Last time, we talked about the first step of the writing process, focusing on determining your purpose and your audience. I ended with determining your subject and mentioned that it's often necessary to do some brainstorming to get started (this is still part of the preparing process).
There are three brainstorming activities I often recommend: freewriting, clustering, and mind-mapping.
The theory withfreewriting is that you start with an idea or a thought and expand on it through just writing whatever comes to mind. This is a great exercise for kinesthetic learners because it gives them a hands-on approach. The theory with clustering is that you start with an idea or a thought and expand on it through logical hierarchy. This is a great exercise for visual learners because it gives them a linear view. Mind-mappingis a combination of the two and works well with most learners.
Okay. You've completed step one! You've determined your purpose, audience, and subject.
FINALLY!
Let's move on to Step Two: Planning.
This step is often skipped, but I learned the hard way how important it is. I used to skip planning. I'd go directly from preparing to drafting, and usually did okay in high school and as an undergrad. However, when I started grad school and began writing longer papers, I realized how important a good outline can be (my first few papers weren't as well-structured as they could have been, and once I began outlining, my drafts flowed much more smoothly!). I encourage you to incorporate this step with all your writing assignments!
When you begin planning, follow these four steps:
You will have determined your topic during your preparing, so now you're delving more deeply into that topic. A couple of blogs ago, I talked about developing a good thesis, so review that blog as a refresher. As a quick reminder:
Next, put together an outline (the same blog mentioned above deals with outlines as well, so take a look at it again). Outlines help to structure your essay and help you determine if you have enough support.
A sample outline:
See how a good outline can help structure your essay? If you have solid main and supporting points, you already have your paragraph topics!
Once you've written your thesis and have a well-developed outline, you're ready to move on to Step Three: Drafting. We'll talk about this next time.
One of the most difficult parts of writing is simply getting started. I highly recommend your following some kind of process to help get past that dreaded "writer's block." If you Google "writing process," you'll get countless responses. Some recommend three steps; others recommend five steps. I recommend seven. This blog will cover the first step: Preparing.
Before we start, let's take a quick true/false quiz.
So, what do you think?
Now, comes the hard part. While you may feel confident that you're not alone in this sometimes frustrating world of essay writing, you still may be asking: How do I get started?
STEP #1: Preparing
First, you need to determine three key elements: Purpose, Audience, and Subject. Until you know these three things, you can't really get started.
Purpose is the "why." Why are you writing this essay? The obvious answer for academic essays is often "to get a grade." While that's certainly true, you also need to understand what kind of essay you're writing. Are telling a story? Analyzing a piece of literature? Explaining a procedure? You need to decide what your purpose is.
Next, you need to determine your audience. This is the "who." To whom are you writing? Yes, your instructor will be reading your paper (and of course, grading it!), but usually, he or she is standing in for a general audience.
Finally, you need to determine your subject. This is the "what." About what are you writing? Most often with academic papers, your subject will be given to you (or at least you'll have a choice of prompts or subjects). If this is the case, you can go write on to developing your thesis (see blog on that topic). However, if you find yourself having to come up with a topic of your own, you may want to try some brainstorming. Unfortunately, I'm running out of space, so come back next time for brainstorming and Step Two: Planning.
Last time, I talked about how to develop a thesis statement and outline ... arguably the most important steps in writing an essay. Once you have those, however, what's next?
Most academic essays (at least until you hit graduate school) follow the same basic format:
Introductory paragraph
Body paragraph supporting your essay's first main point
Body paragraph supporting your essay's second main point
Body paragraph supporting your essay's third main point
Concluding paragraph
Hopefully, you already determined these in your outline. If you did, then you're more than ready to take the next step: writing the essay itself.
The introductory paragraph should start with a topic sentence, some background information, and your thesis. A sample introductory paragraph (based on the blog on theses and outlines):
Since
the beginning of time, animals have been important to humans. In the story of
creation, God created all animals, fish, and reptiles, and put
them in the garden with Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:20-30). God then gave man the responsibility of
caring for the animals. Although sin entered the world and the relationship
between man and animal has been tainted, most people still have a strong
affinity for animals. Domesticated animals have become very important for many
humans, and many have dearly-loved pets; the most popular are dogs and cats.While both dogs and
cats can be great pets, dogs are usually more dependent, trainable, and
empathetic whereas cats tend to be more independent, stubborn, and apathetic.
