Chapter 1: Exploring

Chapter Outline and Learning Objectives LO1 Visualizing the Paragraph and the Essay LO2 Key Steps in Exploring LO3 Topic LO4 Audience LO5 Purpose LO6 Exploring Strategies LO7 Journal and Portfolio Writing Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Chapter 1: Exploring A paragraph is a series of sentences that are about one central idea. An essay is a series of paragraphs that are about one central idea. LO1 Visualizing the Paragraph and the Essay Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Chapter 1: Exploring Characteristics of a paragraph –Topic sentence –Body –Concluding sentence Characteristics of an essay –Thesis statement –Body paragraphs –Concluding paragraphs LO1 The Paragraph and the Essay Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Chapter 1: Exploring Answering the following questions can help ensure you understand what your assignment is: –How many words or pages should I write? –What it the due date for the assignment? –Are there any special qualities my writing should include? LO2 Key Steps in Exploring Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Chapter 1: Exploring Your topic, or subject, is what you are writing about. When you think about your topic, ask yourself the following questions: –What special knowledge do I have about the topic? –What subtopics are most relevant to me? –What aspect of the topic arouses my emotions? LO3 Topic Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Chapter 1: Exploring Your audience is your intended reader. –Remember to adapt your language and vocabulary for a specific audience. LO4 Audience Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Chapter 1: Exploring When you think about your audience, ask yourself the following questions: –Who will read my assignment? Will the reader be my instructor, or will other students read it as well? –What does my audience already know about the topic? –What information will my readers expect? –Should I use formal or informal language? LO4 Audience Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Chapter 1: Exploring Your purpose is your reason for writing. When you consider your purpose, ask yourself the following questions: –Is my goal to entertain? Do I tell a personal story or anecdote? –Is my goal to persuade? Do I convince my reader that my point of view is correct? –Is my goal to inform? Do I explain something or present information? LO5 Purpose Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Chapter 1: Exploring Exploring strategies, also known as prewriting strategies, can help get your ideas about your paper flowing. LO6 Exploring Strategies Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Chapter 1: Exploring Prewriting strategies can be general or focused. –Freewriting –Brainstorming –Questioning –Clustering LO6 Exploring Strategies Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Chapter 1: Exploring One way to practice your writing is to keep a journal. –A journal is a book, a computer file, or a blog (Web log) where you record your thoughts, opinions, ideas, and impressions. LO7 Journal and Portfolio Writing Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Chapter 1: Exploring A writing portfolio is a binder or an electronic file folder where you keep samples of all your writing. LO7 Journal and Portfolio Writing Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

A paragraph is A.a series of thoughts that are about one central idea. B.a series of sentences. C.a series of sentences that are about one central idea. D.a series of thoughts. Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

A paragraph is A.a series of thoughts that are about one central idea. B.a series of sentences. C.a series of sentences that are about one central idea. D.a series of thoughts. LO1 The Paragraph and the Essay Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Which of the following is not a characteristic of an essay? A.The body paragraphs each express a new and interesting idea that may or may not be related to the thesis of the essay. B.The introduction engages the reader’s interest and contains a thesis statement. C.The body paragraphs each support the main idea of the essay. D.The conclusion reemphasizes the thesis and restates the main points of the essay. Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Which of the following is not a characteristic of an essay? A.The body paragraphs each express a new and interesting idea that may or may not be related to the thesis of the essay. B.The introduction engages the reader’s interest and contains a thesis statement. C.The body paragraphs each support the main idea of the essay. D.The conclusion reemphasizes the thesis and restates the main points of the essay. LO1 The Paragraph and the Essay Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

When you explore, you A.think about your topic. B.think about your audience and purpose. C.try exploring strategies. D.All of the above Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

When you explore, you A.think about your topic. B.think about your audience and purpose. C.try exploring strategies. D.All of the above LO2 What is Exploring? Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Your topic, or subject, is A.the thesis of your essay. B.the topic sentence of your paragraph. C.what you are writing about. D.either the thesis or topic sentence, depending on whether you are writing an essay or a paragraph. Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Your topic, or subject, is A.the thesis of your essay. B.the topic sentence of your paragraph. C.what you are writing about. D.either the thesis or topic sentence, depending on whether you are writing an essay or a paragraph. LO3 Topic Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Your audience is A.your intended reader. B.your boss. C.your instructor. D.your classmates. Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Your audience is A.your intended reader. B.your boss. C.your instructor. D.your classmates. LO4 Audience Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Your general purpose can be A.to inform. B.to persuade. C.to entertain. D.to inform, persuade, or entertain. Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Your general purpose can be A.to inform. B.to persuade. C.to entertain. D.to inform, persuade, or entertain. LO5 Purpose Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Which of the following could be a specific purpose in an essay about fashion? A.To inform B.To explain how to make the best hand sewn dress possible C.To persuade D.To entertain Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Which of the following could be a specific purpose in an essay about fashion? A.To inform B.To explain how to make the best hand sewn dress possible C.To persuade D.To entertain LO5 Purpose Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Which of the following is not an exploring strategy? A.Freewriting B.Brainstorming C.Clustering D.Drafting Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Which of the following is not an exploring strategy? A.Freewriting B.Brainstorming C.Clustering D.Drafting LO6 Exploring Strategies Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

To narrow her topic, Jemma writes for a limited period of time without stopping. What exploring strategy is she using? A.Clustering B.Freewriting C.Brainstorming D.Questioning Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

To narrow her topic, Jemma writes for a limited period of time without stopping. What exploring strategy is she using? A.Clustering B.Freewriting C.Brainstorming D.Questioning LO6 Exploring Strategies Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

When journaling, you should A.worry about your grammar and mechanics. B.keep your audience in mind. C.keep your purpose in mind. D.not worry about your readers and what they might think about your writing. Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

When journaling, you should A.worry about your grammar and mechanics. B.keep your audience in mind. C.keep your purpose in mind. D.not worry about your readers and what they might think about your writing. LO7 Journal and Portfolio Writing Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.