Writing an Essay: The Basics
Essay Workshop #1: Introductory Paragraphs
What is a Thesis Statement?
When writing an essay your reader needs to be very clear of your topic and your position on that topic. A thesis statement is ONE sentence that tells your reader what your essay will be about. It is the basis of everything you will include in your essay. A thesis statement helps organize your essay, and is typically found near the end of the introductory paragraph.
Examples
BAD: my fishing trip was a disaster.
BETTER: Thunderstorms, vicious mosquitoes, and bad food made my fishing trip a disaster.
BAD: Exercise is good for you.
BETTER: A brisk 30-minute walk every day will increase your cardiovascular fitness, tone your muscles, and help you to relax.
1. You try:
BAD: Pets really enhance a person’s life
BETTER:
2. Class example:
Topic:
Thesis statement:
How do I lead my reader to the Thesis statement?
There are several ways to begin your essay, and more specifically, your introductory paragraph. The following are some options:
- Begin your essay by asking a question
- Begin your essay by telling a very brief story
- Begin your essay by using a quote
- Begin your essay by stating an interesting fact
- Begin your essay by telling a joke
- Begin your essay by offering a description
Example using the TOPIC “Dogs”:
(Using a quote)
Samuel Butler states, "The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too." Although this quote is very true, perhaps the best-known saying about dogs is that they are man’s best friend. Why are dogs characterized this way, though? Perhaps, as Butler indicates, dogs are perceived as man’s best friend because they never judge us and love us unconditionally. More importantly, dogs make great pets because they are beneficial to many areas of our lives. Dogs are not only great companions, they also encourage an active lifestyle and discipline for their owner.
3. Using the class topic and thesis statement from #2, write an introductory paragraph. Don’t forget:
← A basic paragraph should be a minimum of 5 sentences
← You should try to catch the reader’s attention by using one of the options above (i.e. quote)
← Don’t start explaining/defending your 3 arguments just yet.
← Your thesis statement should be at the end of your intro paragraph
Activity
Identify the problems in the following thesis statements using these categories:
(a) conflicting ideas (b) open-ended question (c) multiple ideas (d) too broad
1. The World’s Fair in New Orleans was a disaster because of the way the press criticized the way it was run, but it was exciting for little children and had many good food booths.
2. TV commercials are obnoxious to the person who is intent on watching a good show; on the other hand, they provide entertainment in the antics of the performers and they provide a good opportunity to take a snack break.
3. Since politicians are constantly bombarding each other, how do they expect anyone to know who is right and who is wrong?
4. Rap music is a popular form of art because it is creative and original and because it follows the traditions of other spontaneously developed music like jazz.
5. Unless people are conscious of pollution, the world will be destroyed by the year 2050.
General advice
▪ Don’t say “I think” or “in my opinion” or “the purpose of this paper” or “in this paper I will show”….instead, sound confident….I already know it’s what you think!
▪ Do not use conjunctions (“don’t” should be “do not”) or slang (ie MSN or text talk)
▪ Do not write in the past tense – use the present tense! (ie David is upset with his father)
▪ Do not summarize the novel/play etc……you can assume the reader knows it already.
▪ Do not use the pronoun “they” in place of he or she (We do this in conversation but in formal writing it is generally unacceptable)
Exercise 1
Rewrite each of the thesis statements below, turning each into an effective thesis statement for a 2-3 page essay.
- Choosing a career is very difficult.
- Humans are inflicting more and more damage on the environment.
Exercise 2
Complete the following thesis statements by adding the specific points, claims or areas of investigation that you think should be featured in the essay.
- The life expectancy of the average person is increasing because of ...
- Technology is changing our lives in three important areas: ...
- A teacher must have the following qualities: ...
Adapted from Miss Temblin, Miss Sanford, 2009
Introductory Paragraph Organizer
Topic: ____________________________________
Thesis (Topic + Your opinion/observations): ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hook I will use to begin my introduction (circle one):
← Quote
← Interesting fact
← Question
← Brief story
Putting it all together:
__________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
English 10: The 5 Paragraph Essay
Paragraph 1: Writing the Introduction of an Essay
You CANNOT begin an essay by simply stating the thesis of your essay. You must begin an essay with an introductory paragraph, or introduction. This introductory paragraph is the first paragraph of your essay. It should do the following:
▪ Announce your topic to the reader by grabbing the reader’s attention with a catchy opening; something that will make the reader perk up and want to read on.
▪ Mention the title and author (where appropriate)
▪ Introduce the thesis statement (main point) with your arguments to support it (3 ideally). However, do not begin discussing your arguments in detail here – that is what the body is for
Paragraphs 2 -4: The Body
Each paragraph (there are 3) should discuss ONE main example/point/argument and be supported with details, explanations, quotes, facts, examples, etc. Begin a new paragraph for EACH main idea you use to support your thesis.
Developing your topic
Since the body of the essay is the biggest part it is often the best place to start planning and organizing your ideas. That way, the bulk of your essay is completed first. In order to begin writing the body of your essay, you need to develop your topic. This involves closely examining your thesis statement.
The first question you need to ask yourself is: how do I plan to support the opinion in my thesis?
Begin by making a list of reasons or examples that support it (need at least 3 good reasons/examples).
Example
TOPIC: “Dogs”
THESIS: Dogs make great pets because they are beneficial to our lives.
Main points to support opinion:
1) Dogs provide protection.
2) Dogs keep people fit.
3) Dogs provide companionship.
Once you have your reasons/examples, putting the body of the essay together becomes very simple by following these steps:
Step 1 – Examine your first main point. i.e. “Dogs provide companionship.”
