Can I ask for your assistance?

[Alphapheemail]

Hello;

This is the first time I post in the writers lounge... I would like to introduce myself. I am 25, a science addict... and i can't write to save my life.

Here's my problem... GRE's!!!

I passed the Vocabulary section in the SAT's with flying colors bc I read a lot, so reading comprehension and vocab is not my problem. Now the government wants me to prove I can write coherently... ::cue in scary music:::

What they do is that they give you statements and you (I) have to write a persuasive essay arguing against it or in backing it up.

I was wondering... ::twirling feet:::

If all of you magnificent writers could give me tips. But more specifically since during the weekend I will be practicing writing some of these essays if I posted them up, will it be ok if you tell me what I am doing wrong? (mods.. i ask before bc i don't know if this is not allowed or something.)

Michelle

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Alphapheemail

(mods.. i ask before bc i don't know if this is not allowed or something.)

as a moderator, i see nothing wrong with this request.

[Alphapheemail]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

as a moderator, i see nothing wrong with this request.

[zelda_pinwheel]

don't thank me now, wait until someone agrees to help you ! i personally would have no idea what to say about this type of essay !

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by Alphapheemail

Hello;

This is the first time I post in the writers lounge... I would like to introduce myself. I am 25, a science addict... and i can't write to save my life.

Here's my problem... GRE's!!!

I passed the Vocabulary section in the SAT's with flying colors bc I read a lot, so reading comprehension and vocab is not my problem. Now the government wants me to prove I can write coherently... ::cue in scary music:::

What they do is that they give you statements and you (I) have to write a persuasive essay arguing against it or in backing it up.

I was wondering... ::twirling feet:::

If all of you magnificent writers could give me tips. But more specifically since during the weekend I will be practicing writing some of these essays if I posted them up, will it be ok if you tell me what I am doing wrong? (mods.. i ask before bc i don't know if this is not allowed or something.)

Michelle

One of my old lecturers said that all you have to do to write an essay is remember three words: CQC. He said, at a fundamental level, all essays are built upon the CQC foundation.

1. Make a CLAIM

2. Back-up claim with a QUOTE

3. Now COMMENT on the above QUOTE

4. Repeat until conclusion.


Don't know if that helps, but when I was involved in academia the CQC principal got me through a lot of otherwise boring essays.

[ahi]

Michelle, I remember some writer (whose identity I do not recall) taught himself how to write by regularly copying pages and pages from books of authors he/she admired. Doing so helped the person get into the habit of writing the way said authors did, and the benefits eventually stayed with them even when they were writing impromptu (as opposed to copying from a book page).

Also, if you read a lot (assuming the quantity to quality ratio is decent), chances are that you have a better instinctive ability to assess the quality of a given sentence or passage than you think.

In my writing--whether it's a poem, a story, a letter, or a forum post--I cannot get it very good or fully coherent and concise the first time around (unless, of course, I patiently plan it out in my head in advance). So I go back and edit, until I stop feeling that the sentences I am reading are messy/inelegant. (In case you are wandering, I infrequently do that with online forum posts to the extent I would with more formal writing... so don't be scared.)

I found it also helped me to read books about writing that address a broad range of issues, and thereby suggest ways to improve most every aspect of your writing/composition. In particular, I recommend the Chicago Manual of Style--which is presently offering a free 30 day trial online:

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html

Hmmm... I wonder if they have it as an eBook--I might just have to buy that myself. The paper book is a bit too heavy to lug around, though I have before.

Well... these are all the ideas I have. Although I'm afraid none of them are quick-fixes. And, please, do forgive me for not taking additional time to tighten up my post a bit more.

- Ahi

[ahi]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

One of my old lecturers said that all you have to do to write an essay is remember three words: CQC. He said, at a fundamental level, all essays are built upon the CQC foundation.

1. Make a CLAIM

2. Back-up claim with a QUOTE

3. Now COMMENT on the above QUOTE

4. Repeat until conclusion.


Don't know if that helps, but when I was involved in academia the CQC principal got me through a lot of otherwise boring essays.

This is great advice... and rather more immediately pertinent than my own rambling.

I would just add that people who are not used to writing essays can sometimes get this stuff right, but leave the various parts of the essay feeling a bit too detached from their surroundings.

After everything is written down, 2-3 more minutes spent on tweaking section/paragraph beginnings and ends to maintain reasonable flow can make a big difference in how professional the essay ends up feeling.

