What you need to know from the first two weeks! Midterm Review What you need to know from the first two weeks!

Midterm Overview A short answer section reviewing course concepts A matching section reviewing terminology from your text book An essay question focusing on the writing process A page with 10 sentences that you will need to correct

The Star Approach Subject Audience Purpose Strategy Design

Subject Consider the message you want to convey. Select a subject that matches the guidelines of the assignment. Narrow your subject if necessary. Always consider your audience and purpose.

Audience Consider your audience and what they may or may not already know. Be aware of relevant discourse communities. Consider both your primary and secondary audience.

Audience (contd.) Always consider your audience and purpose. Determine relevant audience characteristics. If online, use netiquette when addressing both instructor and classmates.

Purpose Writing to inform Writing to persuade Provide useful information about a subject. Teach your audience how to do something. Writing to persuade You may argue a point. You may persuade your audience to do something.

Purpose (contd.) Writing to entertain Writing to interpret Entertain the audience. Many times you address another purpose. Writing to interpret Help your audience better understand something. Your opinion is important.

Purpose (contd.) Writing to express feelings Combined purposes You may communicate positive feelings. You may express dissatisfaction about something. Combined purposes You may use more than one purpose. The purposes may overlap.

Strategy Narrating Explaining a process Tell a story about an event. Answer the questions who, what, where, when, why, and how. Explaining a process Explain how something works. You may use step-by- step instructions. You may write an explanation.

Strategy Describing Comparing or contrasting Use words to create a picture in the reader’s mind. Utilize the senses. Include colorful adjectives. Comparing or contrasting Show similarities or differences between two people, places, or objects. Make a worthwhile point.

Design Genre Length Format Appearance Visual Aids

1. Discovering Brainstorming Listing Freewriting Journaling Sketching Questioning Journaling Sketching Talking Reading Viewing 13

Seven Steps of the Writing Process 1. Discovering 2. Planning 3. Composing 4. Getting feedback 5. Revising 6. Editing 7. Proofreading 14

2. Planning Narrowing your focus Clustering Creating a graphic organizer Determining main points Ordering ideas Outlining (informal and formal) 15

3. Composing Use your discovery and planning stage ideas to create a rough draft. Use your cluster or outline as a guide. Focus on the first four points of the rhetorical star. Concentrate on getting your ideas on paper and not on the presentation. Write the easiest part first to build your confidence. Don’t expect perfection. Write until you’ve covered all of the main points you’ve planned to address. Save your rough draft or place it in a safe location. Take a break. 16

4. Getting Feedback Conferences Peer review Meet with your instructor for feedback. Don’t expect your instructor to correct your paper for you. Learn to revise and edit your own papers. Peer review Provide and accept constructive criticism. Utilize peer review with writing on the job. 17

4. Getting Feedback (contd.) Tips for Peer Reviewers Consider the writer’s feelings. Provide constructive criticism. Tips for Writers Communicate with the reviewer. Take the suggestions in stride. 18

5. Revising Adding and deleting ideas Determine if all of the main points are covered. Remove points that are unnecessary. Watch for unneeded repetition. Choose your main points carefully. 19

5. Revising (contd.) Developing Check to make sure you have enough details and examples to support your main points. Try additional discovery techniques. Make sure you have enough support to prove your thesis.

5. Revising (contd.) Arranging Determine if the order of your ideas makes sense. Move sentences or paragraphs around to create the best flow. Consider saving different versions of your draft if you’re working on a computer. 21

6. Editing Sentence Structure Determine if sentences sound awkward. Check for sentences of varying length. Watch for choppy sentences. Clarify long, unclear sentences. Grammar Check for subject/verb agreement. Look for the proper use of pronouns. Determine if the adjectives selected provide enough description. Watch for correct adverb usage. 22

6. Editing (contd.) Punctuation Check for ending punctuation. Make sure quotation marks are used correctly. Look for semicolon, colon, and comma usage. Determine if special punctuation marks are appropriate for the writing. Spelling Use a spelling check tool. Make sure to watch for spelling issues that would not be caught with the spelling check tool. Mechanics Check capitalization. Look for abbreviated words. Make sure numbers are spelled out if needed. 23

7. Proofreading Check the smallest details. Read your paper aloud. Consider reading from the last sentence to the first sentence. Get an additional peer review for further feedback. Review the paper guidelines provided by your instructor. 24

Writing Sentences, Paragraphs, and Essays

Sentences Complete sentences Incomplete sentences Contain 3 elements: Subject (Topic) Verb (Action) Complete thought (Allows the sentence to stand on its own) Incomplete sentences Unable to stand on their own. Missing at least one of the 3 elements required to be a complete sentence. 26

Parts of Speech Nouns Name of a person, place, or thing (e.g., Mr. Smith, hotel, dog) Pronouns Replace a noun (e.g., he, she, it) Verbs Show action or a state of being (e.g., climb, moved, are) Adjectives Modify or describe a noun (e.g., shiny, smart, colorful) Adverbs Modify or describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs (e.g., slowly, quickly) Prepositions Link a noun to another word (e.g., under, beneath) Conjunctions Join clauses, sentences, or words (e.g., for, and, but) Interjections Express a strong feeling (e.g., Wow!, Oh no!) 27

