REVIEW OF UNIT 6: THE FIRST DRAFTOverview of Unit 7: Revision

Welcome to Effective Writing 1- CM 107

Christine Danelski, Ph.D.

UNIT 6 REVIEW:

Unit 6 Reading & Viewing: Course Overview: Link to pdf “Writing

Types & Tools” and link to video “Kaplan Online Library Research Tutorial”

Reading: Two readings on how to overcome writer’s block, readings on creating outlines from The Kaplan Guide to Successful Writing and a Writing Center ppt presentation on outlining and a second Writing Center ppt presentation of writing a strong first draft! All are useful. Check them out!

UNIT 6 REVIEW:

Discussion Board: Generate ideas for your Unit 6 Project by creating a fun and original dialogue between two people and respond to two postings by fellow classmates. (Note: In the sample posting on the DB one full citation is included for a reliable source of information used in the dialogue.

Unit 6 Project: Write a 400-500 word draft using at least 2 reliable sources with APA formatting and citations. A separate title and reference page should be included.

UNIT 6 REVIEW: Learning Journal: Think about what effective

writing is to you. Define it in your own words and pick one piece of writing you remember that you think demonstrates effective writing. It should be nonfiction rather than a poem, short story or novel. Who wrote it, what is it about, and why do you think this piece of writing is effective?

Learning Activities: Continue grammar review with a focus on pronoun use, making sure that when you write, you choose the appropriate form of the pronoun (I or me, for example), along with making sure that the pronouns you use are correct.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM UNITS 1-6?

UNIT 7 OVERVIEW: READING & VIEWING See Unit 7 Overview for pdf link on editing

and revising. For information on the peer-review

process, review Chapter 16 of The KU Guide to Successful Writing

For help with beginning the revision process, review the following Writing Center workshop recording: https://khe2.adobeconnect.com/_a769721248/p35775361/?launcher=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal

UNIT 7 OVERVIEW: DISCUSSION BOARD

For this Discussion, post the draft of your Final Project essay you submitted to the Unit 6 Dropbox. (Do not attach the project file. Simply cut and paste the draft part.) Along with your draft, help your classmates to see what you need help with by writing a short paragraph explaining to them what you see as the strengths and weaknesses of your draft and telling them what you already plan to work on to make the draft stronger. This will give your classmates help with offering the most valuable constructive advice possible.

Then select two classmates’ drafts to respond to. Remember to spread the wealth. Do not review a classmate’s draft if that classmate already has received two peer reviews. This will guarantee that everyone gets helpful advice.

UNIT 7 OVERVIEW:

Seminar: Review of Unit 6 Assignments & Overview of Unit 7 or do Option 2 by Friday.

Learning Journal: This week, you are in effect helping to mentor your classmates by offering them advice on improving their drafts. Has anyone ever served as a mentor to you or have you yourself served as a mentor to someone else? Describe a specific situation where you were either a mentor or someone being mentored, focusing on how this experience was helpful to both you and the other person or people involved.

Learning Activities: Solving problems with sentence structure.

SCHEDULE YOUR TIME FOR REVISING

Make a schedule for revising and stick as closely to it as possible.

Do not revise the entire essay in one sitting.

You can do it all if you begin now!

REMEMBER THE PROCESS . . .

The most common way students get “lost” in the essay is by not following the process for writing.

The topic, thesis, and outline have been parts of this process.

The draft and receiving feedback will be important parts of the same process; all this work is connected.

Take time to make time; create a schedule for your work so that you can juggle all the responsibilities in your life.

SEEKING HELP

Ask for help when you need it! Your instructor is eager to help, but many times cannot help on the day before a project is due because there is not enough time.

Also use the Kaplan Writing Center as part of your writing process from beginning to final draft.

What other helpers, resources, and “amulets” exist?

BUILDING PARAGRAPHS

Let’s look at how one student organized her work.

