English Essay

Remollino Process 1

Professor Remollino

ENGL 1302

Process Writing

Process writing, often paired with analysis writing, is writing that outlines a series of steps to

complete an outcome. It is often times called a how-to essay. As our lives become increasingly

more complex, we attempt to discover ways to simplify them, searching for easy ways to

complete difficult tasks. Take a look at the following discussion of process writing taken from

academic.luzerne.edu/shousenick/101--PROCESS%20OUTLINE.doc

OUTLINE for PROCESS-ANALYSIS ESSAY

***Choose your POINT OF VIEW before you begin the essay:

1) FIRST PERSON POV: in your essay you discuss (almost like a narrative essay) how YOU perform the

task, using the personal pronouns I, ME, MY, and MINE.

I. INTRODUCTION

 Create a scenario, a situation, in which the knowledge of this process would be essential. For example, if you were to write on the process of changing a vehicle’s tire, a proper opening scenario could involve a situation in which a person is driving home alone late at night on a deserted road out of cell phone range.

 Your thesis statement will include the number of steps, the difficulty level of the steps, and perhaps the total time of the process AND the purpose of the reader knowing the procedure. Please, eschew statements that announce: “In this essay I will show you how to do this.” Instead, make declarative statements, such as “If one correctly follow my easy six-step, ten-minute process for changing a tire, he or she will be able to perform the task quickly and safely.”

II. BODY

 Unlike the Example Essay, the Process-Analysis Essay does not necessarily consist of 5 paragraphs. Similar to the Narrative Essay, you will group into paragraphs related information—particularly, you will group steps into phases.

 Arrange your steps CHRONOLOGICALLY, so they follow a linear progression as a timeline.

 Use proper transitions between steps, such as next, then, while, after, first, second, and for example. Consult the Website for a more complete list, with especial regard to the “sequence.”

 HOW EXACTLY! (assume nothing)

Remollino Process 2

 Be descriptive.

III. CONCLUSION

 Refer back to your opening scenario and purpose.

 Describe (usually through sense details) the finished product—What should it look, smell, taste, feel, and/or sound like if the process were performed correctly?

 Mention the total time the entire process should take.

 Finish with a relevant clincher sentence. For this essay you are to choose a subject with which you are well-acquainted and compose a 2-3 page process essay explaining how to complete the process. Begin by providing a list of necessary tools, ingredients, supplies, etc., and then create a detailed essay on how to complete the process. Remember that you should be able to hand your essay to a classmate, and he or she should be able to complete the task.

Fifty Topic Suggestions: Process Analysis from

http://grammar.about.com/od/developingessays/a/topicsprocanal.htm

1. How to lose weight without losing your mind 2. How to win at Texas hold 'em 3. How to choose a major 4. How to find the perfect roommate 5. How to get rid of a roommate--without committing a crime 6. How to succeed in (or flunk out of) college 7. How to pitch a knuckleball 8. How to plan the perfect party 9. How to survive a night of babysitting 10. How to pitch a tent in the rain 11. How to housebreak your dog 12. How to kick a bad habit 13. How to overcome insomnia 14. How to stay sober on a Saturday night 15. How to rent your first apartment 16. How to avoid a nervous breakdown during exams 17. How to enjoy the weekend for under $20 18. How to make the perfect brownies 19. How to keep peace with a spouse or a roommate 20. How to bathe a cat 21. How to complain effectively 22. How to survive a recession 23. How to toilet train a baby 24. How to develop self-confidence 25. How to use Twitter

Remollino Process 3

26. How to wash a sweater 27. How to build a great music collection--cheaply and legally 28. How to get along with an instructor without sucking up 29. How to give yourself a haircut 30. How to plan the perfect class schedule 31. How to apply the Heimlich maneuver 32. How to end a relationship 33. How to select the best portable media player 34. How to take decent photographs with your cell phone 35. How to quit smoking 36. How to survive without a car 37. How to make the perfect cup of tea 38. How to save money while saving the environment 39. How to build a great sandcastle 40. How to edit a video 41. How to make (and keep) friends on Facebook 42. How to insert a contact lens 43. How teachers make up exams 44. How parents (or children) make us feel guilty 45. How an iPod works 46. How ice cream is made 47. How a cell phone takes pictures 48. How a magician saws a woman in half 49. How a pocket calculator works 50. How a particular accident occurred