A+ Guides to Writing Series

This is not a textbook. This booklet contains very little writing theory or explanation of rhetorical concepts. Instead, it is a step-by-step method for writing a five-paragraph paper from the assignment through the final proofreading. Using sentence formulas, paragraph templates, and detailed checklists, the writer will be able to plug in subject matter for their assigned papers and build a finished product that is organized correctly. For writers who need to create a five-paragraph (2-3 page) paper, this booklet will guide them through the process of getting the words down on the page. It does not matter if that paper is meant to be informative or persuasive. Regardless of tone or style, this booklet can guide the writer through to a finished paper. Table of Contents: How to Use This Booklet Step One: Understand Your Assignment Step Two: The Working Outline Step Three: The Thesis Statement - The Importance of Tone - Checklist: Eight Things That Can Change Your Grade Step Four: The Introductory Paragraph Step Five: Body Paragraphs - Checklist: How to Test Paragraph Organization and Development Step Six: The Conclusion Paragraph Step Seven: The Final Check - The First Layer: Revising Out Loud - The Second Layer: Sentence Triage - The Third Layer: “Find” Searches - The Fourth Layer: The Fine Points Here's what people are saying about this booklet. "The method for turning a thesis statement into topic sentences was very useful and easy to apply." "I thought proofreading meant you should read the paper and hope you spot the mistakes. Now I have a better way to do that, using the layered technique." "I thought outlining was a waste of time and a headache. But the 'working outline' was actually very helpful and made me see that an outline isn't about roman numerals and indents."  

Note: This is a boxed set containing each of the following five A+ Guides: Firve-Paragraph Essays, Short Answer Essays, Compare and Contrast Essays, Persuasive Essays, and Narrative Essays. The first year of college can be challenging for many reasons. The classes are harder, the schedule is more demanding, and you will be expected to manage everything on your own, perhaps for the first time in your life. And the papers! You have to write so many papers!  But there is help available for the papers, at least. The Freshman Five Boxed Set contains the five Alison Plus Guides to Writing for the five types of papers most college freshmen will have to write: five-paragraph essays, short answer essays, compare and contrast essays, persuasive essays, and narrative essays. Each assignment type has different challenges and goals, but now one collection makes all five writing guides available in one boxed set. About the A+ Method You are looking for help with a writing assignment. Good news! Help is here! The A+ Method was developed through years spent working with student writers on a variety of writing assignments. Regardless of the specific assignment type (five-paragraph essay, persuasive essay, narrative essay, literature review, etc.), it soon became clear that students shared one strong concern. They wanted to know what to put where. They had ideas about their topics, and they knew what they wanted to say, but they didn’t know how to present those ideas in an organized manner so that the paper could “flow” well. The A+ Method assists the students with overcoming that concern. Each type of assignment follows a unique writing pattern, and each A+ Method booklet presents that pattern in easy-to-follow steps. The pattern shows the writer what to put where. Along the way, each booklet also addresses other writing concerns typical to a specific assignment type. By focusing on assignment type rather than on writing essays in general, each specific booklet targets the pedagogical goals in a way that leads to a greater likelihood of student success. Choose the booklet that corresponds to your assignment type, and then follow the steps in the booklet. Working the steps carefully the first time will not only lead to a finished paper, but to a better understanding of how to write a specific type of paper. Then, with subsequent similar assignments, use the booklet as a refresher to guarantee that you will hit the assignment targets each time.  

