August 28, 2007
For ENG 82A we need to keep a journal. I am going to keep a journal mostly of my thoughts, since that is what writing is all about. Hey, it’s my journal.
August 29, 2007
Here is a first thought. Stop buying self-help books, especially the ones that tell you how to get people to like you. If you really want people to like you, that’s easy. You don’t need to learn body language or Neural-Linguistic Programming. Just be truly interested in other people. Everybody has a fascinating story to tell. Find out what it is. Repeat with everybody that you know, and everybody will like you.
August 30, 2007
I am finding out that I cannot just write my thoughts on a schedule. I have to let my thoughts come to me.
August 31, 2007
Keeping a journal is more fun than I thought it would be. I guess it goes to show that we should do things in our own individual ways.
September 1, 2007
I have been wanting to get through school as fast as possible and get on with my life. But, I am now reading Huckleberry Finn, and it has an effect on me.
September 2, 2007
Follow-up: I am going to just keep showing up at school and let time take care of itself. Time goes at its own pace just like the Mississippi river. Enjoy the ride.
September 3, 2007
It seems to me that Huck Finn is an innocent observing the world. Despite all the abuse that he has received, he is not mean or angry. If he did he would not be the real Huck Finn, but a hateful person, failing to live according to his own true nature. Too many people settle for that.
September 4, 2007
Follow-up: What is our true nature? Could happiness be our real goal in life? I find it astonishing how people push happiness out of reach. It is a lot more work to be miserable than to be happy. Happiness is no vice and misery is no virtue.
September 5, 2007
“The Steam in the Ravine” is a nice sentimental story of childhood.
September 7, 2007
I started on my narrative essay. It will be about flying my paraglider. This should be a labor of love.
September 10, 2007
I have a problem with many America haters. Would we be a better country if we did not agonize whether we doing the right thing? We acknowledge what we did to the Indians, while Turkey will not acknowledge the Armenian Holocaust, which occurred more recently. Does Turkey deserve a free pass?
September 11, 2007
Here is another thing that ticks me off. America overthrew the most dangerous man in the world, Saddam Hussein. The evidence that he had WMDs was definitely skewed by the Bush administration, a point that I willingly concede. But, what did America do in Iraq? They freed a people from a tyrant and free elections were held. Ordinarily, you would think that this is a good thing, but the Iraqi people would rather settle old scores than move their country forward. Children are blown up in school. Neighbors kill each other for being different. It is barbaric. How is that working out for you, Iraq? When you say that Saddam was the lesser evil, then who is the greater evil? America, who gave you freedom and democracy, when you wanted a civil war? When you say you were better off under Saddam than you are now, you are saying that you are worthy of freedom or democracy, and THAT is not America’s fault. It is America’s fault for thinking that you were.
September 12, 2007
But America is hardly perfect. The gap between the rich and everybody else is growing. The middle class is shrinking. There are many neglected children. Too much power is in too few hands. Our Congress has become corrupt. We have too much crime. We should worry about is happening here before we worry what happens elsewhere.
September 13, 2007
“Mzee Owitti” was a moving narration of a funeral, as well as a probing insight into African culture.
September 14, 2007
The story of my flight is actually a composite of several flights.
September 15, 2007
“Sunday in the Park” was a disturbing essay. The husband, Morton, was in a no-win situation. His options were to back down from a bully or get pulverized by him. Or maybe it is, that in these times, cowardice is masked as civility.
September 16, 2007
What I really like about flying is that my mind is focused and I am in the moment, with nothing else to think about.
September 17, 2007
Whatever you say, you can expect it to be repeated. If you don’t want the whole world to hear it, don’t say it.
September 18, 2007
I read “The Hanging” by George Orwell in class. It was a very straightforward account of an execution, but there were subtle clues as to the thoughts of the soldiers who did the deed. Orwell left it up to the reader to interpret the event. They all knew that they were doing somebody else’s dirty work.
September 19, 2007
“Northing” was a vivid portrait of monarch butterfly migration and its relationship with its author.
