Writing

Marco Ponce Version 1 Year ?06-?07 CH 4 Paragraphs * Paragraphs help guide readers through longer pieces of writing. Some break lengthy discussions of one idea into segments of different emphasis, thus providing rest stops for readers. 4.1 Characteristics of Effective Paragraphs 4.1.1 Unity A paragraph with unity develops one, and only one, key controlling idea, to ensure unity, edit out any stray ideas that don?t belong and fight the urge to take interesting but irrelevant side trips; they only create confusion about your destination. 4.1.2 The Topic Sentence The topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. Think of the topic sentence as a rallying point, with all supporting sentences developing the idea it expresses. A good

Marco Ponce Version 1 Year ?06-?07 CH 2 ? Strategies for Successful Reading When you are presented with a literary work and are asked for an analysis: ? Knowledge and experience help assess events, ideas, and conclusions. ? Consider how the various parts of the writing fit together. ? Try to anticipate the direction the writing will take. - but don?t take a biased view either, for this can be problematic and lead you towards creating an erroneous analysis. 2.1 A first reading A. Orient yourself to the background of the essay 1. Be on the lookout for credibility and source B. Use the title as a clue 1. Some signal the writer?s primary strategy (comparison, definition, argument) C. Skim to get the gist of the article