English Composition
Writing, Style, and Structure
Syllabus and Introduction
How the class will run
The Most Important Information
• Contact info
• Email:
Jeremy.Robertson@tbci.eu
• Phone or WhatsApp: +40-730756-177
• If you have any questions,
email, text, or call me.
What Is This Course?
• Purpose: To strengthen your English
writing and composition skills.
• Specifically for academic writing
• Focusing on the writing skills that will
most help you in Christian ministry
• Components:
•
•
•
•
Understand various types of essays
Practice writing structure
Improve content
Strengthen writing style
Course Work
• General Policies
• Unless otherwise stated, all assignments are due at class time
• Thursday assignments are due first class hour
• Readings are due Saturday night
• There are exceptions
• Late policy: 5% deduction for every day that something is late.
• Follow the syllabus unless something different is announced in class.
Course Work
Readings
Papers
Quizzes
They Say, I Say
Paragraphs
In class
English Grammar and Composition
IV
Research Paper
Study lectures and textbooks
Simplified Writing 101
Summary and Response Paper
Midterm and Final
Grading
• Assignments (Readings and Paragraphs) – 15%
• Readings 25 points each
• Paragraphs 100 points each
• Research Paper – 40%
• 6 individual steps worth 10 points each
• First draft worth 100 points
• Final draft worth 150 points
• Summary and Analysis Paper – 10%
• Quizzes and Midterm – 20%
• Final Exam – 15%
Course Resources
Course Calendar
The Writing Process
The cycle of all (good) writers
When I sit down to write a book, I do
not say to myself, ‘I am going to
produce a work of art.’ I write it
because there is some lie that I want
to expose, some fact to which I want
to draw attention, and my initial
concern is to get a hearing.
- Geroge Orwell
What is the Writing Process?
• When writing anything, every
writer has to go through four
basic steps in order to
produce something
worthwhile.
•
•
•
•
Plan
Write
Rewrite
Edit
Plan
Thinking Ahead
Plan
• Basics
• Know what you want to talk about
• Know who you are talking to
• If possible, know why you are
talking about it
• Outline
• General structure
• Research
Write
Getting it on paper
Write
• The writing step is not about
perfection
• When writing, remember that it is
a first draft
• Focus on the big picture
Write
“When the focusing and planning seem complete, the writer begins
writing the first draft. He writes the first draft as rapidly as possible, not
allowing anything to interrupt. If he cannot think of the right word or is
not sure of the spelling of a word, he does not stop to look it up. If he
realizes that he has written a garbled sentence, he does not stop to
straighten it out. If he recognizes that he does not have enough
information, he does not stop to look for more; he just keeps writing. In
the first draft, the writer's goal is to get his ideas down onto paper, no
matter how clumsy and inadequate the wording may be. Later, he will
go back and fill in the gaps in his thinking, straighten out twisted
sentences, and find those words that will exactly express his
meaning.“
- English Grammar and Composition IV
Rewrite
Filling in the holes
Rewrite
• Ask questions and answer them
• Does the work have unity? Is there
coherence?
• Do I need more sources?
• Do my ideas make sense?
• Is there proper emphasis?
• Rewrite the entire paper
• Start from scratch, if necessary
• Continue to rewrite until it flows
Edit
Focusing on the details
Edit
• Funnel down
•
•
•
•
Paragraph
Sentence
Phrase
Word
• Proofread
The Character Sketch
Writing about a specific person
Remember: Plot is no
more than footprints left in
the snow after your
characters have run by on
their way to incredible
destinations.
-Ray Bradbury
What Is A Character Sketch?
• A character sketch is a composition about one specific person
• It is usually fairly short
• The person can be either real or fictional
• A character sketch seeks to describe the specific person in
detail
•
•
•
•
What the person looks like
How the person talks
What the person does
What others think of the person
Tips for Character
Sketches
Selecting A Character
• Choose someone you know well
• This could be a family member, a friend, or a familiar character
in a story
• Choose someone that is distinctive (unique personality,
idiosyncrasies, etc.)
Keep Focus
• Primarily do you want readers to like or dislike this person?
• How is this person different?
• What most stands out about this person?
