RAW

• Thesis Statement


  The central idea of an essay, around which all other ideas revolve. It reveals and summarizes the argument you tend to develop and defend.
• Topic Sentence


  The main idea of a paragraph, usually found in the first and last sentence of a paragraph.
• Thesis Statement


  • It is the central idea of the whole paper.
• Writing Thesis Statements


  1. Identify the details based on the parts of a Thesis Statement before writing it completely.

  2. Put all the details together in one sentence or two sentences by the use of models of thesis statement writing.
• Parts of a Thesis Statement

  • Topic - The subject of the text
  • Position - Your stand on the topic
  • Reason - Explanation and justification of your stand or position about the topic
  • Concession - An opposing viewpoint about the topic
• Models of Thesis Statement Writing

  • Basic Thesis Statement
  • Basic Thesis Statement with Concession
  • Thesis Statement with Concession and Reason
• Things to avoid when writing a Thesis Statement
• Activities


  • creating
  • reading
  • writing
  • outlines
• Outline


  A summary that gives the essential features of a text. It shows how the parts of a text are related to one another as parts that are of equal importance, or sections that are subordinate to a main idea. It is also a tool for organizing ideas.

  
• Parts of a formal outline

  1. Label all the main topics with Roman numerals

  2. Identify subtopics and classify them under the correct main topics. Label these subtopics with uppercase letters

  3. Identify supporting points, such as illustrations and examples, and classify them under the correct subtopics. Indent and label them with Arabic numbers

  4. Identify particular details, such as statistics, quotes, and other secondary information and classify them under the correct supporting points. Indent and label them with lowercase letters
• Two kinds of outlining system

  • Reading Outline
  • Writing Outline
• Reading Outline


  Used to get the main ideas of a text that is already written
• Steps in creating a Reading Outline

  1. Read the entire text first. Skim the text afterward

  2. Locate the main idea or thesis statement of the whole essay

  3. Look for key phrases in each paragraph of the essay

  4. Locate the topic sentence of each paragraph

  5. Look at the topic sentences and group those with related ideas together

  6. The contents of the reading are arranged according to levels

  7. Evaluate the supporting details provided

  8. Go back to the text to check whether you have followed its sequence closely and that you have not missed any important information
• Writing Outline


  A skeletal overview of your draft, which contains your fundamental points and the different ideas that support them
• An outline works like a map; It shows you where each of your ideas is placed in your writing; how all of them fit together; and how each leads to the central idea of your writing. It also determines the boundaries of your draft; how much of your subject you will need to cover without lacking or exceeding in details.
• Paragraph


  A group of sentences that presents a clear main idea and supporting information. It is a part of a longer composition, a miniature essay.
• Paragraph


  Derived from the Greek words "para" which means beside and "graphein" meaning to write which when put together denotes explanation.
• Topic Sentence


  The top bun of the burger. It holds all the good stuff together and tells us what the paragraph is about.
• Supporting Details


  • Come after the topic sentence. They make up the body of the paragraph. They give details and support the main idea. When writing supporting details, give supporting facts, details, and examples.
• Transition Words/Phrases


  Add a unique "flavor" to the paragraph and make it easier to move from one paragraph to the next.
• Closing Sentence


  Wraps the whole paragraph up. It should be similar, but not identical, to the topic sentence, just as the bottom bun is similar to the top bun. The concluding sentence helps hold the paragraph together and provides a sense of completeness to the paragraph.
• When the writer changes to a new idea -- one which is not consistent with the topic sentence of the paragraph -- the writer should begin a new paragraph.
• Characteristics of Paragraph


  • Unity
  • Coherence
  • Adequate Development
• Unity


  The sentences are arranged in a logical manner, making them easily understood by the reader.
• Coherence


  The writer should show how all the ideas contained in a paragraph are relevant to the main topic.
• Adequate Development


  The topic sentence in the paragraph should be elaborated on using concrete evidence, different examples, relevant facts, and specific details.
• Generally speaking, a paragraph which consists of only two or three sentences is under-developed. A good rule of thumb to follow is to make sure that a paragraph contains at least four sentences which explain and elaborate on the topic sentence.
• Revision


  The general process of going back through your whole draft, from start to end, and improving on or clarifying your writing subject's meaning
• Revision


  1. Adding in

  2. Taking out

  3. Moving around

  4. Polishing certain parts of your draft to make it much more understandable and easier for reading
• Editing


  Also known as proofreading, a more meticulous process of clarifying meaning by revising each word and line of your draft
• Revision


  • Focuses on the bigger picture of your draft, resolving any significant issues on content
• Editing


  • Focuses on the finer details of your draft, such as grammatical principles and typographical matters
• Revision and editing are two different activities, isolating one from the other makes the rewriting process much easier
• Common proofreading symbols


  • Insert
  • Delete
  • Close up
  • Delete and close up
  • Add a space
  • Space evenly
  • Stay
  • Add a period
  • Add a comma
  • Add an apostrophe
  • Add a semicolon
  • Insert quotation marks
  • Capitalize
  • Add a colon
  • Begin a new paragraph
  • Set in lowercase
  • Set in capitals
  • Set in boldface
• Proofreading symbols


  • Insert correction
  • Insert line space
  • Insert space
  • Delete
  • Close up space
  • Delete and close up space
  • Begin new paragraph
  • Spelling error
  • Wrong word
  • Lowercase
  • Capitalize
  • Transpose letters and words
  • Insert end punctuation
  • Punctuation within a sentence
• Proofreading symbols guide writers in knowing what to remove, correct, or improve on