Essay Writing/WAT Prep.

Impactful Writing innovation

eBook 05
Chapter 1: Effective Writing for Essays
1.1 Introduction
A good essay is based on strong content. But expressing
the arguments in an impactful manner is an art.
So along with relevant facts, data, reasons etc, a good
essay is one that has:
1. Interesting ideas.
2.Uses transition words to link ideas.
3. Convinces the reader with logic.
4. Uses interesting language.
5. Is carefully edited and proof-read.
6. Uses punctuation correctly.

Few tips to convey you message more effectively are:

Tip 1: Make Your Subjects and Verbs Interesting
 Don't Say: The intention of the government was to
expand its services.
  Instead say: The company intended to expand its
services.
Use strong Verbs (avoid passive voice)
Try to get away from is, am, was were, made, been
 Don't Say: The company is now the leader …Its
officers make speeches…
 Instead say: The company now leads in
compliance…Its officers speak

Tip 2. Power of Transition Words

Use Transition Words to connect ideas in sentences. Pay
attention to how you begin and end your sentences. Use
sentence beginnings and endings to lead readers about
your most important point.
For example:
Everyone knows that nurses earn low wages. In spite of
meagre salaries, most nurses report great satisfaction
with their jobs; however, most nurses quit after five
years. Is this high turnover rate caused by the fact that
the profession is dominated by women? No one
knows for sure but statistics indicate

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Tip 3. Power of Correct Grammar
a. Modifiers: Start with the main idea and then add
modifiers to amplify or illustrate it.
 Karad became a teacher because he wanted to
open minds, instill values and create new
opportunities for students who lived in poor, inner-
city housing projects.
b. Use different lengths of sentences. Most English
sentences are 1-2 times of printed type. Make your
sentences more interesting by having some sentences
which are very short, and a few that are longer.
c. Parallelism
When you start to write longer sentences, you often run
into the problem of how to write a long list of items. To
make your sentences effective, you need to make sure
you keep the items in the list in the same form. That is
called "parallelism," like when two lines run next to each
other without crossing. Here is what you need to
remember:
1. A series of phrases linked by commas and “and,” “or”
or “but” need to be written using the same format
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(examples: all start with an "ing" word; all start with “to—
”; all start with a past tense verb).
 (ing)The horse was running across the meadow,
jumping over the bridge and racing to the finish
line.
 (to)To run across the meadow, jump over the
bridge and race to the finish line was the horse’s
task.
2. The information is listed in either chronological order,
like in the horse example, or in topical order, from least to
most important.
 Don't Say: The hurricane severed power lines, killed
two people and blew the roof off ten houses.
 Instead say: The hurricane blew the roof off ten
houses, severed power lines and killed two people.

d. Right Conjunction
In English, we often put two ideas together in a sentence
in this form:
Main clause, conjunction main clause

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Effective sentences are careful to use the right
conjunction to show whether you mean to add an idea
(and), contrast an idea (but, or, yet), or show cause or
comparison (so, for, as). Here is a list of the most
common conjunctions and their meanings:
 AND—adds one to the other (both—and, not only---
but also)
 BUT, YET—substitutes one idea for the other;
contrasts ideas (not---but)
 OR---shows two alternatives (either—or,)
 SO, FOR----makes one cause the other
 AS---comparing/simile
Transition Words
Add: also, furthermore,
Emphasis: indeed, in fact, undoubtedly
Compare and contrast: however, instead, nevertheless,
otherwise, similarly
Cause and effect: accordingly, as a result, consequently
Time: next, meanwhile, thereafter

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Tip 4: Power of Punctuation Marks.
a .Punctuation Marks: Use Occasional Questions?
Exclamations! or Commands. Don't overdo this one, but it
can be very effective to occasionally use one of these
sorts of sentences to speak more directly to your reader.

b. Semicolons and Transition Words

A semi-colon combines to separate sentences into one.
Using a semicolon emphasizes the importance of that
sentence, so use a semi-colon sentence sparingly
because it makes a sentence seem more important.
Here are the two main ways to use it:
1. main clause; main clause (don’t overdo this one): In
this sort of sentence, you just take out the period and put
in a semicolon:
 Helping students is my job; I don’t ask for
gratitude.
 Never underestimate the power of a baby; they can
make the most solemn people look like idiots.
c. Semicolon using a transition word. The advantage of
using this form of the semi-colon sentence is that the

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transition word explains the relationship between the two
parts of the sentence:
Main clause; transition (conjunctive adverb), main clause
 Whenever John looked in the mirror he had his
doubts; however, he still pretended he believed
Susan’s comment that he was the best-looking
man she’d ever met.
 His parents and friends tried to dissuade him from
dating her; consequently, hewas all the more
determined not to break up.
TIP 5: Emphasize Important Ideas
Along with showing how ideas relate, you also need to
show which ideas are the most important. That is where
"subordination" comes in. Subordination shows:
1. One idea is less important than another Not that
the information isn't needed but that it isn't the
main idea.
Subordination helps you keep the main ideas clear.
It also helps you to show how other ideas relate to
the main point (Were they the cause? The result?

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 Do they tell the time? The place? The purpose? Do
they describe or identify?).
2. No rules tell you which idea should be the main
clause and which the subordinate one: the decision
depends on upon your meaning. Usually details of
time, cause, condition, purpose, and identification
are subordinate to action.
Kinds of subordinate parts of sentences:
Subordinate clauses may be a main clause which starts
with a word which turns it into an incomplete phrase.
They might also start with a relative pronoun (which,
that, what, whatever, who, whoever) Subordinate clauses
are longer and more important than the other types.
 Although the horse looked gentle, it proved hard to
manage.
 Whenever forecasters predict a mild winter,
farmers hope for an early spring.
 Even though she wrote voraciously, she never
published.
 Because she spoke haltingly, she could never face
speaking in front of a crowd.

