College Writing notes

5 steps to writing an essay 1.

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Prewriting/Planning/Brainstorming Writing first draft Revising (writing 2nd Draft/3rd/4th Drafts) Editing Proofreading

To be a complete sentence a sentence must have: 1. Subject 2. Verb 3. Express a complete thought.

Most Important 1. Sentence Fragments 2. Run-on 3. Comma Splices Chapter 2 in Models For Writers -Getting the most out of your reading first you need to commit time and effort. second try to take a positive interest in what you are reading. even if the subject matter is not immediately appealing. 5 steps of the reading process: 1.

2.

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prepare yourself to read the section Read the section reread the section annotate the text with marginal notes Analyze the text with questions

Essays in Reading On the sidelines By Trena Isley The Excuse "Not To" By Zoe Ockenga A Bowl Of Noodles By Jennifer Chu One Dying Wish By James Duffy

Chapter 3 in Models for Writers A Thesis statement is the main or controlling idea, the point the writer is trying to make.

The thesis is often expressed in a one or two sentence statement, although sometimes it is implied or suggested rather than stated directly. The thesis statement determines the content of the essay: everything the writer says must be logically related to the thesis statement.

A Thesis statement should be: The most important point you make about your topic, More general than the ideas and the facts used to support it, and Appropriately Focused for the length of your paper.

A thesis statement in not a question but an insertion- a claim made about a debatable issue that can be supported with evidence.

The Most Important Day By Helen Keller Helen Keller's teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, had taught Helen what everything is through touch. Even though Helen could not see her teacher taught her what water is through feeling with her hands. Her teacher taught her that everything has a name.

Be Specific By Natalie Goldberg Being specific. dont just call something a flower, or car, or dog be more specific what kind of dog? what kind of flower? what kind of car? everything has a name so call it by its name and be more specific about what you are talking about and it will give any reader, writer, or person a more clear picture of what you are talking about.n Anxiety: Challenge by Another Name By James Lincoln Collier Do what make you anxious, dont do what makes you depressed. Instead of calling butterflies in your stomach when you are afraid call it anxiety. Anxiety is what you are faced with when you are challenged. once you accept or overcome anxiety as another name for challenge you can accomplish wonders.

Chapter 5 In Models for Writers Organization: In an essay ideas and information cannot be presented all at once; they have to be arranged in some order.

Purpose: The pattern of organization in an essay should be suited to the writers subject and/or purpose.

Climactic Order: You might proceed from the least rewarding to the most rewarding aspect of this job.

First story was by Barry Commoner Second story was by Roger Angell Third Story was by Hendrick Willem Van Loon Fourth Story was by Jinsie Ward A View From the Bridge by Cherokee Paul McDonald Fahrenheit 59: What a childs Fever Might Tell us about Climate Change by Audrey Schulman Homeostasis: An organisms Ability to maintain its ideal temperature and chemistry.

Buying a House By Sean Prentiss Chapter 6 In Models for Writers Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.

Beginnings Anecdote-A brief narrative drawn from current news events, history, or your personal experience.

Analogy & Comparison An analogy or comparison can be useful in getting readers to contemplate a topic they might otherwise reject as unfamiliar or uninteresting.

Dialogue/Quotation Although relying heavily on the ideas of others can weaken an effective introduction, opening your essay with a quotation or a brief dialogue can attract a readers attention and can succinctly illustrate a particular attitude or point you want to discuss.

Facts & Statistics For the most part you should use facts and statistics to support your argument rather than let them speak for you but presenting brief and startling facts or statistics can be an effective way to engage readers in your essay.

Irony or Humor it is often effective to introduce an essay with irony or humor. Humor signals to the reader that your essay will be entertaining to read, and irony can indicate an unexpected approach to a topic.

Sort Generalization Startling Claim Strong Proposition Beginnings to Avoid Apology Complaint Webster's Dictionary Platitude Reference to Title Endings an effective ending does more than simply indicate where the writer stopped writing. A conclusion may summarize; may inspire the reader to further thought or even action; may return to beginning by repeating keywords, Phrases or ideas; or may surprise the reader by providing a particularly convincing example to support a thesis. indeed, there are many ways to write a conclusion,but the ineffectiveness of any choice must be measured by how appropriately it fits what comes before it. you might consider concluding with a restatement of your thesis, with a prediction, or a recommendation.

Of My friend Hector and My Achilles Heel by Michael T. Kaufman.

That one childhood friend you meet when you are young you be friends with for a while but as you get older you make new friends and leave the old ones behind. When you get really old you have little to no friends at all.

The Case for Short Words by Richard lederer Small one Syllable words can be just as meaningful and powerful as big words.

Unforgettable Miss Bessie By Carl T. Rowan

Section 3 in A Writers Basic Toolkit Phrases & Clauses: Are groups of words that function within a sentence as specific parts of speech-as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.

Phrases: Are groups of words that do not contain a subject or a verb and that act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs within the sentence. Phrases add detail, information, and clarity to sentences.

Prepositional Phrases: Begin with a preposition and end with an object of the preposition, which is a noun or a pronoun. For the most part, prepositional phrases act only as adjective or adverbs. The subject of a sentence will never be within a prepositional phrase.

