(We'll talk about thinking questions in class.
They help you get started in your thinking but they don't supply the organization for your paper. Your own thinking supplies the organization for your paper.)
Since the paper is short, you will need to make every sentence count. Part of the work of the assignment is to say something important in a condensed and careful way.
PARAGRAPH AND SENTENCE POINTERS
Say what you mean: Put the most important meaning words in the most important grammatical positions. This move is one of your most important revision strategies. It will help you get rid of wordiness, initial delaying constructions, and clunky clauses; and it will encourage you to subordinate properly.*
Hook-ups: Sentences in a paragraph must "hook on to" preceding sentences. In each case, look for the stated or implied connector.
In hooking on to a previous sentence, each sentence does something to the previous one. You need to be able to say what each sentence is doing to the one before it. If your sentences have not met each other yet, they don't belong in the same paragraph.
Develop your paragraphs: Most paragraphs in English start out in a certain direction and keep on going that way. Many start in one direction and then turn (with such words as "however" and "nevertheless"). There are two "rules" about turning: a) you can only turn once per paragraph; b) all sentences following the turn support that turn OR the original direction of the paragraph.* (One apparent exception is only apparent; I'll explain it in class.)
Test your paragraphs with the "paragraph test": cut the paragraph into sentences and see if another intelligent, attentive person can put the paragraph together again.
*These two ideas are from Frederick Crews's The Random House Handbook.
KEY: AJVS SYMBOLS FOR COMMENTING ON PAPERS
Check = nice, good, etc.
Check, check = very nice, good, etc.
_______ ________= Something is wrong with the connection
between circled or underlined elements.
¶ = Paragraph.
¶ development, coherence, and unity. "Paragraph & Sentence Pointers" may help you with this.
Sp = spelling.
SS = sentence structure.
SVA = subject-verb agreement.
// ism = parallelism.
ref = reference not clear (for pronouns, etc.).
frag = sentence fragment.
P = punctuation problem.
ROS = run-on sentence.
CS = comma splice.
NI = not idiomatic.
Pass = passive voice used inappropriately.
Pred = predication. Something is wrong with the way you are putting together a subject and a verb.
wd ch = problem with word choice.
T = problem with shift in verb tense or with sequence of tense.
# = spacing. You need to add a space or spaces.
POV = point of view. You may want me to explain this problem while looking at your paper.
Rep = repetition.
Redundant = redundant.
Transition = Something amiss with transition between sentences or paragraphs.
Subordination = problem with subordination.
Logic = Problem with logic, e.g., your evidence doesn't match your claim; you have made an unacknowledged assumption or you have assumed agreement that doesn't exist; you have drawn an inference that doesn't follow from your observation or from your evidence.
Leap = Same as above.
Meaning ? = Even with effort, I find this sentence or phrase hard to understand.
Hm . . . = I'm not persuaded. Sounds doubtful to me.
This = Try not to usethe word "this" without a noun following it. Say "this point," "this idea," "this problem," etc., rather than "this," "this,","this."
GSS = Getting-started sentences; omit.
TOS = Too obvious to state.
TSINWVH = This sentence is not working very hard.
TSDNATKEO = These sentences do not appear to know each other. Please introduce them. And please see paragraph and sentence pointer on "hook-ups."
AMAT = Ask me about this [point].
CA = Clarify assertion. One frequent possibility: Put the most important meaning words in the most important grammatical positions.
See advice on sentences and paragraphs: "Say what you mean."
Condense = Clarify assertions, subordinate appropriately, and aim for economy in expression. You often need to condense in order to see what needs to be done next.