• Focus only on the prominent or unique aspects of this person
Start Quickly
• In the first sentence, give the impression of the person
• Don't use time with an intro that does not directly describe the
person
Use These Methods
• Appearance
• Actions
• His words
• His reactions
• His environment
• Others' impressions of him
Be Unique
• Don't use descriptions that could apply to anyone
• i.e. “She had brown hair and two eyes.”
• Don't add details that don't help the reader understand the
individual
• i.e. “His favorite color is blue.”
• Describe one specific person
Examples
Putting it to work
Clutter
Cleaning up the word mess
The difference between
the almost right word and
the right word is … the
difference between the
lightning bug and the
lightning.
-Mark Twain
Sources of Clutter
Cliches
• Tired as a dog
• Like the plague
Needless
words
• At this point in
time
• In my personal
opinion
Redundancies
• Hollow tube
• Joint
collaboration
Problem
words
• Very
• Really
• Needless to say
Summaries
Restating others’ ideas
The greatest part of a
writer’s time is spent in
reading, in order to write;
a man will turn over half a
library to make one book.
-Samuel Johnson
What Is a Summary?
• A summary is a restating of a larger
work in fewer words, usually only
summarizing the main ideas without the
illustrations, examples, and extra
supporting material.
• Summaries should be no more than 1/3 the
length of the original (often much shorter)
• Summaries should usually be written from
the perspective of the author
Writing a Summary
Read the Original Selection
Write the Main Ideas
Put it together
Examples
Showing how it’s done
Syllabus Change!
• Character Sketch and Summary
Paragraphs will be resubmitted
• The Thursday, 2nd hour after their
due date, you can submit the
revised paragraphs for
participation points
• Due 2:00 PM February 9th
and February 16th
• Summary paragraph will
summarize the intro
of TSIS
Argumentative Essays
Starting a journey
A good newspaper, I
suppose, is a nation
talking to itself.
-Arthur Miller
What Is an Argumentative Essay
• An argumentative essay is a
composition that seeks to
persuade the reader of an idea
or fact.
• These essays are usually
research papers that involve
finding supporting sources
• While many essays and
research papers can be
informative, argumentative
essays have to do more
Planning an Argumentative Essay
• Choose a topic
•
•
•
•
What interests you?
What matters?
What can you research?
What is your page limit?
• Narrow the subject
• Caging animals is wrong.
• Zoos are harmful.
• The government should ban
zoos with exotic animals.
Planning an Argumentative Essay
• Write out your thesis statement
• Take a position others might
disagree with
• Be as specific and direct as
possible
• Include all necessary parts of your
argument
• i.e. Because not every voice on
social media is reliable, people
have become much more critical
consumers of information, and
thus, more informed voters.
Planning an Argumentative Essay
• Find relevant sources
• Read through several sources to
understand the topic
• Make sure you can find enough quality
sources
• Keep track of useful sources
• If necessary, change your thesis
• Make an outline
• Start with a topical outline
• Develop a full sentence outline
• Each point should have several
subpoints
• Sentences should be parallel
Examples
Generating Ideas
Potential Forest Fires
• Reading 2
• Summary Paragraph
• Quiz 1
CAN PREVENT FOREST FIRES
Outlining
The skeleton of your paper
Your manuscript is both
good and original, but the
part that is good is not
original, and the part that is
original is not good.
-Samuel Johnson
Outlines
• Outlines are the skeleton of an essay.
It's an important part of the planning
step.
• In general, there are two types of
outlines:
• Topical outlines use only words or phrases
• These are good for getting started
• Full sentence outlines convey the full idea
in a sentence
• These are better for clarity before beginning to
write
Making an outline
Make a list
of your ideas
Remove
unrelated
ideas
Group them
under main
headings
Decide what
are
subheadings
and what are
smaller
details
Choose a
clear order
Write the
ideas in
parallel form
Format the
outline
Formatting
Making it look right
Formatting – Topical Outline
I.
Outlines
A. Topical Outlines
1.
For starting
i.
ii.
2.
Benefits
Disadvantages
For planning
B. Sentence Outlines
1.
2.
For the end
For clearer thinking
II. Making Outlines
III. Formatting Outlines
Formatting – Sentence Outline
I.
Outlines give an essay structure.
A. Topical outlines use only words or phrases.
1.
Topical outlines can be used to start the planning process.
i.
ii.
2.
Starting with a topical outline has many benefits.
