Expository Writing

1. Expository Writing Lesson Two The Six-Step Process Dr. M. Connor

2. Lecture Outline-1 • The Six-Step Process • I. Prewriting • 1.Planning • Thesis Statement & Definitions (Reminder) • Planning Techniques • Brainstorming; • Clustering; • Hybrid; • Reporters’ questions • Example: On the Rainforest • 2. Shaping • Parts of a Paper • Introductions; • Body; • Conclusion • Outlining • How to Shape a Paper—Logic • Degree of Outlining

3. Lecture Outline-2 • II. Writing • 3.Writing • When You’re Done Writing… • III. Rewriting • 4.Revising • 5.Editing • 6.Proofreading (Proofreading Points) • Conclusion

4. The Six-Step Process • Planning • Shaping • Writing • Revising • Editing • Proofreading prewriting rewriting

5. Prewriting • Planning and shaping are both steps in prewriting. • They are important in writing a paper. • During this phase you also come up with a thesis.

6. Thesis Statement • Also called: • main idea • theme • controlling idea • At first, you have a working thesis

7. Definitions • Working thesis: a statement that, based on everything you know of the topic, should prove to be a reasonably accurate summary of what you will write. • Final thesis: the accurate one-sentence summary of your work that will appear in your final draft.

8. For week three, we will do quite a bit of work on thesis and thesis statements. They can be tricky to do well, so we’ll devote an entire week to them, and I’m sure we’ll get back to them in future lessons.

9. Planning Techniques • Brainstorming • Clustering • Hybrid of the two • The W & H Questions (Reporters’ questions.

10. Brainstorming • Just quickly writing down everything that comes to mind on a certain topics. • It might be a good idea to set yourself a time for just writing. • I will brainstorm on this topic for say, five/ten/fifteen minutes. • I use a kitchen timer to time myself sometimes!

11. Clustering • Example based on “rain forest”: Alternate medicines animals extinction medicine plants exploitation extinction

12. Plants Rare trees Clear cutting Alternate medicines Indiginous peoples Sting and his concerts Race for the rainforest Tourism Eco-tourism Dangerous Plants Rare trees Clear cutting Alternate medicines Indiginous peoples Sting and his concerts Race for the rainforest Tourism Eco-tourism Dangerous Hybrid • First you brainstorm a while then see what works together

13. Reporters’ Questions • What • Why • Who • Where • When • How

14. On the Rainforest • What- rainforest exploitation • Why - overuse of raw materials • Who - natives and others • Where - Brazil • When - now • How - how does this happen? Key question that will lead me to research

15. Shaping • Once you have a huge mass of materials, you need to shape them into something clear. • I think of this step as making a map. • Anglo-American expository writing follows a specific form. • This is where outlining skills come in.

16. Parts of a Paper • Introduction • Body • Reasons • Examples • Conclusion

17. Introductions • Smooth me into the paper, grab my interest, make me want to read more. • Techniques: • tell a story • use a quote • use a startling fact • These are easier said than done, so we’ll work on them in the future.

18. Body • This is the “meat” of your paper, the substance. • You state your reasons, but reasons must be backed up with solid examples. • I use the metaphor of amurder trial. In order to convict (convince), you need good, solid, tangible evidence.

19. Conclusion • This is more than just a summary. Though you do have a summing up of what went before. • Ease me out. Let me feel, yes, the writer is done. Don’t leave me looking for the rest of the essay. • Perhaps a call to action? Leave me with a thought?

20. Outlining • If you’re unfamiliar with the process of outlining, visit • http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_outlin.html

21. How to Shape a Paper--Logic • Some papers lend themselves to a certain structure: • chronological • spatial (inside outside, top bottom) • importance - “save the best for last” • people remember what they read last the most, so you want to have your most important reason last. • Also, you want to build up in your paper, not start with a bang and then fizzle out!

22. Degree of Outlining • The longer more complex the paper, the more detailed your outline will be. • But even for short pieces of writing, it’s best if you do some brief sketch of where you’re going. • Shaping also helps you see gaps in your research (if needed). • Research is part of the planning/shaping stage as well.

23. Writing • When you’ve finally got the thesis and the outline, and you’re read, then write. • If possible, write the entire paper in one sitting. Or write as much as you can. • Don’t go back and rewrite as you write! • Get it down, thenget it right!

24. When You’re Done Writing... • After you’ve finished writing the first draft, put it away. For a class paper, a few days is optimal. • Do this even with exam essays. At the very least, take time to do some stretches and deep breathing. • No, your teacher won’t mind!

25. Rewriting • Composed of three steps: • Revising • Editing • Proofreading • You may do some of the processes simultaneously, but try to break them down one-by-one as well.

26. Revising • This is a form of Re-visioning, or seeing again. • Look at the BIG structure: • Does the logic hold? • Do you need to move paragraphs around? • Do you need to add anything? • Have you proved your thesis? • I find it’s easier to change my thesis than rewrite my paper, so that’s what I do if I haven’t proven my original thesis. But then I’m lazy!

27. Editing • This step is the paragraph by paragraph then sentence by sentence check for things like • transitions • word choice • correct grammar • clarity • all of these will be the subject of a lesson in the future, so don’t worry if you’re weak right now.

28. Proofreading • This is the very last step, but don’t forget it! • Read your paper word by word and then read it backwards! • This is an old proofreaders’ trick. It allows you to see words in isolation and better catch errors. • Run spell-check!

29. Proofreading Points • If you find yourself having to make major revisions in the proofreading stage, it means you’re messing up either the revising or the editing step. • Mistakes should be easily fixed with a little Tipex/Wite-Out and a black pen! • Don’t put 100% of your faith in the grammar check program. • It’s simplistic. • But if it offers a correction, it probably means that you are wrong.

30. Conclusion I hope this presentation gives you some understanding of what teachers will be looking for in your writing and what will be expected of you as a writer. Basically, I’ve just covered everything we’re going to learn this term! In the following weeks, we’ll go over all of this material in great detail! Doing all of these steps, and practicing the skills needed in each, can help you hone your writing skills. Writing is an art, but it’s also a craft, which means it can be learned and improved.