process analysis

A method of paragraph or essay development by which a writer explains step by step how something is done or how to do something. See also:

• 50 Writing Topics: Process Analysis
• "Camping Out," by Ernest Hemingway
• Process Analysis in Joseph Heller's Catch-22
• Process Analysis in Richard Selzer's "The Knife"
• Student Essay: "How to Catch River Crabs"
• Process Analysis in Berry's "A Few Words for Motherhood"

Examples and Observations:

• Planning a good process analysis requires the writer to include all the essential steps. Be sure you have all the tools or ingredients needed. Arrange the steps in the correct sequence. Like all good writing, a process essay requires a thesis to tell the reader the significance of the process. The writer can tell the reader how to do something, but also should inform the reader about the usefulness or importance of the endeavor."
  (Gilbert H. Muller and Harvey S. Wiener, The Short Prose Reader, McGraw-Hill, 2006)



• How to Remove Chewing Gum From Hair
  1. Prepare an ice sack.
     Place several cubes of ice in a plastic bag or thin cloth. Seal or hold it closed.
  
  
  2. Apply ice pack to hair.
     Move the affected hair away from the scalp and press the ice against the gum for 15 to 30 minutes or until the gum freezes solid. Use a rubber glove or a dry washcloth to hold the ice compress if your hand becomes chilled.
  
  
  3. Crack the frozen gum into pieces.
     With one hand, hold the stuck section of the hair between the gum clot and the scalp, and break the frozen gum into small pieces.
  
  
  4. Remove the gum.
     Gently pull the frozen gum pieces from the hair using your other hand. If the warmth of your hand begins to melt the gum, refreeze and repeat until all the gum has been removed from the hair.
  (Joshua Piven, David Borgenicht, and Sarah Jordan, The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Parenting, Chronicle Books, 2003)