Com156 - Week 7 Discussion Questions

COM/156 - UNIVERSITY COMPOSITION AND COMMUNICATION II
Week 7 Discussion Questions

Discussion Question 1
Ch. 9, Section 4 of Writing for Success explains the role an effective introduction should have in a paper. What aspect of writing an introduction do you anticipate may be a challenge for you? Why?

An effective introduction should point out what information will be covered in the essay and in what order. Your introduction is your first (and maybe the last) chance to lure your reader into the following portions of the essay. It is the time to engage your reader and spark their interest. You can do this several ways such as; using shocking statistics, asking thought provoking questions, or using a personal anecdote by explaining your experience with the subject. By sparking their interest, you stand a better chance of keeping the reader’s attention for the rest of your hard work. Think of the introduction like the opening act of a popular band or singer. The opening band is put in place, not to steal the show, but whet the appetite of the crowd, get them dancing and preparing them for the headliner. The introduction needs to fit with the essay. You do not want Pink to open for Taylor Swift. It just does not fit. When developing the introduction, it is the time to set the tone for the essay. Are you going to be facetious, funny, straight forward, business like, etc.?
Discussion Question 2
Discussion Question 3
Discussion Question 4
What do you think are the two most common mistakes a writer might make that could cause his or her writing to be ineffective for readers? What steps might you take to avoid these mistakes?

Some of the most common mistakes are usually small and careless mistakes. I have seen some essays that can be too wordy by containing words that do not add value to the subject. Like, “This statement is not very influential because he gives no evidence that this statement is true.” When you can say it like, “This statement is not very convincing because the author fails to provide any supporting evidence.” Eliminating unnecessary words, allows the essay to be focused and keeps the reader on track. One of my most common mistakes is using contractions. I do a lot of business writing and it is acceptable in that format. Knowing that it is not acceptable in academic writing, I am going to be conscience of this. I recently set up my grammar criteria in Word to help flag this scenario. Most of the common errors can be caught by reading it aloud, and having others proof read it for you. One of the best ways I have found to find some errors is to submit your paper through the CWE grammar checker. I understand this take time, but a good grade is worth the effort. There were times I thought I covered all my bases only to find more editing was needed.

Discussion Question 5