Mastering Writing Skills: A Comprehensive Guide

1. Teaching Writing Quickly and Well Tara Gray Slides by Jean Conway

2. Teaching Writing Workers spend 75% of their time communicating orally or in writing, but fewer than 10% of college teachers teach writing-intensive courses (Boice 1990). When faculty were asked why: • Grading writing assignments requires too much time • My classroom time is already full • My students will dislike the extra work • I am not an expert at teaching writing

3. A Two-Part Program • Giving Instructions • Thesis • Organization • Evidence • Critics • Grading/Critiquing (T-O-E)

4. Giving Instructions: Revising Your Essays

5. Giving Instructions Step 1. Write an effective intro. Step 2. Write a “because” thesis. Step 3. Organize around key sentences. Step 4. Use key sentences as an after-the- fact outline. Step 5. Supply concrete evidence. Step 6. Respond to your critics. Step 7. Control your tone.

6. Write an effective intro • Introduction • One paragraph long • Starts with general information • Narrows to the thesis • Contains • context for the problem • problem • why it is worth solving (“So what?”) • proposed solution (or the promise for a solution). • Label each (on a draft)

7. Write a “because” thesis ? • A working thesis • Start with a (controversial) topic • Take a stand on it (your position) • Develop a thesis sentence • What’s your position? • “Because” • Why? • “We should abandon rehabilitation programs because they don’t work and they leave crime victims feeling cheated out of punishment.”

8. Write a “because” thesis ? • After drafting your thesis, ask yourself: • Do my arguments “add up” to my position? If I prove my arguments, will a reasonable reader be willing to entertain my position? • Does my thesis show the organization of my paper? Is each argument in my thesis the subject for a paragraph in my essay? • Do I have specific, concrete evidence that supports each of my arguments?

9. Organize around key sentences • One point per paragraph • Point suggested in one sentence • Early in the paragraph

10. Organize around key sentences Key sentences • Are to paragraphs as street signs are to cities • Orient • Navigate

11. Organize around key sentences Key sentences • Are like topic sentences • Announce the topic of the paragraph • Simply with little detail • Without trying to prove the point • Broad enough to “cover” everything in the paragraph, but no broader • Tell what the rest of the paragraph is about • “Is the rest of the paragraph about that?”

12. Organize around key sentences Key sentences • Are like topic sentences • Should be short and memorable • Should use key words as subjects

13. Organize around key sentences Key sentences • Differ from topic sentences • Need not be the first sentence in the paragraph • Different placement in different disciplines

14. Organize around key sentences Sample “We learn rules for actions better when those rules are structured, whether we learn by practicing them, by watching a teacher demonstrate them, or by listening to a teacher explain them. But do we learn better from a demonstration or an explanation? We are likely to learn more when we watch a demonstration if our language skills are so weak that we cannot understand words easily, or if the teacher cannot verbalize the rules. We are also likely to learn more from watching a demonstration when we must quickly coordinate intricate actions such as learning to ride a bicycle, but the explanation for them is too cumbersome. Finally, we are likely to learn more from a demonstration if the action is difficult or unfamiliar and the teacher lectures about it at length. On the other hand, we will learn an action better from an explanation if we can deftly translate explanations into actions and then store the information” (Williams and Colomb 1990:87).

15. Organize around key sentences Sample “We learn rules for actions better when those rules are structured, whether we learn by practicing them, by watching a teacher demonstrate them, or by listening to a teacher explain them. But do we learn better from a demonstration or an explanation? We are likely to learn more when we watch a demonstration if our language skills are so weak that we cannot understand words easily, or if the teacher cannot verbalize the rules. We are also likely to learn more from watching a demonstration when we must quickly coordinate intricate actions such as learning to ride a bicycle, but the explanation for them is too cumbersome. Finally, we are likely to learn more from a demonstration if the action is difficult or unfamiliar and the teacher lectures about it at length. On the other hand, we will learn an action better from an explanation if we can deftly translate explanations into actions and then store the information” (Williams and Colomb 1990:87).

16. Organize around key sentences Sample “We learn rules for actions better when those rules are structured, whether we learn by practicing them, by watching a teacher demonstrate them, or by listening to a teacher explain them. But do we learn better from a demonstration or an explanation? We are likely to learn more when we watch a demonstration if our language skills are so weak that we cannot understand words easily, or if the teacher cannot verbalize the rules. We are also likely to learn more from watching a demonstration when we must quickly coordinate intricate actions such as learning to ride a bicycle, but the explanation for them is too cumbersome. Finally, we are likely to learn more from a demonstration if the action is difficult or unfamiliar and the teacher lectures about it at length. On the other hand, we will learn an action better from an explanation if we can deftly translate explanations into actions and then store the information” (Williams and Colomb 1990:87).

