Reading and Writing Essays Chapter 9 – Reading and Writing Essays © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Opening Activity Throughout your academic career, you will have to write a number of essays. Reflect on that, and then discuss the following questions: What types of essays have you written in the past? Which essay was your favorite, and why? © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Learning Outcomes By the time you finish reading and studying this chapter, you should be able to: LO1 Understand essays. LO2 Read and respond to essays (identify the main parts and outline the essay). LO3 Plan an essay. LO4 Write the first draft. LO5 Revise the writing. LO6 Edit the writing. schab, 2014/Used under license from Shutterstock.com © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Understanding Essays Essays may be longer, but just like paragraphs, they can be broken into manageable chunks. Paragraph Structure Essay Structure Topic Sentence Names the topic and focus Introduction Introduces the topic Provides background information Identifies the thesis Body Sentences Provide supporting details Follow a pattern of organization Body Paragraphs Supports or develops the main idea or thesis Follows one or more patterns of organization Closing Sentence Wraps up the paragraph Conclusion Summarizes the key ideas Restates the main idea or thesis Provides final thoughts or analysis © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Understanding Essays Although essays and paragraphs are similar, they have some key differences. Paragraphs Paragraphs are built from sentences. A paragraph opens with a topic sentence and ends with a closing sentence. The topic sentence establishes the focus of the paragraph by identifying the topic and expressing a special idea or feeling about it. Body sentences support the topic sentence through details. The closing sentence brings the paragraph to a logical end. Essays Essays are built from paragraphs. An essay begins with an opening paragraph and ends with a closing paragraph. The opening paragraph establishes the focus of the essay in a thesis. Middle paragraphs support the thesis statement through main points (in topic sentences) and details. The closing paragraph brings the essay to a logical end and is called the conclusion. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Understanding Essays The three basic types of essays each serve a different writing purpose. Narrative Essays Recreate real or imagined experiences Argument Essays Use reason and logic to convince readers of a certain position, belief, or conclusion Expository Essays (or Informational Writing) Inform readers about a certain topic © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Reading and Responding to Essays To understand an essay, identify its main parts: Opening Is usually the first paragraph Generally contains background information, the topic, and the thesis statement Middle Is constructed to support the thesis statement Includes topic sentences that identify key supporting points Contains common supporting points, such as reasons, facts and statistics, examples, and explanations Closing Restates, reinforces, or sums up the thesis statement Can include more than one closing thought © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Reading and Responding to Essays Creating an outline will help you keep track of important parts of your essay. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Planning An Essay Planning your essay requires the following steps: Choosing a Topic Forming a Thesis Statement Gathering and Organizing Support © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Planning An Essay As the controlling idea of your essay, your thesis statement should include: © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Writing the First Draft Refer to your plan to help you write your first draft. Use the following opening strategies to help you start your essay in an interesting way. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Writing the First Draft Make an important final impression. Consider closing your essay with one of the following strategies. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Elena Elisseeva, 2014/Used under license from Shutterstock.com

© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Revising the Writing Improve your writing by: Revising to make sure you include transition words between paragraphs (see Table 9.1) Using a revising checklist, like the one included below © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Editing the Writing Edit the revised draft of your writing by checking for spelling, grammar, and usage. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Closing Activity Practice the steps of planning an essay: 1. What is your stance on an issue currently being discussed in the news. To clarify your thoughts, discuss what you know with a classmate. 2. Create a thesis statement that reflects your position. 3. Create a simplified outline of an essay that supports your thesis statement. 4. Check to make sure your thesis statement is clear and that you have a logical order for your outline. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Skumer, 2014/Used under license from Shutterstock.com