See how I started with a topic sentence, added some broad background, and concluded with the thesis statement?
Each of your body paragraphs should be formatted in a similar way: topic sentence, supporting details, and concluding sentence. A sample body paragraph supporting the above thesis:
Both dogs and cats are popular pets, and they
have many aspects in common. For example, they can both be great companions.
Only a pet-lover truly understands the joy of coming home after a hard day and
being greeted by a wagging-tailed dog or a cat sinuously winding through legs.
In addition, dogs and cats offer proven health benefits, such as lowering blood
pressure and helping Alzheimer's patients (WebMD). Pets certainly require care. They must be fed and bathed, and they also need regular veterinarian care. However,
that responsibility can be another benefit for families with children. Caring
for a pet can help children better understand how important regular feedings,
walks, and other pet needs are.While dogs and cats certainly do have some
similarities, they have even more differences.
With this body paragraph, I've written a topic sentence that directly supports my thesis. I have several detail sentences that support that topic sentence, and then I end with a concluding sentence that transitions into the next body paragraph, which will begin the discussion of the differences between dogs and cats.
After writing body paragraphs that continue to support your thesis, you'll write a concluding paragraph that brings your essay full circle. A sample concluding paragraph:
While pets are not for everyone, they can be greatly beneficial to their owners. Dogs and cats, the most popular pets, offer joy and companionship, and can even help their owners be healthier. Dogs are arguably the friendlier, more dependent pet, while cats are independent and aloof. However, no matter which animal one chooses, having a pet can be a wonderful way of caring for some of God's creation.
A few important issues regarding academic essays:
Each body paragraph should support your thesis (be careful not to follow "rabbit trails" of irrelevant information). For example, if you're writing about dogs and cats, don't start writing about how you've always wanted to own a lemur.
In fact, you should avoid phrases like "I believe" or "I think." You're the writer, so your reader knows it's your opinion!
Also, avoid phrases like, "This essay is about" or "This essay will discuss."
As often as possible, avoid "second person" (you) with formal, academic essays. Academic essays should be written in "third person" (he, she, one, they).
Avoid contractions.
As I wrote last time, if you start with a solid thesis and outline, writing an essay can be relatively easy. Just stay focused on your thesis and support it well.
One last note: Always make certain your essays are formatted correctly. They generally should be written with Times New Roman 12 pt. font and double-spaced; they should follow whatever style is appropriate (generally, MLA, APA, or CMS/Turabian).
Next time, I'll be talking about the writing process, including strong editing and revising, which is critical to make certain your final draft is as flawless as possible.
Keep pen to paper!
Professor Rinehart
P.S. Here are some websites that might be helpful:
Well ... if you're following this blog, you may have thought I'd disappeared. No, it just turned into an incredibly hectic season.
I'm hoping to get back to an every week or two week schedule, so please come back periodically!
One thing I hear often from my students is how difficult it is to get started. The next two blogs will cover the writing process, but as a starting point, today, I'm going to offer some advice regarding how to write a solid thesis statement and outline. These are the foundations of a solid academic essay.
Writing a solid, easy-to-support thesis statement may seem difficult, but it's really not as difficult as it seems. In addition, outlines help you organize your thoughts and make certain you have support for your thesis.
So, the first question is obvious: What is a thesis statement?
A thesis statement:
States the theme or gives the point of your paper in one sentence.
Is essentially your paper in a sentence.
States what you plan to say, describe, or prove in your paper.
Tells your reader what you want him or her to know about your paper.
For academic essays, most of the time, you'll be given a prompt or a topic about which you're to write. So, if your prompt is to write an essay that compares and contrasts two things, you need to ask yourself, What areas will I compare and what areas will I contrast?
To keep it simple, let's compare and contrast domesticated dogs and cats.
How are they the same?
They can both be great pets.
They both offer companionship.
They both need to be fed and cared for.
How are they different?
Dogs tend to be more dependent while cats tend to be more independent.
Dogs learn tricks while cats don't seem to care to be trained.
Dogs can be more empathetic while cats don't seem to care about their humans.
Once you've determined your areas of comparison and contrast, you can write your thesis statement:
While both dogs and cats can be great pets, dogs are usually more dependent, trainable, and empathetic whereas cats tend to be more independent, stubborn, and apathetic.