Starting with a topical outline includes some disadvantages.
Topical outlines can be used to plan out shorter essays.
B. Sentence outlines communicate full thoughts in sentences.
1.
2.
Sentences outlines should usually be the final outline.
Sentence outlines allow writers to clarify their thoughts.
II. Outlines move from a list of ideas to a hierarchy.
III. Outlines require a certain format.
Example
Good or bad?
Main Idea: Cellphones are dangerous.
I. The problem that cellphones cause major health problems.
1. Cellphones damage eyes.
A. Cellphones can cause brain cancer.
B. Cellphones cause more people to need glasses.
2. Cellphones cause immobilization and heart problems
II. The problem that cellphones can develop addictions.
A. Cellphone apps intentionally rewire the brain to depend on
them.
B. There are a lot of cellphone addiction problems in our age.
III.The problem that cellphones distract us from real people.
Researching
Finding the “They Say”
After all, the ultimate
goal of all research is
not objectivity, but
truth.
-Helene Deutsch
What’s A Good Source?
Primary Sources
• A first-hand account of something
• i.e. interview, audio, or video of a personal
testimony
Books
• Books take a great deal more effort to be
published, so they are more trustworthy
• These can be printed or online
Credible Internet
Sources
• Look at sponsorship, authorship, and recency
• The more information given about the author
and sponsor, the better.
Finding Internet Sources
• Google Scholar
• JSTOR
• Internet Archive
• Eric.Ed.Gov
• EBSCO Essentials
Tracking Sources
• Use Turabian Citation style
• In almost all cases, this is
identical to Chicago Manual of
Style
• Ex: 2017. “General Format.”
The Purdue OWL.
https://owl.english.purdue.edu
/owl/resource/717/02.
• Knightcite.com
Taking Notes
Write down facts or quotes
Avoid plagiarism
Keep quotes in quotation marks.
Write down source for each note.
Correlate with outline
Writing A Paragraph
The unit of all writing
“Don’t use words too big for
the subject. Don’t say
‘infinitely’ when you mean
‘very’; otherwise you’ll have
no word left when you want
to talk about something
really infinite.”
-C.S. Lewis
Main Unit of Writing
• Every paragraph should have
one (and only one) main idea
• Don't try to fit several
sentences in one paragraph
• Use the outline to decide
what idea the paragraph will
discuss
The Topic Sentence
• Start every paragraph with a
topic sentence
• The topic sentence should
clearly state the main idea of
the paragraph
• Don't mix the topic sentence
with other ideas
Develop the Paragraph
• Reasons
• Examples
• Compare and Contrast
• Definitions/Clarifications
• Objections
• Repetition
Ending the Paragraph
• End with a "clincher"
sentence
• Either repeat the main idea
• Or explain an important
application
Examples
Paragraphs in practice
Unity and Coherence
Keep It Together
“Don't let yourself slip and
get any perfect
characters... keep them
people, people, people,
and don't let them get to
be symbols.”
-Ernest Hemingway
Unity
• To say that a paragraph has unity means that the
whole paragraph links to one main idea.
• How to retain unity
• In the revision stage, look through each sentence in a
paragraph.
• Make sure all the sentences relate directly to the topic
sentence.
• It they don’t, either move the sentence or change the
topic sentence.
Coherence
• “Coherence” means that the
details and developments of a
paragraph are in a clear order
that show their relationships
to each other.
• Every paragraph should be
easy to follow, sentence to
sentence.
• Writing is linear
Coherence
• In general, writers do this by
following the thought
progression of the reader.
• What did I just write?
• What does the reader want to
know next?
• What questions do the readers
have in mind?
Coherence
• To follow and direct these
thought patterns, arrange
your details in a definite order
Chronological
Space Order
Order of
Importance
Coherence
• In addition, use connectors to link your ideas.
• Pronoun references – use pronouns to link to a word in a previous
sentence
• Repetition – repeat key words and phrases
• Transition words
Incorporating Sources
Making conversations
A simple writing
style is the result
of very hard work.