Step 2 – Explain what you mean (How or why do dogs make people happy?) Use examples to back up your ideas. In this instance you might explain that dogs do silly things to make people laugh or that they entertain people with tricks.
Step 3 – Put your ideas together from step two to create a paragraph. Explain your reason in as much detail as you can. Keep in mind that there should be only one main topic in a paragraph. If you find yourself wanting to branch off of a topic onto another related one, begin a new paragraph to discuss that idea.
Step 4 – Repeat steps 1 – 3 for your 3 main points. Once you have the minimum three paragraphs written to support your thesis, the body of your essay is complete. Remember, the body of your essay must have at least three paragraphs.
Paragraph 5: The Conclusion
The concluding paragraph of an essay, or conclusion, is your last say on your essay topic. This is where you wrap your ideas up and close the essay.
Your conclusion should:
← Restate your thesis
← Summarize the main points of your essay
← Draw a final conclusion about your topic
← NOT introduce new thoughts or ideas
← AVOID using the same wording as the introduction (although they should say essentially the same thing, try to word the conclusion differently).
← Leave your reader with a memorable statement or quote.
Conclusion – use the format below to help you form an effective conclusion.
Restate thesis: _______________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Restate strongest main point: ___________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
One final thought/clincher: ____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
English 10 Persuasive Essay
Topic
The provincial legislature is considering a bill that would require a person to earn a high school diploma before he or she could receive a driver's license. What is your position on this issue? Write a persuasive essay supporting your point of view on this issue.
General Task details
Write a 500 word essay presenting your views (for OR against) about the issue.
• Identify two or three strong points for or against …
• Develop and support each of these points.
• Persuade your audience that your opinion deserves serious consideration.
Remember that this is a 5 paragraph essay so you must have:
1) An introductory paragraph.
You should begin this with some kind of ‘hook’ or catchy phrase that grabs the reader’s attention. Your last sentence should be your thesis statement (TOPIC + OPINION/OBSERVATION = THESIS). You should introduce NOT explain your 3 arguments in your thesis statement.
2) A Body.
3 paragraphs. Each paragraph begins with a topic sentence and contains 1 of your 3 arguments ONLY. (3 paragraphs = 3 arguments, 1 per paragraph, in support of your position)
3) A conclusion.
Restate your thesis in different words (‘paraphrase’ it), summarize your main points or arguments, and draw a final conclusion about your topic.
Please note
• You may ‘invent’ supporting details, but they must be realistic. The point is to make a convincing, but believable, case.
Tips for writing a persuasive essay
• Length: approximately 500 words
• You should have 2-3 arguments either for or against the topic
• You should attempt to persuade the person you are writing to agree with you or at least see you side
• Use language that supports how you feel (ex. I am strongly opposed or I feel very passionately about…)
• Make sure your language is appropriate and professional
• You may invent supporting details, but they must be realistic
• Please make sure to pay attention to your spelling and grammar
Essay Outline
INTRODUCTION
Hook: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thesis Statement: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MAIN POINT #1: ____________________________________________
Supporting Details:
1. _____________________________________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________________________________
MAIN POINT #2: ____________________________________________
Supporting Details:
1. _____________________________________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________________________________
MAIN POINT #3: ____________________________________________
Supporting Details:
1. _____________________________________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________________________________
CONCLUSION: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Essay Workshop #2: Body Paragraphs
Each paragraph (there are 3) should discuss ONE main example/point/argument and be supported with details, explanations, quotes, facts, examples, etc. Begin a new paragraph for EACH main idea you use to support your thesis.
Developing your topic
Since the body of the essay is the biggest part it is often the best place to start planning and organizing your ideas. That way, the bulk of your essay is completed first. In order to begin writing the body of your essay, you need to develop your topic. This involves closely examining your thesis statement.
The first question you need to ask yourself is: how do I plan to support the opinion in my thesis?
Begin by making a list of reasons or examples that support it (need at least 3 good reasons/examples).
Example
TOPIC: “Dogs”
THESIS: Dogs make great pets because they are beneficial to our lives.
Main points to support opinion:
1) Dogs provide protection.
2) Dogs keep people fit.
3) Dogs provide companionship.
Once you have your reasons/examples, putting the body of the essay together becomes very simple by following these steps:
Step 1 – Examine your first main point. i.e. “Dogs provide companionship.”
Step 2 – Explain what you mean (How or why do dogs make people happy?) Use examples to back up your ideas. In this instance you might explain that dogs do silly things to make people laugh or that they entertain people with tricks.
Step 3 – Put your ideas together from step two to create a paragraph. Explain your reason in as much detail as you can. Keep in mind that there should be only one main topic in a paragraph. If you find yourself wanting to branch off of a topic onto another related one, begin a new paragraph to discuss that idea.
Step 4 – Repeat steps 1 – 3 for your 3 main points. Once you have the minimum three paragraphs written to support your thesis, the body of your essay is complete. Remember, the body of your essay must have at least three paragraphs.
Essay Workshop #3: Concluding Paragraph
Paragraph 5: The Conclusion
The concluding paragraph of an essay, or conclusion, is your last say on your essay topic. This is where you wrap your ideas up and close the essay.
Your conclusion should:
- Restate your thesis
- Summarize the main points of your essay
- Draw a final conclusion about your topic
- NOT introduce new thoughts or ideas
- AVOID using the same wording as the introduction (although they should say essentially the same
thing, try to word the conclusion differently).
-Leave your reader with a memorable statement or quote.
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