ESSAY WRITING

1. ESSAY WRITING

2. OUTLINE OF AN ESSAY • Introduction • General statement • ThesisStatement • Body Paragraph 1 • TopicSentense • SupportingDetails • Conclusion • Body Paragraph 2 • Body Paragraph 3 • Conclusion

3. INTRODUCTION • Introductionbasically has twoparts: General Statement (Grabber) ThesisStatement • Inbetween, there is sometimes a transitionalsentence.

4. INTRODUCTION • General Statement (Grabber) • Theparagraphstartswith a general statementrelatedtothetopic of theessay. • It can be done by; • Stating a strongopinion • Asking an attentioncatchingquestion. • Staringwith a quotation. • Writingabout an anectode. See p. 22

5. INTRODUCTION • General Statement (Grabber) • Theparagraphstartswith a general statementrelatedtothetopic of theessay. • It can be done by; • Stating a strongopinion • Asking an attentioncatchingquestion. • Staringwith a quotation. • Writingabout an anectode. See p. 22

6. INTRODUCTION • General Statement (Grabber) • Thepurpose is tograbtheattention of thereader. • Eachstatementafterthe general statementshould be morespecific.

7. Opinion

8. Question

9. Quotation

10. Anectode

11. ThesisStatement • ThesisStatement is usuallythelastsentence of theintroductionparagraph. • A goodthesisstatement; • Statesthemaintopic • maylistsubdivisions of thetopic • mayindicatetheorganization of theessay.

12. ThesisStatement • Remember!!! • Itshouldexpress an opinion, an idea, or a belief. (not a simplefact) • Itshouldexpressonlyone idea aboutthetopic. • Itshould not mentionthetopiconly. • Itmust be a fullsentence. See p. 24

13. ThesisStatement • Many Americans buy foreign cars. Revised ThesisStatement: Many Americans are buying the Toyota Corolla because of its competitive price, fuel economy, and high resale value.

14. ThesisStatement • Chess is a great game. Revised ThesisStatement: Playing chess is a popularactivity among students because it is inexpensive, engrossing, and can be played almost anywhere.

15. ThesisStatement • A dog would make a great pet for me because they are very loyal, they are easy to train, and they make good companions. • Thesis Statement: Because of its sense of loyalty, its ability to be trained, and its good companionship, a dog is the perfect pet for me.

16. ThesisStatement • Subject: Qualities of a Good Campsite • Focused Topic: Three Important Qualities of a Good Campsite • Three Major Points: recreation, location, convenience • Thesis Statement: If you're looking for the best campsite, there are three important factors to consider: the availability of recreational activities,the attractiveness of the location, and the closeness of basic amenities.

17. ThesisStatement • Subject: Sports and Activities • Focused Topic: My Three Favorite Activities • Three Major Points: soccer, biking, roller blading Writethe thesis Statement!!!

18. ThesisStatement When I have some free time to myself, I like to spend it outside playing soccer, riding my bike, or roller blading.

19. Body Paragraph • Thenumber of body paragraphsmayvaryfrom 2 to 4 paragraphs. • Thetopicsentence of each body paragraphshouldsupportthethesisstatement. • Each body paragraphshoulddiscussonlyoneaspect of thethesis. • Theyshouldfollow a logicalorder.

20. Body Paragraph • A sample body paragraphincludes: • A topicsentence • Topic • Main idea • Supportingdetail(s) • Conclusion

21. What is themain idea of thisparagraph? Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first men to walk on the surface of the moon, but they were not the last. That was Gene Cernan, the last man to step off the lunar surface. In total there have been twelve men who have walked on the moon, all of whom had done so between 1969 and 1972, which is the most recent non-Michael Jackson moon walking.

22. Understanding Main Idea • Topicsentence in a body paragraph is theBIGGESTidea. This paragraph is about moon walkers. Armstrong & Aldrin First Men on the Moon Cernan was the Last Man on the Moon 12 Men Have Walked On the Moon

23. Police depend on evidence to solve crimes. Forensic scientists collect evidence to solve many different kinds of mysteries, including robberies, missing persons, and murders. Examining the crime scene with precise methods, they collect hair, fibers, trash, and many other tiny bits of material which help them determine the individual who committed the crime. They are particularly interested in evidence, such as fingerprints, that can be linked to a specific person. They are particularly interested in evidence, such as fingerprints, that can be linked to a specific person. Examining the crime scene with precise methods, they collect hair, fibers, trash, and many other tiny bits of material which help them determine the individual who committed the crime. Forensic scientists collect evidence to solve many different kinds of mysteries, including robberies, missing persons, and murders. What is the topic sentence in the paragraph above?

