EDL 585: Lesson 8 Writing and Research Strand

Many MTL students know their writing has room for improvement. In this week's Writing and Research Strand, we return to the basics. One of your assignments for this week is to draft your thesis statement for your individual project and to use it in a paragraph. It's possible this paragraph will serve as the introduction to your final research paper, but it's much more likely your ideas will continue to evolve. The purpose of this assignment is to make sure you are beginning to solidify ideas for your final paper. Please feel free to use the links below, along with the thesis statement resources in lesson 3, to prepare your paragraph.

Sentences

• Clear, Concise, and Direct Sentences - The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison offers nine principles to help you write sentences your reader will understand.

Paragraphs

• Paragraph Development How do you develop your paragraphs? Take a look at the 5-step process proposed in this handout.
• Checking Paragraph Coherence It's surprising how easily paragraphs can get disjointed as you try to incorporate ideas from the authors you've read. Learn a technique to ensure your paragraphs are coherent.

Other Advice

• Concision Checklist The APA Publication Manual stresses the importance of clarify and concision in writing. Learn to excise extraneous words in this handout.
• I: When to Use It Using "I" in academic writing can be a bit tricky. The APA Publication Manual permits it, but from time to time you will encounter a professor who forbids it. This handout can help you decide how to use it appropriately.
• Passive Voice - The APA Publication Manual discourages using passive voice in your writing. Find out what that means, when it is acceptable, and how to avoid it in this handout.
• Procrastination - Do you suffer from it? Find out how to cope with it.