Tutor Sheet: Grades 9–12 ELA (US)

Targets: Rhetorical analysis · Synthesis · Research writing · Argument & counterclaims · Tone/register · Quote/citation

Quick diagnostics → Fast fixes

[ThesisAlign] Thesis ↔ evidence alignment

• Check: Give a thesis + three body topic sentences; ask which don’t support the claim.
• Fix: CEI frame in every paragraph: Claim → Evidence → Insight that explicitly ties back to thesis.

[QuoteIntegr] Drop-quote problem

• Check: Student drops a quotation without setup.
• Fix: ICE method: Introduce (signal phrase + context) → Cite → Explain (so what?).

[SourceIntegr] Summary vs paraphrase vs quote

• Check: Ask for all three on the same short passage.
• Fix: 1–2–3 rule: 1 sentence summary (gist), 2–sentence paraphrase (same meaning, new wording), 3–line max direct quote (best wording/precision) + analysis.

[ParaphrasePatch] Patchwriting

• Check: Highlight words that mirror the source.
• Fix: “Cover–Turn–Check”: cover source → restate from memory → check terms; swap structure & diction, keep ideas + cite.

[CitationForm] MLA/APA basics

• Check: Identify errors in: “(Author, 2021, p. 15)” vs “(Author 15)”.
• Fix: Mini-card: MLA in-text (Author page); APA (Author, year, p. x); Works Cited/References formatting staples.

[Arg-Warrant] Missing reasoning

• Check: Paragraph has claim + evidence but no because.
• Fix: Toulmin snap-in: Claim → Evidence → Warrant (principle that links them) → Qualifier/Counter.

[Fallacies] Logic slips

• Check: Label the flaw: strawman, ad hominem, post hoc, false dilemma.
• Fix: Rebuild with precise scope + causal language: “correlates with,” not “causes.”

[Cohesion] Flow & transitions

• Check: Sentences out of order; ask student to reorder.
• Fix: Transition bank by function (add: moreover; contrast: however; cause: therefore; example: for instance). End each para with a bridge to the next.

[ToneRegister] Academic voice

• Check: Spot colloquialisms/slang in a formal paragraph.
• Fix: Formality ladder (slang → conversational → formal); replace “a lot, stuff, things, you” with precise nouns/verbs; keep consistent person/tense.

[QuoteBalance] Evidence ratio

• Check: Paragraph is 80% quotation.
• Fix: 70/30 guideline: ≤30% quoted, ≥70% student analysis. Summarize or paraphrase when exact wording isn’t crucial.

[Counterclaim] Addressing the other side

• Check: Identify where a counter and rebuttal belong.

Fix: Template: “Some argue X because Y. However, … (evidence) … therefore Z.” Place near mid-to-late body.