Essay Writing

Fizzah Irfan
What is essay?

 An essay is simply a paper of several paragraphs, rather

than one paragraph, that supports a single point.

 An essay is described in the dictionary as a short

analytical, descriptive, or interpretive piece of literary or
journalistic prose dealing with a particular topic,
especially from a personal and unsystematic viewpoint.

 In an essay your subject should be treated more fully

than they would be in a single paragraph paper.
The Writing Process

Invention
Arrangement
Drafting and Revision
Invention (prewriting)

Before you start writing:

Consider the assignment
Explore your subject
Decide what you want to say about it
Exercise

Make a list of the different audiences to whom

you speak or write in your daily life. (Consider all
the different types of people you see regularly,
such as your family, your roommate, your
instructor, your boss, your friends and so on)
Exercise

 Do you speak or write to each in the same way and

about the same thing? If not, how do your approaches
to these people differ?
Arrangement

 What happened?
 When did it happen? Narration
 Where did it happen?
 What does it look like?
Description
 What are its characteristics?
 Why did it happen?
 What caused it?
Cause and Effect
 What does it cause??
 What are its effects?
 Drafting and Revision
 First draft as releasing of the ideas that you have been
gathering about your topic
 Write it in a flow
 Finish the first draft
 Polish your writing and edit grammar, punctuation.
❖ Check thesis statement
• Still accurate?
• Is it clear or specific?
• Is it consistent with the body of your essay?
❖ Look at body paragraphs
• If they need strengthening
• Are they unified? Coherent? Well developed?
• Do the points you make support your topic sentences and your
thesis?
Contd….

❖ Consider your introductory and concluding strategies

• Are they appropriate for your material, your audience and
your purpose?
❖ Look over your sentences
• Are they correct?
• Effective?
• Interesting?
• Are there any sentences that might be added or deleted
or relocated?
Essay Format
 Three parts of an essay

 Introduction – introduces the topic/ subject/ or event to be

discussed in the essay.
❖ The hook
❖ Transitional sentence
❖ Thesis statement

 Body – the body of the essay presents the supporting evidence in

various paragraphs. Each paragraph supports the essay thesis in
an organized manner through paragraph development.

 Conclusion – the concluding paragraph brings all these ideas

throughout the essay together in a logical way.
 Introduction

 Make a bridge to connect the attention getting sentence(s) to

your thesis statement
 Common way to make a bridge is to explain why the topic is important.
 This bridge is often a few sentences
Attract the reader’s interest by using one of the suggested
methods of introduction.

Present a thesis statement. This clear direct statement of the

central idea will develop in your paper and control all the
information that is in the essay.

Indicates a plan of development. Give a brief preview of the

major points that will support your thesis statement.
The hook or dramatic opener

 Consists of several sentences that pull the reader into the

essay
 This is your chance to “hook” your audience.
 Types of Hooks:
❖ personal examples
❖ quotations
❖ Facts or statistics
❖ rhetorical questions
❖ current events
 Transitional Sentences
How do I use transition words and signal phrases?

Use transition words and signal phrases to organize and

connect the specific evidence from paragraph to
paragraph.

All the details in your paper must cohere, or stick together,

when they do your read is able to move smoothly from one
bit of supporting information to the next.

Addition transitions: first of all; second; for one thing; last of all
Time transitions: when; later; after; then
Change-of-direction transition: however; but
Conclusion transition: as a result; finally; in the end
 Thesis Statement
 A sentence that presents the controlling idea of an essay. A
thesis statement is often one sentence long and states the
writer’s point of view.
 controlling idea: The main idea that guides the content of an
essay; the idea upon which a thesis statement is built.
 QUALITIES
 Specificity
• concentrate on a specific area of a general topic
 Precision
• must be precise enough to allow for a coherent argument and
to remain focused on the topic
 Ability to be argued
• must present a relevant and specific argument
• contains a point of view that can be supported with evidence
 Ability to be demonstrated
• provide reasons and examples for your opinion
• consult outside sources to demonstrate
• examples and details
 Forcefulness
• shows readers that you are, in fact, making an argument
• tone is assertive
• takes a stance that others might oppose
 Confidence
• confidence in your claim
 APPROPRIATE THESIS STATEMENT

❖ Closing all American borders for a period of five years is one

solution that will tackle illegal immigration.
❖ Exposing children from an early age to the dangers of drug
abuse is a sure method of preventing future drug addicts.
❖ In today’s crumbling job market, a high school diploma is
not significant enough education to land a stable, lucrative
job.
WEAK THESIS STATEMENT

My paper will explain why imagination is more

important than knowledge.
Religious radicals across America are trying to
legislate their Puritanical beliefs by banning
required high school books.
PRACTICE

Pinpoint and replace all nonspecific words, such

as people, every thing, society, or life, with more
precise words in order to reduce any vagueness.
❖Young people have to work hard to succeed in
life
REVISED THESIS

 Recent college graduates must have discipline and

persistence in order to find and maintain a stable job in
which they can use and be appreciated for their talents.
❖ more specific statement about success
❖ replacing general words like people and work hard, the
writer can better focus his or her research and gain
more direction in his or her writing.
EXERCISE

 Write thesis statement for each of the following topics.

Remember to make each statement specific, precise,
demonstrable, forceful and confident
❖ Texting while driving
❖ Racism
❖ Drug addiction among youth
❖ Gender equality
Body

➢ Each body paragraph should be unified and focused on

developing one main point.
➢ Each body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence
that specifies the main point of the paragraph.
➢ Each body paragraph should develop its main point with
evidence (e.g., anecdotes, descriptive details, examples,
facts, statistics, and documented research in the form of
direct references and indirect references) and elaboration
linking the evidence back to the main point.
➢ Each body paragraph should conclude with a clincher
sentence that reinforces or restates the main point of the
paragraph
The Body Paragraphs

 Develops & supports your thesis

 Each body paragraph should be:
Unified
Coherent
Well-developed
Unity

 Unity means that all of the ideas are related. Each

sentence should relate to the main idea of the
paragraph.
 Use topic sentences to state the main idea of a
paragraph (usually the first sentence in a body
paragraph)
Coherence

 If a paragraph is coherent, it means that it makes sense .

. . “its sentences are smoothly and logically connected
to one another”.

 3 Techniques to achieve coherence:

 Repeat key words
 Use pronouns to refer to key nouns from the previous sentence
 Use transitions
Development

 A well-developed paragraph contains examples,

reasons, etc. that help support the main idea (thesis) of
the essay
Conclusion

 Should briefly reinforce your main idea (thesis and

purpose)
 Avoid the phrase “In conclusion”.
 4 ways to conclude an essay:
 1). Review your key points; restate your thesis
 2). Recommend a course of action
 3). Make a prediction
 4). End with a “relevant quotation”