Attitude is everything

when it comes to John Bunyan, Miguel de Cervantes, Daniel

writing Defoe, and O. Henry, all wrote

• Set your mind that masterpieces from behind bars.

you can write from

anywhere—even O. Henry (William Sydney Porter),
from prison. wrote a number of his shorts
stories while serving three (3) years
and three (3) months of a five-year
sentence for bank embezzlement.
 Model Behavior
• “I have played the sedulous ape at Hazlitt, to
Lamb, to Wordsworth, to Sir Thomas Browne,
to Defoe, to Hawthorne, to Montaigne, to
Baudelaire, and to Obermann … that, like it or
not, is the way to learn to write.”
–Robert Louis Stevenson
 READING TO WRITE
Reading is to mind Each kind of writing has its
what exercise is to distinctive features and content.
the body.” • Biographies, for example, tell a
-Richard Steele, essayist story, usually in chronological
order.
• Business letters, in contrast,
often present information in
order of importance, from most
to least important.
FOUR MODES OF
DISCOURSE
 NARRATION DESCRIPTION ARGUMENT
EXPOSITION
ATION
EXPOSITION
EXPOSITION
Writing that explains
It came from the Latin word
exponere which means to
place out
Examples:
“How to” essays such as recipes
and other instructions
Business letters
Personal letters
News stories
Press releases
Reports
Scientific reports
Term papers
NARRATION
Writing that tells a story:
NARRATION
Arabian Nights or
A Thousand and One Nights
• A collection of stories, fairy tales, and fables
gathered from Arabian and Indian folklore
and passed down orally.
• Nearly 200 stories were compiled between
988-1011; about 250 tales appear in standard
collection today.
Scheherazade, the legendary
queen of Samarkand, told her husband,
Schariar, a story each night to keep him
from killing her.
ARGUMENTATION
Writing that persuades:
Persuasion is writing that appeals to
ARGUMENTATION reason, emotion, or ethics. Writing that
appeals specifically to reason is often
called argumentation.

Examples:
Critical Reviews
Editorials
Job evaluation
Job application letter
Letter of recommendation
Resume
DESCRIPTION
Writing that describes: Hells Canyon
Hell Canyon is one of America’s most dramatically
DESCRIPTION beautiful places, a 130,000-acre scenic area extending for
22 miles along the Snake River. The Snake River writhes its
way north, majestically separating the states of Oregon
and Idaho. For some distance, this river flows through the
deepest gorge on the North American continent, Hells
Canyon. To the east, the Seven Devils Range in the canyon
formed by the flat-topped ridge between the Imnaha and
Snake river rises a stunning 5,500 feet. Jutting out into the
canyon are circular rock benches that give a spectacular
observation point. From the crest of the ridges, a person
can look for miles in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and
Montana, across a soft grassy plateau country ad
tumbling masses of mountains. On a clear day, a person
can see into nine national forests. Higher up, the grass give
way to magnificent clear lakes and roaring waterfalls.
PACK THE
ESSENTIALS
• LOGIC
• ORGANIZATION
• PURPOSE IN WRITING
• AUDIENCE ANALYSIS
• STYLE
 Exhibit A

In conclusion, too official reference books on medicine

officially recognized the medical value of allot of Native
American drugs and plants. That’s why everyone should
use herbs today. Only really stupid people ignore herbs; I
mean you gotta be a jerk to not take this stuff. Like the
Indian theirselves, some white guys owed their life to a
medicine mans neat stuff in many Native American tribes,
the medicine man acted like an ceremonial priest, in other
tribes, however, the medicine mans’ job was to help any
one of his people whom got real sick. As a doctor, the
medicine man carried a bag of real cool things to help you.
I read in this book that a prince were cured of some real
bad stuff buy the Indians.
 Exhibit B

