WRITING ACADEMIC ESSAY

WRITING SKILLS

I INTRODUCTION *General statement *Thesis statement

II BODY*Topic sentence

*Supporting details*Concluding sentence

III CONCLUSION*Restatement or summary of the main points: final comment

Three main parts: Introduction, body and conclusion.

Should have at least 3 paragraphs

General Statement: -to introduce the general topic of the essay.-to capture reader’s interest.

Thesis Statement: -to state main idea of the essay (specific topic)

-to give a general idea of the contents of the essay -a statement that sets out the writer’s purpose in writing the essay

-normally the last sentence in the introductory paragraph.

The body:-consists of one or more paragraphs.

The conclusion:-conclude sentence in a paragraph-summary/review of the main points discussed in the body.

Example:

When the first Europeans came to the North American continent, they encountered the completely new cultures of the Native American peoples of North America. Native Americans, who had highly developed cultures in many respects, must have been as curious about the strange European manners and customs as the European were curious about them. As always happened when two or more cultures come into contact, there was a cultural exchange. Native Americans adopted some of the Europeans’ ways, and the Europeans adopted some of their ways.

As a result, Native Americans have made many valuable contributions to modern U.S. culture, particularly in the areas of language, art, food and government.

Thesis Statement

General Statement

Characteristics of a good Thesis Statement

Most important sentences in the essay.

Introduce the topic of the essay as well as express an opinion/ideas.

The strongest and clearest statement in the essay.

Could be at the beginning of the essay –normally at the last line of the introduction.

Must be a complete sentence.

Should contain only ONE central idea and several main points that can each be expanded into a paragraph.

Topic Sentences & Supporting Details

All paragraphs have a topic sentence, supporting sentences and some paragraphs also have a concluding sentence.

Topic sentence

-states main idea of the paragraph. (complete sentence)

-limits to the topic to one specific area that can be discussed completely in the space of a single paragraph.

-usually written at the first sentence in a paragraph. (but not always)

-contains both a topic and a controlling idea.

For an example:

Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics.Controlling idea

Topic

subject

verb

Supporting sentences/details

-develop the topic sentence

-explain/give more information

For an example:

Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics.

First of all, a gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion.

For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as

the day it was made 25 centuries ago. Another important

characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. The

most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits.

Topic

Supporting sentences

Sample

Question:

Having a good dress sense is important. What do

you think? In not less than 350 words, support

your answer with reasons, examples and

justifications.

Outline

Introduction:

We are usually judged by how we dress, so it is

important for us to maintain an impressive

appearance.

Thesis statement:

A good dress sense helps us to express our

identity, improve our self esteem and adhere to

certain dress codes.

Outline

Paragraph 1

Topic Sentence – Attire and appearance reflect who we are

SD 1 – helps to give a good first impression of yourself

SD 2 – how we dress shows whether we are neat, sloppy, organised etc

SD 3 – people may treat you differently depending on your appearance

Outline

Paragraph 2

Topic Sentence – appropriate dressing gives you mental boost

SD 1 – helps to make you feel good about yourself

SD 2 – increases your confidence and subconsciously compels you to perform any task better

SD 3 – your positive attitude may rub off on others

Outline

Paragraph 3

Topic Sentence – knowing how to dress enables us to determine the right attire for various

situations

SD 1 –dress according to social norms, eg. wearing light coloured clothes for funeral SD 2 – dress for success eg. having a good appearance in order to impress your job interviewersSD 3 – dress to reflect the nature of an event, eg. dressing casually for an informal event

Outline

Conclusion

Our attire determines the social identity and roles we play on our play in our everyday lives. Hence, it is

important that we have a good dress sense to convey a positive image.

TASK

Practice 1.docx

SAMPLE

MUET writing scheme.pdf

WRITING ASSIGNMENT

Writing Outline assignment (2).docx

FURTHER PRACTICE

1. Youngsters should decide on the course to pursue based on job opportunities. What do you think? Give your opinion and support it with reasons. You should write at least 350 words.

2. Some people think that it is important to use one’s leisure time for self-improvement activities like reading while others believe that one should rest the mind during leisure time. What do you think?

Write your answer, giving reasons to support your opinion. You should write at least 350 words.