Week 1 - Day 2

Week 1 – Day 2: [note: numbers refer to pages in the text; if a word, phrase, section is bold faced,there is a chance it will appear on the Quiz over composition]

In the best of all possible worlds, we will use the online resources provided by Bedford/St. Martin. These are listed on the sidebar of the blog. If we do not have time in class, please explore them and the website on your own; it could be of great benefit to you. Most of the videos are five minutes or less.

11- The Writing Process – familiar to almost everyone; key word: RECURSIVE – “a procedure that can repeat itself indefinitely”

13 – Reading to Write: Becoming a Critical Reader [same thing as an active, smart or mindful reader]

Don’t assume the conversation is                  one way; it should be                       YOU need to think about what the writer says and decide for yourself whether you agree or disagree; determine what questions you have; do NOT be afraid to question, to think. Do NOT close your mind.

If you think when you read, if you’re more aware; if  you’re involved in the text that you READ;  you will be more involved with the text that you write.

15 – Note All the various clues  your book suggests could make you more alert—visual and verbal signals

23 – annotate!!!! – make notes . . . in the text, in a notebook, on a computer . . . one author suggests a “T” Journal:

Quote, summary, paraphrase, page #                    YOUR response/reaction to the item in text

Discussion:  “READING” refers to visual texts as well; note the tatoo on page 27, and those on 226

YOU MUST USE INFERENCE and critical thinking to get the most out of either reading assignment.

29 – Invention

29 – understand the assignment

30 – length – a minimum of two typed, double-spaced pages

30- purpose

31 – audience & occasion

32 – knowledge – both yours AND your audience

34 – unless otherwise specified, all papers should move from GENERAL to SPECIFIC, especially the one on example

34 – 35 – if you have trouble developing your ideas, consider the “Questions for Probing” on these pages

Both the book and video suggest various ways of getting started on an essay:  brain storming, free writing, clustering, outlining. USE WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. Remember, though, that the initial start is not necessarily the final draft.

43 – follow the diagram on page 43 to structure your papers

44 – 47 – thesis statement should come in the first paragraph, but it SHOULD NOT be the first sentence. A good thesis statement should clearly  identify the main idea of the paper, indicate the essay’s purpose, and be very explicit and direct. After reading the first paragraph, the reader should know exactly what the essay will discuss.  A title is NOT the same as a thesis.

Unless otherwise indicated, all thesis statements in 1101 should be EXPLICIT.

51 – Arrangement – 53-54: Strategies for beginning an essay

An introduction should get the reader’s attention, provide any necessary background information, lead into the thesis statement.

55- What NOT to Do in an Introduction !!!!!

56 – Body Paragraphs should be unified, coherent, and well developed.  All should be directly related to the thesis statement and yes, Virginia, they should have a topic sentence that is deliberate and clear.  BTW: three sentences does not make for a well-developed paragraph unless you’re in middle school.

58 – types of support that may be used to develop your paragraphs are listed

60-61 – strategies for your conclusion are suggested

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211 – “Exemplification uses one or more particular cases, or examples, to illustrate or explain a general point or an abstract concept”

Why begin with exemplification? – see pages 212-213

213 – “The thesis statement of an exemplification essay . . . .”

214-215: Provide Enough Examples; use a “fair range” of examples; USE EFFECTIVE TRANSITIONS

215-216 – How to structure an exemplification essay

READING ASSIGNMENT: