What is an Essay

 

What is an Essay? A discursive essay  essay  A discursive essay is essay is a piece of formal writing which discusses a particular issue, situation or problem. There are three main types of discursive essays. essays . i For and against essays  essays present both sides of an issue, i ssue, discussing points in favour of a particular topic as well as those against, or the advantages and disadvantages of a particular question. Each point should be supported by justifications, examples, and/or reasons. The writer's own opinion should be presented only in the final paragraph ii  Opinion essays  ii essays present the writers personal opinion concerning the topic, clearly stated and supported by reasons and/or examples. The opposing viewpoint and reason should be included in a separate paragraph before the dosing one, together with an argument that shows it is an unconvincing viewpoint. The writer's opinion should be included in the introduction, and summarized/restated summarized/restated in the conclusion. iii  Essays suggesting solutions to problems, iii problems, in which the problem(s) associated with a particular issue or situation are analysed and possible solutions are put for-ward, together with any expected results/consequences. The writer's opinion may be mentioned, directly or indirectly, in the introduction and/or conclusion.if you can use essay writing service to to do your essay for this takebenefits takebenefits of essay writing reviews. reviews .  A good discursive essay should essay should consist of: a) an introductory paragraph in which you clearly state the topic to be discussed; b) a main body, in which points are clearly stated in separate paragraphs and exemplified or  justified: and c) a closing paragraph summarising the main points of the essay, in which whi ch you stale/restate your opinion, and/or give a balanced consideration of the topic. Points to consider  consider  • Present each point in a separate paragraph. A well-developed well -developed paragraph contains a clear topic sentence, which summaries the contents of the paragraph, as well as a clear cl ear  justification, explanation or or example in support of of the point presented. • Well-known Well-known quotations (e.g. As writer Somerset Maugham once said, 'It is bad enough to know the past; it would be intolerable to know the future."). rhetorical questions (e.g. It people today are not concerned enough about tomorrow, will the future still be there for man?) or thought-provoking statements (e.g. The fact is mat one's future is what one makes it. There Is no such thing as chance.) are useful devices to make your composition more interesting. • Before you begin writing, you should always make a list of the points you will present.  present.  • Do not use informal i nformal style (e.g. contracted forms, colloquial language, etc) or very strong language (e.g. I know. I am sure…) s ure…)   Use appropriate linking words/phrases words/phrases to  to show the links l inks between paragraph, as well as to link sentences within paragraphs.

 

sentence  Topic sentence  Many people, however, prefer living in flats because they feel safer. Justification   Justification With increasing crime rates, people are afraid to live in i n a house, as they feel more vulnerable to burglars and other criminals. Therefore, they prefer the feeing of security that the proximity of neighbouring flats offers them.

Go to  to   Practical exercises on the topic Discursive essay   style  Formal style  • Discursive essays are written in  in  formal style. style. This means you should use: -passive voice, impersonal constructions (e.g. It Is argued that It Is a common belief that…)  that…)   - a range of advanced vocabulary (verbs, adjectives, abstract nouns, etc) (e.g. heated debate concerning the controversial issue…)  issue…)  -formal linking words/phra words/phrases ses (e.g. furthermore, however, nonetheless) - complex sentences with a variety of links, dependent clauses, etc (e.g. Although Alt hough it is widely accepted that compulsory military service, which provides an army with abundant manpower, is beneficial to a country's ability to defend itself, i tself, closer analysis of military efficiency suggests that it is advanced weaponry which plays a crucial role in…)  in…)   - inversion, especially in conditionals (e.g. Were this true, we would…; Never has this been more obvious…)  obvious…)  You should not use. -short forms (e.g. I'm, It’s) except except when these are part of a quotation -colloquial expressions, phrasal verbs, idioms (e.g. lots of, put up with, be over the moon about…)  about…)   - simplistic vocabulary (e.g. Experts say they think this is bad….)  bad….)   - a series of short sentences (e.g. Many people think thi nk so. They are wrong.) - simple linking words (e.g. and, but, so) except for variety

