Prewrite: Jot down a few of the words that come to mind when you think of writing. Think of any significant experiences you have had that have shaped your attitude toward writing. Consider your writing habits. Are you organized? Do you procrastinate?
Plan: look over your prewriting. Try to sum up your attitude toward writing in a single word or phrase, and then construct an opening sentence for your paragraph using that word or phrase. Use one of the following sentences, filling in the blank with your word or phrase, or construct your own sentence.
* My attitude toward writing is____________.
* When I think about writing, I feel____________.
* My feelings about writing have always been _____________ones.
Once you have constructed an opening sentence, decide how to organize your paragraph. A couple of possibilities are listed here.
1. Take a historical approach, describing the influences that have shaped your writing. Use chronological (time) order.
2. Take a step-by-step approach, describing what you do and how you feel as you go through a writing assignment.
Finally, complete the planning stage by making an outline that briefly lists the points you plan to make in support of your opening sentence.
Draft: Write out a rough draft of your paragraph. Focus on expressing your ideas rather than on grammar and punctuation.
Revise: Read over your rough draft. Have you left out anything important? Is each idea clearly expressed? Does the paragraph flow smoothly? Is the sequence of idea logical and effective?
Proofread: Check your paragraph for mistakes in spelling, grammar, or punctuation. Look at each sentence individually. Then proofread once more. You have now completed all the steps in the writing process.
Step 2 Write a paper.
In a one-page paper, address the following:
• Perform each step as directed in the handout: Prewrite, Plan, Draft, Revise, and Proofread.
• Clearly label each step so it is clear how you progressed from your initial paragraph to your final version.
Part B Revise the sentences.
• Revise the following sentences so that the subject and verb of each sentence identify key actors and actions:
• The dedication of professors to multiculturalism is crucial to encouraging students of all races to succeed.
• Currently, the percentage of full-time African-American professors teaching in American universities is less than eight.
• Revise the following groups of sentences. Combine each group of sentences into a single cohesive sentence.
• Plato was born around 428 B.C. His family was part of the Roman aristocracy. Many of his family members were active in politics. But Plato consciously resisted ever becoming a statesman himself.
• Socrates was a prominent influence in Plato's education. Socrates taught Plato the importance of ethical inquiry. Socrates also helped shape Plato's political philosophy.
• Socrates is the main figure in Plato's Republic. It is through Socrates's insistence on logic that readers see how irrational human behavior can be.
Part C Rewrite the following paragraph.
Add colons and semicolons where needed. Note that a spelling/grammar-checker does not always catch these errors.
One of the most exciting experiences in my life was traveling to Uruguay in South America in June of 2005, through the end of August. I stayed with a family of four mama, papa, Guillermo, and baby. They had an older sister, Michelle she was already married and living with her husband. Papa was a T.V. and radio announcer. The schools were closed at that time, so the young people spent every day walking around the city and talking about everything we could think of life, relationships, the future, and religion. One of the most interesting features in the city was el Cerro, which means "the hill." It was the only real hill in Montevideo at the top we had an amazing view of the city. I brought the following in a picnic for the trip tortillas, tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese. Someday I hope to take my own family on a trip like this one.
Example: We landed in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for three reasons the weather was bad, the crew had the flu, and the fuel was getting low it was an exciting trip.
??Revision: We landed in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for three reasons: the weather was bad, the crew had the flu, and the fuel was getting low; it was an exciting trip.