Writing an Essay

From an Outline to a Rough Copy

Learning Goals
1. They will know how to write a rough copy
2. They will be able to take their outline and turn it into a cohesive paper
3. They will be able to build on their research to show their knowledge and
understanding of their topic
4. They will be able to properly format their paper, with proper citations
Types of Essays
- Argumentative/Persuasive
- A type of essay that takes a stance on an issue. In a good argumentative essay, a writer attempts to persuade readers to understand
and support their specific point of view about a topic by stating their reasoning and providing evidence to back it up.
- Compare & Contrast
- A compare and contrast essay places two things side-by-side and points out the similarities and differences between them, usually to
illustrate a larger point.
- Expository
- An expository essay, also known as a definition essay, is the most basic type of essay. Expository essays aim only to explain an idea or
define a concept, without making an argument.
- Descriptive
- A descriptive essay aims to describe a certain event or object with vivid sensory details (sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound)
- Narrative
- Combines personal storytelling with an academic argument. This essay type allows the writer to make an argument or impart a
lesson through personal experience. Narrative essays are always nonfiction and are usually autobiographical, often written from the
first-person point of view.
Structure
How to write from an outline
- Your paper is basically written
- Now all you have to do is take your outline and expand on your points in
full sentences and paragraphs
- This is when you will see your paper start to come together
Rough Copies
- Does not have to be perfect
- Use your outline and expand on it
- Full sentences, proper format (MLA structure)
- Length does not matter at this point, but try to keep it in the word count
required
- They will be getting peer edited next week
Formatting
MLA Format

- Page numbers
- In-Text Citations
- Works Cited
- Title Page will be different
from what is discussed in
the video

Resources:

- Citation Machine
- Easybib
- Bibme
- Owl Purdue/Purdue Owl
MLA Citations