named all of the animals, see Genesis 2:19). It is at this point that God made a new covenant with Adam and Eve wherein they were cast out of the garden (and from the presence of God) wherein they would have to labor for their own cause, and the promise was made that they would have time for repentance wherein they may have hope to one day regain the presence of God. As part of the covenant God made “coats of skins, and clothed them” (Genesis 3: 21). It may be inferred that these skins came from an animal, which Adam perhaps knew (his breaking of the original covenant literally causing bloodshed).

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Throughout the Old Testament covenants were made with the shedding of blood
(from a Christian perspective the symbolism being two-fold—the blood representing
death and sin on the one hand and the atoning blood of Christ which brings life and forgiveness on the other). One such account portrays Moses making a covenant between God and his people as is related in Exodus 24: 7-8:
And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the
People: and they said, all that the Lord hath said we will do, and be
Obedient. And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people,
And said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made
With you concerning all these words.

In Jeremiah 34:18 we receive an account of the practice of cutting an animal in two and passing between the severed beast as a sign of the covenant:

And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have
Not performed the words of the covenant which they had made
Before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts
Thereof. . .

In both cases, and in countless others, bloodshed was a symbolic part of the covenant which was made. This practice, according to Christianity, was done away with after the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane and subsequently on the cross. The shedding of Christ’s blood was the final and lasting sacrifice (the event with which all other sacrifices by the shedding of blood had reference, being a type or symbol of the sacrifice of Christ). These Old Testament rituals then are viewed by many Christians as the means by which God’s covenant people looked forward to the coming and sacrifice of
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Christ. Many Christians likewise view the partaking of the sacrament of the Lord’s
supper as symbolic for believers looking back to the sacrifice of the Son of God (partaking of his body and blood).


As we look at the covenants that Gawain enters into we quickly discover that blood is associated with each to some degree. Although the accounts with Gawain are considerably different from the accounts recorded in the Old Testament, the mere fact that blood is associated with the covenants may be viewed symbolically. This is expressly seen in the first covenant made between Gawain and the Green Knight. The covenant does not become of force until Gawain sheds blood:

Gawain grasped the axe and lifts it up high,
Setting his left foot before him on the ground,
Brought it down swiftly on the bare flesh
So that the bright blade slashed through the man’s spine
And cut through the white flesh, severing it in two,
So that the shinning steel blade bit into the floor.
The handsome head flew from the neck to the ground,
And many courtiers kicked at it as it rolled past.
Blood spurted from the trunk. . . (421-429).

