KU 121 Unit 7 Completing the Rough Draft Adjunct Professor: Patricia Sutton Information taken from Kaplan Course Materials. 1

A g e n d a  TO-DO List  Key Terms  What makes a good conclusion?  Let’s draft.  Putting it all together.  Pronouns  Questions 2

TO- DO LIST Complete Reading Assignment Participate in Discussion 20 points. Attend seminar or complete alternative seminar assignment 5 points. MyWritingLab Take Quiz 10 points. Complete the Project 100 points. 3

Key Terms 1. The writing process - The step-by-step process anyone can follow in order to complete a writing assignment, whether it is for a class or a workplace project; it is a circular process, so you can return to previous steps. 2. Drafting - The determining stage of the writing process where you organize ideas from brainstorming, sorting out the best ones to use in your writing. 3. Concluding paragraph - the final paragraph in the essay. Its job is to briefly remind the reader of the key points and then end with some broad, general ideas. 4

Key Terms Cont.  Reworded Thesis – method of starting a conclusion with a statement that echoes the ideas of your thesis in different words.  Stretching - weakening your writing by adding needless words; not a good practice  The writing process - The step-by-step process anyone can follow in order to complete a writing assignment, whether it's for a class or a workplace project; it is a circular process so you can return to previous steps.  Wordiness – over use of needless words in writing. 5

The Rough Draft  Now is the time to put everything together and complete a full draft. By this time, you should know nearly everything you want to say and how you want to say it. You have also written the introduction and body. In Unit 7, you will draft your conclusion and compile your completed draft! 6

Writing the Conclusion  The concluding paragraph of the essay functions as the balance to the introduction.  Whereas the introduction funnels attention into the essay, the conclusion should let the reader know he or she is nearing the end of the discussion. 7

Tips for the Conclusion: Don’t introduce new information in the conclusion, and don’t start with “in conclusion.” Make the ending as strong and tight as the beginning. Avoid weak conclusions like “Well, that’s all I know.” 8

WAYS TO END AN ESSAY  Summarize the main ideas.  Comment on the importance of topic.  Ask and answer a thought- provoking question.  Use a strong quotation and comment on it (never end with the quotation alone).  Predict the future.  Make a call to action. 9

Your conclusion:  Your conclusion needs to serve as a wrap-up of your main ideas and it needs to remind your readers of your all important thesis.  It needs to re-state the thesis, not say it again word for word.  Paraphrase your thesis so that your paper comes full circle. 10

Sample thesis and paraphrase. Thesis: Marie Sullivan of Huntsville, Alabama, has opened Tiny Tots Daycare, a childcare center catering to parents who work third shift. Paraphrase: Marie Sullivan has fulfilled a life-long dream and provided a seriously needed service in the Huntsville area by providing daycare for children of parents who work third shift. 11

The Rough Draft Drafting is a determining stage, which means that it completes the process (other than revision). Your draft will consist of 5 paragraphs- the 5 specified in Unit 1. We reviewed them last week. 12

Tips for your draft:  When you submit the draft be sure it is in paragraph form.  Don’t ignore the suggestions I have made for you on your earlier projects.  Remember to send your draft to the Writing Center. 13

What if your draft is too short? You may find that you need to add more details. Details make your writing a reflection of your true thoughts. You “make” your paper what it is in the details. composition/abstract.htm 14

Extending your draft. Drafting is a determining stage, which means that it completes the process (other than revision). If, after drafting, you are 1–2 pages short of your required assignment, then you know that you have not spent sufficient time on steps 1–2 and need to return there before continuing. The writing process is a circular process, so if you find that a specific body paragraph sounds flat and needs more ideas, you can certainly brainstorm *just* on that specific area. Return to free-writing or listing or whatever brainstorming method you prefer, generate many ideas, sort what you want to use, and complete the steps until that poorly developed area is more like your other, more fully developed sections of the writing. 15

Expanding your draft: Sometimes in a panic to stretch a paper when we don’t think we have said enough, we introduce details that are not related to our thesis. If you feel you need more in a certain section, look for additional facts or examples that support your thesis directly. Return to the brainstorming stage to generate ideas. 16

Expanding cont. One example is not sufficient. One example is an isolated incident, three or more examples is a pattern and this is much more interesting, compelling and convincing for your reader.  Finally, don’t go on and on. Know when and how to stop. Many papers just stop. If you are reading your essay and find yourself looking for another page, your ending is weak. Use the conclusion to sum up your strongest points and to tie everything together. 17

Pronouns Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns or other pronouns. I Me She He They His The noun or pronoun to which the pronoun refers is called the antecedent. 18

Tips for pronoun usage. 1. Always make sure the pronoun and antecedent agree in number, case, and gender. 2. Avoid using vague pronouns that have no clear antecedent. 3. Be sure there is only one clear antecedent for each pronoun and place the pronoun close to its antecedent. 4. Get rid of unnecessary pronouns. 19

Pronoun agreement 1. The birds are in its cages. The birds are in their cages. 2. A person should not chew with their mouth open. A person should not chew with his mouth open. 3. Someone left their bag on the bus. ________________________________ 20

Vague pronouns 1. They told me the bus stops here. The managers told me the bus stops here. 2. It said to be at the airport early. The instruction sheet said to be at the airport early. 3. They said the book would be released tomorrow. ________________________________ 21

UNNESSARY PRONOUNS 1. The manager, he said to check the time charts. The manager said to check the time chart. 2. The waitress, she said they were out of hamburgers. _________________________________ 22

QUESTIONS??? 23