UNIT 15 THE WRITING PROCESS

Structure

15.0 Objectives

15.1 Introduction

15.2 The Writing Process : Salient Features

15.2.1 Planning
15.2.2 Translating
15.2.3 ReviewrnglEditing
15.2.4 Monitoring

15.3 The Organisation

15.3.1 Introduction
15.3.2 Supporting W p h
15.3.3 Concluding Pafagraph

15.4 Different Methods of Development of the Body

15.4.1 Description
15.4.2 Namtion
15.4.3 Reparting
15.4.4 Arguing

15.5 Techniques in Structuring Paragraphs

15.5.1 Examples
15.52 Cause end effect
15.53 Definition

15.7 Key Words

15.8 Suggested Readings

15.9 Answers

15.0 OBJECTIVES

In this unit, you will be introduced to

a) the various h t s of the process of writing

b) the organisation of writing

c) the categorisation of writing tasks 8 ~ to purposes

~ : 0 ~
(e.g.) d d b i n g , narraaing, q m t h g and arguing.
 .- .
Teaching Writing aud Gralnlrrst
,5.1 INTRODUCTION

The focus in language teaching, as you must be aware, has now shifted from 'product' to
'process'. What does this mean? How does 'process' differ from 'product'? What are
the implications of this difference for classroom teaching? These are some of the
questions we would have answered by the end of this p i t .

When we look at writing as a 'product' we are mainly interested in learning outcomes

- that is, we idenw what the students have to produce. e.g. &rammatical accuracy,
mechanics of writing, proper format, good organization, etc.

Recent research on writing has provided us with an important insight: good writers go
through certain processes which lead to successful pieces of written work. "They start
offwith an overall plan in their heads. They think about what they want to say and
who they are writing for. They then draft out sections of the writing, and as they work
on them, they are constantly reviewing, revising, and editing their workw.(Hedge, p9).
It is considered useful to enable our learners to engage in this 'process' rather than
worry about the 'product'. For, they should learn how to go about the process of
writing, rather ihan what the end product should be. If the process is proper, the
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product will take care of itself.

15.2 [Link] PROCESS : SALIENT FEATURES

"Writing is a creative process because it is a process of reaching out for one's thoughts
and discovering them. Writing, as such, is a process of meaning making" (Third Year
Student, 1994 National University of Singapore).

The following diggram attempts to capture the major phases of the writing process :

writing Process

Planning Translating RRriewing

Monitoring

15.2.1 Planning

The planning stage is also known as the prewriting stage. Before putting pen to paper,
good writers try to answer two basic qudona: W h y am I writing this? Who is
supposed to read this? In other words, they have a clear sense of the purpose and the
audience. Therw two, together, &tub the writing context.

The plan, howev6, need not be strictly adhered to. As we keep writing, our plan keeps
changing. Writing is in fact a messy process as represented by Frank Smith (1982) in
his book Writing and the Writer (London : Heinemann).

Let us look a the practice of composition in the schools. Think of the usual questions
we ask children to write: "Summer Holidays,"Hobbies", "My favourite bookn, etc. The Writing Process
Children are most reluctaut to write on such topics which do not motivate them. Further
they are not able to conceive of an audience and purpose for the writing task. As far as
they are concerned, they are writing for the tcacher, who is all knowing and whose only
intention in looking at their work is to assess them and fill their pages with red marks.
Instead, if our tasks simulate a interesting real-life context, children will be willing to
write. For example

e.g. (1) Imagine that your best friend has been missing since yesterday. Write a short
but good description of him, to be telecast on "Persons Missing"

(2) You have recently seen a film which was most boring. Write a letter to your
sister in Bombay, advising her not to see the h. Say why you don't like the
film.

15.2.2 Translating

'Translating here means,putting your thoughts into appropriate language - in other

words, finding the right words and sentences for your thoughts. At this stage we make
the first draft. This forms a crucial and diflicult stage for learners who do not have the
required linguistic competence. Though they may have the ideas, they do not have the
vocabulary. They tend to repeat the same words; they commit a number 'ofgrammatical
mistakes also. It may, perhaps, be worthwhile trying group composition initially as it
would enable peer learning.

This may be regarded as the post-writing stage, though, in reality there is a great deal of
overlap between this and the previous stage. Many good writers keep reviewing their
work as they write. Between tho first draft and editing there is much rethinking and
[Link] writer adopts a reader's pmpective here and assesses whether the
reader would be able to follow hisher ideas. Many poor students do not edit their
writing as they assume that what is clear to them must be clear to other1 Others are lazy
or do not know how to review their own work.

