Your Writing Resource

KU Writing Center

Recognizing Patterns and Revising Your Writing

Turkey Alzahrani

KU Writing Center

Agenda

Before WritingDuring Writing

After Writing

Before Writing

Defining Yourself as a Writer

Are You Happy with Your Writing?

Expectations

Reading, Research, & Writing

Tracking Research in Your Field

Literature Reviews

Envisioning Literature Reviews

Writing Time

Area of Interest

Area of Interest• Defining Area of Interest

• Why Should I have a Specific an Area of Interest?

Big Players in Your Area

• Identify the leaders in your area of interest

• Track what they have done

Conceptual Framework

•Guide your research

•Guide your writing

•Enhance your knowledge

•Outline area of interest

Finding Resources

• Google Scholar & other databases

• Journals in your Field

• Journals in your Specialization

• Journals in your area of interest

• Track article references

• Search known authors

• Search recent resources

• Using the right criteria

• Narrowing results

Outlining

• Outlining: After Searching!

• (Re)outlining: After Reading!

Organizing & Summarizing Resources

•Excel

•Endnote

•Any other software or program

During Writing

Writing an Introduction/Forming an Argument

Writing an Introduction/Forming an Argument

• Provide context!

• Simply, let the general information leads you to the specific

argument.

• Move the reader gradually through your argument toward your

thesis.

• Thesis! Let’s say: “the roadmap for the paper”!

• Avoid Concluding in your introduction by using words like: need,

should, must, found, etc.

Writing an Introduction/Forming an Argument

Structure of Paper

• Logical structure

• It always starts with a problem or argument

• When reading in your area of interest, you will be able to conceptualize and articulate your argument or problem beautifully and concisely

• Theoretical or Conceptual Framework

Perfect Sample

Your Thoughts

• Write the way you think

• Consider your train of thoughts as the structure of paper

• Look at the beginning and end of each paragraph

• Connection between sentences

Writing Conclusions

• Restating thesis

• Teach the readers what you have learned

Writing Conclusions

After Writing

Recognizing Patterns of Writing

• The ultimate goal of revision is to recognize the (unsuccessful AND successful) patterns of writing.

• Knowing the patterns of your own writing will help you control and select which decision to make for a particular writing assignment (meta-awareness)

• Each writing assignments requires you to use different writing skills. Knowing the genre of writing will help you conform your patterns of writing to meet the needs of the assignment.

Self-Editing

Self-Editing

• Leave your paper for one or two days

• Look at perfect samples of articles and compare them to your writing

Seeking Editing

•Find a partner

•Find an editor

Getting Feedback

Paragraph Level: Structure

• You will examine your paper to see if the organization is logical. First, re-read the paper. Ask you read, ask yourself these questions.

• Do you need to:o Reorganize sections of the paper?

o Revise main points for clarity?

o Use headings and sub-headings for clarification?

o Delete material?

o Add material?

o Insert transitions to connect sections of the paper to the thesis?

Paragraph Level: Structure

• Here are some strategies to consider when revising for

organization:o Reverse Outline: If you are unsure of your paper's organization, it can be

useful to create a reverse outline. Do this by writing one - two word descriptors in the margin next to each paragraph. Then you can step back and decide if the paragraphs move in a logical order, or rearrange them until you are satisfied.

o Re-arrange:You can also take a print-out of your paper and cut apart all of the paragraphs and mix them up. Next put them in the right order. If you are not sure where a paragraph goes, consider revising or removing it. At this point you have the option of moving, deleting, or adding sentences in order to ensure you have strong paragraphs.

o Revise for coherence: Here you are looking to see that all the parts fit together logically in a sensible and pleasing way. Improve coherence by reading only the first and last sentences of each paragraph. Do they move smoothly from one to the next? If not, revise them or add sentences to accomplish that goal.

Sentence LevelWriting Clear, Concise, and Direct Sentences

• Avoid Using Firstly, Secondly, and Thirdly!

Sentence Level

Writing Clear, Concise, and Direct Sentences

• Active vs. Passive Voiceo Passive: your paper was graded by the teacher.

o Active: The teacher graded your paper.

Sentence Level

Writing Clear, Concise, and Direct Sentences

• Put the action of the sentence in the verb

o Example: An evaluation of the procedures needs to be done

o Revision: We need to evaluate the procedures

• Reduce wordy verbs

o Example: is aware, has knowledge of ------> knows

o Example: is taking ------> takes

• Use expletive constructions ("It is," "There is”) sparingly

o Example: There are many students who like the Kansas Union.

o Revision: Many students like the Kansas Union.

Sentence Level

Writing Clear, Concise, and Direct Sentences

• Avoid wordiness

o Example 1: Consumer demand is rising in the area of services

o Revision: Consumers demand more services.

o Example 2: Due to the fact that the project is behind schedule, today’s meeting has been

postponed

o Revision: Because the project is behind schedule, today’s meeting has been postponed

• Avoid using propositional phrases

o Example: The opinion of the student.

o Revision: The student’s opinion.

• Convert nouns to verbs

o Example: They will collaborate in the creation of new guidelines.

o Revision: They will collaborate to create new guidelines

Word LevelDictionary and Thesaurus

Final Thoughts

• Life-long developing skills

• In my opinion:oBefore writing 70%

oDuring writing 10%

oAfter writing 20%

Let’s Practice

Exercise 1: Write Your Patterns

Think about a recent writing assignment. Describe the things you did in your writing to complete this writing assignment: did you use comparison/contrast? Lists? Complex-compound sentences? Short sentences? Any thought that comes to mind is fine.

Exercise 2: Correcting Mistakes in Sentences

Each of the sentences below have mistakes in them. The mistakes may be spelling, punctuation, capitalization, or grammar errors. Rewrite each sentence, correcting the mistakes.

1. The rabbit had scamper into the bushez when the fox catched it.

2. Chilren should eat his lunches what his parents give them.

3. Its not impotent who came to the party. Even though not everyone is invited.

4. If Marty comes over tonite, I’ll play cards with them.

5. There is no way I is going to travel and stayed to new York city.

6. She pedaled quick down the bath on its bike.

7. Every one wanted too sit with he in the caferteria.

8. Jill’s dogs arent well behaved but Jill isnt neither.

1. The rabbit had scampered into the bushes when the fox caught it.

2. Children should eat the lunches that their parents give them.

3. It's not important who came to the party, even though not everyone is invited.

4. If Marty comes over tonight, I’ll play cards with him.

5. There is no way I am going to travel and stay in NewYork City.

6. She pedaled quickly down the path on her bike.

7. Everyone wanted to sit with him in the cafeteria.

8. Jill’s dogs aren't well behaved, but Jill isn't either.

Answer Key: Correcting Mistakes in Sentences

KU Writing Center!

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