Students' Blogs

Please add me on your list or subscribe to http://awritersrefuge.blogspot.com to read selected works from my writing class (Comarts 2 Second Semester, SY 0809)



I will be posting your blogs from time to time.




Students' Blogs

Instructions

Copy the survey question and post it as a comment to that particular blog.

thanks, again

Thank You

Writing, to most students, is not really that exciting. Students tend to think that when they write, it is more of punishment than an opportunity.

Thanks for trying your best to put down your thoughts into writing. I appreciate the enthusiasm and the interest to share your thoughts to the public.

I wish you would continue posting your thoughts in your blogspot even if the course requirement is finished. Furthermore, when you post your blogs, can you continue doing so in English. It will help you practice your writing skills and at the same time people (from other countries) will easily understand you when you post your thoughts in English.

Lastly,, can you please accomplish this survey again?

Can you please copy the text below and write down the number that corresponds to each question. Write your answers after each question.


1 - Not at all
2 - A little
3 - Much
4 - Very Much

1. Do you find writing an important or meaningful task?

2. Do you regard it as an enjoyable task?

3. Do you think you can write well?

4. Do you avoid opportunities to write?

5. Do you get nervous when you are asked to write?

6. Do you regard writing as a form of punishment?

7. Do you feel pressured when you are asked to write?

8. Do you find it difficult to choose a topic for a composition?

9. Do you find it hard to express your thoughts about a topic?

10. Do you get distracted easily when writing?

11. Do you daydream when you are writing?

12. Do you think writing will help you develop your vocabulary?

13. Do you think you can be good at writing?

14. Do you think that writing can be an enjoyable task?

15. Do you think expressing your thoughts through writing can give you satisfaction?

16. Do you think that writing can be fun?

17. Do you feel that you need more time to be able to write?

18. If you were given strategies in writing, will you be encouraged to write?

Thanks, again!

I'd be looking forward to reading your personal posts.

Thelma

Cause and Effect - Example

causes and effects of truncus arteriosus 1

Cause and Effect

Cause and effect is a method of development in which the writer analyzes the reason(s) for an action, event, or decision; or analyzes resulting consequences to support a point.

Cause and effect essay focus on why things happen (causes) and what happens as a result (effect).

A cause is a reason for something that happens or an explanation to why some effects occur.

An effect is the result of certain events or causes. An effect may be the result of one or more causes.

Writers often combine cause and effect to explain why something happens.

Uses

1. to inform

2. to discover

3. to speculate

4. change behavior

Types

1. Major and Minor

2. Immediate and Remote

Kinds (according to manner of development)

1. single cause – many effects

2. many causes – single effect

3. causal chain

4. single cause – single effect

Order

1. emphatic

2. chronological

3. categorical

4. spatial

Examples

bluer than blue
truncus arteriosus 1
if i look different each day

Process Paragraph

Process

Ø explains how a task is done – to tell anyone how to do something

Ø deals with concrete tasks that involve tangible tools – how to cook, repair things, etc

Ø how to achieve a goal

Ø how to improve what one is already doing

Types

Ø Directive – gives clear instructions that a reader is expected to perform and that lead to the same result every time

Ø Informative – explains a cycle that readers can understand, but are not expected to perform

Order

Ø chronological

Ø step-by-step (sequential or procedural)

Guidelines

Ø give the complete information – required tools, supplies, equipment, materials, ingredients, etc

Ø take the readers through the steps in order

Ø go into detail over difficult or unfamiliar terms or procedures

Ø recall your experiences as a beginner and alert readers to common mistakes

Ø warn readers of hazards

Examples:

homemade soap 1

homemade soap 2

how to say no gracefully

how to court a lady 1

how to court a lady 2

Definition Paragraph

A definition explains the meaning of a word or term.

The definition paragraph is a definition sentence that is expanded into a paragraph.

A clear definition can:

1. avoid confusion and mistakes

2. convey what is meant exactly without being misunderstood

3. also help you to understand what other people mean

A good definition:

1. tell the reader what word is being defined

2. present a clear and precise basic definition

3. use specific examples to show what the writer means

4. use words and examples that readers will understand

Types:

1. Denotative – refers to the exact or dictionary meaning of a word.

2. Connotative – refers to the feelings or qualities a reader associates with a word.

3. Stipulative – refers to the specified meaning of a word which is not a standard usage.

Order:

1. Emphatic

2. Spatial

3. Chronological

How to define:

1. Tell what people say about it.

2. Give a dictionary definition.

3. Describe it in detail.

4. Add your personal experiences.

5. Compare it to something.

6. Tell what it is not.

7. Provide examples.

8. Explain the different kinds.

9. Tell the history of the word

10. Use a quotation.

A good definition should include:

1. term – or word being defined

2. class – the (big) group to which the term belongs

3. differentiating features – what makes it different with the others from the same class

Example:

Trivia is a type of information that is unimportant, inconsequential or inessential.

Term – trivia

Class – information

Differentiating features – it is unimportant compared to other types of information

A definition can be brief or extended; it can also be formal or informal. A brief definition can be just a sentence. Extended definition can be a combination of dictionary and special meanings of a term. Extended examples can also contain description, narration and/ or other kinds of paragraph development.

