At a Glance: Essays

1. At a Glance: Essays

2. Chapter 1 The Essay and Its Parts

3. The Essay Defined • The essay is a group of paragraphs, each of which supports a controlling idea called a thesis.

4. Three Types of Paragraphs in Essays • Introductory paragraph: presents the thesis (the controlling idea of the essay) • Paragraphs in the body of the essay: present evidence and reasoning—the support for the thesis. • Concluding paragraph: provides an appropriate ending.

5. The Thesis Defined • An effective thesis has both a subject and a focus. The subject is what you intend to write about. The focus is what you intend to do with your subject. • Example:Wilson High School subject offers a well-balanced academic program. focus

6. Sources for the Thesis • Prewriting • Something you’ve read • An assigned topic

7. Writing the Thesis • An effective thesis includes a focus that can be developed with supporting information. • An ineffective thesis presents a focus that is vague, too broad, or too narrow.

8. Common Patterns of Support for the Thesis • Descriptive narration • Analysis by division • Process analysis • Cause and effect • Exemplification • Comparison and contrast • Definition • Argument

9. Purposes of the Introduction • Attracts the reader’s interest • States or points toward the thesis • Moves the reader smoothly into the support, or body, paragraphs

10. Introductory Methods • Presenting a direct statement of the thesis • Background • Definition of term(s) • Quotation(s) • Shocking statement • Question(s) • Combination of method

11. Support (Developmental) Paragraphs • Form the body of an essay • Provide information and reasoning that justify the thesis presented in the essay’s introductory paragraph

12. Two Effective Frames of Paragraph Structure (A) • Topic sentence • Support (B) • Topic sentence • Support • Concluding sentence

13. Effective Ways of Concluding a Paper • Conclude with a final paragraph or sentence that is a logical part of the body of the paper • Conclude with a restatement of the thesis in slightly different words, perhaps pointing out its significance or making applications • Conclude with a review of the main points of the discussion—a kind of summary • Conclude with an anecdote related to the thesis • Conclude with a quotation related to the thesis

14. Ineffective Ways of Concluding an Essay • a summary when a summary is unnecessary • a complaint about the assignment or an apology about the quality of the work • an afterthought—that is, something you forgot to discuss in the body of the paper • a tagged conclusion—that is, a sentence beginning with such phrases as In conclusion, To conclude, I would like to conclude this discussion, or Last but not least • a conclusion that raises additional problems that should have been settled during the discussion.

15. Chapter 2 The Writing Process: Prewriting

16. The Writing Process Prewriting • Explore, experiment, and gather information • Write the controlling idea • Organize and develop support Writing • Draft, revise, and edit

17. Prewriting Strategies • Freewriting • Brainstorming and listing • Clustering • Composing the thesis • Outlining

18. Freewriting • Write without stopping, letting your ideas tumble forth. • Helps you break emotional barriers, generate topics, and discover and explore ideas.

19. Brainstorming • Generating key words and phrases related to the topic • Begin by asking Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How? questions about your subject or by merely listing ideas concerning your subject.

20. Clustering • Also called mapping • Start by double-bubbling your topic. Then ask “What comes to mind?” and single-bubble other ideas on spokes radiating out from the double bubble.

21. Composing the Thesis • Thesis = controlling idea • Includes a subject (what you’re writing about) and a focus (what you will do with the subject) • The focus not be too vague, too broad, or too narrow

22. Outlining • Divides the controlling idea into sections of support material and establishes the sequence • Can be used two ways: • Indicates the plan for a paragraph or essay you will write • Shows the organization of a passage you are reading • Two main outline forms: • Sentence outline • Topic outline

23. Main idea (topic sentence for paragraph; thesis for essay) I. Major support A. Minor support 1. Explanation, detail, example 2. Explanation, detail, example B. Minor support 1. Explanation, detail, example 2. Explanation, detail, example II. Major support A. Minor support B. Minor support

24. Chapter 3 The Writing Process: Writing, Revising, and Editing

25. Writing Your First Draft • First (or rough) draft = your initial writing • As you write, pay close attention to your outline • But do not get caught up in correcting and polishing your writing during this stage • Writing process is recursive (“going back and forth”) • As you write, consider your audience (needs, interests, knowledge, biases, and abilities) and adjust your subject, explanations, style, and word choice to match

26. Revising Your Writing • Revising focuses on organization, content, and language effectiveness • Editing involves final correction of mistakes in spelling, punctuation, and capitalization • The main points of revision are contained in the acronym CLUESS.

