All About Narratives
True or false: In college, narratives are only used in fiction writing classes.
FALSE! Narratives may be assigned for different purposes in college (i.e., placement exams, special projects, major essays, speeches, etc.)
Which of the following does NOT define a thesis statement?
"The thesis statement..."
A. Is the goal of the essay
B. Can have multiple focuses
C. Previews the structure of your essay
D. Can be one to two sentencesB. Can have multiple focuses
An effective thesis statement is specific and focused!
Which of these is NOT a stage of the writing process?
A. Peer Review/Feedback
B. Layout & Design
C. Drafting
D. Research
B. Layout & Design
For majority of your academic writing assignments, you will mostly be working in a text-only context.
Identify what the issue is with this thesis statement:
In this essay, I will discuss the positive and negative effects of fast fashion.
Not an argument (more of an announcement)
Which of these is NOT a common myth about college writing?
1. I can master college writing by the end of this course.
2. College writing doesn't require any reading.
3. Writing courses are about nothing!
4. College writing is just a set of rules and structures.
2. College writing doesn't require any reading.
This is an uncommon myth about college writing. Most students understand that writing requires reading.
True or False: Narratives can be told in any order of events.
FALSE! Narratives are typically told in CHRONOLOGICAL order.
True or False: The thesis can be anywhere in the essay (beginning, middle, or end).
FALSE! The thesis is typically in the beginning of the essay, but may be at the end for certain disciplines or contexts.
True or false: Planning out an essay assignment is unnecessary.
FALSE! Effective essays begin by planning out why you want to write and how you will write about your topic.
Edit the following thesis statement to be more arguable:
Social media can be bad for children.
Too broad; needs more focus
What is freewriting?
Freewriting is a brainstorming or journaling technique where you write without stopping.
Which of these is NOT a characteristic of narratives?
A. Clear, descriptive details
B. Situation or context
C. Metacommentary/Analysis
D. Outcome/resolution
C. Metacommentary/Analysis
In a narrative, your role is simply to guide the reader through the story - not analyze the events.
True or false: Once you submit your thesis for this essay, you cannot change it.
False! The writing process is also exploratory and your argument can change as you do more research.
Fill in the blanks (you must fill in both to get full points):
Though you may sometimes want to state your thesis bluntly, often you need to acknowledge that your assertion may not be
unconditionally true. In such cases, consider adding ________ _____ such as
“may,” “very,” “likely,” and “often” to qualify your statement.
Though you may sometimes want to state your thesis bluntly, often you need to acknowledge that your assertion may not be
unconditionally true. In such cases, consider adding QUALIFYING WORDS such as
“may,” “very,” “likely,” and “often” to qualify your statement.
Identify AND edit the issue with the following statement:
Everyone should own a bicycle.Too broad! This thesis does present an argument, but a more effective thesis statement would focus on a specific audience/demographic.
Example: Every off-campus student should own a bicycle to save money, improve their health, and increase their mobility.
Fill in the blanks. You must answer both to be correct.
In summary, academic college-level writing is best described as being 1) _____ and 2) _____.
In summary, academic college-level writing is best described as being reflective and explicit.
Complete the Acronym: When analyzing readings and planning your essay, GRASP stands for...
G - Genre, R - Role, A - Audience, S - Strategies, P - Purpose