Paragraph shit Flashcards
(41 cards)
what is a prompt?
- set of instructions that tell you the information your essay should contain
- 1-3 sentences or longer
- followed by a question
- can include additional instructions
a college level essay is made to what?
test the student’s writing, reasoning, and critical thinking skills
what is the writing process?
a cyclical process where writer goes back and forth between stages until your product is completed
Steps of the writing process
- Prewriting
- Drafting/Writing
- Revising
- Editing
- Publishing
Prewriting
Gather and organize details, gather as many ideas and details you can about the topic
Drafting/Writing
Develop the first draft and organize your ideas into sentences or paragraphs
Revising
Process of rereading a text and making changes in context, organization, sentence structures or word choice to improve writing.
- Use the ARMS method
ARMS method
add, remove, move, and substitute text
Editing
Process in which a writer/editor strives to improve a draft by correcting erros and making words/sentences clearer/more precise/effective. Check for conventions and use the ARMS method to declutter.
Publishing
Process of submitting your content/document physically or online
What is a paragraph?
Made up of sentences grouped together for a reason: usually to present and support a main idea
Parts of a paragraph
- Main idea
- Topic sentence
- Supporting sentences
- Clincher sentence
- Main idea
Provides the central focus of the paragraph
- Topic sentence
Directly states the paragraph’s main idea, introduces main point of the paragraph and is written in complete sentence
- Supporting sentences
support the main idea of the paragraph.
Uses the following details:
a. sensory details - information collected using the 5 senses
b. facts - information that can be proven
c. statistics - based on numbers
d. examples - specific instances or illustrations of a general idea
- Clincher sentence
Concluding sentence that reinforces the key message and emphasizes the main idea
Qualities of a paragraph
- Unity
- Coherence
- Elaboration
- Unity
Quality achieved when all sentences in a paragraph work together as a unit to express/support a main idea
Unity is present when one of the following is true:
- All sentences in a paragraph relate to the main idea in the topic sentence.
- All sentences relate to an implied main idea when there is no stated topic sentence.
- All sentences relate to a sequence of events (work together to narrate the event)
- Coherence
Ensures that ideas in a paragraph are arranged in a way that makes sense
Use the following orders to build coherence:
a. Chronological – tells a story to explain a process
b. Spatial – describes a place/object
c. Logical – explains or classifies (defines, divides a subject into parts)
d. Order of importance – to inform or persuade.
e. You can also utilize direct references (noun/pronoun that refers to a noun that was used earlier) or transitional expressions (words that connect sentences)
- Elaboration
Process of presenting and developing a paragraph’s idea.
A paragraph lacks elaboration when it doesn’t contain the following:
a. Supporting sentences
b. Supporting sentences that sufficiently develop a paragraph’s idea
i. Lack of elaboration confuses reader
What is composition?
Consist of paragraphs that individually elaborate on specific points of a complex main idea (which is the focus of the composition)