The Writing Zone for English 101 at CSULA

Greetings, Students!In this presentation, we will discuss two important

topics that you will need to familiarize yourselves with. The first topic is The Writing Process. The second topic is Essay Structure. Both of

these topics will help you to complete the Writing Assignments that are required for this course.

By Daniel LambertBased on a Short Film by Joseph Longo

(Glendale College and Santa Monica College)

The Writing Zone: How To Write An Essay

Writing an essay (or anything, for that matter) is a process with three major steps:

PrewritingWritingRewriting

American novelist Ernest Hemingway said REWRITING is the most important step.

Introduction

Prewriting involves:

Coming up with a topicDeveloping a workable thesisResearching support for your thesis

Four techniques for coming up with a topic are…BrainstormingListingClusteringFreewriting

Prewriting

Our Topic: A Comparison and Contrast of Dogs Versus Cats…

An Example of Clustering…

First Choice: Subject by Subject:Thesis: “Jed and Jake are both excellent banjo-pickers whose

differences reflect their training.”1. Introduction2. Jed

1. Training2. Choice of material3. Technical dexterity4. Playing style

3. Jake5. Training6. Choice of material7. Technical dexterity8. Playing style

4. Conclusion

How to Organize a C&C Essay:

Second Choice: Point by Point:Thesis: “Jed and Jake are both excellent banjo-pickers whose

differences reflect their training.”1. Introduction2. Training

1. Jed: studied under Scruggs2. Jake: studied under Segovia

3. Choice of material3. Jed: traditional4. Jake: innovative

4. Technical dexterity5. Jed: highly skilled6. Jake: highly skilled

5. Playing style6. Jed: likes to show off7. Jake: keeps work simple

6. Conclusion

How to Organize a C&C Essay:

Two Women “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner and “A

Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell are two similar short stories that are also different. Both stories share the theme of a woman victimized by her culture. Each woman murders a man because of the pressures of male-dominated society. Minnie and Emily kill for different reasons, however. Emily kills her fiancée, Homer Barron, because she is afraid of becoming an “old maid” (an unmarried woman). Minnie kills her jealous and domineering husband because he strangled her song bird.

A Sample Comparison and Contrast Paragraph

It must not be too broad or too narrowIt asserts one main ideaIt states the writer’s clearly-defined position

on some subjectIt has something worthwhile to sayIt is clearly stated in specific termsIt must be written as one or two complete

sentences, with subjects and verbs

Characteristics Of A Good Thesis:

Writing involves:

Developing an outlineWriting the essay by developing paragraphsDeveloping paragraphsWriting the opening paragraph, or the lead,

and the concluding paragraph

Writing

The OUTLINE is a map of your essay. The following is an example of the classic outline structure:

TitleThesis Statement

I. Main Point OneI. A. Secondary Point OneII. B. Secondary Point Two

II. II. Main Point TwoI. A. Secondary Point OneII. B. Secondary Point Two

III. Main Point ThreeI. A. Secondary Point OneII. B. Secondary Point Two

Outline Structure

There are several questions you should ask yourself when you are revising an essay. Here are a few of them…

What can I do to this piece of writing to make it most effective, interesting, compelling, and inviting?

Does this essay make sense?Is it well-supported?Is it written in terms the reader can

understand?Does it move smoothly from beginning to

end?

Revising

The Five-Paragraph Format

Your essay should be laid out as follows:

Introduction• Hook • Thesis

Main Body Paragraph I• Topic Sentence• Support

Main Body Paragraph II• Topic Sentence• Support

Main Body Paragraph III• Topic Sentence• Support

Conclusion• Restatement of the Thesis• Satisfaction of the Reader

Essay Structure

An outline is: A logical, general description A schematic summary An organizational pattern A visual and conceptual design of your writing

Developing an Outline

Purpose Thesis Audience Title:

Microcomputer Programs and the Process of Writing

I. I. Major Steps in the Writing ProcessII. A. OrganizingIII. B. Writing the First DraftIV. C. EvaluatingV. D. RevisingVI. II. Writing Programs for the MicrocomputerVII. A. Types of Programs and Their Relationship to the Writing ProcessVIII. B. Positive and Negative Aspects of Computer Writing ProgramsIX. C. Future Possibilities of Computer Programs for WritingX. 1. Rapid ChangeXI. 2. Improved ProgramsXII. 3. Increased Use and AvailabilityXIII. 4. More Realistic Assessment of Value

A Sample Outline

The paragraph is a group of sentences on one topic.

The opening paragraph, or LEAD, must capture or hook the reader’s attention

The opening paragraph contains two components

The HOOKThe THESIS

A paragraph does two things:It makes a pointIt proves a point

The Paragraph

Unity

Support

Coherence

The CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH should do two things:

• Restate your essay’s thesis• Satisfy the reader that the essay has arrived at

its conclusion

Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

Questions or Comments?