The Essay

What is an essay? Origin of the word: Essai (French) An essay is a short work, treating a topic from the author’s point of view. Work of Non-Fiction The author may include personal experiences and reflections. It is an attempt at something Sharing an idea Proving and justifying that idea

Informal vs. Formal Written in formal English. (No contractions) Contains a logical and orderly presentation of evidence (facts, statistics and quotations) Stay objective  your argument must be based on facts instead of feelings and personal experiences Must have an introduction, a body and a conclusion Points may be more personal to the author. The author will share his personal views, ideas and feelings rather than staying objective. Ideas must, however, be justifiable. An informal essay does not necessarily share the same structure as a formal essay.

Editorial Essay Combination of fact and opinion Written in a less formal style than the formal essay… but more formal than the informal essay. In between Formal and Informal They can involve satire. Tone can range from serious to light hearted. Example: Metrosexual is out faster than you can say bling-bling

Goal The goal of any essay is to present a point to an audience, and convincing them it is the best or the only option by justifying your ideas. You can argue almost anything… as long as you can provide arguments to support your thesis. Using valid secondary sources, you may reinforce your ideas.

Structure Like any text, an essay contains an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. In the introduction, the idea will be briefly presented, as well as the thesis statement. In the body, the points will be presented once again, this time with information to back it up. In the conclusion, a brief recap of the text will be presented, as well as the author’s opinion.

Strategies for an effective introduction Answer a question. Use a quotation to present your thesis. Describe an example of what you’re trying to prove. Write your introduction last. Be straight forward and confident Don’t say “In this essay I will talk about”… just do it!

Paragraphing 1 paragraph = 1 idea Introductory paragraph You want to engage the reader in your essay. Say what your paper is about. Body Topic sentence Everything that follows the topic sentence in the paragraph should develop the topic sentence’s point. Closing Paragraph You want to leave the reader convinced and inspired.

Transitional sentences Transitions are the sentences or words that allow readers to follow the flow of your argument. A few examples… Time after, before, currently, during, earlier, immediately, later, now, then Contrast but, however, in spite of, nevertheless, nonetheless, in contrast, on the contrary, yet Sequence first, second, third, ... next, then, finally Similarity also, in the same way, just as, likewise, Example for example, for instance, namely, specifically, to illustrate Position Above, adjacent, below, beyond, here, in front, in back, nearby, there Additional Evidence additionally, again, also, and, as well, besides, equally important, further, then, furthermore, in addition, Conclusion finally, in a word, in brief, in conclusion, in the end, in the final analysis, on the whole, thus, to conclude, to summarize, in summary

Voice Voice is the way your writing 'sounds' on the page. It has to do with the way you write, the tone you take - friendly, formal, chatty, distant -the words you choose - everyday words or high-brow language - the pattern of your sentences, and the way these things fit in - or not - with the personality of the narrator character and the style of your story.

#1 Rule… Justify what you’re saying!! Examples Facts Quotes No matter what you say… tell me WHY and/or HOW you know this.

Questions…