17. Organize around key sentences Worksheets on key sentences (p. 1-2 left) • Directions • Next to each of the sample paragraphs, write the number of the key sentence. • If the paragraph has no key sentence, write “0.” Then write and insert a key sentence.

18. Organize around key sentences Worksheets on key sentences (p. 1-2 left) Example 1. Try thinking of paragraphs as having two parts: the issue and the discussion. The issue is a “short introductory section of the paragraph, or overture if you will,” which includes a transition and announces the topic. The discussion is the longer portion of the paragraph. The discussion “explains, elaborates, supports, qualifies, argues for what the writer stated in the issue. The issue promises; the discussion delivers. . . if you write a passage that does not seem to hang together, seems uncentered or out of focus, you may have made a promise but didn’t deliver, or you may have delivered on promises you didn’t make (Williams and Colomb, 1990:92).

19. Organize around key sentences Worksheets on key sentences (p. 1-2 left) Example 1.Try thinking of paragraphs as having two parts: the issue and the discussion. The issue is a “short introductory section of the paragraph, or overture if you will,” which includes a transition and announces the topic. The discussion is the longer portion of the paragraph. The discussion “explains, elaborates, supports, qualifies, argues for what the writer stated in the issue. The issue promises; the discussion delivers. . . if you write a passage that does not seem to hang together, seems uncentered or out of focus, you may have made a promise but didn’t deliver, or you may have delivered on promises you didn’t make (Williams and Colomb, 1990:92).

20. Organize around key sentences Worksheets on key sentences (p. 1-2 left) Example 2. “The United States is at present the world’s largest exporter of agricultural products. Its agricultural net balance of payments in recent years has exceeded $10 billion a year. This agricultural surplus has taken on great financial importance. First, agricultural exports maintain profitable market prices for the American farmer and bolster the national economy by providing over one million jobs. The income from farm exports alone is used to purchase about $9 billion worth of domestic farm machinery and equipment annually. Exports of U.S. agricultural products also reduce price-depressing surpluses. Without exports, the government would be subsidizing American farmers by more than $10 billion a year over the current rate. Finally, agricultural exports provide an entry to foreign markets than can be exploited by other industries” (Williams and Colomb 1990:100).

21. Organize around key sentences Worksheets on key sentences (p. 1-2 left) Example 2. “The United States is at present the world’s largest exporter of agricultural products. Its agricultural net balance of payments in recent years has exceeded $10 billion a year. This agricultural surplus has taken on great financial importance. First, agricultural exports maintain profitable market prices for the American farmer and bolster the national economy by providing over one million jobs. The income from farm exports alone is used to purchase about $9 billion worth of domestic farm machinery and equipment annually. Exports of U.S. agricultural products also reduce price-depressing surpluses. Without exports, the government would be subsidizing American farmers by more than $10 billion a year over the current rate. Finally, agricultural exports provide an entry to foreign markets than can be exploited by other industries” (Williams and Colomb 1990:100).

22. Organize around key sentences Worksheets on key sentences (p. 1-2 left) Example 3. “Seven out of eight reigns of the Romanov line after Peter the Great were plagued by some sort of palace revolt or popular revolution. In 1722, Peter the Great passed a law of succession that terminated the principle of heredity. He proclaimed that the sovereign could appoint a successor in order to accompany his idea of achievement by merit. This resulted in many tsars not appointing a successor before dying. Even Peter the Great failed to choose someone before he died. Ivan VI was appointed by Czarina Anna, but was only two months old at his coronation in 1740. Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great, defeated Anna, and she ascended to the throne in 1741. Succession not dependent upon authority resulted in boyars’ regularly disputing who was to become sovereign. It was not until 1797 that Paul I codified the law of succession: male primogeniture. But Paul I was strangled by conspirators, one of whom was probably his son, Alexander I” (Williams and Colomb 1990:88).