In many Native American tribes, the shaman, or the medicine man, acted
as a ceremonial priest. In other tribes, however, the medicine man’s job
was to treat any one of his people who became ill. In his role as a healer,
the medicine man carried a bag of secret herbs and charms to rid the
patient of his sickness. Among the tools of his trade were dried fingers,
deer tails, drum, rattles, and tiny sacks of herbs. Different tribes used
different herbs, depending on what was available in the area and through
trading. The Dakotas, for example, relieved asthma with the powdered root
of skunk cabbage; the Kiowas controlled dandruff with a shampoo made
from soaproot plant. The Cheyenne drank boiled mint to settle upset
stomachs, and the Cree chewed the tiny cones of spruce trees to soothe a
sore throat. Like the Native American themselves, some white
frontiersmen owed their life to a medicine man’s cure. In 1834, for
example, Prince Maximilian was cured of scurvy by the Native American
remedy, eating raw bulbs of garlic. Ultimately, two official reference books
on medicine, the U.S Pharmacopoeia and the National Formulary, officially
recognized the medicine value of 170 Native American drugs, including
mint, yarrow, Indian turnip, and skunk cabbage
• LOGIC

Uses evidence to back up claims

Distinguishes between facts and opinions
Analyzes cause and effect correctly
Makes sense
• ORGANIZATION
UNITY results when every
sentence in paragraph are
related to each other and
the main idea.
 Order of time
 Order of space
 Order of importance
 Order of impression
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-
Avon on 23rd April 1564.
His father William was a successful local businessman, and his mother
Mary was the daughter of a landowner. Relatively prosperous, it is likely the
family paid for Williams education, although there is no evidence he
attended university.
In 1582 William, aged only 18, married an older woman named Anne
Hathaway. They had three children, Susanna, Hamnet and Juliet. Their
only son Hamnet died aged just 11.
After his marriage, information about the life of Shakespeare is sketchy, but
it seems he spent most of his time in London – writing and acting in his
plays.
Due to some well-timed investments, Shakespeare was able to secure a firm
financial background, leaving time for writing and acting. The best of these
investments was buying some real estate near Stratford in 1605, which soon
doubled in value.
It seemed Shakespeare didn’t mind being absent from his family – he only
returned home during Lent when all the theatres were closed. It is thought
that during the 1590s he wrote the majority of his sonnets. This was a time
of prolific writing and his plays developed a good deal of interest and
controversy. His early plays were mainly comedies (e.g. Much Ado about
Nothing, A Midsummer’s Night Dream) and histories (e.g. Henry V)
This beautiful room is sectioned into three
separate living areas. There is a kitchenette/wet
bar area with a sink, and a mini refrigerator, and
a highboy-style dining space. The living room
area boasts a relaxing sitting area with a large
sectional sofa, and a flat screen TV, fireplace,
and French doors leading out onto a patio in the
garden. The bedroom is located off of the living
room, and is a spacious area with a king size
bed and spa bathroom. Additionally, the
bedroom opens up into a second patio area.
The capacious bathroom is tiled in marble with
a roomy shower, spa tub, and a double sink.
• ORGANIZATION
Unity and Coherence
(1) During a thunderstorm, lightning bolts hotter
than the surface of the sun flash across the sky. (2)
These streaks of electricity heat the air around them
to 20,000 degrees Fahrenheit or more. (3) A
lightning bolt lasts a fraction of a second, but it has
enough power—30 million volts—to light up most
of New York City. (4) Because lightning bolts can
be more powerful than an atomic bomb, they can
cause severe injuries and even death.
• PURPOSE IN WRITING

 Inform
 Entertain
 Persuade
 Express
• AUDIENCE ANALYSIS

 Your audience are the

people who are reading
your writing
 Friendly
 Apathetic
 Uninformed
 Hostile
• TONE IN WRITING
 Formal
 Informal
What tone would you create with each of these words? Would it be
positive or negative?
1. Sly 6. Clever
2. Coward 7. Prudent
3. Crave 8. Cautious
4. Stupid 9. Silly
5. Sneaky 10.Vigilant
DETAILS are small pieces
of information that support
the main idea by telling
about people, events,
things, time, objects,
situations, or the way
something happened.
DETAILS fall into these six main categories:

