1. WRITING AN EFFECTIVE ESSAY
UWB
WRITING AN EFFECTIVE ESSAY
November 18
Ms Siti Fatimah Murtaza

2. Three main parts
I INTRODUCTION *General statement *Thesis statement II BODY *Topic sentence *Supporting details *Concluding sentence III CONCLUSION *Restatement or summary of the main points: final comment
Should have at least 3 paragraphs
November 18
Ms Siti Fatimah Murtaza

3. -to introduce the general topic of the essay.
General Statement:
-to introduce the general topic of the essay.
-to capture reader’s interest.
Thesis Statement:
-to state main idea of the essay (specific topic)
-to give a general idea of the contents of the essay
-normally the last sentence in the introductory paragraph.
The Body:
-consists of one or more paragraphs.
The Conclusion:
-conclude sentence in a paragraph
-summary/review of the main points discussed in the body.
November 18
Ms Siti Fatimah Murtaza

4. Example 1
When the first Europeans came to the North American continent, they encountered the completely new cultures of the Native American peoples of North America. Native Americans, who had highly developed cultures in many respects, must have been as curious about the strange European manners and customs as the European were curious about them. As always happened when two or more cultures come into contact, there was a cultural exchange. Native Americans adopted some of the Europeans’ ways, and the Europeans adopted some of their ways. As a result, Native Americans have made many valuable contributions to modern U.S. culture, particularly in the areas of language, art, food and government.
General Statement
Thesis Statement
November 18
Ms Siti Fatimah Murtaza

5. Characteristics of a good thesis statement
Most important sentences in the essay.
Introduce the topic of the essay as well as express an opinion/ideas.
The strongest and clearest statement in the essay.
Could be at the beginning of the essay –normally at the last line of the introduction.
Must be a complete sentence.
Should contain only ONE central idea.
November 18
Ms Siti Fatimah Murtaza

6. Topic Sentences & Supporting Details
All paragraphs have a topic sentence, supporting sentences and some paragraphs also have a concluding sentence.
Topic sentence
-states main idea of the paragraph. (complete sentence)
-limits to the topic to one specific area that can be discussed completely in the space of a single paragraph.
-usually written at the first sentence in a paragraph. (but not always)
-contains both a topic and a controlling idea.
For an example:
Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics.
subject
verb
Controlling idea
Topic
November 18
Ms Siti Fatimah Murtaza

7. Supporting sentences/details -develop the topic sentence
-explain/give more information
For an example:
Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics.
First of all, a gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. For examples, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was made 25 centuries ago. Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits.
Topic
Supporting sentences
November 18
Ms Siti Fatimah Murtaza