Writing Workshop: Creating an Argumentative Essay Instruction
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Reviewing Your Outline
Before you continue with your paper, it's a good idea to review your outline.
Check the elements that you included in your outline.
I included my thesis statement in the introduction.
I created topic sentences.
I included transitions between the introduction, body, and conclusion
I found evidence to support each paragraph.
I used numbers and letters to indicate paragraphs and details.
I included an idea for a conclusion
DONE

prewriting exercises, it is important to record everything that comes to mind without editing as you write. You can use the various techniques to generate a number of different ideas to choose from to formulate your topic.

Brainstorming can help you find where your true interests lie and what part of a topic you might want to delve into further.

Freewriting can help you generate new ideas about a topic by writing nonstop, without editing, for a set amount of time.

Clustering, or concept mapping, can help you refine your thoughts and narrow the scope of a topic by making a map or diagram of different ideas you associate with a central topic.

Key Terms

clustering: A prewriting technique consisting of writing a central idea in a circle on a sheet of paper, adding related ideas around the circle, and connecting them with lines to show how they related to each other.

Outlining: A prewriting activity that allows you to organize to your ideas by placing them into an ordered sequence of primary and secondary ideas, which shows the relationship of the parts to the whole.

concept map: A diagram that shows the relationships between concepts. Concepts are written in circles or rectangular boxes, which are connected by arrows that are labeled with phrases such as “is a,” “gives rise to,” “results in,” “is required by,” or “contributes to” that denote the relationships between concepts.

freewriting: A prewriting technique in which the writer writes continuously for a set period of time without regard to spelling, grammar, or topic.

brainstorming: A prewriting technique intended to generate creative ideas quickly and without editing, through word or idea association.

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