Set the Standard – Middle School “Inexcusables”
1. When answering written questions, students will use complete sentences.
· Students will restate the question.
· Students will NOT begin the first sentence with a pronoun (it, they, he, she, we, etc.)
· Students will spell words in the answer correctly if the word appears in the question.
Example: What effect did rivers and the monsoon have on ancient India?
Acceptable: The rivers and the monsoon provided India with enough water to sustain farming.
Not Acceptable: It provided water to sustain farming.
Not Acceptable: Because it sustained farming.
Not Acceptable: Farming
2. Students will indent all paragraphs.
When writing paragraphs, students will use topic sentences.
3. Students will spell and use correctly the following words, but not limited to these examples.
There, Their, They’re
To, Two, Too
Were, We’re, Where
Quite, Quit, Quiet
Its, It’s
New, Knew
No, Know
Your, You’re
Write, Right
4. Students will capitalize the first word of every sentence.
Students will capitalize proper nouns in sentences.
Students will use the appropriate punctuation mark at the end of sentences.
5. Students will write legibly.
Legible-able to read; clear enough to be read; capable of being easily understood.
6. Students will remember to use specific words when adding details.
Do not use these overused or “Dead Words”:
stuff, nice, a lot, got, neat, very, and then, thing, cute, great, lots, fun, super, some, good, gotten, till, cause, so, well, like...
7. Students will use formal language when writing not computer language.
Not Acceptable: R U ready 4 the party?