Anker Susan. Real Essays with Readings with 2009 MLA Update
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WRITING ESSAYS
Chapter 13 • Process Analysis 207
I completely understand how important our family traditions are”).
Also, keep the conversation focused on solutions and take a fl exible,
respectful stance toward your partner (“Let’s try to fi gure out a plan
together so we can both end up happy”). Perhaps most valuable, be
courteous, respectful, and positive toward your partner, and avoid per-
sonal attacks.
4 Communications scholars William Wilmot and Joyce Hocker offer
four additional suggestions for collaboratively managing confl ict (2001).
First, attack problems, not people. When talking about the confl ict, sep-
arate the problem that’s the source of the confl ict from the people who
are involved. For example, in the Thanksgiving scenario, you would
stress that it’s the practice of spending the holidays with your families
that is the source of the confl ict and not the personality, values, or
attitudes of your partner. Avoid personalizing the confl ict through state-
ments such as “You don’t care about my family!” or “You’re always out
for yourself!” Second, focus on common interests and long-term goals
(“I know we both want to maintain close ties to our families as well as
spend important holidays together”). Arguing over positions (“I want
this,” “Well, I want that!”) endangers relationships because the confl ict
quickly becomes a destructive contest of wills. Third, create options
before arriving at decisions. Identify different possible routes for resolv-
ing the confl ict, and then combine the best parts of them to come up
with a solution. For instance, solutions to the Thanksgiving dilemma
might include spending the holiday with one family this year and with
the other family next year or eating turkey with one family and having
dessert and coffee with the other family. Don’t get bogged down search-
ing for the one “perfect” solution — it may not exist. Finally, critically
evaluate your solution. Ask: Is it equally fair for both of us?
— Steven McCornack, Refl ect and Relate: An Introduc-
tion to Interpersonal Communication (Boston: Bedford/
St. Martin’s, 2007), pp. 310–13
1. Double-underline the thesis statement. Note: It is not in the fi rst
paragraph.
PAUSE: Summarize
this paragraph in
your own words.
PAUSE: Summarize
the four steps in
this paragraph.
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WRITING ESSAYS
208 Part Two • Writing Different Kinds of Essays
2. What important term is defi ned in this excerpt?
collaboration
3. Underline each of the steps of collaboration.
4. Because this excerpt is not a formal essay, it lacks a concluding
statement. Write a statement that would effectively conclude the excerpt.
Answers will vary.
5. Have you ever made a confl ict worse by not using collaborative
communication to manage it?
Process Analysis at Work
The following profi le shows how a nurse uses process analysis at work.
Patty’s Process Analysis
The following is from a report that Patty prepared for a patient’s fi le to
document the steps taken to treat her. The report shows that when a nurse
on the team and a resident disagreed as to the treatment called for, the
BACKGROUND: I was always a terrible student who was shy and lacking in
confi dence. After high school, I took one course at a community college
but quit because I didn’t think I could do it.
After working as a typist, I got a job as a nursing assistant at the
Shriners Hospital in Boston, a thirty-bed pediatric burn hospital. This
motivated me to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN).
As time went on, I wanted more responsibility, so I took courses that
led, fi rst, to a registered nurse (RN) degree and, fi nally, to a master’s
degree in nursing. In the various nursing degree programs I completed,
I had to do lots of writing — long papers, summaries of articles, and
analyses of diseases and of case studies.
COLLEGES/DEGREES: Massachusetts Bay Community College, Labouré
Junior College, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy (B.S.N.), Northeastern
University (M.S.N.)
EMPLOYER: All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, Florida
WRITING AT WORK: Observations of patients, notes about patients, memos
to colleagues, instructions for junior staff, lots of e-mail
HOW PATTY USES PROCESS ANALYSIS: Notes on treatment are often process
analyses. They need to be concise, precise, and clear because both I and
others will need to refer to them for patients’ further treatment.
Profi le of Success
Patty Maloney
Clinical Nurse
Specialist
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WRITING ESSAYS
Chapter 13 • Process Analysis 209
nurse called for another opinion. This type of communication is frequent
among medical personnel.
VOCABULARY
The following words are italicized in the excerpt: vital signs, resident,
pneumothorax, rupture, attending physician. If you don’t know their
meanings, look them up in a dictionary.
1 Patient: (name), female, age 8, with tumor and disease progression
2 Symptoms at arrival: Child had not eaten much for two days and
was withdrawn and uncommunicative.
