Understanding and Producing Written English Lecture 11 Expository Writing

Two More Assignments Expository Essay Outline Plan for Future Improvement –Work on reading and writing at least ½ hour a day Due Dates –Journals (End of Week 13) –Future Plan (End of Week 14) –Expository Essay Outline (End of Week 14) –Final Test (Week 13 Tutorials)

Expository Writing Writing that explains Writing that ‘exposes’ Doesn’t have to be boring ‘Creative writing’ Stories and descriptions Examples of expository writing from ‘real life’

Steps Brainstorming subjects of interest Evaluating possible topics Considering purpose and audience Narrowing down your topic Gathering information and evidence Deciding on a design Formulating a ‘thesis’ Making an outline

Choosing a topic What are you an expert on? ‘Applying for the job’ Self-awareness and self-confidence Writing and the ‘real world’

Purpose and Audience Whom are you writing for? What do you want them to think/do? What image do you want them to have of you?

Narrowing down your topic Biggest Danger: Trying to do to much Exploring your subject A journalist questions Who, what, where, when, why, how? Observing and describing Thinking of stories

Gathering information ‘Research’ Observing Talking to people Introspection and remembering Reading Gathering things

Determining your design: Reasoning Start with your purpose! What’s the problem? Problem>Solution What kind of pattern is most suitable for solving my problem?

Design Patterns Classification To solve the problem, you need to understand the different characteristics of the different kinds of X Compare/Contrast To solve the problem, you need to understand how X is different from and/ or similar to Y

Design Patterns Cause/Effect To solve the problem, you need to understand what caused X or what the effect of X might be Process To solve the problem, you need to understand how X develops over time (or how to do X)

Design Patterns Every essay has it’s own UNIQUE design Find the principle of organization within your own ideas!!!

Dangers Picking a fight ‘As we know…’, ‘It has been said…’ Rhetorical Questions Writing about ‘ideas’ rather than ‘real things/people’ Using clichès ‘Old hat’ and obvious statements Stealing Newspapers

Dangers Generalizations

Making an Outline An outline is a THINKING DEVICE 1-2 pages ‘Full’ outline Include –Introduction –Main Points –Reasons/Evidence/Examples –Conclusion

Making an Outline I.First major division A.First secondary division 1. First supporting example 2. Next supporting example B. Next secondary division.

Making an Outline HOW TO ‘fen’ (Divide things up) Parallelism Subordination Coordination Division See Developing an OutlineDeveloping an Outline

Writing Without Teachers ‘Guru Yoga’

Finding the Teacher Within Developing a self-reflective mind Calming your ego Cultivating confidence Maintaining diligence

Making a connection to English Find a way to associate reading and writing with things you already do or already are interested in. Touching English every day

Know thyself! Reflecting on difficulties –Think –Write –Edit Gathering evidence of weaknesses –Error analysis –Reflecting on feedback from teachers and peers

Making a Plan Needs Analysis Plan of action Justification

Needs Analysis What are my difficulties? (internal) What are my behaviors? (external) How can I change them? –Reflection –Repetition –Information –Analysis

What kind of learner am I? Left brain or right brain? Associations –Visual, textual, auditory, tactile, conceptual?

Making a plan Useful and realistic Something for your reading Something for your writing

Something for your Reading Reading magazines, novels and other books Re-reading things that you have read before Intensive reading Analytical reading Extensive reading

Something for your Writing Freewriting and diary keeping Structured writing Letter/ writing Analytical writing Silly writing Song writing Re-writing

Justification Why have you chosen these activities based on your needs analysis? What outcomes do you expect

Format One page Combination of point form and paragraph Write ‘Justification’ as a paragraph! (to practice your paragraph writing!)