On the next page, you’ll see a highlighted paragraph. The functions of each paragraph have been highlighted as:

1: Topic Sentence 2: Supporting Details 3. Closing Sentence

BODY PARAGRAPHS Example body paragraph (thesis key point 1): topic

sentence, support, closing sentence At the outset, Internet publishing promises writers

powerful representation from major book vendors. For example, many Internet publishers have deals with industry giants such as Barnes and Noble and Amazon. In exchange for shared royalties, these booksellers list, promote, and sell both self-published and so-called “virtual reads” to their customer base (Lowell, 2005). This powerful marketing tool means that a writer can self-publish while having the selling advantage of those who have waited a long time to find print-publishing acceptance. This advantage can be attractive, as seen in the over 59 percent 2004-2005 increase in self-published and electronic books (Lowell, 2005). As more booksellers agree to sign on for print-on-demand and e-book partnerships, the reading world can expect more authors to take this virtual publishing route.

REV

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What is the difference between revising and editing?

REVISING: REVIEWING THE STRUCTURE, AUDIENCE, AND PURPOSE Step 1: Review each body paragraph of the essay:

• Check the structure• Check the topic, supporting, and closing sentences for expression• Check the evidence• Consider the modes used/that could be used

Step 2: Review the introduction:• Check the main parts of an introduction• Check the functions of an introduction

Step 3: Review the conclusion:• Check the main parts of a conclusion• Check the functions of a conclusion

Step 4: Consider your target audienceStep 5: Review the purpose

Revising means “to look at [the content] again.

Focus on the ideas and their expression

Read out loud

Get away for a while

Use a helpful acronym:

ARMS: Add? Remove? Move? Substitute?

FACT: Fit? Add? Cut? Test?

Use invention strategies

Review discarded ideas (e.g., the “trash” file)

Any other successful strategies?

WHAT ARE SOME TIPS FOR REVISING A PAPER?

WHAT IS EDITING? WHAT ARE SOME TIPS FOR EDITING A PAPER?

• Get away for a while• Read it out loud• Make your words work!• Check the last word in sentences. Are they working?• Don’t be boring!• Add variety in diction and syntax• Use parallelism• Check coherence (e.g., transitions)• Check for punctuation—under use and over use• Don’t be “Double-Preposition Man/Woman”• Check for typos and wrong words • Avoid lapsing into the informal first or second person in an academic paper. Narrating your internal thought process should also be avoided. • Avoid unnecessary jawbreaker words and “triangulation strangulation.” • Other tips?

PROOFREADING VERSUS SPELL CHECK

Spell check is a good first pass of your document, but it should not be relied on to catch every error. For example, spell check won’t catch misused words, only misspelled words.

The same goes for Noodletools and other writing resources.

They are good tools, but you must be the one who knows how to use them.

MISUSED WORDS

Homophones—words that sound the same but have different spellings

Homonyms—words that sound the same and look the same. However, they have different meanings.

Since the words sound alike but have different meanings, homophones won’t usually be caught by spell check.

I or eye?Its or it’s

Defiantly or Definitely?

HOMOPHONES

Examples of these words are:

affect vs. effect      elicit vs. illicit    there, their, they're lead vs. ledtoo, two, to            may be vs. maybethen vs. than          principal vs. principleloose vs. lose          desert vs. dessert

DO YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCES IN THESE PAIRS?

Most stores (except/accept) American Express.

The (affect/effect) of the storm was frightening.

Carmen is (already/all ready) in class. Marcus is under the (allusion/illusion) that he

is famous.

AS YOU EDIT . . . Keep in mind that a sentence does not have

to be brief to be effective; long sentences can be worthwhile, too.

In fact, an essay’s sentence length and structure should vary.

Some sentences should be brief and others should be longer.

Punctuation and the “sound” of sentences should vary.

However, every word should be necessary.

