ESSAY STRUCTURE By: Kristina Yegoryan

WHAT IS AN ESSAY? The word “essay” means “to try.” An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. It is a short piece of non-fiction: an editorial, a feature story or a critical study. It differs from the article as in the essay the pleasure of reading takes precedence over the information in the text!

THE ORIGINE of ESSAY The term was first used during the Renaissance ( 16th century) by Michel Montaigne who attempted to “assay” (weight) his thoughts on human perception. 17 th Cent. Age of Enlightenment: Essays were a favored tool of polemicists who aimed at convincing readers of their position 18th, 19th Cent: Essays were written for a general public 20th Cent: Some used essay to explain the new movement in art ( T.S. Eliot) and some used for literary criticism (v. Woolf, Charles du Bos)

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF Academic ESSAY WRITING ? Essay writing shows critical thinking and ability to express one’s thoughts in writing. Writing an academic essay means fashioning a coherent set of ideas into an argument.

What To Remember When Writing an Essay Organization and Structure (academic essays have the 5 paragraph base- structure: Introduction, 3 Main Body Paragraphs, and Conclusion) Author’s voice (the essayist) You do not need to use “I” when stating your arguments or opinion- your essay/ your writing does present your voice and your argument/opinion “Voice is the essayist most proper but most dangerous and delicate tool” (Virgina Woolf, British author)

What To Remember When Writing an Essay Implied audience/reader : Encoding (writer’s purpose) vs Decoding (reader’s interpretation) of the information in the essay “ The reader of an essay is called on to join in the making of the meaning” Rhetorical appeals: Ethos, Pathos, Logos (by Aristotle) Watch this video for understanding Rhetorical appeals: http://www.wimp.com/teachpersuasion/ (What Aristotle and Joshua Bell teach us about Persuasion)

The Main Essay Types are: Narrative ( to tell a story/incident) Expository (to explain or acquaint with something) Exemplification (brings in many examples to support a choice/argument) Cause and Effect Descriptive Definition Compare and Contrast Persuasive/ Argumentative (prove a point)

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF IN-CLASS ESSAY? At times it is difficult to test a student’s knowledge with multiple-choice tests. Essay writing shows: Student’s interpretation Critical thinking Projection/expression of ideas Writing skills

A ESSAY STRUCTURE B C ESSAY MAN CONCLUSION INTRODUCTION THESIS (Argument + A, B, and C supports) A BODY B C CONCLUSION

Have you ever had an interest in self defense Have you ever had an interest in self defense? Karate is martial art and a way of fighting and self-defense based on an understanding of both body and mind. As a college student, I discovered tae kwon do. Even though I was physically fit and planned to become a police officer, I thought that women needed special skills to protect themselves. Karate teaches these skills and more. The person who practices karate gains discipline, maturity, and a changed self-concept. First, the discipline of karate helps the student to outfight and outsmart her opponent. For a while, I didn’t appreciate the discipline. We had to practice every night in class and also commit to a rigid exercise plan outside of class. We also had to be disciplined in our study of the course materials. Second, with practice, karate increases maturity. Although maturity sometimes comes with age, it can also come with experience. Maturity is something that I thought I had developed until I started my karate classes, and I realized that I have a hot temper and often jump to conclusions. Finally, after a year or so, karate can change the student’s self-concept. This happened to me. On one hand, I became confident that I had the skills to take care of business if necessary. On the other hand, the better I got, the more I started to act like a pussycat instead of a lion. Inside I knew that I had nothing to prove to anybody. As I discovered firsthand, the practice of karate can bring personal benefits that go far beyond self-defense. I know that my own maturity, discipline, and sense of self have been enhanced through my involvement in this martial art. Imagine the benefits that practicing karate could possibly bring to your own life. Chances are that there classes are being offered in your local community right now. What are you waiting for? Sign-up today. Adapted from the following book: Fawcett, Susan and Alvin Sandberg. Grassroots with Readings. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. Print.

INTRODUCTION 1. Attention Getter / Hook 2. Definition/ Depiction Use any of these hook strategies: Rhetorical question General statement Very specific statement Fact or a startling statistics, or a quote 2. Definition/ Depiction 3. The Twist (However,…) 4. Explanation 5. Thesis Statement

THESIS STATEMEMT It is the main idea of the whole essay It conveys the argument of the writer and introduces the support (s) that are later developed in the Body paragraph. Ex: The person who practices karate gains discipline, maturity, and a changed self-concept.

In any of the Body paragraphs include: Discipline Maturity Changed Self-Concept BODY A BODY B BODY C In any of the Body paragraphs include: An academic/ scholarly source to support the writers claim: ( an example, quote, statistic facts) A personal example relevant to the topic/claim developed in that paragraph

REFUTE PARAGRAPH Refutation paragraph (or concession paragraph) is found only in the body part of argumentative essays or argument research papers. It strengthens the ethos (writer’s credibility) and the argumentative paper by showing the audience that the writer considered both sides of the argument and acknowledges the opposite/ counter opinion (side). It also allows to re-establish the writers position in the light of the opposite side.

Refute Paragraph Acknowledge parts of the opposition that are valid Acknowledge that some of the opposition’s claims may be valid, but still show that the writer’s (your) own claims are stronger. Explain the opposition’s weakest points, contrasting them with your argument

Parts of Refute Paragraph Introduce the Opposing Argument Summarize the opponent’s viewpoint honestly. You may start with: It is often argued that…. It is true that… Opposing views claim that... Acknowledge some of the valid parts of opposition Explain the weakest points contrasting with your argument You may start with: Admittedly,… Certainly,… One cannot deny that… At the same time…

Parts of Refute Paragraph Counter the Argument Introduce the rebuttal of the concession argument, refute the opposition claim showing they are incorrect or inconsequential. You may start with: However, Nevertheless, On the other hand,… But… Introduce the Conclusion Summarize why the counter argument is not a sufficient solution You may start with: Thus,… Therefore,… As a result,…

CONCLUSION 1. Summary sentence (General statement –going back to Introduction) 2. Restatement of Thesis (re-saying your argument (Ex. Since A, B, and C + your argument) 3. “Call for action” ( a suggestion/advice what to do)

TANK YOU for YOUR Attention! Let’s try to structure a sample essay! Watch the 3 min Ted Speech on Secrets of Success and THINK about your 3 secrets of success before you structure a 5 paragraph academic essay! http://ed.ted.com/on/Zyl6wymX