1. Writing Academic Essays Structure & Genre

2. The Structure of an Essay Your essay should start with an introductory paragraph. There are actually many different ways to begin an essay; therefore, the format of the introductory paragraph is flexible. Often, essays begin with a general introductory statement. This statement could be an anecdote, description, striking statistic, a fact that will lead to your thesis, etc. Beginning this way, you will use the first few sentences to prepare, or "lay the groundwork" for your thesis, and use the last sentence of the first paragraph to present your thesis. However, your thesis statement can be anywhere in your introduction. In a longer essay, you can even wait to present your thesis until the second paragraph or later. Also for a longer essay, you should begin to introduce a few supporting ideas in the first couple of paragraphs. These supporting ideas should be the topics that you will discuss in full in your body paragraphs. For a short essay, presenting supporting ideas during the introduction is optional.

3. The Structure of an Essay (con.) Your second paragraph generally begins the body of the paper. (For a longer paper, the body of the paper may not begin until the third paragraph or later). This paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that introduces the first supporting idea (the support for your thesis). You should use the middle of the paragraph to discuss your support, give examples, and analyze the significance of these examples. Your last sentence of the body paragraph could be used to draw a conclusion for that supporting idea, or to transition into the next paragraph.

4. The Structure of an Essay (con.) Your next two body paragraphs should follow the same format as your first body paragraph. They should each have a separate topic sentence and supporting ideas, but the three paragraphs should work together to prove your thesis. If you are writing a longer paper, you will have more than three body paragraphs, but they should all follow this format.

5. The Structure of an Essay (con.) The form of your conclusion, like your introduction, is flexible. One good way to conclude a paper is to begin the last paragraph with a statement that reflects on what has been stated and proved, without repeating it exactly. Then you should briefly restate your key points to gently remind the reader how well you proved your thesis. Your conclusion should end with a statement or idea that leaves a strong impression and provokes further thought.

6. Genres Descriptive Extended definition Process Analysis Argumentative Cause/Effect Compare/Contrast Critical Narrative Problem/Solution

7. Descriptive Examples: A descriptive essay could describe... * a tree in my backyard; * a visit to the children's ward of a hospital; * a hot fudge sundae; * what an athlete did in order to make it to the Olympics. The descriptive essay provides details about how something looks, feels, tastes, smells, makes one feel, or sounds. It can also describe what something is, or how something happened. These essays generally use a lot of sensory details. The essay could be a list-like description that provides point by point details. Or, it could function as a story, keeping the reader interested in the plot and theme of the event described.

8. Extended Definition Examples: A definition essay may try and define... * the meaning of an abstract concept, like love; * the true meaning and importance of honesty; * how the meaning of family goes deeper than just your blood relatives. A definition essay attempts to define a specific term. It could try to pin down the meaning of a specific word, or define an abstract concept. The analysis goes deeper than a simple dictionary definition; it should attempt to explain why the term is defined as such. It could define the term directly, giving no information other than the explanation of the term. Or, it could imply the definition of the term, telling a story that requires the reader to infer the meaning.

9. Process Examples: A process essay may explain... * how to properly re-pot a plant; * how an individual came to appreciate hard work. A process essay describes how something is done. It generally explains actions that should be performed in a series. It can explain in detail how to accomplish a specific task, or it can show how an individual came to a certain personal awareness. The essay could be in the form of step- by-step instructions, or in story form, with the instructions/explanations subtly given along the way.

10. Argumentative Examples: An argumentative essay may persuade a reader that... * he or she should use public transportation instead of driving. * cats are better than dogs. An argumentative essay is one that attempts to persuade the reader to the writer's point of view. The writer can either be serious or funny, but always tries to convince the reader of the validity of his or her opinion. The essay may argue openly, or it may attempt to subtly persuade the reader by using irony or sarcasm.

11. Cause & Effect Examples:A cause/effect essay may explain... * why a volcano erupts, and what happens afterwards; * what happens after a loved one's death. The cause/effect essay explains why or how some event happened, and what resulted from the event. This essay is a study of the relationship between two or more events or experiences. The essay could discuss both causes and effects, or it could simply address one or the other. A cause essay usually discusses the reasons why something happened. An effect essay discusses what happens after a specific event or circumstance.

12. Cause & Effect (con.) The below example shows a cause essay, one that would explain how and why an event happened. If this cause essay were about a volcanic eruption, it might go something like: "Pressure and heat built up beneath the earth's surface; the effect of this was an enormous volcanic eruption." The next example shows an effect essay, one that would explain all the effects that happened after a specific event, like a volcanic eruption. If this effect essay were about a volcanic eruption again, it might go something like: "The eruption caused many terrible things to happen; it destroyed homes, forests, and polluted the atmosphere."

13. Compare/Contrast Examples: A compare/contrast essay may discuss... * the likenesses and differences between two places, like New York City and Los Angeles; * the similarities and differences between two religions, like Christianity and Judaism; * two people, like my brother and myself. The compare/contrast essay discusses the similarities and differences between two things, people, concepts, places, etc. The essay could be an unbiased discussion, or an attempt to convince the reader of the benefits of one thing, person, or concept. It could also be written simply to entertain the reader, or to arrive at an insight into human nature. The essay could discuss both similarities and differences, or it could just focus on one or the other. Acomparison essay usually discusses the similarities between two things, while the contrast essay discusses the differences.

14. Critical Examples: A critical essay may analyze... * how Shakespeare presents the character, Othello, in his play, Othello; * the strengths and weaknesses of the movie, Children of a Lesser God; * the use of color in Monet's painting, Sunflowers. A critical essay analyzes the strengths, weaknesses and methods of someone else's work. Generally these essays begin with a brief overview of the main points of the text, movie, or piece of art, followed by an analysis of the work's meaning. It should then discuss how well the author/creator accomplishes his/her goals and makes his/her points. A critical essay can be written about another essay, story, book, poem, movie, or work of art.

15. Narrative Examples:A narrative essay could tell of... * my brother's and my fishing trips; * a boring trip to the grocery store; * my near-death experience at the beach. The narrative essay tells a story. It can also be called a "short story." Generally the narrative essay is conversational in style, and tells of a personal experience. It is most commonly written in the first person (uses I). This essay could tell of a single, life-shaping event, or simply a mundane daily experience.

16. Problem/Solution Examples: A problem/solution essay may explain... * what caused the economic crisis and how we can solve it; * how to solve marriage problems. The problem/solution essay explains why or how some problem has occurred, and what resulted from the event, just like a cause/effect essay. This essay takes it one step further and proposes a relevant solution to the identified problem.

17. Relevant Genres In this class, our primary genre foci will be: Extended definition Argumentative Critical Process Analysis Problem/Solution