THE WRITING PROCESS WRITING ACTIVITIES

(DRAFTING)

After prewriting you can begin drafting or writing the piece in paragraph form. From the
purpose and the topic you can develop a theme, the point the piece I trying to make. This
theme should be stated in a thesis statement in the first paragraph. A paragraph consist
of a topic sentence, which states a main idea related to the theme.
Exercise 1: State a theme that is consistent with the topic and the purpose given. Use a
complete sentence.
Ex. Topic: glaciers; purpose: inform Glaciers are slow-moving blocks of ice traveling over
our planet.

1. topic: castles; purpose: narrate

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2. topic: basketball; purpose: narrate
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3. topic: airplanes; purpose: inform
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4. topic: smoking; purpose: inform
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5. topic: cars; purpose: persuade
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6. topic: Vietnam War; purpose: narrate
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(REVISING)
Reorganize each paragraph for meaning, unity and coherence

1. Earvin “Magic” Johnson played professional basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers.
He went to Michigan State to play college basketball. Earvin Johnson was born in
1959. Recently, he contacted HIV and retired from playing professional basketball.
He was nicknamed “Magic” because of a spectacular basketball game he played in
highschool.
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 2. Clearly, pronghorns are built of blazing speed. They are similar to dee and
antelope. Pronghorns, the fastest of all American mammals, can easily outrun their
enemies. Their huge windpipes, lungs, and hearts accommodate sudden burst of
energy.
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(EDITING)
After revising you can edit and clarify your ideas in writing. While you edit, loof for the
following items; correct word usage, subject verb agreement, corrected verb tenses, clear
pronoun references, run-on sentences and sentence fragments. When editing, cross out
words and write new words in margins and spaces. Proofreading entails checking for
spelling, punctuation and capitalization errors.
Exercise 1: Edit the sentence for clarity and correct grammar.
Example: The best football guy, he be it.

1. She are the starling of the team.

2. My brother run to the store yesterday.
3. Looking at the Lone Ranger movie are fun.
4. Space travel is dream a of the future
5. The Special Effects in motion pitures ofen addto the realisium of a film.
OUTLINING
Is a method used to organize the information in a piece of writing. One method of
constructing an outline is to put all your prewriting information on index cards. These cards
can be arranged by main topics and the details supporting that topic. To write your outline,
indicate your main topics with Roman numerals. Put supporting details or subtopics,
beneath each topic with capital letters. These subtopics can have subdivisions as regular
numbers. For example, an outline of an audition for the school play might look like this:
I. Trying Out for the School Play
A. First time trying out
1. I was nervous and excited
2. I did not think that I would remember my lines
3. I had to audition for Ms. Hendrix, the drama teacher

B. The role I wanted

1. Hero of a romantic comedy
2. Character is handsome and charming
3. I had pictured myself in a role like this
II. Performing in the School Play

EXERCISE 2: Organize the following topics and details into an outline of the biography
of Howard Hughes.
Became a millionaire; Born 1905 in Houston, TX; Business Life; Companies controlled;
Controller of Trans World Airlines; Did in 1976; Dropped out of society in the 1950s;
Early Life; Father died in 1924; Hughes Aircraft Company; Inherited Hughes Tool
Company upon father’s death; Later Life; Never seen in public; Refused to be
photographed; RKO Pictures Corporation.
 WRITING EFFECTIVE SENTENCES:
The hardest working sentence in a paragraph is the topic sentence. A topic sentence
states the main idea of a paragraph. Use supporting details to develop the main idea.
The action verb is in the active voice when the subject of a sentence performs the
action. When the action is performed on the subject, the action verb is in the
passive voice.
PRACTICE:

Example
Combine the four sentences into an effective topic sentence, or write a topic sentence
accompanied by one or more supporting details.
a) Many youngsters go without food.
b) This happens every day.
c) We should help them.
d) They are very needy

Because many youngsters go without food each day, we should help feed needy children.

a. We will perform the play on Friday.

b. We need more rehearsals.
c. It will be a huge hit if we rehearse.
d. People will talk about it for seeks afterwards.
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a. Elephants are enormous.
b. They are also very gentle.
c. They will pluck a peanut.
d. The elephants at the zoo fascinate me.
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a. You are very negative.
b. That behavior is unpleasant.
c. You may lose friends over this.
d. Stop being negative.

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Number the following sentences in chronological order

_____ Then I cut two slices from a tomato.

_____ I place the tomato slices atop the cheese and ham.
_____ I always make my favorite sandwich a certain way
_____ To complete my creation, I put the mustard-covered slice of bread atop the
Loaded slice of bread.

_____ First, I place two slices of whole wheat bread on a plate.

_____ Next, I put one slice of Swiss cheese on top of the ham.
_____ Finally, I enjoy!
_____ I put mayonnaise on a slice of bread and mustard on the other.
_____ Then I lay three pieces of ham on the mayonnaise-covered slice.

A personal letter: Is often a letter to a friend or relative. In that letter you describe recent
events in your life and ask the recipient questions about his or her life.
Letters of request: Is a letter that asks for information or service (Be clear and courteous)
Letter of complaint: Is a letter informing someone of a problem or concern and

sometimes a request for action.

Resume: Is a summary of your work experience, school experience, talents, and interests.
It is used in applying for a job or for admittance into a school or academic program.