You can revise with your thesis as you go through the writing process (again, come back in the next few weeks for more on that topic).
Once you've determine a working thesis statement, the next step is writing an outline. You can start by using some of the bullets you used in determining your thesis. Keeping in mind that most academic essays require a minimum of three major points, a template for outlines could be something like this:
I. Introductory paragraph including thesis statement
II. Major point #1
Supporting point
Supporting point
Supporting point
III. Major point #2
Supporting point
Supporting point
Supporting point
IV. Major point #3
Supporting point
Supporting point
Supporting point
V. Concluding paragraph
So, going back to our dog versus cat example, your outline might look something like this:
I. Introductory paragraph
II. Similarities between dogs and cats
They're both popular pets.
They both offer companionship.
They both require care and responsibility.
III. Distinctions of dogs
Dogs are eager to please and dependent.
Dogs are easy to train.
Dogs are empathetic to their owners' emotions.
IV. Distinctions of cats
Cats are independent.
Cats are more stubborn and difficult to train.
Cats are apathetic and indifferent to their owners' emotions.
V. Concluding paragraph
If you can master writing thesis statements and outlines, you'll find your essays will be easier to write as well. As I always say, practice these concepts. Only by practicing and perfecting your writing can you be as effective as you want to be.
I'm a week behind in posting this, but life is very, very hectic right now. Juggling nine classes, even temporarily, certainly keeps me on my toes! I'm reminded, though, how many people have forgotten (or never learned?) some of the basics of English composition. Thus, I continue to write this blog!
Today, we're going to look at a concept that should be relatively simple ... and it can be. However, I still see issues with this in some of my students' writing.
The concept is: Subjects and verbs must agree in "number." This means that singular forms of the noun or pronoun in the subject must agree with the singular form of the verb; plural forms of the noun or pronoun in the subject must agree with the plural form of the verb.
Please note I said the singular form of the verb or the plural form of the verb. Some students get hung up on the fact that plural forms of nouns have an s on the end, so they think that the plural form of the verb also means an s at the end.
What I recommend to students is looking at the verb and conjugating it using pronouns:
I think ... He thinks ... She thinks ... We think ... They think ... Who thinks ... One thinks ...
So, if you're writing
John _______ in the morning,
you'd use the third person singular form of the verb:
John walks in the morning.
If you're writing
The students ________ for each test the night before.
you'd use the third person plural form of the verb:
The students cram for each test the night before.
Simple, right?
The issues arise when other elements come between the subject and the verb:
It's extremely important to break your sentence down to its absolute basics to make certain your subjects and verbs agree.
Another issue is what to do with compound subjects connected with and and those connected with or or nor.
Finally, you need to be aware indefinite pronouns (both singular and plural) and collective nouns:
As I've written before, writers communicate only with the words they use ... and how those words are used. Understanding simple concepts goes a long way towards your being more effective communicators.
My next blog (hopefully next week?) will be on writing thesis statements and outlines. I hope to "see" you then!
I believe I left off the last blog stating I'd be writing about thesis statements this week, but based on some grading I've done lately, I think a discussion about pronoun-antecedent agreement is needed.
We know that pronouns are parts of speech that replace nouns in a sentence. Instead of saying:
Susan took Susan's children to school and then drove Susan's car to the mechanic. Bill, the mechanic, used Bill's tools to fix Susan's car.
you would probably write:
Susan took her children to school and then drove her car to the mechanic. Bill, the mechanic, used his tools to fix her car.
An exception would be if the mechanic were also female:
Susan took her children to school and then drove her car to the mechanic. Karen, the mechanic, used her tools to fix Susan's car.
The waterfall was majestic in its beauty.
The miniature horses were adorable as they romped around the paddock.
So what's the key behind pronoun-antecedent agreement?
When you use a singular noun or pronoun, associated pronouns must also be singular.
When you use a plural noun or pronoun, associated pronouns must also be plural.
Simple? Well, not necessarily. I don't think the issues arise with regular nouns and pronouns. Most people won't argue that "Susan" is a singular noun, so any pronouns associated with that noun will be singular (i.e., "she" or "her"). Further, most people won't argue that "people" is a plural noun, so any pronouns associated with that noun will be plural (i.e., "they" or "them").
With me so far?