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Example: The less important idea is made into the main
clause:
 Don't Write: Mrs. Jane was in her first year of
teaching, although she was a better instructor than
others with more experience.
 Instead, Say: Although Mrs. Janeo was in her first
year of teaching, she was a better instructor than
others with more experience.

Tip 6: Use of Transition Words

Transition
Word or phrase that shows relationship between ideas.
Usually used at the start of a sentence.

1. Transitions link your ideas more effectively and

create more nuanced meaning.
2. Finally, transitions make your writing sound more
professional and less like spoken language.
Choosing the Right Word

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How can you choose the right word for each sentence?
What makes using transitions improve your writing is
that it forces you to explain the connections between
your ideas. Ask yourself:
1. What does the sentence before this one say?
2. How does this sentence relate to that one?
3. Scan the list for a transition that seems to fit best.
You can also use these questions for help:
Does this sentence add information? Use: moreover,
furthermore, additionally, or another addition transition.
Does the sentence contrast or contradict? Use: however,
on the other hand, in contrast, or another contrasting
transition.
Are you writing something that happens in order? Use:
next, then, or consider using time order like first, second,
third, and finally.
Does this sentence add evidence? Use: for example,
consequently, for this reason, or another consequence
transition.

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Does the sentence emphasize an idea? Use: obviously,
especially, as a rule, particularly or another emphasizing
transition.
Tips to Remember
1. Use a variety of transition words, not the same one.
2. Put a comma after the transition word.
3. Put the subject of the sentence after the comma.
Example:-
Short paragraph without transition words:
Cell phones have changed our family communication for
the worse. Parents complain their teenagers spending
too much time on their phone. Teenagers are annoyed
that they can't get the attention of their parents who are
always working or shopping on their phones. We need to
make some changes.
Adding transition words:
Generally speaking, cell phones have changed our family
communication for the worse. Obviously, parents
complain about their teenagers spending too much time
on their phones. Moreover, teenagers are annoyed that
they can't get the attention of their parents who are

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always working or shopping on their phones.
Unquestionably, we need to make some changes.

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Chapter 2: How to write an Argumentative Essay
What Is an Argumentative Essay?
Argument essays seek to state a position on an issue
and give several reasons, supported by evidence, for
agreeing with that position.
2.1 Finding Ideas to Write About
Argument essay topics can be found everywhere. Check
the headlines of a newspaper, or just listen in on a
conversation at coffee table. Chances are, you will hear
someone trying to persuade another person to believe in
their claim about:
5 Types of Argument Claims
 1. Fact: Is it true or not?
 2. Definition: What does it really mean?
 3. Value: How important is it?
 4. Cause and Effect: What is the cause? What are
the effects?
 5. Policy: What should we do about it?

2.2 Parts of the Essay

Introduction

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Explain the subject, the controversy, and end with your
thesis. Here are some tips:
 Use the title to present your point of view. The title is
often your thesis statement or the question you are
trying to answer.
 Be concise. You're only introducing your argument,
not debating it.
 Think about your audience—what aspects of this
issue would most interest or convince them?
 Present undeniable facts from highly regarded
sources. This builds a lot of trust and generally
indicates a solid argument.
 Make sure you have a clear thesis that answers the
question. The thesis should state your position and
is usually the last sentence of your introduction.

Body
The body usually consists of two more paragraphs, each
presenting a separate piece of evidence that support
your thesis. You should explain why your audience
should agree with you. Make your argument even
stronger by stating opposing points of view and refuting
those points.
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1. Reasons and support
 Usually, you will have three or more reasons why the
reader should accept your position. These will be
your topic sentences.
 Support each of these reasons with logic, examples,
statistics, authorities, or anecdotes.
 To make your reasons seem plausible, connect them
back to your position by using “if…then” reasoning.
2. Anticipate opposing positions and arguments.
 What objections will your readers have? Answer
them with argument or evidence.
 What other positions do people take on this subject?
What is your reason for rejecting these positions?

Conclusion
The conclusion in many ways mirrors the introduction. It
summarizes your thesis statement and main arguments
and tries to convince the reader that your argument is
the best. It ties the whole piece together. Avoid
presenting new facts or arguments.
Here are some conclusion ideas:

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  Think "big picture." If you are arguing for policy
changes, what are the implications of adopting (or
not adopting) your ideas? How will they affect the
reader (or the relevant group of people)?
 Present hypotheticals. Show what will happen if the
reader adopts your ideas. Use real-life examples of
how your ideas will work.
 Include a call to action. Inspire the reader to agree
with your argument. Tell them what they need to
think, do, feel, or believe.
2.3. Summary: Argument Strategy
In this strategy, you present the problem, state your
solution, and try to convince the reader that your solution
is the best solution. Your audience may be uninformed,
or they may not have a strong opinion. Your job is to
make them care about the topic and agree with your
position.
Here is the basic outline of a classical argument essay
1. Introduction: Get readers interest and attention, state
the problem, and explain why they should care.
2. Background: Provide some context and key facts
surrounding the problem.

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 3. Thesis: State your position or claim and outline your
main arguments.
4. Argument: Discuss the reasons for your position and
present evidence to support it (largest section of
paper—the main body).
5. Refutation: Convince the reader why opposing
arguments are not true or valid.
6. Conclusion: Summarize your main points, discuss
their implications, and state why your position is the
best position.

Source:-https://owlcation.com/academia/How-to-Write-an-Argument-Essay
Author:- Virginia Kearnia

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