24. Police depend on evidence to solve crimes.Forensic scientists collect evidence to solve many different kinds of mysteries, including robberies, missing persons, and murders. Examining the crime scene with precise methods, they collect hair, fibers, trash, and many other tiny bits of material which help them determine the individual who committed the crime. They are particularly interested in evidence, such as fingerprints, that can be linked to a specific person. They are particularly interested in evidence, such as fingerprints, that can be linked to a specific person. Examining the crime scene with precise methods, they collect hair, fibers, trash, and many other tiny bits of material which help them determine the individual who committed the crime. Forensic scientists collect evidence to solve many different kinds of mysteries, including robberies, missing persons, and murders. What is the topic sentence in the paragraph above?

25. You can learn a lot about people by simply watching or talking to them. Looking at the floor can also give you information about people. You can tell where people walk most frequently because of the worn carpet. The next time you're riding in someone's car, notice the music on the radio. The kind of music played on the radio station can tell you a lot about that person. Choose an appropriate topic sentence for this paragraph: • There are many ways to learn where people walk. • There are many ways to learn about people. • There are many ways to listen to the radio. • There are many ways to watch people.

26. Each year experts study the movie habits of Americans. The study shows some interesting facts. For example, did you know that young people go to more movies than any other age group? Almost one half of all Americans are over 35. But people under 35 go to the movies more than any age group. This explains the big success of movies about young people. • What is this paragraph mainly about? • Movie habits of young people in America • Movie habits of Americans • Why young people like movies • Why the smallest group of moviegoers is over 35

27. Body Paragraph • A sample body paragraphfollows a simplepattern: • First of all, ….. Second, ….. Last, …… • Tobeginwith, …… Next, …… Finally,…. • Onereasonfor x is (that) …. Anotherreasonfor x is (that)….. Lastly,…. (Be careful, thisone is a bit morecomplicated!)

28. - Put the sentences in order to make a paragraph. • Celebrities sacrifice their private lives. • Threatening letters and even physical attacks from crazy fans are things a celebrity must learn to live with. • Celebrities are in constant danger of the wrong kind of attention. • Celebrities have to look perfect all the time. • Photographers are always there to take unflattering pictures of famous people looking dumpy in old clothes. • Being a celebrity is often difficult. • Their personal struggles, divorces, or family tragedies all end up as front-page news. ______. First of all, ______, ______. Second, ______, ______. Last, ______, ______.

29. - Put the sentences in order to make a paragraph. • Celebrities sacrifice their private lives. • Threatening letters and even physical attacks from crazy fans are things a celebrity must learn to live with. • Celebrities are in constant danger of the wrong kind of attention. • Celebrities have to look perfect all the time. • Photographers are always there to take unflattering pictures of famous people looking dumpy in old clothes. • Being a celebrity is often difficult. • Their personal struggles, divorces, or family tragedies all end up as front-page news. [F] First of all, [D]. [E]. Second, [C]. [G]. Last, [A]. [B].

30. - Put the sentences in order to make a paragraph. • Say a friend is angry with you and then asks, “Are you upset with me?” You might answer, “No,” to avoid an argument. • For instance, you might lie, “I have to go now.” • People lie to avoid spending more time with someone. • (…) common reason for lying is to avoid a fight. • People lie for different reasons. • For example, a friend might ask, “Do you like my new haircut?“ If you think it’s ugly, you might still answer, “Yes.” • (…) common reason is to avoid hurting someone’s feelings. • People also lie so that they’ll fit in, as when you listen to a boring person and politely say, “That’s interesting. ______. One ______, ______. Another ______, ______. In addition, ______. Lastly, ______, ______.

31. Say a friend is angry with you and then asks, “Are you upset with me?” You might answer, “No,” to avoid an argument. • For instance, you might lie, “I have to go now.” • People lie to avoid spending more time with someone. • (…) common reason for lying is to avoid a fight. • People lie for different reasons. • For example, a friend might ask, “Do you like my new haircut?“ If you think it’s ugly, you might still answer, “Yes.” • (…) common reason is to avoid hurting someone’s feelings. • People also lie so that they’ll fit in, as when you listen to a boring person and politely say, “That’s interesting”. [E]. One [D].[A]. Another [G].[F]. In addition, [H]. Lastly, [C]. [B].

32. Conclusion • A goodconclusionparagraphmakesthereaderfeelthatyouhavecompletedwhatyouwantedto say. • Theconclusion is usuallyintroducedby a transitionsuch as: • Inconclusion, • Toconclude, • Tosumup.

33. Conclusion • A goodconclusionparagraphincludes: • A restatement of thethesisstatement • A resatement of themainpointsyouhavebeendiscussing. Remember!!! • Youmustusedifferentwords in yourrestatements!!! • Youare not savingtheworld. Justfinish it!!!