Steps to Writing Well-—Reading Notes
Table of Contents
- 1. Chapter 1 Prewriting
- 2. Chapter 2 The thesis statement
- 3. Chapter 3 The body paragraphs
- 4. Chapter 4 Beginnings and Endings
- 5. Chapter 5 Drafting and Revising: Creative Thinking , Critical Thinking
- 6. Chapter 6 Effective Sentences
- 7. Chapter 7 Word Logic
- 8. Chapter 8 The Reading-Writing Connection
- 9. Exposotion(说明文)
This post is used to record the learning process of my reading and writing. It is clear to me that English reading&writing require great effort to be a real player in them, but the time is limited, and the best choice is to write down whatever is valuable.
1 Chapter 1 Prewriting
- It is important to keep in mind that you have something valuable and important to tell your readers.
- It‘s not enough that these valuable ideas are clear to you, the writer. It is only when you communicate your ideas clearly and precisely to others that you truly know what you have in mind.
- Whenever possible, select a subject that is of great interest to you, and always give yourself more time than you think you‘ll need to work on your essay.
- Try to narrow the subject to a specific focus.
- Keep a journal to help you explore good ideas and possible topics.
2 Chapter 2 The thesis statement
- A thesis statement declares the main point of your essay, it tells the reader what clearly defined opinion you hold.
- Everything in your essay should support your thesis statement.
- A good thesis statement asserts one main idea, and is stated in clear, specific terms.
- The thesis statement makes a reasonable claim about a topic that is of interest to its readers as well as to its writers.
3 Chapter 3 The body paragraphs
- Each body paragraph usually contains one major point in the discussion promised by the thesis statement;
- Each major point is presented in the topic sentence of a paragraph;
- Each paragraph should be adequately developed with clear supporting detail;
- Every sentence in the paragraph should support the topic sentence;
- There should be an orderly, logical flow from sentence to sentence and from thought to thought;
- The sequence of your essay‘s paragraphs should be logical and effective;
- There should be a smooth flow from paragraph to paragraph;
- The body paragraph should successfully persuade your reader that the opinion expressed in your thesis is valid.
4 Chapter 4 Beginnings and Endings
- It is beneficial to add a lead-in to the essays, the first sentence of the introductory paragraph that attract the readers‘ attention and smoothly set up the thesis statement;
- Essays should end convincingly, without being repetitious or trite, with thoughts that emphasize the writer‘s main purpose;
- Titles should invite the readers‘ interest by indicating the general nature of the essay‘s content and its tone.
5 Chapter 5 Drafting and Revising: Creative Thinking , Critical Thinking
- Revision is an activity that occurs in all stages of the writing process;
- Revision involves important decisions about the essay‘s ideas, organization, and development;
6 Chapter 6 Effective Sentences
- Keep in mind to write the sentences informative, straightforward, and precise;
- In order to communicate the ideas more easily and concisely, be sure to cut out deadwood, redundancies, confusing passives, and pretentious language;
- You can maintain your readers‘ interest in your ideas if you cultivate an engaging style offering a variety of pleasing sentence constructions.
7 Chapter 7 Word Logic
- Consult a dictionary if you are in doubt about the meaning or usage of a particular word;
- Choose words that are appropriate for your purpose and audience;
- Choose words that are clear, specific, and fresh rather than vague, bland, or cliched;
8 Chapter 8 The Reading-Writing Connection
- Reading and analyzing essays can improve your writing skills;
- Learning to recognize and evaluate the strategies and stylistic techniques of other writers will help you plan and shape your own essays;
- Reading analytically takes time and practice but is well worth the extra effort;
- Learning to summarize reading material accurately can objectively is an important skill, useful in school and at work;
8.1 Tips for writing summary
- Reading the material carefully, and find the thesis and main ideas of the author;
- Always include the author‘s name and the title of the original text, sometimes the source and publication date are needed, too;
- Using your own words to express the author‘s ideas clearly and concisely;
- Omit all references to supporting examples and details;
- Do not give your own opinion or interpretation of the material you are summarizing.
9 Exposotion(说明文)
9.1 The Strategies of Exposition
- Development by Example. In order to provide a vivid discussion to the problem, it is necessary to choose detailed and precise examples to explain the topic sentences. That is, choose the examples to support the general statements.
- Development by Process Analysis.There are two kinds of process analysis
essays: directional and informative. In both cases, the following steps
should be followed:
1). Select an appropriate subject;
2). Describe any necessary equipment and define special terms;
3). State your steps in a logical, chronological order;
4). Explain each step clearly, sufficiently and accurately;
5). Organize steps effectively;
6). Don‘t forget about the significance of the conclusion.
