CH 5 Revising
This chapter shows you how to take your written first draft and revise it into possibly your final draft. Read your paper for any content errors. Double check the facts and figures. Arrange and rearrange ideas to follow your outline. Reorganize your outline if necessary, but always keep the purpose of your paper and your readers in mind. The following is a checklist that should be used when revising your first draft.
1. Is my thesis statement concise and clear?2. Did I follow my outline? Did I miss anything?3. Are my arguments presented in a logical sequence?4. Are all sources properly cited to ensure that I am not plagiarizing?5. Have I proved my thesis with strong supporting arguments?6. Have I made my intentions and points clear in the essay?
Re-read your paper for grammatical errors. Use a dictionary or a thesaurus as needed. Do a spell check. Correct all errors that you can spot and improve the overall quality of the paper to the best of your ability. Get someone else to read it over. Sometimes a second pair of eyes can see mistakes that you missed.
1. Did I begin each paragraph with a proper topic sentence?2. Have I supported my arguments with documented proof or examples?3. Any run-on or unfinished sentences?4. Any unnecessary or repetitious words?5. Varying lengths of sentences?6. Does one paragraph or idea flow smoothly into the next?7. Any spelling or grammatical errors?8. Quotes accurate in source, spelling, and punctuation? 9. Are all my citations accurate and in correct format?10. Did I avoid using contractions? Use "cannot" instead of "can't", "do not" instead of "don't"?11. Did I use third person as much as possible? Avoid using phrases such as "I think", "I guess", "I suppose"12. Have I made my points clear and interesting but remained objective?13. Did I leave a sense of completion for my reader(s) at the end of the paper?
Saturday, October 17, 2009
2-ch 4 Drafting
CH 4 Drafting
This chapter outlines how to write a rough draft of your essay. Like the previous chapter, you again learn how to re-look at your topic, think about your audience, purpose and your subject. When you are writing your first draft you will probably find that you don't have all of the material you need for a finished essay. For example, you may know that you need examples of several of your points. If you have them, fine. If you're stumped, just put a note in brackets: "[need example of classroom exercise for team building]." Then move on to the next point. Likewise with evidence that you haven't found yet. Put a note in brackets to remind yourself what you need, but don't stop to look for it as you write your draft. It is important that you make notes to yourself as to what you need to find and develop before you have a finished essay. Doing so will save you a great deal of time because you will have a "shopping list" to bring to class or to the library that will help define what you need to finish the essay. This will make your further research much easier. But it is equally important that you try to get down on paper what you want the whole essay to say. This is the only way to test and develop your trial thesis statement. The whole should determine the parts, not the parts the whole. You may find that your thesis needs major revision and that you really want to take a different approach than you had originally planned. That will help to clarify what details are important enough to pursue and what can be omitted.
This chapter outlines how to write a rough draft of your essay. Like the previous chapter, you again learn how to re-look at your topic, think about your audience, purpose and your subject. When you are writing your first draft you will probably find that you don't have all of the material you need for a finished essay. For example, you may know that you need examples of several of your points. If you have them, fine. If you're stumped, just put a note in brackets: "[need example of classroom exercise for team building]." Then move on to the next point. Likewise with evidence that you haven't found yet. Put a note in brackets to remind yourself what you need, but don't stop to look for it as you write your draft. It is important that you make notes to yourself as to what you need to find and develop before you have a finished essay. Doing so will save you a great deal of time because you will have a "shopping list" to bring to class or to the library that will help define what you need to finish the essay. This will make your further research much easier. But it is equally important that you try to get down on paper what you want the whole essay to say. This is the only way to test and develop your trial thesis statement. The whole should determine the parts, not the parts the whole. You may find that your thesis needs major revision and that you really want to take a different approach than you had originally planned. That will help to clarify what details are important enough to pursue and what can be omitted.
2-CH 3 Planning
CH 3 Planning
In this chapter it describes the steps in which you plan out the essay you are going to write. First, you must have an introduction and a conclusion. You need about three other paragraphs. Start researching. Find points to put in your middle paragraphs. Some paragraphs might only have one point but others may have three, four or five. This is one of the hardest steps and is the core to your essay. It only needs to be written in short hand. Keep a record of websites, books (including page numbers) and articles you use to help you. Back up your points. For each point you write you need to find evidence to prove it. This could be a quote or an example. If it's a quote be sure you write it down exactly how it is so you can copy it from your mind map. Write your introduction. Just a few key points for the plan. Make sure you don't try to put too much in the introduction. Write the conclusion points. Make sure you tie up everything nicely and that you've answered the question. The best essays will link between the paragraphs so it all flows smoothly. Often this is quite difficult and sometimes you might just have to move abruptly to a new topic but avoid this as much as possible. Write your essay.
In this chapter it describes the steps in which you plan out the essay you are going to write. First, you must have an introduction and a conclusion. You need about three other paragraphs. Start researching. Find points to put in your middle paragraphs. Some paragraphs might only have one point but others may have three, four or five. This is one of the hardest steps and is the core to your essay. It only needs to be written in short hand. Keep a record of websites, books (including page numbers) and articles you use to help you. Back up your points. For each point you write you need to find evidence to prove it. This could be a quote or an example. If it's a quote be sure you write it down exactly how it is so you can copy it from your mind map. Write your introduction. Just a few key points for the plan. Make sure you don't try to put too much in the introduction. Write the conclusion points. Make sure you tie up everything nicely and that you've answered the question. The best essays will link between the paragraphs so it all flows smoothly. Often this is quite difficult and sometimes you might just have to move abruptly to a new topic but avoid this as much as possible. Write your essay.
