Activities For Further Reflection

Your instructor may ask you to complete one or more of the following exercises.

1. Write a paragraph connecting Brenda Knights’ narrative to the rest of the chapter or to your own experience.
2. Pick an assignment you’ve recently completed or some writing you’ve done in the workplace. Underline the topic sentence of each paragraph. If you don’t have a topic sentence, write one in the margins. Next, number the rest of the sentences within your paragraph from most to least important. When you’re done, take a look at your paragraphs. Do you notice any trends? Are all of the paragraphs organized from most to least important, or did you use a different organizational pattern? Based on what you’ve learned, rewrite any paragraphs that could use stronger organization.
3. Pick an assignment you’ve recently completed or some writing you’ve done in the workplace. In the margins, write the purpose of each paragraph (or why it exists in the document). Next, take out a highlighter and highlight any sentence that fulfills the purpose. Look at your document. Does everything in the paragraph meet the purpose? If not, edit your document. You might split one paragraph into two or create a new paragraph.
4. Pick an assignment you’ve recently completed or some writing you’ve done in the workplace. Write the purpose of each paragraph in the margin or underline the topic sentence. Next, draw an arrow between each paragraph. On the arrow, write the connection you see between the paragraphs. (Review the Paragraph Transitions section for examples). Next, read your document to make sure that your audience will see the same connections you’re making. If not, use transition sentences or a few transition words.
5. Pick an assignment you’ve recently completed or some writing you’ve done in the workplace. Try the Reverse Outlining technique described in this chapter.
6. Pick an assignment you’ve recently completed or some writing you’ve done in the workplace. Print it off, then cut it up so that each paragraphs is on its own scrap of paper. Shuffle the pages, then play with the order of the paragraphs. Is there a better way to organize the paragraphs than the one you’re currently using?