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Why Should I Care About Writing?
• Writing is an essential job skill
• Develops communication and thinking skills
• Helps give others feedback and helps others give feedback to you.
• Writing expresses who you are as a person
EXPOSITORY WRITING
Expository writing is writing that explains or informs. Every time you give directions, explain a process, or define something, you are using exposition. Writing exposition is like being a teacher. Your goal is to make readers understand something that is difficult, unclear, or unfamiliar.
EXPOSITORY WRITING
Purposes for expository writing:
• To define a term (word)
• To summarize a book or article
• To compare and contrast two people, places, or ideas
• To tell how to solve a problem
• To explain how to do something
• To explain the cause of an event
• To interpret a work of literature
THE THREE PARTS OF AN ESSAY
Paragraph Essay Blueprint
• Introduction
– Hook
– Transition Sentence (Introduction of essay topic)
– Thesis Statement
• Body Paragraph (3)
– Topic Sentence
– Supporting Details/Evidence
– Supporting Details/Evidence
– Concluding Sentence
• Conclusion
– Restate Thesis
– Summarize
Introduction Paragraph“You never get a second chance to
make a first impression”
Parts of the Introduction Paragraph:
The introduction should be one paragraph. It should introduce the topic and main ideas of your essay. The introduction will be between 3-4 sentences and must include:
• Hook:
• Transition Sentence
• Thesis:
The Hook• It should grab your reader’s attention.
• Quote • Vivid description• Definition• Question•Anecdote
•Must transition into the paper’s topic
Hook: Quote
• A quote is a memorable line from a famous figure in history.
• Make sure to include author/speaker.
• Your quote must begin or end with a speaker tag, which tells the reader who said it.
• Ex) Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Hook: Vivid Description• A vivid description is
like a photo- a single snapshot. Unlike an anecdote, it has no plot or action.
• Ex) The sweet smell of cotton candy floats in the air. Bumper cars collide in the distance. There is nothing like the county fair.
Hook: Anecdote • An anecdote is a short
story that leads the reader into your topic.
• Ex) Imagine a small child crying at the county fair because he cannot ride the rides the big kids do. Despite his wailing, the parent does not budge. In a similar fashion…
Hook: Definition
• Define a term that is closely related to your topic. Provide a definition that your audience may not know.
• Ex) Webster’s dictionary defines a segregation as, “a separation of humans into racial groups in daily life.”
Hook: Question
• Ask a question to draw your reader into your paper.
• Ex) Is it true that sometimes love is not enough to overcome difficult circumstances? In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet…
The Thesis Statement:The Roadmap for Your Essay
• Main argument of your paper
• It introduces the reader to the rest of your paper
• Is the last sentence of the introduction
So What’s the Formula?
Recipe for a Good Thesis
_______________ because ________________ , ________________ , and ________________ .
Arguable Point Reason #1 Reason #2 Reason #3
Give Me an Example
Thesis Statement:Smoking should be illegal because it can kill you, can harm those around you, and it is addictive and difficult to stop once started.
SAMPLE INTRODUCTIONNotice all three parts of the introduction are included
in this sample:
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” In the novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, the protagonist undergoes significant changes. Marji is transformed emotionally, mentally, and spiritually as she rebels against the confinement imposed upon her during the Islamic Revolution.
• Green: Hook
• Blue: Transition sentence
• Red: Thesis
BODY PARAGRAPH
The body is generally made up of three paragraphs. Each paragraph supports and develops (adds details) to
your thesis statement. To guide your reader, each paragraph should begin with a clear topic sentence.
Body Paragraphs (3)
• Topic Sentence
• Support (Quotes, Evidence, Examples)
• Explanation of Quotes
• Concluding/
Summary Sentence
Topic Sentence
• A topic sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is going to be about.
• Use it to help remind the reader what your paper is trying to prove (thesis)
• It should have a subject, a verb, and a controlling idea.
• Ex.) One reason why schools should not enforce random locker checks is because it is an invasion of student privacy.
Supporting Sentences
• This is where you give more information about your topic.
• Ask yourself: How can I prove this is true? What examples can I give?
• Two to Three supports per paragraph
When you use quotes as support
Don’t forget…
Adding Quotes- Lead-In/Speaker Tag
• According to movie analyst Kevin Jones in
his novel Summer Blockbusters, “The Dark
Knight sold more tickets in its opening weekend than any other movie in history” (Jones 252).
• Always introduce quotes
with a lead-in/speaker tag
• Quotes can’t stand alone.
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Adding Quotes- Parenthetical Citations
• According to movie analyst Kevin Jones in his novel Summer Blockbusters, “The Dark Knight sold more tickets in its opening weekend than any other movie in history”(Jones 252).
• A parenthetical citation shows where the information is from.
• Give author and page number.
• No comma. Punctuation follows citation.
Adding Quotes-Explain Quote
• According to movie analyst Kevin Jones in his novel Summer Blockbusters, “The Dark Knight sold more tickets in its opening weekend than any other movie in history”(Jones 252). This quote illustrates that TheDark Knight is the ultimate super hero movie because of the mass appeal it brought to the super hero film genre.
Adding Quotes-Explain Quote
• According to Old Major, “all the evils of this life of ours spring from the tyranny of human beings” (Orwell 7). This quote illustrates the belief that in order to be free, the animals must overthrow Mr. Jones and create an equal society where animals govern themselves.
• Black=Quote/Citation
• Purple: Explanation/Analysis in your own words. Do not repeat the quote!
Concluding/Summary Sentences
• A concluding sentence summarizes what your paragraph is about and reminds the reader of the topic
Conclusion Paragraph
• Restate the thesis. Use new words (points in same order)
• Summarize main points of essay. Remind reader what you said.
• End with a lasting impression. Give reader something to think about after finishing essay.
And That Is How You Write An Essay!
…Now go off and “Ace” that paper!