2-CH1 Critical Thinking through Viewing and Writing
This chapter on “Critical Thinking through Reading, Viewing and Writing” has basically given an outline for how to read, view and write better. The chapter covers SQ3R, which stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review. This technique enables you to focus more, go deeper into your work, and absorb the information you are given more easily. When you are reading, you need to be active in that process. You need to be sure and pace yourself, take notes or map your reading material, evaluate the information, have a response to the text as well as summarize it. You also need to learn how to use critical thinking for viewing and analyzing images and how to apply critical thinking into your writing. Basically when you are reading, viewing and writing you need to open your mind, ask questions, and be an active participant in the task you are completing. You need to be able to pull apart the text or image and put it back together again in your own words.
chapter 2- Begining the Writing Process.
In this chapter, “Beginning the Writing Process,” gives a full explanation of the steps you must take before and during you begin writing a paper. You first must have an understanding of your subject/ assignment and the options and restrictions of the assignment. You also need to know your audience and the purpose or benefit of writing the assignment. In this chapter you get many tips for helping you select a subject to write about. You need to meet all requirements laid out for the assignment and then you can begin your search for the perfect idea. There are many different places you can look for an idea, such as the library, class notes, websites, etc. Just make sure you pick a topic that genuinely interests you. Once you have selected a topic to write about, you can begin collecting information. It’s best to start with what you know and then move on to other sources. Great sources for your research are the Internet, libraries, interviews, surveys and many more sources. Writing can be a messy task while you are thinking, evaluating, collaborating all the information for your topic. Just keep in mind that all writing assignments come with some challenges. Work through them, and you’ll end up with a great final draft.
Unit 1 Paper
The worst day of my life
By: Gina Taylor
March 17th 1993 was the worst day of my life. I was sound asleep around 4am when I was awaken by a telephone call followed by my mothers silent cry, as I got out of bed to make sure she was ok she was walking towards my room, I instantly felt like something very bad had happened, my heart was racing and my stomach was all in knots. I could tell that what ever happened my mother was afraid to tell us, both my brother and I asked her repeatedly “what happened”! “What’s going on?” As she sat on the floor in the middle of the hallway she said “im so sorry you guys but I just got off the phone with your grandmother and your father has been murdered”
At that point, I felt like I was standing outside of myself, almost dreamlike. I felt like then and still do now that the whole scene went in slow motion, I felt as if my breath had been taken from me and my heart was being squeezed. I was daddy’s little girl so at that point a part of my soul had died, even though we had somewhat of a rocky relationship he was my protector.
After taking a little time to myself, sorting through my thoughts and feelings, my mother, younger brother and I immediately drove to where my family was, even though it was one city away the drive felt like it took hours. During the drive there I thought about how I just spoke to my father a couple days prior and how he wanted me to come see him, due to our unsteady relationship I was upset with him at that time and didn’t want to be bothered. Me being a very sensitive person and him being an extremely selfish and insensitive person, our personalities often clashed and we had weeks in between the time that we spoke.
My brother was very quiet and seemed to be in shock, he was always the opposite of me. As we arrived at the hospital I was very anxious to get to my father, when we walked in we were greeted by allot of family members, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandmother. “He’s gone” my grandmother kept screaming “my baby boy is gone”. I’m still not sure why but we weren’t able to see him when we got there.
The days that followed were full of planning, preparations and gathering of family members that I hadn’t seen in years. Everything happened so fast, the last time I saw my father he was dressed in his favorite grey suit with a beautiful smile on his face, as he layed in the casket I kept waiting for him to get up, I thought if I prayed long and hard enough god would give him another chance at life, another breath, another chance to be with his family.
After that day things were very different for me, a part of me was taken from me and remains missing, I always thought with time the feeling of emptiness would gradually ease, here it is 16 years later and the same void still remains embedded within.
By: Gina Taylor
March 17th 1993 was the worst day of my life. I was sound asleep around 4am when I was awaken by a telephone call followed by my mothers silent cry, as I got out of bed to make sure she was ok she was walking towards my room, I instantly felt like something very bad had happened, my heart was racing and my stomach was all in knots. I could tell that what ever happened my mother was afraid to tell us, both my brother and I asked her repeatedly “what happened”! “What’s going on?” As she sat on the floor in the middle of the hallway she said “im so sorry you guys but I just got off the phone with your grandmother and your father has been murdered”
At that point, I felt like I was standing outside of myself, almost dreamlike. I felt like then and still do now that the whole scene went in slow motion, I felt as if my breath had been taken from me and my heart was being squeezed. I was daddy’s little girl so at that point a part of my soul had died, even though we had somewhat of a rocky relationship he was my protector.
After taking a little time to myself, sorting through my thoughts and feelings, my mother, younger brother and I immediately drove to where my family was, even though it was one city away the drive felt like it took hours. During the drive there I thought about how I just spoke to my father a couple days prior and how he wanted me to come see him, due to our unsteady relationship I was upset with him at that time and didn’t want to be bothered. Me being a very sensitive person and him being an extremely selfish and insensitive person, our personalities often clashed and we had weeks in between the time that we spoke.
My brother was very quiet and seemed to be in shock, he was always the opposite of me. As we arrived at the hospital I was very anxious to get to my father, when we walked in we were greeted by allot of family members, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandmother. “He’s gone” my grandmother kept screaming “my baby boy is gone”. I’m still not sure why but we weren’t able to see him when we got there.
The days that followed were full of planning, preparations and gathering of family members that I hadn’t seen in years. Everything happened so fast, the last time I saw my father he was dressed in his favorite grey suit with a beautiful smile on his face, as he layed in the casket I kept waiting for him to get up, I thought if I prayed long and hard enough god would give him another chance at life, another breath, another chance to be with his family.
After that day things were very different for me, a part of me was taken from me and remains missing, I always thought with time the feeling of emptiness would gradually ease, here it is 16 years later and the same void still remains embedded within.
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