ENGL2311: Assignment 2 for nyanya

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Chapter 16

Organizing and Drafting

Chapter Outline

Basic Organization for Any Document

Using Genres to Organize Information

Outlining the Document

Organizing and Drafting the Introduction

Chapter Outline (cont.)

Organizing and Drafting the Body

Organizing and Drafting the Conclusion

Organizing Cross-Cultural Documents

Basic Organization for Any Document

Readers Need You to Present Information in Predictable and Usable Ways

Technical Documents Usually Include

Introduction

Body

Conclusion

“Tell them what you are going to tell them. Tell them. Then, tell them what you told them.”

Introduction – tell readers what you are writing about and why you are writing about it.

Body – present the content that your readers need to know to take action or make a decision.

Conclusion – wrap up your argument by restating your main point(s)

Using Genres to Organize Information

Technical Documents Follow a Variety of Organization Patterns

Genre: Predictable Pattern for Organizing Information to Achieve Specific Purposes

Each genre achieves a different purpose and therefore requires a different organizational pattern.

Genres are patterns, not formulas.

Using Genres to Organize Information (cont.)

In the first writing assignment you had, you had to provide Steve with information about the writing process so that he could create an effective proposal. This chart on genres shows that the purpose of a proposal is to make a suggestion or propose a new project. More specifically, Steve was proposing integrating software programs to detect stress fractures. In the chapter on Proposals in your textbook, you will see that proposals have some basic features that are generally included in the content. However, some features do not always have to appear in the same order as shown in the textbook.

Which genre is appropriate if you need to explain how to do something?

Report

Proposal

Description

Instructions

Which genre is appropriate if you need to explain how to do something?

Report

Proposal

Description

Instructions

Outlining the Document

Outlining is Helpful When You Are Trying to Sort Out Your Ideas

To Outline

Type your document’s main headings

List the contents of each section separately

Fill in smaller topics in each section

So, because the order of information is not always dictated by the genre, you need to decide how to logically organize the feature sections to best promote reader comprehension. Even if you choose to follow the sequence of the features of the genre as shown in the textbook, the feature sections and paragraphs within the sections still have to be logically organized to facilitate reader comprehension and effectively achieve your document’s purpose.

Like designing a house or planning the furnishings to go in a particular room, an outline gives you the organizational plan for your document. Based on the pre-planning you have done and the research you have acquired, you start laying out how you want to present your ideas and supporting information. As you layout your ideas, you will begin to see what should be covered first and second and so on. As you review your outline, you may find that some ideas may need to be moved around to make more logical sense or that still other ideas need to be researched and included. How much easier it is at this stage to do that than doing it after you have started, or even completed, writing a draft. If you have put together a good outline, you can see how you will be logically presenting your information to fulfill your purpose. And now you no longer have to worry about what you’re going to say in your document but can focus on how you’re going to say it.

You might consider using Outline View in your word processor.

Outline view helps quickly move information around and collapse parts of a document under a heading, or cut and paste to move.

Organizing and Drafting the Introduction

Put Yourself in Your Readers’ Place

What Information Would You Want up Front?

What information would you want up front?

What is this document about? Why did someone write this for me? What is the main point? Is this information important? How is this document organized?

Organizing and Drafting the Introduction (cont.)

Six Opening Moves in an Introduction

Move 1: Define your subject

Move 2: State your purpose

Move 3: State your main point

Move 4: Stress the importance of the subject

Move 5: Provide background information

Move 6: Forecast the content

Six Opening Moves

Define your subject – tell readers what the document is about. You may want to tell them what it is not going to cover.

State your purpose – tell readers what you are trying to achieve. Articulate your purpose clearly in one sentence.

State your main point – tell your readers the key idea or main point that you would like them to take away from the document.

Stress the importance of the subject – give your readers a reason to care about your subject.

Provide background information – background information often includes materials that readers already know or won’t find controversial. It could be historical or stress a connection with the readers.

Forecast the content – identify the major topics your document will cover.

Don’t include information that goes beyond the six moves.

Which of the following is not true of the introduction?

Your purpose should be stated in one well-developed paragraph

You may want to tell your readers what your document is not about

Avoid putting controversial information in the background

All of these are true

Which of the following is not true of the introduction?

Your purpose should be stated in one well-developed paragraph

You may want to tell your readers what your document is not about

Avoid putting controversial information in the background

All of these are true

Your purpose statement should be one sentence.

Organizing and Drafting the Body

The Body Should Provide Content That Readers Need to Know

Carving the Body into Sections

Opening

Body

Closing (optional)

Opening – A sentence or small paragraph that identifies the subject and purpose of the section. The opening usually includes a claim or set of claims.

Body – Offer support for the claim you made in the opening. Body can be anywhere from one paragraph to many paragraphs.

Closing – A closing paragraph or sentence wraps up the discussion and restates the claim.

Organizing and Drafting the Body (cont.)

Patterns of Arrangement Can Help Organize

Cause and effect

Comparison and contrast

Better and worse

Costs and benefits

If . . . then

Either . . . or

Chronological order

Problems/needs/solutions

Example

Cause and effect – determine causes for the effect(s). Show how effects are results of specific causes.

Comparison and contrast – identify all features that make two things similar and then note features that make them different.

Better and worse – play the advantages off the disadvantages when you need to choose among different paths.

Costs and benefits – show readers that the price is ultimately worth the benefits of moving forward with a project.

If . . . then – “If you believe X, then you should do Y.” You are leveraging something readers already believe or consider possible to convince them that they should believe or do something further.

Either . . . or – you are offering readers a choice or showing them two sides of the issue. “Either you believe X, or you believe Y.” There is no middle ground in this pattern, so use appropriately.

Chronological order – arrange information according to the sequence of events.

Problems/needs/solutions – start by identifying the problem; then, state what is needed to solve the problem; end by stating solution.

Example – an example makes technical details more realistic and familiar.

Which organizational patterns plays the advantages off the disadvantages of an idea?

Costs and benefits

Either . . . or

Better and worse

Cause and effect

Which organizational patterns plays the advantages off the disadvantages of an idea?

Costs and benefits

Either . . . or

Better and worse

Cause and effect

Organizing and Drafting the Conclusion

Conclude by Bringing Readers Back to the Subject, Purpose, and Main Point

Five Closing Moves in a Conclusion

Move 1: Make an obvious transition

Move 2: Restate your main point

Move 3:Re-emphasize the importance of the subject

Move 4: Look to the future

Move 5: Say thank you and offer contact information

A conclusion should be concise and to the point.

Make an obvious transition – signal to the readers that you are going to tell them your main points. It will wake them up.

Restate your main point – restate your main point to drive it home. Your main point should be obvious.

Re-emphasize the importance of the subject – remind readers why the subject is important.

Look to the future – leave your readers with a positive image of the future.

Say thank you and offer contact information

Organizing Cross-Cultural Documents

Consider Readers’ Cultural Preferences

Indirect Approach Introductions

Establish a relationship or call attention to an existing relationship

Provide general information first

Be subtle in introductions

Indirect Approach Conclusions

Don’t be overly direct in stating the main point