1. PROCESS ESSAY

2. 2 YOU, YOU, YOU *This is the only essay in which you are directly addressing the reader, so get all the you’s out of your system now.  you, you, you, you, you  “you are”  NOT “you’re”  “your” is allowed

3. 3 INTRODUCTION SCENARIO **SCENARIO:  Create a context for this process  What situation would dictate the reader needing to know how to perform this task?  Why should the reader know how to do this activity?  purpose: answer the “so what?!” factor

4. 4 INTRODUCTION OVERVIEW OF THE ENTIRE PROCESS *OVERVIEW: Now that you have gained our interest and created a need by virtue of the scenario, now tell us exactly what we are in for—  How many steps?  What is the difficulty level?  How long should it take?  Divide into recognizable parts  Describe the result (sense details; “After following my easy, 5-step process, you will have created a warm, nutritious meal.”)

5. 5 INTRODUCTION **PURPOSE STATEMENT: **PURPOSE STATEMENT:  like a thesis statement  what will concern; why readers should do  Combine “overview” with your purpose to get a thesis statement: purpose: answer the “so what?!” factor In six easy steps that should take you ten minutes, you can create a fast yet nutritious meal for yourself.

6. 6 INTRODUCTION EXAMPLES *EXAMPLES OF CREATING A SCENARIO & INTRODUCING THE TOPIC:  1) Have you ever been driving home late at night on a dark, deserted road and…..  2) Girls, are you tired of being seen as only sex objects? OR Feminism is dead, and women are now, more than ever, seen as simply sex objects. Well, girls, if that is how they are going to treat us, then we should use it to our advantage. One of the best instances to use, as Mama always said, “the gifts th’ Good Lord gave ya” is when you are pulled over by a police officer for a moving violation. I have three simple steps for getting out of a speeding ticket.  BODY’s 1 st sentence: The first step in changing a tire is to….

7. 7 BODY *STEP-BY-STEP:  assume nothing  presume your audience=NOVICES  reader knows nothing about your topic  reader has never performed this task before  DIRECTIVE (how-to, technical writing) vs/ INFORMATIVE (close to narrative)

8. 8 BODY *THIS IS AN ESSAY, SO…  *NO LISTS*  *NO RECIPES (keep in essay format)  *do not forget the ARTICLES (a, an, the)  *do not forget the INTRODUCTION & CONCLUSION paragraphs

9. 9 BODY *COHERENCE:  *CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER  *TRANSITIONS  first, then, next,  * “First, get the….” AND “Next, use the…” (vs.) “The first step is to…” AND “The next task involves…”  *SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS  after, before

10. 10 BODY *DETAILS:  * STEP #1: gather all materials 1st (items should NOT just magically appear in the middle of the process)  * “HOW EXACTLY” (don’t skip over steps; the devil is in the details)  use DESCRIPTIVE DETAILS  since this is not necessarily a 5-paragraph essay, group steps into related PHASES/STAGES

11. 11 BODY *FLAVOR:  make PERSONAL SUGGESTIONS or PREFERENCES (if no specific brand/flavor is required) (i.e., amount of salt)  make TIPS (better use a pot holder)  give SPECIFIC INSTANCE if “it depends”  briefly explain the REASON for a step if it is not obvious (do this to prevent a mess)

12. 12 BODY *GRAMMAR:  spell “INGREDIENTS” correctly  no “THINGS” (steps, tasks) (items, utensils)  350 degrees (not the symbol for degrees)  medium-sized pan (hyphen, -ed)  “THEN”=not a conjunction (use “, and then”)  COMMAS (“Introductory subordinate clause,”) (between two I.C. joined by a C.C.)  COLONS (“First, gather the following ingredients: milk, sugar, and flour.”)

13. 13 CONCLUSION *CONSIDER THE PROCESS AS A WHOLE:  repeat/reference the PURPOSE of your process (why did you tell us how to do this)  describe the FINISHED PRODUCT (smells, taste, sight, feel, sound)  total TIME of the process  CLINCHER SENTENCE

14. 14 LITMUS TEST *** CAN THE READER DO IT? ***

15. 15 TOPICS *HOW TO: SCHOOL:  Take Notes  Study  Prepare for a Test  Prepare for a Job Interview  Create a RÉSUMÉ  Deal with Stress (in a healthy manner)  Deal with a Death in the Family

16. 16 TOPICS *HOW TO:  KIDS: brush teeth, tie shoe laces, tie a tie  FOOD: make lasagna, spaghetti, German apple cake, cheeseburger, grilled cheese, PB&J, home-made Easter candy, dye Easter eggs, Jell- O shapes  SPORTS: play football (be specific: block, pass, punt, tackle); shoot foul shot, jump serve in volleyball, swim (specific stroke or dive)

17. 17 TOPICS  PAMPER: give yourself a pedicure, make Jane’s special bubble bath  CAR: change a tire, change brakes, change oil, change wiper blades, pump gas, drive standard/manual transmission (stick shift), buy used car/the perfect car for you  JOB: waitress/server, nurse’s aide, transfer patient, install carpet, customer service

18. 18 TOPICS  HAIR: wash, perm, color, treat, highlight  CLEAN: wash hair, clothes, car, dog; clean hamster cage  OTHERS: plan a vacation, plant a garden, ice fish, follow the traditions of Islamic ablution, convert to Judaism

19. 19 FINAL HINTS *REMEMBER, this is an essay and not a recipe, SO…  essay format, no lists (does NOT look like a recipe card)  when gathering supplies, write as items in a series (not as a list, not as a recipe card)  “After doing that step, you will need to gather the following materials: x, y, and z.” (notice the colon after “the following”; do not use a colon after a Linking Verb)

20. 20 PREWRITING 1)LISTS:  3 tasks done at work each time  3 foods you like to make  3 technical/electrical/mechanical skills you have  3 chores done weekly

21. 21 PREWRITING 2) STEPS:  brainstorm  list every step in the process  list related sense details

22. 22 PREWRITING 3) BEFORE YOU WRITE:  do the process yourself  details are then fresh in your mind & you will not skip any steps  plus, suggestions make themselves apparent

23. 23 HOW TO MAKE MACARONI & CHEESE STEP #1

24. 24 STEP #2

25. 25 STEP #3

26. 26 STEP #4

27. 27 STEP #5

28. 28 STEP #6

29. 29 STEP #7

30. 30 CONCLUSION

31. 31 OTHER PROCESSES

32. 32 OTHER PROCESSES