What is a process?

• A process is a series of steps that lead to a desired

result.
• A process paragraph explains how to do something
or how something occurs.
• It explains how to do, create, or understand
something.
• It seeks to persuade or to inform.
 Two Types of Process Writing

Directional (Gives Instructions) Process Explanation (Gives information)

Enables readers to perform a helps the reader understand
process. Describes how to do how a process is carried out i.e.
something. explains how something
A recipe, a handout, and an happened.
operating manual are examples how to get financial aid
of instruction writing.
 Audience

Directional (Gives Instructions) Process Explanation

If giving directions or If providing information, use
instructions, you may write in the more formal third person.
the second person - "you“ If you are writing an
If you are writing a directional instructional essay, your body
essay, you should provide every paragraphs should explain the
detail necessary for your reader process and how it works,
to complete the process. although you should not expect
your reader to be actually
performing the process.
 Characteristics of Process Writing
Clarity
Transitions
Strict chronological order
 Outline
1. Thesis Statement (Introduction)
2. What is the first major step?
a. Give details
b. Give details
c. Give details
3. What is the second major step?
a. Give details
b. Give details
c. Give details
4. What is the third major step?
a. Give details
b. Give details
c. Give details
5. Conclusion
 Structure of the introduction

•Introduce your topic in an interesting way.

•Present your thesis statement.
•Identify the process and indicate why and
under which circumstances it is performed.
 Structure of body Paragraphs

•Each stage may involve several steps.

•Your paragraph should be like this:
1- Topic sentence (Main idea)
2- Supporting details (Examples, fact, statistic, short story)
3- Closing remark/concluding sentence
The topic sentence:

Names the process

Gives background reasons one should be interested in
knowing about the process
Explains technical terms.
Example:
Every student wants to know how to get better grades.
Supporting sentences:

1. Present the steps of the process in a clear manner and in

a sequential order.
2. Use transitions to establish sequential and chronological
relationships between steps in the process.
3. Transitions illustrate the sequence and to add interest so
that the paragraph does not sound like a shopping list.
4. Specifically useful are such transitions as first, second,
meanwhile, after this, next, then, at the same time,
when you have finished, and finally.
Concluding sentence

• Summarize major steps in a complex procedure to help

readers review.
• Describe the results of the process.
• Advise about what could be done next or refer the
reader to further sources.
Conclusion

• Show the result of the process.

