Essay Writing

Jati Suryanto, S.Pd., MA

Developing Ideas
Choose a topic that you want to write.
Develop the topic into sub-topics.
Use questions to develop the topic.
Example
What is your favorite pet?

A dog

My favourite pet is my dog, Romeo.

How to make sub-topics?
Use question.
Why do you like your pet?
It is beautiful
and easy to
care for
He always
takes care
of me
A dog
Playing with
him is a lot
of fun
My favourite pet is my dog, Romeo.
Write the Introductory Paragraph
· Introduction or Topic Sentence
(Use key words from the prompt)

· First Subtopic (A “Showing” Example)

· Second Subtopic (A “Showing” Example)
· Third Subtopic (A “Showing” Example)
· Conclusion (Restates Introduction)
How to write conclusion?
Paraphrase the topic sentence. (Write the sentence in
different words without changing the meaning)
For Example:
My favorite pet is my dog, Romeo.
Change into:
I have never had a better pet.
Paragraph 1:
Introductory Paragraph
My favorite pet is my dog,
Romeo. He is beautiful and
easy to care for. Playing with
him is lots of fun. He always
takes care of me. I have
never had a better pet.
How to make the body text paragraph?
Make another question for paragraph 2.
Why is your pet beautiful and easy to care for?

He is beautiful He is a tricolor
and easy to Sheltie, mostly
care for black with white
and a bit of
A dog brown.

Caring for him is easy

I exercise him by because I simply have to
throwing his toys. make sure he has fresh
water and food every day.
Write Paragraph 2
Romeo is beautiful and easy to care for. He is a
tricolor Sheltie, mostly black with white and a bit
of brown. Caring for him is easy because I simply
have to make sure he has fresh water and food
every day. I exercise him by throwing his toys.
Because he is good looking and doesn’t require
much care Romeo is a good pet.
Make another question for paragraph 3
Why playing with him is a lot of fun?

Playing with
him is a lot
of fun He loves to play
catch.
A dog
He can catch just He follows me around the
about anything, house with a toy and
but his favorite is drops it on my foot so I
chasing a Frisbee. will toss it.
Write Paragraph 3
Romeo is lots of fun to play with. He
loves to play catch. He follows me
around the house with a toy and
drops it on my foot so I will toss it.
He can catch just about anything,
but his favorite is chasing a Frisbee.
I really have fun playing with Romeo.
Make another question for paragraph 4
How can your dog take care of you?

He always
takes care He always follows
of me me when I leave a
room.
A dog
On sunny days when we
are hiking in the woods When I am sitting on a
he always makes sure couch he plops down right
that I keep up with the beside me.
rest of the family.
Write Paragraph 4
Romeo takes care of me. He
always follows me when I leave a
room. When I am sitting on a
couch he plops down right beside
me. On sunny days when we are
hiking in the woods he always
makes sure that I keep up with
the rest of the family. He always
watches out for me.
How to write conclusion?
Paraphrase the opening paragraph
into another paragraph using
different words but does not
change the meaning.
My favorite pet is my dog, Romeo.
He is beautiful and easy to care
for. Playing with him is lots of fun.
He always takes care of me. I have
never had a better pet.
As you can see, Romeo is a great
pet. I am proud of him and he
doesn’t require much care. Playing
with him is very pleasurable. I am
always safe because he watches
over me. Romeo is a wonderful pet.
Now the expository essay is ready
My favorite pet is my dog, Romeo. He is beautiful and easy to care for.
Playing with him is lots of fun. He always takes care of me. I have never
had a better pet.
Romeo is beautiful and easy to care for. He is a tricolor Sheltie, mostly
black with white and a bit of brown. Caring for him is easy because I
simply have to make sure he has fresh water and food every day. I
exercise him by throwing his toys. Because he is good looking and
doesn’t require much care Romeo is a good pet.
Romeo is lots of fun to play with. He loves to play catch. He follows me
around the house with a toy and drops it on my foot so I will toss it. He
can catch just about anything, but his favorite is chasing a Frisbee. I
really have fun playing with Romeo.
Romeo takes care of me. He always follows me when I leave a room. When I
am sitting on a couch he plops down right beside me. On sunny days when
we are hiking in the woods he always makes sure that I keep up with the
rest of the family. He always watches out for me.
As you can see, Romeo is a great pet. I am proud of him and he doesn’t
require much care. Playing with him is very pleasurable. I am always safe
because he watches over me. Romeo is a wonderful pet.
 DETAIL
2
DETAIL
DETAIL
1
3
SUB DETAIL
TOPIC 1 1

