By: Michi Elko, Jason Kaatz, Jacob Frank

• Unity and Coherence: • Unity-refers to the relationship between

each part of an essay and the larger whole.

• Coherence-refers to the relationship between adjacent sentences, paragraphs, and parts.

• Old before new:• Use old information to give out new

information.

• Forecasting and Fulfillment:-Writers need to forecast what’s coming and fulfill those forecasts.

-Writers forecast what is coming by:

-effective titles-effective introductions

• Avoiding and the Writing or Chronological Structure• Chronological structure-”narrative,” writing

in timely order• Avoiding All About Writing or Encyclopedic

Structure• Whereas and then writing turns essays

into stories by organizing details chronologically.

• Conversion to Problem-Thesis Structure• Creates tension and controversy

• Engfish-A riskless truism supported with predictable reasons

• To avoid engfish, stay focused on the need to surprise your reader.

• Making lists of “Chunks” and a scratch outline early in the writing process• Make a list of the chunks will help you

get started• Begin thinking about which are high level

points and which are details and support of a point

• “Nutshelling” Your argument as an aid for finding a structure• Looking at your argument through

different perspectives

• Using complete sentences in outlines to convey meaning• Helps you organize meanings, not topics• Use subjects and verbs to make a point

• Sketching your structure using an outline, tree diagram, or flowchart• Outlines-uses letters and numerals to indicate levels of

points, sub points, and particulars• Tree diagrams-displays hierarchical structure visually, using

horizontal and vertical space, instead of letters and numbers • Flowcharts-presents the sequence of sections as separate

boxes, inside which the writer notes the material needed to fill each box

• Letting the structure evolve • As your ideas grow and change, revise your structural

diagram, adding or removing points, consolidating and refocusing sections

• Avoiding the “Topic Title” and the “Funnel Introduction”

• “Funnel”-encourages students to start with broad generalizations and then narrow down to their topics• Leads to topic title and vapid generalizations in the

opening of the introduction

• Hooking your reader with an effective title• Needs to have something old and something new• Helps you find your focus when you get bogged down in

the middle of your draft

• From old to new: The general principle of Closed-form introductions• Typically comes at the end of the introduction• problem or questions usually precedes thesis

• Typical elements of a closed-form introduction• 1)An opening attention grabber• 2)Explanation of the question to be investigated• 3)Background information • 4)A preview of where your paper is heading

• Forecasting the whole with the thesis statement, purpose statement, or blueprint statement• State your thesis directly• It is useful to use an outline to have choices

• Placing topic sentences at the beginning of paragraphs

• Revising paragraphs for unity• To better match what the paragraph actually says• Paragraphs have unity when all the sentences develop the

point stated in the topic sentence

• Adding particulars to support points • Need to add particulars such as facts, statistics,

quotations, research summaries, examples, or further subpoints

• Guide your reader with transitions and other signposts

• Using common transition words to signal relationships• “Therefore” and “nevertheless”

• Writing major transitions between parts• Writers often put resting places between major parts• Allow readers to shift there attention away from the matter at

hand

• Signaling major transitions with headings• Headings are often different type sizes and fonts and mark

transition points between major parts and subparts of the argument