 Examples
 Facts
 Statistics
 Reasons
 Definitions
 Descriptions
TYPES OF DETAILS EXAMPLES
EXAMPLES Florida boasts many famous natives and residents,
including the singer Gloria Estefan and the author
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
FACTS The Capital of Florida is Tallahassee
STATISTICS Florida has 105 state parks with a total of 215, 820
acres
REASONS Many people visit Florida to enjoy its great tourist
attractions and warm weather
DEFINITIONS The name Florida comes from a Spanish word that
means “feast of flowers”
DESCRIPTIONS The majestic palm trees swayed gently in the
brilliant Florida sunshine.
• STYLE
 distinctive way of writing
 made up of word choice,
sentence length and
structure, punctuation,
figures of speech, and tone.
ACHIEVING
UNITY AND
COHERENCE
 There are many types of pets in an average household.
People will often even choose pets according to their
personalities. Some people like small dogs that are easy to
take care of and do not demand a lot of attention. Some
owners prefer strong or vicious dogs, like bulldogs for
example. Other people might like cats because they are
independent and really need no attention at all. Birds provide
people with a lot of company, if you like bird songs, but their
cages need a lot of cleaning. A fish tank is great to look at
but the tanks must be cleaned often as well. Some people
even treat their plants like pets and talk to them. In a zoo,
large animals, like polar bears, are left to themselves in their
cages.
Acceptable Unacceptable
ANSWER:

The paragraph is all about house pets and why

people have different types of pets and even prefer
different types of pets. The last sentence about
animals in a zoo introduces a new topic and breaks
the paragraph unity, because even if it is about
animals, it is no longer about house pets. Remember:
one topic, one paragraph.
1
Thomas uses enumeration well in his essay because from the very
start he talks of the seven wonders of the world, and even mentions this in
the title. He then says he will list his seven wonders but then changes from
the standard one-to-seven list by saying he will keep number one for the
last and start with number two. This change keeps us more interested until
the end. Thomas then lists bacteria, a beetle, a virus, a cell, a termite, and
ends with a human child. Then he finally goes back to number one, the
planet Earth. He also uses excellent description when he talks of the
termite.
Acceptable Unacceptable
ANSWER:

The paragraph is supposed to be all about the author’s

use of enumeration (numbering) as a literary
technique. The paragraph stays on topic until the last
sentence where the student shifts to the author’s use
of description. This breaks paragraph unity by
introducing new off-topic subject matter. The topic of
the paragraph is enumeration and not description.
2
In conclusion, we see that Thomas has clearly centred his choices of seven
wonders in the scientific world, on cells and a virus for example, on the
smallest living things. However, he has also gone to the other end of the
scale with his choices of the human child and the planet Earth. Most
readers would probably agree with the last two choices, and even with
most of the other choices as well, because he is convincing in his
arguments. Just thinking of the development of Earth could keep us busy a
long time. My choices would likely include the modern automobile or jet
plane, I think. What would your choices include? Just making us think about
it all means he has written a successful essay.
Acceptable Unacceptable
ANSWER:

This conclusion paragraph is unified and all about

choices: Thomas’s choices, the student’s choices, and
even the grader’s choices. All the sentences in the
paragraph are related to the topic of choices. The
paragraph includes some comments suitable for an
essay conclusion in asking the reader what he or she
thinks.
3
It is not clear whether Thomas wants the child or the planet
Earth as his top choice. This makes the essay confusing and
leaves us with unanswered questions. This is not the way to
impress a reader.
Acceptable Unacceptable
ANSWER:

This paragraph is too short, even though it centres on

one idea, once again, the choices made by Thomas. It
also doesn’t make much sense and lacks focus in that
the student has clearly misread the opening paragraphs
where Thomas says he will keep his top choice for the
end and start with number two. It is important to make
sure you clearly understand the original text before you
begin writing.
4
It is true that we like to wonder about the world around us,
and this it what Thomas writes about. He contrasts things as
great as the planet Earth with bacteria. He clearly thinks we
need to be more careful about our environment; if we don’t,
we are threatening our future. Even a casual dinner party will
sometimes find people talking about very scientific things like a
virus or beetle. I had a pet dog that died after a virus attack of
some kind. All children grow old and are different from one
another because of genetics. That’s the way it is.
Acceptable Unacceptable
ANSWER:

While this paragraph makes some interesting points, it

jumps around far too much from one idea to another. It
contains five or six potential topic sentences, each of
which could anchor a paragraph of its own. It is too
general to be an introduction paragraph. It clearly lacks
unity and coherence. Remember, one idea, one
paragraph.
5
Every human likes to wonder by nature. We wonder where our
next meal is coming from or whether we have enough money
to go out the next weekend. We wonder whether we might all
catch a virus or disease if we are not careful, but what can we
do? We also need to take care of our environment and car
pollution is a major problem. Most large cars are gas guzzlers
and the gas is even getting more and more expensive. Who can
afford a car anymore? Who needs a car anymore? We must
control our natural resources. No wonder we are unhappy.
Acceptable Unacceptable
ANSWER:

