1) Why is organization an important factor in structuring an essay? Explain how to organize an essay, the steps involved and the importance of organization to good writing.

A) Organization is key to effective writing. It helps guide the reader from one main idea to the next in a fluent manner. If an essay does not follow good organization, the essay might turn out poorly organized and confusing, causing the reader to become disinterested to read further. Different essays have various types of organizations. Examples are narrative essays which are told in chronological order or analysis essays which are descending or ascending in order of importance. Organization starts from a good introductory paragraph with a strong thesis which lets the reader know what will be discussed in a certain order. Good organization continues to follow this order written in the thesis to guide the reader throughout many body paragraphs. The essay then ends in a strong conclusion. This is an example of good organization which is critical to good writing because it guides a reader throughout an essay’s argument.

2) Why are supporting ideas important in substantive writing? Explain how supporting ideas enhance an essay.

A) In essays, paragraphs have a certain structure of topic sentences, commentary sentences, supporting details, examples, and concluding sentences. The supporting details in a paragraph expand on the topic sentence as well as any commentary to support the ideas whch were previously expressed. Supporting details are critical in an essay because they help readers understand exactly what the writer is expressing. Without supporting details, an essay lacks clarity and states only main ideas without further support. Substantive writing is clear and organized so these supporting details are important for clarity and support.

3) In the writing process, why is an outline and draft important? Explain how an outline and draft enhance an essay.

A) An outline is important in the writing process because it serves as an organization tool for further writing. It helps organize scattered ideas in a structured way when attempting to write a rough draft. Drafts are important in the writing process because they are a way of capturing ideas and supporting details. Drafts usually include many mistakes, but the draft’s purpose is to prepare an essay for revision. These components help develop and organize ideas to enhance a person’s essay.

4) How do dangling modifiers weaken writing? Give an example of a dangling modifier and explain how it can be fixed when revising a paper.

A) Dangling modifiers are grammatical errors which weaken a person’s writing by confusing the reader about the writer’s main intent. A part of a sentence might introduce the reader into an action that is happening, but the subject following that action is not clearly stated. Sometimes a reader can work out what was meant by the sentence, but a reader should not have to work things out. Unclear writing, such as dangling modifiers weakens a person’s writing. The following sentence is an example of a dangling modifier: Upon entering the doctor’s office, a skeleton caught my attention. Here, the sentence starts with the action “upon entering the doctor’s office”, but the closest noun following that action is “skeleton” followed by “my attention”. Did the skeleton enter the doctor’s office or my attention? Neither clearly state who entered the doctor’s office, causing a dangling modifier. This can easily be fixed during the revision process by specifically adding who or what is doing the action in the sentence. The revised sentence would be, “when I entered the doctor’s office, a skeleton caught my attention.” Here, the subject “I” is clearly stated, eliminating the dangling modifier.

5) How can you tell strong thesis from a weak one? Give an example of each and explain why a strong thesis is important in an essay.

A) A weak thesis often fails to take a stand, needs to be more specific, and fails to clearly assert the conclusions about a subject. An example of a weak thesis includes a broad statement such as “Cell phones are a problem”. Here, the subject is too vague and fails to clearly assert where cell phones are problem, who the subject pertains to, and what about cell phones specifically make them a problem. This thesis also does not clearly suggest what will be done about this problem. A strong thesis is specific and shows exactly what a paper will be about. For example, “Distraction, while operating a motor vehicle, has been shown to increase the risk of accidents in the United States. Therefore, legislation should pass a law which would ban cell phone use while driving, making any form of cell phone use while driving illegal.” This is a clear, strong statement that states where cell phones are a problem, why cell phones specifically are a problem, and the thesis suggests a resolution to the problem. A strong thesis is important in an essay because it organizes the writer’s specific argument and serves as a guide for the reader to clearly know what will be included in the essay.

6) How do outside sources enhance an essay? Explain why properly citing sources in a research paper are important.

A) Outside sources enhance an essay by providing evidence to support the writer’s logic. These sources show that outside research supports the writer’s position, which provides the paper with credibility. Properly citing sources is critical in a research paper. Citing sources is a way to give credit to the original source. Since research papers require evidence to support the writer’s analysis, many outside sources are used. Without citing sources properly, readers are unable to identify where the original information came from, which becomes a source of plagiarism.