The EssayAustin

English 11

Stages of the Writing Process

PREWRITING: Choose a topic Brainstorm ideas Organize ideas Decide on the purpose and audience Decide on the appropriate

form/genre/mode for the purpose

DraftingWrite the rough draftEmphasis is on CONTENT

REVISING Share drafts with a partner, a small

group, or a teacher Constructive feedback is given on

content Changes are made in the CONTENT

based on feedback Look at sequence, detailing, and organizing to see that it is logical and coherent

EDITING Author proofreads own paper

for mechanical errors Proofread others’ papers Students are accountable for

conventions that have been taught

Proofread for spelling, grammar and usage, punctuation, capitalization, and sentence formation errors

PUBLISHING Choose an appropriate format to share

finished product Students share their published form with an

audience

3 PARTS OF AN ESSAY Structure: 5 paragraphs (each paragraph

5-8 sentences) Introduction: 1 paragraph with thesis

statement Body: 3 paragraphs each with a topic

sentence Conclusion: 1 paragraph

THESIS STATEMENT States very specifically, in one

sentence, the points of the essay’s topic (one point per body paragraph)

Serves as an outline for the body (discuss the points in the order presented in the thesis)

Unifies the essay by giving key words, phrasing, etc. which can be repeated in the body

THESIS STATEMENT MUST BE ONE DECLARATIVE

SENTENCE IT CANNOT BE A QUESTION

THEREFORE A GOOD THESIS FORMULATES YOUR

TOPIC AN YOUR POINT OF VIEW IT IS NOT A STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

INTRODUCTION GENERAL TO SPECIFIC!!! Set the stage for your observations,

feelings, thoughts, research, etc. This is a good place to define terms or use quotes, famous sayings, etc.

Focus in on the specific points in the thesis statement. The thesis statement is generally the last sentence of the introduction paragraph.

BODY SPECIFIC, SPECIFIC, SPECIFIC A. DISCUSS EACH POINT OF YOUR

THESIS STATEMENT IN THE ORDER STATED IN THE THESIS—ONE POINT PER PARAGRAPH

B. TOPIC SENTENCE IN ECH PARAGRAPH SHOULD PICK UP KEY WORDS USED IN THE THESIS

BODY C. GIVE SPECIFIC PROOF TO SUPPORT EACH POINT.

USE FACTS, EXAMPLES, LOGICAL REASONS, AND STATISTICS TO SUPPORT YOUR POINT

USE RELEVANT QUOTES FROM THE WORKS EXPLAIN SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE PLOT,

SETTING, CHARACTERIZATION , THE AUTHOR’S STYLE, ETC. WHICH SUPPORT YOUR OPINION

MAKE ALLUSIONS OR COMPARISONS TO OTHER LITERARY WORKS

CONCLUSION SPECIFIC TO GENERAL A. RESTATE YOUR THESIS USING

DIFFERENT WORDING, BUT KEEP YOUR POINTS IN THE ORDER YOU DISCUSSED THEM IN THE BODY.

B. SUM UP KEY PROOFS. C. MAKE GENERALIIZATIONS. WHAT

DIFFERENCE DOES YOUR TOPIC MAKE TO YOU, TO OTHER PEOPLE, TO THE WORLD.

Transitions To compare two things:

In the same way likewise Also like As similarly

Transitions To contrast things:

But on the other hand Although however In the meantime although Nevertheless on the contrary Counter to as opposed Even so still Even though yet otherwise

style Style is some special quality that commands

interest or gives pleasure, something that makes you sit up and take notice.

The secret to style is CONTROL. TWO COMMANDMENTS:

1. Do not use first or second person or the impersonal one.

Example: I believe that God exists. God exists.

2. Do not use the word there to begin a sentence. Example: There was something wrong. Something was wrong.

style USE ACTIVE VOICE: Active voice is

direct, vigorous, strong. It lets your subjects perform.

Passive voice is indirect, limp, weak, and sneaky.

Vary your sentence length. Use FORMAL LANGUAGE. Do not use

slang, contractions, jargon, cliches, etc.

DO’S OF ESSAY WRITING Use good transitions between paragraphs

and points in each paragraph Use literary terms (protagonist, antagonist,

setting, irony, symbolism, theme, characterization, conflict, narrative, drama)

Make allusions to other works Use quotes from the work being discussed Put the title, author, and genre of the work

being discussed in the first paragraph

DON’TS OF ESSAY WRITING Say “in my opinion”, “I think”, “I believe”,

etc. Don’t use first person! Switch tenses or persons Refer to the essay itself. For example:

“This essay will prove. . .” “This paragraph discusses. . .” etc.

Say the same thing over and over. Use specific and numerous details of proof.

PLAGIARISM Plagiarism occurs in one of three

ways: Failing to cite quotations and

borrowed ideas Failing to enclose borrowed

language in quotation marks Failing to put summaries and

paraphrases in your own words

DOCUMENTATION Follow the MLA Handbook for your sources Make copies of all research used in the

paper ALL BORROWED INFORMATION MUST

BE DOCUMENTED, WHETHER YOU BORROW AN AUTHOR’S WORDS, IDEAS, OR SENTENCE STRUCTURE.

Sentences containing your own original thoughts obviously do not need documentation.

Information that is assumed common knowledge does not need to be documented

To indicate that you are using a source’s exact phrases or sentences, you must enclose them in quotation marks.

Parenthetical Documented Parenthetical documentation is a way

to indicate in parentheses the sources of borrowed information. This avoids plagiarism. The page number must be included so the reader could look up the original information for further clarification.

What must be included in the parentheses?

You must include the author’s last name

and the page number.EXAMPLE:

“This affects the environment and is in turn affected by it” (Newton 10).

What should NOT be included in the parentheses?

No punctuation inside the parentheses Do not write “page” or “pg”

Where does the punctuation go?

After the parentheses

EX. …country (Jones 32).

EXCEPTIONS No author mentioned—include the first

piece of information from the Works Cited page. Usually this is the title of the article.

EX. The need for nurses continues to grow in the coming years (“Nursing” 120).

EXCEPTIONS AUTHOR MENTIONED IN THE

SENTENCE – only the page number is needed

EX. The social acceptance of coal miners, according to Peter Jones, British correspondent for Newsweek, was far from good (43).

WORKS CITED Alphabetical order – whether it begins with

author, title, etc. Double – spaced 12 point font Center Works Cited at the top of the page

WORKS CITED EXAMPLE:

Works Cited

Field, Sally. Teaching Strategies. New York: Apple, 1976.

Gunn, Betty. Personal Interview. 22 December 1995.

Landry, Lucy. Becoming an English Teacher. New York: MacMillian,

1998.

“Teaching.” The Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance. Ed.

William Hopke. Vol. 12. Chicago: Ferguson, 1988.