E. Describe an Important Transition in Your Life

1. Read your answers to the questionnaire—especially to question 7. Write a well-organized paragraph (150-180 words) about a life transition and make sure it includes the following:

- a good topic sentence          - time expressions to show when things happened

- plenty of interesting details 

2. Take turns. Tell your partner about the life transition you described in your paragraph. Was it easy or difficult for you to write about?

Complete the questionnaire. Write answers in your notebook.

QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Where do you live now?

2. How many times have you moved in your life?

3. As a child, what did you dream of being or doing when you got older?

4. What do you dream of being or doing now?

5. When did you meet your best friend or friends?

6. What are some of the most important personal relationships in your life?

7. What event in your life do you think changed you the most?

Read the sample paragraph and discuss the questions below with a partner.

1. What is the topic sentence in this paragraph?

2. What two examples support the topic sentence?

3. How did the writer feel about this transition in his or her life?

4. How do the bolded expressions help you understand the writer's meaning?

When I finished middle school and started high school, my parents began to give me more responsibilities. I had already started to wash some of my own clothes when I had no homework to do, but that summer it became my responsibility to do laundry for the whole family. My other chore was buying groceries for my elderly grandmother, who lived a few blocks away from my neighborhood. I went to visit her twice a week, and I asked her what she needed from the grocery store. She gave me the shopping list and some money, and | returned with her food, soap, and other necessities. It wasn't hard to do at all. In fact, it was fun and I really enjoyed spending time with her that way. I also began to feel good about doing my family’s laundry each week. It felt like I was learning to take responsibility and moving from childhood toward adulthood.