-William Zinsser
Why Incorporate Sources
Sources offer credibility
Sources turn a monologue into a conversation
Sources demonstrate trustworthiness
Types of Sources
Quotes
• Use these if the author says it
better than you can
• Or if you want to be sure that you
don't misrepresent another's view
Paraphrase
• Use this if the author gives a longer
argument that you can summarize
Information
• i.e. statistic, historical fact
When to Incorporate Sources
To offer support
for your opinion
(quote or
paraphrase)
To give an
example of
your point
(paraphrase)
To introduce an
objection
(quote or
paraphrase)
To give context
to your
argument
(information)
Incorporating a Quote
Introduce the
context of the quote
State the quote
Explain the quote
•
•
•
•
How will it fit into your argument?
Who said it?
When did they say it?
Why did they say it?
• Keep the quote short
• Don't always use "said" or "wrote"
• What did the author mean?
• What are the implications for your argument?
Examples
Watching Neil Postman Do It
Turabian Formatting
Making it look right
Little Red Riding Hood was
my first love. I felt that if I
could have married Little
Red Riding Hood, I should
have known perfect bliss.
-Charles Dickens
General Format
Title Page
Bibliography Page
Bibliography
• Book: Last name, First name. Title of Book. Place of
publication: Publisher, Year of publication.
• Web Resource: Lastname, Firstname. “Title of Web Page.”
Name of Website. Publishing organization, publication or
revision date if available. Access date if no other date is
available. URL .
• Journal Article: MacDonald, Susan Peck. “The Erasure of
Language.” College Composition and Communication 58,
no. 4 (2007): 585-625.
Footnotes
Footnotes
• Book: First name Last name, Title of Book (Place of
publication: Publisher, Year of publication), page number.
• Web Resource: Firstname Lastname, “Title of Web Page,”
Name of Website, Publishing Organization, publication or
revision date if available, access date if no other date is
available, URL.
• Journal Article: Susan Peck MacDonald, “The Erasure of
Language,” College Composition and Communication 58, no. 4
(2007): 619
Headings
Headings
Heading One
Heading Two
Heading Three
Heading four
Heading five. The paragraph continues…
Intros and Conclusions
Starting and Stopping
The problem with
books is that they
end.
- Carolyn Kepnes
Ending a sentence
with a preposition is
something up with
which I will not put.
- Winston Churchill
Intros and Conclusions
• While the body of your paper
includes all of the content, it
cannot stand alone
• Every idea needs to be
properly introduced and then
concluded
• Without these two sections of
the essay, your content will
lost context
Intro
Body
Conclusion
The Introduction
On your mark…Get set…
Overview
• Introductions should not be more
than 10% of the essay, many times
less
• The introduction may be one
paragraph, or more
• With very short compositions, a
single sentence can serve as an
introduction
• The goal of the introduction is to
arrest attention, introduce the topic,
and state your main idea
Funnel
• Every introduction should
start by grabbing attention
with something general.
• The following sentences
should be gradually more
specific
• The final sentence should be
your thesis statement for the
paper
Hook
Development
Thesis
Hook
• The hook need only grab the attention of the reader
• Possible ways to grab attention
•
•
•
•
Surprising fact or statistic
Quote
Short narrative
Thought-provoking question
• While the hook need not be directly related to the thesis, choose
something that easily leads into your topic
EXAMPLE
“This is a travesty of justice!” yelled a
protester in the back of the Senate Judiciary
Committee as she was followed by others
standing up, displaying protest signs, and
shouting disruptions . Routinely, policemen,
already present, moved the screaming
bystanders out of the room: only another act
of civil disobedience to prevent the
nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the
Supreme Court.
Development
• Transition smoothly from your
general idea and became gradually
more specific
• Remember that you are leading
towards your main thesis
• If necessary, offer specific context or
terms needed to understand your
main argument
EXAMPLE
“This is a travesty of justice!” yelled a
protester in the back of the Senate Judiciary
Committee as she was followed by others
standing up, displaying protest signs, and
shouting disruptions . Routinely, policemen,
already present, moved the screaming
bystanders out of the room: only another act
of civil disobedience to prevent the
nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the
Supreme Court.
EXAMPLE
Breaking the law (disturbing the peace) and
accepting the arrest seemed the only recourse
for helpless citizens intent on disrupting
Kavanaugh’s hearings in the fall of 2018. After
all, to obey every law, might not citizens need
to deny their moral code and conscience? And
yet does not the separation between a rule and
the obligation to obey imply a separation
between law and order? The solution to both
questions lies in not entirely rejecting or
accepting civil disobedience.