PARAGRAPH WITH TOO MANY SHORT SENTENCES

Autism may be caused by injections. Specifically, the injections given to infants are suspect. Booster shots for tetanus, measles, and Diphtheria may contain thermasol. Thermasol is a preservative made with mercury (Tyson, 2004). Preservatives are added to give the drugs a longer shelf life. Some bodies are not able to process mercury. This may put those people at risk for developing autism at “a rate of more than 500%, particularly those with a familial tendency toward autism” (Jackson, 2006, p.7).

PARAGRAPH WITH TOO MANY LONG SENTENCES It seems impossible to not see the link between

injections for children and the rise of autism in our country. Because American children receive a host of preventative inoculations such as measles/mumps/rubella, diphtheria/tetanus, chicken pox, and hepatitis, many experts believe the quality and quantity of the injections are problematic in the long term. With millions of dollars of profit at risk, pharmaceutical companies are choosing to include a mercury preservative that gives these injections a longer shelf life. Thermasol, the mercury preservative in question, leaves a residue behind in the system, and in particular the nervous system (Tyson, 2004). Interrupting the way the way the brain and nerves grow puts people at risk for developing autism at “a rate of more than 500%, particularly those with a familial tendency toward autism” (Jackson, 2006, p.7).

PARAGRAPH WITH A BALANCE It seems impossible to not see the link between

injections for children and the rise of autism in our country. Specifically, the injections given to infants are suspect. Because American children receive a host of preventative inoculations such as measles/mumps/rubella, diphtheria/tetanus, chicken pox, and hepatitis, many experts believe the quality and quantity of the injections are problematic in the long term. Thermasol is a preservative made with mercury (Tyson, 2004). Preservatives are added to give the drugs a longer shelf life. Some bodies are not able to process mercury and the nervous system suffers. Interrupting the way the way the brain and nerves grow puts people at risk for developing autism at “a rate of more than 500%, particularly those with a familial tendency toward autism” (Jackson, 2006, p.7).

WHAT QUESTIONS ARE THERE ON APA STYLE AND FORMAT?

ARE THERE ANY REMAINING QUESTIONS OR TIPS ON REVISING OR EDITING?

LOOKING AHEAD TO UNIT 8:

Reading: For advice on writing strong introductions

and conclusions, review the following Writing Center information: http://khe2.acrobat.com/p44415570/

For help with revision strategies, review the following Writing Center information: https://kucampus.kaplan.edu/DocumentStore/Docs11/pdf/WC/RevisionWorkshop.pdf

The Kaplan Guide to Successful Writing, Chapter 14, pp. 169-204k

LOOKING AHEAD TO UNIT 8:

Discussion Board: Part One: For this part of the Discussion, think about all this

feedback and write a statement briefly summarizing these suggestions, focusing on what you think are the most helpful suggestions you have received. Then write a brief plan for moving forward with your revision of your draft. Be positive and remember that feedback is intended not to point out errors but to help you to make your writing stronger.

Part Two: For Part Two of this Discussion, using the reading assignment from The KU Guide to Successful Writing and the Writing Center material on writing effective introductions and conclusions, write or revise the introduction and conclusion to your Final Project essay draft and post them here.

Respond to two classmates’ primary posts.

LOOKING AHEAD TO UNIT 8: Seminar: Review of Unit 7 & Overview of Unit 8 Quiz: Grammar Post-Test

This Quiz is worth 50 points. Remember that you can review any of the Grammar Review lessons covered in Units 2-8 before you take this Quiz.

Learning Journal For your final journal entry, please reflect on the

following issues: What are you most proud of in your writing development so far? What skills have you learned and how are they helping you to become a stronger writer? What is the Project you are working on now teaching you about yourself, your writing skills, and the subject you are writing about?

Learning Activities Avoiding confusing words: View workshop & take pretest.

THANKS FOR ATTENDING LIVE SEMINAR!

Remember most of the work is due Tuesday at 11:59 pm. Option 2 for the seminar is due Friday at 11:59 pm.

You can reach me via email or chat with me before or after class via AIM: CDanelski2 or cdanelski@kaplan.edu.

Time management is the key to success!