LA 9 Common Terms #15-27 are Essay Related Add bolded/underlined words to your handout

15. Essay: A piece of writing that gives your thoughts (commentary) about a subject and supports your assertion with fact. All essays will have an introductory paragraph, body paragraph(s), and a concluding paragraph.

16. Paragraph: a part of a piece of writing that usually deals with one subject, that begins on a new line, and that is made up of one or more sentences.

17. Body Paragraph: Middle paragraph(s) in the essay. Each body paragraph will develop a point that supports your thesis.

18. Concrete Details (CD): Specific details that form the backbone or core of your body paragraphs; they support the point you are trying to make in the paragraph. Synonyms for concrete detail include: facts, specifics, examples, descriptions, illustrations, support, proof, evidence, quotations, paraphrasing, or plot references.

19. Commentary (CM): Your opinion or comment about something; not concrete detail. Synonyms include: opinion, insight, analysis, interpretation, inference, personal response, feelings, evaluation, explication, explanation, and reflection.

20. Introduction (introductory paragraph): The first paragraph in an essay. It introduces the general topic and narrows the reader’s focus to the thesis (the specific topic) at the end of this paragraph.

21. Conclusion (concluding paragraph): The last paragraph in your essay. It may sum up your ideas, reflect on what you said in your essay, say more commentary about your subject, or give a personal statement about the subject. Your conclusion is all commentary and does not include concrete detail. It does not repeat key words from your paper and especially not from your thesis and introductory paragraph. It gives a finished feeling to your whole essay—a way for the reader to connect the knowledge you have imparted to them to their own life.

22. Concluding Sentence (CS): The last sentence in a body paragraph. It is all commentary, does not repeat key words, and gives a finished feeling to the paragraph.

23. Topic Sentence (TS): The first sentence in a body paragraph. This must have a subject and opinion (commentary) for the paragraph. It does the same thing for the body paragraph that the thesis does for the whole essay— tells the reader what this paragraph is about.

24. Thesis: A sentence with subject and opinion (also called commentary). This comes somewhere in your introductory paragraph, most often at the end. It tells the reader what your essay will be about.

25. Hook: A hook sentence is a sentence in the first paragraph of a piece of writing which "hooks" or grabs the reader’s attention into reading more.

26. TLQ Transition is a word or two to transition from one idea to another (also, in addition, hence, etc.). Link – explain who is speaking or thinking in the quote and what is happening in the story/poem/text. Quote is evidence from the text with a citation (this is the source; where you obtained your quote from).

27. Chunk: It is the smallest unified group of thoughts you can write. In English class it is one sentence of concrete detail (CD) and two sentences of commentary (CM)

Steps in the Writing Process Brainstorm or think of ideas

Steps in the Writing Process Brainstorm or think of ideas Pre-write or put ideas on paper

Steps in the Writing Process Brainstorm or think of ideas Pre-write or put ideas on paper Draft- put best ideas into sentences and put similar sentences into paragraphs

Steps in the Writing Process Brainstorm or think of ideas Pre-write or put ideas on paper Draft- put best ideas into sentences and put similar sentences into paragraphs Revise- make sentences more interesting and clear and improve paragraph order

Steps in the Writing Process Brainstorm or think of ideas Pre-write or put ideas on paper Draft- put best ideas into sentences and put similar sentences into paragraphs Revise- make sentences more interesting and clear and improve paragraph order Edit- Fix Spelling and Grammar

Steps in the Writing Process Brainstorm or think of ideas Pre-write or put ideas on paper Draft- put best ideas into sentences and put similar sentences into paragraphs Revise- make sentences more interesting and clear and improve paragraph order Edit- Fix Spelling and Grammar Publish- Type and Turn-in

Self-assessment Which step of the 6 steps in the Writing Process seems like it will be like the easiest for you? Why? Which step will be the most difficult? Why?