September 20, 2007
I just read “Our tired, Our Poor, our Kids”. I hated it. I grew up in a neighborhood with a lot of intergenerational welfare cases. I have gotten close enough to the welfare system to see what is does to people. My sister has made a career out of welfare. Nothing rots the human soul like welfare. It seduces the recipient into a sense of entitlement and a life of idleness. It can be obviously observed, for example, when a neighbor shows up in court wearing her housecoat and slippers. Anna Quindlen does not see this; she sees Sharanda as a victim. Well, Sharanda thinks that she should be put up in the Hamptons. She has made a mess of her life and drags her children from one shelter to another as a result. Quindlen laments that people like Sharanda often leave their kids with relatives, but that is often better for the children. Sharanda needs to be told to get her life straight if she wants her children back. Nobody can straighten out Sharanda but Sharanda.
September 21, 2007
Follow-up: People who support the old welfare system base their argument on a logical fallacy. They believe that the welfare recipient will not be satisfied with the paltry amount received and get off welfare by getting a job. They are only half correct. Welfare recipients often supplement their incomes by criminal enterprises, prostitution, auto theft, drug dealing and burglary.
September 22, 2007
I know I sound harsh, but waiting for somebody to solve your problems is not a solution.
September 23, 2007
“Who Shot Johnny” is a scathing indictment of thug culture. Blacks like the ones described try to keep other blacks from improving themselves. I experienced the same thing from the welfare recipients that I lived with. They want to draw others into their pathetic little lives. They are threatened that they may be left behind, but do nothing to better themselves.
September 24, 2007
Follow-up: I know for a fact that women would get pregnant to get welfare benefits. When people go through life with no purpose, resentment and hatred grow. Time is not spent constructively. This is when people start getting into trouble. It is nihilistic existence, and usually ends badly.
September 25, 2007
I read my flying essay in class today. It was a pleasure to describe my flight. The class also seemed to enjoy the story. I also read Olegsander’s essay. It was very good. He makes excellent use of descriptive words. He was shy about reading it. I thought he was underestimating himself. He is really smart.
September 26, 2007
If we can put a man on the moon, why can’t we eliminate poverty? Because we can’t make a person get up and go to work.
September 27, 2007
“Adrenaline Junkies” was interesting, since I am one myself. It was well-balanced.
September 28, 2007
“Generation N” seemed to be a persuasive essay rather than a cause and effect essay.
September 30, 2007
“Two Views of the River” by Mark Twain shows how romantic ideals can be quashed.
October 1, 2007
I started my analytical essay. It is about the cancer war.
October 2, 2007
I have decided to try to get into a hospital as a volunteer or an observer. Maybe I can parlay it into a job.
October 5, 2007
“Shrouded in Contradiction” by Gelareh Asayesh is a brilliant insight into the life of an Iranian woman. It humanizes the Iranian people, showing that they not just a bunch of religious fanatics, although they deeply religious. She eloquently shows that the hijab is a not just a symbol of oppression.
October 7, 2007
I read “A Fear Born of Sorrow” today. I don’t think it is a very good comparison. 9/11 has nothing to do with the Third world.
October 9, 2007
Went dog-walking with Monica today.
October 11, 2007
I had lunch with my good friend Paolo today. I haven’t been seeing very much since this semester started. He has a new job that pays more than the company that laid him off.
October 13, 2007
“Four Ways to Talk About Literature” seemed like too much of a rote exercise.
October 14, 2007
“No Wonder They Call Me a Bitch”was funny and sad at the same time. It is too bad that this is what pets eat.
October 15, 2007
“Four Family Cancers” was a good combination of logos and pathos.
October 18, 2007
I read Nikki Giovanni’s “Racism 101” essay. The world has obviously changed, but she hasn’t. “I Have a Dream” will live on long after “Racism 101” is forgotten.
October 19, 2007
I turned in my analytical essay today. It was not the labor of love that that my flying story was.
October 20, 2007
“Deft or Daft” was an interesting little anecdote.
October 21, 2007
“Understanding Dementia” is a compassionate analysis.
October 22, 2007
I read “Wayward Cells” today. Good use of analogies.
October 23, 2007
I read my analytical essay in class today. It was not as good as I hoped it would be.
October 24, 2007
I may be under a delusion, but nobody is plotting against me. However, if anybody is, I couldn’t care less.
