A process analysis essay is a paper that explains how to do something. There are two kinds of process analysis essays, explanatory and instructional. Three points to keep in mind when writing this type of essay are organization, use of detail, and use of transitions. It is important that the essay is easy for the reader to follow, whether it is instructional or explanatory. The use of second person narrative voice may be used in this type of essay as it usually directly addresses the readers. Show An explanatory process analysis essay explains to the readers how something is done or analyzes the process of something. An example of this would be a paper about how a medical procedure is done. After reading the essay, the readers would understand how the process is completed but would not be able to do the procedure themselves. The essay explains but does not instruct.  An instructional process analysis essay, on the other hand, tells the readers how to do something using step-by-step directions. An example of this would be an essay about how to change a tire on a car. After reading the essay, readers should be able to complete the task themselves. One way to test the effectiveness of a process analysis essay is to either try to accomplish the task by going through the essay or having someone else go through the essay to see if the instructions are thorough enough for the task to be successfully completed. If they are not, then the writer will need to add more details or steps in order to make the essay complete. One way to choose an effective topic for a process analysis essay is to write about something that is familiar — the writer should know a lot about the process being analyzed. The organization of a process analysis essay is almost always chronological. Generally, the essay opens with an introductory paragraph, which sets the tone for the rest of the essay and includes the thesis statement. The thesis should contain an overview of what process is going to be analyzed, as well as the significance of the analysis. The introduction should also entice the readers to continue reading. The body of the essay should include each step of the process with at least one paragraph designated to each step. Depending on the complexity of the process, however, more than one paragraph may be needed. One of the most important things is to include a lot of detail while at the same time being as concise as possible. In other words, the essay shouldn't include unnecessary information but needs enough information so that the readers can accomplish the task the essay is explaining. One way to be as concise as possible is to include a lot of transitional words; this should help the paper flow smoothly from step to step. The last paragraph should wrap up the process by summarizing the most important points and possibly restating the thesis. Additional steps should not be included in the conclusion. If that happens, then another paragraph should be added to the body of the essay. (A printable form of this topic in Word is available for download at the end.) THE PROCESS ANALYSIS ESSAY A process essay explains how to do something or how something occurs. It presents a sequence of steps and shows how those steps lead to a particular result. . . . Depending on its purpose, a process essay can be either a set of instructions or a process explanation (Kirszner and Mandell 263). A process instruction essay gives the steps in a procedure the reader may want to perform, whereas a process explanation essay tells how something works in a way that indicates the reader will not perform the procedure (Clause 267 - 68). In process, unlike narration, events must be presented in a fixed order. Clarity is extremely important. You must indicate the following (Kirszner and Mandell 263):
INSTRUCTION ESSAY The purpose of instructions is to enable readers to perform a process. Instructions use (Kirszner and Mandell 264): ● Present Tense ● Imperative Mood (speaks directly to readers . . . starts with a verb). Three moods (manner in which verb is used) in English: ● Indicative: used to make factual statements / ask questions ● Imperative: used to give orders or give directions ● Subjunctive: used to express ideas contrary to fact; used to express a request, demand, proposal PROCESS EXPLANATION ESSAY Process explanation essays allow readers to understand how a process is carried out, not how to perform it. Process explanation uses the following (Kirszner and Mandell 264): ● First or Third Person (no second person) ● Past or Present Tense (indicative mood, not imperative) GUIDELINES: PLANNING, WRITING, AND REVISING A PROCESS ESSAY (INSTRUCTION OR EXPLANATION) ● PREWRITING (Sebranek, Verne, and Kemper 189) ○ Select a topic: Think of complex procedures and processes that meet the requirements of your assignment. Choose a topic that interests