Go to  to   Practical exercises on the topic Formal style   Go to  to   Beginning and ending discursive essays   In the first paragraph, you should state the topic and/or your opinion, and you may include one or more of the following foll owing techniques. • Make reference to an unusual or striking idea/scene/situation e.g. idea/scene/situation e.g. Imagine millions of people coming home from school or work every day to sit staring at a wall for four hours. • Address the reader directly e.g. directly e.g. You may think this is an exaggeration. and/or ask a rhetorical question. e.g. Have you ever wondered what the world would be like li ke without cars? • Start with a quotation or thought-provokin thought-provoking g statement, statement, e.g. "Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn't have in your home." David Frost once said. In the last paragraph, you should state your opinion and/or give a balanced consideration of

 

the topic, and you may include one or more of the following techniques. • Finish with a quotation quotation   • Ask a rhetorical question  question  • Give the reader something to consider e.g. consider e.g. Perhaps then people will re-discover what It is like to actually communicate with each other. Useful Tips for Discursive Essays  Essays   • When writing a discursive di scursive essay, essay, you should:  should:   - use formal, impersonal style (see Formal Style) - use topic sentences to introduce the subject of each paragraph - write well-developed paragraphs, giving reasons/e reasons/examples xamples - use generalisations (e.g.ln most developed countries, education…)  education…)   - use sequencing (e.g. First/ly, Second/ly, etc) and linking words/phras words/phrases es (e.g. however, although, etc) - make references to other sources (e.g. Experts have proved that…)  that…)   - use quotations, either word-for-word or in paraphrase, being careful to identify the source (e.g. As Winston Churchill said,”…)  said,”…)  • You should not:  not:   -use short forms, informal/colloquial language, etc (see Formal Style) - use very emotional language (e.g. I absolutely detest people who…)  who…)   - express personal opinions too strongly (e.g. I know…); instead, use milder m ilder expressions (e.g. It seems to me that…)  that…)   - use over-generalisation over-generalisation (e.g. All politicians are…)  are…)   - refer blindly to statistics without accurate reference to their source (e.g. "A recent study showed…" - which study?) - use cliches (e.g. Rome was not built buil t in a day.) - use personal examples (e.g. In my school…)  school…)  Works consulted Taken from "Successful Writing Proficiency" by Virginia Vi rginia Evans

Practical Exercises On The Topic Discursive Essay 1 Look at the essay plans below for the three types of discursive essays, then say what features the plans have in common and how each plan differs from the others.   others. For and against essay  essay   Introduction Paragraph 1 state topic (without stating your opinion) Main body Paragraphs 2 - 3

 

arguments for & justifications, examples or reasons Paragraphs 4-5 arguments against & justifications, examples or reasons Conclusion Final Paragraph balanced consideration or opinion Opinion essay  essay  Introduction Paragraph 1 state the topic and your opinion Main body Paragraphs 2 - 4 viewpoints & reasons/ examples Paragraph 5 opposing viewpoint and reason/example Conclusion Final Paragraph summarise/restate summarise/res tate your opinion Solutions to Problems Essay  Essay   Introduction Paragraph 1 state the problem and its cause(s)/effect(s) Main body Paragraphs 2 - 5 suggestions & results Conclusion Final Paragraph summarise your opinion 2 Look at the essay topics below, and say whether each topic asks for a "for and against" essay, an opinion essay or an essay suggesting solutions to problems. Then, choose two of the topics and make a list of the points you would include in an essay on each topic.  topic.  1 "Animals should be treated with the same respect as humans." Do you agree with this view? 2 "The generation gap is one which cannot be bridged." Discuss. 3 Do you believe that equality for women means that women should also do such things as military service? 4 "One language spoken worldwide would lead to better bett er international relations." Discuss. 5 Genetic engineering poses a number of worrying problems, both moral and practical.

