7th Grade Writing and Language Arts Help

7th Grade Writing Help

Persuasive Papers

Writing arguments requires you to establish your position or stance on a specific topic. The main purpose of the paper is to persuade readers to share your view on the issue. You accomplish this by presenting your opinion in a rational manner by providing relevant examples and evidence that supports your position.

Acknowledge Opposing Claims

You'll also need to educate readers on positions that are contrary to yours. Showing the alternate view proves to readers that you have done the research necessary to come to your conclusions on the issue. Furthermore, it allows the readers to make an informed decision in regards to their feelings.

Formal Style

Arguments are written in a formal style, which is more objective than the informal style. It's also less personal. For this reason, the formal style is generally written in third person, avoiding first person pronouns, like I or we. When you use formal style, it's also important to avoid slang, colorful language and contractions.

Conclusion

Finally, you'll need to wrap up your argument with a strong conclusion. All the evidence and support you provide in the body of the argument should lead to your conclusion. In addition, you'll often use this part of the paper to summarize key points, restate your position and invite the readers to side with you on the topic.

Expository Essays

Writing expository essays requires you to present information about a topic. Your goal is to inform or educate readers rather than persuade them to feel or think a certain way. Furthermore, you will not establish or present a personal position about the topic you're writing about.

Provide Definitions

With expository writing, you're usually explaining something to readers or introducing a new subject to them. Because of this, there will often be unfamiliar words associated with your selected topic. Therefore, you'll want to provide definitions of these new words so readers won't become confused.

Compare & Contrast

Comparing and contrasting your subject to other similar subjects can help readers gain a better understanding of the material. When you compare, you explain how your topic is similar to others. When you contrast, you describe ways your topic is different than others. To effectively use this strategy, use common information most people can understand.

Graphics

When possible, add graphics, such as charts or tables, to help readers understand the information better. You can also add pictures to show examples. The Internet is a great place to find resources. However, when using sources from others, make sure you have proper permission. In addition, credit the sources you used by providing a reference page.