you. ○ Gather details: Make certain that you understand the process fully. Consult experts, books, magazines, and Web sites. Identify steps or stages in the process. ○ Focus your analysis: Write a thesis statement that explains the importance of or shares your interest in the process. ■ Thesis Statements (Kirszner and Mandell 265) ● There are two purposes for process essays: ○ To persuade (takes a strong stand)—process analysis ○ To present information (communicates nothing debatable, but should identify the process and why it is performed) ○ Organize your analysis: Make a list or an outline that provides the starting conditions or materials necessary to the process. Follow with the steps or stages in chronological (time) order. ■ Organization Reminders (Lannon 209) ● Make steps complete but not excessive: Be conscious of what readers most likely know and what they don’t know. ● Show users what to do: Give readers enough examples to properly visualize the procedure. ● Divide the procedure into simple steps and sub-steps: Allow readers to focus on one task at a time. ● Make instructions immediately readable: Instructions must be understood on first reading. ○ Prewriting Reminders (Kirszner and Mandell 265) ● Must depict process accurately (WORD CHOICE and ORDER) ● Distinguish between what usually happens vs. what occasionally happens ● Distinguish between necessary and optional steps. ● Mentally test steps (Kinneavy and Warriner 264) ● Consider a lively, friendly tone ○ Consider your audience (Clouse 273) ■ To assess your audience, ask yourself whether your reader appreciates the importance of the process, understands any part of the process, or would find any of the steps difficult to perform or understand. In addition, consider why your reader might be interested in the process. (Kirszner and Mandell 265) ■ Explain reasons for completing the steps (when necessary) ■ Describe unfamiliar materials or equipment ■ Define terms ■ Warn readers about potential problems ■ Include illustrations ■ Avoid shifts in tense, mood, and person ■ Don’t omit articles (Kinneavy and Warriner 258) ■ Get readers interested by explaining the value of the process to them ● WRITING (Sebranek, Verne, and Kemper 189) ○ Writing your first draft: Write your first draft freely, working in details according to your plan. Use time order transitions. ○ Structuring a process essay (Kirszner and Mandell 266) ■ Introductions ● Identifies process ● Indicates under what circumstances it is performed ● Offers information about materials and preliminary preparations ● Offers overview of the process ● Lists major stages ● Delivers thesis ■ Body Paragraphs ● Each body paragraph typically treats one major stage of the process ○ May be grouped in several steps (depends on complexity) ● Steps presented in chronological order and only interrupted for essential definitions, explanations, cautions (use of parenthesis!) ● TRANSITIONS
■ Conclusions ● Short process essay doesn’t need conclusion ● If present, conclusion offers a brief review of major stages ● If present, conclusion reinforces thesis by summarizing the results of the process or explaining its significance ● REVISION (Sebranek, Verne, and Kemper 189) ○ Check your ideas: Have I introduced the process in an interesting way? Does my thesis statement highlight my interest in or note the importance of the process? Do I provide complete steps? ○ Review your organization: Do my beginning and ending work well? Does the middle give steps or stages in chronological order? Do my transitions make the order clear? (Kirszner and Mandell 267) ○ Does my assignment call for a set of instructions or a process explanation? ○ Is my essay’s style appropriate for the kind of process essay (instructions or process explanation) I am writing? ○ Does my essay have a clearly stated thesis that identifies the process and perhaps tell why it is (or was) performed? ○ Have I included all necessary steps? ○ Are the steps presented in chronological order? ○ Do transitions clearly indicate where one step ends and the next begins? (Clouse 276) ○ Do I explain how steps are performed, if necessary? ○ Do I mention what not to do, if necessary? ○ Do I explain why steps are performed, if necessary? ○ Do I provide clarifying examples, if necessary? ○ Do I describe, as necessary? ○ Do I define terms my reader may not understand? ○ Do I point out troublesome aspects of the process? ○ Do I indicate the importance of understanding the process? ○ Do I avoid stating the obvious? ○ Do I use transitions to indicate sequence? ● EDITING (Sebranek, Verne, and Kemper 189) ○ Edit for voice, word choice, and sentence fluency: Does my writing demonstrate my interest in the topic? Have I used specific nouns and verbs and defined unfamiliar terms? Do I use imperative (command) sentences for giving directions? (Kirszner and Mandell 