 

Discuss some of these problems and suggest what could be done to overcome them. 6 "Celebrities should be allowed to keep their private lives private, without the invasion of the media." Discuss. 7 "Fear and ignorance are the root causes of racial hatred." Discuss this state-ment and offer some possible solutions to the problem of racial prejudice. 8 "The motion picture industry is threatening to destroy culture and tradition." Do you agree? 9 "Too much money is spent on sport when it could be used to t o help the poor." What are your views on this issue? 10 What are the advantages and disadvantages of our ever-increasing use of computer technology? 3 Match the following beginnings 1-3 and endings A,B,C. Then, say which technique has been used in each. Refer each. Refer to beginning and ending discursive essays.  essays.   1 You may live in i n a comfortable house in a clean neighbourhood with all the amenities. You would probably not be so lucky in one of the cities where urban growth has been allowed to get completely out of control. This problem is i s virtually destroying a number of large cities, particularly in developing countries, and a solution must be found before it is too late. 2 "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" is the biblical phrase we use to refer to capital punishment, the killing of criminals in order to punish them for their crimes. But whether the neat balance suggested by the phrase is reflected by the th e actual practice is a moot point, and whether one human has the right to kill another in any circumstances remains a muchdebated question. 3 While most people agree that a woman has the right to work as a heavy-machine operator and a man to become a midwife, is i s this supposed open-mindedness being put into practice? There is plenty of evidence to suggest that work¬ers are still being judged by their gender and not by their skills, and this is a situation which needs to be dealt with. A On the whole, I believe b elieve that those cities suffering as a result of urban growth could solve their problems, given financial fi nancial support. Sadly, however, the chances of this thi s happening are slight, especially in developing countries. Should we not, therefore, be thinking about encouraging people to return to rural areas in order to shift shif t the balance of populations? B To sum up, gender should not be an issue in any work¬place, since a powerfully-built female is just as capable of hard manual labour as a kind ki nd and gentle male is of childcare. The only obstacles are those which exist in our own minds; as the American therapist Dr F. S. Perls once said, "We have to lose l ose our minds to come to our senses." C All in all, it is easy to understand the reasons behind the continued existence of capital punishment in a number of countries, in spite of this, however, I cannot personally condone it, since to my mind the act itself is simply legalised murder, the ultimate crime. 4 Read the two models and give reasons why model A is good and model B is bad. Refer bad.  Refer toUseful toUseful Tips.  Tips. 

 

"Money is not the most important thing in life." Discuss.** A) Money is certainly something which is often discussed in today's world. Hardly a day goes g oes by without the subject of money being bei ng raised in most people's lives. However, it is i s highly debatable whether it is more important than other considerations, such as health and happiness, which some people consider to be of greater significance. To begin with, it is often argued that having money enables people to exert influence over others. Wealthy businessmen, for example, are often the most highly respected members of society, and busi¬ness tycoons are often consulted by world leaders, who then make policies which affect the whole population. As a consequence, money can be seen as the single most important factor in daily life. Secondly, from the point of view of the individual, money is vital for survival. Western society is structured in such a way that, without money; people are deprived depri ved of the means to obtain proper nutrition and health care. Furthermore, in some cases where state benefits are inadequate, the inability to pay heating bills can indeed become a matter of life and death. This is clearly illustrated by the fact that, according to Social Services, the majority of deaths due to hypothermia each winter occur among low-income groups. On the other hand, many people claim that one of the factors in which is undoubtedly of greater importance than money is health. Izaak Walton said, health is "a blessing bl essing that money cannot buy.” What is more, money is of little consolation to those th ose who are suffering from health problems. Despite the fact that money can pay for the best medical care available, this is no guarantee of a longer life. li fe. In addition, most people would agree that personal happiness easily outweighs money in importance. Even if an individual extremely rich, this does not necessarily lead to happiness. In some cases, the contrary is true and vast wealth brings with it i t a whole range of problems and insecurities. Genuine happiness cannot be bought and is usually independent of financial status. On the whole, although there are those who would rank money the single most important thing in life, the vast majority would disagree. Money, they argue, has an important part to play but perhaps the world would be a more harmonious place to live in i n if this were kept in proportion and society put more emphasis on moral issues. B) In recent years life has greatly improved. The standard of living li ving is higher and all people can afford to buy things they couldn't in i n the past. I truly believe beli eve that life today is better and many things make people happy. To begin with, unless people are healthy; a person's life is unbearable and not worth living. When my father was seriously ill in hospital, I clearly remember how nothing else mattered to any of us, and we then th en learnt that the people we love l ove are more important than money. Then there's the question of your boyfriend or girlfriend. I don't think it matters if they're rich - although it would be nice! What more important is whether you see eye to eye. I once went out with a really rich guy bi we didn't get on and I finished with him. This shows that money isn't everything. Also, statistics show that different people can be unhappy. Rich people can be just as unhappy as poor people. So why do some people peopl e always say that money is everything? I know they're wrong to think that. Money can't buy happiness. But it's nice to live li ve a life of luxury. l uxury. Why take the bus when you can take a taxi? And why not send your children to the best schools and pay for the th e best doctors? There's no doubt about it, it's a good feeling being rich and powerful. So, money is great - while it lasts! But you can't beat having a good time. So if you've got money, make the most of it and if you're happy, enjoy yourself.