The spilling of the Green Knight’s blood puts into effect the covenant by which Gawain is bound. Having participated in the “game” by giving a blow, and with the Green Knights survival, Gawain experiences a deep and abiding obligation to receive a blow one year and a day later. Knowing that it would mean certain death, nothing less than a devout commitment to the covenant would compel an individual to the fulfilling of the
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promise. Hence, the connection to Old Testament elements of covenant making represent the religious commitment with which Gawain feels duty bound.
The next covenant that Gawain enters into is with Bertilak and is also surrounded by elements of Old Testament covenant making. Although we do not witness the sacrifice of animals at the time of the verbal covenant that takes place between Bertilak and Gawain, the shedding of the blood of a beast is at the center of the agreement. Bertilak offers the conditions of the contract, which Gawain accepts, when Bertilak states: “. . . ‘Let us make an agreement: / Whatever I catch in the wood shall become yours, / And whatever mishap comes your way give me in exchange’” (1105-1107). Upon agreeing to the covenant, Bertilak enters into the woods to hunt and upon gathering together “the fattest of the deer” Bertilak “neatly dismembered them as ritual requires” (1326-1327). It is important to note that the ritual that the text speaks of is not the Old Testament ritual; rather, it is a part of the custom of the time for properly gutting and cleaning game. What is of interest, however, is the pun on the word “game.” This is the word of choice for the Green Knight (Bertilak) in presenting the first covenant and now he is hunting a different type of game. Both the game and the game are a part of the covenants into which the two parties have entered (this pun works for the modern translation—I am unaware if it will work in the middle English). What is more, the contemporary image of the deer being cut and severed is reminiscent of the Old Testament account as recorded in Jeremiah, in which a calf was cut in twain and the covenant makers passed between. While it is not the same ritual being performed, it does evoke a similar image and hence may be viewed as symbolic for the religious tradition of
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covenant making. Although Bertilak and Gawain do not pass between the severed deer,
they do pass the severed deer between them, and though the deer is not the appointed sacrificial beast, it is sacrificed as part of the covenant—the shedding of blood appears in both accounts. As a result, Gawain is bound completely to the oath with a religious conviction.
This oath or covenant of exchange, as I like to call it, is executed perfectly by both parties as both have remained faithful and true to the covenant made. This is displayed at the exchanging of the prizes according to the covenant: “In front of the gathering [Bertilak] orders his men / To lay out his venison truly before [Gawain] / . . . ‘Does this game please you? Have I won your praise? / . . . I give it all to you Gawain / . . . For by the terms of compact you may claim it as yours’ / [to which Gawain replies] ‘and I say the same to you: / What I have won in this castle, / With as much good will truly shall be yours’” (1374-1387). Not only is this the first covenant that is completed and executed perfectly in the text, it also leads to two subsequent covenants which are the same in nature. This oath or covenant of exchange is meted out a second time in lines 1404-1409, wherein part of the covenant again includes the shedding of blood as a boar is dismembered and beheaded (see lines 1605-1609). And the covenant is meted out a third time in lines 1673-1679, once more being associated with the shedding of blood as a fox is hunted and slain. With the first two covenants the animal was presented to Gawain in the form of food, but for the third it is offered as raiment. Interestingly, we can make a
connection between Gawain receiving the fox pelt (see line 1943) and Adam receiving a
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coat of skins. In this manner the reader is continually being exposed to biblical imagery, which in turn causes the reader to infer Gawain’s state of mind being influenced by religious ponderings.
While general similarities can be made between the rituals of Old Testament covenant making and the covenants made between Gawain and Bertilak, some may argue that the connection unravels as we explore the covenant that is made between Gawain and the Lady. Although the similarities are not as clearly revealed there are still connections to be made between the two. The covenant between Gawain and the Lady is based upon the Lady giving Gawain the gift of the green girdle, which will protect him from death in return for his word that he will never reveal the gift to anyone, especially the Lady’s husband (1862-1865). This covenant is interesting in that there is seemingly no bloodshed connected to the making of it, yet if we explore it further we find that in reality there is. On the one hand, the gift itself is designed to stop bloodshed: “For whoever is buckled into this green belt, / As long as it is tightly fastened about him / There is no man on earth who can strike him down. . .” (1851-1855), yet is ultimately the cause of the shedding of blood in a small amount as Gawain receives a knick from Bertilak for his being unfaithful to the third covenant of exchange: “The blade cut into the body through the fair flesh / So that bright blood shot over his shoulders to the ground” (2313-2314). Although there is no blood at the time of the covenant there still remains a connection to blood being spilt as a result of the covenant.
Seeing that blood is associated in one form or another for each of the covenants entered into, we may begin to see its significance as a symbol of the importance of the
