The Basics of Writing

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The Basics of Writing

• Expository Writing
• and
• Personal Responses

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Types of Writing

• Expository Writing essays, quick writes, and
  summaries formal writing.
• Purpose is to inform or explain something.
• Use third person ONLY Write in present tense
• Personal Writing reflections, responses, and
  narratives formal and informal writing.
• Purpose is to focus on personal opinions, ideas,
  and events.
• Uses third person ONLY first person is implied

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Perspective (Pronouns)

• First Person the person speaking
• Singular I, me,/ my, mine,/ myself
• Plural we, us,/ our, ours,/ ourselves
• Second Person the person being spoken to
• Singular you,/ your, yours,/ yourself
• Plural you,/ your, yours,/ yourselves
• Third Person the person being discussed
• Singular he, him, she, her, it,/ his, her, hers,
  its,/ himself, herself, itself
• Plural they, them,/ their, theirs,/ themselves

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Indefinite Pronouns

• In expository writing, avoid using indefinite
  pronouns because they are too ambiguous and
  vague.
• Indefinite pronoun refers to persons, places or
  ideas in a more general way than nouns.
• ie. Anything, everything, thing, it, someone,
  some, something, somebody, nobody, no one,
  everybody, everyone, one, any, etc

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Using Pronouns Correctly

• Pronoun a word that takes the place of a noun.
• Antecedent the noun to which the pronoun is
  referring to.
• In expository writing, do not use a pronoun
  without an antecedent.
• i.e.. Though Georgia OKeefe was born in
  Wisconsin, she grew to love the landscape of the
  American Southwest. (ID the antecedent)

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Using Pronouns Correctly

• Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement all pronouns must
  agree with their antecedents in number, gender,
  and person.
• Number agree with plural or singular ant.
• Gender agree with masculine or feminine ant.
• ie. Emily Dickinson wrote her poems on scrap
  paper. (singular feminine pronoun)
• Person agree with 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person ant.
• The lost generation wrote about their loss of
  innocence because of the World Wars.

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Clear Pronoun Reference

• Clearly state the antecedent of the pronoun. Make
  sure that a pronoun does not refer to more than
  one antecedent.
• Dont use the pronoun this, that, which, it, any,
  or one without a clearly stated antecedent.
• ie. Dickens loved public speaking, and that
  greatly boosted his popularity. (What boosted his
  popularity? His speeches did, but the word
  speeches is not specifically mentioned.)
• Dickens loved public speaking, and his speeches
  greatly boosted his popularity.

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Clear Pronoun Reference

• If a pronoun seems to refer to more than one
  antecedent, either reword the sentence to make
  the antecedent clear or eliminate the pronoun.
• ie. After the tickets slipped between the
  reports, they were lost. (Tickets or reports?)
• The tickets were lost when they slipped between
  the reports. (clear antecedent)
• When the tickets slipped between the reports, the
  tickets were lost. (no pronoun)

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Verb Tenses (Present Tense)

• Verb Tense forms that help to show time.
• In expository writing, use only present tense
  verbs.
• Present Tense expresses a constant, repeated, or
  habitual action or condition. It can also express
  a general truth.
• The present-tense form of a verb is the same as
  the base form of the verb, except for the 3rd
  person singular, which adds s or es.

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Present Tense Examples

• Hemingway writes in a simplistic and rich style.
  (always a habitual action)
• Shakespeare explores the use of language in his
  works. (not just in one play but in every play a
  repeated action)
• Bilbo Baggins is an unusual hero. (a general
  truth).

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Verb Tenses (Past Tense)

• Never use past tense in expository writing
  because literature is ongoing.
• Past Tense expresses an action or a condition
  that was started and completed in the past.
• Nearly all regular and irregular verbs (except
  be) have just one past-tense form, such as
  climbed or ran. The verb be has two was and were

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Verb Tenses (Future Tense)

• Future Tense expresses an action or a condition
  that will occur in the future.
• Form future tense by using the auxiliary verb
  shall or will with the base form. Also, by using
  going to or about to with the present tense of
  the verb be and the base form of the verb.
• Pip will achieve great expectations.
• When shall I study?
• Pip is going to achieve great expectations.
• Pip is about to achieve great expectations.

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Consistency of Tenses

• Dont shift, or change, tenses when two or more
  events occur at the same time.
• The soloist stopped suddenly and coughs loudly.
  (correct this)
• Keep a statement about a general truth in the
  present tense if other verbs are in the past
  tense.
• We remembered that Shakespeare is a master of
  characterization.

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Voice of Verbs (Active Voice)

• In expository writing, always use active voice.
• With active voice the action comes alive.
• An action verb is in active voice when the
  subject performs the action.
• ie. The brown bear caught a salmon.
• ie. Shakespeare wrote these sonnets.

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Voice of Verbs (Passive Voice)

• An action verb is in passive voice when its
  action is performed on the subject.
• Do not use passive voice- it is boring.
• Form the passive voice by using the auxiliary
  verb be with the past participle of the verb.
• A salmon was caught by the brown bear.
• These sonnets were wrote by Shakespeare.

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Subject- Verb Agreement

• A verb must agree with its subject in number.
• Number refers to whether the word is singular or
  plural.
• A Singular subject indicates one (with most
  regular verbs, add s or es to form the sing.)
• ie. The author writes.
• Plural subjects indicate more than one and
  require plural verbs.
• ie. The authors write.

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Agreement with Compound Subjects

• A compound subject that is joined by and or both
  is plural unless its parts belong to one unit or
  they both refer to the same person or thing.
• ie. The lion and the tiger are roaring. (plural)
• ie. Peanut butter and jelly is my favorite type
  of sandwich. (singular because it is one unit).
• ie. His best friend and companion is George.
  (singular because it is one person).

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Agreement with Compound Subjects

• With compound subjects joined by or or nor (or
  eitheror or neithernor), the verb agrees with
  the subject closer to it.