Writing Basics for the Formal Paper

1. Writing Basics for the Formal Paper ENGL 1010 Fall 2012 Vance

3. Writing Purposes • Entertainment • Informative • Persuasive • Descriptive • Expressive • Academic

4. Audience Considerations • Remember to whom you are speaking • Keep it interesting • Readers hate confusion and disorder • Challenge your readers without confusing them • Take your reader on your journey with you • Use comfortable language but avoid slang and offensive language

5. Types of Essays • Narrative • Descriptive • Definition • Informative • Division or Classification • Process • Comparison/Contrast • Cause/Effect • Argument/Persuasion

6. Process • Prewriting • Outlining • Drafting • Revision • Publication

7. Prewriting • Brainstorming • Listing • Doodling • Free-writing • Questioning

8. Planning/Outlining • Organize thoughts into thesis and main points • Often the most challenging part • Written in fragments not complete sentence • Intro, body, and conclusion • Develop your Thesis Statement • a clear declaration of one main point or controlling idea of your entire essay – not merely a fact or announcement of your subject • clear • one main idea • has something meaningful to say – not same old same old • limited to fit the assignment • stated in specific terms – not vague • easily recognized

9. Thesis Statement • Usually at the end of your introductory paragraph • not necessarily one sentence • states the main idea of your paper, gives the opinion you are trying to support, and/or lists your main points in the order they will be discussed in the essay • Avoid using meaningless phrases – speak directly and with conviction • “I think” or “I believe” or “In my opinion” • “in this essay I will argue”

10. Outline Formula • Introduction • Attention Getter • Explain attention getter and tie to topic • Background/introductory Info • Info important to the topic but not in the body • Info important to the topic but not in the body • Info important to the topic but not in the body • Thesis Statement – delivers the main idea of your paper (will list three main points in early papers)

11. Body • Topic Sentence about 1st main point discussed in thesis • Supporting Detail giving example/evidence of first point • Supporting Detail giving example/evidence of first point • Supporting Detail giving example/evidence of first point • Transition/Link Sentence • Topic Sentence about 2nd main point discussed in thesis • Supporting Detail giving example/evidence of 2nd point • Supporting Detail giving example/evidence of 2nd point • Supporting Detail giving example/evidence of 2nd point • Transition/Link Sentence

12. Topic Sentence about 3rd main point discussed in thesis • Supporting Detail giving example/evidence of 3rd point • Supporting Detail giving example/evidence of 3rd point • Supporting Detail giving example/evidence of 3rd point • Final detail about 3rd main point • Conclusion • Restate Thesis (rework the sentence) keeping list of main points in same order • Additional info/opinions/thoughts • Closing statement (often refers back to attention getter)

13. Introduction • Purpose • to draw reader into essay • advance the general topic of essay • provide necessary background information • present your thesis and main point(s) • Types of Introductions • Broad to narrow • Narrow to broad • Attention Getter • Quote • anecdote • Contrasting idea • Historical Intro (background)

14. Review of Paragraph Structure for Body Paragraphs • Topic Sentence • Introduces and makes a specific point about the topic • Supporting Sentences • SPECIFIC details and examples which support your assertion in the topic sentence • Summary or Transition sentence • Lets reader know that the writer is moving from one topic to another or that the paragraph/paper is ending

15. Body Paragraphs • Direction – Topic sentence that states the main idea of paragraph with supporting sentences to follow • Topic sentences link paragraph to thesis statement • Unity – Each paragraph makes a point and sticks to it • make sure the body paragraph supports the thesis statement • make sure the sentences of body paragraph support the topic sentence • Coherence – evidence and ideas within paragraph are logically connected and easy to follow – Transitions are clear and logical • Transitions move body paragraphs from one main point to another • Transitional words act as signposts that lead the reader through the essay • Avoid first, second, third, and last. BORING!

16. Body Paragraphs continued • Support – specific and relevant details which discuss and support the main idea which supports the thesis statement • Very important – without it, you just have a lot of fluff. • Use Examples • avoid vague restatements that don’t offer proof of an idea • Extended example – an entire paragraph focused on a specific example – be careful and make sure you return to the general idea with a summary statement tying the example to thesis. • Comparisons • similes use like or as to compare to otherwise unrelated things • avoid clichés or comparing like things – The two lovers who had been apart embraced like two people who hadn’t seen each other in a long time

17. Conclusion • Purpose • give the reader a sense of conclusion • emphasize the validity or importance of your ideas • Types of Conclusions • Summary conclusion – restates the main points (thesis) of your essay – also statement of essay’s broader implications • Recommendation conclusion – suggests a solution or a call to action – could also be a rhetorical question that makes the reader think about the essay’s main point. • Prediction conclusion – look toward the future, makes a forecast based on essay’s thesis, or offers a warning based on the essay’s thesis • Full Circle Conclusion – refers to an anecdote used, word used, or image created in the introduction to bring the reader back to where the essay began • Quotation Conclusion – make quote your closing statement. Make sure quote emphasizes the main point. • Problems to avoid • Well, that’s all I have to say about that.... – avoid mechanical endings and uncomfortable reading – make the conclusion flow • In addition to ... – don’t introduce new points • Stick with what you say... don’t change stance or opinion or offer alternatives in conclusion

18. How To Write • Find a creative and productive time and place • Find the prewriting that works for you • Think about your topic while doing other things and jot down ideas or corrections • Accept the ugliness of revision... The uglier a first draft, the better the final draft • DO NOT PROCRASTINATE – write when you need to and develop a routine

19. Drafting • Putting ideas down on paper in sentences and organized into paragraphs • Don’t sweat the small stuff like spelling and punctuation • Get it written down!

20. Revision • Making changes to the structure or organization of the paper • Be sure paper follows a logical order and ideas support your thesis • Don’t try to revise the same day you draft • Read your paper out loud to someone... Often you discover your own problems • Nothing is permanent – you might throw out and rewrite entire paragraphs at this stage

21. Proof & Publish • Sweat the small stuff! • Correct errors in spelling, grammar, mechanics, punctuation, etc... • DON’T DO THIS ALONE! – let another person read and check at this point. • Take care of appearance of paper – a paper that looks like an “A” paper is one step closer

22. Title • Must have one – attract reader’s interest and prepares him or her for content of paper • Don’t punctuate it with quotation marks or underlining • Watch capitalization