CACCC – Clarify, Audience, Collect, Connect, Compose
5 Steps to Writing Papers
Sometimes students have a hard time understanding what they need to do to write a paper. Papers written in secondary school are not as complex as they are in post secondary. The following steps and sub-steps help to break down the writing assignment. Students should begin the assignment right away and set a timeline for each step.
1. Clarify your assignment - do this step the day of or day after receiving the assignment.
a. Understand your assignment by reading it carefully
b. Break it down into steps so that you don’t miss important information
c. Determine what the topic or question is that needs to be answered
d. Clarify what you do not understand by asking your instructor
2. Audience
a. Consider your audience; if this is an assignment, it’s probably your instructor
b. Be detailed in your descriptions so that your instructor knows that you know what you are talking about; don’t assume he or she will fill in the blanks
c. Have someone read your paper and if they have lots of questions, add more details; if they are confused, make your details clearer.
3. Collect
a. Collect as much information on your topic as you can
b. See the Reference Librarian for help on how to research
c. Collect relevant information that will address your topic; remember there is a lot of information on your topic that isn’t relevant to the assignment
4. Connect
a. Connect ideas and details to stay on topic
b. Begin with the main idea, connect supporting ideas, connect details
c. Use headings and phrases as you connect information
d. Use a mind map, create an outline, or record main ideas, supporting ideas and details on different coloured index cards
5. Compose
a. Arrange your essay clearly in order by headings, supporting ideas and details
b. Write full descriptive sentences out of phrases
c. Create an interesting introduction, a supportive body and a strong conclusion
d. Re-read, revise and re-write before handing in your paper
e. Access free drop-in services to the English tutor in the Academic Resource centre for essay proofreading
f. Access free services to the Reference Librarian for proofreading APA, MLA, etc. style formatting
Written by: DeBoer J., Learning Strategist, MHC
1. Clarify your assignment - do this step the day of or day after receiving the assignment.
a. Understand your assignment by reading it carefully
b. Break it down into steps so that you don’t miss important information
c. Determine what the topic or question is that needs to be answered
d. Clarify what you do not understand by asking your instructor
2. Audience
a. Consider your audience; if this is an assignment, it’s probably your instructor
b. Be detailed in your descriptions so that your instructor knows that you know what you are talking about; don’t assume he or she will fill in the blanks
c. Have someone read your paper and if they have lots of questions, add more details; if they are confused, make your details clearer.
3. Collect
a. Collect as much information on your topic as you can
b. See the Reference Librarian for help on how to research
c. Collect relevant information that will address your topic; remember there is a lot of information on your topic that isn’t relevant to the assignment
4. Connect
a. Connect ideas and details to stay on topic
b. Begin with the main idea, connect supporting ideas, connect details
c. Use headings and phrases as you connect information
d. Use a mind map, create an outline, or record main ideas, supporting ideas and details on different coloured index cards
5. Compose
a. Arrange your essay clearly in order by headings, supporting ideas and details
b. Write full descriptive sentences out of phrases
c. Create an interesting introduction, a supportive body and a strong conclusion
d. Re-read, revise and re-write before handing in your paper
e. Access free drop-in services to the English tutor in the Academic Resource centre for essay proofreading
f. Access free services to the Reference Librarian for proofreading APA, MLA, etc. style formatting
Written by: DeBoer J., Learning Strategist, MHC