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contracts. The significance attached to the covenants themselves, from Gawain’s perspective, is directly associated with his Christian beliefs as represented through the connections to the Old Testament types and symbols of covenant making. In connection to the girdle that is offered as a gift for Gawain as he covenanted with the Lady, Susanne Sara Thomas states, “Symbolic objects often accompanied the formation of covenants in the Middle Ages, so the lace can be seen as an accompaniment to the covenant of secrecy, the actual “gift” the Lady offers Gawain” (301). In a like manner, each covenant Gawain enters into has a “blood gift” which is symbolically consistent with the practice of the time while connecting to the practices of the ancient Biblical times.
The question remains as to what is the purpose of these covenants entered into and are the covenants themselves valid? Thomas questions the validity of the covenants, stating, “One necessary element for a valid contract is that both parties must know the correct identity of the party they are contracting with” (292). The claim is made that each covenant is void due to the fact that the correct identity of the Green Knight (Bertilak), the Lady, and Morgan Le Fee is not revealed to Gawain at the time that the covenants were entered into. This may be true for medieval law, but as we apply the model of covenant making from the Old Testament we discover Biblical precedence that would view these covenants as binding. This is found in the account of Jacob and Esau as is found in Genesis 27: 18-23: “And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son? And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn. . . And [Isaac] discerned him not, because his hands here hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him.” In this account Jacob receives the covenant of the
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birthright from his blind father who believes him to be Esau. It is apparent that the identity of the party is not truly known, yet the covenant stands even after the deception is revealed. Likewise, while Gawain is unaware of the true identity of his contractors, if we view the covenants made from the Old Testament lens, we recognize that the contract is still binding. It is evident that Gawain holds himself to this Old Testament standard as he explains to Arthur and his court, “This is the injury and damage that I have suffered / For the cowardice and covetousness that seized me there; / This is the token of the dishonesty I was caught committing” (2507-2509). If he held to the medieval standard he would recognize that according to the law the covenant was breeched by Morgan Le Fee and that Morgan, Bertilak, and the Lady were the dishonest and guilty party, not he.
The meaning and purpose of these covenants is revealed through Biblical allusions and the events of the scene where Gawain meets the Green Knight again to receive his blow. To understand this we must first look at the description of Gawain as is revealed early in the tale: “Gawain was reputed as virtuous, like refined gold, / Devoid of all vice, and with all courtly virtues adorned” (633-635). Gawain’s comparison to refined gold is a Biblical allusion to Zechariah 13: 9, which states: “And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.” We learn from this that as great as Gawain appears to be, he has yet to truly pass through the refiner’s fire. While he is like gold there are still impurities that remain, which must be exposed, and, at last, must be purged. Gawain’s Journey then becomes a series of refining events. Interestingly, when Gawain
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receives the actual blow from the Green Knight, he “saw his blood spatter the snow” (2315). We may look at this symbolically and make the connection to Isaiah 1: 18, which states, “. . .Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as snow. . .” The Green Knight explains the reason for Gawain receiving the blow: “You failed me the third time / And took that blow therefore” (2356-2357). Gawain’s failure is accounted unto him as sin—a breach of the covenant. This is beautifully portrayed between the contrast of the scarlet blood on the white snow. After the blow, Bertilak reveals himself and the role of the Lady and Morgan Le Fee. He goes on to absolve Gawain of his wrong doing: “‘The wrong you did me I consider wiped out. / You have so cleanly confessed yourself, admitted your fault, / And done honest penance on the edge of my blade. / I declare you absolved of that offence, and washed as clean / As if you had never transgressed since the day you were born” (2390-2394). Hence, Gawain has passed through the refiner’s fire and has been made pure as is gold; he has had sins that were scarlet but is now as pure as snow.
The covenants that Gawain has made with Bertilak, The Lady, and Morgan Le Fee will forever bind them all together. This is inherently expressed by Gawain before departing the Green Castle: “I shall look at [the girdle] often as a sign of my failing, / And when I ride in triumph, recall with remorse / The corruption and frailty of the perverse flesh, / How quick it is to pick up blotches of sin” (2433-2436). Gawain has come to the realization that the covenants that he had entered into were necessary for him to recognize his own weaknesses and ultimately to overcome them. Further, he has come to the realization that, while absolved of his weaknesses by Bertilak, he is still susceptible
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to sin and failings. It is this insight coupled with the means by which he obtained this
insight that will bind the principle characters together in the mind of Gawain. The green girdle, as a reminder of this great physical and spiritual journey, will forever tie the parties involved in the covenants made.

















