Download - THE PROCESS OF WRITING

Start writing, no matter what.The water does not flow until the

faucet is turned on.”

-Louis L’Amour

INTRODUCTION

Writing is a medium of communication that represents

language through the inscription of signs and symbols. Writing

relies on many of the same structures as speech, such as

vocabulary, grammar and semantics, with the added dependency of a

system of signs or symbols, usually in the form of a formal

alphabet. Writing is a complex combination of skills also which

is best taught by breaking down the process. To come up with a

good writing, you need to undergo a writing process. The writing

process involves a series of steps to follow in producing a

finished piece of writing.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

1. Cognitive- understand the process of writing

2. Affective- appreciate the outcome of well-planned articles

3. Psychomotor- review the transition words or discourse linkers

used in writings

I. ACTIVATING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Lesson 1

THE PROCESS OF WRITING

Direction: Write one paragraph reflection about the visitation of

Pope Francis here in the Philippines.

II. SETTING THE CONTEXT

Distinguishing Topic from Subject

The first thing that you have to think before writing is choosing

a topic. Choosing a topic for writing articles or essays might be

the most difficult for you. But this can be easy if we know the

difference between a subject and a topic.

Steps in the Writing Process

Subject is the area of knowledge where you will search for a topic. Subjects are broad and general.

Example: Health

Topic is a category within a subject or the specific issue being discussed.

Example: Assessing fad diets arguing the merits of AIDS

Activity 1.Reflective Essay

Directions: Brainstorm about some of the interesting topics or

current events that should be given attention to. The following

should be written in a pyramid like the one you see below.

Brainstorming is a group or individual creativity

technique by which efforts are made to find a conclusion for a

specific problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously

contributed by its member(s).

1. Pre-writing is the planning phase of the writing process,

when students brainstorm, research, gather and outline

ideas, often using diagrams for mapping out their

thoughts. Audience and purpose should be considered at

th

Activity 2. Brainstormimg

Activity 3. Picture Talk

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creativity_technique

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creativity_technique

Direction: The class will be divided into 4. Each group will have

each picture to work on. Select the spokesperson of your group

who will present before the class a three- minute synthesis of

your discussion. The following questions can guide you in making

your synthesis:

What comes to mind when you look at the picture?

Do you know any current issue depicted in the picture?

What are the some things that you still need to know

regarding the picture?

From the chosen picture, try to write an essay of three to five

sentences to discuss the guide questions above.

____________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

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________________________________________________________________

Your sentences will be marked using the rubric below:

Activity 3. Diagramming

Rubric

Ides propounded =3

points

Conventions in writing = 3 points

Organization of ideas = 4

points

Direction: Based in your activity one, choose one topic and

develop a concept diagram. You may want to use the following

concept diagram below.

Directions: Look at the concept diagrams and write a sentence

explaining the concepts found. To mark your sentences, the rubric

will still be used.

Main Topic

Support detail 1

Support detail 2

Support detail 3

issue

cause

Food

Shelter Human

Co- occurring issue

cause

ClothesFood

Activity 4. Synthesizing from the diagram

______________________________________________________

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_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Diagramming - the concept diagrams are visual representation of a

concept or related concepts that can aid students in looking for

relationships between terms as preparation for writing.

2. DraftingNow you have your plan and you’re ready to start writing.

Remember, this is your first rough draft. Forget about word

count and grammar. Don’t worry if you stray off topic in

places; even the greatest writers produce multiple drafts

before they produce their finished manuscript. Think of this

stage as a free writing exercise, just with more direction.

Direction: Based on the topics given below, choose only one topic

and make your own composition.

Activity 5. Perk up your Lazy Hand

Preparing for Examinations Pornography in the Internet Technoloy Savvy People

Friendship The Cellphone Mania A Peculiar Hobby

Climate Change The Wi- Fi Attractions The Economy of the Philippines

3. Revising

Students review, modify, and reorganize their work

by rearranging, adding, or deleting content, and by

making the tone, style, and content appropriate for the

intended audience. The goal of this phase of the writing

process is to improve the draft.

Peer ReviewIn any written requirement, peer review is

essential. You can ask someone or your classmate to review your work. It is not a drawback for someone to let the others view and make suggestions for the improvement of the paper. But how does this work?How to Review Peer’s WorkBefore you read and while you read the paper;Find out the writer’s purpose in writing the paper and the intended audience(reader)Find out what the writer wants from a reader at this stage.

Read (or listen) to the entire draft before commenting.

What to Include in Your Critique?Praise what works well in the draft; point to specific passages.

Comment on large issues first (Does the draft respond to the assignment? Are important and interesting ideas presented? Is the main point clear and interesting? Is there a clear focus? Is the draft effectively organized? Is the sequence of points logical? Are ideas adequately developed? If appropriate, is the draft convincing in its argument? Is evidence used properly?). Go on to smaller issues later (awkward or confusing sentences, style, grammar, word choice, proofreading).

Time is limited (for your response and for the author's revision), so concentrate on the most important ways the draft could be improved.

Comment on whether the introduction clearly announces the topic and suggests the approach that will be taken; on whether ideas are clear and understandable.

Be specific in your response (explain where you get stuck, what you don't understand) and in your suggestions for revision. And as much as you can, explain why you're making particular suggestions.

Try describing what you see (or hear) in the paper--what you see as the

main point, what you see as the organizational pattern.

Identify what's missing, what needs to be explained more fully. Also identify what can be cut.

How to criticize appropriatelyBe honest (but polite and constructive) in your response

Don't argue with the author or with other respondents.

In this stage, you can check and re- check the grammatical

aspect of the paper. The following can be helpful in successfully

coming up with your final draft.

Let’s Review Transition Words! (Discourse Linkers or Cohesive Devices)

Transition Words, Discourse Linkers, Cohesive Devices-

are words or phrases that help link one idea to another

while establishing and maintaining consistency in thought

within paragraphs. They connect our ideas logically.

These transition words, discourse linkers and cohesive

devices give direction to the writer. They are used to

guide the reader through his/ her thoughts. They make

meaning specific.

But the question is how to choose a linker? Meaning is

the first and the most important criterion in choosing a

linker. The second is the logical relation that needs to be

made distinctly clear. For example, linkers like because,

so and therefore express logical relations which are

different from those expressed by although, but, and

nevertheless.

Peer ReviewIn any written requirement, peer review is

essential. You can ask someone or your classmate to review your work. It is not a drawback for someone to let the others view and make suggestions for the improvement of the paper. But how does this work?How to Review Peer’s WorkBefore you read and while you read the paper;Find out the writer’s purpose in writing the paper and the intended audience(reader)Find out what the writer wants from a reader at this stage.

Read (or listen) to the entire draft before commenting.

What to Include in Your Critique?Praise what works well in the draft; point to specific passages.

Comment on large issues first (Does the draft respond to the assignment? Are important and interesting ideas presented? Is the main point clear and interesting? Is there a clear focus? Is the draft effectively organized? Is the sequence of points logical? Are ideas adequately developed? If appropriate, is the draft convincing in its argument? Is evidence used properly?). Go on to smaller issues later (awkward or confusing sentences, style, grammar, word choice, proofreading).

Time is limited (for your response and for the author's revision), so concentrate on the most important ways the draft could be improved.

Comment on whether the introduction clearly announces the topic and suggests the approach that will be taken; on whether ideas are clear and understandable.

Be specific in your response (explain where you get stuck, what you don't understand) and in your suggestions for revision. And as much as you can, explain why you're making particular suggestions.

Try describing what you see (or hear) in the paper--what you see as the

main point, what you see as the organizational pattern.

Identify what's missing, what needs to be explained more fully. Also identify what can be cut.

How to criticize appropriatelyBe honest (but polite and constructive) in your response

Don't argue with the author or with other respondents.

Order Words:

first, next, then, last,

finally

To Compare Things

In the same way, similarly,

likewise, like, as, also

Let’s Review Transition Words! (Discourse Linkers or Cohesive Devices)

Transition Words, Discourse Linkers, Cohesive Devices-

are words or phrases that help link one idea to another

while establishing and maintaining consistency in thought

within paragraphs. They connect our ideas logically.

These transition words, discourse linkers and cohesive

devices give direction to the writer. They are used to

guide the reader through his/ her thoughts. They make

meaning specific.

But the question is how to choose a linker? Meaning is

the first and the most important criterion in choosing a

linker. The second is the logical relation that needs to be

made distinctly clear. For example, linkers like because,

so and therefore express logical relations which are

different from those expressed by although, but, and

nevertheless.

To Summarize or Conclude:

As a result, finally, in

conclusion, therefore, last,

and in summary

To Show Location:

Above, across, against, along,

among, around, behind, below,

beneath, by, down, in back of,

in front of, inside, into,

near, off, on top of, outside,

over, throughout

To Add Information:

and, also, again, moreover,

further, furthermore,

similarly, in addition, as well

as, another, for instance,

along with

To Contrast Things:

but, however, yet, still, even

though, nevertheless, on the

other hand, otherwise, after

all, for all of that, on the

contrary, notwithstanding, in

contrast, unlike, whereas,

instead of, alternatively,

although

To Show Time:

at once, immediately,

meanwhile, at length, in the

meantime, at the same time, in

the end, when, then, as, before

that, after that, during,

about, after, before,

To Emphasize a Point:

again, for this reason, and in

fact.

yesterday, soon, as soon as,

when, today, tomorrow, until

Directions: After writing your composition, exchange your paper

with your seatmate to review and critique your work and don’t

forget to include compliments and some suggestions at the bottom

of your seatmate’s paper.