October 25, 2007
Maybe I am not under a delusion. I just make friends exclusively with people that I can trust.
October 27, 2007
When you are in a bad mood or are unhappy, change your state of mind by doing something radically different from what you are doing. For me, singing the theme song to the cartoon Underdog works every time.
October 28, 2007
I went to Tilden Park today and came within 15 feet of a red-tail hawk. It had a band around on of its ankles to track its migration.
October 29, 2007
If I had to do my analytical essay again, I would describe the wind patterns in the Bay Area. That would be a labor of love.
October 31, 2007
It is a sad thought, but war will only end when everybody is sufficiently horrified. This happened in Europe, where the two greatest wars took place.
November 1, 2007
“An apology for the Life of Ms. Barbie D. Doll” is a persuasive argument that girls and women can think for themselves. Barbie is a fantasy, and the girls that play with her understand this.
November 2, 2007
“Pornography” shows that porn is not one thing. Snuff films and explicit torture and child porn are beyond the pale. But what about consensual acts viewed by consenting adults? And do we need it? With the Internet, it cannot be controlled. For many, porn is harmless and women are a fast-growing segment of the market. It is ultimately up to the individual.
November 3, 2007
The most influential man I have known is my old Big Brother, Frank Nielsen. He would take me out of the dive where I lived and showed me how real people live. He took me to boat shows, hockey games and miniature golf. He counseled me on life. He liked to say that everything has a price tag. I don’t know if he knew that he was getting through to me, but he did.
November 4, 2007
“In Defense of Animals” strikes a balanced and reasonable position on animal rights. While we use animals for food and experimentation, we can be much more humane toward them.
November 5, 2007
I see no contradiction in eating meat and having pets. Humans have been eating meat for hundreds of thousands of years, dating back to Homo Erectus. Animals are doomed to suffer an excruciating death from predators in nature. That we have them as friends is much better than their suffering in the wild.
November 8, 2007
I have chosen a topic for my persuasive essay: at-risk youth.
November 10, 2007
It is not worth it to rush. I believe that that time you may save by hurrying will be more than offset by the time that you take off your life.
November 11, 2007
Went to Ano Nuevo to see the elephant seals. I go there once every year. They never disappoint.
November 12, 2007
In “Apostles of Hate” the point that hate-mongers have a platform is not unique. On the Internet everybody has a platform to express his or her views.
November 13, 2007
The Internet requires that people think for themselves. Banning ideas is not the answer.
November 14, 2007
I started my persuasive essay. It is about how technology can be an impediment to relations and a rewarding life.
November 15, 2007
I originally named my persuasive essay “Don’t be here now”, but I am going to rename it “An Outside-the-Box Idea”.
November 16, 2007
I was invited to go to Flagstaff for Thanksgiving, but I cannot afford to go. I would like to see the Grand Canyon at this time of the year.
November 17, 2007
“Paul’s Case” is an interesting read. Paul felt like a hostage in Pittsburgh his trip to New York was a desperate attempt to live the life that he wanted. Maybe if he was encouraged to pursue his dream in a more constructive way, he may have succeeded, instead of killing himself.
November 18, 2007
“Demystifying Multiculturalism takes an overly harsh view of diversity. There will always be pressure to learn English and assimilate, but the Melting Pot tradition has various cultures contribute to the overall culture of America.
November 19, 2007
Completed chapter mind maps.
November 20, 2007
Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech was shown on YouTube in class today. It was brilliant how he spoke to America’s conscience.
November 21, 2007
It is sad to see the civil rights movement being led today by the likes of Al Sharpton. He has shown himself to be an anti-Semite and an advocate of violence.
November 22, 2007
I had Thanksgiving dinner today with Gary and friends. Naturally, I ate way too much.
November 23, 2007
We read Emily Dickenson today in class. They were amazingly simple, yet elegant poems. She truly is a great poetess.
November 24, 2007
Emily Dickenson must be what people are talking about when discussing the wit and wisdom of women.
