F R O M T H E F R E N C H W O R D “ E S S A Y E R ” M E A N I N G

T O A T T E M P T / T O T R Y

The Essay

An Essay is…

Difference Between Essay and Short Story

ESSAY SHORT STORY

Authors are concerned principally with expressing ideas and experiences

Authors are concerned principally with character and plot

Most often written in expository mode

Primarily narratives

Seldom contain plots – if they do these plots are of secondary importance

Plot and conflicts are central to most short stories

Usually written to inform, argue or persuade – they may entertain

Although they can have serious themes, short stories are written, above all, to create a simple, unified, emotional impact on us – they SHOULD entertain

Most often FACTUAL FICTIONAL

ESSAY TYPES

Essay Types:

Narrative

Descriptive

Expository

Argumentative/Persuasive

METHODS OF DEVELOPMENT

Facts and statistics

Incidents and anecdotes (short personal accounts)

Comparison and contrast

Cause and effect

Examples

Reasons

Process analysis (explaining the steps in a process)

Definitions

Classification and division Note: The four essay types are also considered by some to be

methods of development

Terms for English 3201:

essay development – argumentation / persuasion

essay development – cause and effect

essay development – classification and division

essay development – compare and contrast

essay development – definition

essay development – description

essay development – examples and illustration

essay development – exposition

essay development – narration

essay development – process analysis

Narrative Essay - Characteristics

Tells a story or recounts events as they happened (think of a beginning, middle and end to the story) - has a plot

Told from a particular point of view - uses “I” often (telling about something true that happened to you)

Can have dialogue

Has a strong moral of the story or theme usually at the end (the theme can be implied throughout the story or stated explicitly)

Narrative Essays Continued…

Writing a composition about aspects of your life would be creating a narrative piece of writing. Sample topics can include:

A childhood memory

A school experience

An event that changed your thinking

A time when you were pleasantly surprised

An embarrassing moment

When Writing the Narrative Essay Keep in Mind the Following:

It is important to develop a strong beginning, middle and end

Focus on only one event

Discuss your characters and plot so that it is believable

You do not have to follow the conventional 5 paragraph essay format

Create a strong theme

Don’t be afraid to draw upon descriptive elements – it is good to affect your reader’s senses

Sample of Narrative Writing

I am in the kitchen, doing dishes, when I hear that commercial again: “More beans, please.” I pause and let the memories wash over me, memories of a day long past. It was a beautiful day, a quiet family lunch, and all the more precious because time was running short. Mother had cancer. What a haunting word that is when it stands alone and undressed.

Excerpt from “More Beans Please” by Jean Martin

See handout from class for complete essay

After reading

complete essay:

• Recount what

happened?

• What kind of

character was

“Mom”? How did

she affect the

writer?

• Write a theme

statement

reflecting the

message that the

writer wants to

send.

Narrative Essay Work

Write narrative essay (250-300 words)

Complete narrative essay “SnapShot: Lost Lives of Women” (page 384 of Echoes 12 – complete questions 1-4)

NEWS FLASH:

Your assignment

asks you to

write a

narrative essay

Descriptive Essay - Characteristics

Describes in great detail a person, place, object, animal, idea, feeling

Uses many adjectives and vivid verbs to give you a picture of what is being described – purpose is to create a clear picture in reader’s mind

Appeals to the five senses (how? By perhaps using analogy, metaphor, simile, personification…) – uses imagery

Focus is on description, not on events narrated

…and how do I describe

it?

Descriptive Essay cont…

Has one clear DOMINANT IMPRESSION (the central feeling or mood of the piece) – included in the thesis statement. The dominant impression guides the writing. DOMINANT IMPRESSION: (Think of how dominant genes are passed on from parent to child – these become the most apparent character traits, looks, ways of acting --------- dominant impression is something like this; it is the central mood or feeling of a piece passed on to you, the reader) Common impressions evident in writing could be love, sadness, fear, solitude, peacefulness, beauty, confusion, happiness, concern.

Can be objective (described without feeling – Objective Description gives a very accurate picture: in a catalogue, scientific description, police report and any writing where the main purpose is accuracy)

Can be subjective (described with feeling – although the objective attributes are described as well, even with subjective writing – Subjective Description gives the author’s impression and may also create mood. It would be used for describing a personality instead of a physical appearance)

…I just can’t

describe it in words.

“For years they had worked together. He put into it his very being – both the sweat of his brow and the patience of his hand. In return, it gave back to him the necessities of life: food for the table and grain for the market. Of late, it had not been so kind. Years of drought, spring flooding, and grasshopper plagues had eaten away at his strength and commitment. All that remained of the man sat before me, beaten by the very land he had nurtured.”

