©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

College Writing SkillsCollege Writing Skills, 5E , 5E and and College Writing College Writing Skills with ReadingsSkills with Readings, 5E, 5E

John LanganJohn Langan

Chapter One

An Introduction to WritingAn Introduction to Writing

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.College Writing Skills / CWS with Readings, 5E

Chapter 1

The Process: 4 Steps in a NutshellThe Process: 4 Steps in a Nutshell

1. Discover a clearly stated point clearly stated point or thesisor thesis.

2. Provide logical, detailed logical, detailed supportsupport for your thesis.

3.3. Organize and connectOrganize and connect your supporting material.

4.4. Revise and editRevise and edit so that your sentences are effective and error-free.

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.College Writing Skills / CWS with Readings, 5E

Chapter 1

Point and SupportPoint and Support

Any idea that you advance MUST be

supported with specific specific reasonsreasons or detailsdetails..

(What kind? How many? What (What kind? How many? What did it look/feel/smell/taste/sound did it look/feel/smell/taste/sound

like?)like?)

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.College Writing Skills / CWS with Readings, 5E

Chapter 1

Point and Support in a Point and Support in a Paragraph

A paragraphparagraph usually consists

of a topic sentence…topic sentence…Ex: Although I love the Although I love the movies, I’ve found that movies, I’ve found that there are drawbacks to there are drawbacks to moviegoing.moviegoing.

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.College Writing Skills / CWS with Readings, 5E

Chapter 1

Point and Support in a Point and Support in a ParagraphParagraph

…followed by supporting supporting sentencessentences..

Ex.: On aOn a recent visit, teenagers were recent visit, teenagers were throwing popcorn and ice cubes to throwing popcorn and ice cubes to the left of me. The seats were torn the left of me. The seats were torn and missing springs, and the floors and missing springs, and the floors sticky with spilled soda. [. . .]sticky with spilled soda. [. . .]

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.College Writing Skills / CWS with Readings, 5E

Chapter 1

Point and Support in an Point and Support in an EssayEssay

In an essayessay, the thesisthesis appears in the introductory introductory paragraphparagraph, and the supportsupport appears in the paragraphsparagraphs

that followthat follow..

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.College Writing Skills / CWS with Readings, 5E

Chapter 1

Structure of the Traditional EssayStructure of the Traditional Essay

Parts of an essay:•IntroductoryIntroductory paragraph

•BodyBody (supporting) (supporting) paragraphs

•Concluding Concluding paragraph

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.College Writing Skills / CWS with Readings, 5E

Chapter 1

Introductory ParagraphsIntroductory Paragraphsshouldshould

•attract attract the reader’s interest;interest;•advanceadvance the thesis; and

•previewpreview the major points that will support the thesis.

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.College Writing Skills / CWS with Readings, 5E

Chapter 1

Body/ Supporting ParagraphsBody/ Supporting Paragraphsshould

beginbegin with a topictopic sentencesentence that states the point to be detailed in that paragraph.

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.College Writing Skills / CWS with Readings, 5E

Chapter 1

Concluding ParagraphsConcluding Paragraphs

•briefly restatebriefly restate the thesisthesis and the main supporting pointssupporting points,, and

•presentpresent a concluding concluding thoughtthought about the subject of the subject of the paper.paper.

The End

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.College Writing Skills / CWS with Readings, 5E

Chapter 1

Benefits of the traditional essayBenefits of the traditional essayMasteringMastering the traditional essay the traditional essay will

• help make you a betterbetter writer,writer,• make you a strongerstronger thinker,thinker,

and

•strengthenstrengthen your skills as a reader and listener.reader and listener.

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.College Writing Skills / CWS with Readings, 5E

Chapter 1

Writing is a Skill!Writing is a Skill!Writing is not a talenttalent. It is

a skillskill that can be mastered through

practicepractice and hard hard workwork.

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.College Writing Skills / CWS with Readings, 5E

Chapter 1

Writing a JournalWriting a Journal

The more you

practice practice writing, the better you will write.

Keep a writing writing journal. journal.

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.College Writing Skills / CWS with Readings, 5E

Chapter 1

Some Tips on Writing with a ComputerSome Tips on Writing with a Computer

•SaveSave your work frequently.

•KeepKeep a backup diskbackup disk..

•PrintPrint out your work at the end of every session.

•CopyCopy your file before making major changes – you might want to go back to the original!

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.College Writing Skills / CWS with Readings, 5E

Chapter 1The Writing Process: The Writing Process: PrewritingPrewriting

•DeleteDelete ideas you don’t want in your paper and addadd new ideas that occur to you.

•ShuffleShuffle supporting ideas around to find the best order.

•Get downGet down as manyas many ideas and ideas and detailsdetails as possibleas possible about your subject.

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.College Writing Skills / CWS with Readings, 5E

Chapter 1

The Writing Process: The Writing Process: Writing Your First DraftWriting Your First Draft

• You can write out your first draft by handby hand and then type it into the computer for revisionrevision..• If you compose directly onto the

screen, however, you can benefit from the computer’s special features: cut,cut, pastepaste and copycopy..

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.College Writing Skills / CWS with Readings, 5E

Chapter 1The Writing Process: The Writing Process: RevisingRevising

•Substituting, Substituting, adding,adding, deleting,deleting, andand rearrangingrearranging

can be done easily on the computer.can be done easily on the computer.• If you prefer, print out a If you prefer, print out a hard copyhard copy

of your file andof your file and revise first in revise first in longhandlonghand. .

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.College Writing Skills / CWS with Readings, 5E

Chapter 1The Writing Process: The Writing Process: Editing and ProofreadingEditing and Proofreading

Take sufficient time to carefullycarefully review your grammargrammar, punctuationpunctuation, and spellingspelling.