THE ESSAY

What is an Essay
• An essay is a piece of writing that examines a topic in more depth than a paragraph. A short
essay may have four or five paragraphs. A long essay is six paragraphs or more, depending on
what the essay needs to accomplish — persuading someone to do something, using research to
make a point, or explaining a complex concept.
An essay has three necessary parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.
 Types of Essay
There are four main types of essay
• Narrative – tells a story
• Descriptive- describes something or creates a picture in your mind.
• Persuasive – gets the reader to agree with the writer.
• Expository- explains something.
Some other types are:
• Compare and contrast- showing the similarities and differences between something
• Cause and effect- shows how things are related
• Critical analysis – (literature) critiques works of art e.g- novels, paintings, movies etc.
• Analytical- similar to expository essays but gives more details.
• Process- describes a process or how to do something
• Definition – gives a definition of a word or concept in detail
• Argumentative- similar to persuasive essays, but more objective and relies on facts and
logic.
HOW TO WRITE AN
ESSAY.
Following the writing process
Essay Format
PARAGRAPH PART PURPOSE OF THE PARAGRAPH PART

The topic sentence states the main point. The topic sentence is often the first
sentence of the paragraph

The body supports (shows, explains, or proves) the main point with
support sentences that contain facts and details.

The concluding sentence reminds readers of the main point and often makes an
observation.
ESSAY PART PURPOSE OF THE ESSAY PART
1. The introduction states the main point, or thesis, generally in a single, strong
statement. The introduction may be a single paragraph or multiple
paragraphs.

2. The body supports (shows, explains, or proves) the main point. It generally has
at least three support paragraphs, each containing facts and details
that develop the main point. Each support paragraph has a topic
sentence that supports the thesis statement.

3. The conclusion reminds readers of the main point. It may

summarize and reinforce the support, or it may make an observation
based on that support. Whether it is a single paragraph or more, the
conclusion should relate back to the main point of the essay.
When you write an essay, you should follow several steps to make sure your writing is clear
and interesting. Some steps are part of the prewriting process. Follow these steps before
writing:

1 Choose an appropriate topic. For example, maybe you would like to write an essay about
shopping addicts. Write down a few reasons why you want to write about this topic. This step
will help you narrow your ideas.

2 Make a list of ideas. Research your topic and write down everything related to the topic
that you can think of. In this step, use words and phrases, not complete sentences. This will
save time.

3 Make an outline. You can use ideas from a list to make your outline, but you’ll need to
include more details. An outline often includes the thesis statement for the essay and shows
specifically what each paragraph will be about. Outlines help writers organize their thoughts
and make sure their essays have a logical flow.
Planning
There are many ways we can plan a piece of writing:
• Brainstorming/ mind mapping
• listing
• Outlining
• Free writing
Brainstorming
mind map
listing
freewriting
outlining
If you are writing an
essay, the primary
support points for your
thesis statement will
become topic sentences
for paragraphs that will
make up the body of the
essay. These paragraphs
will consist of details
that support the topic
sentences.
• SAMPLE OUTLINE FOR A FIVE-PARAGRAPH ESSAY
• Thesis statement (part of introductory paragraph 1)
• A. Topic sentence for support point 1 (paragraph 2)
• 1. Supporting detail 1 for support point 1
• 2. Supporting detail 2 for support point 1 (and so on)
• B. Topic sentence for support point 2 (paragraph 3)
• 1. Supporting detail 1 for support point 2
• 2. Supporting detail 2 for support point 2 (and so on)
• C. Topic sentence for support point 3 (paragraph 4)
• 1. Supporting detail 1 for support point 3
• 2. Supporting detail 2 for support point 3 (and so on)
• Concluding paragraph (paragraph 5)
Thesis statement
In many paragraphs, the main point is expressed in either the first or last sentence. In essays, the
thesis statement is usually one sentence (often the first or last) in an introductory paragraph that
contains several other sentences related to the main point. A good topic sentence or thesis
statement has several basic features.
BASICS OF A GOOD TOPIC SENTENCE OR THESIS STATEMENT
■ It fits the size of the assignment.
■ It states a single main point or position about a topic.
■ It is specific.
■ It is something you can show, explain, or prove.
■ It is a forceful statement.
Examples:

WEAK Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, started programming computers

when he was thirteen, and I think he does a lot of good.
[This statement does not follow the basics for three reasons: It has more than
one point (Gates’s age and his doing good), it is not specific (what is the good
that he does?), and it is not forceful (the writer says, “I think”).]

