Helpful Hints for "A" Paper Writing

Audience:
The main purpose of writing is to communicate ideas and information to readers. If they do not understand what you are trying to tell them, then the point of the paper has been lost.

This is an interactive handout; beside each bold-faced question, or wherever you want to make notes, write in your answers to help clarify your ideas.

1.Who is my audience?

What are their characteristics?
age:

sex:

occupation:

social or economic role(s):

political, religious, or moral beliefs and values:

2.What does my audience already know about the topic?

3.What is my audience's attitude about the topic?

4.What do I want readers to know or do after reading my work?

Purpose:
 Your purpose is your main reason for writing. In order to write well, it is essential to know exactly what your purpose is so that your ideas and tone are clear and direct.

5.What is my purpose for writing this paper? Choose and explain.

inform:

explain:

compare:

define:

persuade:

propose a solution:

A good strategy for writing well is to write according to your purpose. Review your assignment and decide on your purpose. Organize your ideas, research, and quotes (if applicable) in a written outline and then review your purpose again.

Focus:
 Most essays are focused on--or organized by--a central point or main idea that the writer wants to communicate to readers. This main idea is the THESIS.

Functions of a thesis sentence:
  1. it narrows the topic to a single idea that you want readers to gain from your essay
  2. it asserts something about the topic, conveying your purpose
  3. it may provide a concise preview of how you will arrange your ideas in the essay
examples:
topic for persuasive paper: why the federal government should aid college students

thesis: If it hopes to cut down on unemployment, the United States must make higher education possible for any student who qualifies academically.

topic for problem/solution paper: parking at FSU

thesis: To alleviate many of the problems of limited parking on campus, Frostburg State University could build other parking lots with ticket revenue, forbid on-campus freshmen from bringing their cars, or provide vehicle stickers corresponding to parking spaces. 6.For your thesis, what is the main idea of your essay?

How will this relate to your audience?

What do you want your audience to know about the topic?

By working these three answers into one sentence, you will be on your way to developing a clear thesis statement.

Organization:
 Most essays share a basic shape of an introduction, body, and conclusion.

The introduction attracts the reader's attention, acquaints the reader with the topic, and generally contains the thesis sentence. Usually, the introduction begins with general information on the topic and then becomes more specific as you lead up to your thesis.

Choose a method to "hook" the reader in the introduction:

a startling statement
a statistic or unusual fact
a description
a quotation or bit of dialogue
a question
an analogy
a joke or an anecdote

(see "Fishing for an 'A' Paper" handout for further details on these "hook" methods)

7.Start with two that you find interesting beginnings for your paper.
My two choices:
Next, develop each briefly:
8.Finally, choose the one that is the most interesting, creative, and appropriate for your topic:
The body contains the paragraphs of information you wish to share with the reader. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence and develop one idea that supports your thesis.

9.What is the main idea of each paragraph?

list and label each:
What logical order is suggested by your thesis or will make your point most effectively?

Schemes for Organizing an Essay:

  1. Space (describing a place, object, or person from a starting point to other features as you move through space)
  2. Time (describing events as they occur in time)
  3. Emphasis(discussing main ideas in order of importance; i.e.: general to specific, specific to general, increasing importance, decreasing familiarity, increasing complexity, climactic)
  4. Cause-effect (describing a cause and the resulting effects)
  5. Problem-solution (defining an unsolved problem and offering solutions)

Usually, the organization pattern depends on the assignment. Argumentative essays--essays in which you assert your ideas about a topic--can usually be emphasis or problem-solution; descriptive essays--narratives--may be space or time.

10.My assignment:
My organizational pattern choice:

The conclusion summarizes, or wraps up, your paper. Remember not to introduce new material, meaning new thesis ideas, in the conclusion!

Like your introductory "hook," the conclusion is important to the audience and could be a swaying factor in their "buying" your ideas.

Choose a way to conclude your paper memorably:

ask audience a question and offer ideas for the answer
summarize your main point in a different way
pose a question for future study
offer audience advice
propose a course of action
interpret behavior
explain course of action
cite statistics and facts that once again lead to your main point
interpret essay content
use other examples
return to your introductory hook

A good strategy to strengthen your introduction and conclusion, as mentioned above, is to include a relevent quote in each. However, quotations do not replace development!
Always be sure to "clothe" a "naked" quote: introduce your quote to show connection to your previous sentence and explain the significance of the quote 1)according to thesis and 2)for your audience.

Revision: How to Use These Hints
 Drafting, focusing on different aspects of the assignment each time you revise, and proofreading are the most crucial aspects to writing successfully! By using these sections--Audience, Purpose, Focus, Organization--specifically at different stages to devise or revise your paper, you will be on your way to successful writing habits!

***After a few rounds with these hints, you will find that revising will overlap and become more of a desire and less of a chore; in addition, you will also be surprised as not only your proofreading, but your ideas, development and creativity become more noticeable and focused. Happy Writing!

First Draft: The Objective

  1. Always focus on first answering the essay question/assignment.
    My assignment:
  2. Next focus on making the thesis sentence answer the question/reflect the assignment criteria.
    My thesis:
    Note: Do the answers to #1 and #2 go together?
  3. Do I have a clear audience and purpose, which I address in thesis and with my main points?
  4. Open each with a topic sentence. Check your ideas with the previous organization section.

Second Draft: Improving Content and Clarity

  1. Make a minimum of two supporting references for each body paragraph. Two quotes that are "clothed," two explanations, and/or two connections to audience (why should they believe you?)
  2. Tighten wordy sentences. Avoid "there is," "there are," and "a lot."
  3. Use active verbs. Try to replace the "to be" verbs when possible: is, am, are, was, were
  4. Vary word choice. Don't always use the same words to refer to the same person or object.
  5. Be consistent with tone and audience. Always keep your audience in mind; if you start of formal, stay formal.
  6. Provide clear transitions. Use signals to indicate changes: In addition, also, however, first, second . . . (See Writing Center handouts on transitions, word choice, parallelism, action verbs, and other clarity issues.)

Third Draft: Sentence Structure, Grammar, Punctuation
Check out the Writing Center handouts on any of the ideas discussed below that you have questions about, or consult your writing handbook. Remember, you can't fix what you don't understand.

  1. Make subjects and verbs agree.
  2. Watch verb usage and be alert for irregular verbs.
  3. Use pronouns with care; check for agreement with antecedent. They...were he...is
  4. Use parallelism. (Use and, but, or, nor, and yet to combine sentences.)
  5. Correctly use:
    • comma
    • semicolon
    • colon
    • apostrophe
    • quotation marks
    • other punctuation

Hint: If you have trouble with commas, for example, check through your draft once just for commas. Trying to read for many ideas at one time only makes finding errors more difficult.
(Also see Writing Center handouts on correct comma and grammar usage.)

Fourth Draft: Mechanics and Documentation

  1. Check capitalization
  2. Correctly abbreviate, use numbers, and italics
  3. Spell check and proofread for missed/incorrect words!
  4. Cite your sources accurately
  5. Integrate quotes smoothly
  6. Use standard format such as MLA or APA
  7. AVOID PLAGIARISM