November 25, 2007
I should quit listening to talk radio. I got started by listening to traffic reports when I had a long commute. Most talk shows are dishonest. They make spurious comparisons, use half-truths and obfuscate issues. Many talk show hosts are incapable of saying “I don’t know”. One talk show host, today, floated the idea that men should not be allowed to vote, based on some ridiculous statements that a few men had made. If that is the test, maybe nobody should be allowed to vote.
November 26, 2007
Completed essay mind maps. Igor floated the idea that I assist students in the class. I could do this, but I need to check with DOR.
November 27, 2007
I need to redo my chapter summaries. Bhim read his description of Nepal today. I am going to find out more about Nepal. Namaste!
November 28, 2007
I am going to try to learn to greet in every student’s language. People appreciate it.
November 29, 2007
Putting the final touches on my persuasive essay.
November 30, 2007
There was an interesting conversation on “The Rich Boy” by F. Scot Fitzgerald. The rich are different, except when they aren’t.
December 1, 2007
I got in my persuasive essay today. I believe that it makes up for the analytical essay.
December 2, 2007
Today is my birthday. 54 years old.
December 4, 2007
I read my persuasive essay in class today. It seemed to be well-received.
December 5, 2007
I am almost finished redoing my chapter summaries. It’s time to prepare for the final.
December 6, 2007
Paolo cancelled lunch with me. His son Francesco got sick and he must work from home.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Friday, December 7, 2007
Chapter Summaries of The College Writer
Chapter Summaries of The College Writer
Chapter 1 defines critical thinking through reading, viewing and writing. The use of critical thinking shows how a student should use accumulated knowledge as it pertains to the content of a student’s writing.
Use the reading strategy SQ3R: survey, question, read, recite and review. Read actively by taking notes, adding annotations, mapping, outlining and evaluating. Respond to the text with honesty, fluidity, reflection and selectivity. Summarize the text by skimming first, then reading closely, understand the argument and test the summary. View images actively, with a purpose and with a plan. Evaluate the image, considering the image, evaluating the quality and determining the value.
Develop critical-thinking habits by being curious, creative, open to ideas, involved, rational and focused. Connections must be made, evidence must be tested, research-based conclusions must be made and monitor results. Ask probing questions. Practice Inductive and deductive reasoning. Use analysis, synthesis, evaluation and application.
Chapter 2 provides guidelines for beginning an essay. The student must understand the assignment, rhetorical purpose, subject selection and methods of collecting information.
Understand the rhetorical situation by understanding the subject, audience and purpose. Understand the assignment by understanding the objective, the task, the formal requirements and topics. Select a subject, limiting to a manageable area. Collect information, starting with what you already know and by asking who, what, when, where, why. Identify sources on the Internet and in libraries.
Chapter 3 shows how planning is involved in essay writing. Re-examination of the topic, formation of a thesis statement, various methods of development and outlining are explained.
Take inventory of your thoughts by re-examining the topic. Form a thesis statement with a focus on the central point. The thesis will serve as a guide through the composition of the essay. Outline the essay, listing the main points and essential details.
Chapter 4 shows how to write a draft for an essay. Opening, middle and ending moves are explained, as well as factors to consider regarding audience, purpose and focus.
Write your first draft after reconsidering your audience and purpose. You need to focus on your subject as you freewrite. Do not worry about tidiness at this point. That will come later. At the opening the draft should engage the reader, establish a direction and get to the point. Avoid passive language. The middle should advance the thesis and support your ideas. Build a coherent structure with organized supporting details. End the draft by reasserting the main point by restating the thesis and showing benefits.
Chapter 5 explains revision of the first draft. Points covered are whole-paper issues, revising ideas and organization, revising voice and style, paragraph structure, coherence and collaboration.
Address whole-paper issues by revisiting your purpose and audience. Think globally, that is, check the thesis, focus or theme. Don’t worry about spelling and grammar at this point. Consider if you can support your clear thesis. Look at the overall plan of the opening, middle and closing points. Ask yourself: Are you committed in your rhetoric? Does the writing reflect your commitment? Is it in an academic style? Organize the paragraph structure of the essay and check for unity and coherence. Make sure that the details are complete to support your thesis. Collaborate with others for feedback.
Chapter 6 covers editing and proofreading. Awkward, uninteresting, and unclear sentences are refined. Grammatical errors are corrected. Imprecise, misleading and biased words are replaced with better words.
