Types of Paragraphs –
For each of the following paragraphs, complete the following:
1. Identify the type of paragraph. Narrative, Expository, Persuasive/Argumentative or Descriptive)
2. Write a statement showing why you know your answer is correct.
3. Write two sentences in the paragraph that support your analysis.
1. Homework is an important part of the learning process in middle school. One reason is that homework gives students additional practice of skills covered in class. Students need both guided practice at school and independent practice at home. Another reason for homework is that it provides time to complete longer assignments. Since not all students do the work at the same speed, homework gives students time at home to finish the work and keeps them from falling behind. Finally, students who do daily homework are more prepared for test and make better grades. In conclusion, homework is essential to mastering new skills and maintaining previously learned concepts. Students- do your daily homework, make better grades and learn more.
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2. I can smell the wintergreen flavored tooth paste out in the hall even before I go into Dr. Smith's office. As soon as I open the outer door, the blast of cool air from the air conditioner hits me in the face making me shiver all over. While I wait for the new nurse in her crisp white uniform to call out my name, I look at the fish in the large blue tank in the corner of the room. The sleek fish dart about playing hide and seek with the plastic snowman at the bottom of the tank while tiny silver bubbles slip to the top of the tank's surface and break silently while I wait my turn. The nurse calls my name and I enter the inner office and sit in the white leather chair looking at all the shiny stainless steel equipment. It's my turn.
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3. The Claremont Huskies set a record last night for the most consecutive wins. The team won its ninth game in a row, beating the Fisher Flyers 74 – 56. The team heads into the regional tournament with a 15 and 2 record, the best in school history. The first regional game will be played Friday at 8:30 p.m. The Huskies will challenge the 10 and 7 Gifford Tigers at Gifford.
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4. When you walk into my Grammy's kitchen, it smells like rich brown cinnamon and rosy applesauce. She says, "Hi honey bun" greeting me with a big bear hug and a sugary kiss. Her kitchen windows are all steamed up with the smells of buttery apple tarts, bubbling up brown and crispy warm from the oven. Grammy pours hot chocolate into a fat, red mug and tops it with whipped cream for me. I swirl a cinnamon stick around in the hot chocolate and lick my lips, getting the last little crumbs of apple tart and think, what a good cook my Grammy is!
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5. It goes back to a winter afternoon after I’d hunted the woods all day for a sign of our lost pet. I remember the way my mother looked up as I came into the kitchen. Without my speaking, she knew what had happened. For six hours I had walked, reading signs, looking for a delicate print in the damp soil or even a hair that might have told of a red fox passing that way-but I had found nothing.
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6. We have a big decision to make. We can use cloth, paper, or plastic bags. I choose cloth because paper uses trees, and plastic uses petroleum; so we should use cloth. Cloth bags are easy to take with you and use again and again. We need to keep our earth clean, so let’s use cloth. Remember, recycle and reuse.
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7. Angles are formed by two rays that have the same endpoint. This endpoint is called the vertex. Angles can be found anywhere lines or line segments intersect. Angles are named for the way they relate to 90 degrees or 180 degrees. When an angle is less than 90 degrees, it is called acute. An angle greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees is called obtuse.
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8. Lisa knew the first day of high school wouldn’t be easy. She was starting her fifth school in seven years. Her father’s job required her family to move often. The first day was always the hardest and the saddest. Stepping off the bus, Lisa dropped her bag. Her notebook and pencils went flying. Several students passed her by. Just when she thought she couldn’t get any more flustered, a boy with blond hair and a friendly smile knelt down to help her. “Are you new?” “Um, yeah,” Lisa replied. “Why don’t you let me show you around? Looks like you could use a friend,” Andrew said. Smiling, Lisa replied, “Sure, that would be great,”
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9. My day began around 8 a.m. when I was at the bus stop with cold wind blowing wind in my face. When I got on the bus, Al was waiting in the back seat. I took the seat two rows back. Suddenly, I felt a little paper ball hit the back of my head. Giggles rippled behind me. I turned around. Al sneered under his cap. He lived to torment me. But today, I had cooked up a plan to get even.
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10. Our government should make sure that middle school classrooms have a computer for each student. The internet offers a universe of information that would be at students’ fingertips. Students would also gain valuable experience with word-processing, design and video software. According to the department of Labor, people with high computer skills are more likely to get jobs than those with low computer skills. It’s time our leaders put more computers in the classroom.
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11. Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, is the oldest stadium in Major League Baseball. It opened on April 20th, 1912, the same day as Detroit’s Tiger Stadium, which is no longer used. The park was named for the Fenway section, a neighborhood in the middle of Boston. The park is famous for the “Green Monster,” its 37 foot-high left field wall.
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