Answer to Question #200304 in English for David

Question

a) Critically discuss with the help of tangible examples, three main steps

main pitfalls to avoid in paragraph writing. (AN 6marks) b)

AN

c) Astheysay,failingtoplanisplanningtofail.Inwritinganessay,thefirst thing to do is to make sure you understand what the question wants. Using concrete examples based on any situation of your choice, critically analyse the three stages necessary in planning an essay.

Answer 1

Pitfalls to avoid in paragraph writing include: very short paragraphs. Several students write short paragraphs of 1-3 sentences. Secondly, others write extremely long paragraphs. Writing too long paragraphs make students prone to several mistakes that would have been otherwise avoided. Finally, paragraphs may lack structure. Absence of the same could also become a problem in writing a paragraph.

The stages in planning an essay involve pre-writing. This comprises planning what to write, choosing the topic, researching, brainstorming and writing an outline of to include in the essay. The second stage involves composing the essay that involves writing without editing. And finally, proofreading and editing is the last stage. At this stage the writer goes through what they wrote to see whether it fits the topic, whether it flows and ensuring it is free from flaws.