 

Works consulted Taken from "Successful Writing Proficiency" by Virginia Vi rginia Evans

Practical Exercises On The Topic Formal Style 1 Read the following excerpts and find examples of each of the features f eatures of formal and informal style listed in the table above.  above.  EXCERPT A A matter of considerable controversy at present is the issue of whether works of art should remain in their country of origin, or rather the owners of such works should be allowed to sell them to collectors abroad, thus depriving the country's population of a vital part of its cultural heritage. Strong arguments exist in support of both sides of this thi s debate, which implies that it is i s worth examining both points of view before reaching any conclusions. Should such sales be permitted, it is argued that the country of origin would lose pieces of art which rightfully belong where they were created. In addition, works of art which were created to be viewed in a certain setting, or as part of a particular struc¬ture, lose a great deal of their artistic impact when removed from this context. Venus de Milo, an ancient statue of Aphrodite is a clear case in point: this conspicuous example of the Hellenistic sculptural tradition, carved in 150 BC and found on the Aegean island i sland of Melos in 1820, is is now decorating nothing more inspiring inspiring than a room at the Louvre Museum in i n Paris …  …  EXCERPT B People argue a lot nowadays about whether or not works of art from one country should be sold to another, don't think they should be. If they are then the people in the country of origin lose out on the chance to see stuff that really belongs to them. This just isn't right. It's a problem, too, when you see works of art in the wrong place. I mean the Parthenon friezes look boring the way they show them in i n the British Museum. That's just not where they belong. But if you could see them on the Parthenon, they'd look great…  great…   Works consulted Taken from "Successful Writing Proficiency" by Virginia Vi rginia Evans

Beginning And Ending Discursive Essays In the first paragraph, you paragraph, you should state the topic and/or your opinion, and you may include one or more of the following f ollowing techniques. • Make reference to an unusual or striking idea/scene/situation e.g. idea/scene/situation e.g. Imagine millions of people coming home from school or work every day to sit staring at a wall for four hours. • Address the reader directly e.g. directly e.g. You may think this is an exaggeration. and/or ask a rhetorical question. e.g. Have you ever wondered what the world would be like li ke without cars?

 

• Start with a quotation or thought-provokin thought-provoking g statement, statement, e.g. "Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn't have in your home." David Frost once said. In the last paragraph, you should state your opinion and/or give a balanced consideration of the topic, and you may include one or more of the following techniques. • Finish with a quotation quotation   • Ask a rhetorical question  question  • Give the reader something to consider e.g. consider e.g. Perhaps then people will re-discover what It is like to actually communicate with each other. Works consulted Taken from "Successful Writing Proficiency" by Virginia Vi rginia Evans

