Unlike the FCAT, when you were allowed to write using personal pronouns like I, ME, MY, MINE, YOU and other words like PERSONALLY--for the NEW writing test (the Writing FSA), you will be expected to write more objectively without using personal pronouns and opinion words. So how do you write an essay about something you have to form an opinion about WITHOUT using these words? It's easier than you think!
You have been given a card with a sentence using personal pronouns and other opinion words. For now, do not worry about what the original prompt for writing was for your sentence. On the same card is a piece of evidence from an article about the topic of your sentence with the name of the source it came from. Absent students/students who need to make up this assignment: Choose 1 from the 2 cards below to complete this assignment:
Card 1: I think dogs are better than cats.
Evidence: An Oxford study from a few years ago found that, due to their social nature, dogs appear to be growing more intelligent over time, while cats are not. (LA Times)
Card 2: Personally, I think that animals should have the same rights as people.
Evidence: "Considering that apes are very close to human primates, it is an absurdity that they are still in captivity in prison," says primatologist Aldo Giudice of the University of Buenos Aires. A primate is a member of the group of animals that includes humans, apes, and monkeys. (Scientific American)
Your task is to re-write your sentence without personal pronouns or opinion words. Reply to this blog post in a comment with your sentence re-written as a statement using your evidence in your own words. Here's an example:
Opinion sentence: I truly believe that climate change and global warming is real and is a big problem.
Evidence from text: The planet is warming over the long term, scientists announced Friday. The Earth’s average temperature has risen 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880. (LA Times)
Re-written objective sentence: There is troubling evidence to prove that our planet's average temperature is rising, causing global warming.
Don't forget to include your name and class period in your comment! This is counting as a grade!