Writing Basics for the Formal Paper ENGL 1010

Writing Basics for the Formal Paper ENGL 1010 Fall 2012 Vance

Writing Purposes • • • Entertainment Informative Persuasive Descriptive Expressive Academic

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 • •

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

Process • Prewriting • Outlining • Drafting • Revision • Publication

Prewriting • • • Brainstorming Listing Doodling Free-writing Questioning

• • • 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 limited to fit the assignment stated in specific terms – not vague easily recognized

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”

Outline Formula I. Introduction A. Attention Getter 1. Explain attention getter and tie to topic B. Background/introductory Info 1. 2. 3. Info important to the topic but not in the body C. Thesis Statement – delivers the main idea of your paper (will list three main points in early papers)

II. Body A. Topic Sentence about 1 st main point discussed in thesis 1. 2. 3. 4. Supporting Detail giving example/evidence of first point Transition/Link Sentence B. Topic Sentence about 2 nd main point discussed in thesis 1. 2. 3. 4. Supporting Detail giving example/evidence of 2 nd point Transition/Link Sentence

C. Topic Sentence about 3 rd main point discussed in thesis 1. 2. 3. 4. Supporting Detail giving example/evidence of 3 rd point Final detail about 3 rd main point III. Conclusion A. Restate Thesis (rework the sentence) keeping list of main points in same order B. Additional info/opinions/thoughts C. Closing statement (often refers back to attention getter)

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)

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

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 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!

Body Paragraphs continued • Support – specific and relevant details which discuss and support the main idea which supports 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

• Purpose Conclusion – 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

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

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!

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

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

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