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Works Cited

The Holy Bible (KJV). Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
1979.

Low, Anthony. “Privacy, Community, and Society: Confession as a Cultural Indicator in
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” Religion and Literature. 30:2 (1998) 3-19.

Thomas, Susanne Sara. “Promise, Threat, Joke, or Wager? The Legal (In)Determinancy
of the Oaths in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” Exemplaria. 10:2 (1998)
287-305.

Winny, James. Ed. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Trans. James Winny. Ontario:
Broadview Press, 1992.

Woods, William F. “Nature and the Inner Man in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.”
The Chaucer Review. 36:3 (2002) 209-227.













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Methods for Writing Topic Sentences

The following are various methods for writing topic sentences.

1. Occasion/Position Statements
An occasion/position statement is a complex (two-part) sentence that begins with one of these words or phrases:
After, Although, As, As if, As long as, As soon as, Because, Before, Even, Even if, Even though, If, In order that, In order to, Since, So that, Though, Unless, Until, When, Whenever, Where, Wherever, Whether, While.

The Occasion:
*Is the first part of the topic sentence
*Introduces you reason for writing
*Can be any event, problem, idea, solution, or circumstance that gives you a reason to write
*Is the dependent clause in the complex sentence
The Position:
*Is the second part of the topic sentence
*States what you plan to prove or explain in your paragraph
*Is the independent clause in the complex sentence

EXAMPLES:
Alhough my family and I have taken many wonderful vacations, none was more fun and exciting than our camping trip to the Grand Canyon.

Even though the experience of losing Rollie was very painful for Peg, it is clear in the story, "The Apprentice," that Peg matures through this incident.

2. Power (Number) Statements
A Power (Number) statement is a sentence that contains a number word. The number word is the focus of the sentence; it tells your reader that a list of information will follow. Helpful number words include:
a couple of, a few, a myriad, a number of, four, many, numerous, plenty of, several, some, three, two, variuos.

Examples:
Three cities have serious pollution problems.

The book Alice in Wonderland describes many strange adventures.


3. However Statements
However is one of several conjunctive adverbs that can help organize your thoughts into a topic sentence or a thesis statement. Use however in the middle of the sentence. Place a semicolon (;) before the word however and a comma (,) after the word however.
This method creates a compound sentence. Usually, the first part will be the occasion (reason for writing); the second part will state the position (what you plan to prove or explain).

Examples:
Most Americans want to eliminate crime; however, it will take a great deal of money, time, and effor to reach this goal.

Denver's new Light Rail has helped the parking and traffic congestion in downtown Denver; however, it has also cause problems for commuters.

Other conjunctive adverbs besides however that may be used:
as a result, consequently, furthermore, in fact, instead, likewise, meanwhile, nevertheless, next, otherwise, still, therefore.

4. And, But, and Or Statements
This method also creates a compound sentence. With coordinating conjunctions--and, but, or, nor, so, yet, and for--you can easily write a topic sentence. Remember to use a comma before the conjunction.

Examples:
Anne Frank, a Jewish girl, spent two years hiding from the Nazis during World War II, and her story of bravery and courage is retold in teh book Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl.

Reptiles are all alike because they have backbones, breathe with lungs, and have scales, yet reptiles come in a variety of sizes and shapes.

5. A Few Good Prepositions
The following is a list of prepositions. Once you have learned to write Occasion/Position Statements, and However Statements, try this list. Like the Occasion/Position list, these words can jog your thinking and push you into a good topic sentence.

aboard, about, above, according to, across, after, against, along, along with, alongside, among, around, as for, away from, because of, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, besides, between, beyond, but, by, despite, down, due to, during, for, from, in, in addition to, in back of, in case of, in front of, in regard to, in spite of, inside, instead of, into, like, near, of, off, on, onto, out, out of, ouside, over, past, round, since, through, throughout, till, to, toward, under underneath, until, up, up to, upon, with, with the exception of, within, without.

Examples:
In spite of her handicap, Helen Keller did several amazing things that serve as inspiration to thousands of people.