This practical booklet can help you write a compare and contrast essay by showing you the complete process of writing this type of paper. This systematic method will start with your assignment and end with a final proofreading. In between that first and last step, this writing method relies upon templates to help you build a well-organized compare-and-contrast paper. These templates show you exactly what to include in different places within the paper. You will no longer need to guess what to write and where to write it. By using the templates, the various pieces of the paper will work together to create a coherent draft.  Follow the steps in order, from the first to the last, and do not skip any along the way. Each step builds on the previous steps. Assignment analysis turns into a table of factors, the table of factors turns into a working outline and topic sentences, and so on. By completing each step before moving on to the next, the next step will be easier. And so will the one after that.  This booklet not only helps you write a complete paper, but it shows you a method to apply in any similar paper that relies on the compare-and-contrast model. Working the steps carefully the first time will teach you the method. Then, when you must write another compare-and-contrast essay, use this booklet as a reference to refresh your memory on the steps and templates. The more you use the method, the easier it will be.  Table of Contents  How to Use This Booklet  Step One: Choose Two Topics  Step Two: The Table of Factors  Step Three: The Working Outline  - Checklist: Four Factors to Consider When Choosing an Organization Pattern  Step Four: The Thesis Statement  - Checklist: Ingredients in a Strong Comp-Con Thesis Statement  - Checklist: Eight Things That Can Change Your Grade  Step Five: The Introductory Paragraph  Step Six: Body Paragraphs  - Checklist: How to Test Paragraph Organization and Development  Step Seven: The Conclusion Paragraph  Step Eight: The Final Draft  - First Layer: Revising Out Loud  - Second Layer: Sentence Triage  - Third Layer: “Find” Searches  - Fourth Layer: The Fine Points  

Many students find literature reviews fiendishly difficult to write. That is because the literature review -- a paper summarizing a body of published works on a given topic -- requires the writer to abandon almost everything they've learned about writing and to use a brand new tone and approach.  This booklet explains everything the writer needs to generate a successful literature review in step-by-step fashion. By focusing on tone and organization and showing the writer how to use a grid system to develop the paper, this booklet will turn a difficult project into a finished one.  Table of Contents  - How to Use This Booklet  - What Is a Literature Review?  - Step One: Understand the Assignment  - A Preliminary Word About Tone  - Step Two: Organize the Material  - Step Three: Create Topic Sentences  - Step Four: Complete the Paragraphs  - Step Five: The First Paragraph  - Step Six: Thesis and Tone  - Step Seven: The Last Paragraph  - Step Eight: The Final Check  Here's what students have said about this method:  "The grid made a big job seem really manageable."  "Thank you for the guidance. I have made a breakthrough!"  "Awesome!"  

You must write a legal case brief, either for school or for internal use in a law firm or other legal setting. However, even though you have seen other case briefs, you are not sure how to brief a case. Maybe you have never written a brief like this before and do not know what it should look like. Maybe you have written a document like this in the past, but you were unhappy with the product and you want to do better this time. Maybe, no matter your skills and experiences, you are just looking for extra help so that this kind of document will be easier to complete. This booklet can help you by showing you the complete process of briefing a case. This practical, systematic method will start with a basic discussion of the purpose of case briefs and end with a final proofreading. In between that first and last step, you will learn how to write each section of a case brief, section by section. These sectional breakdowns show you exactly what to include in different places within the brief. You will no longer need to guess what to write and where to write it. By using the breakdown, the various pieces of the document will work together to create a coherent and complete brief. For the purposes of this booklet, it does not matter if you skip around and take the sections out of order. The booklet will proceed in the pattern most case briefs adopt: Procedural History Facts Issue Holding Rationale This booklet not only helps you brief a case, but it shows you a critical thinking process important to the practice of law. Working the sections carefully the first time will teach you the method. Then, when you must brief another case, use this booklet as a reference to help you remember what each section must include. The more you use the method, the easier it will be. Note: This booklet will not cover legal citation in depth. A shortcut and some basic citation tips will be presented in the section on case brief headings, but for more information about citation, please consult the Bluebook.

