Write Well

1
Write Well!

• A guide to writing in this class and beyond

2
Writing is Important

• Throughout your college career, and into your
  professional life as well, it is likely that you
  will have to write often.
• Writing in a clear and competent manner can help
  you
• Get good grades
• Get a good job (you have to write a resume)
• Become famous (well, maybe notbut it couldnt
  hurt)

3
Philosophy of Writing

• When you are writing (in this class, or for
  anything else), try to obey the following
  principles
• Le mot juste Every word is important
• When you carefully select your words, you will
  increase the clarity of your message
• A simple sentence is often better than a complex
  one.
• If you are confused yourself by the end of your
  sentence, your reader has no chance of
  understanding you.
• Be organized
• If your writing follows a logical pattern, the
  reader will be able to make sense of what you are
  saying, even if you arent as clear as possible.

4
Writing an essay

• When you are asked to write a short essay, such
  as on the last exam, you should approach your
  task in a systematic way.
• Step 1 Ask yourself the following question What
  are you supposed to write about?
• Does the essay list several things that you
  should address?
• For example, in the essay on the last exam, you
  were asked to write about parsimony,
  falsifiability, and anecdotal evidence.
• Make sure you are answering the question
• Sometimes you may write a good essay, but it is
  not one that correctly answers the question

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Writing a short (1-2 paragraph) essay

• Step 2 What resources do you have available to
  you?
• For a take home exam, you have the course notes,
  the book, the internet
• For an in-class exam, do you have anything you
  can use?
• YES!
• Often, there are questions in the exam that are
  relevant to the essay question.
• If you are asked to write about several
  subtopics, try to get some resources for each of
  the subtopics
• For example, get some information about
  parsimony, some information about falsifiability,
  etc.

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Writing a short (1-2 paragraph) essay

• Step 3 After gathering resources, organize!
• Do your resources include definitions of terms?
• If so, note this. You will probably want to
  define your terms in your essay.
• Do your resources include examples?
• If so, great! If not, can you think of examples
  that illustrate the terms?

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Writing a short (1-2 paragraph) essay

• Step 4 Integrate your materials
• How are the subtopics related to the question?
• For example, how is what you know about parsimony
  related to alien abductions?
• Do you need to draw connections between the
  subtopics?

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Writing a short (1-2 paragraph) essay

• Step 5 Write!
• You are now ready to put pen to paper (or fingers
  to keyboard).
• Start by writing a general sentence that
  introduces the reader to the topic of the essay.
• Often, you can simply restate the essay question.
• For example, Although stories of alien abduction
  are popular urban legends and are common in TV
  shows and movies, a scientific analysis of these
  stories suggests that we should be skeptical when
  assessing their validity.

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Step 5 Continued

• After writing your introductory sentence, now use
  your resources.
• Use your definitions to explain the important
  terms
• Use your examples to illustrate them
• Your main job now, is simply to connect these
  things together so that your essay flows from one
  subtopic to the other.

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Writing a short (1-2 paragraph) essay

• Step 6 Rewrite!
• Read through your essay to make sure it makes
  sense.
• Do your sentences flow together in a logical
  manner?
• Are your sentences awkward?
• Say your sentence aloud. Does it sound correct?
• Check for grammatical and spelling mistakes
• Run spell check and grammar check.

11
When in doubt

• Look for a model.
• Read other materials that might inspire you.
• Ask for help.
• Exchange your essay with a friend or family
  member. If they cant understand what you are
  trying to say, nobody else will either.
• Go to your professors for help. Thats what
  theyre here for.