Effective Writing Prompts and Techniques
Narration Prompts
- Tell about a recent interview.
- Tell about a time when you lost something.
- Tell about one of your fondest childhood memories.
- Tell about a time when you lied to your parents, boss, or teacher.
- Tell about a time when you were treated unfairly.
Opinion Prompts
- What is your opinion about cellular phones?
- What is your opinion about women in the military?
- What is your opinion about a current politician?
- What is your opinion about violence on television?
Instructional Prompts
- Tell how to find something on the Internet.
- Tell how to feed family members who drop by unexpectedly.
- Tell how to dump a boyfriend/girlfriend.
- Tell how to get from your house to the supermarket.
Understanding Cause and Effect
There is often more than one cause for an effect. For example, you might get a bad score on a test because you didn’t study and you ate poorly before the test, such that your brain wasn’t optimally nourished.
- Causes: Failure to study, poor diet
- Effect: Poor test result
More Examples:
- Cause: We received seven inches of rain in four hours.
Effect: The underpass was flooded. - Cause: I never brush my teeth.
Effect: I have 5 cavities. - Cause: Smoking cigarettes.
Effect: Lung cancer. - Example Scenario: Lack of work opportunities (cause) can lead people to try crossing frontiers (effect), often related to immigration.
Brainstorming: Visualizing
Another effective way to brainstorm ideas for a new document and to overcome writer’s block is to draw diagrams, maps, or pictures of your ideas on a blank piece of paper, possibly using different colored pens or highlighters.
Brainstorming: Listing
Use words and simple phrases in bullet points to capture the key ideas you want to develop in your paper. Students should try to jot down ideas as quickly as possible without worrying about grammar, vocabulary, or mechanics.
Brainstorming: Journal Writing
Journal writing can help capture the little thoughts that come to someone’s mind while taking a walk, listening to music, travelling, or doing any activity during the day.
What is a Persuasive/Argument Essay?
Persuasive writing, also known as the argument essay, utilizes logic and reason to show that one idea is more legitimate than another. It attempts to persuade a reader to adopt a certain point of view or to take a particular action. The argument must always use sound reasoning and solid evidence by stating facts, giving logical reasons, using examples, and quoting experts.
Key components include: Goal, Thesis, Main Reasons, Examples.
Thesis Statement Examples
- Good: Americans should add exercise to their daily morning routine because it not only keeps their bodies at a healthy weight but also reduces the risk of high blood pressure.
- Good: High levels of alcohol consumption have detrimental effects on your personal health, such as weight gain, heart disease, and liver complications.
Understanding the Critical Essay
A critical essay is an analysis of a text such as a book, film, article, or painting. The goal of this type of essay is to offer an interpretation of some aspect of a text or to situate the text in a broader context.
For example, a critical analysis of a book might focus on the tone of the text to determine how that tone influences the meaning of the text overall. Or, a critical analysis of a film might focus on the significance of a recurring symbol in the film.
Concluding Note
Upon completing the full description…