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Essay Writing

Learn about the ANT*TIQA format for writing essays, including tips for crafting a strong introduction and body paragraphs. Understand how to create an effective thesis statement and structure your arguments. Suitable for general essay writing guidance.

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Essay Writing

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  1. Essay Writing The ANT*TIQA Format

  2. General Information… • An essay is a series of paragraphs that are about one topic. • An essay is made up of three parts: an introduction, a body with supporting ideas and evidence that back up your opinions, and a conclusion.

  3. ANT: The Introduction A=ATTENTION GETTER First sentence or two should be an attention-getter or a “hook”. Usually, in literary analysis, this line includes a mention of a theme that ties to your thesis. There are different ways to write an attention-getter: 1. rhetorical question (students often misuse this) 2. relevant quote from an outside source 3. relevant quote from the story 4. fact or statistic 5. description of initial response to the work 6. shocking or amusing generalization.

  4. ANT: The Introduction • N=NECESSARY INFORMATION • 1. Necessary information includes: Making a bridge, or transition, from that general, catchy, attention-getting statement that you started with to the specific text you will be exploring. Mention the title and the author at this point so that you don’t have to squeeze them into your thesis. • 2. Necessary information includes: • A. author's full name • B. title of text • C. a brief plot summary. 3. After you give the necessary information, make another bridge, or transition sentence, which will lead from your specific background information about your text to your specific topic. Topic information will introduce your focal points for the paper and establish your viewpoint.

  5. ANT: The Introduction • T=THESIS STATEMENT • 1. This is the last sentence, or two, or your introductory • paragraph. • 2. A thesis statement usually has two parts: • A. A “WHAT”: this is what you notice/observe about a • text • B. A “SO WHAT”: This is the BECAUSE -- this is why • your observations, or opinions, matter. • 1. “Alma” is a warning to children everywhere because it is an example of a child going • where he/she wasn’t supposed to, because he/she wanted something he/she couldn’t have, and because he/she didn’t have integrity. • 2. This may also be a list of the three topics you are going to talk about in youressay. • 3. “Alma” is a warning about going where you are not supposed to, wanting things you can’t have, and having integrity in tempting situations. • C. It is the clarification, or big umbrella idea, that will unite all of you evidence to show your understanding of the text

  6. ANT: The Introduction • T=THESIS STATEMENT • 3. Your thesis should consist of a topic and limiting ideas.  It should never be a question.  The thesis is the answer to a question that seems important to you about the text. •  For example, if your are considering this type of question to write about: • What characteristic traits make it possible for Montresor to be successful with his revenge?

  7. ANT: The Introduction • T=THESIS STATEMENT • Your thesis would not be the question, but something like this: • Thesis -- Montressor is successful in getting his revenge because of his vengeful nature, his ability to use reverse psychology and manipulation in order to get people to do what he wants, and his intelligent and sadistic choices.

  8. ANT: The Introduction • T=THESIS STATEMENT • 4. Your thesis must be a road map for your readers to follow your argument.  It should do the organizing of the body paragraphs for you.   • 5. Your thesis statements should use this format to help you make them more like an analysis and less like a summary: • (What) ACTIVE VERB idea/concept

  9. ANT: The Introduction • T=THESIS • Active Verbs that get us analyzing in a thesis statement: • Conveys Portrays Creates • Represents Results in Indicates • Demonstrates Means Symbolizes • Suggests Supposes Analyzes • Insinuates Proves • Mirrors Opines • Manifests Expresses

  10. ANT: The Introduction • Example of an introductory paragraph from a student's paper on "The Cask of Amontillado” by Poe: • Murder!  Is this a right way to get back at someone? (ATTENTION GETTER)Montresor believes it is in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado."  In the story, Montresor tells the reader that he was insulted by Fortunato.  It is because of this insult that Montresor has vowed revenge.  He finds Fortunato on the streets during carnival and lures him into his family's catacombs under the pretense of having Fortunato test wine.  Once they are in the catacombs, Montresor chains Fortunato to a wall of granite and buries him alive.(NECESSARY INFORMATION)He was able to achieve this murder because of his ability to manipulate others which conveys his intelligence. (THESIS STATEMENT)

