THE LIVELY ART OF WRITING

CHAPTER ONE NOTES I. Purpose of writing –A. to share knowledge, ideas, and feelings –B. to communicate

CHAPTER ONE NOTES I. What is an essay? –A. the written expression of its author’s opinion 1. opinion is a belief not based on absolute certainty or knowledge but on what seems true to your own mind 2. facts must be turned into opinions before they can serve as essay topics 3. answer opinion questions with YES or NO 4. expand yes or no questions to ask HOW, WHY, WHAT

CHAPTER ONE NOTES –B. NO ARGUMENT, NO ESSAY 1. opinion always comes first –C. The opposition 1. be aware of arguments against yours 2. you may change your mind 3. purpose is to persuade, not prove 4. Ask: –a. Can a valid argument be made against it? –b. Can I defend my opinion against this argument?

CHAPTER TWO NOTES I. Thesis Statement –A. the thesis is your opinion narrowed down to one arguable statement 1. the purpose of your essay is to explain, clarify, defend, and illustrate your thesis 2. persuade your reader that your thesis is true because it is the one major point you want to make –B. Qualify your thesis 1. limit your thesis to exactly the area you choose to defend 2. tell what is rather than what is not a. use positive tone and diction

CHAPTER THREE NOTES I. Full Thesis A. has 3 elements 1. thesis 2. points against thesis 3. points for thesis B. pattern of an argument 1. state case 2. recognize opposition 3. defense (with strongest argument last)

CHAPTER THREE NOTES –C. EXAMPLE 1. ORIGINAL THESIS— To study literature, every English student reads short stories because they are the most enjoyable type of fiction. 2. FULL THESIS—To study literature, every English student reads short stories because although not everyone enjoys them, many readers find them to be the most enjoyable type of fiction.

CHAPTER FOUR NOTES I. Structure –A–A–A–A. Introductory paragraph –B–B–B–B. Body/Middle paragraphs –C–C–C–C. Concluding paragraph

CHAPTER FOUR NOTES II. Introductory Paragraph  –A. introduces the subject and comes to the point. Begins broadly and narrows to the point, which is your thesis 1. thesis is the last sentence

CHAPTER FOUR NOTES –B. Types of introductions 1. fact/statistic 2. question 3. startling statement 4. anecdote 5. joke 6. quotation 7. description 8. definition

CHAPTER FOUR NOTES –C. Your opening statement will relate to your thesis, but will not take a position on it

CHAPTER FOUR NOTES III. Body/Middle Paragraphs –A. write one paragraph for each point you want to cover –B. body paragraphs contain your ARGUMENTS 1. arguments are the reasons/facts that will convince your reader that your thesis/opinion is right 2. your strongest argument goes in your last body paragraph

CHAPTER FOUR NOTES IV. Concluding Paragraph –A. Begins with restating your thesis and widens gradually to a final statement 1. also includes a “call to action”-what the writer is requesting from the reader

CHAPTER FIVE NOTES I. Style –A. Do not use first person (I) unless you are writing autobiographically or reflectively. Always write in 3rd person. –B. Do not use “I think…I feel…in my opinion…etc.” because you are already the person writing the paper and readers know your opinions are being expressed –C. Do not use “one…you…a person…people…etc.”

CHAPTER FIVE NOTES –D. Use active verbs, not pure verbs 1. Active verbs are verbs of DOING (jump, run, yell, giggle). –a. The subject of your sentence should DO something; for example, Sarah kicked the ball. 2. Pure verbs are verbs of BEING (is, am, are, was, were, have been, could be, etc.) –b. The subject of your sentence is being acted upon; for example, The ball was kicked by Sarah.

CHAPTER FIVE NOTES –E. Pack as much meaning as possible into as few words as possible, and choose easy words over long, “dignified” words. 1. EXAMPLES—There was the sound of a motor. –A motor roared to life. –He vacillated momentarily. –He couldn’t decide.

CHAPTER SIX NOTES I. Body/Middle Paragraphs –A. The purpose of paragraphs is to separate ideas so each can be fully developed. 1. one point=one paragraph 2. body paragraph should be five to ten sentences long

CHAPTER SIX NOTES –B. Body paragraph structure 1. each paragraph is one point enlarged into a block of argument 2. each has a topic sentence/assertion (the paragraph’s own thesis that explains what the paragraph will be about) 3. each has a middle of several sentences that explain and illustrate the topic 4. each has a concluding sentence 5. The overall structure of a body paragraph is: topic sentence/assertion, example, explanation 1, explanation 2, conclusion.

CHAPTER SIX NOTES II. Show, Don’t Tell –A. Use specific pictures and images of sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste 1. NOT That tastes bad BUT That tastes as bitter as lemons.

CHAPTER SIX NOTES –B. Use vivid, concrete details full of color, sound, and movement 1. NOT He feels nervous before the race BUT The muscles in his left leg tense up as he shifts his weight from foot to foot while he waits for the race to begin. (Don’t say he is nervous; SHOW him being nervous). –C. Think of yourself as a photographer shooting the best image to convey meaning

CHAPTER SEVEN NOTES I. Transitions –A. help the reader follow a main line of thought –B. have 3 categories: 1. standard devices 2. paragraph hooks 3. combination of 1 and 2

CHAPTER SEVEN NOTES –C. Standard Devices 1. words or phrases that recur in writing (ex: and, thus, true, moreover, furthermore, etc.) 2. however must ALWAYS be embedded within commas or used after a semicolon (;) –D. Paragraph Hooks 1. last word or phrase of 1st paragraph is hooked into 1st sentence of the following paragraph 2. idea hook is same as above but links ideas instead of words or phrases

CHAPTER SEVEN NOTES –E. Combination 1. Uses a standard device and a paragraph hook together

CHAPTER EIGHT NOTES I. Active and Passive Voice verbs –A. Active verbs-shows subject of the sent. DOING something –B. Passive verbs-subject of sent. Does not act but is acted upon –C. Examples 1. Passive-The car was driven by John. Active-John drove the car. 2. Passive-Bells were rung, horns were blown, confetti was thrown from every office window, and embraces were exchanged by total strangers. Active-Bells rang, horns tooted, confetti, streamed from every office window, and total strangers threw their arms around each other.

–D. Be careful of “by __________” phrases that mean done by because they are always passive voice. –E. Always make your subject DO something –F. Use verbs that appeal to the 5 senses (imagery)

CHAPTER TEN NOTES I. Parallel Structure –A. EX: They went to London, to Rome, and to Paris. What is repeated? –B. EX: He wanted to walk out, to get in his car and drive forever, to leave and never come back. What is repeated? –C. Parallelism is a repetition of structure. 1. When a sentence contains two or more similar elements, all these elements must be kept parallel. –a. ex: NOT She likes ball games, hikes, and going to picnics BUT She likes ball games, hikes, and picnics. 2. The first item in any series sets the pattern 3. If you repeat an article (a, an, the) or a preposition once, repeat it every time or not at all –a. ex: A house, yard, garden, and pool OR A house, a yard, a garden, and a pool