Writing

Starting your first draft

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 Step 6: Write the first draft
• Using your outline, begin writing your rough
draft
• Write your draft in third person
– Don’t use I, me, we, us, you, you’re, and other
second and third person personal pronouns
• Be objective
– Only include researched facts. No opinion!

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 Step 6: Writing tools to use
For structuring ideas of body paragraph(s) use:
❖ SEAL: Statement, Evidence, Analysis, Link.
OR
❖ PEEL: Point, Evidence, Explain, Link.

While writing content, respect the use of:

❖ CUPS: Capitalisation, Usage of grammar rules, Punctuations,
Spelling.

While reviewing/editing draft, use:

❖ ARMS: Add, Remove, Move, Substitute words and sentences
to be clearer.
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 Step 6: Introduction
• Hook - The hook should be 1-2 sentences in
length. It should introduce the audience to the
topic.
• Do not use a question as a hook.
• Instead, use an interesting or alarming fact, an
anecdote, hypothetical situation, or metaphor.

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 Step 6: Introduction
• Background - The background should be 3-5
sentences. It should include the what and the
why should I care about this of the topic.
• WHAT - what is your topic. Define any key
terms, explain what it is.
• WHY SHOULD I CARE - provide
information about why it is important. Make
people care about it.

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 Step 6: Introduction
• Thesis/Research Question - The
thesis/research question is the very last
sentence of the introduction. It should only be
one sentence long.
• Direct
• Arguable
• Include a claim + reasons

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 Step 6: Introduction
•Thesis/Research Question –Your thesis can only be one
sentence.
(topic of paper) + (verb) + (all of the main ideas)

●EXAMPLE THESIS:
The invention of the traffic light made car travel safer,
traffic flow better, and created a safer environment for
pedestrians.
●EXAMPLE RESEARCH QUESTION:
To what extend has traffic light impacted on societies?

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 Step 6: Organization
• EXAMPLE THESIS:
The invention of the traffic light made car travel safer, traffic
flow better, and created a safer environment for pedestrians.

In this research paper for the example thesis, the first body
paragraph will be about how the invention of the traffic light made
traveling by car safer. The second body paragraph will be about how
the invention of the traffic light made traffic flow better. The third
body paragraph of the research paper will be about how the invention
of the traffic light created a safer environment for pedestrians.

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 Step 6: Write the first draft
• Do not write about your writing.
– NO:
• In this paragraph…
• I will write about a significant technological
development…
• This paper is about… Get to the point quickly
using as few words as
possible.
– YES:
• The stop light is a significant technological
development of the 19th century.

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 Step 6: Write the first draft
• Do not write in the first person.
• NO:
• I believe that factory farming is contributing to climate
change.

Take out all first

– YES: person pronouns.
• Factory farming contributes to climate change.

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 Step 6: Write the first draft
• Do not write about your writing.
– NO:
• For example, as this quote states, “it was not uncommon
for…”

– YES:
• Before the traffic light’s invention, “it was not
uncommon for...”
Summarize information before the quote
to build a strong lead-in.

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 Sources
• Ideally, no more than 15% of your paper
should be direct quotations
• Only use the most important part of the quote
as a direct quote in the paper.

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 Paraphrasing, Quoting
& Summarizing
You still must cite your source if you…
• Paraphrase
– Put someone else’s words or ideas into your own
words
• Quote
– Use the original author’s words, word for word,
within quotation marks
• Summarize
– Shorten someone else’s words and ideas

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 Step 6: Write the first draft
• When you include your researched information
in your paper, you have to make sure that it
grammatically fits with the rest of your paper.
Do not just drop quotes into your paper
randomly.

• Whenever you add a quote or a statistic, it

should never be in a sentence by itself.

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 Step 6: Write the first draft
Inserting quotations in body paragraphs
• According to (include source here), “put quote here” (cite it in MLA
format for in-text citations).
• According to (include source here), (put paraphrased, researched
information here) (cite it in MLA format for in-text citations).
• For example, the traffic light “put quote here” (cite it in MLA format for
in-text citations).
• For instance, (put paraphrased, researched information here) (cite it in
MLA format for in-text citations).

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 Step 6: Write the first draft
• EXAMPLE BODY PARAGRAPH:
[Topic Sentence] The invention of the traffic light by Garrett
Morgan made automotive transportation safer. [Example] Before
the traffic light’s invention, “it was not uncommon for bicycles,
animal-powered carts and motor vehicles to share the same
thoroughfares with pedestrians. Accidents frequently occurred
between the vehicles” (Federal Highway Administration).
[Explanation] After the invention and implementation of the
traffic light, the number of collisions was reduced and thus created
a safer environment for automobile travel.

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 When to Cite
You must provide citations for…
• Any research you quote, summarize, or
paraphrase
• Someone else’s opinion
• Concrete facts not considered “common
knowledge”

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 Step 7: Peer and self edit
• Edit and revise your rough draft
• Proofread your own paper
– Read it out loud
– Type it into an online translator and have it read
back to you
• Participate in peer reviews

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Step 8: Finalize Your First Draft
• Type your research essay in MLA format using
Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or another
word processing application.

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