Indefinite pronouns, however, muddy the waters. Indefinite pronouns are pronouns that are ... well, indefinite. They refer to an undefined person(s) or thing(s). Some indefinite pronouns are singular; others are plural. When using a singular indefinite pronoun, any associated pronouns must also be singular, and plural indefinite pronouns must have associated plural pronouns.
Plural indefinite pronouns include: all, many, some, few, several, both.
Examples:
Did everyone remember to bring his homework?
VERSUS
Did some of the students remember to bring their homework?
OR
Somebody forgot to call her mother.
VERSUS
A few forgot to call their mothers.
KEY: Look at the indefinite pronoun you're using. Does it have "one," "body," or "thing"? These are singular words, so you need to treat the entire indefinite pronoun as singular.
For a bit more detail, visit one of my favorite online writing resources. Come back in a couple of weeks ... I think I'll be writing on thesis statements then, but we'll see!
Today, we're finishing our discussion about punctuation marks. If you can grasp these concepts, you'll never have a problem with punctuation again. Let's start with a little levity. This is a classic routine by someone you may not know—but you should! It's a bit lengthy, but it's worth watching.
Okay. Let's look at the rest of the most common punctuation marks.
Semi-colon
People seem to think that semi-colons are confusing, but there are really only three uses for them.
First, they're used to connect two independent clauses that are closely related (more about this in my blog about sentence structure):
Joe asked Sue to marry him; she said yes!
Second, they're used to connect two independent clauses with a conjunctive adverb (again, I give more detail about this in my sentence structure blog):
I was going to France; however, I decided to go to Australia instead.
Finally, they're used clarify items in a list when other punctuation marks are included:
The cast members include: John, a talented, well-trained singer; Mary, a graceful, adventurous dancer; Marty, a wonderful, hilarious comedian; and Georgia, a versatile, enthusiastic actor.
That's it!
Colon
Colons have just a few uses, as well.
First, they're used to introduce lists (see the sentence above about "cast members ...").
Second, they're used to introduce further explanation:
Sarah finally found her dream home: it's a quaint Victorian cottage with a wraparound porch.
Third, they're used to separate hour from minute, as in "It's 3:15 a.m."
Fourth, they're used to introduce quotes:
When I'm feeling stressed, I always remember: "That which does not kill me makes me stronger."
Finally, they're used in salutations for formal letters, as in Dear Mr. President:
Hyphens
Hyphens should really only be used one way in academic writing: to create compound words, especially modifiers for nouns:
my well-intentioned friend her newly-purchased car his five-year-old daughter
Dashes
Dashes are used to set off parenthetical elements. By using dashes instead of commas, the information stands out to your reader. You can use either "en-dashes," which have spaces between them and your words, or "em-dashes," which are longer dashes with no spaces. NOTE: em-dashes tend to provide for a smoother appearance to your writing.
en-dash: Two main characteristics - a sense of humor and loyalty - are most important to me. em-dash: Two main characteristics—a sense of humor and loyalty—are most important to me.
Ellipses
Ellipses are used in two ways.
First, they're used to indicate deletion from a quote. For example, the original quote is:
“Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of
some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were
not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor
understand.” —George Orwell
If you want to use just a portion of this quote, you would indicate your deletion like this:
“Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle ... One would never undertake such a thing if one were
not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor
understand.” —George Orwell
Second, they're used to indicate a deliberate interruption in thought:
I'm thinking about making lasagna for dinner ... but then again, maybe not.
NOTE: MLA requires a space between words and dots.
Brackets
Brackets are mainly used (in academic writing, at least) to indicate when you're using your own words to add clarity to someone else's quote. The original quote is:
"Joe Smith overcame his circumstances to become a standout in his field."
You want your reader to know who Joe Smith is, so you might write:
"Joe Smith [president of ABC Company] overcame his circumstances to become a standout in his field."
You may also use them to change words to make a quote flow more smoothly. If the original quote is:
Joe Smith stated, "I overcame my circumstances to become a standout in my field."
To incorporate this quote into your own writing, you might write:
Joe Smith "overcame [his] circumstances to become a standout in [his] field."
Well ... that's about it for punctuation. Again, review these rules and incorporate them in your writing.
Keep pen to paper!
Prof. Rinehart
P.S. For the foreseeable future, I'll be posting biweekly. Come back on September 20 when I'll be discussing how to write a thesis and outline. I hope to "see" you then!