  11. TIQA: BODY PARAGRAPHS • T=TOPIC SENTENCE: • Each body paragraph must providea topic sentence. Since a paragraph is a group of sentences that share a single idea, the topic sentence must have two parts: TOPIC & a LIMITING IDEA:(thelimiting idea should tie back to your thesis statement). • Note Your Topic sentence directly relates to the thesis statement

  12. TIQA: BODY PARAGRAPHS • Example 1:Fortunato is easily duped into his own murder because of a blinding sense of pride. Topic = Fortunato • Limiting Idea = blind sense of pride –andhow this makes him vulnerable. • Example 2:Because Madame Louisel is superficial, she misses the deeper appreciation of most things in her life. • Topic= Madame Louisel Limiting Idea = superficiality

  13. TIQA: BODY PARAGRAPHS • I=INTRODUCE • Introduce quote, detail, or evidence: put the quote, paraphrased example, statistic, etc., into a context for your reader to understand how this quote will relate to your analysis later.

  14. TIQA: BODY PARAGRAPHS • Q=QUOTE • Quote: provide your quote, statistic, example, etc.

  15. TIQA: BODY PARAGRAPHS • A=In your analysis, you will explain to your reader the importance of your evidence, and you will show HOW your opinion is valid and credible because of your strongly chosen supporting evidence. Be sure you tie your analysis back to the big, umbrella idea that you used in your thesis. This is where you are using unique and original thoughts that are ALL YOUR OWN! • WHAT DOES IT MEAN? • WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS? • HOW DOES IT SUPPORT YOUR OPINIONS? • HOW DOES IT SUPPORT YOUR LARGER ARGUMENT (FROM THESIS??)

  16. TIQA: BODY PARAGRAPHS • Repeat the TIQA for the rest of your body paragraphs. • Just be sure each body paragraph links to the larger, umbrella idea that you established in your thesis. • Be sure to use transition sentences and words to connect phrases within paragraphs AND one paragraph to another. Transitions are a good place to repeat ideas from your thesis.

  17. TIQA: BODY PARAGRAPHS • EXAMPLE • In her school without walls, Miss Moore provides a hands-on educations that forces the students to discover new knowledge in Toni Cade Bambara’s short story, “The Lesson”. (Topic Sentence)After sitting around for a while in the impoverished neighborhood, Miss Moore tells her students to get into a cab, which delivers them to the classroom for the day: FAO SCHWARTZ. (Introduce the Quote) While in the cab, Miss Moore “hands (Sylvia) a five dollar bill and tells (her) to calculate 10 percent for the driver” (Bambara 2). (Quote)

  18. TIQA: BODY PARAGRAPHS • EXAMPLE continued • Miss Moore uses the cab ride as a teachable moment. This is a sign of a gret teacher. Miss Moore does more for Sylvia in those few moments than probably most of Sylvia’s math teachers at school. Typically American education assumes that knowledge can be jammed into a student’s mind. Miss Moore provides a practical basis for the knowledge and allows the student to come to it on her own. (Analysis). Using teachable moments and hands-on education works for Miss Moore more effectively when she applies these teaching strategies to greater life lessons, such as the lesson on dispelling the American Dream. (Transition sentence into next paragraph topic)

  19. Conclusions • Conclusions follow 4 basic steps: • 1. Restate the necessary information from your intro paragraph (Be sure to re-tell author and title!). • 2. Restate the thesis – DO NOT use the exact same words/phrases that your used in your intro paragraphs – that makes you appear to be lazy and unconcerned with your grade.

  20. Conclusions • 3. Briefly summarize each of your main points/evidence/arguments. If your conclusion is not fully developed enough, try summarizing each of your main points in individual sentences. That automatically will expand your conclusion paragraph another three sentences!! • 4. Include a powerful closing line (clincher). One way to do this is to return to your catchy opening line and refer to it (don’t copy and paste it) in your closing. This is called framing your essay and makes your essay circular.

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