TEW ch. 4 Flashcards
An effective paragraph is what?
unified; it focuses on one topic.
coherent; it makes sense and provides logical connections so the reader can follow the writer’s train of thought.
well developed; it contains supporting information that is organized in a consistent pattern and thoroughly expands a point.
What also focuses on one topic?
An essay
Chronological Pattern
Shows development over time. ie. the evolution of the phone.
Process Essay
Explains the step-by-step stages of a process. The steps are listed in chronological order. ie. making burgers
Classification/Division
Begin with many item, then organize into more manageable groups, then each category could in turn be organized into still smaller units. You are concerned with the whole instead of the individual parts. You break a subject into parts in order to better understand or explain the whole (the subject). ie. animals.
Cause-effect method
You can use the cause–effect method to organize an entire essay or to analyze a main point in one or more paragraphs. Cause–effect might focus on one effect, which would be the result of one or more causes. ie. what caused a successful athlete.
Antecedent-consequent
Organizational method uses time–order relationships in a similar way. For example, many people will be reflecting on their lives before and after the COVID-19 crisis.
Question-answer
Effective when you ask a question in the topic sentence and answer it in the paragraph. Questions such as Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? can be applied to any topic. Posing a relevant question engages the audience because it invites an answer.
Problem-solution
Could focus on a problem, a solution to a problem, or both a problem and a solution.
Cost-benefit
Analysis can be applied to almost any topic and begins with analyzing it to determine its advantages and disadvantages.
Comparison and contrast
Explain the similarities and differences between two things. When you compare and contrast, you first look for logical criteria for comparison.
An essay consists of what?
An introduction containing a thesis statement, body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph that restates the thesis.
5 stages of writing an essay
- pre-writing (inventing): finding a topic and developing a thesis statement
- researching: finding background information and supporting evidence (this could involve intensive library resources or simply examining and explaining your knowledge about a topic)
- organizing: determining the order of points; outlining
- composing (writing drafts): putting your ideas in paragraph form and rewriting for clarity and coherence
- revising (final draft): editing for EETS, ensuring correct formatting, and proofreading
Subject
is a broad category that contains many potential topics.
Topic
is narrower, or more focused.
Thesis statement
Even more focused because it makes a specific comment about the topic or tells the reader how you will approach it. Sometimes a thesis is developed by considering a cause and an effect. A thesis can also be discovered by choosing a topic and asking “What three things about this topic will be of interest to my readers?”
PreWriting involves what?
questioning, brainstorming, freewriting, or mind mapping.
Questioning
Often a good strategy for an expository (or explanatory) essay in the sciences and social sciences. Your thesis can be a specific question or series of questions that you try to answer. These questions are often turned into statements for your final version of the thesis. Keep asking questions to narrow to the thesis.
Brainstorming
is an effective idea generator that can be done alone or in groups. you write any words, phrases, or sentences that you associate with a subject. Write any ideas that you think of, and do not stop to edit ideas. Do this for 5 to 10 minutes. When you stop writing, go through your ideas and see if there are ways to connect or group them. These connections may need more brainstorming, or they could form one of the supporting paragraphs of your essay. If you still feel you do not have enough ideas, repeat the steps until you have enough ideas for your essay.
Freewriting
you write without stopping for a span of time, usually 5 to 10 minutes. If you don’t have a topic, freewrite to see where your thoughts lead you. You can also begin with a specific topic.
Looping
Followed by free writing, you underline potentially useful words, phrases, or sentences.
Mind mapping
helps you see ideas and connections graphically. is spatial and enables you to see the connections among your thoughts. On a blank piece of paper, write down and circle your topic and then think of related words or phrases, which you also record and circle, connecting each with the word or phrase that inspired it.
Theis statment
The thesis statement tells the reader the main point of your essay or what you will be attempting to prove. This statement has two parts: the topic and the comment. The comment tells the reader how you will be discussing the topic, or what your focus will be.
Research
As you learn more, you will be able to refine your narrow topic into a thesis and also decide what evidence will be necessary to support that thesis and make your argument clear to your readers.
