The Essay

Terms to Know Introduction – the first paragraph of an essay; includes attention-getter (hook), necessary information, and thesis statement. Thesis Statement – the main idea of the essay. Should be written as one sentence in the form of a statement. Topic Sentence – the first sentence of a body paragraph; introduces the focus of the body paragraph. Works Cited Page - A list of the sources you used in your paper, alphabetized and with complete bibliographic information.

Terms to Know Conclusion – the last paragraph of an essay; includes a modified thesis and a clincher or challenge to the reader. Parenthetical Citations – Material included in parentheses within your paper to identify your source Direct Quotation - Using your source’s exact words, in quotation marks Paraphrase - Using a source’s idea (not words) in a shortened format Plagiarism - Presenting the work done by someone else as if it’s your own

Types of Essays Argumentative/Persuasive – requires you to win over your reader to your way of thinking. Compare/Contrast - Compare and contrast essays are used to examine two or more subjects and the similarities and/or differences between them. Literary Analysis - Literary analysis papers focus on the analysis of a literary work. Reflective/Narrative - To share something you have read, learned, written, or experienced, and how it has affected your life.

Writing Process Steps Pre-writing Organizing Drafting Revising and Editing Handing in a Final Copy

1. Pre-Writing Pre-writing literally means, “before writing.” Before you actually begin writing your essay, you will need to do the following things: Choose a topic to write on Brainstorm or generate ideas for your topic Focus on central ideas

2. Organizing Making an outline can help you organize what you want to write. This is a rough plan for your essay and can help make the process of writing much easier.

Essay Outline Introduction Thesis: _____________________ Body 1. Topic Sentence: _____________ - concrete detail - commentary 2. Topic Sentence: ____________ - concrete detail - commentary 3. Topic Sentence: ____________ - commentary Conclusion

Reflective/Narrative Essay Outline Reflective Essays can vary greatly in number of paragraphs and organization. Many reflective essays are organized in the following way: I. Introduction II. Event, Situation, or Experience III. Result IV. Effect on Your Life, outlook on life, or view of humanity V. Conclusion

3. Drafting Don’t worry about writing the ‘perfect’ paper the first time. Don’t focus on spelling and grammar as you write your rough draft. You can check this later in the writing process.

4. Revising and Editing Revision Editing Content (Title, Author, Quotes) Organization Spelling Grammar Punctuation Parenthetical Citations

5. The Final Copy Word-processed All new paragraphs indented 5 spaces The last step is turning in your essay to be graded. Look at the guidelines below for turning in the final draft of your essay. Word-processed All new paragraphs indented 5 spaces Double-spaced, 12 inch font, Times New Roman or Arial One-inch margins on all sides

Thesis – Main Idea of the Essay Your thesis should consist of a topic and limiting ideas. It should never be a question. It should never be the first sentence in your essay. The thesis is the answer to a question that seems important to you.

Thesis Examples For example, what characteristic traits make it possible for Montresor to be successful with his revenge? What characteristic traits make Fortunato an easy target? Fortunato makes himself an easy target because he is ________________, _________________ and ___________________. Montresor successfully accomplishes his revenge against Fortunato because he is _______________________, _____________________ and ____________________.

Introduction - ANT Attention-Getter: First sentence or two should be an attention-getter. There are multiple ways to make up an attention- getter. (We will discuss this on the next slide). Necessary information: Necessary information includes: Author’s full name Title of the story Brief plot summary Thesis: The last sentence of your introduction should be your thesis.

Attention-Getter Include startling or interesting facts Provide a vivid, detailed description Ask or pose a question Present an anecdote (a short narrative of an interesting incident) Begin with a quotation Definition

GMOD’s – Grammar Mistakes of Death Never write in second person (you, your, etc.) Never use contractions Never write in first person unless writing a reflective/narrative essay. Always write in present tense. Always use transitional words and phrases. Ex. First, . . . Then, . . . In addition, . . .

Conclusion Strategy Reword your thesis. Tie all your points together. Echo your introduction and body paragraphs. What were your main points? Then in 1-3 sentences, tell your reader the significance or importance of the ideas you have been analyzing. Warning: do not use you. Clincher: Try to end your paper with a short sentence that reinforces your point in the paper.

Sample Conclusion Thus, Fortunato aided in his own murder because of his pride and foolishness. His unwillingness to let someone else taste the Amontillado led straight to his death. Additionally, his costume of a court jester was a perfect symbol for his foolishness. Undoubtedly, there is no ego great enough, no cask of Amontillado valuable enough to abandon one’s wisdom.