How does using a formal writing process(planning, drafting, developing, revising,editing, and proofreading)help you create a more effective academic paper?
The primary reason I can think of is that by following the entire process you think everything out carefully. You don't just toss together a few paragraphs and hand it in!
In the process of thinking and all those other steps, you should be able to focus your topic and clarify your explanations. All your thoughts and evidence should end up in a logical order so that others who read your work will understand what YOU intend for them to understand and will come to the same conclusion YOU have come to.
http://www.ipl.org/div/teen/aplus/
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Anything a person writes -- whether an academic paper, an advertisement, a novel, a personal letter, a blog, or a message board post -- must clearly convey the writer's message to the reader.
The only way to write so that the reader understands the writer's intent and facts is to follow a formal writing process.
Planning gives the paper an easy-to-understand format and logical progression of information. An outline is essential.
Drafting gives the writer a chance to express his/her views and information -- just to get the information down on paper (or in a computer file).
Developing forces the writer to go back and organize and reorganize his/her work. At this point the writer adds to his work with details and other essential information.
The next step is to let the work sit for a few days -- and then the writer must revise the draft. This time period helps the writer see his/her work more clearly and approach it from the point of view of the reader.
Editing includes eliminating awkward or redundant passages. Editing also involves double-checking sources and facts.
Finally, proofreading gets rid of typographical errors and misspelled words. Please don't count on spell-check programs to do this -- as many homophone and punctuation errors are not caught by these programs.
Since the goal of all writers is to communicate effectively with their readers, a formal writing process is essential for all writing.
Believe it or not, I used an abbreviated form of the formal writing process to write this post. I hope I've succeeded in helping you understand the need for using a formal writing process.
Interesting. I compose as I write, then try to do a good job of proofing and editing in a second run through (for these posts).
Excellent explanation, Ms. Sue.
The part about letting the rough draft "sit for a few days" is excellent. I wish more students and others who write formal papers would get started early enough so that this step is not left out.
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Thank you, Writeacher. My husband wrote nine published non-fiction books. As his typist/word processor, I watched his planning, meticulous research, skillful writing, and careful editing -- including letting the work sit for a few days before he did his next draft. All of this pays off in effective written communication.
I need to find out if this sentence is a comma splice or not.
Dr. Frankenstein flung a power switch, blue streamers of static electricity crackled about the table the creature gave a grunt and opened smoldering eyes.
I need to find out if this sentence is a comma splice or not.
Dr. Frankenstein flung a power switch, blue streamers of static electricity crackled about the table the creature gave a grunt and opened smoldering eyes.
Is this sentence a comma splice
yes it is.
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Yes, the sentence "Dr. Frankenstein flung a power switch, blue streamers of static electricity crackled about the table the creature gave a grunt and opened smoldering eyes." is a comma splice.
A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses (complete sentences) are joined together with only a comma. In this case, there are three independent clauses:
1. Dr. Frankenstein flung a power switch
2. Blue streamers of static electricity crackled about the table
3. The creature gave a grunt and opened smoldering eyes
To fix this comma splice, you can either separate the independent clauses into separate sentences or connect them using appropriate conjunctions such as "and," "but," "so," etc. Here are a few corrected versions:
1. Dr. Frankenstein flung a power switch. Blue streamers of static electricity crackled about the table. The creature gave a grunt and opened smoldering eyes.
2. Dr. Frankenstein flung a power switch, and blue streamers of static electricity crackled about the table. The creature gave a grunt and opened smoldering eyes.
3. Dr. Frankenstein flung a power switch, and as a result, blue streamers of static electricity crackled about the table. The creature gave a grunt and opened smoldering eyes.
In each of these corrected versions, the independent clauses are properly separated or connected using appropriate punctuation or conjunctions.