...played a role; I faced obstacles no matter the topic or form of paper I had to write. Certain factors were able to better assist me when writing, however nothing was ever enough to perfect my writing, or at least, diminish the hardships I experienced. Throughout this first semester of literature I have, of course, experienced problems with my writing, however I have learned to identify my own mistakes and am beginning to better comprehend how to fix these mistakes. During the beginning of this past Fall’s semester, I had lost my confidence in my writing abilities. With my loss of confidence as a writer, came a strong desire to never write again. Still, the consequences of my loss of confidence further extended into my life and effected my overall perception of all things literary. I had no desire to read, and if I somehow felt forced to read, I would pay hardly any attention to the content. This influenced my writing in negative ways. However, I was still unable to recognize or identify the exact mistakes or flaws within my writing. Initially I had sought out the mistakes, but eventually lost hope and felt that there was no way to correct my writing. My horrendous writing skills were set in stone…or at least I believed so at the time. It was not up until I received the shameful grade of a “D+” on my paper, “Following Faith”, that I could fully identify my problems as a writer. I had not been expecting an “A” on my paper- in which I argued that although many turn to God for comfort...
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...of 8 How to Structure & Organize Your Paper Organizing Your Thoughts Making sense out of your observations about a text is a difficult task. Even once you've figured out what it is that you want to say, you are left with the problem of how to say it. With which idea should you begin? Should you address the opinions of other thinkers? As to that stubborn contradiction you've uncovered in your own thinking: what do you do with that? Writing papers in college requires that you come up with sophisticated, complex, and even creative ways of structuring your ideas. Accordingly, there are no simple formulae that we can offer you that will work for every paper, every time. We can, however, give you some things to think about that will help you as you consider how to structure your paper. Let Your Thesis Direct You Begin by listening to your thesis. If it is well-written, it will tell you which way to go with your paper. Suppose, for example, that in responding to Richard Pipes' book, The Russian Revolution, you have written a thesis that says: The purpose of the Russian Revolution was not only to revise Russia's class system, but to create a new world, and within that world, a new kind of human being. This thesis provides the writer (and the reader) with several clues about how best to structure the paper. First, the thesis promises the reader that it will argue that the Russian Revolution was not simply a matter of class. The paper will therefore begin by saying that although...
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...Guidelines on Writing a Philosophy Paper Author: Jim Pryor, Princeton University [pic] Philosophical writing is different from the writing you'll be asked to do in other courses. Most of the strategies described below will also serve you well when writing for other courses, but don't automatically assume that they all will. Nor should you assume that every writing guideline you've been given by other teachers is important when you're writing a philosophy paper. Some of those guidelines are routinely violated in good philosophical prose (e.g., see the guidelines on grammar, below). Contents • What Does One Do in a Philosophy Paper? • Three Stages of Writing o Early Stages o Write a Draft o Rewrite, and Keep Rewriting • Minor Points • How You'll Be Graded What Does One Do in a Philosophy Paper? 1. A philosophy paper consists of the reasoned defense of some claim Your paper must offer an argument. It can't consist in the mere report of your opinions, nor in a mere report of the opinions of the philosophers we discuss. You have to defend the claims you make. You have to offer reasons to believe them. So you can't just say: My view is that P. You must say something like: My view is that P. I believe this because... or: I find that the following considerations...provide a convincing argument for P. Similarly, don't just say: Descartes says that Q. Instead...
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...Collaborative Writing Bianca Rogers, Steven Rhodes, Danny Russ, William Lindsey Eng/215 April 21, 2011 Margaret Fletcher Collaborative Writing Collaborative writing is a concept design to bring a group of people together to collaborate on a specific topic or idea. The process of collaborative writing: research, rough draft, final draft is just as an individual paper; however, the workload is divided amongst the team. The importance of collaborative writing is to have a group of individuals successfully working together to builds character in the team members. The complexity of a group dynamic is in the team member themselves; with many personalities and different behavior patterns, group work can be undeniably difficult. For a successful paper, the group must demonstrate ethical working habits by dividing the workload evenly, communicating effectively, and demonstrating keen promptness. A divided workload can be very difficult to accommodate; team members generally do not share the same opinion, so common grounds must be settled on to start the paper. Writing collaboratively acknowledges ethos as, “collaborative practices involving distributed participation and collaboration, where rules and procedures are flexible and open to change” (Kittle & Hicks, p.2). This essay will break down the fundamentals of collaboratively writing, using different facts and ideas to describe its practices. A cliché most often used is, “there is no “i” in team.” People used this...
