Transcript how to write an essay powerpoint

Essay Writing—The Formula
• Essay writing is
simply a process of
writing where you
organize information.
• It is an easy format of
writing because it
follows a specific
formula.
Essay Writing
The purpose of an essay is to effectively argue a
particular thesis. In this sense, a thesis is a proposition
put forward for the purposes of the essay that is then
supported through argument. The combination of putting
this thesis forward and effectively supporting it is the art
of essay writing.
• A good essay has a clear thesis from which the rest of
the essay flows.
Organizing Information
• In an essay you are
using the best
information that you
have to prove that a
thesis is true.
• Organize your
information into
coherent paragraphs.
A Method
• Gather your best
information.
• Put similar ideas
together.
• These “chunks” of
information
become your main
body.
The Introductory Paragraph
• Funnel Analogy
• Broad to narrow
• Introduce the
general topic and
move toward your
thesis.
The Introductory Paragraph
• Your first sentence will introduce the broadest
aspect of your topic. You may start with a quote
or a profound observation related to your topic.
• You must name the text you are writing about
and the author, and provide context.
• Each sentence moves you closer to your most
narrow topic : your thesis.
• The thesis statement is usually near the end of
your introductory paragraph
The Introductory Paragraph
In the novel, One Flew Over The
Cuckoo's Nest, written by Ken Kesey, a
group of troubled men in a mental health
facility are given their individuality and
manhood back, when an unlikely hero is
admitted to the hospital
Then you would provide specific information
to lead to your thesis.
Sample 1 2
The Main Body
• This is where you use your best evidence
to prove that your thesis is true.
• You refer to events and incidents to
support your thesis.
• You should use direct quotations to
support your thesis.
• Everything you write should be clearly
connected to the thesis of your essay.
CTT
The Main Body
Your First Main Point
• Generally speaking, it is a good idea to
use your strongest point (argument) in the
second paragraph of your essay.
• Usually at the end of the paragraph you
write a sentence that connect this
argument to your thesis. CTT
The Main Body
• The first sentence of all of the rest of your main
body paragraphs provide a transition from the
previous point to your next point.
• Then follow the same formula: make a point that
support your thesis. Use your text to support
your argument. Be sure to make a clear CTT.
• Move to your next point.
Using Quotes
•
1. Introduce your quotations. A quotation should never suddenly appear out of
nowhere. Some kind of information about the quotation is needed. Name the author, give
his or her credentials, name the source, give a summary. You won't do all of these each
time, but you should usually name the author. For example:
a. But John Jones disagrees with this point, saying, "Such a product would not sell."
b. In an article in Time Fred Jackson writes that frogs vary in the degree of shyness they
exhibit: "The arboreal tree frogs seem to be especially. . . ."
•
2. Discuss your quotations. Do not quote someone and then leave the words hanging
as if they were self explanatory. What does the quotation mean and how does it help
establish the point you are making? What is your interpretation or opinion of it?
Quotations are like examples: discuss them to show how they fit in with your thesis and
with the ideas you are presenting. Remember: quotations support or illustrate your own
points. They are not substitutes for your ideas and they do not stand by themselves.
It is often useful to apply some interpretive phrasing after a quotation, to show the reader
that the you are explaining the quotation and that it supports your argument:
Here we see that , This statement shows Clearly, then, We can conclude from this that
,This tells us that ,From this we can understand that
•
3. Use some variety in introducing quotations.
A. Pick the quotation verb which seems in each case to fit your purpose most exactly.
For example:
In this essay Green tells us, "Hope increases courage." Note that the particular verb you
choose helps orient your reader toward your opinion of the statement. "Jones says" is
neutral; "Jones informs us" is positive, "Jones alleges" is somewhat negative. Other
verbs to choose from include: say, writes, observe, notes ,remarks ,adds ,declares ,
informs us , alleges ,claims ,states ,comments ,thinks ,affirms asserts ,explains, argues
THE CONCLUSION
Make the end of your essay
count. End with a profound
bang Do not “fizzle out!”
The Concluding Paragraph
• You have worked hard to write a great
essay.
• Don’t leave your reader with a bad last
impression.
• Draw your final conclusions—make sure
you CTT as you conclude.
The Concluding Paragraph
COMMON MISTAKES:
• Starting a new topic.
• Making a main body argument.
• NOT concluding the actual topic you have
just written about.