3 Treatment process: First, we needed to determine if the child
was in immediate danger or in need of further medications for pain
control. We took her vital signs, which were within the range of normal
for her, with a slightly elevated heart rate. Then we interviewed the
child’s mother to see if she had administered any breakthrough pain
medication during the last 24 hours. We gave the child a short-term
pain medication.
4 As a next step, we had a discussion with the doctor in the unit,
and we then administered a breakthrough pain medication. We closely
monitored the patient’s vital signs, particularly noting if the heart rate
came down. We were documenting the signs every hour formally but
also checked on the child’s status in the Intensive Care Unit every 15
minutes.
5 During one check, one of our nurses noted that the child looked
pale, and her breathing was somewhat shallow. The nurse knew that the
child had fragile lungs and felt that she was at risk of the pneumothorax
collecting fl uid with a possible rupture of the lung lining and collapse
of the lung. Following procedure, the nurse immediately alerted the
resident, who felt that the child was fi ne and suggested that nothing but
continued observation was necessary.
6 The nurse disagreed with the resident’s diagnosis and at that point
sent another nurse to page the attending physician for another opinion.
In the meantime, while waiting for the attending, the nurse called for an
■ COMBINING
MODES: If your class
has already studied
illustration, you can
point out that para-
graphs 3, 5, and 6 use
illustration to give ex-
amples of steps in the
process. Also, note that
the report uses narra-
tion within the process.
PAUSE: What do
you think will
happen next?
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WRITING ESSAYS
210 Part Two • Writing Different Kinds of Essays
x-ray. She then pulled the cart over to the patient in preparation for insert-
ing a tube into the lung cavity to reinfl ate the lung. When the attending
physician arrived and was briefed, he agreed with the nurse’s diagnosis.
The tube was quickly inserted, and the collapse of the lung was avoided.
7 The child continues in observation in the ICU. Her condition is
stable.
1. Underline the steps of the treatment process.
2. Though a description of a treatment process, the report does not give
many details. What is the purpose of the report?
Answers will vary but
should include that it is for a record of the care that had been provided
to this patient.
3. How would the report differ if its purpose was to teach new nurses how
to do a particular procedure?
It would give more details about the
treatment.
4. Write a possible thesis statement for the report.
5. Write a possible concluding statement.
6. Have you ever witnessed people disagreeing about what to do to help
you? How would you describe their communication with each other?
Process Analysis in Everyday Life
VOCABULARY
The following words are italicized in the excerpt: options, survey,
glitzy, blog. If you don’t know their meanings, look them up in a
dictionary.
HOW TO CREATE AND USE MYSPACE
Silvio Testagrosso
1 A lot of my friends have MySpace pages. I wasn’t interested for the
longest time, but lately I started feeling left out. I thought creating my
own page would be a hassle, but it turns out I was wrong. Creating a
MySpace account is simple and fun. You can be creative about how
you want to portray yourself to others, and you can learn about a lot of
PAUSE: What do
you think this essay
will be about?
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WRITING ESSAYS
Chapter 13 • Process Analysis 211
new things. Most important, though, MySpace is a great communica-
tion tool for keeping up with friends and family and for meeting new
people.
2 To start, type “MySpace graphics” into your search engine. From
there, you will have thousands of sites that will lead you through creat-
ing an account. I used www.myspacejunks.com. First, you will have
to enter your e-mail address, a password, and a name for your account.
Then, if you have entered everything correctly, you can get to the fun
part, like choosing a look for your page.
3 Choosing a look is important, and you will have many choices.
When you get to the page with options for layout, survey lots of them
before choosing one. As you see images you like, bookmark them so
that you can return to them easily when you are ready to make your
fi nal choice. Although there are lots of very glitzy, animated, and fl ash-
ing images, don’t overuse them, or your page will be irritating to read.
Consider the colors you want to use and the overall impression the
page will create. What do you want to be — quiet and thoughtful, fun
and loud, or something else? Whatever you decide, keep in mind that
a prospective employer, a boss, or your mother can access your page as
easily as your friends can.
4 Once you have decided on the look, copy and paste the layout code to
the “Edit Profi le — About Me” section of your MySpace page. Then,
consider elements to put into the page, such as information about your-
self. Do you want to add your age, schools, interests, or videos of your-
self? You have complete choice here: You can tell everything about
yourself, including very personal information, or you can keep it to basic
facts. Again, though, remember that anyone can read what is there, so
don’t post anything you wouldn’t want everyone to know about you.
