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This skill consists in mastering writing in various styles and formats: Essays to do descriptions, story development, portraits, atmospheres. Comparing paragraphs and chapters, comparing with other authors. Convincing and support a point a view and its antithesis. How to summarize globally, how to expand the content through analysis. How to organize information. How to speed write in a minute for Note taking. Mastering Grammar, Spelling, Vocabulary, Paragraph structure, page layout, Essay development, writing only introduction, only conclusion, how to split/integrate ideas, how to plan sequence of ideas, how to edit / revise, low literacy writing, high literacy writing, young/old, man/woman and many other styles. How to master word processing on a computer, writing emails, French keyboarding on a QWERTY keyboard, writing a PhD.
1. informal writing to evolve into formal term papers, book reports; at first insist more on content, meaning, creativity than on grammar and writing technique
2. Write first hand meaningful experiences because motivation and involvement are high
3. Practice on word processors and handwriting everyday
4. Write well: active voice, statements, feelings, facts in the positive form, specific descriptive concrete nouns and verbs, concise sentences, verb tense consistency, use transitional sentences to link paragraphs, bridge ideas using conjunctions
5. steps to write: incubating (take time to think stories through, before writing), draft, editing
ROUGH COPY SUGGESTIONS:
* Name, grade and date on top right hand corner of all pages
* Number all your pages
* One staple in the top left hand corner
* Double space
* Margin to margin
* Single sided
* Pencil (to erase in case)
* Line space at end of page
FROM PREWRITING TO WRITING:
1. Be selective in the ideas that you include. You don't have to include everything that was in your prewriting! Pick your best ideas. Make sure they relate to each other and your topic.
2. WRITE! WRITE! WRITE!
Don't stop once you start writing. Revising and editing
come later. Just let the ideas flow.
3. Don't count words. When YOU feel that you have completed your ideas, you are then ready to go to the next stage.
4. HOLD IT! Before going to the next stage, make sure you have enough content to work with. If you feel that you are lacking content, go back to your prewriting for more ideas and details.
REVISING:
* Can you read it out loud without stumbling?
* Does every word and action count? There should be a reason why a character acts or speaks in a certain way.
* Is the series of events logical? Do they relate?
* Is it clear what your goal or your main character's goal is throughout the piece of writing?
* Are vivid/descriptive words used to describe characters and/or events?
* Is your train of thought clear? Are there any tangents?
* Do you use a variety of verbs throughout the piece? (another word instead of "SAID")
* Is it wordy and redundant? Are you using the same words and phrases over and over again?
* Is there a catchy introduction? Does the conclusion leave the reader thinking?
* Do supporting details support only the topic sentence of that paragraph?
* Are transitional devices used throughout?
* Is there a strong hook, thesis and lead-in?
* Is proper format followed throughout?
* Are all sentences complete or are there sentence fragments?
* Is a vivid mental picture created in the reader's mind?
* Have you completed sentence expansion where necessary? (complete the "HE RAN!")
* Did you use a thesaurus?
EDITING:
Spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, subject/verb agreement, consistent verb tense.
Read your own work backwards. Read the last sentence, then the second last sentence, etc. Does each sentence make sense when you read it on it's own? Do you see or hear any errors in the sentence?
* Be sure that every sentence has two parts: subject (who or what), predicate (what's happening)
* Use sentence combining words: and, but, or, yet, so, who, whom, which, that, whose
because, although, when, if, where and others
* Use periods and commas where necessary but do not overuse .
* Do not overuse the exclamation mark!
* Use a dictionary to check spelling.
PUBLISHING:
1. Blue or black ink pen or word processed
2. Centre title on top line with a line space that follows
3. Name, grade and date in top right hand corner
4. Margin to margin
5. Indent and/or leave a line space for paragraphs
6. Leave a line space at the bottom of the page
7. Single sided
8. Single spaced
9. Neat - no scribbles or overuse of liquid paper!
10. Number the pages
11. Staple in top left hand corner
12. If asked for all stages of the writing process, give in this order:
* good copy
* rough copy with evidence of revision and editing
* prewriting
13. Include marks sheet or rubric if one was given |
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