A dictionary definition of a term is an example of a formal definition. Informal definition can be a person’s meaning of a term. Students are usually asked to give their own definition of terms they have studied in class to find out if they have understood the lesson well. Sometimes, an informal definition can be funny, light, or humorous.

Example: Fine is a word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

Examples of brief denotative definition

A symbol is something that stands for or suggests something else by reason of relationship, association, convention, or accidental resemblance. (Merriam-Webster’s On-line Dictionary)

An emoticon is a symbol, usually found in e-mail messages, made up of punctuation marks that resemble a human expression. The word emoticon is a combination of the words emotion and icon.

Male is a sex that denotes an animal which produces sperm cells in order to reproduce. (Webster’s Online Dictionary)

Examples of extended definition

Graveyard shift – In Victorian times, there was an intense fear of being buried alive, so when someone died, a small hole was dug from the casket to the surface. Then a string was tied around the dead person’s finger which was then attached to a small but loud bell that was hung on the surface of the grave. So then, if someone was buried alive, he or she could ring the bell and whoever was on duty would go and dig him or her up. Someone was on the clock 24 hours a day – hence the grave yard shift.

EXAMPLES:

(brief definition)

(extended definition)

(extended definition with narration)

(essay-extended definition combined with description and narration)

Classification and Division Paragraph / Essay

Division deals with one subject only. It divides the subject into its component parts, pieces, or sections for closer examination. An example of this is a movie. A movie can be divided into several books or parts. The movie “The Lord of The Rings” is a trilogy. The story comes in three installments. Another example is a paragraph or an essay which is divided into introduction, body and conclusion.

Writing an effective division shows a subject’s parts, or what a subject is made or composed of. Grade, level, stage, and part are words that indicate division.

Classification, on the other hand, deals with a plural subject. It sorts a group of similar subjects according to some quality or characteristic that they share in common. For example, neighbors can be classified according to their attitudes: friendly, snoopy and aloof. Of course, there are still other ways to classify neighbors. With classification, subjects can be categorized in many ways based on different principles or criteria of classification.

Writing an effective classification should be consistent with the set criteria. In addition, categories should be arranged in logical order, and avoid overlapping of categories.

Ordering of Details:

1. Emphatic

2. Spatial

3. Chronological

(example - division paragraph)
(example - classification paragraph)

Example Paragraph

An example paragraph illustrates a concept in real-world terms and provides readers with an image of a concept that they can relate to.

Examples make general statements specific and more convincing.

Good examples can explain and clarify unfamiliar, abstract, or difficult concepts for the reader.

Use examples that are representatives of the types of situations of your readers.

Clear examples support, clarify, interest and persuade your readers to agree with you.

Sources of Examples:

Personal experiences

Other people’s experiences (friends, relatives, classmates, etc.)

Printed materials like books, magazines, etc.

Media: Radio, TV, and Movies

Environment

Hypothetical situations

Facts, events, statistics, quotations

Kinds of Examples:

Specific – examples that are definite or particular

Typical – examples that show common qualities or characteristics to a group or kind

Hypothetical – examples that present possible events that could happen in the future

Ordering of Details

Emphatic

Spatial

Chronological

Examples:

Nocturnal animals

(emphatic order - from the most familiar to the least familiar )

a. bats

b. owls

c. fox

d. raccoon

e. wombat

People who rose from rags to riches:

(spatial – from local to international)

a. Regine Velasquez (from Bulacan – local, meaning she is from Bulacan and we are from Bulacan) although you can also use her as an example for national)

b. Manny Pacquiao (from the Philippines – national)

c. Yao Ming (international – popular worldwide and comes from another country)

Forms of transportation in the Philippines

(chronological)

a. sleds or karitela

b. bicycles

c. car

Transitional words & phases

for example, for instance, for one thing, as an illustration, to illustrate, illustrated with, as an example, in this case

also, again, as well as, besides, furthermore, in addition, likewise, moreover, similarly

Things to Remember when Writing an Example Paragraph or Essay:

Be sure your examples are relevant.

Be sure that your examples are reasonable and realistic (except for the hypothetical examples)

Be sure that your examples are vivid in details.

Be sure you have enough examples to prove your point.

An Extended Example or Illustration is one that tells a story.

DOs and DON’Ts

1. DO provide enough examples to prove your point. One or two short examples will never satisfy the curiosity of an intelligent reader.

2. DO choose examples that are both specific and relevant. Remember that the quantity of your examples means nothing if the quality of your example is poor.

3. DO understand the purpose of your examples before you write your paragraph. Are you using examples primarily to inform your reader or to persuade your reader—or both?

4. DON’T use a series of slanted examples which may distort the truth. Use unbiased, objective, representative examples.

5. DON’T present a brief example and then move on to the next example without explaining the first. Provide your readers with enough secondary details to make your examples effective.

6. DON’T rely on a single extended example unless that example is comprehensive enough to illustrate your point.

(specific examples)

(typical example)

(hypothetical examples)