Writing Packet

NAME:PERIOD:

Prewriting

Prewriting is the most important part of writing an essay. Without prewriting your ideas are unorganized and jumbled. You do not know how to begin and you are unclear about the most important points of your essay.
  • FIRST,you want to decide what it is that you are actually doing in your essay. Are you persuading? Informing? Telling a story?
  • NEXT, you want to decide what information or ideas you should include. If it is a persuasive essay, you will need to decide your position on the issue. If it is an informational essay, you will need to decide what you would like to inform / tell / notify / teach the reader.
  • THEN, you want to decide your main points of emphasis. In other words, what specifically will you write about within your paragraphs?
  • FINALLY, you want to write these ideas down in a logical and organized way. There are many ways to pre-write. You could complete a sun map or concept map, create an outline, organize using linear boxes that separate your ideas, make a list, or ask a bunch of questions about the subject.

REMEMBER: the more effort you put into your prewriting
the better your essay will be. Beginning an essay with a blank Word document staring at you is both intimidating and fruitless. You must begin with organizing your thoughts!!

Examples of Prewriting

How do I order my supporting points?

Logical order: where there is a natural progression of points; where points move logically from one to the next; used mostly in informational pieces.

Emphatic order: where you build to the strongest point and end with it. The argument will grow in force rather than get weaker and your conclusion will have more impact on the reader.

Reverse-emphatic order: where the strongest argument comes first. This is especially useful when the writer’s argument rests primarily on one dominant point. All news articles are organized this way in order to maintain the reader’s attention.

Sandwich order: where a strong point opens, followed by a weak point, and ending with a strong point. Sandwich order may be effective when a writer has two strong points and one weak point.

Thesis Statement

What is the THESIS STATEMENT?

The thesis statement is the blue print or summary for your paper. It tells exactly what you will be writing about in one lengthier sentence. If you are arguing/persuading a position, then it includes your exact position and why. If you are informing the reader, then it tells exactly what you are informing and why.

Your thesis statement is located in your introductory paragraph, usually at the end!!!

  • Once you have a sound thesis statement, you are ready to write the rest of your paper.
  • Many students think they cannot write a thesis statement and think that they do not know what they are.
  • A thesis statement is not intimidating; it only is if you have no idea what you want to write about! SO…they are easy, as long as you did your pre-writing!

Within your thesis statement, you want to include your purpose for the paper and your supportive reasons for this purpose. This helps the reader to know exactly what your goal is within your paper.

ALL ideas / main points in your paper should tie back to your thesis statement!

THE THESIS STATEMENT FORMULA

The Thesis Statement is a simple formula:

Main point + Supporting Point 1 + Supporting Point 2 + Supporting Point 3 = thesis statement

INFORMATIONAL ESSAY

1.Sentence stating what is trying to be demonstrated or shown

  • Dogs make great pets

2.Add three supporting points

  • Because they go for walks-body paragraph 1
  • Because they play fetch-body paragraph 2
  • Because they love their owners-body paragraph 3

3.Combine into one sentence

  • Dogs make excellent pets because they go for walks, they play fetch, and they love their owners.

4. Reevaluate sentence structure and word choice – this is your thesis statement

  • While dogs make exceptional pets simply because they can go for walks, they are also wonderful because they can play fetch and because they show their love for their owners.

PERSUASIVE ESSAY

1.Sentence stating what is trying to be proven

  • Illegal immigration is harming the United States

2.Add three supporting points

  • Because it’s hurting border communities -body paragraph 1
  • Because it’s hurting American workers-body paragraph 2
  • Because it’s hurting our economy-body paragraph 3

3.Combine into one sentence

  • Illegal immigration is harming to the United States because it is hurting border communities, American workers, and our economy.

4.Reevaluate sentence structure and word choice – this is your thesis statement.

  • Although many disagree on the course of action that should be taken, illegal immigration must swiftly be dealt with as it is detrimental to the United States. If we ignore this plague, illegal immigrants will continue to destroy border communities, harm American workers, and hurt our economy.

MORE EXAMPLES

INFORMATIONAL ESSAY

Topic: Compare and Contrast why the North and South fought the Civil War.

Thesis: While both sides fought the Civil War over the issue of slavery, the North fought for moral reasons while the South fought to preserve its own institutions.

(OR)

Thesis: While both Northerners and Southerners believed they fought against tyranny and oppression, Northerners focused on the oppression of slaves while Southerners defended their own rights to property and self-government.

Topic: What is the life of a typical high school student?

