Unity and Coherence: Unity-refers to the relationship between each part of an essay and the larger whole. Coherence-refers to the relationship between adjacent sentences, paragraphs, and parts. Old before new: Use old information to give out new information.

Forecasting and Fulfillment: -Writers need to forecast what’s coming and fulfill those forecasts. -Writers forecast what is coming by: -effective titles -effective introductions

Avoiding and the Writing or Chronological Structure Chronological structure-”narrative,” writing in timely order Avoiding All About Writing or Encyclopedic Structure Whereas and then writing turns essays into stories by organizing details chronologically. Conversion to Problem-Thesis Structure Creates tension and controversy

Engfish-A riskless truism supported with predictable reasons To avoid engfish, stay focused on the need to surprise your reader.

Making lists of “Chunks” and a scratch outline early in the writing process Make a list of the chunks will help you get started Begin thinking about which are high level points and which are details and support of a point “Nutshelling” Your argument as an aid for finding a structure Looking at your argument through different perspectives

Using complete sentences in outlines to convey meaning Helps you organize meanings, not topics Use subjects and verbs to make a point Sketching your structure using an outline, tree diagram, or flowchart Outlines-uses letters and numerals to indicate levels of points, sub points, and particulars Tree diagrams-displays hierarchical structure visually, using horizontal and vertical space, instead of letters and numbers Flowcharts-presents the sequence of sections as separate boxes, inside which the writer notes the material needed to fill each box

Letting the structure evolve As your ideas grow and change, revise your structural diagram, adding or removing points, consolidating and refocusing sections

Avoiding the “Topic Title” and the “Funnel Introduction” “Funnel”-encourages students to start with broad generalizations and then narrow down to their topics Leads to topic title and vapid generalizations in the opening of the introduction Hooking your reader with an effective title Needs to have something old and something new Helps you find your focus when you get bogged down in the middle of your draft

From old to new: The general principle of Closed-form introductions Typically comes at the end of the introduction problem or questions usually precedes thesis Typical elements of a closed-form introduction 1)An opening attention grabber 2)Explanation of the question to be investigated 3)Background information 4)A preview of where your paper is heading Forecasting the whole with the thesis statement, purpose statement, or blueprint statement State your thesis directly It is useful to use an outline to have choices

Placing topic sentences at the beginning of paragraphs Revising paragraphs for unity To better match what the paragraph actually says Paragraphs have unity when all the sentences develop the point stated in the topic sentence Adding particulars to support points Need to add particulars such as facts, statistics, quotations, research summaries, examples, or further subpoints

Guide your reader with transitions and other signposts Using common transition words to signal relationships “Therefore” and “nevertheless” Writing major transitions between parts Writers often put resting places between major parts Allow readers to shift there attention away from the matter at hand Signaling major transitions with headings Headings are often different type sizes and fonts and mark transition points between major parts and subparts of the argument