PLANNING AND ORGANIZING YOUR ESSAY ENGL 106-I / Summer 2013

Planning

¨  Before you begin to write your essay, you should spend some time brainstorming about your topic/assignment, and take notes.

¨  By planning ahead, you will better be able to organize your thoughts in a coherent and complete manner.

¨  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiOySoEv57U&list=PL64125F56F6113162

Prewriting Techniques

QUICKWRITING Quickwriting is a good way to collect your ideas for writing. Follow these instructions:

- Write fast – as fast as you can. - Don’t worry about grammar or spelling. - If your mind goes blank, write: I can’t think of anything to write. I can’t think of anything to write. - Re-read your quickwriting and circle the ideas you might want to use in your writing.

Prewriting Techniques

QUICKWRITING Example for topic “Televisions”:

I don’t know what my opinions about television are. I watch a little TV but I don’t like to watch TV a lot. I really hate it when I go to someone’s house and they leave the TV on while we are trying to hang out. I don’t know what to write. I don’t know what to write. It makes me feel like they don’t want to talk. I think a lot of TV shows are dumb. They are really a waste of time. It’s one thing if a TV show is really funny. I mean, I’m not against watching TV just for the laughs, but most of the programs aren’t even funny. There are some…

Prewriting Techniques

QUESTIONING Forming questions can help you come up with ideas for writing. Just think about your topic and write down any questions that come to mind. Afterward you can go back and underline the questions that you would like to explore further.

Prewriting Techniques

QUESTIONING

GENERAL TOPIC:

TELEVISION

WHO?

O?

WHAT?

O?

WHEN?

O?

WHY?

O?

HOW?O?

WHERE?

O?

Why is there so much violence on TV?

Why do people watch TV?

What makes a successful program?

Prewriting Techniques

MAKING A CLUSTER DIAGRAM Making a cluster diagram is a useful way to collect ideas and details to use in your writing. Step 1: Write your topic in the center of the paper and circle it.

Step 2: Think about your topic and write down any words that come to mind. Circle each word and connect it to the closest related word in your cluster diagram.

Step 3: Study your cluster diagram to find ideas to use in your writing.

Prewriting Techniques

MAKING A CLUSTER DIAGRAM

TELEVISION

Shows

Popular Shows

Shows I like to watch

Shows I don’t like to watch

Advertising

TV celebrities

News

Channels

Local channels

Satellite TV

Prewriting Techniques

BRAINSTORMING Brainstorming is a good way to collect ideas for writing. To brainstorm, think about your topic and write down every idea that comes to mind. Don’t evaluate your ideas. Just write.

Prewriting Techniques

BRAINSTORMING

Things to do when you feel sad or depressed

go visit a friend get some exercise

eat sleep

do something for someone else read a book watch a funny movie buy some flowers

buy some new clothes go for a walk

Outline

I.  Introduction Paragraph II.  Body/Supporting Paragraphs III.  Conclusion Paragraph

Outline

I. Introduction Paragraph A good Introduction Paragraph will include:

a. A few sentences that grab the reader’s attention and make them interested in your essay. b. A clear Thesis Statement

Outline

II. Body/Supporting Paragraphs The majority of your essay will comprise of the several paragraphs in which you will provide plenty of evidence and details that will help support your thesis statement. It is important in these paragraphs to separate and organize your ideas in a logical way.

III. Conclusion Paragraph A complete Conclusion Paragraph will include: a. A brief summary of the main supporting points b. A re-stated Thesis Statement c. A few closing remarks

THINK ABOUT YOUR AUDIENCE

Before you begin writing your first draft, it is important to consider the people who will potentially be reading your writing. The way your write and the information you provide depends on your audience. As you write, keep these questions in mind: ¨  Who is going to read my writing? ¨  What does my reader already know about the topic? ¨  What will be interesting to my reader? ¨  What questions will my reader have?