Thesis: Even though the life of a typical high school student can be easy-going and fun at times, it is often characterized by rushing from class to class with only a five minute break, balancing challenging academics with a new-found social life, and realizing that extracurricular activities both open up many rewarding opportunities and limit relaxation; therefore, it should be known that high school life is not easy.

PERSUASIVE ESSAY

Topic: What is the best option for a high school student after graduation to prepare him/her for the real world?

Thesis: High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college or the work force in order to increase their maturity, global awareness, and recognition of responsibility.

Topic: Topic: Pro (for) school uniforms.

Thesis: Although the debate over school uniforms remains, it is clear that issuing school uniforms would increase academic rigor among students, create a more cohesive and friendly student atmosphere, and increase school safety as uniforms would decrease any prejudice and/or social cliques caused by clothing; therefore, undoubtedly uniforms should be mandated in every school across the United States.

The Dreaded Introduction

The introduction is by far the most difficult and most important part of a paper. While yes, you save the most important and juicy details for the body of your essay, it can be argued that a reader is already “captured” or “turned off” by the time he or she even reaches the first line of your first body paragraph.

So, how do you write a good introduction? Well, the first step is understanding what the point of the introduction is.

The point of the introduction is obviously to introduce the topic. But more than that it establishes that you, as writer and/or researcher, know what you’re talking about. It demonstrates that you, in the next few pages, are going to enlighten the reader by opening their eyes to all information you have become an “expert” in. It creates a student-teacher relationship between reader and writer right off the bat (and you know how you believe everything we teachers say!)

First, however, you need to draw the reader in. You need to set out bait to hook the reader into wanting to read what you have to say. This is probably the most important part of the entire introduction considering most people have short attention spans and need to feel enticed if they are going to spend any minute of their lives reading a persuasive essay.

Some "hooks" include:

  • Opening with an unusual detail: (Manitoba, because of its cold climate, is not thought of as a great place to be a reptile. Actually, it has the largest seasonal congregation of garter snakes in the world!)
  • Opening with a strong statement: (Cigarettes are the number one cause of lighter sales in Canada!)
  • Opening with a Quotation: (Elbert Hubbard once said, "Truth is stronger than fiction.")
  • Opening with an Anecdote: An anecdote can provide an amusing and attention-getting opening if it is short and to the point.
  • Opening with a Statistic or Fact: Sometimes a statistic or fact will add emphasis or interest to your topic. It may be wise to include the item's authoritative source.
  • Opening with a Question. (Have you ever considered how many books we'd read if it were not for television?)
  • Opening with an Exaggeration or Outrageous Statement. (The whole world watched as the comet flew overhead.)

Besides the hook, you will need to include some background information on your topic, or in other words a short synopsis of what you discuss in your paper (this is where you show your “expert” voice) as well as a statement about what your position is on your topic (also known as the dreaded thesis statement). After that, you’re ready to open your reader’s eyes the unknown world of you as “spin-doctor.”

Personal story or anecdote

You want to make sure this story is used strategically. A random story will only confuse your reader. Your story should have a purpose as it relates to the overall point of your paper.

Do not have the reader “imagine.”

Example: Imagine you are a child in Rwanda whose parents have just died from starvation. Now you are orphaned and hungry.

  • What does this “imagine” scene actually do for the reader? Not much. It is impossible to imagine the fear involved in this scenario unless one has actually experienced it! So, the paper needs to start another way!

Example: As I nervously waited with spoon in hand feeling the unfamiliar pressure of a hair net against my pony tail, I took a deep breath and smiled as the homeless entered the soup kitchen. For the first time in my life, I witnessed fear, sadness, and relief all in one expression. With every spoonful of potatoes I dished, I kept thinking how absolutely lucky I was to have a warm meal and a warm bed waiting for me at home.

Quote

Be sure your quote has a connection to the purpose of your paper! You must also CITE the quote or it is PLAGIARISM!

You must lead into your quote, so that it does not stand alone.

 Example: “A man who won’t die for something is not fit to live.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

  • In this bad example, the writer leaves the quote to stand alone; the quote alone should not be the sentence!

 Example: The prominent social and civil rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., proudly asserted that “A man who won’t die for something is not fit to live” (King, Jr.). King lived and died by these words as he risked facing violent enemies in order to fight for something in which he believed. We need to live similarly, especially when we fight for…

  • In this good example, the writer includes the person who spoke the quote and a little bit about him; therefore, the quote alone is not the sentence!
  • Additionally, the writer connected the quote to the larger purpose of the paper and did not just throw a random quote into the paper to “start it.”

