Writing Good Essays: Tips for Colorful, Correct and Complete Writing

1. Writing Good Essays(looking at your writing through someone else’s eyes)

2. When you write something, do you ever stop to think about how other people will look at it?

3. Good essay writing is: • 1. colorful • 2. correct • 3. complete • 4. organized • 5. spicy • 6. beautiful

4. Rule # : Writing should be colorful You make your writing more colorful by using new and more difficult vocabulary Remember, that words are like colors --- they can be similar but also different walk / run/ stroll / crawl / march / hike / limp

5. Q: When you shop, what kinds of clothes do you usually buy? White? Black?Grey? Tan?

6. No, you probably like colorful things ……

7. Which room is more interesting? This one? Or this one?

8. When you use the same old vocabulary again and again, your writing is kind of like this bedroom …… Why not use a variety of vocabulary to make it more colorful?

9. Your fingerprints are unique Your irises are unique That means YOU are unique, so your writing should be, too. Using new and different vocabulary makes your writing unique. Different is good!

10. Rule # : Writing should be correctMake sure you are answering exactly what the topic asked you for. Read the directions carefully and follow them!

11. When you go to a restaurant …. Q: What will you do if the waitress brings you the wrong order? Are you going to eat it, or are you going to send it back to get what you really wanted?

12. “Enjoy your fish.” “Fish? I ordered PIZZA! I want PIZZA!”

13. Q: When you go to the tailor or a shop to pick up your wedding dress, how will you feel if they give you this?

14. Q: When you go the salon to get your hair done for a party or special occasion, how will you feel if they style your hair like this?

15. Of course, you expect to get exactly what you asked for. Anything less is unacceptable!You would surely agree that following directions and doing things correctly is important.Teachers, just like you, should receive exactly what they ask you for on your assignments.

16. Rule #:Writing should be complete“Welcome to Sunshine Restaurant. Enjoy your meal.” salad main dish dessert

17. You’re still hungry?Have some coffee ….

18. Q: When you buy perfume, how will you feel when you open the box and find this? Or this?

19. When you go to a restaurant, you expect a complete dinner. When you buy perfume, you expect a full bottle.Teachers , like you, want the complete package. When you write an essay, give lots of details and examples.

20. Rule # : A good essay is organizedQ: What do a doctor, a mechanic, and a teacher all have in common?A: Hmmm, let’s see ……

21. “I’m a mechanic ….. so I look for certain things in certain places.”

22. “If I want to check the engine, I don’t look inside of the car!”

23. “If I want to check the oil, I don’t look at the tires!”

24. “ I’m a doctor, and when I check someone’s blood pressure …I don’t look at his feet!”

25. Doctors, like mechanics, look for certain things in certain places “I look for the heart in the chest, not on top of the head!”

26. So do teachers … “I’m looking for an introduction with a main idea in it.”

27. “To find the details, I look at the body paragraphs.”

28. “When I look at a conclusion, I expect to find a restatement of the main idea.”

29. If your essay is organized,then everything is in the right place } introduction body { } conclusion

30. The “canned essay” …… ??? ESSAY ESSAY

31. 1-2 general sentences Introduction specific main idea topic sentence Body detail sentences topic sentence Body detail sentences restatement of main idea Conclusion 1-2 general closing comments

32. Too formulaic, boring, and unimaginative? or A useful scaffold upon which students can build a good solid essay?

33. Rule # : A good essay is “spicy ” • it has simplesentences • it has compound sentences • it has complexsentences

34. Do your essays have only simple 4-5 word “baby” sentences? My name is Mariam. I live in Al Ain. I have a big family. We live in Zakher. My major is Business. I enjoy shopping.

35. Spice it up by using connectors My name is Mariam, andI live in Al Ain. BecauseI have a big family, we have a large villa in Zakher. I want to have my own company, so my major is Business. On the weekends, I spend time with my family. In addition, I enjoy shopping with friends.

36. Remember, people like to eat food that isspicy

37. people like food that has flavor

38. food without spicesand flavor is boring!

39. You also should use “spices” and “flavor” in your writingsimplecompoundcomplex

40. Here are some “spices” you can add to your writing:moreover until yetin contrast because howeveralthough thereforeif as a resultbefore so

41. Rule # : A good essay is beautiful • the handwriting is not too small • the handwriting is dark • the handwriting is easy-to-ready

42. Is your handwriting messy?

43. Is it too lightto read easily?

44. Is your handwriting so tiny that no one can read it?(so tiny that no one can read it?)Do people need special equipment to read your handwriting? !

45. Remember! Like you, teacherslike to look at attractive things.

46. … so your handwriting should be beautiful!

47. sloppy appearance = (often) sloppy contenteffort with appearance = (often) effort with content

48. To sum up:To sum up, a good essay is:1. colorful2. correct3. complete4. organized5. spicy6. beautiful

49. Common Writing Problems

50. Problem: Are your sentences like spaghetti (too long and stringy?)