CBSE Class 8 English The Writing Process Prewriting Worksheet

During the prewriting stage, you plan what you will write. You choose a topic, or subject about which you will write. You can get ideas for topics in any of the following ways:

• Freewrite Write for several minutes, nonstop, about whatever comes into your mind.
• Collect information Gather facts and information from various sources.
• Make a list of events, experiences, people, or ideas that interest you.
• Ask questions Think of a question that you would like to answer.

The topic you select may cover too much information for you to use in one piece of writing. When that is the case, you continue to ask questions or group the information into related items. When the information is cut down to a more suitable size, your topic will be narrow enough to write about.
 

Exercise 1 Spend five minutes prewriting. Continue writing the entire time. Then look over your freewriting and circle any ideas that you might use as writing topics.
 

Exercise 2 For each general topic, list two narrower topics related to it that interest you.

Volunteering Why do people like to volunteer?

Volunteering at the cat shelter.

1. Dancing .................................................

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2. Junk food .................................................

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3. Your community .................................................

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4. Pets .................................................

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5. Math .................................................

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6. Privacy .................................................

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7. Self-confidence .................................................

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8. Field trips .................................................

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9. Movies .................................................

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10. Computers .................................................

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11. Jokes .................................................

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12. Winter .................................................

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During prewriting, you also choose a purpose—the goal you want to accomplish by writing about your topic. Your purpose might be to inform, to persuade, to entertain, to create a work of art, or perhaps a combination of these. Finally, you select and analyze your audience, those who will read or hear your work. Knowing your audience will help you decide what information to include and what writing style to use, such as formal or informal.
 

Exercise 1 Rewrite each word, phrase, or sentence for the audience named in parentheses.

The new rule at school really bugs me. (Rewrite for an audience of parents.) The new rule at school is very unfair.

1. Manuel hit a homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game. (Rewrite for an audience who knows nothing about baseball.) Manuel scored the winning point by hitting the ball over the fence late in the game.

2. Listen up, dudes. (Rewrite as a statement to a noisy roomful of students during a class.) Listen, everyone.

3. During the 1995 annual period, the corn crop had an extremely high yield. (Rewrite as an explanation for a fellow student.) During 1995 the corn crop was plentiful.

4. No suds. No clean duds. (Rewrite as a note for someone about to go to the laundry.) Don’t forget the detergent when you wash the clothes.

5. This bread is made with 3 cups of flour, a stick of melted butter, 2 beaten eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. (Rewrite as a description for someone who does not intend to make the bread.) This bread is made with flour, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon.

6. Give the dog some drops of this medicine in his ears. (Reword as a veterinarian’s instructions to the dog’s owner. Invent any missing details.) Put three drops of the medicine in each ear once a day.

7. That cap is radical, man. (Rewrite as a statement to a teacher.) Your cap is really nice.

8. Send me some stuff about Egyptian mummies. (Rewrite for a letter to the head of the education department at a natural history museum.) Could you please send any printed information you have about Egyptian mummies?
 

Exercise 2 Write the purpose of each of the following types of writing: to inform, to persuade, to entertain, or to create a work of art. Some items may have more than one purpose.

a retelling of a funny scene from a movie to entertain, to inform

1. an account of what happens during one scene of a play to inform

2. a short story about a frog-jumping contest to entertain

3. several paragraphs in which the speaker pretends to be a speck of dust to create a work of art

4. a speech you will read to a community group about why your school needs more classrooms to persuade

5. a riddle to entertain

6. a note giving instructions on where to find a hidden object to inform

7. a review of a movie to inform, to persuade

8. a letter to a college that is sent along with an application to persuade

9. a poem about a historical event to create a work of art, to inform

10. a composition comparing funny jokes and jokes that aren’t funny to inform, to persuade

11. a report on how different animals hibernate to inform

12. an announcement in a magazine about a writing contest to inform

13. an editorial in the school paper about student safety at school to persuade

14. a newspaper article about last Friday’s basketball game to inform

15. a paragraph written for a parent explaining why the writer should get a larger allowance to persuade

16. a speech made by a candidate for mayor to persuade