SURPRISING question or statement

The question or statement should connect with the overall point to your paper.

Do not ask questions that have immediate “yes” or “no” answers!

Example: Is Barack Obama a good president?

  • The question or statement should be something that grabs the attention of the reader.

 Example: What is a hero?

  • In this bad example, the writer should explain the characteristics of a hero and why heroes are necessary in every aspect of our world, instead of asking the reader a base question.

 Example: According to Webster’s dictionary, a hero is one who…

  • In this bad example, the writer is not engaging as the expert of this paper. The writer needs to explain his/her point of view and why that point of view is important to the paper.
  • Do not rely on Webster’s dictionary for a word that you know the definition to!

 Example: There is not a person who does not have sixty seconds to spare during the day, and this could be all it takes to become someone’s hero.

HOW DO I WRITE AN INTRODUCTION WHEN I’M STUCK…
  • Begin with the “end” in mind! Don’t stare at a blank computer screen because you don’t know how to begin your first sentence. Start with a body paragraph. Chances are, you know what you want to write in a body paragraph, so write the body paragraph. Then, write another body paragraph. By that point, the way to begin your paper should become more clear and less stressful or intimidating.
  • BEGIN NOW with paying attention to how professional writers, such as in the articles we read in class, begin their writings. Imitating, after all, is the best form of flattery!!!

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I FIGURE OUT THE START?!

  • After you begin your paper, you need to include the necessary information to keep the reader informed of your purpose and what to expect in your paper.
  • Your thesis statement needs to be included in your introductory paragraph and this is usuallyat the end of the paragraph.
  • For example, if you are writing about school uniforms and how they should be implemented in all schools for the reasons that…
  • they will help decrease student anxiety over clothing choice and differences,
  • they will save families money,
  • and they are proven to increase student achievement and professionalism

then each of these needs to be BRIEFLY discussed in the introductory paragraph to lead the reader into knowing what it isthat will be discussed.

YOUR INTRODUCTION IS A BLUE PRINT INTO THE REST OF THE PAPER AND IS THE START (OBVIOUSLY), SO YOU WANT TO ENSURE IT IS CRISP, INTERESTING, AND CLEAN!
When I read a paper, and the introduction is messy, I wonder how rough the rest of the paper will be, considering the student could not take the time to even review the first paragraph.

Topic Sentences and Transitions

Topic sentences and transitional devices are like bridges between parts of your paper. They are cues that help the reader to interpret ideas a paper develops and help bridge the gap with what you are writing so there is a smooth flow and constant purpose with what you are writing.

The topic sentence, especially a transitional topic sentence, is the glue between paragraphs.When there are no topic sentences, then the reader does not know your purpose for that paragraph and there is no tie back to your thesis statement. (Remember,your thesis statement should be referred to throughout your paper---in the topic sentences and in the body paragraphs). The topic sentence should match the purpose of your paragraph and an idea from your thesis statement. One idea per paragraph!

Within a paragraph, transitional words and phrases are used to help carry a thought from one sentence to another, from one idea to another, or from one paragraph to another. In addition, transitional devices link sentences and paragraphs together smoothly so that there are no abrupt jumps or breaks between ideas.

Good transitions can connect paragraphs and turn disconnected writing into a unified whole. Instead of treating paragraphs as separate ideas, transitions can help readers understand how paragraphs work together, reference one another, and build to a larger point. The key to producing good transitions is highlighting connections between corresponding paragraphs. By referencing in one paragraph the relevant material from previous ones, writers can develop important points for their readers.

It is a good idea to continue one paragraph where another leaves off (instances where this is especially challenging may suggest that the paragraphs don't belong together at all.) Picking up key phrases from the previous paragraph and highlighting them in the next can create an obvious progression for readers. Many times, it only takes a few words to draw these connections. Instead of writing transitions that could connect any paragraph to any other paragraph, write a transition that could only connect one specific paragraph to another specific paragraph.

When there are no transition sentences or phrases then the reader is merely jumping from one point to another without a flow. The writing can be choppy and juvenile and the message can be lost with confusion.
Ideally you want to use complex sentences when working with topic sentences and transitions to help your writing sound more mature and less choppy.

 EXAMPLE: Even though there is an abundance of good cheer and good wishes during the holiday season, too many are still not willing to give their time to those who are not as fortunate; and the best method would be for families to join in this effort together.