270) ○ Do I use commas correctly in a series of three or more steps, including a comma before and? ○ Do I use parallel structure for items in a series? ○ Do I avoid shifts in tense? ○ Do I avoid shifts in person? ○ Do I avoid shifts in voice? ○ Do I avoid shifts in mood? ● PROOFREADING (Sebranek, Verne, and Kemper 189) ○ Check for conventions: Have I used correct punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and grammar? ● PUBLISHING (Sebranek, Verne, and Kemper 189) ○ Present your work: Share your analysis with an appreciative audience (such as a club or online forum). (Language Network) ○ Present your work: Have someone read your essay an actually try to complete the process. Or you might have someone repeat the process to you in his or her own words. In turn, you will find out how successful you were in explaining it. SAMPLE PROMPTS FOR PROCESS ANALYSIS ● Literary ○ In a well-developed essay of 4-5 paragraphs, show the process by which the International Fleet transforms children into warriors capable of xenocide (Pogreba). ○ Write a set of instructions explaining in objective terms how the lottery Shirley Jackson describes should be conducted. Imagine you are setting these steps down in writing for generations of your fellow townspeople to follow (Kirszner and Mandell 319). ● Non-Literary ○ Write a five paragraph essay in which you demonstrate the steps necessary to do something that you have expertise in. You should assume that your audience knows little about the subject (Pogreba). ○ To entertain your reader, write a humorous explanation of a process: how to flunk a test, how to make a bad impression on a date, how to irritate a teacher, how to make a bad impression on a job interview, or how to be a slob. Use verbal irony, if appropriate (Clouse 318). ● Crossing the Curriculum ○ World Cultures: In a well-developed essay, explain how colonial powers divided Africa (Pogreba). ○ Physical Education: Give readers instructions for the process of participating in a potentially dangerous but worthwhile physical activity-- for example, skydiving, rock climbing, or whitewater rafting. Be sure to include all necessary cautions (Kirszner and Mandell 319). Works Cited Clouse, Barbara Fine. Patterns for a Purpose: A Rhetorical Reader. 4th Edition. Boston: McGraw, 2006. Print. Kinneavy, James L. and John E. Warriner. Elements of Writing. 3rd Course. Austin: Holt, 1993. Print. Kirszner, Laurie G. and Stephen R. Mandell. Patterns for College Writing: A Rhetorical Reader and Guide. 12th Edition. Boston: Bedford, 2012. Print. Language Network. Evanston, IL: McDougal, 2001. Print. Lannon, John M. The Writing Process: A Concise Rhetoric. 7th Edition. New York: Longman, 2001. Print. Pogreba, Don. “An Argument for Modes of Exposition Based Writing.” Spring 2008. PowerPoint. Sebranek, Patrick, Verne Meyer, and Dave Kemper. Write for College: A Student Handbook. Wilmington, MA: Write Source, 2007. Print. Additional Resources for Process Essays (in no particular order) http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/process.html http://courses.district287.org/pluginfile.php/137084/mod_resource/content/1/The_Process_Essay.pdf http://writedge.com/50-topics-for-a-process-analysis-essay/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD8aH-4fG_o http://www.dailyteachingtools.com/images/StepByStepProcess.jpg https://foxhugh.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/instructional-writing.gif?w=500 http://writingcenter.unc.edu/?s=process+analysis http://gazeyeqif.uhostall.com/hepyro/process-analysis-essay-rubric.html How can we describe the process of analysis?Definition: A process analysis is a systematic review of all steps and procedures followed to perform a given activity. It is a description of the way a particular task is done within an organization.
What are the two basic steps of performing a process analysis?Performing a process analysis involves two basic steps: (1) listing as many contributory factors as possible to eliminate their effect and (2) breaking the process down into its component parts.
What is the purpose of process analysis?What is the purpose of process analysis? The main purpose of process analysis is to explain; however, it might also prove something about the process itself (perhaps its ease or difficulty) or evaluate it (perhaps its close parallel to guidelines issued by an authoritative agency).
Which type of process essay describes a process in order to better understand it?Process analysis is an essay which explains how something is done, how something occurs, or how something works. In this type of essay, the writer is required to present the steps of the process in sequential order, from first to last.
|
Informative process analysis is typically written in second-person point of view.
zusammenhängende Posts
Urheberrechte © © 2024 defrojeostern Inc.