Focus Focus  is the Feature of Effective Writing that answers the question “So What?” An effective Focus piece of writing establishes a single focus and focus and sustains that focus throughout the piece. Just as a photographer needs to focus on a particular subject to produce a clear picture, a writer needs to focus on a single topic or main idea in order to produce an effective piece of writing. But finding a focus means more than just knowing what to photograph or write about. Good photographers also think about what they want their photograph to communicate. This affects their decisions about how to frame their subject in the shot, and whether to zoom in for a closeup or zoom out for a wide angle shot. Similarly, writers must think about what their topic should communicate. For a newspaper reporter, for example, finding a focus for a story means finding an “angle,” a perspective from which to tell the story. Focus, therefore, involves more than just knowing what your story is about, but understanding why you are writing it in the first fi rst place. Without a clear focus, students’ stories, reports, and essays degenerate into lists of loosely related events or facts with wi th no central idea to hold them together, leaving l eaving the reader to ask “So what?” By establishing a clear focus before they start to write, students can craft their writing into a coherent, unified whole. Finding a focus helps students find the significance signi ficance in their stories, the message that they want to convey to their audience, their reason for writing. Establishing a clear focus also helps readers understand the point of the piece of writing. Readers don’t want to read a mishmosh of unrelated ideas; they read r ead to learn something new, to be surprised, to gain a new insight on an old idea, to view something from a new perspective or angle. Focus is also the critical feature that drives all the other features. Focus determines what choices the writer makes about everything from organizational structure to elaborative details to word choice, sentence length, and punctuation. At the same time, effective writers take advantage of the appropriate supporting features to strengthen the focus of their writing. Finding focus: before writing and during revision  revision  A critical factor in establishing a focus is setting a goal. Studies by writing researchers show

 

that goal-setting is an important element of planning for mature adult writers (Bereiter and Scardamalia, 1987; Hayes and Flower, 1980). Bereiter and Scardamalia found that immature writers engaged in little goal-directed planning before they wrote. Instead, most of their planning occurred on the fly while whil e they were writing, using a “what next?” strategy to write the next sentence. Rather than viewing their text as a whole, immature writers focused on localized, surface-level revisions that did little to improve the quality of the text. Bereiter and Scardamalia characterized this immature writing process as a linear l inear  “knowledge-telling”  “knowledgetelling” process. For mature writers, however, planning and revising were goalgoal directed, recursive activities that occurred at a global level throughout the writing process. As a result, for mature writers, writing becomes a “knowledge“knowledge-transforming” process that not only improves the quality of their writing, writi ng, but also moves them toward greater understanding of their topic. The time for students to think about focus, therefore, is before they begin to write, during the prewriting phase of the writing process. Critical to establishing a focus is knowing your audience. Who will read the piece of writing, and why? What will readers know or expect when they sit down to read? Author Katie Wood Ray suggests that students not only need to know what they are going to write about; they also need to be able to envision a range of possible roles, audiences, and forms for their writing. This ability to envision multiple possibilities requires exposure to a wide range of genres by a wide range of authors. Students can also use expressive writing, such as journal writing, personal experience narratives, and other forms of exploratory writing, to explore and experiment with different perspectives that will help them find their focus. Strategies such as RAFTS (Role, Audience, Form, Task, Strong verb) can help students find their focus before they begin b egin writing. Guiding questions for focus  focus  Although it is important for students to think about focus before they begin writing, focus can also be strengthened through thoughtful revision. Students and teachers can use these guiding questions during revision conferences to strengthen the focus of their writing. 1. What is the most important point in your piece? 2. Does the piece stay focused on the most important topic or the main event? 3. Are there any ideas or events in your story that do not strengthen the main focus? References  References  Bereiter, C., & Bereiter, C., & Scardamalia, M. (1987). The psychology of written composition. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Hayes, J., & Flower, L. (1980). “Identifying the organization of writing processes.” In L. W. Gregg & E. R. Steinberg (Eds.), Cognitive processes in writing (pp. 3-30). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Ray, Katie Wood. (1999). Wondrous Words: Writers and Writing in the Elementary Classroom. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.

Thesis

 

Here you will learn what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can discover or refine one for your draft. Introduction   Introduction Writing in university or college often takes the form of persuasion— persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you'll make in the rest of your paper. top What is a thesis statement?  statement?  A thesis statement: • tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion. • is a road map map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper. • directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel. • makes a claim that others might dispute. dispute.   • is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic l ogic of your interpretation. If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor i nstructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely li kely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. How do I get a thesis?  thesis?  A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing thi ng you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think thi nk about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a "working thesis," a basic or main idea, an argument that you think you can support with evidence but that may need adjustment along the way. Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thei r thinking and to help them clarify

