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Lecture 15

Academic Essays. Lecture 15. Today. Introduction-Body-Conclusion Thesis Statement Applying these concepts to business writing. Today. Lecture Material taken from: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/eslaudience.html http://www.studygs.net/fiveparag.htm. Essays.

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Lecture 15

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  1. Academic Essays Lecture 15

  2. Today • Introduction-Body-Conclusion • Thesis Statement • Applying these concepts to business writing

  3. Today • Lecture Material taken from: • http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/eslaudience.html • http://www.studygs.net/fiveparag.htm

  4. Essays • Academic essays are usually “thesis driven” • This means we must explain the main point of our essay at the start

  5. Essays • Think of your “thesis statement” as a “topic sentence” for your entire essay • Before beginning to write, you should already know what your thesis statement is

  6. Thesis • Consider your thesis a very short summary of your essay, stated in the introduction.

  7. Thesis • Should do three things: • Show the purpose/topic of the essay • Introduce the parts (body) of the essay • Show your point of view

  8. Thesis • Samples: • “American Universities should offer more scholarships to international students because they have a greater desire to succeed in college, tend to work harder, and graduate more quickly and with greater frequency than American students.”

  9. Thesis • Samples: • “China needs to be a leader in the fight against global warming because of its size, its technology, and the influence it has on the rest of Asia.”

  10. Thesis • Samples: • “I think I am a perfect candidate for the banker job because I am hardworking, have many computer skills, and I have banking experience.”

  11. Thesis • This type of thesis usually states the primary goal of the argument and then states the reasons or points you will make in the essay to support the argument.

  12. Thesis • Every point that you make afterward must be related to the thesis statement. The rest of the essay must clarify or support your thesis.

  13. Essay Structure • Following your thesis, the rest of your essay should “flow” naturally • For this it is useful to create an outline

  14. Essay Structure • Part 1. Introduction (includes thesis and 3 points to be made) • Part 2. Point 1. • Part 3. Point 2. • Part 4. Point 3. • Part 5. Conclusion

  15. Essay Structure • Create this outline, and add information to it during the planning process. • We can now think of the different parts of the essay, the introduction, the body, and the conclusion

  16. Introduction • Should do three things: • Show the purpose/topic of the essay • Introduce the parts (body) of the essay • Show your point of view

  17. Introduction • Think of your introduction as having three parts. • The opener • The lead in • The thesis statement

  18. Introduction • The opener – the first sentence or your essay. • Needs to get the reader’s attention and introduce your topic. • We can do this in a variety of ways.

  19. Introduction • Question: (What do you know about global warming?) • Statement: (Global warming is one the major problems facing the world today) • Quotation: (Al Gore calls global warming “the challenge of the 21st century”. • ETC.

  20. Introduction • Lead in • 2-3 sentences for your opening statement to “flow” into your thesis statement

  21. Introduction • Thesis statement – the last sentence of your introduction • Shows your point of view and introduces the rest of your essay (body paragraphs)

  22. Body • A typical academic essay will contain 3 body paragraphs • These must support our thesis with facts, evidence, and examples

  23. Body • The more examples/facts we have, the more credibility we will gain

  24. Body • Each body paragraph must support one individual topic from our thesis statement • Each body paragraph must begin with a TOPIC SENTENCE

  25. Body • Each body paragraph must flow into the next one • We can achieve this by using transition words

  26. Body • This transition can come at the beginning or end of the paragraph. • I recommend the beginning

  27. Body • however, therefore, additionally, thus, also, like, for example, on the other hand, in conclusion, to add, another way,

  28. Body • Structure • Transition • Topic Sentence • Support/evidence/facts

  29. Body • “In addition to working harder, international students also seem to graduate faster than their American counterparts.”

  30. Body • “Although China’s size is important, an even more important factor in the fight against global warming is its advanced technology and infrastructure.”

  31. Body • Follow this topic sentence with evidence, examples, and facts to support the topic sentence • Use transition ideas within the body to make it flow better

  32. Body • “Besides being a very hardworking student, I am also very skilled with computers.”

  33. Conclusion • The conclusion must restate our main ideas without sounding too repetitive. This is difficult, but made easier with the following strategy.

  34. Conclusion • The conclusion should do 3 things • Restate the thesis topic • Lead out • Concluding remark

  35. Conclusion • Begin by restating the thesis statement. • Don’t simply repeat it, make sure to change the wording. • Like our body paragraphs, we may begin with a transition word or phrase

  36. Conclusion • “In conclusion, our university should work harder to attract international students, because they have a greater desire to succeed, work harder, and graduate more quickly than American students.”

  37. Conclusion “Therefore, in this changing world, China must take the lead on global warming, not just because of its size, but also because of its technology and influence over other countries”

  38. Conclusion • “As you can see from my résumé and qualifications, my work ethic, computer skills, and banking experience make me an ideal candidate for this job”

  39. Conclusion • Lead out • 2-3 sentences leading up to the final statement • May restate topics mentioned in the body paragraphs

  40. Conclusion • Concluding Remark • This is your final thought in your essay and must be strong, conclusive, and direct

  41. Conclusion • “The future is not located only in America, and in order to grow and succeed, we must open our doors and invite our international brothers into our university.”

  42. Conclusion • “Global warming will not go away without a fight, and it is China’s duty to lead the world in the fight of this century.”

  43. Conclusion • “I believe I am the best person for this job, and if you talk to me in an interview I am sure you will agree.”

  44. Business writing • Use this same structure for effective business writing. • As a class, we will investigate writing a persuasive request using the Academic Essay structure

  45. Summary • Introduction • The opener • The lead in • The thesis statement

  46. Summary • Body • Transition • Topic Sentence • Support/evidence/facts

  47. Summary • Conclusion • Restate the thesis topic • Lead out • Concluding remark

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