Thesis Statement
• State your thesis statement as
clearly as possible
• If appropriate, use connect words in
the thesis sentence to connect to the
sentence before
• For clarity, you may want to blueprint
your points, but this is not necessary
EXAMPLE
Though certain situations may necessitate civil
disobedience, civil disobedience also has the
power to debilitate law itself.
Conclusions
Crossing the Finish Line
Overview
• A conclusion does the
opposite of an introduction
• It leads from specific to
general
• The conclusion is the most
appropriate place to add
stronger repetition and wider
applications of your main
content
Thesis
Development
Clincher
Thesis
• Begin the conclusion with a restatement of your thesis
• Do not use the exact same words, but use some keywords
• In some cases, you may want to signal that you are coming to
an end
•
•
•
•
"Overall"
"In the end"
"On the whole"
"In closing"
EXAMPLE
In the end, civil disobedience can sometimes
be necessary and sometimes be disastrous.
Development
• Your developing ideas should get gradually broader
• You may choose to restate some of your main point, but do not
turn it into a list
• Do not make any new arguments or bring up new evidence in
the conclusion
EXAMPLE
While morality-based and justice-based civil
disobedience purify and strengthen law, policy-based
civil disobedience jeopardizes law. In the Brett
Kavanaugh hearings, the protestors broke law and
destroyed order for the sake of a purportedly better
outcome; proponents justify it with the label “civil
disobedience.” But surely, the martyrs of the second
century or the abolitionists of the 1960s would
shudder to hear the connection that the phrase “civil
disobedience” makes between them and the chaos in
the Senate.
Clincher Statement
• The clincher statement should offer finality
• You can use an appropriate quote, fact, or statement that summarizes
your point well
• Or you can offer an application of the idea that you have been
discussing
• The statement should be related but may be broader than your
thesis
• The clincher statement may span more than one sentence
EXAMPLE
Perhaps it would be more appropriate for
them to cry out, “This is a travesty of
justice!”
Examples
See it in practice
Writing is thinking. To
write well is to think
clearly. That’s why it’s
so hard.
-David McCullough
Revising
Improving what you’ve written
There is no such
thing as good
writing, only good
rewriting.
-Robert Graves
Syllabus Change!
• Teen Conference
• Choir Tour
Midterm Review
Learning from mistakes
Rubric for Final Draft
Understanding the grade
Revising
• Revising is one of the most
important parts of writing
• This is where the content,
structure, and style are crafted
to become an argument that is
easy-to-follow, convincing, and
stylistic
• To revise, print out a copy of
your paper and make changes
• Keep in mind that revising may
take several rounds
Content
Do I have a
clear thesis?
Do I have a
clear outline?
• Is it
argumentative?
• Is it stated at the
beginning?
• Does it lead the
whole paper?
• What are my
main points?
• Are they
arranged in the
best order?
Do I have
enough
sources?
• Are all my major
claims
supported?
• Have I used
multiple types?
Do I include
objections?
Structure
Do I have a
clear
introduction?
Does it start
with a hook?
Are my
paragraphs in
the best
order?
Do they flow
between each
other
Do my
paragraphs
have unity?
Do they start
with a topic
sentence?*
Do they end
with a clincher
sentence?
Do my
paragraphs
have
coherence?
Do I use
transition
words?
Do I use
repetition of key
words?
Do I integrate
my sources?
Do the sources
have an
introduction that
gives context?
Do I explain the
sources?
Do I have a
clear
conclusion?
Does it start
with a
restatement of
the thesis?
Does it end with
something
strong and
memorable?
Does it end with
the thesis
statement?
Are they all
about one main
idea?
Style
Do my paragraphs
transition between
each other?
Do my paragraphs
transition inside of
themselves?
Do I avoid word
clutter?
Do I have variety
in sentence
structure?
Do I use strong
verbs and
concrete nouns?
Example
Putting it into practice
Editing
In the details
Let the reader find that
he cannot afford to omit
any line of your writing
because you have
omitted every word that
he can spare.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
I don't like to write; I like to
have written. But I love to
rewrite. I especially like to cut:
to press the DELETE key and
see an unnecessary word or
phrase or sentence vanish into
the electricity.