SAMPLE DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH

See full essay in class

Also see sample essay entitled “That Empty Feeling”

• Thesis and dominant

impression (defeat)

• You know this essay is

going to describe a man who has been

defeated

Excerpt from “Return to the Land” by Jan Bell

Descriptive Essay Topics

Sample descriptive topics include:

A beach setting

A kitchen after a three year old has eaten spaghetti

Someone very admirable

An inviting vacation spot

The way to your cabin

A favourite night club

Descriptive Essay Work

Write descriptive essay (250-300 words)

Read descriptive essay “Sojourners” (page 353 of Echoes 12 – complete questions 1-4)

NEWS FLASH:

Your assignment

asks you to

write a

descriptive

essay

Expository Essay Characteristics

Explains or informs (how to do something, how something happened, how something works, why something should be done, or what something is)

Uses first or third person

Contains a thesis in the first paragraph (similar to “hypothesis” - the question that you will answer)

Found in textbooks, vehicle manuals, cookbooks, newspaper editorials/articles, business memos, government reports, pamphlets/brochures, student writing, etc.

Sample Expository Paragraph

In order to safely and efficiently operate a solid fuel heating system, there are certain precautions to consider. The chimney connectors and joints, and the chimney flue must be cleaned regularly. The wood supply should be kept at least five feet from the stove. Gasoline, kerosene, charcoal starter, or similar liquid should never be used to start a fire. It is a good idea to maintain a briskly burning fire with well-seasoned wood in order to reduce creosote build-up. Ashes should be put in covered metal containers and wet down; keep them outside until they can be disposed of safely. A fire extinguisher, of the right type, should be installed near the stove; every family member should know how to operate it. The safety of the entire household may be at stake.

Expository Essay

Read model expository essay in class “Our Changing World” (this will be passed out by me in class)

Sample Expository Topics

Ice fishing

Travelling with small children

Overhauling a snowmobile or other engine

How animals protect themselves from their enemies

Losing weight

Expository Essay Work

Complete expository essay “The Black Widow” (page 346 of Echoes 12 – complete questions 1-4)

Write expository essay (250-300 words)

NEWS FLASH:

Your assignment

asks you to

write an

expository

essay

Argumentative / Persuasive Essay Characteristics

Uses facts, anecdotes, and descriptions to convince the reader (of the truth of a thesis)

Any topic for which there is more than one answer or position is suitable for argument and persuasion

Found in many forms of communication such as opinion pieces, essays, editorials, letters to the editor, advertisements, speeches and debates - You can find issues by reading the editorial pages of a newspaper, watching television or listening to radio

Argumentative / Persuasive Characteristics cont..

Argument Persuasion • Begins by clearly stating the point of view of the writer. This statement is the thesis of the

argument, or leads directly into the thesis, and should be as specific as possible.

For example:

“Building more bike paths and lanes would reduce air pollution in our city.”

is a more specific statement than

“There aren’t enough bike paths and lanes.”

• This kind of writing can persuade by appealing to the reader’s intellect through reason and

logic. Facts and evidence are usually presented to support the argument.

• Sometimes an issue that affects the writer personally is argued through reason and logic. Facts

and evidence are usually presented to support the argument.

Persuasion goes one step further than

argument by encouraging the reader to alter his

or her attitude or behavior. Persuasive writing

often makes an appeal to the reader’s feelings.

Sample Argumentative / Persuasive Topic and Introductory Paragraph

TOPIC: Coyotes: a threat to our community and should be wiped out. “There is no sense ‘beating around the bush’; the best thing to do is

get straight into the bush and get rid of every last coyote in this province! The coyote is a non-indigenous creature that now inhabits the island of Newfoundland and in such large numbers that they are showing up on school grounds, in people’s neighbourhoods, and on summer camping sites. Coyotes are not the beautiful, harmless, timid part of nature that some people claim them to be. Rather, coyotes are aggressive, clever, predators that will attack and devour pets, large and small wildlife and even large and small human beings; they are also the perfect breeding ground for widespread rabies so it is a must that they be annihilated in this province to protect everyone here.”

Argumentative/Persuasice Essay Work

Complete argumentative/persuasive essay “The Enchanted Forest” (page 318 of Echoes 12 – complete questions 1-4)

Write arumentative/persuasive essay (250-300 words)

NEWS FLASH:

Your assignment

asks you to

write an

argumentative/

persuasive

essay

Transitions

Using transitions will enhance the reader’s understanding. You have a handout of a list of transitional words and phrases (found in “Unity and Coherence” handout)

What do the following forms of Transitions mean?

1. oppositional - according to the opposite of

2. spatial - where things are arranged in space

3. temporal/chronological - according to time

4. logical - according to sound reason

Emphatic Devices

How do writers create emphasis by using words on paper?

listing (numerical order, bullets, sequencing)

font (bold, unusual, capitalization, italics,

underline)

punctuation (colon:, dash-, exclamation mark!, ellipsis..., brackets( ))

repetition, parallel structure (create coherence but also used for emphasis)