©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

The Writing ProcessThe Writing Process

College Writing SkillsCollege Writing Skills, 5E , 5E and and

College Writing Skills with ReadingsCollege Writing Skills with Readings, , 5E5E

John LanganJohn Langan

Chapter Two

College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 2

Prewriting Techniques

•Freewriting•Questioning •Making a List•Diagramming•Preparing a Scratch Outline

College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 2

Freewriting• Write nonstop for ten minutes and jot down in Write nonstop for ten minutes and jot down in

rough sentences or phrases rough sentences or phrases everythingeverything that that comes to mind about a possible topic.comes to mind about a possible topic.

There are lots of things I get annoyed There are lots of things I get annoyed by. One of them is politishans, in fact by. One of them is politishans, in fact I am so annoyed by them the last I am so annoyed by them the last thing I want is to write about them. thing I want is to write about them. Another thing that bothers me is noisy Another thing that bothers me is noisy people at the movies. I used to love people at the movies. I used to love the movies….the movies….

College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 2

Freewriting

•Do not worry (yet) about spelling or punctuation.

[. . .] There are lots of [. . .] There are lots of things I get annoyed by. things I get annoyed by. One of them isOne of them is politishanspolitishans. . [. [. . .]. .]

College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 2

Questioning ???????????• Ask as many questions as you can Ask as many questions as you can

think of about your subject.think of about your subject.•Why?Why?•When?When?•Where?Where?•Who?Who?•How?How?

??

College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 2

Making a List((akaaka “brainstorming”) “brainstorming”)

• Collect a Collect a list of ideaslist of ideas and details that relate to and details that relate to your subject.your subject.

• Do not worryDo not worry about the order of the list. about the order of the list.– Traffic is bad between my house and theatreTraffic is bad between my house and theatre– Noisy patronsNoisy patrons– Don’t want to run into JeremyDon’t want to run into Jeremy– Hard to be on a dietHard to be on a diet

College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 2

DiagrammingDiagramming(aka “clustering” or “mapping”)(aka “clustering” or “mapping”)

• WriteWrite your your subjectsubject in the center of a blank in the center of a blank sheet of paper.sheet of paper.

• Jot down ideasJot down ideas and and detailsdetails around the around the subject.subject.

• Use lines, boxes, arrows and circles to Use lines, boxes, arrows and circles to showshow

relationshipsrelationships among ideas and details. among ideas and details.

College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 2

Diagramming

Movies

Might see old boyfriend

Noisy People

Adults

Coughing and sneezing

Telling Plot

Teenagers

Showing offYelling

Too many people

Line at box office

Traffic getting to theater

Temptations

PopcornChocolate bars

College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 2

Preparing a Scratch Outline• Think Think carefullycarefully about: about:

• The The pointpoint you are making you are making

• The The supporting itemssupporting items for that for that pointpoint

• The The orderorder in which you will in which you will arrange those itemsarrange those items

College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 2

Writing a First Draft

Your Your Goals:Goals:• State your thesis State your thesis clearlyclearly..• Develop the content of paper Develop the content of paper

with plenty of with plenty of specific detailsspecific details..

College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 2

Revision• Set your draft aside for a while.Set your draft aside for a while.

• Work from typed or printed text.Work from typed or printed text.

• Read your draft aloud.Read your draft aloud.

• Add your thoughts and changes Add your thoughts and changes above the lines or in the margins of above the lines or in the margins of your paper.your paper.

College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 2

3 Stages to the Revising Process

•Revising contentRevising content

•Revising sentencesRevising sentences

•EditingEditing 33

College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 2

Revising Content

Unity• ThesisThesis must be clearly stated

in introductory paragraph.

• Supporting paragraphs must back up thesis.

College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 2

Revising Content

SupportSupport• At leastAt least three separate pointsthree separate points

must support the thesis.must support the thesis.

• Plenty of specific evidencePlenty of specific evidence must be provided for each must be provided for each supporting point.supporting point.

Must havesupport...

College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 2

Revising ContentMake sure you have:Make sure you have:

•an interesting introductionan interesting introduction•a solid conclusion a solid conclusion •an accurate titlean accurate title•a clear method of organizationa clear method of organization•transitions and connecting transitions and connecting

wordswords

College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 2

Revising SentencesUseUse to to balancebalance words and words and

ideas: ideas:

Correct: The mugger jumped out and scared her.Incorrect: The mugger jumped out and scares her.

College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 2

Revising SentencesKeep Keep voicevoice and and tense tense consistentconsistent..

– Jean Jean punched down the risen yeast down the risen yeast dough in the bowl. Then dough in the bowl. Then you dumpyou dump it it onto the floured work table and onto the floured work table and kneadknead it into a smooth, shiny ball.it into a smooth, shiny ball.

Jean Jean punched punched down the risen yeast dough in the bowl. down the risen yeast dough in the bowl. Then Then she dumpedshe dumped it onto the floured it onto the floured work table and work table and

kneaded kneaded it into a smooth shiny ball.it into a smooth shiny ball.

College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 2

Revising Sentences

• Avoid Avoid slang, slang, clichés, clichés, pretentious pretentious language, language, and and wordiness.wordiness.

College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 2

Revising SentencesUse verbs.Use verbs.• PassivePassiveThe car The car was crashedwas crashed

by me.by me.

• Active Active I I crashedcrashed the car. the car.

Forms ofForms of to beto be::

is is am am arearewas was were were beenbeen

College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 2

Revising Sentences

The truck was speeding. The truck was speeding. The truck was brown. The truck was brown.

The truck skidded on some ice. The truck skidded on some ice. The truck almost hit a police officer. The truck almost hit a police officer.

The police officer was startled.The police officer was startled.The police officer was young.The police officer was young. The brown speeding truck The brown speeding truck

startled the young police officer startled the young police officer as it skidded on some ice as it skidded on some ice

and almost hit him.and almost hit him.

College Writing Skills/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 5E

©2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 2

Editing

–grammargrammar–punctuationpunctuation –spellingspelling