Prewriting: Choosing a Subject and a Topic Introduction What to write about, and why? Generating ideas Narrowing your topic Evaluating your topic Writing a topic statement Your Turn 1: Generate ideas and narrow a topic Your Turn 2: Evaluate a topic and write a topic statement

Introduction Mari is writing a paper for English class when a friend asks her What are you writing about? Okay, but what about dogs? Mari and her friend have just talked about both the subject and the topic of her writing. Dogs I’m writing about how to choose the right dog as a pet.

Introduction Subjects are broad and general, and can often be described in one or two words. Why humans should continue to explore space Space Topics are narrower, focused subcategories of the subject. History Auto Racing Family African American soldiers in the Civil War The growth of NASCAR’s popularity My family’s best day ever

What to write about, and why? How do you choose a subject and topic for your writing? Your subject and topic can depend on Purpose: convince my friends to volunteer at the local animal shelter + Form: an article on the school Web site Topic: why being an animal shelter volunteer is right for you what you want to accomplish in your writing— your purpose the type of writing you want to create— your form

Test Tip: Purpose and form Often, the purpose and the form of your writing will be chosen for you, such as when you are writing for a test. You’ll write better if you can choose a topic that helps you connect personally to the writing prompt.

Test Tip: Purpose and form Study this example. Topic: The day I played in my first league soccer game Test prompt Write an autobiographical narrative in which you describe a memorable day. Include details so that readers can understand what happened that day and why it was memorable to you. form purpose

Subject: Ballet Notice how your topic can be influenced by the form in which you plan to write. What to write about, and why? Descriptive essay Costumes for The Nutcracker Personal narrative The first time I saw a ballet performance Informative report The history of our local ballet company Persuasive speech Ballet dancers are athletes, too

Generating ideas Once you have a purpose and a form in mind for your writing, think of a subject and a topic by talking with a partner about things that interest you using a search engine to discover new topics paging through a newspaper or news magazine creating a cluster diagram to explore ideas

Generating ideas Here’s how one student writer, Monica, used a cluster diagram to explore ideas for an informative essay about environmental problems. air pollution water pollution loss of animal habitat how you can help the environment Environmental Problems

1.Write down and circle your subject. 2.Around the subject, write down and circle ideas about it (topics). 3.Write down and circle narrowed ideas about the topics as you think of them (subtopics). 4.Draw lines to connect the subject, topics, and subtopics. Writing Tip: Cluster diagrams Use these steps to create a cluster diagram: subject topic subtopic

Is the topic you’ve chosen focused enough? You might need to narrow your topic so that you can cover it effectively in the space of your essay. Narrowing your topic Too broad! Topic: water pollution:

Is the topic you’ve chosen focused enough? You might need to narrow your topic so that you can cover it effectively in the space of your essay. Narrowing your topic Topic: water pollution: 1. Sources of water pollution Narrower topics Too broad!

Is the topic you’ve chosen focused enough? You might need to narrow your topic so that you can cover it effectively in the space of your essay. Narrowing your topic Topic: water pollution: 1. Sources of water pollution 2. Effects of water pollution Narrower topics Too broad!

Effects of water pollution Is the topic you’ve chosen focused enough? You might need to narrow your topic so that you can cover it effectively in the space of your essay. Narrowing your topic Topic: water pollution: 1. Sources of water pollution Reducing water pollution Narrower topics Too broad!

Once you’ve got a focused topic, do a quick check before you start to write. Evaluate the topic by asking Evaluating your topic Will this topic interest my readers? How much do I already know about this topic? Can I find additional information about this topic? Does this topic fit my purpose for writing? yes, definitely quite a bit There should be a lot of information on it. yes Topic: Reducing water pollution

Write out a topic statement, one or two sentences that state your topic clearly. Use this topic statement to help you focus as you continue the prewriting process. Writing a topic statement Water pollution is an ongoing problem that affects all types of life. However, each individual can help protect water by doing a few small things to improve the environment. Remember that the writing process is not a one-way street. You can always narrow, revise, or even change your topic later, if necessary.

Your Turn 1: Generate ideas and narrow a topic Choose one of the following subjects or a subject of your own. Create a cluster diagram to break down the broad subject into possible topics. Make sure that you finish with at least one topic that is narrow enough for a school essay. WildlifeCurrent eventsSports HobbiesTravelHealth

Final topic: biking in the Rockies Your Turn 1: Possible response travel day trips adventure ecotravel (nature) historical historic Boston canoeing biking whale watching Statue of Liberty nature reserve

Choose a subject and a topic for one of the following projects. Evaluate your topic with the evaluation questions below. Finish by writing a topic statement. Project 1: an entertaining story for children Project 2: a how-to article for the local newspaper Evaluation questions: Will this topic interest my readers? How much do I already know about this topic? Can I find additional information about this topic? Does my topic fit my purpose for writing? Your Turn 2: Evaluate a topic and write a topic statement

Will this topic interest my readers? yes How much do I already know about this topic? a bit Can I find additional information about this topic? yes Does my topic fit my purpose for writing? yes Your Turn 2: Possible responses Project 1: an entertaining story for children Topic statement: Yesterday I found a very large egg. I had no idea that a few days later I would find myself holding a baby duckling. Subject: AnimalsTopic: My pet duckling

Subject: NatureTopic: How to attract wild birds to your backyard Your Turn 2: Possible responses Project 2: a how-to article for the local newspaper Topic statement: Bird watching is a simple hobby you can do in your own backyard. All you have to do is provide a bird bath, a feeder, and a birdhouse. Will this topic interest my readers? definitely How much do I already know about this topic? lots Can I find additional information about this topic? yes Does my topic fit my purpose for writing? yes

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