Sentence Variety Vary your sentence length. Short sentences emphasize a key point. Longer, complex sentences can illustrate relationships among the ideas presented. 28

Writing a Paragraph Topic sentence Contains a topic. Contains an opinion about the topic. Must be a complete sentence. Supporting sentences Main points that support the opinion in your topic sentence. Usually require 3-5 supporting sentences. More common to have too few supporting sentences than too many. All sentences should support the topic sentence. 29

Writing a Paragraph (contd.) Transitions help notify the reader that the writer is changing directions or making a new point: To give examples: for example, for instance To show time or order: first, later To show location: above, near To compare: similarly To contrast: in contrast To show a cause: because To show an effect: as a result To add information: additionally To show emphasis: in other words, in fact To conclude or summarize: finally, as a result 30

Writing a Paragraph (contd.) A Concluding sentence is used for a standalone paragraph. Restate the main idea and opinion you wrote in the topic sentence. Use different words than the original thesis. Consider writing an additional memorable sentence for the reader. 31

Writing an Essay Introductory paragraph Should capture the audience’s attention. Should state the thesis . Should provide an overview of the main points which will be covered in the body of the paper. Should contain an attention-getter. 32

Writing an Essay (contd.) Attention-Getter Ideas Brief description or story Comparison or contrast Dialogue Inspiring or intriguing quote Relevant statistic List of relevant examples Short summary Surprising statement Thought-provoking question

Writing an Essay (contd.) State your thesis. Identifies the main idea of your essay. Usually comes in the first or second paragraph. Similar to a topic sentence but represents the idea of an entire essay versus one paragraph. Contains a topic and your opinion of the topic. 34

Writing an Essay (contd.) Provide an overview of the main points. Additional sentences may be used if the main points are not identified in the thesis. Avoid a mechanical list of points. Give the reader a clear idea of what is going to be covered.

Writing an Essay (contd.) Body paragraphs Often begin with a topic sentence Include several supporting sentences Use transitions to help ideas flow smoothly Make sure all ideas relate to the overall thesis of the essay 36

Writing an Essay (contd.) Concluding paragraph Should wrap up the entire essay Should restate the thesis Should summarize the main points Should end with a memorable thought Avoid introducing new ideas or concepts Avoid clichés

Critical Reading: Pre-read and Anticipate Prior to reading… Publication information: Determine where and when the article was originally published Biographical information: Establish the author’s background and qualifications; decide if bias may be possible Title: Think about the title of the piece and what expectations it creates Overview: Skim through the text, paying close attention to headings and visual images; read introductory paragraphs and topic sentences Predictions: Based on your pre-reading, establish what you already know and predict what you expect to learn 38

Read and Analyze Take your time Main idea: Determine the thesis; is the point clear? Supporting points: Identify specific details and examples used to prove the thesis Rhetorical star: Establish the five points of the rhetorical star 39

Re-read and Annotate Read a second time while taking notes. Define: write down words that are unfamiliar Summarize: write down the main points and supporting details Visualize: create a visual organizer of the material Synthesize: make connections with the readings Question and Evaluate: ask a variety of questions 40

Interpreting Visual Texts Determine the focus of the image. Look for the conveyed purpose or message. Establish the target audience. Compare any written text with the visual representation. Decide if the image is logical or misleading. Determine if the image is effective. Establish the author’s credibility. Check for the posting date. Verify the information. Look for reference citations. Use previous strategies to evaluate visual images. Check if the hyperlinks work and are appropriate. Determine if the material is effective and accurate. 41

Steps for Writing a Narrative Begin with an engaging introduction. Establish the time and place. Keep a consistent point of view. Keep a consistent verb tense. Include plenty of details and sensory appeal. 42

Steps for Writing a Narrative (contd.) Present the details in a logical sequence. Use dialogue effectively. Include visual aids if appropriate. End with a thought-provoking conclusion. 43

Steps for Description Begin by creating a dominant impression. Use an objective or subjective approach. Appeal to the senses. Include similes and metaphors. Organize your description logically. End with something memorable. 44

Steps for Explaining a Process Begin with a clear title and introduction. Include a list of materials. Explain each step in chronological order. Define special terms. Give helpful tips or warnings, as needed. Include visual aids as needed. End with a decisive conclusion. 45

Steps for Writing Compare & Contrast Essays Begin by identifying the elements you are going to compare. Use a block or point- by-point approach. Describe your subjects fairly and accurately. Consider using an analogy. Use transitions to help your writing flow smoothly. Conclude logically. 46

Grammar Section You will be asked to fix sentences with the following potential error types: Fragments Run-Ons and comma splices Mixed Construction Subject Verb Agreement Pronoun Agreement Comma Usage Review Part 4 of your text book and the grammar handouts which are compiled in week 2 of e-companion. 47

Good luck on your Midterm To do your best: Review the first 8 chapters’ summaries Make sure you are comfortable with all parts of “the what I know now” sections Look over the chapter vocabulary Carefully look over parts of speech and sentence types – there will be a section where you will need to correct sentences.