Process Analysis Essay Explaining How Something Works or is Done.

What is Process Analysis? Explains in step-by-step fashion how something works or how something is done or made. Provide people with practical information Directions to do something Explanation of how something works Audience either Wants or needs to perform the process Wants or needs to understand the process although they will not actually perform it

Characteristics Usually includes an Explicit Thesis Statement Examples identifies the process to be discussed Suggests the writer’s attitude or approach Why the thesis is important or useful to the reader Examples Recently, many consumers have been using debit rather than credit cards, which is more costly for most customers in the end. By carefully reading the terms of a college loan, you can save thousands of dollars in interest and hundreds of hours of hassle.

Characteristics Cont. Organized in Chronological Order The order in which the steps happened or should happen Ex. How to apply for a credit card. How the housing crisis occurred. Why did the merger of Merill Lynch and Bank of America happen? For essays with a lengthy processes, the steps may be grouped into categories to make the process easier to understand.

Characteristics Cont. Defines Technical Terms Provides Background Info Assume the audience does not know terminology of the process Define these terms for the audience Provides Background Info Scenarios which make the process important How interest rates affect people and businesses before a discussion of how the fed determines interest rates How much money college costs or how long it takes to pay off a loan before a discussion about choosing the best college loan for you.

Characteristics Cont. Describes Necessary Equipment Appropriate Detail Describing a loan calculator for taking out a loan Describing how the internet has changed the stock market before a discussion on how or when to buy stocks. Appropriate Detail Consider your audience Keep details aligned with the intended audience Students at Pine Valley High Stock Broker Banker

Characteristics Cont. Anticipate Trouble and Offer Solutions What was difficult for you at first? How did you figure it out? In an essay explaining how to apply for a mortgage, anticipate the difficulty of finding a cosigner and give advice of how to resolve that problem. Warn readers of difficult , complicated, or critical steps

Organization Introduction Body Paragraphs Background Info Thesis Statement Body Paragraphs Transition, Topic sentence Example- Quote Explain Connect to thesis and bridge to next body paragraph

Organization Cont Conclusion Transition, Draws back to the thesis and draws the essay to a close. Often times, you will refer back to how this solves the problem set up in the background information.

Writing Choose the topic Consider Your Purpose Use the possibilities sheet to help you or make one of your own that refers to banking/ finance. Consider Your Purpose Informative: How to choose a credit card. Persuasive: How bailout money was used to avert financial crisis in the U.S.

Writing Cont. Consider the Audience What background information do they need? What terms should I define? What equipment should I describe? How much detail is necessary? How can I illustrate trouble spots to prevent confusion or warn of danger?

Develop a Working Thesis Tells Why the process is important, beneficial, or relevant

Gather Details and List Steps First Gather Information on the Topic Then List the Steps on a Graphic Organizer What separate actions are involved? What are obvious to you but may not be obvious to somebody else? What steps, if omitted will lead to problems or failure? 2 or 3 column notes work well for this Find interesting facts and illustrations that will help the reader better understand what to do, or why it is important.

Re-Evaluate the Thesis When you have gathered all information, decided on organization, etc., go back to the thesis. The thesis statement should encompass everything you discuss in the paper. It should be a complex sentence with complex ideas.

Draft Write the paper Use at least 2 quotes/ paraphrases for each step. Never quote or paraphrase without explaining Include reasons for the steps Consider Headings Use transitions to show relationships between ideas Effective Introductions are imperative Appropriate tone- 3rd person point of view, no forbidden words, no contractions, be formal Satisfying Conclusion

REVISING Is this the best order for the process? Is this the best example? Can I find some statistics to show how important this is? Did I appeal to the fact based reader? How? Did I appeal to the emotional reader? How? Could somebody go out and do this after reading the essay?

Editing and Proofreading Check for forbidden words and contractions Is everything cited correctly? Read entire paper aloud exactly as it is written Check for comma splices (two independent clauses connected with only a comma) Check for run-on sentences and sentence fragments Check for spelling errors and typos not caught by spell check (form for from)