-William Zinsser
Editing
In the editing stage, a
paper becomes concise,
correct, and strong. There
is some overlap between
the rewriting stage and the
editing stage, but in
general, the editing stage
starts when you have your
content and structure firm.
Editing is best done from
large to small: paragraphs
to words.
Paragraphs
Sentences
Words
Editing
Paragraphs
• Check every paragraph for
unity
• Does every single sentence
support the topic?
• Check every paragraph for
coherence
• Are all the sentences in the
best order?
• Is the progression clear?
Sentences
• Check every sentence for
correctness
• Is each one a complete sentence?
• Do the subjects and verbs agree in
number?
• Can you find the antecedent for each
pronoun?
• Are all of your modifying phrases
connected clearly to the word they
modify?
• Check every sentence for clarity
• Do you use too many compoundcomplex sentences?
• Are the sentences structured so that
they are easy to understand?
Words
• In general, have you
avoided passive voice?
• Have you used mostly active
verbs and concrete nouns?
• Is there any clutter?
• Are there any misspelled
words?
Grammar and Formatting
• Check capitalization (titles,
names, etc)
• Check punctuation
(quotation marks, periods
within quotation marks,
commas)
• Check Turabian formatting
Grammar Reminders
The most commonest mistakes
I never made a mistake
in grammar but one in
my life, and as soon as
I done it, I seen it.
- Carl Sandburg
An English professor wrote:
“A woman without her man is nothing”
on a chalkboard and asked the students
to punctuate it correctly.
All the males wrote:
“A woman, without her man, is nothing.”
All the females wrote:
“A woman: without her, man is nothing.”
Punctuation is powerful.
Possessive
Possessive
• In general, the possessive
forms by adding an “s,”
regardless of the last letter:
• For singular nouns, the only
exception is ancient names
ending in “s.”
• When forming the possessive
of a plural, add an apostrophe
but not an extra “s” unless the
plural is irregular (i.e. the
plural does not end with an
“s”).
Charles’s dog
The class’s homework
Jesus’ sermon on the mount
Moses’ law
The dogs’ bone
My parents’ rules
Children’s naptime
Parenthetic
Expressions
Parenthetic Expressions
• Place parenthetic expressions between commas.
• Our visitor, though he is not used to spicy food, decided to try the
pepper.
• Never put in one comma without the other.
• WRONG: Her friend, Brittany had to leave yesterday.
• WRONG: The winner I’m sure we’re all excited to know, was George
Terrence.
• Non-restrictive clauses always receive commas around them.
• Jack’s wife, whom I met only yesterday, was very friendly.
• The gold medal winner, who worked very hard, deserves his prize.
Parenthetic Expressions
• Non-restrictive clauses can form two sentences. Restrictive
clauses cannot.
• Non-restrictive: The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, that were
constructed by Nebuchadnezzar, were one of the wonders of
the ancient world. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were
constructed by Nebuchadnezzar. The Hanging Gardens of
Babylon were one of the wonders of the ancient world.
• Restrictive: The student who finishes the exam first will get a
piece of candy. The student finishes the exam first. The
student will get a piece of candy.
Joining
Clauses
Joining Clauses
• To join two independent clauses, you can use (1) a semicolon or
(2) a comma and coordinating conjunction.
• The restaurant is busy; let’s go bowling first.
• I asked him if he wants to come, but he said no.
• Words like “since,” “because,” “while,” or “although” introduce
dependent clauses that can be joined to the main clauses with
just a comma.
• Even though I lost the competition, I had a lot fun.
• Because he studied the language with such devotion, he quickly
improved.
Joining Clauses
• Words like “however,” “therefore,” “thus,” and “besides,” are
adverbs and require a semicolon in order to join clauses.
• Adding another building would be a great help; however, we don’t
currently have the funds.
• We already finished making the food; besides, he doesn’t need our
help for another hour.
Participial
Phrases
Participial Phrases
• A participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence must refer to
the subject.
• Watching my favorite channel, I saw the news of the house fire.
• Unknown to his friend, Jack had tried to return alone.
• If this is not the case, the sentence must be rewritten.
• WRONG: Flying over Paris, the Eiffel Tower stood high and beautiful.
• RIGHT: Flying over Paris, we saw the Eiffel tower stand high and
beautiful.
