An Introduction to Writing

Lecture 1- EAS – Social Sciences

 Objectives

• To understand the importance of supporting

a point in writing
• To recognize the structure of the traditional
essay
• To review the benefits of writing the
traditional essay
 The Process: 4 Steps in a
Nutshell
1. Discover a clearly stated point or
thesis.
2. Provide logical, detailed support for
your thesis.
3. Organize and connect your
supporting material.
4. Revise and edit so that your sentences
are effective and error-free.
 Point and Support
Any idea that you advance MUST be
specific
supported with
reasons or details.
(What kind? How many? What did it
look/feel/smell/taste/sound like?)
 Point and Support in a
Paragraph
A paragraph usually consists of a
topic sentence…
Ex:Although I love the movies,
I’ve found that there are
drawbacks to moviegoing.
 Point and Support in a
Paragraph
…followed by supporting
sentences.
Ex.: On a recent visit, teenagers were
throwing popcorn and ice cubes to the left
of me. The seats were torn and missing
springs, and the floors sticky with spilled
soda. [. . .]
 Point and Support in an
Essay

In an essay, the thesis appears in

the introductory paragraph,
and the support appears in the
paragraphs that follow.
Structure of the Traditional Essay

Parts of an essay:
• Introductory paragraph
• Body (supporting)
paragraphs
• Concluding paragraph
 Introductory Paragraphs
should
•attract the reader’s interest;
•advance the thesis; and
•preview the major points that
will support the thesis.
 Body/ Supporting
Paragraphs
should
begin with a topic sentence
that states the point to be
detailed in that paragraph.
 Concluding Paragraphs
The End

•briefly restate the thesis and the

main supporting points, and

•present a concluding
thought about the subject of the
paper.
 The Writing Process:
Prewriting
• Get down as many ideas
and details as possible
about your subject.
• Delete ideas you don’t want in your
paper and add new ideas that occur to
you.
• Shuffle supporting ideas around to
find the best order.
 The Writing Process:
Writing Your First Draft
• You can write out your first draft
by hand and then type it into the
computer for revision.
• If you compose directly onto the
screen, however, you can benefit
from the computer’s special
features: cut, paste and copy.
 The Writing Process:
Revising
•Substituting, adding,
deleting, and rearranging
can be done easily on the
computer.
• If you prefer, print out a hard
copy of your file and revise
first in longhand.
 The Writing Process:
Editing and Proofreading
Take sufficient time to
carefully review
your grammar,
punctuation, and
spelling.
• What do we have to consider
when tackling a term paper?

• What kind of paper is expected?

• Summarizing other people’s ideas?
• A comparison of ideas?
• An argumentative writing?
• How long?
Important Considerations in Essay
Development

• Understanding the length and nature

of the assignment
• Knowing your subject
• Knowing your purpose and audience
• Determining your point of view
 The Length and Nature of the
Assignment
• What kind of paper does the
instructor have in mind?
• Research summary?
• Comparison?
• Original work?
• Something else?
• How long should the paper be?
Subject of the Paper

Try to write on something that

interests you -- if possible,
make it a subject you already
know something about.
 Purpose
Most writing has one of three
purposes:
•to inform,
•to persuade, or
•to entertain.
In order to achieve your purpose, you will
need to know your audience.
 Audience
Your instructor and classmates stand in
for a general audience: educated
adult readers.
You will need to practice writing for
more specific audiences, as well –
an employer, a church group, the City
Council, etc.
Any questions...?