Since the first Olympics, thousands of athletes have challenged themselves and set world records.

According to Current Events magazine, many high schools have banned pagers.

6. To, Plus a Verb
Try using an infinitive to start your paper. An infinitive is the main verb preceded by the word to. Some examples of infinitives are to succeed, to accomplish, to finish, to win, and to teach. Topic sentences with infinitives are clear and direct. They won't confuse your reader.

Examples:
To impress her guests at our New Year's dinner, my aunt created the most incredible culinary surprise.

To succeed takes more than just a good idea and a dream.

To prepare for college, high school students should take several math, science, and English classes.

7. The List Statements
A common method for writing a topic sentence is to list the categories that you will address in your paper. There are several types of lists you can use.

A list of words:
* All college students need money, friends, and encouragement.
* The corner cafe offers the best in service, food, and atmosphere.

A list of phrases:
* My grandparents prefer to vacation in Mexico, n the Northwest, and in the Bahamas.
* The Smiths love their new home but are having trouble with the garage door and with the new sprinkler system.

A list of dependent (cannot stand alone) clauses:
* When I found my lost puppy, when I won the trip to Florida, and when I met a group of teachers from Russia, I realized that life is great and full of surprises.

A list of independent (can stand alone) clauses:
* High school graduates can attend community college, they can enroll in state universities, or they can study at private schools throughout the United States.

8. Get Their Attention
A Declarative Statement uses a strong verb (action word)

Examples:
Clay's gas station offers the best service.

The restaurant on Main Street servest the best brunch in town.

9. A Rhetorical Question
A Rhetorical Question is the kind of question we ask when we want to get someone's attention, but we do not really expect an answer. Rhetorical questions are great, but thy are more difficult to write than they appear, especially for young writers. Rhetorical questions are usually followed by a statement that answers the question.

Examples:
What is your school doing to improve test scores? Our school has purchased an exciting new literacy program.

How are churches and synagogues meeting the needs of teenagers? In our city, they provide places to gather, help with homework, and scholarships for summer camp.

10. Side-by-side Statements
Sometimes using two simple sentences--one for the occasion and one for the position--is the right way to go. This technique is especially powerful if your goal is to put emphasis on your position.

Examples:
A little stress may be good. Too much is dangerous.

Finances cause stress for many people. Suze Orman's book Nine Steps to Financial Freedom offers practical, helpful advice.

11. Semicolon Topic Sentence
This kind of topic sentence is just like a Side-by-Side Statement. The main ideas, however, are connected by a semicolon (;). this method is another way to write a compound sentence.
Use this method when you want to emphasize the relationship between the occasion (your reason for writing) and the position (what you plan to prove or explain).

Examples:
The football team deserves the state championship; the players and the coach are talented and dedicated.

Test scores have fallen for the third straight year; administrators are scurrying to find solutions and reverse the trend.

12. Two Nouns and Two Commas
When we set off a noun or a noun phrase with commas, we call it an appositive. An appositive does not have a verb; it is simply a noun followed by a description that tells more about the noun.
These sentences are fun and easy to create. They also help writers put more important or interesting information into one sentence.

Examples:
Dekcers, a small town nestled in the Colorado Rockies, is a fishing haven for many serious anglers.

Two rivers, the Missouri and the Mississippi, are important to the people in Iowa.

Ben Franklin, a colonist from Pennsylvania, helped Thomas Jefferson write the Declaration of Independence.

13. Using a Quotation
Using a quotation in the topic sentence is an easy, yet powerful, way to start a paper.
Using the words that ar on the Occasion/Position list might help you to integrate the quotation.

Examples:
Although I usually appreciate the advice I receive from my grandmother, I wish that she would follow the advice of Horace: "Whatever advice you give, be short."

After new teachers have spent only a short time in the classroom, they realize that H. L. Mencken was right on target when he said, "Youth, though it may lack knowledge, is certainly not devoid of intelligence; it sees through shams with sharp and terrible eyes."