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...Elements The basic elements of academic essay writing are two: a thesis and evidence, divided into three parts: an introduction, the systematic development of an argument, and a conclusion. All scholarly writing, from the most concise paper to the longest book, follows these basic guidlines. Thesis Historical essay writing is based upon the thesis. A thesis is a statement, an argument which will be presented by the writer. The thesis is in effect, your position, your particular interpretation, your way of seeing a problem. Resist the temptation, which many students have, to think of a thesis as simply "restating" an instructor's question. The writer should demonstrate originality and critical thinking by showing what the question is asking, and why it is important rather than merely repeating it. Your own informed perspective is what matters. Many first-year students ask whether the "thesis" is not just their "opinion" of a historical question. A thesis is indeed a "point of view," or "perspective," but of a particular sort: it is based not only on belief, but on a logical and systematic argument supported by evidence. The truism that we each have "our own" opinions misses the point. A good critical essay acknowledges that many perspectives are possible on any question, yet demonstrates the validity or correctness of the writer's own view. Thesis and Evidence To make a good argument you must have both a strong central thesis and plausible evidence; the two are interdependent...
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...How to Write an Argumentative Term Paper Brannon L. Hollis, Jr. MGT 521 September 13, 2012 Norma Sutton Writer’s block seems to haunt me every time one decides to write. One muse did not start to fully erupt until 5:21 last Thursday morning when I thought this paper was due to be submitted, yet as a newbie to the college homework cycle, I discovered that our learning team was on time with all team-related assignment. On the personal side, not so much – behind on one week’s assignment submission, I digress. Making an argument or taking an argumentative stance in writing requires on to build and case for or against something or some topic like baking a cake. In a step-by-step process depending upon how complex so simple one species is elected to be. This paper will explore these topics as follows: * How writers begin the process of writing an argumentative paper * The type of papers to take an argumentative stance * How all these elements come together to make an argument persuasive As a student, one can be challenged to find the note. According (Writing the Research Essay, 2012), taking notes is an essential part of the paper building process is advised in this section of the chapter that we could do one or more the subsequent when starting the process of writing an argumentative paper. (Writing the Research Essay, 2012, pp393,405-406) states that if one seeks to take notes in the following organizational styles: Taking notes by Source: Whatever on has...
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...Constructing an Argument Section 1: Big Ideas Many people believe that everything is an argument—every piece of writing, every image you see. That's because every time we write something down—with the possible exception of a private journal entry—we are anticipating that someone else will read or see it, and we hope to achieve some kind of response in that reader or viewer. So even if you are writing a description of your favorite vacation spot, you are probably trying—maybe without even realizing it—to convince your reader that your vacation spot is the most beautiful place in the world. Think about it. When did you read any nonfiction writing that wasn't, finally, trying to persuade you of something in some way? Most rhetoricians—that's people who think about argument and language—agree that there are three basic ways to appeal to an audience. You can appeal to logic. That is, you can lay out your argument in clear, coherent steps, so your reader or listener can see how you get from one conclusion to the next. Or you can appeal to authority. Here you may want to find experts or facts to support your argument—think about Tiger Woods endorsing golf clubs. (Of course, do we also trust Tiger to advise us on buying watches? Not so clear.) Or you can appeal to emotion. Emotional appeals can be extremely powerful, especially when you are able to relate your argument to your readers' values or needs. Most good arguments make use of all three appeals in some way. But...
