APPLYING YOUR SKILLS: ADDITIONAL ESSAY ASSIGNMENTS

Write a process analysis essay on one of the following topics. Depending on the topic you choose, you may need to conduct research. (For more on locating and documenting sources, see Chapters 22, 23, and 24.)

TO EXPRESS YOUR IDEAS

  1. How children manage their parents
  2. How to relax and do nothing
  3. How to find enough time for your children or girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse

TO INFORM YOUR READER

  1. How to avoid or speed up red-tape procedures
  2. How a particular type of sports equipment protects an athlete
  3. How to remain calm while giving a speech

    image macmillanhighered.com/successfulwriting

    E-readings > How to Flirt and Get a Date! (video), WrongPlanet/Alex Plank

TO PERSUADE YOUR READER

  1. How important it is to vote in a presidential election
  2. How important it is to select the right courses in order to graduate on time
  3. How important it is to exercise every day

CASES USING PROCESS ANALYSIS

  1. In your communication course, you are studying how friendships develop and the strategies that people use to meet others. Write an essay describing the strategies people use to make new friends.
  2. You are employed by a toy manufacturer and have been asked to write a brochure that encourages children to use toys safely. Prepare a brochure that describes at least three steps children can follow to avoid injury.

Synthesizing Ideas

Interpersonal Relationships

Both “How Not to Say the Wrong Thing” and “Dater’s Remorse” discuss, in part, how to deal with others. “Dater’s Remorse” discusses how to select the right men to date and “How Not to Say the Wrong Thing” focuses on how to interact with people experiencing a life crisis.

Analyzing the Readings

  1. Evaluate the level of detail in each essay. Which essay is more helpful?
  2. Write a journal entry in which you discuss ways in which you could use the information from each of the essays in your life or how someone close to you could use the information.

Essay Idea

Think of other situations in which you need to be concerned with how to interact with others. Write a process essay explaining the steps in creating a positive interaction. For example, you might write about how to interact with an instructor, the parents of your boyfriend or girlfriend, or an elderly neighbor or relative.