Essay Models

1. Finding your topic: Where do you stand? Suppose the subject of your essay is The French Revolution. You could start by creating phrases that begin with the words why or how. How the French Revolution began Why the French Revolution collapsed into despotism How the French Revolution influenced revolutionary movements elsewhere.

If the subject of your essay is Nuclear Power, potential topics might be Why nuclear power has proved popular as a source of energy for every generation. How nuclear power compares with other forms of energy generation in terms of cost, environmental impact and social adaptability. How nuclear power technology has developed over the last twenty years.

Some examples of THESIS STATEMENTS

A flame will cause a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen to react explosively and to form water. EVIDENCE: -In an experiment a flame was applied to a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen and the reaction was noted. (supported by an explanation of the experiment process)

(I) The policy of apartheid in South Africa was unsustainable, given the actions of the government sustaining it.

In the last two centuries, political revolutions have always come about as a result of the government making and then removing concessions to a rebellious social or political group. [EVIDENCE: list of examples] (IIa) Create a CONNECTED ARGUMENT:

(IIb) The South African government acted in exactly this way in the 1960s and 1970s, making and then withdrawing concessions to the majority population. [EVIDENCE: list of examples]

(IIc) Therefore, given these events and their similarity to events in other revolutions, the end of the apartheid system in South Africa can be seen to be inevitable.

Some examples of arguments claiming that STHG IS TRUE Rats that have had their adrenal glands removed become less aggressive. Regular ingestion of aspirin has been shown to lower the risk of heart attacks. “Gravitational lensing” is a previously unknown phenomenon that bends light in the presence of strong gravitational fields.

Some examples of arguments claiming that STHG SHOULD HAPPEN The United States should lower the minimum age of alcohol consumption. The rights of women should be strengthened in countries where they have traditionally been weak. Capital punishment is unacceptable in any civilized society.

Some examples of EVALUATIVE CLAIMS Threats to order and its reaffirmation are at the centre of the tragic use of myth. Mass education nearly always acts to reduce social inequalities. Human psychology relies more on categories of perceived need than on observed drives.

SPEAKING vs. WRITING (i) Natural Universal: almost everybody knows how to do it Social Spontaneous Speaking is local. We speak using our local dialect, using local pronunciation and vocabulary, which contributes to our sense of identity. Artificial Only those with access to education can do it. Solitary Can be planned and edited before the reader sees it. Writing is global. It needs to be understood by people with many dialects: it therefore uses standardized forms of grammar, spelling, punctuation and vocabulary, all of which make writing less personal.

Speaking vs. Writing (ii) Speakers use visual and vocal techniques to support their words: Voice (volume, pitch, pace) and Body language (eyes, gestures, posture) Writers substitute: Verbal stylistic devices for vocal inflections: rhythm, rhyme, figures of speech and Formatting (the physical layout of the text on the page or screen) to substitute for body language.

Speaking vs. Writing (iii) Speakers pause and emphasize. Speakers can see the effect of their speaking immediately; listeners can gesture, interrupt, question and comment. Writers punctuate. Writers cannot usually see the immediate effect of their writing.

Speaking vs. Writing (iv) Speakers can heck their listener’s understanding. Speakers can repeat or adapt what they say to increase understanding. Writers need to guess, research or assume their audience’s knowledge, values, beliefs and interests. Writers have only one chance to communicate.

Speaking vs. Writing (v) Speech is usually informal, digressive and repetitive. Speakers use simpler sentences and a limited range of connectors: usually and and but. Writing more formal and compact. It progresses more logically and sequentially. Writers use more complex sentences with more complex connectors: however, therefore, although, if, consequently, in addition…

Writing is less personal than speaking. The way we speak denotes who we are. Writing is essentially impersonal. The tension between the personal and the impersonal is felt when writing an essay.