Writing the draft
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The document provides guidance on writing the draft of an essay. It recommends creating a title that reflects the topic and is attention-grabbing. The draft should have a fully developed introduction with a thesis statement, body paragraphs with topic sentences and examples supporting the thesis, and a conclusion that restates the main point without introducing new ideas. Effective editing and revising of the draft is important to developing a coherent essay.
Writing the draft
- 1. Part II: Writing the Draft
- 2. II. Writing During the Writing Stage, you should Create your essay’s Title Compose a draft A Draft is the first whole version of all your ideas put together; it’s a “dress rehearsal.” You should plan to revise your Draft several times throughout the writing process.
- 3. Creating Your Title Your essay’s title should : Be original Be a reasonable length Reflect your topic Be lively and attention-getting Your title should NOT : Be generic/repeat the assignment Be in ALL CAPS Be in boldface , “quotation marks,” underlined , or italicized Be followed by a period
- 4. Titles, continued Capitalization Rules for Titles: Always capitalize the first letter of the first word and the last word. Capitalize the first letter of each “important” word in between the first and last words. Do not capitalize articles (a, an, the) Do not capitalize coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, etc.) Do not capitalize prepositions (on, at, in, off, etc.)
- 5. Effective vs. Ineffective Titles Topic: Cheating in College Effective Titles: Cheaters Never Win! Cheating in Higher Education Why Do Students Cheat? Ineffective Titles: Don’t Do It! Cheating Students Cheat for Many Different Reasons.
- 6. Writing a Draft Basics of a good draft: Has a fully developed introduction and conclusion Has fully developed body paragraphs, each containing a topic sentence, at least two examples, and detailed support Follows standard structure and uses complete sentences
- 7. Write Your Introduction Your introductory paragraph should do the following: Be a minimum of 4-6 sentences Tell the audience what to expect from your discussion (thesis) Move from general to specific, with the thesis as the last sentence in the intro Get the reader’s attention Set the tone for the rest of the essay
- 8. Introduction, continued Strategies for developing an Introduction include Providing background information Telling a personal anecdote Beginning with a quotation Using an opposite Asking a question
- 9. Write Your Body Paragraphs Each body paragraph should develop one of the specific points mentioned in the thesis. Each BP should contain: Topic Sentence—main idea of BP Primary Support—examples Secondary Support—details
- 10. Body Paragraphs: Topic Sentence A Topic Sentence expresses the main idea of the body paragraph. Begin each body paragraph with a Topic Sentence that Narrows the focus of the paragraph Accurately predicts the direction of the paragraph Refers back to the Thesis statement
- 11. Body Paragraphs continued Body paragraphs must have Unity —everything refers back to main point Support —examples and details Coherence —all points connect to form a whole; one point leads to another
- 12. Body Paragraphs: Unity Unity is achieved when everything refers back to the main point All sentences should relate back to topic sentence & thesis . Do not include any ideas that are irrelevant or off-topic.
- 13. Body Paragraphs: Support Support is achieved through adequate examples and details. Each body paragraph should include at least two examples to support the main idea of the paragraph. Each example should include at least one specific detail that further illustrates the point.
- 14. Body Paragraphs: Coherence Coherence is achieved when all points connect to form a whole; one point leads to another. Coherence is mainly achieved through the use of transitions. Transitions —words & phrases which connect your sentences so that your writing flows smoothly.
- 15. Write Your Conclusion The concluding paragraph should Contain a minimum of 4 sentences Refer back to the main point, but not simply repeat the thesis Make an observation on what is written NOT introduce any new ideas Create a sense of closure