Prewriting
Commonly Confused Words
Research Skills
Paragraph and Essay Structure
Vocabulary
100
What is the purpose of prewriting?
To get your thoughts out and organized--bridging the gap between your brain and paper/the computer
100
Explain the difference between "are" and "our"
Are is a verb talking about existence; our is a plural possessive
100
What is an essential question? Why do we ask essential questions as part of research?
Essential questions don't have a single easy answer. They prompt us to research widely and come up with interesting answers that require support.
100
How can you decide where to break your writing into paragraphs?
Based on the idea--one main idea per paragraph, even if that means some paragraphs are long and some are short.
100
Define "extenuating"
Specific, extreme circumstances
200
What is brainstorming/listing? What are some pros and cons for this prewriting technique?
Bullet points--quick and easy, but may be underdeveloped
200
Explain the difference between "affect" and "effect"
Affect is the action; effect is the end result
200
What does the C in the CRAPPP test stand for? Explain the issue
Currency--source should be recent according to conventions of the field
200
If I comment that your paragraph is "underdeveloped," how would you fix that problem?
Adding more "supporting detail"--explanations, examples, outside evidence, etc.
200
Define "nonchalant"
Having a cool, calm appearance
300
What is freewriting? What are some pros and cons for this prewriting technique?
Writing continuously for a set amount of time--can help develop ideas, but may get off track
300
Explain the difference between "bad" and "badly"
Bad is usually used as an adjective, and badly is always used as an adverb
300
What does the A in the CRAPPP test stand for? Explain the issue
Authoritative--is the author someone with the credentials to make these statements?
300
What is the first sentence of a paragraph called? What should it contain?
Topic sentence contains both topic and controlling idea
300
Define "fortitude"
Mental or emotional strength
400
What is questioning? What are some pros and cons for this prewriting technique?
Asking questions starting with who, what, where, when, why, how, and then branching out--questions tend to focus writing, but it's easy to run out of relevant questions or get stuck asking non-essential questions
400
Explain the difference between "a lot," "alot," and "allot"
A lot means a big quantity; alot isn't a word; allot means to portion out
400
What are the first two Ps in the CRAPPP test, and how do they work together?
Purpose and point of view--can help us determine whether the source is biased in a way that makes it questionable
400
What are the qualities of a good thesis statement?
Shows the essay's main point and hints at supporting sub-topics, suggests informative or persuasive tone
400
Define "mendacious"
Dishonest
500
What is clustering? What are some pros and cons for this prewriting technique?
Visually organizing thoughts with bubbles/branches--see relationships visually, but can get a little messy or be hard when you first start out
500
Explain the difference between "fewer" and "less"
Fewer for countable nouns, less for non-count nouns
500
What is "potency," and why is it part of the CRAPPP test?
Sometimes we have to weigh sources against each other to determine which are just OK and which are excellent. Potency can work as a tiebreaker.
500
How should the introduction of an essay be structured?
Start with a hook or broader discussion of the issue, then lead into the specific thesis statement at the end.
500
Define "obstreperous"
Noisy, difficult to control
M
e
n
u