- Ahi

[Alphapheemail]

Originally Posted by ahi

Michelle, I remember some writer (whose identity I do not recall) taught himself how to write by regularly copying pages and pages from books of authors he/she admired. Doing so helped the person get into the habit of writing the way said authors did, and the benefits eventually stayed with them even when they were writing impromptu (as opposed to copying from a book page).

Oh man! this is such a good idea... now I have to sit and think who to pick..

In my writing--whether it's a poem, a story, a letter, or a forum post--I cannot get it very good or fully coherent and concise the first time around (unless, of course, I patiently plan it out in my head in advance). So I go back and edit, until I stop feeling that the sentences I am reading are messy/inelegant. (In case you are wandering, I infrequently do that with online forum posts to the extent I would with more formal writing... so don't be scared.)

This is very true! I hardly edit aswell, only for spelling purposes.

I found it also helped me to read books about writing that address a broad range of issues, and thereby suggest ways to improve most every aspect of your writing/composition. In particular, I recommend the Chicago Manual of Style--which is presently offering a free 30 day trial online:

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html

Thank you so much I am going to check it out , I am sure I will need it once I get back to the grind of writing!

[ahi]

You're very welcome!

The Chicago Manual also has a handy Q&A section that requires no subscription (i.e.: is free):

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/.../qatopics.html

- Ahi

[Verencat]

Those were really great advices, and I'd like to add, considering your self-proclaim short attention span: write a plan first! It will help you to stay coherent all through you essay. Although coherence might be a tad overrated...

[sirbruce]

The classic essay structure looks like this:



You can vary it, of course, but this is the format I learned in High School and it's served me well all my life.

You usually want at least 5 paragraphs. The intro introduces the topic, discusses it generally, but narrows down to the specific claim you're trying to argue in the last sentence. (From general to specific.)

Then you write 3 paragraphs, each with a different fact which supports your claim.

Then your concluding paragraph summarizes your points, hooking them together to show how they support your claim. Then you briefly talk about the broader impacts of the claim. (From specific to general.)

[Moejoe]

The most fun I ever had with an essay was when I was studying film at Sheffield Uni, and the question was this:

"Pick a quote explaining the meaning of cinema from one of the recognised pioneers in the field and argue for or against that meaning."

I picked this quote (parphrasing) by Jean Luc Godard

Cinema is not the reflection of reality, but the reality of the reflection.

You really can't go wrong after that one, whatever you write is going to be arguably correct.

[Jack Tingle]

The above are all excellent advice on the structure of a persuasive essay. The only thing I'd add is to keep in mind the old newspaperman's rule, that content can be divided into (or checked against) Kipling's Six Honest Serveing Men: who, what, when, where, why, and how.

You may decide to use only two or three of these in a particular essay, but all six are often available in the form of facts or arguments you might choose to emphasize (or contradict). An essay for nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain might concentrate on where, how, and why, while an essay against a politician's faux pas might be more interested in who, when, and what.

Good Luck,
Jack Tingle

[MickeyC]

The two best pieces of advice I ever got about writing was from a very wise tech writer I had to work with to publish a long technical document years ago. They were:

1. Never (or almost never) use the passive voice. It obscures the doer of the action which is why Government writers love it as it makes it unclear who is responsible for something. Thus, don't write "The law will be adhered to" but rather 'Obey the law".

2. Avoid noun forms of verbs. A noun form of a verb usually ends in 'tion'. For example, examination is the noun form of 'to examine'. Verbs move; nouns don't. Thus "I will examine the wounded' has more impact then "I will conduct an examination of the wounded"

And here's a third piece of advice: The first sentence of any letter or essay should tell the reader what the whole letter/essay is about. A lot of people will only read the first sentence and, unless it is very clear what the whole thing is about, they may not read any more.

My favorite example of this was when, the writer, Martin Amis graduated from Oxford and was looking for a first job. He wrote a letter to an editor/publisher that started, "I just graduated from Oxford with a degree in Literature and am trying to get started on a career". I the editor hired him on the spot and later said it was because of that first sentence that made it so clear what the whole letter was about.

More advice: No sentences longer than three lines and keep the paragraphs short.

[pshrynk]

Try to avoid calling the examiners poopy-heads, as well.

Or, at least that's what I've heard...


There's a lot of good advice above. If you post some samples, I am sure you will get kind and productive feedback.


Along with occasionally being called a poopy-head, since some people never learn that lesson...