GOOD Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, is a computing genius who showed

his talents early. Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, uses his vast wealth for the
good of society.
One way to write a topic sentence for a paragraph or a thesis statement for an
essay is to use this basic formula as a start:
Narrowed topic + Main point / position = Topic sentence/ Thesis statement

e.g) Oral presentations make me very nervous.

Getting a college degree would give me more jobs and life options.
The body
• Writing the main body
• The body of your essay is where you make arguments supporting your thesis, provide evidence, and
develop your ideas. Its purpose is to present, interpret, and analyze the information and sources you have
gathered to support your argument.
• Paragraph structure
• To give your essay a clear structure, it is important to organize it into paragraphs. Each paragraph should
be centered around one main point or idea.
• That idea is introduced in a topic sentence. The topic sentence should generally lead on from the
previous paragraph and introduce the point to be made in this paragraph. Transition words can be used to
create clear connections between sentences.
• After the topic sentence, present evidence such as data, examples, or quotes from relevant sources. Be
sure to interpret and explain the evidence, and show how it helps develop your overall argument.
The conclusion
• A concluding sentence refers back to the main point and makes an observation based on what you have
written. The concluding sentence does not just repeat the topic sentence.

BASICS OF A GOOD ESSAY CONCLUSION

■ It refers back to the main point.
■ It sums up what has been covered in the essay.
■ It makes a further observation or point.

Things to avoid in a conclusion:

• Including new arguments or evidence
• Undermining your arguments (e.g. “This is just one approach of many”)
• Using concluding phrases like “To sum up…” or “In conclusion…”
• In general, a good conclusion creates a sense of completion: It brings readers
back to where they started, but it also shows them how far they have come.
One of the best ways to end an essay is to refer directly to something in the
introduction. If you asked a question, re-ask it and answer it. If you started a
story, finish it. If you used a quote, use another one — maybe a quote by the
same person or maybe one by another person on the same topic. Or, use some
of the same words you used in your introduction. Look again at two of the
introductions you read earlier, and note how the writers conclude their essays.
Pay special attention to the text in bold.
Essay conclusion 1 — Should students be allowed to have cell phones in elementary school?

• In conclusion, although it's easy to see why allowing an elementary school child to have a cell
phone would be convenient for after-school pickups or arranging playdates with friends, there is
too much evidence to show that it's generally not a good idea. Children already have a lot of
access to media (on average over seven hours per day) and it is the parent's responsibility to
monitor their media access, which is more difficult if the child has exclusive cell phone access.
Cyber bullying, which is increasingly becoming a problem, is also going to be a risk when your
child has unlimited access to a smart phone. Clearly, elementary school-aged children are not
emotionally mature enough to handle the responsibility of a smart phone, and the borrowing of
a parent's cell phone should be highly monitored to ensure safe and healthful usage.
Essay conclusion 2 — Is an increased dependence on technology
good for society?

• Technology surely isn't going anywhere. If anything, we will become more and more dependent
on the capabilities of our smartphones and other devices in the future. However, we have to
make sure that this dependence on technology isn't making us lazier or less curious about the
world around us. With more knowledge available than ever before with today's technology,
people are less discerning about what kind of materials they read and whether or not those
materials are factual. People are also less likely to make a personal connection with someone
while they're out in the world, which can increase levels of depression, anxiety, and stress.
Ultimately, we have to learn how to co-exist with technology in a way that is both healthful and
constructive.