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...dv your writing skills, the better your degree classification: The majority of marks which contribute to your degree classification will come from exam essays or other written work (assessed essays, third year project). • This education is costing you, so get your money’s worth. What students want help with Style conventions in scientific writing (1) 76.6% Lab report writing skills (2) 70.2% Thinking skills (2) 70.2% How to reference properly (3) 59.6% Presentation skills (4) 55.3% How to revise your written work effectively (5) 51.1% Learning / Research skills (6) 48.9% Essay writing skills (7) 44.7% Basic writing skills (8) 12.8% Unfortunately, you need to get to grips with (8) before you can truly master (1)…. Writing Skills for Psychologists Factors which contribute to your written work’s grade include (1) Your general writing skills. (How to write) (2) Your understanding of what is required of an undergraduate essay / lab report / presentation. (Why to write) (3) Your understanding of the topic. (What to write) This lecture will focus on 1 and 2. HOWEVER improving 1&2 will inevitably lead to improvements in 3! The following factors are equally important, and are down to you. 1. How interested you are in the topic. 2. The importance you attach to receiving a high grade for a particular piece of work. 3. The amount of effort you are prepared to make given other academic commitments. Writing Skills for Psychologists Why writing skills are...
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...Version 7 | | |Research Writing | Copyright © 2011, 2009, 2007 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description Students focus on gathering research, evaluating and documenting sources, and developing a major research paper. Selected readings prompt discussion regarding bias, rhetorical devices, arguments, and counter arguments. Grammar exercises address commonly confused sets of words, modifiers, parallel structure, sentence variety, and sentence clarity. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. • Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Associate Level Writing Style Handbook, available online at https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/CWE/pdfs/Associate_level_writing_style_handbook.pdf MyCompLab All electronic...
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...HARVARD COLLEGE Writing Center WRITING CENTER BRIEF GUIDE SERIES A Brief Guide to Writing the Philosophy Paper The Challenges of Philosophical Writing The aim of the assignments in your philosophy classes is to get you doing philosophy. But what is philosophy, and how is it to be done? The answer is complicated. Philosophers are often motivated by one or more of what we might call the “Big Questions,” such as: How should we live? Is there free will? How do we know anything? or, What is truth? While philosophers do not agree among themselves on either the range of proper philosophical questions or the proper methods of answering them, they do agree that merely expressing one’s personal opinions on controversial topics like these is not doing philosophy. Rather, philosophers insist on the method of first attaining clarity about the exact question being asked, and then providing answers supported by clear, logically structured arguments. An ideal philosophical argument should lead the reader in undeniable logical steps from obviously true premises to an unobvious conclusion. A negative argument is an objection that tries to show that a claim, theory, or argument is mistaken; if it does so successfully, we say that it refutes it. A positive argument tries to support a claim or theory, for example, the view that there is genuine free will, or the view that we should never eat animals. Positive philosophical arguments about the Big Questions that are ideal are extremely hard to construct...
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...Composition Advanced Placement English III First Six Weeks – Introductory Activities: ▪ Class rules, expectations, procedures ▪ Students review patterns of writing, which they will imitate throughout the course: reflection, narration and description, critical analysis, comparison and contrast, problem and solution, and persuasion and argument. ▪ Students review annotation acronyms, how to do a close reading, literary elements and rhetorical devices. Students also review the SOAPSTONE (subject, occasion, audience, purpose, speaker, tone, organization, narrative style and evidence) strategy for use in analyzing prose and visual texts along with three of the five cannons of rhetoric: invention, arrangement and style. ▪ Students learn the format of the AP test, essay rubric and essay structure. ▪ Students take a full-length AP test for comparison purposes in the spring. Reading: The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne Writing: Answer the following question in one paragraph. Use quotes from the novel as evidence. Some readers believe that the elaborate decoration that Hester embroiders on the scarlet letter indicates her rejection of the community’s view of her act. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your position using evidence from the text. (test grade) Writing: Write a well-developed essay addressing the following prompt. Document all sources using MLA citation. Compare Hester to a modern day person who has been shunned. Provide at...