“Just tell a story,” the teacher said. “It will be fun.” Yet the student stares at a blank screen, uncertain what to write, and it’s far from a fun experience.  The narrative essay -- a personal form of storytelling about true experiences -- requires the writer to abandon familiar tools such as topic sentences, thesis statements, and supporting authority. But this doesn’t mean the writer should just type words until the pages are filled. Rambling freeform narratives are not what most writing instructors hope to see. There is a better method, and it can be found in this short booklet. This booklet explains everything the writer needs to generate a successful narrative essay in step-by-step fashion. Starting with a story goal, proceeding through a timeline, and finishing with two targeted paragraphs, this booklet will turn a blank screen into a finished paper.  Table of Contents  How to Use This Booklet What is a narrative essay? Special Note Regarding Use of the Word “Narrative” Assignment Analysis: beginning, middle, end: outline the event on a timeline Thesis: the Goal Beginning: the Setup -    Premise/Theme -    Characters -    Your point of view Middle: Events on a timeline -    Action -    Dialogue -    Description A Special Note About Paragraphing A Special Note About One Exception to the Timeline A Special Note About the Second-to-Last Paragraph End: the Resolution: how you changed/how things changed Proofreading   Here's what students have said about this method:  "This made it all seem really easy."  "I thought I should just write about what happened. If I had done that, I would have left out some important things. Thanks for showing me what was missing!" 

You studied hard for your short answer essay exam. You outlined your text and reviewed your class notes. You know the facts cold. Does this mean you are ready for your exam?  Maybe not. Maybe you also need a strategy to write your answers so that all the knowledge you have acquired translates into a well-organized, concise essay. This booklet can help you construct that strategy by giving you a clear, easy, five-step method for writing a short answer essay answer. Practice this method, perhaps using discussion questions from your text, as part of your test preparation. Practice will make it easier and faster during a timed exam.  Please note that a short answer essay answer is just that: short. These are one, two, or three paragraphs meant to answer an exam question or assignment question. For a longer essay, a different strategy and structure is needed. The A+ booklet on Five-Paragraph Essays will give you good advice about the strategy and organization for a two to three page paper, for example, and other A+ booklets address particular assignment types for longer writing assignments. See those for help with longer assignments, but for a short answer essay of one, two, or three paragraphs, use the strategy and organization outlined in this booklet.  

Persuasive essays, also called written arguments, are among the most common writing assignments and are used across the curriculum. Yet, despite their common use, many students struggle with the basics of creating a compelling, persuasive argument. Focusing on the four keys to persuasive writing, this booklet uses a step-by-step method to start with an assignment and end with a final draft. By following the clear examples and relying on the included templates, the writer will be able to generate a solid piece of persuasive writing on any topic.  Table of Contents:  How to Use This Booklet  A Special Note about Rogerian Argument  Step One: Understand the Assignment  Step Two: The Working Outline  Step Three: The Thesis Statement  Checklist: Eight Things That Can Change Your Grade  Step Four: The Introductory Paragraph  Step Five: Body Paragraphs  Checklist: How to Test Paragraph Organization and Development  Step Six: Counter-Arguments  Step Seven: Refutations  Step Eight: The Conclusion Paragraph  Step Nine: The Final Draft  The First Layer: Revising Out Loud  The Second Layer: Sentence Triage  The Third Layer: “Find” Searches  Fourth Layer: The Fine Points  

You must write an internal legal memo, either for school or for internal use in a law firm or other legal practice setting. This booklet can help you by showing you the complete process of writing an internal legal memo. This practical, systematic method will start with a basic discussion of the purpose of the memo and end with a final proofreading. In between that first and last step, you will learn how to write each section of an internal legal memo, section by section. These sectional breakdowns show you exactly what to include in different places within the memo. You will no longer need to guess what to write and where to write it. By using the breakdown, the various pieces of the document will work together to create a coherent and complete memo. For the purposes of this booklet, it does not matter if you skip around and take the sections out of order. The booklet will proceed in the pattern most internal legal memos adopt: Heading Questions Presented Short Answer Facts Table of Authorities Discussion Conclusion This booklet not only helps you draft an internal legal memo, but it shows you a critical thinking process important to the practice of law. Working the sections carefully the first time will teach you the method. Then, when you must write another internal legal memo, use this booklet as a reference to help you remember what each section must include. The more you use the method, the easier it will be.