15.2.4 Monitoring

three
A &the diagram shows, the process of monitoring is in operation right through the
sages of composition. As we plan, we monitor our ideas; while drafting, we monitor
the mechanics, including punctuation, vocabulary and grammar. Editing and reviewing
are also forms of monitoring.

We shall now look at three different tasks in writing which help to develop the skilh of
planning,writing and reviewing respectively.

Task 1: Planning: Making Mind Maps

The task given is a description of a festival-Diwali. Students jot down ideas in a

notebook. Then the teacher elicits their ideas and puts them down as a mindmap on the
blackboard.
Teaching Writing and Grammar Origin Monsoon rains Oct-Nov.
Religious Festival -
Season Cool
Significance
today
New clothes
DIWALI crackers, fireworks
visit friends
Personal feelings Sweets

(Adapted from Hedge, T. 1991, p30).

They then write a composition based on the mindmap.

Task 2 :Writing :Writing a Newscast

Supply the students with a'number of cuttings fiom today's newspaper (about 10)-they
may be newspaper headlines, news in brief or newspaper articles. The students are fist
asked to listen to a recorded newscast. Then using the cuttings, they are asked to prepare
a newscast to last for 5 minutes. They may woik in groups.

Task 3:Reviewing:Retormulatlag

On the first day the students write the first draft and hand it over to the [Link]
teacher edits/reviews one of the pieces of composition. She then makes photocopies of
the 'original'and reformulated versions and distributes them to dl the students the next
day. The class compares them,looks for changes and discusses the reasons for them.
P i y they go through their Qaft essays and revise them to produce a final draft.

Check Your Progress 1

1. Collect a least three definitions of 'Writing'. What is the common feature ammg
these? Choose what appeals to you, add your own ideas and anive at your own
definition of writing.

2. Observe the composition classes of your colleagues. What are the different stages
you find? Do they differ fiom the stages described in this unit?
 .................................................................................................................................... The Writing Process
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3. Design one task each for the planning, writing and reviewing stages.
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15.3 THE ORGANISATION

Generally, the essay consists of three types of paragraphs: introductsry, supporting and
concluding.

15.3.1 Introduction
The opening paragraph introduces us to the subject matter or topic and the author's
attitude to the subject matter. The purpose of the introductory paragraph is to attract the
reader's attention and motivate himher to read on. The introd~ctoryparagraph could be
a definition, a question, a proverb, an anecdote, an example, a universal truth, etc. Look
at the following introductions.

One of the finest definitions for education comes from Swami Vivekananda:
"Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man". And religion? -
"is the manifestation of the divinity already in man".
2. Question
r
Why don't learners learn what teachers teach? This is a question that womes every
committed teacher. Who is to be blamed--the teacher? Or the student? Or both?

3. proverb
i
t
A rolling stone gathers no moss. A man who has no fixed goal, but keeps shifting
from one thing to another, never achieves anything significant in life.
4. Anecdote
,<
Last week I was coming out of a lift when a young man said to the lift operator,
"Seventh Flooi'. The lift operator said "Sorry,this won't go".The young man was
furiaus."What do you mean?" he roared. The liftman answered calmly, "You
must say "Please" if you want me to take you upl"
.
15.3.2 Supporting Paragraph (The Body)
The supporting paragraphs, as the name suggests,'support' the main theme in various
[Link] major types of organisation of the body of an essay could be chronological,
Teaching Writing and Grammar spatial or classificatory. In chronological ordering, events are narrated in a sequence.
This is the most suitable order for stories, biographies and narrative. 'Spatial' is used to
refer to things relating to size, area or position, rather than time. For instance, if one is
writing on the Taj Mahal, s h e would use the 'spatial' supporting paragraph which
would descibe the location, the size, the dimensions, etc. of the Taj. In 'classificatory'
organisation, categories of items, events, etc, are presented. For example, while describ-
ing the history of the English language, we present a classification of the various
languages that have descended from the Indo-European parent language.

15.3.3 Concluding Paragraph

The concluding paragraph attempts to summarise the essay and provide an impressive
conclusion. Like the introducation, the conclusion could also be of various types. It may
simply restate the contents of the introductory paragraph. It may state limitations and
constraints. It may use a proverb, an anecdote or a rhetorical question.
Check Your Progress 2
1. Look at Introductions/Conclusions of essays. Identify two ways of beginninglending
an essay not discussed above.