5 Next, you can start up a blog from your page. A blog lets you com-
municate with everyone about anything. You can talk about what you
did last night and include a video or photos, you can ask for other
people’s opinions or ask for help, or you can just write about what is on
your mind on any given day. People who visit your MySpace page can
■ COMBINING
MODES: Note the
description used within
the process analysis.
PAUSE: Summarize
the options for
what you can put
on a MySpace
page.
PAUSE: Have you
ever blogged?
About what?
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WRITING ESSAYS
212 Part Two • Writing Different Kinds of Essays
comment and respond to your blog, so use it to fi nd out whatever you
want to fi nd out about. I’ve learned a lot by blogging. I’ve even gotten
ideas about assignments for school. Blogging is, for me, the best thing
about my MySpace account.
6 Finally, consider meeting new people through MySpace, which is,
after all, a social networking site. MySpace has groups for anything you
might be interested in — cooking, starting a business, music, and so on.
MySpace also has forums that give you a chance to talk with others
about issues that are important to you. You can meet and communicate
with hundreds of new people and really broaden your horizons.
7 Creating a MySpace account is easy, free, and creative. Using it is
informative and fun. Most of all, though, MySpace connects people who
might not otherwise meet, and it is one of the best and most enjoyable
ways I have found to communicate. I’d recommend creating a page to
anyone who doesn’t already have one.
1. Double-underline the thesis statement.
2. What kind of organization does the essay use?
chronological
3. Circle fi ve transitions Silvio uses.
4. Does Silvio’s essay have the four basics of good process analysis? Be
ready to explain your answer.
5. Do you have a MySpace account? How did you set it up, and how do
you use it?
Critical Reading and Writing: Key College Skills
1. Summary. Briefl y summarize each of the three selections, including the
major steps of each of the processes described. How is each essay about
a communication situation?
2. Analysis. Compare the three communications situations the selections
describe. Which selection has the most detailed explanation of the com-
munication situation?
the fi rst one
Which has the least?
the second one
Why, do you think?
Answers will vary.
3. Synthesis. Discuss or write about the following: “Effective commu-
nication is a complex skill, and it varies depending on the specifi c
situation and people involved.” Draw from each of the selections
to give examples.
■ TEACHING TIP
The Critical Reading
and Writing assign-
ments can be done
either in writing or
in a class discussion.
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WRITING ESSAYS
Chapter 13 • Process Analysis 213
4. Evaluation. Using the four basics of good process analysis as a
measure, which of the three selections do you think is the best example
of a process analysis? Give specifi c examples to support your choice. Is
your choice different from the one you fi nd most useful?
Write a Process Analysis Essay
In this section, you will write your own process analysis essay based on
one of the following assignments. Before you begin to write, review the
four basics of good process analysis on page 202. Also, read the Tips for
Tackling Process Analysis in the box that follows.
ASSIGNMENT 1 WRITING ABOUT COLLEGE, WORK,
AND EVERYDAY LIFE
Write a process analysis essay on one of the following topics or on a topic of
your own choice.
COLLEGE
• How to apply for fi nancial aid
• How to study for a test
• How (a process in your major fi eld of study) works
WORK
• How to do one of your major tasks at work
• How to get a job at your place of work
• How to get fi red or how to get promoted
■ TEACHING TIP
Students might write
about applying for
scholarships, register-
ing for classes, meeting
with an adviser, or
choosing a major.
TIPS FOR TACKLING PROCESS ANALYSIS
1.
Read the assignment carefully, highlighting the key words. A
process analysis may ask you to describe the process of, but it
may also use words such as describe the stages (or steps) of,
how does __________ work?, and how can one (for example,
use collaboration) to manage confl ict?
2. Think of the steps involved in the topic.
3. If you are explaining how to do something, pretend your
reader doesn’t know anything about the process.
4. Give examples of how to do each step or how it works.
■ Use the diagram on
page 205 to help you
organize.
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WRITING ESSAYS
214 Part Two • Writing Different Kinds of Essays
EVERYDAY LIFE
• How to calm down or how to get to sleep
• How to do (something you do well)
• How to break up with someone
ASSIGNMENT 2 WRITING ABOUT AN IMAGE
Recipes are common examples of process writing. Take a few minutes to
think about the “recipe” presented in the public service ad below. Then,
write your own “recipe for disaster” — or, if you prefer, a recipe for happiness.
Accompany it with an image if your topic allows it. Then, in an essay, explain
what you mean by disaster (or happiness) and why you think following your
recipe will lead there.
