P EER E DITING T OPICS Langan, Chapters 3 & 4

P EER EDITING For peer editing, we will look at three important issues: The thesis Using adequate support Transitions

T HESIS The thesis has two parts: The topic The main point Examples: Going to college demands careful time management. Going to college requires different study habits from those used in high school.

W RITING A GOOD THESIS A good thesis should have a statement, not just an announcement. Statements: The new Samsung smartphone has many unique features which will appeal to a wide range of customers. This jacket has many qualities which make it warmer and more comfortable than any others. Announcements: The subject of this paper will be the new Samsung smartphone. I am going to tell you all about my Adidas jacket.

W RITING A GOOD THESIS Avoid statements that are too broad. Examples of thesis statements that are too broad: Men and women are different. People purchase different kinds of products.

W RITING A GOOD THESIS Avoid writing a thesis that is too narrow. Examples of thesis statements that are too narrow: The iphone 6 can take high quality photographs. A typhoon affected the weather in Beijing last summer.

W RITING A GOOD THESIS Avoid writing a thesis statement with too many ideas. Make sure it develops only one main idea. Example of a thesis statement with too many ideas: Studying with others has several benefits, but it also has drawbacks and is difficult to schedule.

T HE IMPORTANCE OF ADEQUATE SUPPORTING EVIDENCE The body paragraphs of the essay must support the thesis. Likewise, the sentences in the body must support the topic sentences of each paragraph. This means adding details, important information and specific examples.

A CTIVITY 19: I DENTIFYING A DEQUATE S UPPORTING E VIDENCE Turn to page 74, and read the paragraphs. Decide whether there is adequate development (AD) or the paragraph is underdeveloped (U). Discuss with your neighbor.

T RANSITIONS Using transitions is an important part of writing in English. According to Langan, transitions are like road signs that guide travelers. Page 83 has a list of helpful transitions.

C OMMON TRANSITIONS : A DDITION SIGNALS In addition, ____________________________. Furthermore, __________________________. Similarly, ____________________________. ______________________________ as well. ______________________________ besides.

C OMMON TRANSITIONS : C HANGE OF DIRECTION SIGNALS ________________________, but ______________. However, _____________________________. In contrast, ___________________________. ________________________ although __________. On the other hand, _____________________.

C OMMON TRANSITIONS : C ONCLUSION SIGNALS In summary, ___________________. To conclude, ____________________. Finally, _______________________. Therefore, _____________________.

P EER E DITING T ASK Work with your partner to edit your partner’s paper. Start with compliments & suggestions. You can write your corrections on the essay. Then, check thesis statement, support and transitions.