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English Skills, 8eEnglish Skills with Readings, 6e

Chapter Two

The Writing Process

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

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

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

• Organize and connectOrganize and connect your supporting material.

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

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Prewriting Techniques

•Freewriting•Questioning •Making a List•Diagramming•Preparing a Scratch Outline

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Freewriting• Write nonstop for ten minutes and jot down Write nonstop for ten minutes and jot down

in rough sentences or phrases in rough sentences or phrases everythingeverything that comes to mind about a possible topic.that comes to mind about a possible topic.

There are lots of things I get annoyed There are lots of things I get annoyed by. One of them is politishans, in fact by. One of them is politishans, in fact I am so annoyed by them the last I am so annoyed by them the last thing I want is to write about them. thing I want is to write about them. Another thing that bothers me is noisy Another thing that bothers me is noisy people at the movies. I used to love people at the movies. I used to love the movies….the movies….

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Freewriting

•Do not worry (yet) about spelling or punctuation.

[. . .] There are lots of [. . .] There are lots of things I get annoyed by. things I get annoyed by. One of them isOne of them is politishanspolitishans. . [. . .][. . .]

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Questioning ???????????• Ask as many questions as you can Ask as many questions as you can

think of about your subject.think of about your subject.•Why?Why?•When?When?•Where?Where?•Who?Who?•How?How? ??

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Making a List((akaaka “brainstorming”) “brainstorming”)

• Collect a Collect a list of ideaslist of ideas and details that relate to and details that relate to your subject.your subject.

• Do not worryDo not worry about the order of the list. about the order of the list.– Traffic is bad between my house and theatreTraffic is bad between my house and theatre– Noisy patronsNoisy patrons– Don’t want to run into JeremyDon’t want to run into Jeremy– Hard to be on a dietHard to be on a diet

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ClusteringClustering(aka “diagramming” or “mapping”)(aka “diagramming” or “mapping”)

• WriteWrite your your subjectsubject in the center of a blank sheet in the center of a blank sheet of paper.of paper.

• Jot down ideasJot down ideas and and detailsdetails around the around the subject.subject.

• Use lines, boxes, arrows and circles to Use lines, boxes, arrows and circles to showshow

relationshipsrelationships among ideas and details. among ideas and details.

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Diagramming

Movies

Might see old boyfriend

Noisy People

Adults

Coughing and sneezing

Telling Plot

Teenagers

Showing offYelling

Too many people

Line at box office

Traffic getting to theater

Temptations

PopcornChocolate bars

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Preparing a Scratch Outline• Think Think carefullycarefully about: about:

• The The pointpoint you are making you are making• The The supporting itemssupporting items for that for that

pointpoint• The The orderorder in which you will in which you will

arrange those itemsarrange those items

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Writing a First Draft

Your Your Goals:Goals:• State your main idea State your main idea clearlyclearly..• Develop the content of paper Develop the content of paper

with plenty of with plenty of specific detailsspecific details..

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Revision

• Set your draft aside for a while.Set your draft aside for a while.• Work from typed or printed text.Work from typed or printed text.• Read your draft aloud.Read your draft aloud.• Add your thoughts and changes Add your thoughts and changes

above the lines or in the margins above the lines or in the margins of your paper.of your paper.

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3 Stages to the Revising Process

•Revising contentRevising content

•Revising sentencesRevising sentences

•EditingEditing 33

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Revising ContentUnity

• Main ideaMain idea must be clearly stated in introductory paragraph.

• Supporting points must back up main idea.

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Revising Content

SupportSupport• At leastAt least three separate pointsthree separate points

must support the main idea.must support the main idea.• Plenty of specific evidencePlenty of specific evidence

must be provided for each must be provided for each supporting point.supporting point.

Must havesupport...

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Revising SentencesUseUse to to balancebalance words and words and

ideas: ideas:

Correct: The mugger jumped out and scared her.Incorrect: The mugger jumped out and scares her.

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Revising Sentences

Keep Keep voicevoice and and tense tense consistentconsistent..– Jean Jean punchedpunched down the risen yeast down the risen yeast

dough in the bowl. Then dough in the bowl. Then you dumpyou dump it it onto the floured work table and onto the floured work table and kneadknead it into a smooth, shiny ball.it into a smooth, shiny ball.

Jean Jean punched punched down the risen yeast dough in the bowl. down the risen yeast dough in the bowl. Then Then she dumpedshe dumped it onto the floured it onto the floured work table and work table and

kneadedkneaded it into a smooth shiny ball.it into a smooth shiny ball.

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Revising Sentences

• Avoid Avoid slang, slang, clichés, clichés, pretentious pretentious language,language, and and wordiness.wordiness.

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Revising Sentences

Use verbs.Use verbs.• PassivePassiveThe car The car was was

crashedcrashed by me. by me.

• Active Active I I crashedcrashed the car. the car.

Forms ofForms of to beto be::

is is am am arearewas was were were beenbeen

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Revising Sentences

The truck was speeding. The truck was brown.

The truck skidded on some ice. The truck almost hit a police officer.

The police officer was startled.The police officer was young. The brown speeding truck The brown speeding truck

startled the young police officer startled the young police officer as it skidded on some ice as it skidded on some ice

and almost hit him.and almost hit him.

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Editing

–grammargrammar–punctuationpunctuation –spellingspelling