Essay Writing Basics for Seniors How to succeed in high school English essay and beyond Writing for Success in English Class: Essay Writing Basics for Senior Students

Form: What Kind of Essay am I Writing? Most essays assigned in senior high- school and college are of the expository or argumentative kind. These essays are meant to explain or prove- with supporting examples and evidence- facts, ideas and opinions. Expository and argumentative essays can collectively be called academic essays.

Purpose: Know What your Task Is If you are responding to a question, break it down into smaller parts Understand the ‘language of test questions’ from analyze to discuss, argue to defend Understanding the question will give you your purpose and help develop your thesis statement

Audience: What Level of Language Should I Use? Remember how you say things changes depending on for whom you are writing You need to adjust diction (word choice) tone, and style accordingly Unless otherwise stated, assume that your audience is your teacher/professor Be enlightened and educated, but avoid using language that is beyond your comfort level/understanding

Audience: What Level of Language Should I Use? Style Matters! It refers to the way you express yourself: your voice. Voice is manipulated by diction (word choice) Voice is manipulated by syntax (sentence length and complexity) Use short sentences for emphasis Complex sentences for closely related ideas Link words and transitional sentences to show changes in the direction of your ideas Understand How semicolons, colons, commas and periods work!

Pre-Writing Phase Take time to gather and write your thoughts: it’s important to have a plan! For in-class essays, you can work from just an outline, cluster or web For take-home essays, it is necessary to write a rough draft and revise and edit

Structure: Hamburgers and Hourglasses Every academic essay will be arranged in three parts: –Introduction –Body –Conclusion

Standard Essay Form Introduction Moves from broad to specific, narrows to thesis statement Body 1-3 (sometimes more) paragraphs of development, which support the thesis with examples or evidence Conclusion Moves from specific to broad: restates the thesis, summarizes the body, and clincher may suggest larger implications of your thesis

The Introduction Introduces the reader to  the name of the literary work and author  the broad subject under discussion  The limited subject the essay will explore (the thesis statement)  The plan or approach you will use

The Introduction An effective introduction moves from the general to the specific: –A broad subject narrows to a limited focus –A controlling idea breaks down into subtopics

The Thesis Statement By simply rephrasing most essay questions and taking a position on them, you can construct a thesis statement It is your opinion on or attitude towards the subject It gives a hint as to the direction you will take the essay In senior English, it should be challenging the opinion of others

The Introduction: Hints for a Persuasive Essay Introduction Do not start will your thesis or point You are speaking to those who need convincing, so open with a universal truth on the matter- one that even the most cynical of critics would have to conceed Then, build with logical transitions to the end of the introduction where BAM! You hit the reader with your thesis By this time, she will be inclined to read on

The Body The Meat and Cheese of the essay introduces subtopics each developed in paragraph form with: A one sentence opener A transitional word/phrase to connect the subtopic with the introduction Support in the form of examples, quotes, or other evidence A closing statement

The Conclusion Includes: A brief summing up to review the main points covered in the body Reinforcing of the controlling idea- the thesis established in the introduction Expand on the thesis; suggest a broader application of the issues discussed in the subtopics A clincher statement that reinforces the thesis in a forceful, memorable and thought-provoking way

The Conclusion A forceful conclusion moves from the specific to the general: –A review of the subtopics reinforces the controlling idea –A broader application of the controlling idea clinches the argument

How Essays are Evaluated Form/Organization: – is there coherence (a logical flow of ideas and support for these ideas)? –is there unity (focus on one subject and its related subtopics)? Content/Understanding –Quite simply: do you know the material? Style –Is the writing appropriate for the audience? –Are the ideas presented in a unique and ‘fresh’ way?

Style Points! Choose words carefully: be precise and accurate Use vivid verbs: they give your writing energy Chop deadwood: cut repetitive wording Reword awkward spots during revision Vary sentence construction (lengths and patterns)

Style Points! Don’t get personal: –Be formal by avoiding the first and second- person pronouns (“I”, “me”, “us”, “our”) –Steer clear of contractions (“isn’t”) –Use an impersonal or objective style to refer to “the reader” or “the audience”

Style Points! Avoid –Clichés (expressions that are too familiar) –Jargon (language that is too specialized) –Mixed metaphors (expressions that are confusing because they mix two or more images) –Pompous wording (less is usually more)