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Essay Writing The purpose of an essay is to effectively argue a particular thesis. In this sense, a thesis is a proposition put forward for the purposes of the essay that is then supported through argument. The combination of putting this thesis forward and effectively supporting it is the art of essay writing. A good essay has a clear thesis from which the rest of the essay flows.
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Essay Writing—The FormulaEssay Writing—The Formula
• Essay writing is Essay writing is simply a process of simply a process of writing where you writing where you organize information.organize information.
• It is an easy format of It is an easy format of writing because it writing because it follows a specific follows a specific formula.formula.
Essay Writing The purpose of an essay is to effectively argue a particular thesis. In this sense, a thesis is a proposition put forward for the purposes of the essay that is then supported through argument. The combination of putting this thesis forward and effectively supporting it is the art of essay writing.
• A good essay has a clear thesis from which the rest of the essay flows.
Organizing InformationOrganizing Information
• In an essay you are In an essay you are using the best using the best information that you information that you have to prove that a have to prove that a thesis is true.thesis is true.
• Organize your Organize your information into information into coherent paragraphs.coherent paragraphs.
A MethodA Method
• Gather your best Gather your best information.information.
• Put similar ideas Put similar ideas together.together.
• These “chunks” of These “chunks” of information information become your main become your main body.body.
The Introductory ParagraphThe Introductory Paragraph
• Funnel AnalogyFunnel Analogy
• Broad to narrowBroad to narrow
• Introduce the Introduce the general topic and general topic and move toward your move toward your thesis.thesis.
The Introductory ParagraphThe Introductory Paragraph
• Your first sentence will introduce the broadest Your first sentence will introduce the broadest aspect of your topic. You may start with a quote aspect of your topic. You may start with a quote or a profound observation related to your topic. or a profound observation related to your topic.
• You must name the text you are writing about You must name the text you are writing about and the author, and provide context.and the author, and provide context.
• Each sentence moves you closer to your most Each sentence moves you closer to your most narrow topic : your narrow topic : your thesisthesis..
• The The thesisthesis statement statement is usually near the end of is usually near the end of your introductory paragraphyour introductory paragraph
The Introductory ParagraphThe Introductory Paragraph
In the novel, In the novel, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest,Nest, written by Ken Kesey, a group of written by Ken Kesey, a group of troubled men in a mental health facility are troubled men in a mental health facility are given their individuality and manhood back, given their individuality and manhood back, when an unlikely hero is admitted to the when an unlikely hero is admitted to the hospitalhospital
Then you would provide specific information to Then you would provide specific information to lead to your thesis.lead to your thesis.
Sample 1 2Sample 1 2
The Main BodyThe Main Body• This is where you use your best evidence This is where you use your best evidence
to prove that your thesis is true.to prove that your thesis is true.• You refer to events and incidents to You refer to events and incidents to
support your thesis.support your thesis.• You should use direct quotations to support You should use direct quotations to support
your thesis.your thesis.• Everything you write should be clearly Everything you write should be clearly
connected to the thesisconnected to the thesis of your essay. of your essay. CTTCTT
The Main BodyThe Main BodyYour First Main PointYour First Main Point
• Generally speaking, it is a good idea to Generally speaking, it is a good idea to use your strongest point (argument) in the use your strongest point (argument) in the second paragraph of your essay.second paragraph of your essay.
• Usually at the end of the paragraph you Usually at the end of the paragraph you write a sentence that connect this write a sentence that connect this argument to your thesis. argument to your thesis. CTTCTT
The Main BodyThe Main Body• The first sentence of The first sentence of all of the rest all of the rest of your main of your main
body paragraphs provide a transition from the body paragraphs provide a transition from the previous point to your next point.previous point to your next point.
• Then follow the same formula: make a point Then follow the same formula: make a point that support your thesis. Use your text to that support your thesis. Use your text to support your argument. Be sure to make a support your argument. Be sure to make a clear clear CTT.CTT.
• Move to your next point.Move to your next point.
Using QuotesUsing Quotes• 1. Introduce your quotations. A quotation should never suddenly appear out of
nowhere. Some kind of information about the quotation is needed. Name the author, give his or her credentials, name the source, give a summary. You won't do all of these each time, but you should usually name the author. For example: a. But John Jones disagrees with this point, saying, "Such a product would not sell." b. In an article in Time Fred Jackson writes that frogs vary in the degree of shyness they exhibit: "The arboreal tree frogs seem to be especially. . . ."
• 2. Discuss your quotations. Do not quote someone and then leave the words hanging as if they were self explanatory. What does the quotation mean and how does it help establish the point you are making? What is your interpretation or opinion of it? Quotations are like examples: discuss them to show how they fit in with your thesis and with the ideas you are presenting. Remember: quotations support or illustrate your own points. They are not substitutes for your ideas and they do not stand by themselves. It is often useful to apply some interpretive phrasing after a quotation, to show the reader that the you are explaining the quotation and that it supports your argument: Here we see that , This statement shows Clearly, then, We can conclude from this that ,This tells us that ,From this we can understand that
• 3. Use some variety in introducing quotations. A. Pick the quotation verb which seems in each case to fit your purpose most exactly. For example: In this essay Green tells us, "Hope increases courage." Note that the particular verb you choose helps orient your reader toward your opinion of the statement. "Jones says" is neutral; "Jones informs us" is positive, "Jones alleges" is somewhat negative. Other verbs to choose from include: say, writes, observe, notes ,remarks ,adds ,declares , informs us , alleges ,claims ,states ,comments ,thinks ,affirms asserts ,explains, argues
THE CONCLUSIONTHE CONCLUSION
Make the end of your essay count. End Make the end of your essay count. End with a profound bang Do not “fizzle with a profound bang Do not “fizzle out!”out!”
The Concluding ParagraphThe Concluding Paragraph
• You have worked hard to write a great You have worked hard to write a great essay.essay.
• Don’t leave your reader with a bad last Don’t leave your reader with a bad last impression.impression.
• Draw your final conclusions—make sure Draw your final conclusions—make sure you CTT as you conclude.you CTT as you conclude.
The Concluding ParagraphThe Concluding Paragraph
COMMON MISTAKES:COMMON MISTAKES:• Starting a new topic.Starting a new topic.• Making a main body argument.Making a main body argument.• NOTNOT concluding the actual topic you have concluding the actual topic you have
just written about.just written about.
