College Writing - Rad
The Writing
I. PREWRITING:
Process
Gathering Ideas & Information
Thinking
Journaling
Brainstorming
Freewriting
Researching
Talking
Reading
Webbing
Vacuuming
II. WRITING:
Organizing Ideas & Information
Graphic Organizers – venn diagrams, webs…
Outlines (see opposite side)
Documentation – leadins, internal documentation, works cited
III. REWRITING:
Refining ideas and language
Revising for:
Coherence – everything in essay makes sense
Unity – every idea, example, testimonial, etc. supports thesis
Style – rhetorical devices, purposeful, engaging, and effective
Editing for correctness (spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc.)
Ms. Radlinger
College Writing
Five Paragraph Essay
Introductory Paragraph: This starts
with a lead or attention getter
(question, interesting fact, quote,
anecdote) to gain the reader’s attention.
Slope sentences are sentences
which guide the reader from the lead
sentence to the thesis. The last sentence
in the introduction is the thesis, which
is the controlling idea and contains the
topics for each paragraph in the
body of the paper.
Body: This contains the three paragraphs.
Each paragraph consists of eleven sentences:
a topic sentence supported by three
general statements. Each general statement
is supported by an example* which is then
supported by an explanation. Finally, the
paragraph ends with the concluding sentence
or clincher which ties it all together. Transitions
are crucial to a well written paragraph.
Transitions should be used at the beginning
of 60% of the sentences in a paragraph.
Transitions are: first, second, third, for example,
in addition, next, finally. Subordinate conjunctions
(even though, although, since, if, when)
function as transitions as well.
Attention getter
slope
thesis
(topic + attitude + 3 major points)
topic sentence
general statement #1
example or A.W.E.
explanation
general statement #2
example or A.W.E
explanation
general statement #3
example or A.W.E>
explanation
Concluding sentence
*Examples & Internal Documentation
Each body paragraph must contain three specific
examples from your personal knowledge or
research. Information taken from a source
will be written in the form of a direct quote,
summary or paraphrase. Make sure to include
the author & page number in parentheses after
the example (Jones 31).
Concluding Paragraph: This paragraph starts
with a restatement of the thesis sentence.
Slope sentences tie the restated thesis to the
clincher sentence(s) which refer back to the
lead in the introductory paragraph and
thesis
restated
slope sentences
closing or clincher
indicate the end of the essay.