1. THE ESSAY From the French ‘essai’ - attempt
English ‘assay’ – ‘try’ or ‘to weigh’

2. An effective essay has…
RELEVANCE The essay answers the question(s) that prompted it.
ORGANIZATION The essay has a distinct and recognizable beginning, middle, and end.  The ideas are presented in a specifically chosen order and flow smoothly together.  
FOCUS Does the essay have one clearly articulated focus? 
The thesis statement should clearly state the focus of the essay.
Every paragraph in the essay should explain and develop the thesis statement.

3. Typical Essay Outline:
Introductory Paragraph:
grab attention
state thesis (often, not always)
Body Paragraphs:
build points
develop ideas
support main claims
Concluding Paragraph:
restate thesis
leave reader with something to think about

4. WHERE DO I START ?!? Define the purpose of your essay: To inform?
To persuade?
To evaluate?
**A comparative essay still has the same basic purpose as a regular essay**

5. Go ‘text-hunting’ AND/OR use the notes that you already have

6. Make sure to answer:
BE SPECIFIC IN YOUR EXAMPLES

7. Now you are almost ready to write….
…but there are still a few things to keep in mind…

8. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE What do they know?
What are their values and beliefs?
What motivates them?
HOW WILL YOU APPEAL TO THEM?

9. LOGOS – no NOT the product kind
Logos refers to the soundness of the argument
Facts, statistics, examples, and authoritative statements
Supporting evidence must be: unified, specific, sufficient, and accurate

10. PATHOS Sensitivity, the emotional appeal of the language
Appeals to audience needs, values, attitudes
Encourages them to commit to a viewpoint or a course of action

11. ETHOS The establishment of credibility and integrity of the writer
Convince readers that you know what you are talking about
Logical argument that takes opposing viewpoints into account

12. Plan, Plan, Plan. Logical order. Transitions
Plan, Plan, Plan! Logical order? Transitions? Does it all connect back to the thesis?

13. First Impressions…
Your introduction is your only chance to make a first impression
Open with a general/catchy statement that will interest your audience – convince them to spend some time with you
Introduce the topic (and the texts)
Create a ‘road map’ of your argument/essay – what to expect
Have a specific thesis –a clear position
HINT: This paragraph should be rewritten at least once after you finish the first draft of your essay

14. International news International news
BODY PARAGRAPH OPTION #1: BLOCK METHOD:discuss everything relevant about one topic before moving on to the next topic
EX) Comparing two newspapers:
Paragraph A: Toronto Sun Paragraph B: National Post B: National Post
International news International news
National news National news
Local news Local news

15. OPTION #2) Point by point method: alternating from one aspect of the first subject to the same aspect of the next subject
EXAMPLE:
Paragraph 1) Everything about local
a) Sun’s local news
b) Post’s local news
Paragraph 2) Everything about national
a) Sun’s national
b) Post’s national (etc. for p3)

16. HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE CONCLUSION
DO:
Implicitly restate your thesis
Emphasize the importance of your topic by placing it in a larger context (SYNTHESIZE key points)
Offer suggestions for the future based on what you have argued
DO NOT:
Introduce new material OR leave the reader feeling that something is missing

17. EDIT, EDIT, EDIT!
Decide what your thesis is. Is there a way that you can state your main idea more clearly?
Make sure that you have included specific proof and clear explanations – does each piece of evidence connect back to the thesis?
Look at how you have organized the paper. Do you make strong connections between the points that you are making in your essay?
If you haven't drawn a clear correlation between your points, you may need to rearrange them, revise your materials, or substitute better evidence to support your thesis.
Check all your quotations to make sure each supports your thesis and that you have properly used signal phrases, indentations (necessary for longer quotations), and citations in parentheses (MLA style). SEAMLESS QUOTE INTEGRATION.

18. THIS IS NOT TRUE!

19. Good luck!