ENC 1101 Lecture 3 Instructions for the Definition

ENC 1101 – Lecture 3 Instructions for the Definition - by - Example Essay Don’t you think that brunette in biology would make the perfect girlfriend for me? No way, she’s not what you’re looking for!

Understand the requirements for this essay. § First, you must effectively define your topic. • You must choose a type of person. • Consult me if you are not sure you have chosen a good topic for the paper. • Definitions from dictionaries or beliefs held by the general population are not appropriate. They are boring! • The definition should be your unique perspective on the person you have chosen.

The key to a good essay is knowing that people do not think the same way. . .

For example, people do not define good friend in the same way … A good friend should be loyal like my dog!

Other folks believe a good friend must have a sense of humor. Hee, hee. . . Ha, hoo, hoo. . .

Perhaps a good friend is someone who is always there to listen, even at 3 a. m. Girl, I saw that no good rat kissing Mary Lou Ellen. . . You don’t say. . .

Better yet, a good friend might be someone with whom you spend quality time.

All of you are so wrong! A good friend is someone who has a fistful of cash!

So then, another definition of a good friend might be someone with a fat wallet.

Second, you must use specific examples that illustrate your definition. § Choose people whom you know really well and can discuss in a convincing fashion. § These people can come from your everyday life or from books, television, or film. § You can even create people from your own imagination if they are believable and interesting!

Third, select your topic with care. § Pick a topic that really interests you. Your enthusiasm for the project will infect the reader; your boredom, however, will make a bad impression. § Pick a topic that you have experienced. § Bring something new to the table. Safe is boring.

Next, pick a pattern. § Pattern A will explore one quality instrumental in defining your type of person. It will give three people as examples. § The thesis statement will look something like this: Person A, Person B, and Person C all have Quality X, so they qualify as _____.

Pattern B will look different. § Pattern B will explore three qualities instrumental in defining your type of person. It will give one person as an example. § The thesis statement will look something like this: Person A has Quality X, Quality Y, and Quality Z, so he [or she] qualifies as _____.

Pattern A vs. Pattern B Introduction: one quality and three people Introduction: one person and three qualities All about Person A All about Quality X All about Person B All about Quality Y All about Person C All about Quality Z Conclusion of the definition

Michael Jordan, Bill Gates, and Oprah Winfrey all have fat wallets, so in my book they qualify as good friends.

Because Oprah Winfrey has a fat wallet, a hot car, and a private jet, she qualifies in my book as a good friend.

Next, do the prewriting that the essay requires. § This essay will require the following stages: • A grouped list • A sentence outline • A handwritten draft produced in class • A typed rough draft § Prewriting is like washing your clothes before getting dressed for an important occasion. You are readying all of the information that you might use to “dress” the essay.

Is it easier to get dressed for an important event before or after you have done the laundry?

Write the grouped list, the first stage of prewriting. § § § List six general qualities that describe the type of person you plan to define. Pick the best quality if you are using Pattern A, the best three if you are using Pattern B. Next, list six people who qualify as the type of person you plan to define. Of these, pick the best three people if you are using Pattern A, the best person if you are using Pattern B. For each person [Pattern A] or each quality [Pattern B], list at least ten details [30 details total] that you might use in the essay. Follow the format guidelines on your syllabus!

After you have finished the grouped list, make these important decisions: § Select the best material from the list, and then § § § organize it in the best fashion. Start in a way that will engage your reader. Do this by choosing information that your reader will recognize and/or agree with. Sandwich the material you like least in the middle. This material isn’t bad, just what you like the least. End with your best point so that you make a strong last impression.

The Most Effective Way to Organize Use a strategy from Writing Tip 2 to create an interesting introduction. The first body paragraph should include an interesting example that your reader recognizes and/or agrees with. The second body paragraph should have your weakest point--not a poor point, but the one you are least happy with. The third body paragraph should be the one that really shines--best point, best example, best writing. The conclusion should follow the format discussed on Writing Tip 3.

Before you begin writing a draft, complete your sentence outline, the second stage of prewriting. § Include a working thesis statement at the § § § top of the outline. Outline only the body paragraphs of the essay. All items on the outline must be complete sentences. In terms of length and looks, follow the format of the samples. § Follow the format guidelines on your syllabus!

Write third stage of prewriting —the rough draft of your essay. § We will write the first draft in class. § Include a heading and title. § Follow the format guidelines on your syllabus! [This way you will be less likely to § § make a costly mistake when you type the next draft. ] Use Writing Tips 1 through 5 to produce the best possible draft. Sample essays for Pattern A and Pattern B exist at the course blog.

In your body paragraphs, avoid covering too much information too superficially. X First of all, Kim was a pig. She never cleaned up the bathroom, so I had to. Her room was so dirty that I had to close the door when my friends visited the apartment. The kitchen was always filthy too. I spent as many hours wiping up after her as she spent making the mess. The living room was another disaster. And don’t get me started on the back porch. If I wasn’t there to take care of a chore, it didn’t get done.

Instead, get gritty with all those details. Walking into the bathroom after she used it gave me my first glimpse of her filthy lifestyle. I had to muscle my way in because wet towels lay wedged at the bottom of the door. Her room looked as if her closet had puked up her clothing onto the floor. Our sink always remained full of her dirty dishes with food particles floating in the cloudy water. If I were not home on trash days to take the garbage out, it would have spilled onto the floor and spawned wriggling maggots. Living with Kim was equal to living with a monkey swinging from the drapes and flinging poo at me.

Or focus on one piece from your outline that you cover really well. Walking into the bathroom after she used it gave me my first glimpse into her filthy lifestyle. I had to muscle my way in because wet towels lay wedged at the bottom of the door. The toothpaste was squirting out its + contents onto the counter. A used tissue full of green phlegm sat beside it. Stubble from her legs ringed the bathtub, and a big clump of her hair covered the drain. The last straw for me was seeing her dirty undergarments heaped beside the toilet. Everyday I had to disinfect the bathroom before I could use it, a chore I quickly began to resent.

“Polish” the rough draft before writing your final copy.

Proofread the rough draft for these common errors: § Look for mistakes that you often make. § Carefully check for misspelled words. Be sure § § § that you haven’t typed form, for example, when you mean from, etc. Do not use informal abbreviations: & for and, St. for street, w/ for with, cause for because, or —God forbid—gonna for going to or wanna for want to. Do not use second person [you, yours, etc. ] unless you are addressing me, the reader. Be sure that there are no comma errors.

Make an appointment in the Writing Center [5157] if you want someone to read your draft.

First Draft Directions § To earn all of the points on your prewriting sheet, do the following: • Be sure to follow all of the format guidelines on your syllabus! • Be sure that the essay has a correct and interesting title. • Be sure that you have written 500+ words. § Your homework is to type/polish the draft for an in-class activity during the next class.

Prepare the final copy. § Send me an Atlas email with the essay attached. § Print two hard copies: one for me and one for you to keep in a safe place. § Learn from the mistakes you made on the last essay: • Carefully, carefully follow the format guidelines on your syllabus. • Read the score sheet and know what I want to see in every stage of the paper.

The End. Ah, Daniel - san, very good job.