Here the paragraph moves from one idea to another,

lacks focus and is even incoherent at times. The
sentences jump from one idea to another and get too
far away from the original text and from the wonders
Thomas presents to us.
 “What is written without
effort is generally read without
pleasure”
-Samuel Johnson
A sentence is a group of words with
two main parts: a subject and a predicate.
Together, these parts express a complete
thought.

A subject is the noun or pronoun that

names the person, place or thing that tells
what the sentence is about. A predicate
includes a verb that tells what the subject is
or does.
To be a sentence, a group of words must:
1. Have a subject (noun or pronoun)
2. Have a predicate (verb or verb phrase)
3. Express a complete thought
Here are some examples:

Not a sentence: Zooms out of your mouth at over 600 m.p.h.

(missing a subject)

Sentence: A sneeze zooms out of your mouth at over 600 m.p.h.

Not a sentence: Because every person has a unique tongue print.

(not a complete thought)

Sentence: Every person has a unique tongue print.

To write great sentences, remember these points.

Effective sentences are clear.

This sentence is not clear: Eye drops off shelf.
Does this mean that an eye fell off a
shelf or that eye drops are no longer
being sold in the store?
Here is a clear revision:

The eye drops have been taken off the shelf.

Effective sentences are complete.
Effective sentences are correct.
What’s wrong with the
following sentence?

Three-year-old teacher needed for

preschool students. Experience is
preferred.
The sentence is not correct because it says that
the teacher must be three years old. We assume
that is not the case, but we have only the
sentence to go by.
Here is a correct revision:

Teacher needed for three-year-old

preschool students. Experience is
preferred.
The following sentences all contain the same information, but notice how the
meaning changes based on the information that’s placed first:
 Our survey revealed that 44 percent of all Americans reuse aluminum foil.
(“Survey” is the subject.)
 Forty-four percent of all Americans reuse aluminum foil.
(“Forty-four percent” grabs your attention because it’s first)
 Reusing aluminum foil is done by 44 percent of all Americans surveyed.
(“Reusing aluminum foil” is the subject.)
 Of all the Americans included in the survey, 44 percent reuse aluminum foil.
(“Of all the Americans” gets the top billing.)
Make the choice by thinking
which fact is more important.
The sentence that puts that
information first is most
effective.
 What is the longest word or a sentence on record?

A book called Gates of Paradise by

George Andrezeyevski“ has no
punctuation.
 Words
Words
words
words
words
words
There’s a word for it
 Shakespeare had a large vocabulary, using
22, 000 different words in his plays, compared
to 6,000 different words used in the entire Old
testament.
 Word Meaning

Bottom-feeder An opportunist who seeks

quick profit, usually at the
expense of others or from
their misfortune.
Comfort food Food prepared in a
traditional style having a
nostalgic or sentimental
appeal.
 Word Meaning

Ecoterrorism Sabotage intended to

hinder activities that are
considered damaging to
the environment.
Trash talk Disparaging, taunting, or
boastful comments,
especially between
opponents trying to
intimidate each other.
Diction is the writer’s choice
of words
Denotation
is a word’s definition

Connotation
is a word’s emotional
overtones
 Assertive
considered desirable trait

Aggressive
excessive force, or
hostility
 Exonerated,
vindicated, pure
1. Prestigious
2. Notorious
3. Economical
4. Cheap
5. Guru
6. Pedant
7. Diplomat
8. Bureaucrat
9. Resolute
10. Stubborn
11. Plump
12. Fat
Word Denotation Connotation
Prestigious celebrated Positive
Notorious Infamous Negative
Economical Thrifty Positive
Cheap Parsimonious Negative
Guru Teacher, wise guide Positive
Pedant Teacher, a bore Negative
Diplomat Ambassador Positive
Bureaucrat Official, a petty paper pusher Negative
Resolute Determined Positive
Stubborn Obstinate Negative
Plump Chubby Positive
Fat overweight Negative