1. Essays – Reading and Writing Review Models for Writers Honors Language and Composition

2. Every essay should have:  Thesis – Main or controlling idea Usually one or two sentences Everything else in the essay MUST relate back to the thesis How to form one? Ask the question you are trying to answer in your essay and then try to answer in 1-2 sentences

3. Thesis, continued  Thesis statement should be: The most important point you make about your topic More general than what you present as evidence/support Focused throughout your essay

4. Unity  Requires that EVERY element – sentences, paragraphs, essay are all related to the main idea  Asides or comments unrelated to the thesis weaken the writing

5. Organization  Pattern should be related to purpose Example: If you are persuading someone that the Flyers are better than the Devils, you may do compare and contrast.  If you are describing a typical day at CHS, you may want to organize chronologically

6. Organization  Make sure that you have logical transitions between paragraphs  Check your organization by making an outline. Does it follow an order? Chronological Spatial (describing person, place, thing) Logical (general to specific, most important to least important, etc.)

7. Beginnings  Should grab reader’s interest  Developing the “lead” takes effort Anecdote Analogy/comparison Dialogue/quotation Facts/statistics Irony/humor Short generalization

8. Beginnings  Leads, continued Startling claim Rhetorical question

9. Beginnings  Types to avoid: Apology Complaint Webster’s Dictionary Platitude (a trite/cliched remark made as if it’s important) Reference to a title (As you can see from my title…)

10. Endings  Must be more than just where the essay stops  Consider: Restating thesis Prediction recommendation

11. Paragraphs  MOST important unit of thought  Topic sentence states its main idea  It is unified and organized  Think of the paragraph as a compact or mini essay on its own

12. Transitions  Signals to indicate relationships among ideas and to join parts of essays  Transitional expressions Addition (and, again, also, further, etc.) Cause and Effect (therefore, thus, etc.) Concession (granted, of course, etc.) Contrast (but, however, yet, etc.) Example (for example, for instance)

13. Transitions, continued  Transitional expressions Place (elsewhere, beyond, nearby, etc.) Restatement (simply stated, that is, etc.) Sequence (first, second, next, etc.) Summary (in brief, in short, etc.) Time (later, earlier, soon, etc.)  Sometimes transitions just add clutter. Be careful with their usage!

14. Effective Sentences  Use variety by employing: Periodic and Loose Dramatically short Active and Passive Voice Subordination

15. Language of Essay/Style  Diction and tone Careful word choice Attitude toward subject  Figurative language Engages imagination Metaphor and simile – most common

16. Essay types  Illustration (p 295)  Narration (p 321)  Description (p 351)  Process Analysis (p 370)  Definition (p 391)  Division and Classification (p 408)  Comparison and Contrast (p 433)

17. Essay types  Cause and Effect (p 462)  Argument (p 484)

18. Reading Effectively  Active reading – being alert  It is a SKILL  Get a context Author, background, title, notes, date, etc.

19. Reading Effectively  First reading for overview Ask your purpose for reading Visualize Ask questions Predict

20. Reading Effectively  Second reading for understanding Annotations help  Important statements  Key concepts  Responses  Unfamiliar words  A third reading may be necessary for some

21. Reading Assignment  Page 168-174 – William Zinsser’s “Simplicity” – very useful for “flufferizers”

22. Assignment  Review the Power Point Become familiar with elements  Choose one of the essay types  Read an essay within the chapter On a typed document:  Indicate which essay you read, who it’s by, what it’s about and why you read it.  Note how and why it falls into an essay “type”

23. Assignment, continued  Write your own essay of that particular type  Bring your draft to class on Thursday January 12 for peer editing. No essay, no points.  Final draft uploaded to turnitin.com by January 17, 2012  Reflection due after midterm exams