Writing Homework
bryansbb
introduction_to_your_text_1-5.pdf
INTRODUCTION TO YOUR
TEXT, 1-5
Elizabeth Phillips, Ph.D.
WR 121
Highlights from the Text
Patterns for College Writing
Reading Critically
“Reading is a two-way street” (1).
We all have our own ideas as writers and as
readers (1).
Class, gender, and race are all factors that can
affect how we read, write, and understand (1).
Reading Actively
Pay attention to pre-reading material:
headnote and background (2).
Consider the subject, the main point, purpose,
audience, assumptions, consistency of ideas,
biases, logic, your own knowledge, and your
own experience (2).
Highlighting and Annotating
Highlight points of interest (3)
Annotate or “carry on a conversation
with the text” (3).
Responding
Comprehension: How do you understand the
text?
Purpose and Audience: Is the text attentive to
this aspect?
Style and Structure: What choices has the
author made and are they effective?
Vocabulary (7).
Writing Process:
Areas of Discussion
Invention
Arrangement
Drafting and Revising
Editing
Invention
Consider length?
Think about purpose?
Who is your audience?
What is the occasion?
What do you bring to your subject? (18-19).
Strategies
Journal Writing
Freewriting
Brainstorming
Clustering
Making an Informal Outline (23-29)
Thesis
“A thesis is the main idea of your essay; its
central point” (30).
“The concept of thesis and support—stating
your thesis and developing ideas that explain
and expand it—is central to college writing”
(30).
Thesis, continued
An implied thesis, “conveys an essay’s
purpose, but it does not do so explicitly” (33).
An explicit thesis directly states the viewpoint
and conclusion of the author.
Arrangement
“Narration: What happened? When did it
happen? Where did it happen? Who did it?
Description: What does it look like? What are
its characteristics? What impression does it
make?
Exemplification: What are some typical cases
or examples of it?
Arrangement, cont.
Process: How did it happen? What makes it
work? How is it made?
Cause and Effect: Why did it happen? What
caused it? What does it cause? What are its
effects?
Comparison and Contrast: How is it like other
things? How is it different from other things?
Arrangement, cont.
Classification and Division: What are its parts
and types? How can its parts or types be
separated and grouped? Do its parts and
types fit into logical order . . .
Definition: What is it? How does it resemble
other members of its class? How does it differ
from other members of its class” (38).
Understanding the Parts of the Essay
The introduction: “Introduces your subject,
creates interest, and often states your thesis”
(39).
The Body Paragraphs: “The middle section, or
body, of your essay develops your thesis” (41).
More on Body Paragraphs
“Types of support: Examples, Reasons, Facts,
Statistics, Details, Expert Opinions, Personal
Experiences” (44).
Remember to document your support to avoid
plagiarism.
Conclusion
“ . . . Your conclusion should be consistent with
the rest of your essay” (46).
“Frequently, a conclusion will restate the
thesis, summarizing your essay’s main idea in
different words, or will review your key points .
. .” (46).
Drafting and Revising
“The purpose of your first draft is to get your
ideas down on paper so that you can react to
them.
Experienced writers know that the first draft is
nothing more than a work in progress; it exists
to be revised” (51).
Revising “
Revision is not something you do after
your paper is finished. It is a continuing process
during which you consider the logic and clarity of your ideas . . .” (53)
Set draft aside for awhile
Get feedback
Plan ahead
Editing and Proofreading
Edit: grammatical errors
1) Verb Tense
2) Complete Sentences
3) Punctuation
4) Run-on Sentences, Comma Splices, etc.
Proofread: Typos, etc.
Editing for Style
Awkward Phrasing
Concise Sentences
Varied Sentences
Word Choice (76).
Sources
Kirszner, Laurie G. and Stephen R.
Mandell. Patterns for College Writing:
A Rhetorical Reader and Guide. USA:
Bedford, 2007.