DETAIL DETAIL
1 SUB 2
TOPIC
TOPIC 2

DETAIL
2 SUB
TOPIC 3
DETAIL
3
DETAIL
3
 Caring for
him is easy
He is a
I exercise him by
tricolor Sheltie
throwing his toys
Romeo is beautiful
and easy to care for. He loves to
play catch

He always follows me
My favorite pet Romeo is lots of
when I leave a room
is my dog, Romeo. fun to play with
He follows
around the
He plops downRomeo takes
right beside mecare of me

His favorite
is chasing a Frisbee
He always makes sure
that I keep up with
the rest of the family.
Practice:
Write an explanatory essay
My hometown
Choosing a university to study
Some wonderful experience
Good parents
TV programs
Tour places in Indonesia
Tour places
Transportations
A super woman
The Traditional Five –
Paragraph Essay
The Three Main Parts:
Introduction, Body, and Conclusion
OVERALL STRUCTURE OF THE FIVE-PARAGRAPH ESSAY

Introduction: Tell them

what you’re going to
tell them.

Body: Tell them.

Conclusion: Tell them

what you’ve told them.
I. Introduction:The First Paragraph of the Essay
The first paragraph of the five – paragraph is
called the introduction. In a non – persuasive
essay, it about three to five sentences long.

These three to five sentences make up the three

main parts of the introduction.

The three main parts of the introductory

paragraph are named as follows: the Lead-In,
the Transition, and the Thesis Statement/Essay
Map. They may be explained as follows:
A. The Lead-In:
a very general sentence or sentences that simply
introduce(s) the subject (topic) of the essay.

Example:
I do not remember when and why my father
disappeared from our life, but I do remember that
we have never felt his absence because my mother
was always there for us through good times and
bad times.
B. Transition:
A Slightly more specific sentence or sentences that
identify/ies the particular aspect of the topic that will
be discussed in the essay. In other words, the
transition narrows the topic.

Example:
My mother Enrique F. Garcia has three children, all
girls. Throughout the years of raising us, she has been
the source of love and strength for us girls.

(The particular aspect identified is that her mother has

been a source of love and strength for her daughters.)
C. Thesis Statement-Essay Map.
The Thesis Statement is the main idea of the entire
essay. In this case, the Thesis Statement is that the
author’s mother is an amazing woman.
The Essay Map is the list of the three main ideas that
will be developed in the Body Paragraphs: in this
essay, they are: performs the double role of a mother
and a father, holds a full-time job, and still manages
to tend to all her daughters’ needs.

Example:
She is an amazing woman who performs the
double role of a mother and a father, holds a full-
time job, and still manages to tend to all our needs.
 I do not remember when and why my
father disappeared from our life, but I do
remember that we have never felt his
absence because my mother was always
there for us through good times and bad
times. My mother Enriqueta F. Garcia has
three children, all girls. Throughout the
years of raising us, she has been the source
of love and strength for us girls. She is an
amazing woman who performs the double
role of a mother and a father, holds a full-
time job, and still manages to tend to all our
needs.
II. The Body Paragraph: (Three Main Components)
A. Topic Sentence
The topic sentence is the sentence that expresses the
main idea of the body paragraph, which is one of the
three main supporting ideas presented in the Essay Map.

Example:
First, my mother has always been both a Mom and a
Dad to us since we were little.
B. Supporting Details
The supporting details are the specific pieces of information
that clarify, explain, illustrate and develop the main idea
expressed in the Topic Sentence.