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...* ------------------------------------------------- Course Information: Course Description: Exposition and argument, emphasizing critical thinking in response to electronic and print texts. Focus on exploring, developing, and communicating ideas in a voice appropriate to the audience. Students strengthen skills through pre-writing, drafting, revising, and editing. In-class and out-of-class essays required. Prerequisite: A grade of "C" or better in ENGL 098 taken at 5 credits or recommending score on the writing skills placement test for ENGL 101. | Credits: 5Item #: 2806Class Hours/Locations: 9:00-9:50JSH 248 | ------------------------------------------------- Instructor Information: 0 1 Instructor: Sharla Yates, MA in Writing 2 Office Hours: by appointment only 3 Phone: 503-750-9552 (Last Resort) | 4 E-mail address: syates@clark.edu (Best) 5 Mailstop: FHL 222 6 Office Location: FHL 112 | * ------------------------------------------------- Text & Materials Needed: Required Text: * Hacker, Diana, Ed. Rules for Writers. Boston: Bedford, 2008. * Everything’s an Argument 5th edition. Boston: Bedford 2010. Required Supplies/Materials: You will need daily access to a computer and a printer, both must function properly. You will need access to the Internet. You will receive all assignments, announcements, grades, additional reading materials, videos, handouts and due dates on...
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...Writing is the ability to transfer your thoughts, feelings and oral language on a surface using specific symbols. The ability to convey your thoughts clearly in written form to the audience calls an effective writing skills. In addition to this an effective writer must have an extensive vocabulary to be able express yourself. To be an effective writer means the reader will understand thoroughly everything you are writing on the paper. My personal experience in writing was challenging and valuable at the same time. This semester I took an Academic Writing and Argument course with professor Missy Watson. During this semester, I learned how to analyze arguments, write rhetorical analysis essay, work with researched and visual arguments, effectively...
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... An academic essay is basically an essay students at university level, write for their courses. Lecturers at different universities call academic essays a variety of names such as: An essay, paper, research paper, term paper, argumentative paper/ essay, analysis paper/essay, informative essay, position essay and so on. Even though lecturer and students have a variety of names to call an academic essay, it still entails the same goals. Academic writing is an assignment that entails you having to explore something that you as a student is most interested in, especially from your courses. You have the ability to freely express your thoughts, opinions and ideas from whatever topic you choose and have an audience that is interested in reading and is open to reading how you as a student feel about the topic. An academic essay involves to first choose a topic, research on the topic by finding different books, articles and blogs online. So that you can gather information from different sources, so you would be able to fully grasp the topic and put it into your own words and then give your best idea by writing a thesis statement. Which requires you to write the main point to your arguement, an academic essay also involves analysis where you would have to examine and study different arguments of the essay to make claims understandable, to give reasons to back up claims and to provide evidence, pros and cons. It also involves a lot of brainstorming where you would be giving your insight...
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...Catalog Description: LIB 111 focuses on writing clear and coherent summaries, analyses, and essays. The course also stresses the ability to understand, use, and document college-level non-fiction readings as evidence for effectively formulating and accurately supporting a thesis. Course Description and Goals: No man is an island! To communicate effectively with colleagues and communities, we must first learn how to accurately interpret the conversation around us and articulate our own thoughts so we can join the dialogue and make contributions to the world both as professionals and active citizens. In LIB 111 you will learn to analyze writings and argue with authors of literary, journalistic, and academic non-fiction. Through assignments in summary, critique, synthesis, and persuasion, you will progress your ability to formulate and share ideas efficiently. Together we will write, revise, workshop, and revise again, learning as much from each other as from the authors we read in class. As part of our commitment to helping students reach their full potential in their academic, professional, and civic lives, Arts and Sciences faculty believe that learning in all disciplines is an integrative process, a synthesis of critical reading, thinking, and writing. For this reason, as we guide you in your studies in LIB 111, we will use a Writing Intensive approach that emphasizes mastery of information and concepts AND the application of what you have learned in a variety of forms: you will...
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