Activity 6. (PURR) Paired- Up- Reviewing- Revising

4. Editing

In this writing process, you’re going to review and

change your text with the intent to improve the flow and

overall quality of your writing. Correcting errors in grammar

5. Proofreading

Proofreading is the process of examining the final draft

of a document or text — after it has been edited — to ensure

there are absolutely no errors. A proofreader will review for

spelling errors, punctuation errors, typos or incorrect use

Proofreading: Points to Remember!Before You Proofread Be sure you have revised the larger aspects of your text. Do not make corrections at the sentence and word level if you still need to work on the focus, organization, and development of the whole paper, of sections, or of paragraphs. Set your text aside for a while between writing and proofing. Some distance from text will help you see mistakes more easily.Eliminate unnecessary words before looking for mistakes. See writing center handout how to write clear, concise, direct sentences.Know what to look for. From the comments of your professors or a writing center instructor on past papers, make a list of mistakes you need to watch for.

When You Proofread:

Work from a printout, not the computer screen.( But see

below for computer functions that can help you find some

kinds of mistakes.)

Read aloud. This is especially helpful for spotting run-

on sentences, but you’ll also hear other problems that

you may not see when reading silently.

Use a blank sheet of paper to cover up the lines below

the one you are reading. This technique keps uou from

skipping ahead of possible mistakes.

Use the search functions of the computer to find

mistakes you are likely to make. Searh for “it”, for

instance ir you confuse “its” and “it’s;” for

“-ing” if dangling modifiers are a problem; for

opening parentheses or quote marks if you tend to

leave out the closing ones.

If you tend to make many mistakes, check separately for

each kind of error, moving from the most to the least

important, and following whatever technique works best

for you to identify that kind of mistake.

For instance, read through once( backwards, sentence by

sentence) to check fragments; read through again

(forward) to be sure subjects and verbs agree, and again

(perhaps using a computer search for “this, “ “it,” and

“they”) to trace pronouns to antecedent.

End with a spelling check, using a computer spelling

checker or reading backwards word by word.

But remember that a spelling checker won’t catch mistaks

with homonyms (e.g. “they”,”their”, “there”) or certain

typos (like “he” for “the”).

When You Proofread:

Work from a printout, not the computer screen.( But see

below for computer functions that can help you find some

kinds of mistakes.)

Read aloud. This is especially helpful for spotting run-

on sentences, but you’ll also hear other problems that

you may not see when reading silently.

Use a blank sheet of paper to cover up the lines below

the one you are reading. This technique keps uou from

skipping ahead of possible mistakes.

Use the search functions of the computer to find

mistakes you are likely to make. Searh for “it”, for

instance ir you confuse “its” and “it’s;” for

“-ing” if dangling modifiers are a problem; for

opening parentheses or quote marks if you tend to

leave out the closing ones.

If you tend to make many mistakes, check separately for

each kind of error, moving from the most to the least

important, and following whatever technique works best

for you to identify that kind of mistake.

For instance, read through once( backwards, sentence by

sentence) to check fragments; read through again

(forward) to be sure subjects and verbs agree, and again

(perhaps using a computer search for “this, “ “it,” and

“they”) to trace pronouns to antecedent.

End with a spelling check, using a computer spelling

checker or reading backwards word by word.

But remember that a spelling checker won’t catch mistaks

with homonyms (e.g. “they”,”their”, “there”) or certain

typos (like “he” for “the”).

Other aspects of grammar that you might want to check are the

following:

12 Common Errors

Sentence fragments Incorrect pronoun case

Sentence sprawl Comma splices

Misplaced and dangling modifiers Apostrophe

errors

Faulty parallelism Words easily confused

Unclear pronoun reference

Misspellings

III. LEARNING ACTIVITY SEQUENCE

III. LEARNING ACTIVITY SEQUENCE

Directions : After undergoing several steps in writing, now

you’re ready to share your piece in the class. The teacher will

call students randomly to share and read aloud their work. When

your classmates is reading their piece, list down at least 20

difficult or unfamiliar words that you did not understood.Then,

find the meaning in the dictionary and provide a sentence.

6. PublishingIn this last step of the writing process, the final

writing is shared with the group. Sharing can be accomplished

in a variety of ways, and with the help of computers, it can

even be printed or published online.

Other aspects of grammar that you might want to check are the

following:

12 Common Errors

Sentence fragments Incorrect pronoun case

Sentence sprawl Comma splices

Misplaced and dangling modifiers Apostrophe

errors

Faulty parallelism Words easily confused

Unclear pronoun reference

Misspellings

Activity 7 . Sharing for Learning!

Words Meaning Sentence

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.20.

