THE ESSAY From the French ‘essai’ - attempt English ‘assay’ – ‘try’ or ‘to weigh’

An effective essay has… RELEVANCE The essay answers the question(s) that prompted it.   ORGANIZATION The essay has a distinct and recognizable beginning, middle, and end.  The ideas are presented in a specifically chosen order and flow smoothly together.   FOCUS Does the essay have one clearly articulated focus?  The thesis statement should clearly state the focus of the essay. Every paragraph in the essay should explain and develop the thesis statement.

Typical Essay Outline: Introductory Paragraph: grab attention state thesis (often, not always) Body Paragraphs: build points develop ideas support main claims Concluding Paragraph: restate thesis leave reader with something to think about

WHERE DO I START ?!? Define the purpose of your essay: To inform? To persuade? To evaluate? **A comparative essay still has the same basic purpose as a regular essay**

Go ‘text-hunting’ AND/OR use the notes that you already have

Make sure to answer: BE SPECIFIC IN YOUR EXAMPLES

Now you are almost ready to write…. …but there are still a few things to keep in mind…

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE What do they know? What are their values and beliefs? What motivates them? HOW WILL YOU APPEAL TO THEM?

LOGOS – no NOT the product kind Logos refers to the soundness of the argument Facts, statistics, examples, and authoritative statements Supporting evidence must be: unified, specific, sufficient, and accurate

PATHOS Sensitivity, the emotional appeal of the language Appeals to audience needs, values, attitudes Encourages them to commit to a viewpoint or a course of action

ETHOS The establishment of credibility and integrity of the writer Convince readers that you know what you are talking about Logical argument that takes opposing viewpoints into account

Plan, Plan, Plan. Logical order. Transitions Plan, Plan, Plan! Logical order? Transitions? Does it all connect back to the thesis?

First Impressions… Your introduction is your only chance to make a first impression Open with a general/catchy statement that will interest your audience – convince them to spend some time with you Introduce the topic (and the texts) Create a ‘road map’ of your argument/essay – what to expect Have a specific thesis –a clear position HINT: This paragraph should be rewritten at least once after you finish the first draft of your essay

International news International news BODY PARAGRAPH OPTION #1: BLOCK METHOD:discuss everything relevant about one topic before moving on to the next topic EX) Comparing two newspapers: Paragraph A: Toronto Sun Paragraph B: National Post B: National Post International news International news National news National news Local news Local news

OPTION #2) Point by point method: alternating from one aspect of the first subject to the same aspect of the next subject EXAMPLE: Paragraph 1) Everything about local a) Sun’s local news b) Post’s local news Paragraph 2) Everything about national a) Sun’s national b) Post’s national (etc. for p3)

HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE CONCLUSION DO: Implicitly restate your thesis Emphasize the importance of your topic by placing it in a larger context (SYNTHESIZE key points) Offer suggestions for the future based on what you have argued DO NOT: Introduce new material OR leave the reader feeling that something is missing

EDIT, EDIT, EDIT! Decide what your thesis is. Is there a way that you can state your main idea more clearly? Make sure that you have included specific proof and clear explanations – does each piece of evidence connect back to the thesis? Look at how you have organized the paper. Do you make strong connections between the points that you are making in your essay? If you haven't drawn a clear correlation between your points, you may need to rearrange them, revise your materials, or substitute better evidence to support your thesis. Check all your quotations to make sure each supports your thesis and that you have properly used signal phrases, indentations (necessary for longer quotations), and citations in parentheses (MLA style). SEAMLESS QUOTE INTEGRATION.

THIS IS NOT TRUE!

Good luck!