The Essay Dun, dun, dun….

The Formal Essay The formal essay applies a thesis to a text(s). It is, generally speaking, a character or theme study. Every piece of analysis develops some aspect of the thesis. The focus is on your ideas, not you; therefore, use only the third person pronoun “one”. DO NOT write “I”, “me”, or “my”.

What is a thesis? Good question… A thesis is the central organizing idea of your essay. Start with an effective thesis, and the plan of your essay will often follow naturally. It is vitally important that you understand the difference between a topic and a thesis. A topic is simply a subject. A thesis is a subject with an argument attached.

Topic: Hamlet and Horatio. Thesis: “Although Hamlet admires Horatio’s stoic temperament and values his companionship, Hamlet’s temperament is more heroic.” Topic: Learning a foreign language. Thesis: “The best way to learn a foreign language is through active practice and immersion among native speakers.” Examples:

Body Paragraph 2 Body Paragraph 3 The Keyhole Method to Writing an Essay Introduction Conclusion Body Paragraph 1

Begin broad  End Narrow Start off with a hook (a quotation or a statement) that has nothing to do with the text your essay will focus on. Your hook should be 1-3 sentences and should introduce your reader to the topic. Then…make a link between your topic and the text. Next…state your 3 arguments (3 separate sentences  Either your 3 effects OR your 3 causes.) Conclude your introduction with your thesis statement. Introduction

Body Paragraphs The SEEC paragraph: Statement- topic sentence which outlines what you will develop in the paragraph (must support your thesis). Example- the evidence. Explanation- discuss your evidence’s importance or impact. Concluding Sentence- wrap up. Summarize your remarks or make reference back to the topic sentence or thesis. Note: You may want to include more examples and more explanation depending on length requirements/analysis of integral points In a 5 paragraph essay you will have 3 SEEC body paragraphs. All three paragraphs are proving the thesis stated in your introduction.

Body Paragraph Order Body Paragraph #1- Stronger Body Paragraph #2- Strong Body Paragraph #3- Strongest You want to make a good first and last impression!

Conclusion Restate your thesis in different words. Summarize your three arguments. Finally, leave the reader with something to think about. Avoid asking a series of rhetorical questions.

Introducing Quotations For your essay you will be incorporating quotations. Therefore your SEEC paragraph will become a SEQEC paragraph (statement, example, quotation, explanation, concluding sentence).

The Technical Part of Your Essay Give your essay an interesting and suggestive title. Number your pages. Follow standard format for first page. Follow standard format for citation of secondary sources and works cited page.

MLA Documentation This is serious stuff… Even though you will only be using one text for this essay (Macbeth) you must cite it and include a formal Works Cited page.

NO Title Page! While fascinating, we DO NOT need to see another picture of Macbeth OR a bloody dagger. Your first page should look like this…

Harrington 1 Christian Harrington (Your name) Wayne Sproule (Mr. Harrington) EDUC (ENG3U1) 14 April 2009 (Due date) Lessening Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents (Creative title) Numerous psychological studies have been completed that illustrate the positive correlation between body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms in adolescents, especially in females. In many of these studies it was found that adolescents ’ perceived body image and stage of development have a stronger influence on their body dissatisfaction than their actual body size, suggesting the power of psychological processes. Similarly …

Other things to remember: Everything double spaced, and in 12 point font. 1 inch margins all around. Again, NO title page. When stating the text’s name italicize it. Indent the first line of your paragraphs (use the tab key on your computer’s keyboard). Use internal citations after introducing quotations. Example: “…essay writing is awesome” (Harrington 14).

Researchers ensured the types of tests used had high validity and that re-tests were conducted 3 days after the original interviews were given to ensure accuracy in responses (Stice 441). Despite all of these precautions, sample responses still relied almost entirely on how adolescents perceived themselves. How students ’ perceive themselves in relation to others has a profound affect on their educational experience. If students perceive themselves negatively, they are less likely to make positive peer relationships and perform well in school. Programs have been devised to help students improve or prevent negative self-perceptions. Three different types of programs can be implemented to test adolescent depression prevention methods: universal, selective and indicated. Indicated programs involve individuals that show “ mild to moderate signs or symptoms of a disorder ” (Shochet 303).