Write an attractive introduction and conclusion for an essay on one of the following
topics:
a, The India of my Dreams
b) The Computer Age
c) Democracy
d) Secularism

15.4 DIFFERENT METHODS OF DEVELOPMENT

OF THE BODY
15.4.1 Description
Look at the following contexts:
a) You have won a return ticket to Srinagar in the AIR INDIA QUIZ Contest. You
have been asked to write a description of Srinagar to be published in the AIR
INDIA inflight magazine.
 b) You have gone on an educational tour of the South Indian temples as a part of The Writing Procegl
your History Project. On your return, you are asked to present a detailed description
of the temples.

c) One of your friends has applied for a job and asks you to give himlher a
testimonial.

In the above contexts, you are asked to describe a place or person. In order to write a
good description, we must follow certain guidelines. Try to observe c M l y what you're
going to describe. Then collect as many details as possible. The more detailed your
r- description, the better it would be. Then decide on your 'focus'. This will help you to
I
exclude irrelevant details. An important rule for descriptions is "show your readers don't
just tell them." In other words, give life and human interest to your descriptions. In fact,
the boundaries of description and narration are fluid. A description can tell a story, and
a story can include descriptions.

15.4.2 Narration

We use narrative writing when we need to talk about something that has happened
within a definite time span.'Narrative writing relates an event, usually in simple chrono-
logical order. In other words, it tells a story. Haeker & Renshaw (1989:175) present the
following grounds rules for m t i v e writing:

1. Put readers on the scene immediately

2. Select details for a specific effect
3. Keep the story moving.

The use of dialogues and the avoidance of irrelevant details adds to the tempo of the
narrative.

We could devise different types of tasks on munition:

e.g. (a) Narrating events in order: We can present a jumbled up story and ask learners
to put it in the right order.

(b) Narrating a story from different points of view-that is, as told by different
characters.

(c) Using flashback techniques, etc.

15.4.3 Reporting

A report usually present information in a logical, orderly and precise manner. The
following are some occasions when you have to write a report.
a) There has been a burglary in your [Link] report this to the insurance company
to claim compensation.
b) As an NCC Junior Officer you have to present to your Senior Officer a detailed
report on the prdceedings on the NCC day.
3) Your little sister has a heart problem. You are seeking the advice of a famous
American Cardiologist. Enclose a report on her condition and the treatment she
has been receiving so Ear.
Teaching Writing and Grammar What [Link] characteristics of a good report?

a) Completeness
The purpose of a report is to inform your reader about things dhe doesn't know.
Hence make sure you include all neoessary details. At the same time, make sure
you avoid unnecessary details.

b) -cy
The report should not include any false i n f o d o n

c) Clarity
The report should be clear enough for readers to undemd, and take action if
necessary. Simple language contributes to clarity. Jargon should be avoided.

15.4.4 Arguing

Consider the follm2kg contexts:

a) There is a proposal to demolish an ancient 200 year old building in your city.
Write a note of protest.

b) The Government proposes to increase the price of milk' by Rs.21- per litre. Write a
letter of protest to the Commissioner, Dahy Development Project.

In each of the above you have to argue your case, as your reader needs to be
convinced of your point of view.

An argument will be kffective if you follow these guidelines:

i) Decide on the precise issues to address
ii) Select evidence to support your arguments
iii) Anticipate the arguments of the other side
iv) Avoid fidacies, sweeping statements, emotional language, aruing in a circle,
etc.

Check Your Pmgreaa 3 '

1. Say why the following description is not very effective: My fimurite city is Ma-
dras. I was born and brought up there. I have many fiends there. It is wonderfd
city. I feel happy whenever I nturn to Madras after a long trip. Madras is the
capital of Tamil Nadu. It lies on the shores of the Marina beach.

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2. Think of at least 5 interesting topics on which you could ask your students to write The Writing Process
a narrative. e.g. a car race; a tennis match (last 5 minutes) ;a cyclonic storm.

3. Prepare a lesson plan for teaching your students to develop the skill. of argument
in [Link] plan may relate to one of the following topics: Capital punishment;
Computerisation; Adult Franchise.

4. Prepare a model report on any one ofthe following topics. Remember the salient
featum of a good report.
e.g. Repairing a bicycle,
Arranging flowers,
Rqwhg a cup dcaffbe.