This is where you refine your essay for submission. Check the overall style of the essay. Eliminate redundant, unfair and unnecessary words as well, as jargon. Combine simple sentences into compound sentences where the ideas interconnect. Add modifying clauses to simple sentences. Vary sentence structure, arranging multiple clauses in parallel fashion. Use strong verbs, rather passive, avoid negatives and expletives. Use specific nouns, vivid verbs and replace jargon and clichés. Change biased words to more fair words. In the last step, check the grammar and correct errors.
Chapter 7 pertains to submitting writing and creating portfolios. This is why we write in the first place. The writer will format essay for typography, add graphics and arrange spacing in a manner that will be attractive to the audience.
Format the essay, keeping it clear and uncluttered. Use an easy-to-read font, space for easy reading and eliminate orphans and widows. Use bullets and graphics selectively. Post your work for potential audiences and create a portfolio.
Chapter 8 shows an example of a writer’s methods. The writer examined the assignment, narrowed it, focused her topic, did research and planned organization of the essay. A first draft was completed and revisions were made, followed by editing and proofreading.
The writer, Angela, started by examining her assignment: the subject, purpose, her audience, the form and assessment of guidelines. She explored and narrowed her assignment from environmental issues down to pollution in a small Canadian town. She then focused her topic based on the 5 Ws and H. She then researched the topic and recorded the relevant information. She formed her organization of the essay: assignment, thesis statement and overall method. She put together the opening, middle and ending paragraphs to for her first draft. She kept a bibliography of her research. Angela made revisions, looking at global issues and made the essay more unified and coherent. Her second revision involved peer review, leading to further refinement. The editing process improved clarity and smoothness. Finally, the proofread draft eliminated spelling and grammatical errors.
Chapter 9 gives the various forms of college writing, pertaining to curricular divisions (humanities, social sciences and natural and applied sciences), types in the divisions and traits of writing across the curriculum.
Humanities include topics such as Archeology, Ethnic studies, Modern Languages and Theatre Arts. Social Studies include Anthropology, Economics, Geophysics and Psychology. Natural and Applied Sciences include Agriculture, Biology, Environment and Physics.
Chapter 10 encourages the student to relive part of his life through writing. The student must consider the topic, the purpose and audience, and then write in a style that brings out experience.
Be passionate, include characters and create memorable descriptions. Consider topics that affect your life. When writing, set the stage, include dialogue, build the plot and express feelings.
Chapter 11 is on description and reflection. The student needs to accurately recall details, look at the deeper meaning, culminating in the essay. It is important for the tone to match the event and for the reflection to be congruent with the viewpoint.
Recall precise details, probe the topic and recall what you find. Focus on topics that give you insights into your life. Consider the key moments and what led to them. Tell the story from your own perspective and how others experienced it. Tell what the outcome was.
Chapter 12 provides guidelines for writing a cause-and-effect analytical essay. Logical thought, tested by the student is paramount in this kind of essay. Information must be gathered and analyzed and be presented to support the thesis.
Link cause and effect with strong supporting evidence. Test your thesis. Choose a topic that you care about. Organize supporting details.
Chapter 13 delves into comparison and contrast. Such an essay must have logical points of comparison.
Know your purpose. Be logical. Consider topics that matter to you. Expand the list traits. Organize by subject or by traits.
Chapter 14 explains how to discuss individuals as parts of groups. Differences between groups are shown by traits. An objective criterion is necessary for this type of essay.
Choose classification to fit the topic by distinguishing one subgroup from another. Use the classification fit your rhetorical purpose. Organize by the traits.
Chapter15 is about process writing, the “how-to” essay. This breaks down to three basic forms: describing, explaining and instructions. Research on the process is essential to this type of essay.
Think logically about the process. Know the purpose and for whom the essay is for. Describe the process for the intended audience to use. Get feedback from an intended reader.
Chapter 16 explains the uses for definitions. It can be an entire essay, or can be used to support arguments in persuasive writing or other types of writing.
Know the purpose of the definition. Present fresh information. Identify what you know. Gather information from the dictionary, encyclopedias and Internet. Compress what you know into single-sentence definition. Get feedback for clarity, continuity and completeness.