• RIGHT: The Eiffel Tower stood high and beautiful while we flew over
Paris.
Response Essays
Academic comebacks
Boring writing
about God borders
on blasphemy.
-David Mathis
Summarizing
Summarizing
Main Point Summary
• Summarizes only the main ideas of the text
• Good for short summaries in a larger context
Key Idea Summary
• Summarizes thought processes, evidences, logic
• Good for focusing on your response to an argument
Outline Summary
• Follows the structure of the article to which you are responding
• Good if your readers are most interested in the article you are summarizing
Responding
• There are a couple of slight
differences in how you can
react to an article:
• You may be interpreting it (what
does the author mean?)
• Analyzing it (what could the
author have done better?)
• Or responding to it (where is
the author correct or
incorrect?).
Signal that your response is your view not anyone else's
Be clear about where you agree
and disagree
Avoid listings (First, second, third) and
seek to make logical connections
(therefore, after all, however)
Outline Types
• Summary/Response
• In the first half, clearly summarize what the article has said. Then, in the second half,
explain your response.
• This works well for short responses, but for longer responses, the connection
between summary and response can get lost.
• Point-by-Point
• Summarize a point of the article and then respond. Then summarize the next point
and respond.
• This method is clear but can become monotonous if the writer is not careful.
Outline Types
• Independent outline
• After reading the article, write a thesis statement and outline based on things you
want to discuss from the article. Then integrate parts of the article with your own
responses based on your own outline.
• This method works well for communicating one main idea and not losing the writer's
own ideas
• Agreement/Disagreement
• First discuss points that you agree with, summarizing an responding, then discuss
points that you disagree with
• This method is helpful when you are doing a thorough analysis and cannot fully agree
or fully disagree
Outline Types
Any outline should have one
main thesis and clear points.
Your essay always needs to
stay focused on one idea (not
just a topic).
Your Response Essay
Preparing to do it yourself
Your Response Essay
• Choose a full-length, credible article that you want to respond to
• Something that interests you
• Something that you can write about without much extra study
• Something that is worthy of a response
• Write 3-4 pages in Turabian format
• Include an introduction and conclusion
• Have a clear outline
• Use your source
• You need have only one article
• Integrate quotes and paraphrases
• Do more than "cite" the article - interact with it
Examples
Seeing it in practice
Incorporating
Objections
Some may not like this
An objection is not a
rejection; it is simply a
request for more
information.
-Bo Bennet
When to incorporate an objection
• If your argumentative essay never addresses the opposition
• Without any objections, your essay probably tends towards informative
writing
• Without objections, you may lose credibility
• Without objections, you probably cannot substantially contribute to the
larger conversation about a topic
• If there is a well-known argument against one of your ideas
• If you find a certain counter-argument common or especially
persuasive
How to incorporate an objection
• Signal that you are switching
views
• “However, many object by
pointing out…”
• “But Dr. Smith would disagree
by saying…”
• “Of course, this idea seems
illogical when looking at…”
How to incorporate an objection
• Use either objective or
favorable words to discuss
your objection
• Avoid negative words like
“claim,” “complain,” or phrases
that immediately discredit the
objection (i.e. “Some so-called
experts illogically hold that…”)
• If possible, present the
argument in their words
• Quote them
• Use phrases/terminology that they
would probably use
How to incorporate an objection
• After stating their objection,
explain why they hold it
• Present their strongest
evidence
• Spend time discussing why this
evidence seems convincing
How to respond to an objection
• If possible, acknowledge the strength of the objection
• If you can agree with some of it, do so
• If the objection addresses real concerns, acknowledge them
• If you did or still do identify with the objection, say so
• Point out the weakness of the objection
• What did the other view fail to recognize?
• Where did their logical take a wrong turn?
• Why doesn’t their evidence prove their point?
• Transition to your own idea
• Show the hole created by an incorrect argument
• Show how your argument fills that hole
• If necessary, contrast your ideas with the objection to show the superiority
Tips for incorporating objections
Choose objections that are common, forceful, and relevant
Include objections closer to the beginning
Mention several objections, but include at least one full objection
Don’t include so many objections that readers cannot tell what your idea is
Examples
What others have done
Using
rd
3
Person
Turning “They Say, I Say” into “They Say, However…”
Prowling about the rooms,
sitting down, getting up, stirring
the fire, looking out the
window, teasing my hair, sitting
down to write, writing nothing,
writing something and tearing it
up...
