Chapter 1:

Basic Concepts of
Writing

I.

IMPORTANCE OF WRITING

II.

HOW WRITING IS LEARNED

III. HOW WRITTEN TEXTS WORK

IV. HOW WE LEARN TO WRITE TEXTS THAT WORK
V.

HOW THE WRITING PROCESS WORKS

VI. HOW WE DEVELOP A WRITING PROCESS THAT

WORKS
VII. HOW TO THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT YOUR WRITING

Importance of Writing
Writing Influences the Way People Think
Writing Contributes to the Way we Learn
Writing Promotes Success in College and
on the Job
Writing Fosters Development
Writing Connects Us to the World

Writing Influences the Way

People Think
1) We learn different ways of developing our thoughts.
2) How to reflect critically on our own behavior in
autobiography.
3) How to distinguish fact from opinions.
4) How to make judgments about opposing points of
view in position papers.
5) We learn to analyze ideas and to synthesize what we
learn from others with what we experience firsthand.

Writing Contributes to the

Way we Learn
Writing helps us
1)To sort information
2)To highlight what is important
3)To remember what we are learning.
4)To learn effectively and think critically.
5)To bring together new and old ideas
6)Relate them to other ideas.
7)Clarifies and extends our understanding of the world.

Writing Connects us to the

World
Reasons for Writing:
1) To entertain
2) To let readers know what we think or how we feel.
3) To influence readers decisions, actions, or beliefs.
4) We may even confront readers, criticizing their
attitudes and behaviors.

How Writing is
Learned

Three Basic Ways of

Thinking about Writing

1) How written texts work

2) How the writing process works
3) How to think critically about your
writing

How Written Texts

Work
Kinds of texts serve
different purposes:

1) Autobiographical essay
2) Proposal Urges
3) Explanation

Writing Genres
These categories that can be categorized

by their purposes and audiences.

Language
Whether

spoken or written- is a

system of social interaction.

How We Learn
to Write Texts
that Work

How The Writing Process Works

Writing Process is recursive rather than
linear.
The experience of writing is more like
taking a steep trail with frequent
switchbacks.
Most creative activities, writing is a form of

Writers set goals for their writing:

1)Goals for the whole essay
2)Goals for particular passages

This continual shifting of attention is what makes

the process recursive.

How We Develop a Writing Process

that Works
To develop a writing Process that is
flexible and yet provides structure:
It should be a process that neither
oversimplifies nor overwhelms, one that
helps you learn about a subject and
write

successful

correspondence.

technical

How to think critically about

your writing
Thinking also helps you to
continue learning by bringing to mind
what you had forgotten or did not
realize you know.
Learning to write
learning a foreign language.

is

like