English Composition

English Composition Study Guide

Chapter 2: Starting a Writing Objectives 1. Understand the writing process and how to implement it in essay responses. 2. Identify pre-writing techniques including brainstorming, free-writing, idea clustering, and outlining. 3. Distinguish between elements of a strong and weak thesis statement. 2.1 Stages of Writing The stages a writer typically uses are: • Pre-writing: Choosing a topic, developing a thesis, and finding supporting evidence for that thesis • Drafting: Organizing the information and composing the first draft • Editing: Reviewing the first draft to ensure that ideas are clear and logical, as well as checking use of Standard Written English • Polishing: Rewriting based on information uncovered while editing and creating the final document for submission to the reader It is important for students to remember three things about the writing process: • Not all writers use the same process in the same way. Additionally, writers use different processes for different types of writing. • The stages can be completed in different ways depending on the writer and assignment. There is no one correct way to write. • The stages do not always occur in a step-by-step way. A writer may find himself returning to an earlier stage if needed. For example, the writer may find during editing that he needs more evidence to present his ideas clearly. He would then return to the pre-writing stage to do more research. Sometimes after finishing the final draft, the writer finds errors he missed during editing and needs to polish it again. The writer can return to stages again and again until the work is completed. Learning the writing process helps students find the system that works best for them. Following an effective writing process will ensure that the end result fulfills the purpose or the writing. 2.2 Prewriting The definition of prewriting is pretty simple: prewriting is the activities a writer completes before writing a first draft. This stage allows writers to explore ideas and the different ways of writing about those ideas. There are several prewriting activities that allow a reader to explore ideas and find the best methods for writing about a topic. Finding a good prewriting technique helps bypass the fear caused by facing a blank sheet of paper (or computer screen).

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