 

relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. How do I know if my thesis is strong?  strong?   If there's time to get some feedback, consult your teacher. Even if you do not have time ti me to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following: • Do I answer the question? Re Re-reading -reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. • Have I taken a position positi on that others might might challenge or oppose?If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it's possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument. • Is my thesis statement specific enough?  enough?   Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like "good" or "successful," see if you could be more specific: why is something "good"; what specifically makes something "success "successful"? ful"? • Does my thesis pass the "So what what?" ?" test? If a reader's first response is, "So what?" then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue. • Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It's o.k. to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in i n the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary. • Does my thesis pass the "how "h ow and why?" test? If a reader's first response is "how?" or "why?" your thesis may be too open-ended and lack l ack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on 19th-century America, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: Compare and contrast the reasons why the North and South fought the Civil War. You War.  You turn on the computer and type out the following: The North and South fought the Civil War for many reasons, some of which were the same and some different. different.   This weak thesis restates the question without providing any additional information. You will expand on this new information in the body of the essay, but it is important that the t he reader know where you are heading. A reader of this weak thesis might think, "What reasons? How are they the same? How are they different?" Ask yourself these same questions and begin to compare Northern and Southern attitudes (perhaps you first think, "The South believed slavery was right, and the North thought slavery was wrong"). Now, push pu sh your comparison toward an interpretation— interpretation—why did one side think slavery was right and the other side think it was wrong? You look again at the evidence, and you decide that you are going to argue that the North believed slavery was immoral while the South believed it upheld the Southern way of life. You write:

 

While both sides fought the Civil War over the issue of slavery, the North fought for moral reasons while the South fought to preserve its own institutions.  institutions.   Now you have a working thesis! Included in this working thesis is a reason for the war and some idea of how the two sides disagreed over this reason. As you write the essay, you will probably begin to characterize these differences more precisely, and your working thesis may start to seem too vague. Maybe you decide that both sides fought for moral reasons, and that they just focused on different moral issues. i ssues. You end up revising the working thesis into a final thesis that really captures the argument in your paper: While both Northerners and Southerners believed they fought against tyranny and oppression, Northerners focused on the oppression of slaves while Southerners defended their own right to self-government.  self-government.  Compare this to the original weak thesis. This final thesis presents a way of interpreting interpreting evidence  evidence that illuminates the significance of the question. Keep in mind that this is one of many possible interpretations of the Civil War —it is not the one and only right answer to the question. There question.  There isn't one right answer; there are only strong and weak thesis statements and strong and weak uses of evidence. Let's look at another example. Suppose your y our literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain's novel Huckleberry Finn. "This Finn. "This will be easy," you think. "I loved Huckleberry Finn!" You grab a pad of paper and write: Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.  novel.  Why is this thesis weak? Think about what the reader would expect from the essay that follows: you will most likely provide a general, appreciative summary of Twain's novel. The question did not ask you to summarize; it asked you to analyze. Your professor is probably not interested in your opinion of the novel; instead, she wants you to think about whyit's such a great novel— novel—what do Huck's adventures tell us about life, about America, about coming of age, about race relations, etc.? First, the question asks you to pick an aspect of the novel that you think is i s important to its structure or meaning— meaning —for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write: In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.  shore.  Here's a working thesis with potential: you have highlighted an important i mportant aspect of the novel for investigation; however, it's still not clear what your analysis anal ysis will reveal. Your reader is intrigued, but is still thinking, "So what? What's the point of this contrast? What does it signify?" Perhaps you are not sure yet, either. That's fine— fine—begin to work on comparing scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, li sts, jot down Huck's actions and reactions. Eventually you will be able to clarify for yourself, and

 

then for the reader, why this contrast matters. After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write: Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain's Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave "civilized" society and go back to nature.  nature.   This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary l iterary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation. Works consulted "Academic Writing" by Macmillan Publishing "Successful Writing Proficiency" by Virginia Evans

Paragraph Structure Paragraphs The manner in which you present your material is vital. As you know, an essay (or any academic text) is built up around paragraphs. They help the reader understand the organization of your essay and grasp its main points. A paragraph is a series of sentences that are organized and coherent, and are all related to a single topic. The main rule is: i s:

One paragraph= one new point in your argument Furthermore, each paragraph typically contains a three-part structure: 1. Introduction Introduction:: including a topic sentence and transition words 2. Body Body:: discussing the main thesis, using various forms of evidence 3. Conclusion Conclusion:: commenting and drawing connections

Paragraphs principles  

Each paragraph paragraph should contain one new point in your overall thesis

 

Each paragraph paragraph should be able to stand on its own and have its it s own internal structure Each paragraph paragraph should state its purpose early on, in the form of a topic t opic sentence

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Try extracting the first line from your essay paragraphs and see if you can follow your main line of argument. If you can’t, they your essay is not so easy to follow as you might want it to be. (Of course, not every argument has to be organized this way. But try to look up a few articles ar ticles in some “serious” newspapers: you will find this structure widely used!)  used!) 

 

The reason why paragraphs should be “headlined” with reference to the overall argument is to keep that argument in the reader’s mind, thereby making it easier for them to see t he relevance of the rest of the paragraph. This way, the reader doesn’t lose track, and neither do you.

 

Let the thesis decide how your arguments should be organized, not chronology! (Neither with literary texts nor “real” history).  history). 

 

Paragraphs Paragra phs should be visually separated by either line li ne shift or indents. Not both.

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Connecting paragraphs Ideally, paragraphs should be well connected to each other. Order your paragraphs so that each one follows logically on from the previous one. To make this logic more obvious, you can use transition words (or “connectors”), so that the paragraphs flow better and the reader is always kept on track. The easiest way of doing this thi s is by using words like similarly, likewise, by the same token, yet, nevertheless, however, etc. Or, you may use longer phrases such as “It is ironic, therefore, that…….” or “Although less obvious, an equally important point here is the fact that…..”   Works consulted "Successful Writing Proficiency" by Virginia Evans "Academic Writing" by Macmillan Publishing

Overall Structure The plan below helps to explain the overall structure.  structure.  STRUCTURE 1.  Introduction Introduction (the  (the subject or topic,problem, etc. Comments on the th e way it is to be treated). 2.  Main part (analysis,argument,reasoning part (analysis,argument,reasoning and discussion (advantages and disadvantages): 1 main idea (+examples, details); 2 main idea (+examples, details); 3 etc. 1.  Conclusion (summary (summary of the main points in MAIN PART. Own views/opinions and decisions). INTRODUCTION  INTRODUCTION  An important step in the process of writing an essay (report, project) is the introduction. The introduction, especially the introductory paragraph, is important for a number of

 

i ntroduce the subject, perhaps with a definition reasons. If it is clearly constructed, it will introduce and indicate the structure of the essay by giving givi ng an overview of the content in sequence. Works consulted "Successful Writing Proficiency" by Virginia Evans "Academic Writing" by Macmillan Publishing

Common Essay Mistakes Using colloquial language  Using  language  You should not use: not use: -short forms  forms (e.g. I'm, It’s) except when these are part of a quotation  quotation  -colloquial expressions, phrasal verbs, idioms  idioms  (e.g. lots of, put up with, be over the moon about…)  about…)   - simplistic vocabulary  vocabulary (e.g. Experts say they think this is bad….)  bad….)   - a series of short sentences (e.g. sentences (e.g. Many people think so. They are wrong.) - simple linking words (e.g. words (e.g. and, but, so) except for variety - use very emotional language  language (e.g. I absolutely detest people who…)  who…)   - express personal opinions too strongly  strongly (e.g. I know…); instead, use milder expressions (e.g. It seems to me that…)  that…)   - use over-generalisatio over-generalisation n (e.g. All politicians are…)  are…)  - refer blindly to statistics without accurate reference to their source (e.g. source  (e.g. "A recent study showed…" - which study?) - use cliches (e.g. cliches (e.g. Rome was not built in a day.) - use personal examples  examples (e.g. In my school…)  school…)   Works consulted "Successful Writing Proficiency" by Virginia Evans

The Six Steps Of The Writing Wri ting Process

The six steps of the writing process  process  Read about the writing process. These are the steps you will practice in this course. Process writing  writing  When we write, we do more than just put words together to make sentences. Good writers go through several steps to produce a piece of writing. Pre-writing   Pre-writing STEP ONE: ONE: Choose a topic. Before you write, your teacher gives you a specific assignment or some ideas of what to write about. If not, choose your topic yourself.