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WRITING ESSAYS
Chapter 13 • Process Analysis 215
ASSIGNMENT 3 WRITING TO SOLVE A PROBLEM
THE PROBLEM: Your friend is in an awful situation. Because of her great grades
in high school, she was accepted at an excellent private university and received
a lot of money in student aid. Even so, she began falling behind with tuition
payments and had to drop out. At this point, her full loan payment came
due. She wanted to transfer to a public university where the tuition was much
lower; however, when she requested her transcript from the private university,
she was told her records would not be sent until she had paid the charges on
her loan. She wants to continue her studies but doesn’t know how to manage
this fi nancially.
THE ASSIGNMENT: Working on your own or in a small group, research the
options your friend has, and write some steps she could take to resolve her
problem.
RESOURCES: Review the chart on pages 868–69 for advice on problem solving.
Additionally, the Internet has many sites that offer advice on repayment of
student loans. A good one to start with is at www.fi naid.org. Or try typing
student loan repayment into a search engine. List any Web sites that you use.
ASSIGNMENT 4 WRITING ABOUT READINGS
Communication issues exist in all areas of our lives, as you can begin to see
from the selections in this chapter. Choose one of the assignments below to
explore further communication issues and situations.
• Nonverbal communication. Review Silvio Testagrosso’s essay on
MySpace (p. 210), considering especially how choice of color and image
can shape the effect that a page can have. Then, read Daniel Goleman’s
“For Man and Beast, Language Shares Many Traits” (p. 781) and
Amy L. Beck’s “Struggling for Perfection” (p. 829). Drawing examples
from these selections, discuss how nonverbal communication plays a
role in how we perceive ourselves and others.
• Gender and communication. Review the textbook excerpt on pages
206–07, considering the different ways that communication affects rela-
tionships, especially male/female relationships. Then, read Dave Barry’s
“The Ugly Truth about Beauty” (p. 817) and Deborah Tannen’s “It
Begins at the Beginning” (p. 28). Drawing examples from these read-
ings, discuss how men and women communicate differently. You may
also want to read Carson Williams’s “Different but in Love” (p. 122)
and bring in your own experience.
■ ESL: Ask students
how differences in lan-
guage and culture may
affect readers’ under-
standing of a process
analysis.
■ RESOURCES
Additional Resources
for Teaching REAL ESSAYS
has visual planning
forms for process analy-
sis and the other essays
covered in Part Two.
■ TIP: When you
refer to an outside
source, document
it in the text and in
a list at the end of
your essay.
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WRITING ESSAYS
216 Part Two • Writing Different Kinds of Essays
WRITING GUIDE: PROCESS ANALYSIS
STEPS IN PROCESS ANALYSIS HOW TO DO THE STEPS
Focus.
■
■ Think about the process you want to explain to your
readers, the steps involved in the process, and the main
point you want to make. Review the four basics of good
process analysis on page 202.
Prewrite to explore your topic.
See Chapter 4 for more on
prewriting.
■
■ Choose a process you know about and understand.
■
■ Use a prewriting technique to jot down some ideas about
the steps in the process and ways you can explain the
process to readers who aren’t familiar with it.
Write a thesis statement.
The thesis statement in
a process analysis usually
identifi es the process and the
main point you want to make
about that process.
Process + Main point =
Thesis
Communication skills are
varied and complex.
See Chapter 5 for more on
writing a thesis statement.
■
■ Decide on the main point you want to make about the
process.
■
■ Decide what you want your readers to know or learn
about this process.
■
■ Once you know your main point, write a thesis statement
that contains both the process (your topic) and your main
point about that process.
Support your thesis statement.
The major support points
in a process analysis are the
essential steps involved in
explaining how to do the
process or showing how the
process works.
See Chapter 6 for more on
supporting a thesis statement.
■
■ List all the essential steps in the process.
■
■ Review your thesis statement, and drop any steps that are
not essential.
■
■ Choose the steps that are necessary for readers to perform
this activity or to understand how it works.
■
■ Add details that describe the steps and that would help
your readers do this activity correctly.
■
■ Imagine that you are not already familiar with the process,
and ask yourself whether you could do it or understand
how it works after reading the essay.
Make a plan.
See Chapter 7 for more on
planning.
■
■ Arrange the steps in the process in a logical order (often
chronological).
■
■ Make a plan for your process analysis that includes
your major support points (the steps in the process) and
supporting details. (See the diagram on p. 205.)
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