Element1 - Organizing your writing

من طرف **Wagih** الخميس 12 نوفمبر 2009, 6:30 pm

Organizing and Composing - Beginning

Describing Action in Progress

In this picture,* there are many people riding on a bus. Some of the people are standing and some are sitting. The bus driver is talking to a young man who is just getting on the bus. An old woman is standing in the aisle and is leaning against a post. She looks very tired. Next to her, there is a shopping cart full of groceries. Two men are standing near the old woman. They are arguing about something. On the right side of the bus, there is a bald man looking out the window, and sitting behind him is a young man listening to the radio. On the left side of the bus, there are some girls chatting happily while someone is smoking in the seat behind them. I think this looks like a typical day on the bus in Taiwan.

Describing Action in Progress:

He is standing.They are sitting.	Present Progressive Tense
to show movement and position	There is... There are Prepositions
in, on, by, near, over, under,next to, in front of,on the right (side)
I think . . .It looks like . . .They look tired. They appear to be tired.	Opinions

Getting Ideas Organized

1. Make a list. (Get your ideas down on paper.)2. Select those items that are most interesting/appropriate.3. Formulate a topic sentence.4. Arrange ideas in an outline.

Example: Topic: Sports

Karate Team sports Competition School Contests

Sports medicine Muscles Being in shape Heart rate

Olympics Professional Sports Athletes Coaches

Baseball Basketball Soccer Badminton

Revised Topic: High school sports competitions
High school sports competitions require that athletes be in good shape, follow their coach, and work together as a team.

1. Be in good shape

2. Follow the coach

3. Work as a team

Sample Past Tense

Yesterday, I had a very rough day. I got up early to go shopping, but as soon as I stepped out of the door, it began to rain, so I had to go back to the apartment and get my umbrella. The elevator was out, so I had to climb six flights of stairs to get to my place. When I got back downstairs, I was so exhausted that
I had to sit down on a bench to rest. By that time, it had stopped
raining, but the ground was still wet. A brown dog came to where I was sitting and begged for something to eat. I tried to ignore him, but he splashed water all over my brand new shoes. Finally, the bus came, and I was on my way to the supermarket.

When I got to the supermarket, I realized I had forgotten my shopping list, so I couldn't remember everything I wanted to buy. The cashier was too busy to help me, so I gathered up a few items and carried them to the counter. After the cashier finished ringing up my purchase, he gave me the wrong change and stuffed my groceries into my small shopping cart. I was not in a good mood when I left the supermarket.

If that wasn't bad enough, I had a terrible time on the bus ride home. First, the bus driver yelled at me because I took too much time to get on. Couldn't he see that I had a cart full of groceries? Then, there were not seats. I'm sure that someone on the bus could have offered me a place to sit, but everyone was so rude. They pretended not to see me. I just stood there, leaned against one of the poles in the aisles, put my head down, and sighed.

Sample Present Tense

Every day Mr. Lee gets up at 6:00 a.m. and heads for the station.
He has to be at work at 6:30 sharp. As soon as he reaches the station, he punches his time card and checks his vehicle--tires, fuel, engine, interior. Everything must be in good shape for the day's passengers. After he has made sure his vehicle is all right, Mr. Lee gets himself comfortable in his seat, adjusts his mirrors, and starts the engine. He pulls out of the station at 6:35.

Mr. Lee makes his first stop at Maple Street, where a few people get on. Usually, the earliest passengers are elderly men and women who like to avoid the rush hours. M.r Lee drives down Maple Street making several other stops. By the time he gets to Tanner Boulevard, the vehicle is half full. Around 7:00, it starts to become crowded. Some of the passengers are going to school, others to work. Everyone seems to be in a hurry. At about 8:30, the crowd dies down a bit, and Mr. Lee's work becomes more pleasant. During the daytime hours, people are usually more friendly because they aren't so rushed to get where they are going. Many of the passengers during these hours are going shopping or visiting friends. They often smile and chat with each
other. Once in a while, Mr. Lee meets a rude man or woman who argues with him or one of the passengers or refuses to give his seat to an elderly person.

Mr. Lee's shift usually ends at 3:30 p.m, just before the evening rush hour. Then, he goes back to the station and turns his vehicle over to another driver. After a few minutes of writing reports in the office, Mr. Lee is finished for the day. Even though there are good days and bad days, he enjoys his work as a _____________.

What to check after writing:

Writer's Checklist

1. Grammar

2. Vocabulary

3. Organization

4. Overall Effect

Regards