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Objective. To help the student write effective and organized essays and papers. Choose a Topic. Select a topic that you like or that is familiar to you See if there is enough information on your chosen topic. Brainstorming. Select a topicWrite down what comes to your mindGroup the ideas th
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1. COMPOSITION WORKSHOP University of the Sacred Heart
Department of Humanities
Center for Language Development Across the Disciplines
LAD
2. Objective
To help the student write effective and organized essays and papers
3. Choose a Topic
Select a topic that you like or that is familiar to you
See if there is enough information on your chosen topic
4. Brainstorming Select a topic
Write down what comes to your mind
Group the ideas that are related
Choose the group of ideas that interests you and are related to the topic
Organize your notes into an outline
5. Do Some Research
on the topic by asking the wh questions:
who, what, when, why and how
use the library, Internet, TV broadcasts, newspapers, magazines, etc
6. Prepare an Outline Introduction
Thesis statement (topic sentence)
Body
Main idea
Supporting ideas (details)
Main idea
Supporting ideas (transition to next paragraph)
Conclusion
7. Starting Your First Draft
8. Paper Format
9. Essay Content Make sure to include the thesis statement in your introduction
Develop your ideas according to the outline
Close your argument with a conclusion
Summarize information from the previous paragraphs
Do introduce new information in the conclusion
10. Writing Techniques
11. Sentence Variety By using expansions (adjectives, adverbs, verbal and prepositional phrases and appositives)
Example: Mary has a long, red skirt.
12. Sentence Variety In structure complex sentence
Example: I saw the woman, who was killing the cockroach, scream crazily.
In sentence arrangement
Example: In the middle of the
desert, Will Smith punched the alien.
13. Other Techniques Achieve unity
Use correct word order for emphasis
Use occasional questions, exclamations, or commands
Use connectives (and, but, therefore
)
14. Also Remember Writing purpose
Narrate
Describe
Compare / Contrast
Persuade
The tone (sad, humorous, serious, concerned
)
Your audience (formal / informal)
15. Avoid the Following Breaking one idea into short, monotonous sentences
Including sentences with unrelated or illogical details
Using too many details even though related
16. Avoid the Following Redundancy
Unnecessary changes in point of view
Run-ons (A run-on sentence has at least two sentences. Each one should be written separately.)
Incorrect: Do you see the man in the car he is my father.
Correct: Do you see the man in the car? He is my father.
17. Citation Short quotations (three lines or less) should be enclosed in quotation marks
Example: Dont ask what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country.
John F. Kennedy
18. Citation On a new line, indent longer quotations (four or more lines), and set off in single space without quotation marks. Return to the original margin when you finish the quote.
19. Plagiarism When you use someones ideas without citing, you receive credit for someone elses intellectual effort
To avoid plagiarism, make sure to identify and document all your quotes, cites, and reference sources
20. Save Your Work If you use a computer or word processor, make sure you save your work
Make more than one copy !
21. Go to the LAD Center! Proofread
Check grammar
Check work format
Check essay outline
Check quotations and citations
22. Prepare Your Second Draft
23. Preparing Your Final Paper Make sure to include the following:
Cover page with your name, student number, the title of your work, course and section, professors last name, and date
Reference list at the end of your work
Revise quotations and citations
24. References
Capital Community College Library. Available at http://webster.commnet.edu
Purdue University Online Writing Lab. Available at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html
The Research Paper. Available at http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/general_handouts/research_guide.html
25. Questions? Prepared by: Thalia N. Nazario-Santiago
Coordinator for the Center for Languages and Culture
Center for Language Development Across the Disciplines (LAD)
February 2003
Revised by: Patricia Kidd
August 2004
Revised by: Prof. Delia Serrano
January 2005