The Process Essay

Week five
Part two

Kochar Saeed 18-08-2020

What is a process?

 A process essay explains how

to do something or how
something occurs.
 The process pattern of
organization is especially
important in scientific
writing. For example, it is
used to describe biological
processes such as T cell
lymphocyte production,
chemical processes such as
the interaction of drugs, and
technical processes such as a
colonscopy.
 The process essay contains an introductory paragraph,
body paragraphs, and concluding paragraph. Each part has a
basic pattern of organization.

 An obvious example of process writing is a recipe.

Characteristics of Process Writing
 Strict chronological order
 If the steps described are repeated, the same outcome should
always be achieved.
 Fixed order
 Clarity extremely important
 Transitions essential
Two Types of Process Writing

Directional Process
1. Instructions:
 Enables readers to perform a process
 A recipe, a handout, an operating manual
are examples of instruction writing.
 Use imperative mood.
 Subject of sentences is “you” understood;
speak directly to reader.
 2. Informational Process

 Purpose is to help reader understand how a process is carried

out.
 Use either 1st person or 3rd person; not second person or
imperative mood.
 May be in present or past tense, depending on whether the
writer is explaining a process that takes place regularly or
one that occurred in the past, and on whether the writer or
someone else carried out the process.
 First Person
Present “After I place the chemicals in
the tray, I turn out the lights in
Tense the darkroom.”
(habitual process performed
by the writer)
Past “After I placed the chemicals
in the tray, I turned out the
Tense lights in the darkroom.”
(process performed in the
past by the writer)
Third Person
“After photographers place the
chemicals in the tray, they turn
out the lights in the darkroom.”
(habitual process performed by
someone other than the writer)
“After the photographer placed
the chemicals in the tray, she
turned out the lights in the
darkroom.”
(process performed in the past
by someone other than the
writer)
Using Process Writing

 College writing for science, literature,

history, or any other subject.
 Use process writing to persuade or to inform.
 A process essay should have a clear thesis
statement that identifies the process and
tells why it is performed. Page 106
Planning a process essay
 Keep reader’s needs in mind.
 Explain reasons for performing
steps
 Describe unfamiliar materials or
equipment
 Define terms
 Warn readers of possible
problems they may encounter.
 Avoid ambiguity or surprises
 Avoid unnecessary shifts in
tense, person, voice and mood.
 Outline
 Outline
 I. Introduction
 Thesis: Ingestion, digestion, and
absorption are the three major
steps involved in the digestive
process.
 II. Food is ingested.
 A. Food enters the mouth.
 B. Food is chewed.
 C. Food is ready to travel to the
stomach.
 III. Food is digested.
 A. Food is mixed with acidic gastric
juices in the stomach.
 B. The partially liquid food
 moves from the stomach to the
small intestine.
 C. Enzymes are secreted.
 IV. Absorption
 A. The digested food passes
through the walls of the small
intestine.
 B. The digested food is absorbed
into the bloodstream.
 V. Conclusion
 Paraphrased Thesis: The digestion
process involves three major
steps: ingestion, digestion, and
absorption.
 Process Essay Pattern of Organization
 INTRODUCTION
 1. State what the process is and
why it is important.
 The digestive process is important
in maintaining the lives of living
organisms and in providing them
with needed energy.
 2. Give background information
and define the process.
 Groups of organs, such as the
mouth, esophagus, stomach, and
intestines, work together to
perform this complex task.
Digestion is the process of
breaking down food from large
molecules into small ones to make
it easier for absorption.
 3. State the thesis sentence to
include the purpose and the
main idea of the essay.
 The three major steps involved in
the digestive process are
ingestion, digestion, and
absorption.
Body Paragraphs
 a paragraph consists of the
following:
 Topic sentence
 Ingestion, which occurs in the
mouth, is the first step in the
digestive process.
 Major supporting sentence(s)
 After food enters the mouth, the
teeth chew it.
 AND
 Saliva, which is produced by the
salivary glands, plays a major role
in breaking down the food into
smaller pieces.
 Minor supporting sentence(s)
 These small pieces travel to
the stomach through the
esophagus.
 When you write an essay
body paragraph, you need to
remember two points. First,
each topic sentence must
not only contain the main
idea of the paragraph, but
also that main idea must be
a main point of the thesis
sentence. Furthermore, the
body paragraphs must be
written in the order that the
main points are listed in the
thesis sentence.
 Furthermore, the body paragraphs must be written in the order that
the main points are listed in the thesis sentence. For example, if you
write that the three major steps involved in the digestive process are
ingestion, digestion, and absorption , then your first body paragraph
must be about ingestion, the second about digestion, and the final
body paragraph about absorption.

Concluding Paragraph
 1. Paraphrase the thesis sentence.
 2. Summarize the main steps of the process.
Using transitions

 Check list of transitions on our textbook page109

 Specifically useful are such transitions as first, second,
meanwhile, after this, next, then, at the same time,
when you have finished, and finally.
 Use transitions to establish sequential and chronological
relationships between steps in process.
Structure of Process Essay

 Introduction: identifies the process and

indicates why and under what circumstances it
is performed.
 Includes thesis
 Introduceswhatever materials or preliminary steps
may be needed.
 Structure of Process Essay, cont.
 Body of essay

one major stage of the process

in each body paragraph.
Each stage may involve several
steps
Structure of Process Essay,
cont.
 Formal Conclusion
 May not be necessary in very short, simple process essay.
 Briefly reviews the procedure’s major stages
 Reinforces the thesis by summarizing the results of the
process, or explaining its significance.
As you write your process
essay, consider the following:
1 What process are you trying to explain?

Why is it important?
Who or what does the process affect?
Are there different ways of doing the process?
What are they?
As you write your process
essay, consider the following:
2 Who are the readers?
What knowledge do they need to understand this process?
What skills/equipment are needed for this?
How long does the process take?
Is the outcome always the same?
 As you write your process essay,
consider the following:
3 How many steps are there in the process?
Why is each step important?
What difficulties are involved in each step?
How can they be overcome?
Do any cautions need to be given?
Revising Checklist for
a Process Essay
 Does your assignment call for a set of instructions or a process
explanation?
 Does your writing style clearly and consistently indicate
whether you are writing a set of instructions or process
explanation?
 Does your essay have a clearly stated thesis that identifies the
process and perhaps tells why it is (or was) performed?
 Have you included all necessary reminders and cautions?
 Have you included all necessary steps?
 Are the steps presented in strict chronological order?
 Do transitions clearly indicate where one step ends and the
next begins?