23. Organize around key sentences Worksheets on key sentences (p. 1-2 left) Example 3. “After Peter the Great died, seven out eight reigns were plagued by turmoil over disputed succession to the throne. In 1722, Peter the Great passed a law of succession that terminated the principle of heredity. He proclaimed that the sovereign could appoint a successor in order to accompany his idea of achievement by merit. This resulted in many tsars not appointing a successor before dying. Even Peter the Great failed to choose someone before he died. Ivan VI was appointed by Czarina Anna, but was only two months old at his coronation in 1740. Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great, defeated Anna, and she ascended to the throne in 1741. Succession not dependent upon authority resulted in boyars’ regularly disputing who was to become sovereign. It was not until 1797 that Paul I codified the law of succession: male primogeniture. But Paul I was strangled by conspirators, one of whom was probably his son, Alexander I” (Williams and Colomb 1990:88).

24. Use key sentences as an after-the-fact outline • Keys = excellent outline • Cut and paste your key sentences onto your title page or use your word processor to hide all text except the key sentences (search for “hidden text”) • View or not • Print or not

25. Use key sentences as an after-the-fact outline • Read your list. Ask yourself how the key sentences could • Better communicate the purpose (thesis) to the audience • Do not proceed until…

26. Use key sentences as an after-the-fact outline • Read your list again. • Ask yourself how the key sentences could be • Better organized • More logical • More coherent • Again, Do Not Pass Go…

27. Supply concrete evidence. • Support each argument with about two pieces of specific, concrete evidence. • Statistics • Case Studies • Expert Opinion

28. Supply concrete evidence. • Be specific and persuasive • More blacks are under correctional supervision than whites. • Of men in their twenties, the proportion under correctional supervision is 1 of 15 whites, 1 of 10 Hispanics and 1 of 3 blacks (Mauer and Huling 1995).

29. Respond to your critics • Two-sided argument • Present the alternative in a fair and even-handed manner • Then, show why you disagree • TALK to your critics

30. Control your tone • Don’t write for the people who agree with you (they already agree). • Write for the people who disagree, but may be willing to entertain your argument. • To do so, control your tone…

31. Control your tone Tone of writing is like tone of voice. It is personality expressed in prose… The worst mistake is to be unpleasant: If you yell at people they will walk away, in reading as at a cocktail party… Avoid invective. “This is pure nonsense,” “There is absolutely no evidence for this view”… are fun phrases to write… but they arouse the suspicion in any but the most uncritical audience that the argument needs a tone of passion to overcome its weakness… Screaming is not speaking well (McCloskey 2000:41–42).

32. Grading • Grade fairly • Avoid ideological bias • Use evaluation criteria (rubric) • Stack (by key sentences) and then grade

33. Grade • Grade Fast • Stack by key sentences • Put your pencil in your pocket • Do not comment at the sentence level

34. Let’s try it. 1. Tear out p. 7 and use it to grade the papers on p. 8-15. 2. Write at least +, , or - for each major criteria (T-O-E and Critics) and at least one reason under each. [Note: don’t try to do all the reasons!] Grade the papers (A, B, C) If time allows, write one overall (positive) comment to the author.

35. Grading/Critiquing • Theses • #1 Liberals argue that the way you reduce crime is by treating the criminal and "correcting" their behavior (Walker 1994).” • #2 “The fact of the matter is that "rehabilitative" efforts don't work; besides, rehabilitation programs leave society feeling cheated out of just punishment.” • #3 “We must invest more in rehabilitation programs because they work for some offenders and they have never been tried on a large scale.”

36. How to grade/critique? Paper #1 - No arguments in thesis - Organization jumbled - No evidence - Disrespected critics Paper #2 Thesis OK Organization OK Some evidence + Responded to critics Paper #3 + Thesis excellent + Organization excellent + Evidence excellent +Responded to critics What rankings to give? Paper #1 C- Paper #2 B Paper #3 A

37. How to comment? • Paper #1: Please bring a typed draft of your next paper to me before the papers are due… I can help you organize your paper around the arguments in your thesis—and find evidence to support your point of view. Let me help you. 70 • Paper #2: Good response to your critics… Try to find concrete evidence for both your arguments in your next paper. Good paper overall. 85 • Paper #3: Excellent organization and evidence. Outstanding work! 95

38. Teaching Writing Workers spend 75% of their time communicating orally or in writing, but fewer than 10% of college teachers teach writing-intensive courses (Boice 1990). When faculty were asked why: • Grading writing assignments requires too much time • My classroom time is already full • My students will dislike the extra work • I am not an expert at teaching writing

39. Evaluations (p. 3–left)

40. Teaching Writing Quickly and Well

41. Our Students Can Too Write— And We Can Show Them How