chapter 4 a process essay

Part I Writing a process essay If a friend were to ask you to describe how to prepare for an exam, what would you say? Whatever you say, you will have to describe a process; you will tell your friend what you do first, what you do next, all the way to what you do right before the exam. People call this kind of description a Process Analysis.

Reading and Thinking 1. Find examples of vivid comparisons in “How to Care for Your Records,” below. 2. Analyze the principle of organization: how are the paragraphs divided? 3. What terms are defined in the paper? 4. What is the paper’s tone?

Taking Care of Your Records Have you ever seen a phonograph record that looks as if someone used it as a shield in a pie fight? Sure you have. Probably in your own record collection. Any record that sees frequent use is subject to flagrant abuse, and certain steps must be taken to protect the investment that a phonograph record represents. First, you must adopt a suitable frame of mind when considering your records. If you are the type of person who finds records lying on the floor under your dirty socks, either you’re going to have to change your ways or give up all hope of being a fanatic record freak (note: this is not the same as a “music freak”). It doesn’t hurt to overexaggerate your ideals when it comes to records. If you see someone treating your records like they were a collection of frisbees, inform that person that such behavior will result in the introduction of a fist into his face. You may catch a lot of static from this philosophy, but in the long run it will be him that ends up going back to the record store to replace a particular disc that he could have preserved and thereby saved himself some money. Now, a few rules of thumb. First of all, never take your records to parties. That is, of course, unless you feel like keeping an eye on them and missing the fun. First of all, there is that subhuman species that goes to a party and leaves with three new albums. It’s not uncommon. Second, there is always some jerk who staggers up to the turntable, loaded to the gills, and says, “I want to hear the cut following this one.” You watch in horror as he reaches over and attempts to lift the tonearm, sending the needle skating across your brand new Led Zeppelin album. A good way to rationalize is that no one takes as good care of your possessions as you do. Therefore, unless you are certain that your property will be in good hands, preferably your hands, it’s a good idea to leave them at home. The second rule is one of simple maintenance. Clean your records frequently with a preener. A preener is a cylindrical cloth tube that you hold against a record while it is revolving on the turntable to remove the dust. It’s simple to use. You just toss a record on the turntable and turn it on. Before placing the needle on the record, give the disc a quick swipe with a preener. You just hold it down; the turntable spins the record and does the work for you. Also, an added benefit to this procedure is the fact that periodic cleaning of your records will also prolong your needle’s life, therefore saving you dollars. The final things to keep in mind are rules to follow when taking your new records home from the store. First of all, never leave your records in the back seat on a hot sunny day. Severe warpage can occur. Many a time have records come out of the back seat of a car where they have been exposed to these conditions more functional as a salad bowl than something to listen to. The other tip is to always remove the plastic covering from your albums. Merely slitting the plastic so as to remove the record is similarly dangerous to the back seat mistake. After a long period of time, the plastic will contract and bend your albums lengthwise, so that they start to look like the rim of a cowboy hat. Simple maintenance and common sense will assure your listening pleasure for years to come and save you money, too. And who knows, next year records might be twenty dollars each.

Part II Planning Your Writing A process essay tells the reader how something is made or done or how something happens or works. It explains this in a series of steps, actions, or events in sequence. As a result, the reader can do the same thing by following certain steps or have a clear idea of how an event happens: a process should be repeatable or predictable. Process analysis generally takes either of two forms: the instructional or the demonstrative form.