Mapping for the reader: Paragraphs

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Mapping for the reader Paragraphs
MAP
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The 3 keys to reader-centered writing MAP

• Maintain focus and flow
• Craft topic sentences
• Use transitions
• Provide trail markers
• Maintain parallelism
• Avoid abstraction
• Use passive voice with caution
• No empty pronouns!
• Prune your sentences!

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Maintain Focus and Flow
Use topic sentences
Invite the reader in to the sentence.
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Weak, Unfocused Paragraph

• The main operating cost is hydraulic oil
  replacement. GR-30 oil costs 18.60K per total
  plant charge, compared to XR-1023, which is
  7.80K. Oil life has a major impact on the
  overall economics. Preliminary economics were
  based on a 1-year nickel life, . . .
• (Paradis and Zimmerman, 1998)

Medium-sized idea
Details
Major idea
Detail
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Focused Paragraph

• Hydraulic oil costs and life largely determine
  the economics of the hydro plant, because its
  main operating cost is oil replacement. GR-30
  and XR-1023, the two oils we are considering,
  cost 18.60K and 7.80K, respectively, per total
  plant charge. . . . We are still projecting,
  then, that XR-1023 will cost less and last longer
  per plant charge.

large idea
details
summary and transition
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Maintain focus Develop paragraphs with levels of
generality in mind.

• Topic sentence is the most general in subject
  matter.
• Every sentence in the paragraph is either more
  specific than previous one or at same level of
  generality (except sometimes for last sentence).

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Map the sentences in this paragraph do they
steadily decrease in generality ?
1. The State of Texas does not appropriate funds
to maintain and/or build surface parking lots,
parking facilities, or parking garages. 2. All
parking on campus, including surface parking and
the parking garage, is operated and maintained
from the parking system revenues. 3. Revenues
include the annual parking permit fee, incomes
from citations issued by The University Police,
and fees charged to use The University parking
garage. 4. The construction of a second parking
garage is necessary. 5. To meet the required
funding to construct this parking garage, it will
be necessary to increase the campus parking
revenue by raising the annual parking permit fee.
6. The parking permit fee will increase over a
two year period to accomplish this.
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Provide Trail MarkersWhat is most important
word in both sentences?

• The proposal does not conform to our research
  goals as outlined in the five-year strategic
  plan. For instance, the potential for
  discovering new laser techniques is discussed
  only briefly and does not form a major part of
  the proposal.

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Focus should stay on the proposal.
The proposal does not conform to our research
goals as outlined in the five-year strategic
plan. For instance, the proposal fails to
emphasize our potential for discovering new laser
techniques these techniques are discussed only
briefly.
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To help maintain focus

• Tie new information to old
• Place repeated info. in subject position
• The proposal does not conform to our research
  goals as outlined in the five-year strategic
  plan. For instance, the proposal fails to
  emphasize our potential for discovering new laser
  techniques these techniques are discussed only
  briefly.