What is effective writing?
A well-written essay incorporates elements of writing in such a way that a reader can experience the writer's intended meaning, understand the writer's premise, and accept or reject the writer's point of view. Effective writing . . .
- is focused on the topic and does not contain extraneous or loosely related information;
- has an organizational pattern that enables the reader to follow the flow of ideas because it contains a beginning, middle, and end
- uses transitional devices;
- contains supporting ideas that are developed through the use of details, examples, and conventions of language appropriate to the discipline area which the writer is addressing;
- follows the conventions of standard written English (i.e., punctuation, grammar, capitalization, and spelling) and has variation in sentence structure;
- cites all source material according to discipline conventions.
How does a student achieve effective writing?
No essay is "reader-ready" after the first draft. Instead, a writer concerned with effective writing engages in a serious process-approach. This recursive process includes planning, writing, revising, and editing.
What will an instructor be looking for in a student's Gordon Rule writing?
In addition to a clear demonstration of accuracy and logic with respect to the paper's subject matter, a student will be expected to demonstrate proficiency in structuring an essay and conveying his or her thoughts in a technically and grammatically correct manner. Students should revise the essay until it meets the standards outlined below.
In planning and structuring an essay, a student will be expected to Select a subject which lends itself to development.
- Determine the purpose and the audience for writing.
- Limit the subject to a topic that can be developed within the requirements of time, purpose, and audience.
- Formulate a thesis or statement of main idea.
- Develop the thesis or main idea statement by . . .
- providing adequate support which reflects the ability to distinguish between generalized and specific evidence.
- arranging the ideas and supporting details in a logical pattern appropriate to the purpose and the focus.
- writing unified prose in which all supporting material is relevant to the thesis or main idea statement.
- writing coherent prose and providing effective transitional devices which clearly reflect the organizational pattern and the relationships of the parts.
- citing all support from external sources according to discipline conventions.
In editing and proofreading an essay, a student will be expected to
- Demonstrate effective word choice by . . .
- using words which convey the denotative and connotative meanings required by context.
- avoiding inappropriate use of slang, jargon, cliches, and pretentious expressions.
- avoiding wordiness.
- Employ conventional sentence structure by . . .
- placing modifiers correctly.
- coordinating and subordinating sentence elements according to their relative importance.
- using parallel expressions for parallel ideas.
- avoiding fragments, comma splices, and fused sentences.
- Employ effective sentence structure by . . .
- using a variety of sentence patterns.
- avoiding overuse of passive construction.
- Observe the conventions of standard American English grammar and usage by . . .
- using standard verb forms.
- maintaining agreement between subject and verb, pronoun and antecedent.
- using proper case forms.
- maintaining a consistent point of view.
- using adjectives and adverbs correctly.
- avoiding inappropriate shifts in verb tenses.
- making logical comparisons.
- using standard practice for spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
- assuring clarity, consistency, and conformity to the conventions of standard American English.