THINK ABOUT YOUR PURPOSE

It helps to have a purpose for writing other than simply completing a class assignment. As you write, keep in mind that you are also trying to accomplish one or more of these goals:

¤ to inform ¤ to entertain ¤ to persuade

THESIS STATEMENTS

It is NOTHING without a THESIS

¨  The most important element of an essay, is a clear and strong thesis statement.

¨  You must discover what point you want to make and to write that point out as a SINGLE SENTENCE.

¨  You will then support your point (thesis) with specific evidence.

Understanding Thesis Statements

A good thesis statement does 2 things:

1. It tells the reader an essay’s topic.

2. It presents the writer’s attitude, opinion, idea, or point about that topic.

Owning a pet has several important benefits. In this thesis statement, the topic is owning a pet. The

writer’s opinion is that owning a pet has several important benefits.

In the following thesis statement, what is the topic and what is the main point/opinion/attitude/idea?

The Internet has made life easier for many people.

The Internet has made life easier for many people.

Writing a Good Thesis

1. Write Statements, Not Announcements

The subject of this paper will be my parents.

I want to talk about the recent economic growth.

Addiction to the Internet is the topic of this essay.

These sentences are NOT thesis statements but just announcements of a topic. Remember, a thesis statement must make a point about a limited subject.

X The subject of this paper will be my parents.

My parents are the most important people in my life.

X I want to talk about the recent economic growth.

China is currently in an important stage of economic growth.

X Addiction to the Internet is the topic of this essay.

Addiction to the Internet is one of the biggest problems facing university students today.

2. Avoid Statements That Are Too Broad

Men and women are very different.

Insects are fascinating creatures.

In these examples, each statement is too broad to be supported adequately in a student essay.

X Men and women are very different.

Men and women are often treated very differently in the workplace.

X Insects are fascinating creatures.

Strength, organization, and communication make ants one of nature’s most successful insects.

3. Avoid Statements That Are Too Narrow

The speed limit near my home is 65 miles per hour.

A person must be at least 35 years old in order to be elected president of the United States.

In these examples, there is no room in any of the

statements for support to be given. It is sometimes called a “dead-end statement.” There is no place to go with it.

X The speed limit near my home is 65 miles per hour.

The speed limit near my home should be lowered to 55 miles per hour for several reasons.

X A person must be at least 35 years old in order to be elected president

of the United States.

The requirement that a U.S. president must be at least 35 years old is unfair and unreasonable.

4. Make Sure Statements Develop Only One Idea

Studying with others has several benefits, but it also has drawbacks and can be difficult to schedule.

Teachers have played an important role in my life, but they

were not as important as my parents.

Each statement above contains more than one idea. But remember, the point of an essay is to communicate a SINGLE main idea to readers.

X Studying with others has several benefits, but it also has drawbacks and can be difficult to schedule.

Studying with others has several benefits.

X Teachers have played an important role in my life, but they were not as

important as my parents.

Teachers have played an important role in my life.

Assignment – due Thursday, 6/13/13

¨  The following slide has 10 different example Thesis Statements. Please review each and determine if it is a good or bad Thesis Statement according to the criteria that you just covered. You should briefly explain why you came to that conclusion.

Example Thesis Statements

1.  In my paper, I will be exploring whether Mathematics can actually replace other human languages as a uniform mode of communication.

2.  But despite the wide acceptance of this myth, I still firmly believe that long distance relationships are definitely not impossible due to several reasons.

3.  However, the production of genetically modified food should not be encouraged given the existing human health risk concerns and some fundamental ethical objections.

4.  In my opinion, meats are much needed and are equally important as vegetables in our daily diet. There are many reasons why this is the case.

5.  Thus, everyone should have Facebook.

6.  Every aspect of this nation is rapidly changing, and it is poised to be one of the economic superpowers of the future.

7.  To retain the strong bonds, men should contact their mothers more often.

8.  In the following paragraphs I will discuss this situation from 2 perspectives, which are why Americans should work harder and why Chinese should improve social abilities.

9.  I will verify this from several different perspectives; current Taiwanese economy from an outsider perspective, the current economic situation from the inside, and my personal experience living on the island.

10.  People should exercise instead taking sleeping pills in order to overcome insomnia.