The normal reaction from students when they hear the word ESSAY!!!!!

An easy guide on how to write an essay for high school and college

The normal reaction from students when they hear the word ESSAY!!!!!

The reaction from students in Mr. Cooper’s class after learning how easy it is to

write an essay

Some basics you need to know

Formal vs. Informal writing

Formal writing makes the writer come across to their reader as an educated and professional person.

A formally written essay will read like an educated professional created it with an understanding of how to gain respect from their reader through word choice, vocabulary, and syntax.


Informal: Makes the writer sound uneducated and unprofessional!!!

An informal essay uses everyday language, slang, texting language, and comes across as though the writer is unsure of themselves, uneducated, or does not know what they are writing about.


Words you never use in a formal essay

like -very

just* -everybody

I -everyday

me

you

There are 3 basic parts to any essay

(1) The Introduction

(2) The body

(3) The conclusion

Introduction

The introduction to an essay needs to be a minimum of 6 sentences long, and it can be broken up into 4 parts:

(1) Attention Grabber/ Catchy Hook

(2) Background Information

(3) Thesis (Opinion Statement)

(4) Support (expansion) for your thesis/ opinion statement

Introduction:Attention Grabber/Catchy Hook

Part 1: Catch the readers attention

Never use a question to begin your essay!!!

Asking a question at the start of an essay is easy, does not require much brain-power, and is very generic. Instead, turn your question into a statement.

Introduction:Attention Grabber/Catchy Hook

Examples of how to turn a question into a statement:

Instead of: “Have you ever lost a relative in your life?”

Try: “The moment I heard the news about my grandfather I went into a state of disbelief.”

Instead of: “Do you believe in ghosts?”

Try: “The bedroom door flew open and a cold gust of wind blew through the room, yet every window in the house was closed.”

Introduction: Background Information

Part 2: Background Information:

The reader of your essay probably does not know you or the topic you are writing about. This means you must give the reader information that will “bring them up to speed” regarding the topic of your essay.

Example: My grandfather took care of me since the day I was born. He was a father-figure to me, as both my mother and father worked fourteen hours a day.

Introduction: Thesis Statement

Part 3: Thesis Statement (Opinion Statement):

A Thesis Statement is the Main Purpose (main point, central idea) of your essay.

A thesis statement needs to state the purpose of your essay (or main idea) with backup support.

This may be a long sentence, or seem like a run-on sentence, but it is not.


Example of a thesis statement:

Receiving my drivers license made me feel confident, independent, and expanded my social life.

Receiving the drivers license is the main idea, or focus, of the essay.

Confident is the first support for the thesis statement. Confidence will be the topic of your 1st body paragraph.


Independent will be the topic of your second body paragraph.

Expanding your social life will be the topic of your 3rd body paragraph.

Introduction: Support for Thesis

Part 4: Support for the thesis statement.

The 3 supporting points in the thesis statement will each have their own sentence created that will follow the thesis. These sentences will address the topics that will be discussed in the body paragraphs.

The first sentence that follows the thesis statement will address what the first body paragraph will be about.

Example: Passing my drivers test gave me confidence toward other challenges and tests in my future.


The second sentence following the thesis statement will address the topic to be discussed in the 2nd body paragraph.

Example: After receiving my drivers license, I gained a new sense of independence.


The 3rd sentence following the thesis statement will address the topic to be discussed in the 3rd body paragraph.

Example: My social life has expanded after passing the drivers test.

After your third supporting sentence your introductory paragraph is done =) !!!!

Introduction Paragraph:

Example It has been a long sixteen years waiting for my life

to make such a drastic change. My entire life, I have had to wait for my parents to drive me to a friends house, Disneyland, or even to get dropped off for a date. I have always felt restricted and dependent on my parents, and this also did not allow me to develop my own confidence. Receiving my drivers license made me feel confident, independent, and expanded my social life. Passing my drivers test gave me confidence toward other challenges and tests in my future. After receiving my drivers license, I gained a new sense of independence. My social life has expanded after passing the drivers test.

Body Paragraph

The number of body paragraphs are dictated by the number of supports in the thesis

Ex: A thesis statement with two pieces of support will require a minimum of two body paragraphs. A thesis statement with three pieces of support will require a minimum of three body paragraphs.

Body Paragraph

A standard body paragraph is broken up into 3 parts:

(1) Topic Sentence

(2) Concrete Detail (Evidence)/Commentary

(3) Transition

Topic Sentence

Part 1: Topic Sentence

A Topic Sentence is ALWAYS the first sentence of the paragraph that introduces a new topic.

The topic sentence lets the reader know what “the topic” is for that paragraph.

That paragraph may only discuss “the topic” of your topic sentence.

Topic Sentence

The first sentence that follows the thesis statement can be used as your first topic sentence.

Ex: Passing my drivers test gave me confidence toward other challenges and tests in my future.

The first body paragraph may only discuss confidence towards other challenges and tests in my future through passing my drivers test. If you discuss any other topic outside of, confidence towards other challenges and tests in my future through passing my drivers test, then your paragraph will be off topic AND WRONG!!!

Concrete Detail/ Personal Commentary

Part 2: Concrete Detail (Evidence)/Personal Commentary

The topic for your body paragraph needs to be backed up with CONCRETE DETAIL or EVIDENCE.