• Briefly summarize your major stages.
• Reinforce and restate the thesis statement.
• Include interesting, humorous, or inspiring closing
remarks.
 Buying a good car is easy if you
know these steps. You must decide on a new
or used one. You must figure out your budget
and know how much you want to spend. If
you decide to buy a used car, check the
values from the newspaper. For example,
you can search for new cars in consumer
magazines and the Internet for price, safety,
and value. Road test to see how the car
handles on the freeway, city streets, and on
curves. Check the brakes. Listen for sounds
or squeaks inside the car from the engine or
in the wheels. Ask family and friends about
the car. These steps can help you select the
right car for many years of reliable
transportation.
 Buying a good car is easy if you know
these steps. First, you must decide on a new or
used one. You must also figure out your budget
and know how much you want to spend. Then, if
you decide to buy a used car, check the values
from the newspaper. For example, you can search
for new cars in consumer magazines and the
Internet for price, safety, and value. As a fourth
step, road test to see how the car handles on the
freeway, city streets, and on curves. Check the
brakes. Listen for sounds or squeaks inside the car
from the engine or in the wheels. Lastly, ask family
and friends about the car. These steps can help
you select the right car for many years of
reliable transportation.
 Characteristics of Process Writing
You must know the procedure down to the smallest
detail.
If the steps described are repeated, the same
outcome should always be achieved.
Unless you have performed the task successfully
yourself, do not try to write instructions for it.
Good procedures divide the process into logical
steps.
They also guide readers through the steps in order,
to reduce the likelihood of mistakes.
 Tips
The thesis statement should come at the end of your
introduction, and it should state the final outcome of the
process you are describing.
Include, either in the introduction or the first body
paragraph, a list of necessary equipment/tools and any
relevant recommendations for where the process should
take place.
Each step should be expressed using strong details and
clear examples.
Use time transition phrases to help organize steps in the
process and to orient readers.
The conclusion should thoroughly describe the result of
the process described in the body paragraphs.
 Transitions to Use in a Process Essay
after, after a while
before
during
first, second, third, the final step
first of all, then, next, soon, later
In the meantime, meanwhile
currently
eventually, finally
 Outline
1. Introduction/Thesis:
Ingestion, digestion, and absorption are the three major steps involved in the
digestive process.
2. Body para 1: Ingestion
a) Food enters the mouth.
b) Food is chewed.
c) Food is ready to travel to the stomach
3. Body para 2: Digestion
a) Food is mixed with acidic gastric juices in the stomach.
b) The partially liquid food moves from the stomach to the small intestine.
c) Enzymes are secreted
4. Body para 3: Absorption
a) The digested food passes through the walls of the small intestine.
b) The digested food is absorbed into the bloodstream.
5. Conclusion:
The digestion process involves three major steps: ingestion, digestion, and
absorption.
 The digestive process is important in
maintaining the lives of living organisms and
providing them with needed energy. Groups of
organs, such as the mouth, esophagus, stomach, and
intestines, work together to perform this complex
task. Digestion is the process of breaking down food
from large molecules into small ones to make it
easier for absorption. The three major steps involved
in the digestive process are ingestion, digestion, and
absorption.
 Ingestion, which occurs in the mouth, is the first
step of the digestive process. After food enters the
mouth, the teeth chew it. Saliva, which is produced
by the salivary glands, plays a major role in breaking
down the food into smaller pieces. These small
pieces travel to the stomach through the esophagus.
 In the stomach, the second step of the digestive
process begins. When the chewed food reaches the
bottom of the esophagus, a valve lets the food enter
the stomach. Contraction of the stomach wall mixes
the food. Acidic gastric juices, which are secreted by
the gastric glands in the stomach, help in mixing the
food and in turning it into a partial liquid so it will
have the ability to move into the small intestine. In
the small intestine, enzymes are secreted, and
digestion is completed.
 The last step in the digestive process is
absorption. Absorption takes place in the small
intestine. The wall of the small intestine is lined with
small, finger-like projections called villi. Small
molecules of food are absorbed by the huge number
of villi. Some of these absorbed molecules enter the
bloodstream to be distributed throughout the whole
body.
 In conclusion, the digestive process involves
three major steps: ingestion, digestion, and
absorption. Ingestion, which occurs in the mouth,
helps to increase the surface are of the food particles
and prepares them for digestion. In the stomach,
digestion begins, and it continues until it reaches the
small intestine, where absorption takes place. The
digestive process maintains organisms' lives by
providing them with energy needed for different
functions.
 Topics
How to:
Be a successful student

Use social media effectively

Cope with stress

Maintain a good relationship with your neighbors/roommate

Lose or gain weight

Shop for a car

Be happy at your workplace

Maintain a good relationship with someone from a different culture

Gain selfconfidence

Make your favorite dish

Kick a bad habit

 Checklist for a Process Essays
• Does your writing style clearly and consistently indicate
whether you are writing a set of instructions or process
explanation?
• Does your paragraph have a clearly stated topic sentence
that identifies the process performed?
• Have you included all necessary reminders and cautions?
• Have you included all necessary steps?
• Are the steps presented in strict chronological order?
• Do transitions clearly indicate where one step ends and the
next begins?
Your Essay should adhere to this outline
1. Thesis Statement (Introduction)
2. What is the first major step?
a. Give details
b. Give details
c. Give details
3. What is the second major step?
a. Give details
b. Give details
c. Give details
4. What is the third major step?
a. Give details
b. Give details
c. Give details
5. Conclusion
Introduction

General statement

Specific statement

Thesis

Organization
Another structure for writing an introduction

Hook

Thesis statement

Blueprint
General Statement

• a broad (but not overly broad) statement that introduces the general
topic
Specific and More Specific Statements

• They provide essential background information required to

understand the topic and the general context in which it fits.
Thesis statement

• The thesis statement is a one or two-sentence summary of the main

argument made in the paper. Your thesis should clearly state one
specific, debatable idea. In other words, your thesis is the focused
argument you plan to support and develop throughout your essay.
 Structure of a conclusion

Return to topic (optional)

Topic sentence

Summary of the main points

Concluding sentence
Topic sentence
Restate the thesis in different words to remind your readers of the main
argument.
Summary of the main points
Paraphrase the major arguments and explain the significance of the ideas and
how they all connect.
Closing sentence
End your paragraph with a powerful sentence that leaves a lasting impression
and connects readers back to the introduction of the paper