Common Prepositions about, above , across, after, against, along, amid, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, besides, between, beyond, but, by concerning, down, during, except, for, from, in, into, like, of, off, on, over, past, since, through, throughout, to, toward, under, underneath, until, unto, up, upon, with, within, without. according to ahead of as well as because of

Common Multiple Word Prepositions in addition to in case of in front of in place of out of

in spite of inside of instead of rather than

Verbal Phrases: Begin with verbals and can serve a subjects, objects, adjectives, adverbs, or as predicate adjectives or predicate nouns.

Appositive Phrases: Function as adjectives within the sentence. Appositive phrases often begin with the words a, an, or the.

Clause: is any group of words with at least one subject and one verb. There are three kind of clauses: independent clauses, dependent clauses, and relative clauses.

Independent Clauses: Contain at least one subject and one verb and can stand alone as complete sentences.

Dependent Clauses: Contain at least one subject and one verb; however, they cannot stand alone. Dependent clauses begin with a subordinating conjunction. Dependent clauses are created by adding a subordinating conjunction to an independent clause.

Dependent clauses often function as adverbs, telling us how, when, where, why, and under what circumstances. dependent Clauses can function as nouns, usually as direct objects.

Common Subordinating Conjunctions after, although, as, as if, as soon as, as though, because, before, how, if, since, so that, through, unless, until, when, whenever, wherever, while.

Relative Clauses: Begin with a relative pronoun and contain a subject and a verb., like dependent clauses, they can never stand alone.

Relative Pronouns who, whoever, which, what, whom, whomever, that, whose.

Chapter 4 in A Writers Basic Toolkit Simple Sentences: Consist of one independent clause Compound Sentences: Consist of two or more independent clauses linked with either a comma and a coordinating conjunction (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So) or a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb.

Hot Tip: Commas go before the FANBOYS For And Nor But

Or Yet So When joining independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction, use a comma You can also create compound sentences by putting together independent clauses using Conjunctive Adverbs.

If you join independent clauses with a conjunctive adverb, use a semicolon before the conjunctive adverb and a comma after.

Common Conjunctive Adverbs also, consequently, furthermore, finally, hence, however, instead, nevertheless, next, otherwise, still, then, therefore, thus.

Often, the choice between using a coordinating conjunction and a conjunctive adverb is one of style. The former tends to be less formal. Just be sure the connecting word makes sense in the context of the two clauses to be joined.

Complex Sentences: Consist of at least one dependent clause and one independent clause.

Compound-Complex Sentences: consist of at least one dependent clause and two or more independent clauses.

Chapter 5 In a Writers Basic Toolkit Comma Splices: Occur when two independent clauses are joined with a comma but without using a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS).

Sentence Fragments: Occur when phrases and dependent or relative clauses are used as sentences. Sentences must have a subject and a verb and must express a complete thought.

Fused or Run-On Sentences: Occur when sentences are joined with no punctuation or conjunctions.

Chapter 6 In a Writers Basic Toolkit Pronouns: Are used in place of nouns. There are five types of pronouns: personal, relative, interrogative, demonstrative, and indefinite.

Personal Pronouns: I/Me, you, He/Him, She/Her, it, We/Us, you, They/Them, and Who/Whom refer to people, pets, or in some cases things.

Reflexive & Intensive Pronouns: Are formed by adding the suffix self to personal pronouns: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves. The can be used either reflexively or to show emphasis.

Demonstrative Pronouns: This, That, these, and those are used to point out or identify an antecedent, the to which a pronoun refers.

Relative Pronouns: Who, what, which, that, whom, whose, whoever, and whomever introduce relative clauses.

Interrogative Pronouns: Who, Whom, Whose, Which, and What ask questions.

Indefinite Pronouns: all, any, anybody, anyone, both, each, either, everybody, everyone, few, many, neither, nobody, none, no one, one, several, some, somebody, someone do not refer to specific nouns.

Numerical Nouns: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, etc... etc... etc...

Pronoun Case Pronouns are expressed in three cases or forms: subjective, objective, and possessive.

Subjective Case: is used for subjects of the sentence and for the predicate nouns.

Objective Nouns: is used for direct objectives, indirect objects and objects of the preposition.

Possessive Case: indicates whose.

Subjective Objective I Me You You He/She Her/Him It It We Us They Them Who Whom

Possessive Mine Your His/Her Its Our/Ours Their/Theirs Whose

Pronoun Number and agreement Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number and gender. Compliance with this rule, as well as with subject/verb agreement, sometimes can be tricky, especially when working with indefinite pronouns.

Always Singular: Another, each, every, everyone, everybody, either, neither, anybody, anything, anyone, nobody, nothing, no one, somebody, someone.

Always Plural: Both, many, others, and several.

Singular or Plural Depending on antecedent: all, none, any, some, more, most, one, who, which, and that.

Ambiguous Reference: Occurs when the pronoun refers to two antecedents but only one is applicable.

General Reference: Occurs when the antecedent is vaguely expressed. The pronouns this, that, it and which are often used in general reference. While accepted, too much general reference can lead to confusion and loss of focus. For clarity, these pronouns should refer to specific nouns.

Weak Reference: Occurs when the antecedent has not been expressed and is merely implied.

Indefinite Use: of the pronouns it, they, and you is a common writer error and should be avoided.