Concrete- (1) adj.-constituting an actual thing or instance; (2) noun-a concrete idea or term; a word or notion having an actual or existent thing or instance as its referent. (3) solid

Detail- noun (1) the act of dealing with things item by item (2) a minute account

Evidence- (1) noun-that which tends to prove or disprove something; (2) verb-to make evident or clear; show clearly; manifest


Personal Commentary-noun

(1) a series of explanatory notes or annotations, often forming a treatise on a text

(2) a series of remarks or observations, usually connected in a loose narrative

(3) a historical narrative based on personal experience

(4) a series of explanations or interpretations


Concrete Detail and Personal Commentary makeup the majority, or “the meat”, of the body paragraph.

Concrete Detail and Personal Commentary begin after the topic sentence. There is no particular order as to which to write first (C.D. or P.C.).

You always back up P.C. with C.D. or Evidence, & You always give P.C. after presenting C.D. or Evidence.

Transition

Part 3: Transition

Transition- noun a word, phrase, sentence, or group of sentences that relates a preceding topic to a succeeding one or that smoothly connects parts of a speech or piece of writing

The transition will be the last 1-2 sentences in the body paragraph when ending the discussion of one topic, and introducing the next topic of discussion.

Conclusion

The purpose of the conclusion is to refresh and review the reader of what was discussed in the essay.

The Conclusion has three parts:

(1) Introducing closure to the essay.

(2) Recap of the thesis and supports

(3) Lasting Impression or Final Thought

Conclusion

Part 1:Introducing closure to the essay

This should only be 1-2 sentences long.

The purpose of “introducing closure” is to indicate to your reader that you are about to review what you have discussed in your essay. This also allows the reader to know there will be no more new topics of discussion in the paper. It also tells the reader they are about to be done reading the essay.

Conclusion

Examples of bringing an essay to a close:

Ex: I knew that my driving test would be difficult, and that it was something I had to take seriously. After passing the drivers test, I never imagined how it would change my life as much as it did.

Conclusion

Part 2: Recap of the thesis and supports

Never rewrite the thesis statement in the concluding paragraph, yet restate the thesis statement.

Rewrite: stating the same thesis word-for-word.

Restate: stating the same information that is in the thesis statement, yet written with different wording.

Ex: My confidence, independence, and social life grew after passing my drivers test.

Conclusion

After restating the thesis statement, you must give a (minimum of 1-2 sentences per support) review to your reader on the main points of each body paragraph.

Ex: My driving test was one of the most difficult challenges I had faced to that point in my life, and passing it gave me the confidence to face other challenges and tests in my life such as my final exam in chemistry.

final exam in chemistry is the C.D. (evidence) that was used in the first body paragraph.

Conclusion

Ex: I now have a new sense of freedom and independence after receiving my drivers license. I do not have have to ask my parents for a ride to school, a friends house, and I do not feel “chained” to my parents’ schedule anymore.

I do not have have to ask my parents for a ride to school, a friends house, and I do not feel “chained” to my parents’ schedule anymore-this is the C.D. (evidence) and P.C. that was discussed in body paragraph 2.

Conclusion

Ex: I can now go visit family members that live in different cities any time I want, and I can even go parties that are in different cities because I have my drivers license. This has brought me closer to my Aunt and cousins, and it helped me meet my new girlfriend.

These two sentences are reviewing the P.C. and C.D. (evidence) that was given in the third body paragraph for the topic of expanding my social life.

Conclusion

(3) Lasting Impression or Final Thought

Think of this as the “catchy hook” at the end of the essay.

You want the reader to be drawn into your paper with a catchy hook, and you want to leave the reader with a final thought (or statement) that will give them something to think about, or discuss, when they are done reading the essay.

Conclusion

The last 1-2 sentences of the essay should bring the essay to a final closure, and be your “Final Thought(s)” about the Thesis Statement (or main purpose) of your paper. This “final thought”, should also leave a lasting impression on the reader so they are forced to continue thinking about your paper or want to discuss your paper with someone else even after they are done reading it.

Ex: Passing my drivers test has changed my life more than I could have ever imagined. I have grown and matured through conquering this challenge, and now I feel ready for the next major adult challenges in my life.

Conclusion

Sample of a Concluding paragraph:

I knew that my driving test would be difficult, and that it was something I had to take seriously. After passing the drivers test, I never imagined how it would change my life as much as it did. My driving test was one of the most difficult challenges I had faced to that point in my life, and passing it gave me the confidence to face other challenges and tests in my life such as my final exam in chemistry. I now have a new sense of freedom and independence after receiving my drivers license. I do not have have to ask my parents for a ride to school, a friends house, and I do not feel “chained” to my parents’ schedule anymore. I can now go visit family members that live in different cities any time I want, and I can even go parties that are in different cities because I have my drivers license. This has brought me closer to my Aunt and cousins, and it helped me meet my new girlfriend. Passing my drivers test has changed my life more than I could have ever imagined. I have grown and matured through conquering this challenge, and now I feel ready for the next major adult challenges in my life.

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The normal reaction from students when they hear the word ESSAY!!!!!