ENG 102 L2: Principles of writing

• A compsotion can either be a:

  pararaph or essay
• Paragraph


  3 major parts:

  -topic sentence

  -body (supporting details)

  -closing sentence
• Essay

  3 general parts:

  -introduction

  -body

  -conclusion
• Properties of a well-written text

  -unity

  -coherence and cohesion

  -organization

  -language use

  -mechanics
• 3 ways to end a paragraph

  -restatement

  -summary

  -conclusion
• Coherence and cohesion


  -are achieved when ideas are logically, clearly, and smoothly linked to one another.
• Coherence


  -occurs when ideas are connected at the conceptual or idea level

  -refers to the overall sense of unity in a passage, including both the main point of sentences and the main point of each paragraph.
• Organization


  -achieved when ideas are logically and acurately arranged. Knowledge of the parts of a composition is a great help in adhering to the correct organization of ideas
• Language use


  -the way language is used is one of the clearest indicators of a well-written text. It enables the writer to effectively communicate ideas without confusion
• Language use

  1.Use clear and concise sentences.

  2.Avoid redundancies, wordiness, cliches, and hifalutin language.

  3.Avoid excessive use of “there” and “it” structures.

  4.Use precise vocabulary

  5.Be consistent with your pronoun’s point of view.

  6.Avid sexist language.

  7.Use appropriate level of formality.
• Mechanics


  -the technical aspect of writing. It characterized as a set of conventions on how to spell, abbreviate, punctuate, and capitalize a composition
• Mechanics

  1.Always use standard English

  2.Avoid contractions

  3.Avoid exclamation marks unless they are part of a direct quotation

  4.Mention the full name of an organization

  5.Spell out numbers from zero to ten

  6.Use proper citations when writing texts
• Topic sentence


  guides, controls, and unifies ideas in a paragraph. It can either be explicitly or implicitly stated
• Unity


  This quality is demonstrated when all sentences in the paragraph support the topic (general idea) or the main idea (a complete sentence that includes the most important thought about the topic).
• Cohesion


  the connection of ideas at the sentence level.

  • pronouns

  • transitional devices

  • repetition of keywords
• WRITING PROCESS

  -PREPARATION

  -MODELING

  -GENERATING IDEAS

  -FOCUSING ON A TOPIC

  -OUTLINING

  -DRAFTING

  -FEEDBACK

  -REVISING

  -EDITING

  -PUBLISHING
• PREPARATION


  During this stage, you have to establish your purpose first. Ask yourself “Why do I want to inform, entertain, or persuade the audience?” Once you identify your purpose, you need to specify your persona as a writer.
• MODELING


  This is the process by which you, the writer, look at different works which are similar in nature to the paper you are about to write.
• GENERATING IDEAS

  To come up with udeas, you can do any of these prewriting activities:

  • brainstorming
  • freewriting
  • clustering
• Brainstorming


  you list as many ideas as you can think without censoring them
• Freewriting


  you let the ideas flow freely by writing them down in sentences.
• Clustering


  uses visual representations to show connections between ideas.
• FOCUSING ON A TOPIC


  The next thing you do with the general topic you came up with is to narrow it down. Focus on a topic by thinking of a question related to your specific purpose. Afterward, answer the question with at least two details.
• ORGANIZING IDEAS


  This next step in writing is organizing your ideas in an outline. You can use various outlines based on the structure you prefer.
• DRAFTING


  At this stage, you need to focus on the content and organization not on the grammar and mechanics.

  Build the credibility of your paper by using reliable and valid sources.
• Reliable sources


  • References that are available in Google Scholar or Google Books

  • .edu and .gov links
• Avoid using information from Blogs and Wikipedia.
• FEEDBACK


  This step is an important component of the writing process. It is a response to the written work which focuses on all aspects of writing.
• Feedback can be classified into three

  • self-feedback
  • peer-feedback
  • teacher feedback
• REVISING


  It is the act of improving the original paper by applying changes based on the feedback. You also need to apply critical thinking and evaluation skills when considering comments on your paper.
• EDITING


  The finishing stage of writing are editing and proofreading. While editing focuses on grammar and language use, proofreading focuses on typography and mechanics. During this stage, you will use standardized editing symbols to note the corrections.
• PUBLISHING


  This stage is when you showcase your work to other people. One way to publish your works is by posting it on social networking sites: blogs, Facebook, and other more reputable research sharing websites such as academia.edu.
• TOPIC SENTENCE


  A topic sentence guides, controls, and unifies ideas in a paragraph. It can either be explicitly or implicitly stated. It is a sentence that expresses the main idea of the paragraph to which it occurs.