Chapter 17 is about strategies for argumentation and persuasion. Persuasive arguments must be built by making a claim, supporting the claim and engaging those who may disagree. Logical fallacies must be avoided. Appeals to the reader must be appropriate.
Prepare your argument by gathering evidence and developing a line of reasoning. Make and qualify your claim by drawing reasonable conclusions from the evidence and adding qualifiers. Support the claim with solid evidence and sound logic. Make concessions when needed, rebut the opposition and make appropriate appeals.
Consider a range of ideas to broaden your perspective. Distinguish facts from opinions. Distinguish three types of claims: claims of truth, claims of value and claims of policy. Avoid all-or-nothing claims. The claim must be meaningful and qualified. Support your claims with observations and anecdotes, statistics, tests and experiments, graphics, analogies experts, analyses and predictions.
Avoid logical fallacies such as bare assertion, begging the question, oversimplification, either/or thinking, complex questions and straw man. Avoid sabotaging the argument with red herrings, misuse of humor, appeals to pity, use of threats, bandwagon mentality and appeal to popular sentiment. Avoid faulty conclusions such as appeals to ignorance, hasty or broad generalizations, false causes, slippery slope arguments, impressing with numbers and half-truths.
Engage the opposition with qualifications, rebuttals and consolidating your claim. Use appropriate appeals by building your credibility through honesty, realistic claims and maintaining trust. Make logical appeals by appealing to our better natures, using a fitting tone, motivation and evidence that readers can understand. The reasoning must be measured, conceding points to the opposition and addressing objections. Focus on the readers needs by understanding their concerns, considering their resistance and matching needs and values
Chapter 18 tells how to take a position on a topic. All possible positions must be explored, and must be supported by facts.
Go beyond pure opinion, and take a measured stance. Consider topics such as current affairs, burning issues, dividing lines and fresh fare. Get inside the issue by investigating possible positions, doing firsthand research, making “pros and cons” columns and developing a line of reasoning.
Chapter 19 shows how to persuade readers to act. The student must promote a cause, not a fight. The action must be reasonable and directed to the appropriate audience. The reader must understand the benefits of the action.
Promote your cause, not a fight. Be reasonable on your claims, and identify any logical fallacies. Consider topics such as personal experiences, personal ideas, community concerns, international affairs and “no-comment” topics. Generate ideas and support by considering opposing viewpoints, constructing dialogue and considering the desired outcome.
Chapter 20 goes into proposing solutions. The writer must show a passion for the solution. The solution must be real, not just on the surface. The quality of the research will support the proposal.
Show a passion for change, avoiding cosmetic solutions. Understand who would benefit. Topics to consider include people problems, college problems, social problems and workplace problems.
Chapter 1 defines critical thinking through reading, viewing and writing. The use of critical thinking shows how a student should use accumulated knowledge as it pertains to the content of a student’s writing.
Use the reading strategy SQ3R: survey, question, read, recite and review. Read actively by taking notes, adding annotations, mapping, outlining and evaluating. Respond to the text with honesty, fluidity, reflection and selectivity. Summarize the text by skimming first, then reading closely, understand the argument and test the summary. View images actively, with a purpose and with a plan. Evaluate the image, considering the image, evaluating the quality and determining the value.
Develop critical-thinking habits by being curious, creative, open to ideas, involved, rational and focused. Connections must be made, evidence must be tested, research-based conclusions must be made and monitor results. Ask probing questions. Practice Inductive and deductive reasoning. Use analysis, synthesis, evaluation and application.
Chapter 2 provides guidelines for beginning an essay. The student must understand the assignment, rhetorical purpose, subject selection and methods of collecting information.
Understand the rhetorical situation by understanding the subject, audience and purpose. Understand the assignment by understanding the objective, the task, the formal requirements and topics. Select a subject, limiting to a manageable area. Collect information, starting with what you already know and by asking who, what, when, where, why. Identify sources on the Internet and in libraries.
Chapter 3 shows how planning is involved in essay writing. Re-examination of the topic, formation of a thesis statement, various methods of development and outlining are explained.