Example:
Like a father, she 1brings in the money, 2pays the bills,
3sets the rules, and 4disciplines us whenever it is

needed. But even though she is 5rough and tough,

she 6has a loving and tender heart. Like all mothers,
she 7bandages our wounds, 8gives us kisses,9talks
“girl talk” to us, or 10simply holds us when we want to
be held.
C. Concluding Sentence
The concluding sentence gives closure to the paragraph by
paraphrasing the Topic Sentence.

Example:
In short, despite the absence of my father, we have never
felt that emotional void because my mother has been doing
an outstanding job of filling both mother’s and a father’
role.
 First, my mother has always been both a
Mom and a Dad to us since we were little. Like
a father, she 1brings in the money, 2pays the
bills, 3sets the rules, and 4disciplines us
whenever it is needed. But even though she is
5
rough and tough, she 6has a loving and tender
heart. Like all mothers, she 7bandages our
wounds, 8gives us kisses,9talks “girl talk” to us,
or 10simply holds us when we want to be held. In
short, despite the absence of my father, we have
never felt that emotional void because my
mother has been doing an outstanding job of
filling both a mother’s and a father’s role.
III. The Concluding Paragraph: Four Main
Components
A. Paraphrase of the Lead-In
Example:
In conclusion, as one can see, thanks to our
mother, our father’s absence from our world was
never a painful issue for my sisters and me.
B. Paraphrase of the Transition
Example:
My mother is a strong, loving woman
C. Paraphrase of Thesis Statement and Essay
Map
Example:
who, amazingly, has been both a Mom and a
Dad to us as well as being a competent
accountant and compassionate caregiver.

D. Statement emphasizing and expanding the

importance of the topic

Example:
Her giving spirit and dedication to her work
and family have been an inspiration to us, and
we will try our very best to be just like her so
that we can instill those values in our own
children.
 In conclusion, as one can see, thanks to our
mother, our father’s absence from our world
was never a painful issue for my sisters and me.
My mother is a strong, loving woman who,
amazingly, has been both a Mom and a Dad to
us as well as being a competent accountant and
compassionate caregiver. Her giving spirit and
dedication to her work and family have been an
inspiration to us, and we will try our very best
to be just like her so that we can instill those
values in our own children.
 I do not remember when and why my father disappeared from our life, but I do
remember that we have never felt his absence because my mother was always there for us
through good times and bad times. My mother Enriqueta F. Garcia has three children, all
girls. Throughout the years of raising us, she has been the source of love and strength for
us girls. She is an amazing woman who performs the double role of a mother and a father,
holds a full-time job, and still manages to tend to all our needs.
First, my mother has always been both a Mom and a Dad to us since we were little. Like
a father, she 1brings in the money, 2pays the bills, 3sets the rules, and 4disciplines us whenever
it is needed. But even though she is 5rough and tough, she 6has a loving and tender heart.
Like all mothers, she 7bandages our wounds, 8gives us kisses,9talks “girl talk” to us, or
10
simply holds us when we want to be held. In short, despite the absence of my father, we
have never felt that emotional void because my mother has been doing an outstanding job of
filling both a mother’s and a father’s role.
Then, my mother holds a full-time job to afford our daily life. …….........
……………………………………………………………………………………............................................

Third, she still manages to tend to all our needs. …………………….............

……………………………………………………………………………………….........................................

In conclusion, as one can see, thanks to our mother, our father’s absence from our world
was never a painful issue for my sisters and me. My mother is a strong, loving woman who,
amazingly, has been both a Mom and a Dad to us as well as being a competent accountant and
compassionate caregiver. Her giving spirit and dedication to her work and family have been an
inspiration to us, and we will try our very best to be just like her so that we can instill those
values in our own children.
Practice:
Write an explanatory essay
I have three close friends.
Studying a language means learning to communicate
Best friend always come in happiness and sorrow
Experience is the best teacher
Infotainment has been a favorite TV programs
Gold id more expensive than