-Charles Dickens
Using rhetorical questions in
speeches is a great way to
keep the audience involved.
Don't you think those kinds
of questions would keep
your attention?
-Bo Bennet
Understanding
st
1
I, me, my, we, us, our
Person
Benefits
• In many styles of writing, 1st
person allows the most
natural, up-front language
• 1st person allows you to have
a certain writing “voice” and
include personal examples
• 1st person, combined with 2nd
person, allow you to speak
directly to the reader
Uses in Writing
Use 1st person in informal writing
• Narratives
• Blog writing
• Non-academic writing
Use 1st person to emphasize subjectivity instead of objectivity
• Personal reflections
• Narratives
Avoid 1st person for most academic papers or newsreporting
Substituting
rd
3
Person
He, him, his, they, them, theirs
Substituting
rd
3 Person
• In general, switching from 3rd
person to 1st person involves
separating ideas from “I” and
connecting them to “the facts”
or even “this article”
• But 3rd person never needs to
be stilted, wordy, or colorless
I first want to point out…
I hope to explain to you that…
Introducing an idea
First,…
This essay will show that…(or remove entirely)
Disagreeing with an idea
But I would disagree.
But this view is fundamentally flawed.
However, I would point out that…
However, in reality…/On examining the
evidence…
Clarifying an idea
I don’t mean to say that…
This truth doesn’t imply that…
On the other hand, I want to explain that…
But the other side is equally true:…/Please
understand that…”
Giving a personal example
I have noticed this myself.
Many college students have felt the same.
When I worked nights, I discovered that…
Imagine working nights and
discovering…/Some Europeans work nights
and have discovered that…
Examples
Theological Writing
Writing about God
Atticus told me to
delete the adjectives
and I'd have the
facts.
-Harper Lee
General Principles
•Follow the Bible
•Follow the Holy Spirit
•Understand principles of Hermeneutics
•Seek to persuade
•Have clear structure
Devotional Writing
• This kind of writing is perhaps
the simplest because it
requires only your personal
gleanings from Scripture
• Purpose: Practical application
or encouragement
• Style: Informal, direct,
personal
• Sources: Only the Bible
Devotional Writing - Tips
Don’t try to reach the audience's minds - reach their hearts
Keep it short
Focus on one main verse or short passage
Be practical
Example
Passage Research Paper
• This kind of research essay
focuses only on the
interpretation of a single
passage (perhaps a chapter or
narrative)
• Purpose: Interpretation
• Style: Formal, research-based
• Sources: Bible, Atlas, Bible
dictionary, Lexicon,
commentaries
Passage Research Paper - Tips
Absorb the passage
Look up the context and other passages that contribute
Respond to other people's ideas about the passage
Offer a coherent interpretation
Example
Topic Research Paper
• These essays deal with a
Biblical topic and generally pull
in passages from throughout
the Bible
• Purpose: Doctrine
• Style: Formal, research-based
• Sources: Bible, atlas, bible
dictionary, lexicon,
commentaries
Topic Research Paper - Tips
Don't use verses out of context
Give priority to longer, clearer passages
Synthesize all passages, dealing with apparent
contradictions
Example
Reflective Essay
What do you think?
There are three rules
for writing a novel.
Unfortunately, no one
knows what they are.
-Somerset Maugham
Narrative Essay
Telling a story
I am not sure that the best
way to make a boy love the
English poets might not be
forbid him to read them and
then make sure that he had
plenty of opportunities to
disobey you.
- C.S. Lewis
What is a
narrative essay?
• An essay that tells a story
• Can be true or fiction
• Can be your story or
someone else’s
• Has plot, characters, setting,
climax
• Has a point (thesis)
Structure
• Narratives (usually) still need
an introduction and a
conclusion
• There should be a clear climax
• The most intense or exciting
event that culminates all the
previous details
• The point to which the story has
been moving
• The rest of the story leads up
to the climax or ties up loose
ends after it
Setting
Rising
Action
Climax
Conclusion
Tips
Write what you know
Choose one specific point of view
Use dialogue
Narrative is about showing instead of telling
Examples
Hearing a story