Take inventory of your thoughts by re-examining the topic. Form a thesis statement with a focus on the central point. The thesis will serve as a guide through the composition of the essay. Outline the essay, listing the main points and essential details.
Chapter 4 shows how to write a draft for an essay. Opening, middle and ending moves are explained, as well as factors to consider regarding audience, purpose and focus.
Write your first draft after reconsidering your audience and purpose. You need to focus on your subject as you freewrite. Do not worry about tidiness at this point. That will come later. At the opening the draft should engage the reader, establish a direction and get to the point. Avoid passive language. The middle should advance the thesis and support your ideas. Build a coherent structure with organized supporting details. End the draft by reasserting the main point by restating the thesis and showing benefits.
Chapter 5 explains revision of the first draft. Points covered are whole-paper issues, revising ideas and organization, revising voice and style, paragraph structure, coherence and collaboration.
Address whole-paper issues by revisiting your purpose and audience. Think globally, that is, check the thesis, focus or theme. Don’t worry about spelling and grammar at this point. Consider if you can support your clear thesis. Look at the overall plan of the opening, middle and closing points. Ask yourself: Are you committed in your rhetoric? Does the writing reflect your commitment? Is it in an academic style? Organize the paragraph structure of the essay and check for unity and coherence. Make sure that the details are complete to support your thesis. Collaborate with others for feedback.
Chapter 6 covers editing and proofreading. Awkward, uninteresting, and unclear sentences are refined. Grammatical errors are corrected. Imprecise, misleading and biased words are replaced with better words.
This is where you refine your essay for submission. Check the overall style of the essay. Eliminate redundant, unfair and unnecessary words as well, as jargon. Combine simple sentences into compound sentences where the ideas interconnect. Add modifying clauses to simple sentences. Vary sentence structure, arranging multiple clauses in parallel fashion. Use strong verbs, rather passive, avoid negatives and expletives. Use specific nouns, vivid verbs and replace jargon and clichés. Change biased words to more fair words. In the last step, check the grammar and correct errors.
Chapter 7 pertains to submitting writing and creating portfolios. This is why we write in the first place. The writer will format essay for typography, add graphics and arrange spacing in a manner that will be attractive to the audience.
Format the essay, keeping it clear and uncluttered. Use an easy-to-read font, space for easy reading and eliminate orphans and widows. Use bullets and graphics selectively. Post your work for potential audiences and create a portfolio.
Chapter 8 shows an example of a writer’s methods. The writer examined the assignment, narrowed it, focused her topic, did research and planned organization of the essay. A first draft was completed and revisions were made, followed by editing and proofreading.
The writer, Angela, started by examining her assignment: the subject, purpose, her audience, the form and assessment of guidelines. She explored and narrowed her assignment from environmental issues down to pollution in a small Canadian town. She then focused her topic based on the 5 Ws and H. She then researched the topic and recorded the relevant information. She formed her organization of the essay: assignment, thesis statement and overall method. She put together the opening, middle and ending paragraphs to for her first draft. She kept a bibliography of her research. Angela made revisions, looking at global issues and made the essay more unified and coherent. Her second revision involved peer review, leading to further refinement. The editing process improved clarity and smoothness. Finally, the proofread draft eliminated spelling and grammatical errors.
Chapter 9 gives the various forms of college writing, pertaining to curricular divisions (humanities, social sciences and natural and applied sciences), types in the divisions and traits of writing across the curriculum.
Humanities include topics such as Archeology, Ethnic studies, Modern Languages and Theatre Arts. Social Studies include Anthropology, Economics, Geophysics and Psychology. Natural and Applied Sciences include Agriculture, Biology, Environment and Physics.
Chapter 10 encourages the student to relive part of his life through writing. The student must consider the topic, the purpose and audience, and then write in a style that brings out experience.
Be passionate, include characters and create memorable descriptions. Consider topics that affect your life. When writing, set the stage, include dialogue, build the plot and express feelings.
Chapter 11 is on description and reflection. The student needs to accurately recall details, look at the deeper meaning, culminating in the essay. It is important for the tone to match the event and for the reflection to be congruent with the viewpoint.
