Writing Tips

How To Edit

1. While you are writing your first draft, make your mental editor leave
the room. You need to get your ideas down.
2. After you are finished your first draft, ask yourself, "Does this piece
of writing say what I want it to say, and nothing else? "
3. Take out anything that isn't necessary. Add anything that is necessary.
4. Move things around until you like what it says.
This is your second draft.
5. NOW, you can proofread it.
6. Read it out loud to yourself. This will help you find missing words,
extra words, spelling errors, and confusing bits.
7. Read it out loud to another person. If he doesn't understand something
you have written, that's not his fault. You need to be clearer.
Then have the other person read it and suggest any corrections (spelling and
grammar, but also clarity, brevity, and good word choice)
8. Make the changes. This is your third draft.
9. NOW give it to Mr. Le Moine
10. He will circle spelling, grammar, or other problems.
11. Find the problems, and fix them.
12. Put any words you have misspelled in your notebook.
13. Hand in your final copy.

Writing a Paragraph

Writing Paragraphs
A paragraph is a group of sentences which talk about a single topic. The
paragraph sticks to the point, is well-developed, and has a topic sentence.

Sticking to the point means:

Every sentence is related to the topic.
If it doesn't belong in the paragraph, take it out.
Well-developed means:

The sentences are in a sensible order. You can go from general to specific,
and from positive to negative, or any other way of organizing the
information, but it must be organized somehow. Don't just throw sentences
together and call them a paragraph.
The writing flows well and is easy to read. Vary sentence length, and link
the sentences with transition words. Repeat key words, synonyms, and
pronouns so your reader knows you're still talking about the same thing, but
don't over-use them or the reader will get bored. Use active voice. Please
do not confuse your reader.
A topic sentence gives a good idea of the main topic of the paragraph. It
usually goes at the beginning of the paragraph. In a topic sentence, you can:

Make a point you want to prove
Introduce a list
Ask a question you are going to answer.
PLEASE AVOID what I call "picture frame" topic sentences. These are
sentences that don't have any content. For instance, "This is my paragraph
about bears." "This has been my paragraph about bears."

Persuasion

If you want to make someone agree with you, persuasive writing skill is
important. Here are some things you can do to write persuasively:

Reason:
Make a logical argument for your way of thinking. Use "If . . . then . . .
because" statements. Present logical reasons why your choice is the best.

Character:
Appeal to what is right and fair. Your reader wants to be a good person;
tell them that your choice is the most moral and right.

Emotion:
Ask your reader how he or she would feel. Show how your choice as the one
which would make them feel best. Ask them to put themselves in someone
else's place. Tell them how they should feel.

Testimonial:
Give an example of someone who believes in your opinion. Tell a little story
about that person. Provide a quotation from that person, agreeing with you.

Expert opinion:
If someone with a great deal of knowledge agrees with your point of view,
say so.

Bandwagon:
If most people agree with you, if everybody's doing it, if all your friends
hold the same opinion, this persuades people even when it's wrong.

Appeal to greed:
Make it seem less expensive, cheaper, or even free to do what you are
suggesting. Offer something for nothing, or a great deal of value for a very
little investment.

Appeal to laziness:
Make it seem easier and more convenient for your reader to follow your
opinion. Offer them more free time, less effort, or more relaxation.

Argue against the contrary:
A very effective way to deal with objections is to think of those objections
in advance and come up with reasons why the objections are not good. First,
you can state the objections in a way that makes them seem weak. Second, you
get your words in before the reader can object to them.

Analogy:
Compare one thing to another. Use simile and metaphor.

Word choice:
Word choice is a very effective tool. Sometimes one word has a negative
feeling, while its synonym has a positive one. We call this connotation. If
you want your reader to like something, use words with positive
connotations. If you want them to dislike it, use negative connotations.

Use humor:
Be careful with humor. You don't want it to backfire. Making fun of people
who disagree with you often works if your reader already is on your side,
but makes your reader angry otherwise. You can make jokes to relax your
reader and get him or her to agree with you.

Rhetorical questions:
Rhetorical questions are questions that don't really expect an answer. They
are used for effect. For example: "Wouldn't you really rather have good food
than bad?" is a rhetorical question. These force your reader to agree with
you.

Generalize:
Make general statements that nobody can disagree with, and then make it seem
as if they support your opinion. "We all want peace." is a generalization,
and you could use it to support both invasion of Iraq and withdrawal of
troops. Watch out for this. It's a weak spot in your argument if your reader
notices it.

Transfer and association:
Commercials do this all the time. They use attractive people having fun to
demonstrate their products, and the audience thinks that the product will
make someone attractive and happy. Again, this can backfire if your reader
notices that your example has nothing to do with your opinion.

Repetition:
Another dangerous technique, but sometimes effective. If you just repeat
something often enough, people remember it and start to agree with it.

COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID

Comma Splices
A comma splice is the use of a comma between two independent clauses. You
can usually fix the error by changing the comma to a period and therefore
making the two clauses into two separate sentences, by changing the comma to
a semicolon, or by making one clause subordinate by inserting a dependent
marker word in front of it.
Incorrect: I like this class, it is very interesting.
Correct: I like this class. It is very interesting.
(or ) I like this class; it is very interesting.
(or) I like this class and it is very interesting.
(or ) I like this class because it is very interesting.
(or ) Because it is very interesting, I like this class.

Fused Sentences
Fused sentences happen when there are two independent clauses not separated
by any form of punctuation. This error is also known as a run-on sentence.
The error can sometimes be corrected by adding a period, semicolon, or colon
to separate the two sentences.
Incorrect : My professor is intelligent I've learned a lot from her.
Correct: My professor is intelligent. I've learned a lot from her.
(or ) My professor is intelligent; I've learned a lot from her.
(or ) My professor is intelligent and I've learned a lot from her.
(or ) My professor is intelligent; moreover, I've learned a lot from her.

Sentence Fragments
Sentence fragments happen by treating a dependent clause or other incomplete
thought as a complete sentence. You can usually fix this error by combining
it with another sentence to make a complete thought or by removing the
dependent marker.
Incorrect: Because I forgot the exam was today.
Correct: Because I forgot the exam was today, I didn't study.
(or ) I forgot the exam was today.