Essay Prep How to write an essay

madyfitz@bigpond.net.au or madeleinerfitzpatrick@gmail.com
1. Firstly, we need to look at the question and highlight what the
question wants you to do.
Question: In what ways is Sadats speech a powerful example of
rhetoric? Is the speech as powerful as it was at the time of its
delivery? Refer to Sadats purpose, context and style in your answer.
-

in what ways means that when you address this part of the
question (i.e. whether his speech is a powerful example of
rhetoric), you need to show how you need to highlight the
techniques and style which the author uses
is the speech as powerful as it was? this is directly asking
you to make a comment on the text. First off do you agree or
disagree? Next why is it powerful? What is the text talking
about?

2. You now need to write a thesis. Your thesis should do a few

things:
- It should answer the question directly and then it should go
beyond the question. What I mean by this is that you should
develop a focus for your essay. If the question mentions a
specific focus (e.g. relationships, identity), then go beyond this
and be specific what kind of relationships will you focus on in
your essay? What comment on identity? If the question asks if
the speech is powerful then what specifically is the
powerful focus of the speech? Define the central message
of the text (in your opinion).
- Secondly, you need to state the main way in which the author
conveys this central message is it the use of language
techniques? It is something about his context which helps him
make his point? Is it his creation of a powerful rhetoric?
Example thesis:
Sadats Speech to the Israeli Knesset, while crafted in a different
context to modern day society, is still a relevant and powerful
comment on the impact of war. (Here, I have answered the question
(whether the speech is still powerful) and I have made a focus for
the rest of my essay that is, Im going to look at why his ideas on
the impact of war are still as relevant.)
Its success in conveying this message and persuading the audience
is wholly dependent on the development of impactful rhetoric. (Here
I have addressed the first part of the question, which asks us to look
at how Sadats speech uses rhetoric)
3. Body paragraph

Topic sentence what is the theme you are looking at?

Sadats speech continuously refers to the impacts of war on
individuals.
- What is the author doing to comment on this theme? The
author uses emotional examples of loss within the family to
show the audience the high cost of war
- Provide an example A wife who becomes a widow whether
she be an Arab or an Israeli
- Comment on the techniques in your example: The word
widow allows the author to develop a sense of pathos, using
the emotion of loss which is associated.
Obviously your body paragraph goes into many more examples from
the text, and should make a comment on other aspects of the text
structure, context etc. You should finish your paragraph with a sumup sentence showing why youve discussed all of this (i.e. link it
back to the question).
4. Conclusion no new ideas here! This should be a sum up of your
main ideas in the text why have you discussed the ideas today?
What is the relevance to the Q?