Recall precise details, probe the topic and recall what you find. Focus on topics that give you insights into your life. Consider the key moments and what led to them. Tell the story from your own perspective and how others experienced it. Tell what the outcome was.
Chapter 12 provides guidelines for writing a cause-and-effect analytical essay. Logical thought, tested by the student is paramount in this kind of essay. Information must be gathered and analyzed and be presented to support the thesis.
Link cause and effect with strong supporting evidence. Test your thesis. Choose a topic that you care about. Organize supporting details.
Chapter 13 delves into comparison and contrast. Such an essay must have logical points of comparison.
Know your purpose. Be logical. Consider topics that matter to you. Expand the list traits. Organize by subject or by traits.
Chapter 14 explains how to discuss individuals as parts of groups. Differences between groups are shown by traits. An objective criterion is necessary for this type of essay.
Choose classification to fit the topic by distinguishing one subgroup from another. Use the classification fit your rhetorical purpose. Organize by the traits.
Chapter15 is about process writing, the “how-to” essay. This breaks down to three basic forms: describing, explaining and instructions. Research on the process is essential to this type of essay.
Think logically about the process. Know the purpose and for whom the essay is for. Describe the process for the intended audience to use. Get feedback from an intended reader.
Chapter 16 explains the uses for definitions. It can be an entire essay, or can be used to support arguments in persuasive writing or other types of writing.
Know the purpose of the definition. Present fresh information. Identify what you know. Gather information from the dictionary, encyclopedias and Internet. Compress what you know into single-sentence definition. Get feedback for clarity, continuity and completeness.
Chapter 17 is about strategies for argumentation and persuasion. Persuasive arguments must be built by making a claim, supporting the claim and engaging those who may disagree. Logical fallacies must be avoided. Appeals to the reader must be appropriate.
Prepare your argument by gathering evidence and developing a line of reasoning. Make and qualify your claim by drawing reasonable conclusions from the evidence and adding qualifiers. Support the claim with solid evidence and sound logic. Make concessions when needed, rebut the opposition and make appropriate appeals.
Consider a range of ideas to broaden your perspective. Distinguish facts from opinions. Distinguish three types of claims: claims of truth, claims of value and claims of policy. Avoid all-or-nothing claims. The claim must be meaningful and qualified. Support your claims with observations and anecdotes, statistics, tests and experiments, graphics, analogies experts, analyses and predictions.
Avoid logical fallacies such as bare assertion, begging the question, oversimplification, either/or thinking, complex questions and straw man. Avoid sabotaging the argument with red herrings, misuse of humor, appeals to pity, use of threats, bandwagon mentality and appeal to popular sentiment. Avoid faulty conclusions such as appeals to ignorance, hasty or broad generalizations, false causes, slippery slope arguments, impressing with numbers and half-truths.
Engage the opposition with qualifications, rebuttals and consolidating your claim. Use appropriate appeals by building your credibility through honesty, realistic claims and maintaining trust. Make logical appeals by appealing to our better natures, using a fitting tone, motivation and evidence that readers can understand. The reasoning must be measured, conceding points to the opposition and addressing objections. Focus on the readers needs by understanding their concerns, considering their resistance and matching needs and values
Chapter 18 tells how to take a position on a topic. All possible positions must be explored, and must be supported by facts.
Go beyond pure opinion, and take a measured stance. Consider topics such as current affairs, burning issues, dividing lines and fresh fare. Get inside the issue by investigating possible positions, doing firsthand research, making “pros and cons” columns and developing a line of reasoning.
Chapter 19 shows how to persuade readers to act. The student must promote a cause, not a fight. The action must be reasonable and directed to the appropriate audience. The reader must understand the benefits of the action.
Promote your cause, not a fight. Be reasonable on your claims, and identify any logical fallacies. Consider topics such as personal experiences, personal ideas, community concerns, international affairs and “no-comment” topics. Generate ideas and support by considering opposing viewpoints, constructing dialogue and considering the desired outcome.
Chapter 20 goes into proposing solutions. The writer must show a passion for the solution. The solution must be real, not just on the surface. The quality of the research will support the proposal.
Show a passion for change, avoiding cosmetic solutions. Understand who would benefit. Topics to consider include people problems, college problems, social problems and workplace problems.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)