Chapter 14 The Process of Writing an Essay

An essay is a group of paragraphs about one subject. An essay is like a paragraph in longer, fuller form: Both have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Both explain one main, or controlling, idea with details, facts, and examples. An essay is not just a padded paragraph, however. An essay is longer because it contains more ideas.

The paragraphs in an essay are part of a larger whole, so each one has a special purpose: The introductory paragraph opens the essay and tries to catch the reader’s interest. It usually contains a thesis statement, one sentence that states the main idea of the entire essay. The body of an essay consists of one, two, three, or more paragraphs, each one making a different point about the main idea. The conclusion brings the essay to a close. It might be a sentence or a paragraph long.

The steps in the essay-writing process: Narrow the topic Write the thesis statement Generate ideas for the body Organize ideas in an outline Order paragraphs Link paragraphs Write the first draft Revise and proofread Write final draft and proofread

Narrow the Topic The essay writer usually starts with a broad subject and then narrows it to a manageable size. An essay is longer than a paragraph and gives the writer more room to develop ideas. The best essays, like the best paragraphs, are often quite specific.

Write the Thesis Statement The thesis statement—like the topic sentence in a paragraph—further focuses the narrowed subject because it must clearly state, in sentence form, the writer’s controlling idea—the main point, opinion, or angle that the rest of the essay will support and discuss. Replace vague words with more exact words and replace vague ideas with more exact information. If a subject naturally has two, three, or four divisions, stating these in the thesis can set up an outline for your entire essay. Avoid a heavy-handed thesis statement that announces, “Now I will write about…” or “This essay will discuss.…”

Generate Ideas for the Body The body of the essay must fully support and discuss the thesis statement. In composing the thesis statement, the writer should already have given some thought to what the body will contain. Now she or he uses one or more prewriting methods to generate ideas for the body: Brainstorming Freewriting Clustering Asking questions

Generate Ideas for the Body To get enough material to flesh out an essay, many writers brainstorm or freewrite on paper or on the computer screen—jotting down any ideas that develop the thesis statement, including main ideas, specific details, and examples, all jumbled together. Only after creating a long list do they go back over it, drop any ideas that do not support the thesis statement, and then group ideas that might go together in body paragraphs.

Organize Ideas in an Outline Many writers make an outline before they write an essay. Because an essay is longer, more complex, and harder to control than a paragraph, an outline helps the writer stay on track and saves time later. The outline should include the following: Two to four main ideas to support the thesis statement Two to four topic sentences stating these ideas A plan for each paragraph in the body A logical order in which to present paragraphs

Order Paragraphs An essay, like a paragraph, should have coherence. The paragraphs in an essay should be arranged in a clear, logical order and should follow one another like links in a chain. It is important that the paragraphs in your outline, and later in your essay, follow a logical order. The rule for writers is this: Use your common sense and plan ahead. Do not leave the order of your paragraphs to chance.

Order Paragraphs The types of order often used in single paragraphs—time order, space order, and order of importance—can sometimes be used to arrange paragraphs within an essay. Essays about subjects that can be broken into stages or steps, with each step discussed in one paragraph, should be arranged according to time. Space order can be used in descriptive essays. To save the most important or convincing paragraph for last, use order of importance. Or reverse this order and put the most important paragraph first. Very often the writer simply arranges paragraphs in whatever order makes sense in the particular essay.

Link Paragraphs The paragraphs within an essay should be clearly linked one to the next. Link the first sentence of each new paragraph to the thesis statement or to the paragraph before. Four ways to link paragraphs: Repeat key words or ideas from the thesis statement. Refer to words or ideas from the preceding paragraph. Use transitional expressions. Use transitional sentences.

Write the First Draft Write on every other line to leave room for later corrections Include all your ideas and paragraphs in the order you have chosen to present them. Explain your ideas fully. When you have finished your draft, set aside for several hours.

Revise and Proofread Read your first draft slowly and carefully to yourself. Underline trouble spots, draw arrows, and write in the margins to straighten out problems. Here are some questions to keep in mind as you revise: Is my thesis statement clear? Does the body of the essay fully support my thesis statement? Does the essay have unity; does every paragraph relate to the thesis statement? Does the essay have coherence; do the paragraphs follow a logical order? Are my topic sentences clear? Does each paragraph provide good details, well-chosen examples, and so on? Is the language exact, concise, and fresh? Are my sentences varied in length and type? Does the essay conclude, not just leave off?

Revise and Proofread Ask a peer reviewer—a trusted classmate or friend—to read your paper and give you feedback. This person should not rewrite or correct the essay but should tell you which parts are clear and which parts are confusing. Here are some questions to guide your peer reviewer: What do you like about this piece of writing? What seems to be the main point? Which parts could be improved (unclear sentences, supporting points missing, order mixed up, writing not lively, and so forth)? Please be specific. What one change would most improve this essay?

Revise and Proofread Carefully proofread the draft for grammar and spelling. Check for frequently made errors: verb errors, comma splices, and so forth. If you are unsure about the spelling of a word, check a dictionary or use the spell checker on your computer.

Write Final Draft and Proofread Neatly recopy your essay or print out a final copy on 8½-by-11-inch paper. Write on one side only. When you finish, proofread the final copy.

Suggested Topics for Essays Choose one of the following questions below and write a five-paragraph essay. Be sure to formulate strong thesis statements, topic sentences, supporting detail, and a concluding paragraph. Make sure to use your transitional device handout as a reference tool. A valuable discipline or practice A story of courage A lesson in diversity, race, or difference How to resolve a disagreement peacefully Three ways that a certain type of ads (for cigarettes, cereal, or toys, for example) “hook” people.

EXPLORING ONLINE http://www.powa.org Click “thesis/support essays” for a good review of the college essay-writing process.