Activity 8. Hold Your Breath and Listen

Directions: Listen attentively to your teacher as he/ she read

the paragraph entitled “The Human Body” and do following tasks.

Task 1. List down the discourse linkers or cohesive devices that

are mentioned in the paragraph.

Task 2: Give the function of those discourse linkers or cohesive

devices.

The Human Body

The human body is a wonderful piece of work that

nature has created. It is not beautiful like the body of

a butterfly or a peacock but it is shaped practically. It

can do many types of work which other animals cannot. It

is not strong like the body of a tiger. But in place of

physical strength it has a big and sharp brain. By using

this brain the human physique has been able to overcome

many of its limitations. By sitting in an aeroplane it

flies faster than a kite, by riding a motorcycle it

travels faster than a leopard, and by firing a machine

gun it fights much better than a tiger. In spite of

all this, the human body suffers from many diseases

because it has a weakness for habits such as smoking,

drinking and over eating. When it is healthy the body can

give great pleasure but when it is sick it can cause

great pain. The wise man would always keep his body

fit because a healthy mind can work only in a healthy

body.

The human body is a wonderful piece of work that nature

has created. It is not beautiful like the body of a

butterfly or a peacock but it is shaped practically. It


is not strong like the body of a tiger.But in place of






gun it fights much better than a tiger.In spite of



drinking and overeating.Whenit is healthy the body can




body

IV. CHECKING COMPREHENSION

Direction: Provide the appropriate discourse linkers or cohesive

devices in the sentence given below.

The Human Body

The human body is a wonderful piece of work that

nature has created. It is not beautiful like the body of

a butterfly or a peacock but it is shaped practically. It


is not strong like the body of a tiger. But in place of






gun it fights much better than a tiger. In spite of



drinking and over eating. When it is healthy the body can




body.

The human body is a wonderful piece of work that nature

has created. It is not beautiful like the body of a

butterfly or a peacock but it is shaped practically. It


is not strong like the body of a tiger.But in place of






gun it fights much better than a tiger.In spite of



drinking and overeating.Whenit is healthy the body can




body

Activity 9 . HEY! Fill Me!

1. We should study well our lessons; _____________ we will

get failure grades.

2. We had to wait __________, it was raining.

3. Competitive enterprises found that it could not survive in

an environment __________ the rich got richer and the

poor got poorer.

4. Life is difficult in extreme polls;__________, it is horrible

near the Equatorial regions.

5. Raj did not perform well in the exam; _____________, he got a

distinction in English.

6. The bell rang and the students left ______________.

7. It is very hot today; __________, there is a power outage.

8. I think he is very rich; ___________, he gave a hundred rupee

note to a beggar.

Direction: Provide the appropriate answers to the following

questions.

_________________1. It refers to visual representations of a

concept or related concepts that can be organized as one draft.

_________________2. These are the words or phrases that help link

one idea to another while establishing and maintaining

consistency in thought within paragraphs.

_________________ 3.It is a category within a subject or the

specific issue being discussed.

_________________4. It is a process of writing that includes

brainstorming, diagramming, and listing.

_________________5. This is the stage where writers start writing

down ideas and organizing them into a sequence that will provide

readers a frame of understanding thought that you wish to expound

in your article.

Activity 10. TYK (Testing Your Knowledge)

Direction: Write TRUE if you agree on each of the statements; and

FALSE if you think there is something wrong with the statement.

_______________1. When proofreading, make corrections at the

sentence and word level if you still need to work on the focus,

organization and the development of the paper.

_______________2. Through a series of revising the drafts, you

may be able to look into all aspects of article and finally

achieve the purpose of writing.

_______________3. The first thing that you have to think before

writing is choosing your subject.

_______________4. Giving compliment when doing peer review

critiquing is necessary.

________________5. The most effective way to revise your work is

to ask for a second opinion.

VI. CLOSURE

Directions: Make a funny captions out of the picture. Then build

one paragraph out of it.

Activity 11. Funny Captions

____________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

________________________.

Activity 12. Think About It!

Direction: Answer the question below and remember the process of

writing in answering the question.

What do you think is the essence of going through the

process in writing?

__________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

REFERENCES

http://www.time4writing.com/writing-resources/writing-process/

http://www.infoplease.com/cig/writing-well/subjects-vs-

topics.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainstorming

http://writeenglish.net/usinglinkers1-1.php

Labay,L. et.al. (2010). Communication Skills In English: Improving study, thinking, reading and writing skills. Pasig City: UNLAD Publishing House.

Fernandez, I. et.al.(2013) Writing Across Disciplines. Malabon City: MUTYA Publishing House, Inc.

http://www.infoplease.com/cig/writing-well/subjects-vs-topics.html

http://www.infoplease.com/cig/writing-well/subjects-vs-topics.html

http://www.time4writing.com/writing-resources/writing-process/