STEP TWO: TWO: Gather ideas. When you have a topic, t opic, think about what you will write about that topic.

 

THREE: Organise. Decide which of the ideas you want to use and where you want to STEP THREE: use them. Choose which idea to talk about first, fi rst, which to talk about next, and which to talk about last. Drafting  Drafting  STEP FOUR : Write. Write your paragraph or essay from start to finish. fini sh. Use your notes about your ideas and organisation. Reviewing and revising  revising  STEP FIVE: Review FIVE: Review structure and content. Check what you have written. Read your writing silently to yourself or aloud, perhaps to a friend. Look for places where you can add more information, and check to see if you have any unnecessary information. Ask a groupmate to exchange texts with you. Your classmate reads your text, and you read his or hers. Getting Gett ing a reader's opinion is a good way to know if i f your writing is clear and effective. Learning to give opinions about other people's writing helps you to improve your own. You may want to go on to step six now and revise the structure and content of your text te xt before you proofread it. Rewriting STEP SIX:  SIX:  Revise structure and content. Use your ideas from step five to rewrite your text, making improvements to the structure and content. You might need to explain something more clearly, or add more details. You may even need to change your organisation so that your text is more logical. Together, steps five and six can be called editing. Proofread. Read your text again. This time, check your spelling and grammar and think about the words you have chosen to use. Make final corrections. Check that you have corrected the errors you discovered in steps five and six and make any other changes you want to make. Now your text is finished! Steps five and six can be repeated many times.  times.   Works consulted Taken from "Academic Writing" by Macmillan Publishing

Linking Words And Phrases Personal opinion:

To list advantages and disadvantages:

In my opinion/view, To my mind, To my way of thinking, I am convinced that, It strikes me that, It is my firm belief that, I am inclined to believe that, It seems to me that. As far as I am concerned, I think that the economic recession of the previous decade was foreseeable.   One advantage of, Another advantage of, One other advantage of, A further advantage of, The main advantage of, The greatest advantage of. The first advantage of riding a motorbike in a large metropolis is that of not getting caught in major congestion .

 

To list points:

Firstly, First of all, In the first place, Secondly, Thirdly, Finally. To start/begin with, we have to address the inadequacies within the education system before we can tackle unemployment fully.  

To add more  points to the same topic:

What is more, Furthermore, Apart from this/that, In addition (to this), Moreover, Besides (this),… not to mention the fact that your choice of career is a fundamental decision which will influence the rest of your life.  Not only is your choice of career a fundamental decision, but it is also one that will influence the rest of your life.Your choice of career is both a fundamental decision and something that will influence the rest of your life.

To refer to other sources:

With reference to, According to the latest scientific research, the use of mobile phones can be damaging to one's health in the long run.

To emphasise a  point:

Indeed, Naturally, Clearly, Obviously, Of course, Needless to say, sa y, the scheme was hound to fail due to insufficient funds.

To give examples:

For instance, For example, by establishing day-care centres across the country, working mothers can he encouraged en couraged to resume their careers. By  providing incentives such as, like day-care centres working mothers are encouraged to resume their careers. If working mothers are to resume their careers then the provision of incentives particularly, in particular, especially day-care centres is essential.

To state other  people's opinion:

It is popularly believed that, People often claim that, It is often alleged that, Some people argue that, Many argue that, Most people feel that, Some people point out that wealth will bring happiness. Contrary to  popular belief, wealth does not necessarily bring happiness.

To conclude:

Finally, Lastly, All in all, Taking everything ever ything into account/consideration, On the whole, All things considered, In conclusion, On balance, For the above mentioned reasons, Therefore I feel that, To sum up, it is unlikely that there will be peace in all the countries of the world concurrentl concurrently. y.

Summarising:

In short, Briefly. To put it briefly, his performance on stage was fantastic!

Works consulted Taken from "Successful Writing Proficiency" by Virginia Vi rginia Evans