Legal writing can be challenging for many reasons. The language is complex, the concepts are even more complex, and you will be expected to manipulate both the language and the complex while adhering to specific writing formats. But there is help available. The Legal Studies Boxed Set contains the three Alison Plus Guides to Writing for the three types of legal documents most legal studies and paralegal students will have to write: demand letters, case briefs, and internal legal memos. Each document type has different challenges and goals, but now one collection makes all three writing guides available in one boxed set. Here are each of the three writing guides contained in this boxed set. Book One: A+ Guide to Legal Demand Letters Table of Contents: How to Use This Booklet The Example Scenario Step One: Letter Mechanics A Special Note About Tone Step Two: Define the Relationship Step Three: State the Facts Giving Rise to the Claim Step Four: Present Any Necessary Law Step Five: Present the Demand Step Six: Close With a Deadline Example Demand Letter Step Seven: The Final Check The First Layer: Revising Out Loud The Second Layer: Sentence Triage The Third Layer: “Find” Searches The Fourth Layer: The Fine Points Appendix: Legal Citation Tips Cases Statutes and Regulations Constitutions Book Two: A+ Guide to Internal Legal Memos Sections of the Memo: Heading Questions Presented Short Answer Facts Table of Authorities Discussion Conclusion Book Three: A+ Guide to Legal Case Briefs Sections of the Brief: Procedural History Facts Issue Holding Rationale

You must write a demand letter regarding a legal problem, either for school, for use in legal practice, or as a private citizen preparing for a possible small claims court filing. This booklet can help you by showing you the complete process of writing demand letter. This practical, systematic method will start with a basic discussion of the purpose of the letter and end with a final proofreading. In between that first and last step, you will learn how to write each piece of demand letter, piece by piece, in the order in which they should appear. These breakdowns show you exactly what to include in different places within the letter. You will no longer need to guess what to write and where to write it. By using the breakdown, the various pieces of the document will work together to create a coherent and complete letter. Contents How to Use This Booklet The Example Scenario Step One: Letter Mechanics A Special Note About Tone Step Two: Define the Relationship Step Three: State the Facts Giving Rise to the Claim Step Four: Present Any Necessary Law Step Five: Present the Demand Step Six: Close With a Deadline Example Demand Letter Step Seven: The Final Check The First Layer: Revising Out Loud The Second Layer: Sentence Triage The Third Layer: “Find” Searches The Fourth Layer: The Fine Points Appendix: Legal Citation Tips Cases Statutes and Regulations Constitutions

You must write an application essay. This essay might accompany an application to college, graduate school, or professional school. Or it might be part of a job application or a request for a scholarship or other funding. Regardless of the nature of the application, all of these essays are united by a common purpose: you want something, and this essay is part of the formal request made to the person or organization with the power to give it to you. Even though you might have seen other application essays, you still might not know how to compose yours. Maybe you have never written an essay like this before, so you are unsure about how it differs from other kinds of essays. Maybe you have written an essay like this in the past, but you were unhappy with the product or the result and you want to improve your chances this time. Maybe, no matter your skills and experiences, you are just looking for extra help so that this kind of essay will be easier to complete. Few of us have been taught how to write this type of essay. Is it casual or academic? Is it supported with research? How much should you reveal about yourself? These and many more questions can make it tricky to even know where to begin. And it is very likely that you might not have anyone to help you with this. Because application essays are extra-curricular, even if you are a current student with access to writing instructors, your application essay will not be part of that syllabus. The writing expert teaching your class might not be available to instruct you in this type of writing in their time off. This booklet can help you by showing you the complete process of writing an application essay for a scholarship, academic program, or employment opportunity. This practical, systematic method will start with a basic discussion of the purpose of application essays and end with a final proofreading. In between that first and last step, you will learn how to write each section of an application essay, piece by piece. These sectional breakdowns show you exactly what to include in different places within the essay. You will no longer need to guess what to write and where to write it. By using the breakdown, the various pieces of the document will work together to create a coherent and complete whole.