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Teaching Writing and Grammar
15.5 TECHNIQUES IN STRUCTURING PARAGWHS

Every paragraph has a main idea,which is usually stated in a topic [Link] idea
needs to be supported and developed in the rest of the [Link] structuring of the
Paragraph may be of merent types, depending upon the writer's [Link] this section,
we shall look at some of the major techniques for structuring paragraphs.

15.5.1. Examples
4
I
In order to convince the reader of the truth of the topic sentence, a writer may provide a
number of examples.

[Link] history of India's freedom struggle is filled with great people who were brave
and sacrificed their lives for the sake of their country. Look at Jhansi Ki Rani who died
fighting for India. The south produced the famous Veerapandiya Kattabomman, who 'I
refused to bow down to the British. More recently, we have had Mahatma Gandhi,
Jawaharlal Nehru and countless others.

15.5.2 Cause and Effect

4
Here the topic sentence may state the result, while the rest of the paragraph may list the
cause or vice-versa.

e.g. Television is beginning to be regarded as the worst evil of modem life. Children
become addicted to the TV and do poorly in their studies. Housewives get so lost in TV
programmes that they are not even aware of burglars entering the house and stealing.
Psychologists say that the TV turns people into idiots. Doctors fed that constant TV
watching affects the eyes.

15.5.3 Definition
Vely often we have to define concepts ih a paragraph.

(e.g.) What is Democracy? It is the government of the people, by the people and for the
people. In other words, people rule themselves; they elect their own representatives and
finally they work for each other's welfare. This is radically different from monarchy,
where one person rules all the people, as s/he pleases.

Check Your Progress 4

1. Think of linking words usually found in paragraphs of different types.

e.g. cadeffect
so, thus, therefore, consequently.
2. Have you came across any other types of paragraph stru~tu~ingl The Writing Process

15.6 LET US SUM UP

(i) While teaching writing. it is better to focus on the 'process' rather than the
product.
ii) The major phases of the writing process are: Planning, Translating, Reviewing and
Monitoring.
iii) In the planning stage. the writing context, viz. audience and purpose, are envis-
aged.
iv) In the translating stage, ideas are 'translated' into appropriate language.
v) The reviewing stages involves editing and reformulating.
vi) Monitoring is operative in the three stages d writing.
vii) A piece of writing usually has introductory, supportive and concluding paragraphs.
viii) The four major types of development of the body of a piece of writing are: descni-
ing, narrating, reporting and arguing.
ix) The major techniques in structuring paragraphs are: exemplification; comparison
and contrast; cause and effect; definition.

15.7 KEY WORDS

Monitoring The process of checking and assessing as we are engaged in

planning, translating and reviewing.

Process 'How' we write.

Product 'What' is the outcome of the writing activity.

The first stage of writing, when we collect our thoughts and

think of an audience and purpose for writing.

Reviewing The last stage of writing where we edit, reformulate and refine
what is written.

Translating the stage when we'translate' our abstract thoughts into concrete
words.

15.2 ANSWERS

Check Your Progreas 1

(i) (e.g.)Writing is a process of problem-solving, a way of processing information.
(ii) Writing is a tramription of the process of composing ideas. It is not a product of
thought but its actualization and dramatisation.
(iii) Writing is a thinking process.
Teaching Writing and Grammar Check Your Progress 2

1. e.g. Statistics. Joke.

2. Openended.

Check Your Progress 3

1. It does not describe the city at all. There are no details about the city. It 'tells'
readers, but fails to 'show' them the city.

2. Open-ended. e.g. an accident; a meeting with a criminal; a fire/an earthquake.

3. Open-ended.

4. Phase 1: Brain storming for ideas (Planning)

Phase 2: Organisation of ideas according to a logical plan

Phase 3: Group witing (Writing).

Phase 4: Exchange. Peer correction

Phase 5: Reviewing, Editing, Reformulating (Group work)

Phase 6: Individual writing.

4

Check Your Progress 4

1. a) Examples for example; for instance; such as; particularly, etc.

b) Comparison and Constrast

Similarly, likewise; but; though; still; however; on the other hand.

2. e.g. addition, choice, clarification.

15.8 SUGGESTED READINGS '

Radhakrishnan Pillai, Rajeevan K and Bhaskaran Nair T. 1990. Written English for
You. Madras, Emerald.

Saraswathi V. 1979. Organised Writing. Madras, Orient Longman.

Haekar D. amd Renshaw. R 1989 Writing with a [Link], Scott, Coresman and
Company.

Hedge T. 1988. Writing. ELBS. Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Raines, Ann. 1983. Techniques in Teaching Writing. New York. Oxford University
Press.