Strategies for Writing Problem/Solution Papers

1. Description and Definition: Identify the specific characteristics of the problem.

2. Narration: Use a story to illustrate the specific characteristics of the problem.

3. Cause and Effect: Identify the source of the problem—how would the effects change if a solution was found?

Persuasion:

Writing a convincing paper; we usually persuade in order to make someone take action

Planning a Persuasive Speech

1. Choose a subject; pick an issue about which you have strong feelings.

2. Research your subject; find information that will support your position.

3. List as many reasons as possible; hard facts and specific examples are usually most effective.

4. Consider the arguments on the other side; you must address opposing concerns and defeat them before they hurt your argument.

Writing a Persuasive Speech

1. Open with a clear statement of the issue (anecdotes, statistics, quotations); you can state the issue in a question, or as a direct statement: “Should murderers have punishment by death?” or “Murderers should have punishment by death”.

2. Organize—Cause and effect or order of importance?

3. Present your points clearly and logically; don't get caught up in emotions.

4. Summarize your position; add a “call to action”: “We must do something—what? Educate? Police? Monitor? Write?”

5. Rework ideas for oral presentation; pronouns like you or we make listeners feel they should respond to the persuasive speech in some way.

Research Report

In order to be interested in a research report, ask question about which you would like the answers.

“How do dogs communicate with one another?”

“What is the economy of Malta like?”

“Do lions eat other animals of the feline family?”

1. List what you already know about the question, then you will have a better idea of what you need to learn.

2. Settle on a thesis statement; explain the purpose of your report—“Perhaps Justin Timberlake is the most popular member of the band N-Sync”. What kind of information is needed to support this thesis statement?

3. Include Bibliography.

4. When recording information, paraphrase (put information in your own words); when taking words from another source in direct quotation, use “”.

5. Avoid plagiarism; document all your sources of information.

An Effective Research Report

1. Begins with a clear introduction that clearly states the topic and purpose of the report.

2. Develops the topic logically, using SPECIFIC details.

3. Contains only accurate and relevant facts.

4. Synthesizes information from a variety of sources into a single, coherent whole.

5. Documents sources clearly and correctly.

6. Uses direct quotations clearly and sparingly, and indicates clearly that they are quotations.

7. Reads smoothly from beginning to end; transitions among different ideas.

Statement of Controlling Purpose

The statement of controlling purpose can help to focus your writing.

Writing that Defines: The purpose of this paper is define the word “fame” and give examples of the various manifestations of fame throughout history and reasons why people from different historical eras were famous.

Writing that Shows Cause and Effect: The purpose of this paper is to explore reasons why a great number of Americans are overweight—the potential causes being fast food, television, the overabundance of cars, videogames.

Writing that Describes: The purpose of this paper is to describe the places of interest in Nikolaev, including its museums, restaurants, and night clubs, for a tourist magazine.

Writing that Persuades: The purpose of this speech is to explain why everyone should wear seat belts when riding in an automobile.

Writing that Analyzes: The purpose of this essay is to analyze American policy concerning Mexican immigration.

Introductions:

Introductions catch the reader's interests; suggests the main idea or states it directly

Include Startling or Interesting Facts: It caught us all by surprise. We hadn't noticed it until John brought us tea as we sat in the kitchen. Mary whispered something to me and nodded in John's direction. I was shocked when I realized that John had two heads, and the second head was angiy that we were there.

Provide Detailed, Vivid Description: It is two meters tall and has giant, lifeless eyes that resemble black mirrors. Its arms are thick and hairy, and its fangs are as sharp as ice picks. It is a monster, and it lives under your bed.

Ask a Question: What do you get when you take two cups of melted chocolate, a half-kilo of strawberries, and some powdered sugar? I call it a recipe for paradise.

Anecdote: I remember that day when I got in my first fight. The class bully always wanted money from me, and one day I told him he couldn’t have it. He shoved me outside the classroom so I clocked him in the jaw — a good right hand swing that knocked him down and made all the children laugh at him. I felt like a winner for the first time in my life. Of course, after school, while I was walking home', the bully and his five friends caught up with me and beat me up and took all my money anyway.

Begin with a Quotation: “Billy”, Bob Dylan once sang, “they don’t like you to be so free”. Sometimes I feel the same way — there's always someone telling me what to do, where to go. And what time to sleep. I guess I shouldn 't have stolen all that money from the bank, got caught, and gone to jail.

Address the Reader Directly: Imagine that you're flying above the Earth, watching all the little people and cars going about their daily business. Fun, isn't it? Well, it's now a possibility, thanks to a new technology that allows you to fly by means of a rocket attached to your back.

Take a Stand: We can argue about this all day, but I firmly believe that dogs are better than cats. Dogs are friendlier, obedient, and they like to play — while cats only think of themselves. Cats are selfish, and dogs are selfless. A dog would risk its life to save its master, and if it only could it would do the dishes, vacuum, wash the clothes, and tell you what happened in the latest episode of Clone.

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