Self-Editing Your Process Essay

English 10A

NOTE TO YOU:

• Look over your own essay. • If ANY of these parts are missing or out of

order, make a note of it in the margin of your paper.

• It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that these required parts of the essay are included on the final draft.

Introduction: Does your first paragraph include…

An effective ATTENTION GETTER?Does the anecdote briefly

describe a scenario in which the process would be helpful for the

reader to know how to do?ACTION: Draw a box around your

attention-getter.

Necessary BACKGROUND INFORMATION t Who might need to know how to

complete this process? When this person might need to know

how to do this process? Where (i.e., situation) a person might

need to know how to do this process?

ACTION: Write the part(s) that is/are missing in the left margin

of the page.

Materials needed in chronological order (the order needed) in sentence form?

A definition of the process (what it is)? An explanation of why the process is important

to know?

ACTION: Write the part(s) that is/are missing in the left margin of the page.

A THESIS STATEMENT that includes the process you will describe and an

idea or opinion (point/purpose of your essay) about the process that

will be supported by your description of the process?

ACTION: Highlight your thesis statement.

Body Paragraphs

Does the middle of your essay contain no less than FOUR

and no more than SEVEN paragraphs?

ACTION: Write the number of body paragraphs in the left-hand margin

by the first paragraph.

In all your body paragraphs, does each paragraph contain a TOPIC

SENTENCE that includesA transition (word or phrase)

and A one-sentence description of the

step to be completed?

ACTION: Underline your topic sentence in each paragraph.

In all your body paragraphs, is each topic sentence followed by a

RESTRICTION SENTENCE that defines any warnings or advice about what needs to be in place to successfully

complete this step?

ACTION: Highlight the restriction sentence in each paragraph.

In all your body paragraphs, is each restriction sentence followed by

an ILLUSTRATION SENTENCE that describes what the reader needs to do in order to successfully complete this

step?

ACTION: Identify and put a box around your illustration sentence in each

paragraph.

In all your body paragraphs, is each illustration sentence followed by an ANALYSIS SENTENCE that contains

an explanation of why this step is important?

ACTION: Write parenthesis around each analysis sentence in each

paragraph.

In all your body paragraphs, is each analysis sentence followed by a CONCLUSION SENTENCE in which you summarize the step you just described

and preview the next step?

ACTION: Put a star by each conclusion sentence in each paragraph.

Conclusion Paragraph: Does the last paragraph of your essay contain…

A REFERENCE TO THE ATTENTION-GETTER in the introduction?

If you provided an anecdote, you should describe the outcome of that

scenario if the reader were to successfully complete the process.

ACTION: Draw a box around your reference to the attention-getter.

The THESIS STATEMENT REWORDED that includes the process you’ve

described and

your idea/opinion about the process?

ACTION: Highlight your thesis statement.

An answer to the question WHAT WILL THE READER GAIN BY

KNOWING HOW TO COMPLETE THIS PROCESS?

ACTION: Draw a smiley face by the answer to the above question.

If you have all these required parts, you can smile!

If not, revise your essay BEFORE IT’S DUE so you can smile when you hand it in.