The Process Essay Chapter 11

What is a Process Analysis? A process analysis identifies and explains what steps must be taken to complete an operation or procedure. There two kinds of process analysis essays: Directional Informative

Two Kinds of Process Analysis Directional Process How to do or make something. How to find your house How to transfer files How to download attachments Informative Process How something is or was made or done or how something works. How scientists discovered polio vaccine How chewing gum is made

Select an appropriate subject Make sure you know your subject thoroughly. One fuzzy step could wreck your entire process. Choose a process that is simple and short enough to describe in detail. It’s better to describe how to build a ship in a bottle than how to construct a life-size model replica of Noah’s Ark.

Developing your essay Describe any necessary equipment and define special terms. What equipment, ingredients, or tools are required? Often provided in a paragraph following the thesis May be presented as the need arises in each step of the process Don’t lose your reader by using terms only you, the specialist. can understand.

Developing your essay State your steps in a logical, chronological order. Start at the beginning and carefully follow through, step by step, until the process is completed. Don’t omit any steps or directions no matter how seemingly insignificant. The would-be baker might end up with a gob of dough rather than a loaf of bread – simply because the directions didn’t say to heat the oven to a certain temperature.

Developing your essay Explain each step clearly, sufficiently, and accurately. Use enough specific details to distinguish one step from another. Consider explaining why each step is necessary. It may be helpful to give warnings, especially in directional processes. “If you pass a white church, you’ve gone a block too far…”

Organizing your essay Organize your steps effectively. If you have a few big steps, you will probably devote a paragraph to each one. If you have several small steps, you should organize them into a few manageable units. Don’t forget to use enough transitional devices between steps to avoid the effect of a mechanical list. Vary your transitional words sufficiently so that your steps are not linked by a monotonous repetition of “and then” or “next.”

Keep the reader’s needs in mind Don’t forget to include a thesis. Your reason for presenting this process – why you feel it’s important or necessary for the readers to know it. “Because rescue squads often arrive too late, every adult should know how to administer CPR to accident victims.” An assertion about the nature of the process itself. “Needlepoint is a simple, restful, fun hobby for both men and women.”

Problems to avoid Pay special attention to your conclusion. Don’t allow your essay to grind to an abrupt halt after the final step. Tell the significance of the completed process Or explain other used it may have Or finish your essay with an amusing story or emphatic comment. Leave the reader with a feeling of satisfaction, with a sense of having completed an interesting procedure.