27. CLUESS Coherence: Does the material flow smoothly, with each idea leading logically to the next? Language: Are the words appropriate for the message, occasion, and audience? Unity: Are all ideas related to and subordinate to the topic sentence? Emphasis: Have you used techniques such as repetition and placement of ideas to emphasize your main point(s)? Support: Have you presented material to back up, justify, or prove your topic sentence? Sentences: Have you used some variety of structure and avoided fragments, comma splices, and run-ons?

28. Coherence • Overall pattern: time, space, or emphasis • Transitional terms (conjunctive adverbs that help your reader move from one idea to the next) • Repetition of key words and ideas • Pronouns

29. Language • Usage (the general style of language) • Tone (language that indicates the writer’s feelings or attitude about the subject) • Diction (word choice) • General and specific words • Freshness and originality of expression (avoid clichés)

30. Unity • All supporting material should be related to the topic sentence or thesis • Strengthen by using a strong concluding statement at the end of the unit and repeating key words and phrases

31. Emphasis • Placement of ideas • Repetition of key words and ideas

32. Support • Examples • Details • Quotations • Explanations

33. Sentences • Use both short and long sentences • Use a variety of sentence patterns • Begin sentences in different ways • Correct incorrect sentence structure, including fragments, comma splices, and run-ons

34. Editing:Examine your work carefully. Look for problems in Capitalization, Omissions, Punctuation, and Spelling. (COPS)

35. Chapter 4 Reading for Thinking, Discussion, and Writing

36. Reading-Based Writing • Has a writing component and a reading component • Originates as a response to something you have read • Indicates, to some degree, content from that piece • Demonstrates a knowledge of the piece of writing

37. Reading Techniques • Underlining • Annotating • Outlining • Taking Notes

38. Underline… • The main idea in paragraphs • The support for those main ideas • The answers to questions that you bring to the reading assignment • Only the key words

39. Annotating • Writing notes in the margins • Related to underlining • Usually appears with underlining to signal your understanding and extend your involvement in your reading • Represents intense involvement because it turns a reader into a writer

40. Your response in the margin may • Echo the author’s ideas • Question the author’s ideas critically • Relate the author’s ideas to something else • Add to the author’s ideas

41. Outlining • After reading, underlining, and annotating the piece, the next step could be outlining • Outline shows relationships of ideas (sequence, relative importance, and interdependence)

42. Taking Notes • Involves underlining and annotating passages and jotting down useful points in your outline • When writing a summary, reaction, or two-part response, you can use your notes instead of referring back to the reading(s)

43. Reading-Based Writing Forms • Summary – restate main ideas in your own words • Reaction – comment critically on what you read • Two-part response – includes both a summary and a reaction

44. To Write an Effective Summary • Cite the author and title of the text • Reduce the length of the original by 2/3 • Concentrate on main ideas, not details • Change original wording, not ideas • Do not evaluate the content or give opinions • Do not add ideas • Do not include personal comments (don’t refer to yourself) • Seldom use quotations • Use author tags to remind the reader you are summarizing the work of another author: “says York,” “according to York,” “the author explains.”

45. Writing a Reaction • A type of reading-based writing in which you incorporate your views • May require evaluation with a critical-thinking emphasis • May focus on simple discussion of content presented in the reading • May concentrate on the writer’s experience as it relates to the content of the passage

46. A Two-Part Response • A clear, concise summary followed by a reaction response • Useful for critical examination of a text, or for problem-solving assignments • Helps you avoid the common problem of writing only a summary of the text when your instructor wants you to both summarize and evaluate

47. Kinds of Support for Reading-Based Writing • Explanations • References • Quotations

48. Supporting Ideas with Quotations and References • Quotations are borrowed words, and you must give credit to the original writer • References point the reader directly toward the reading selection, including the page number • You must indicate the sources of all original ideas you have borrowed, even when you have changed the words

49. Plagiarism • Borrowing words or ideas without giving credit to the originators • Avoiding plagiarism requires careful documentation of sources

50. Basic Formal Documentation • Identify the source if you use material from a source you have read • Document any borrowed original idea, whether it is • Quoted • Paraphrased (written in your words but not shorter) • Summarized (written in your words and shorter)