Essay Writing—The Formula Essay writing is simply a process of writing where you organize information. It is an easy format of writing because it follows a specific formula.

Essay Writing The purpose of an essay is to effectively argue a particular thesis. In this sense, a thesis is a proposition put forward for the purposes of the essay that is then supported through argument. The combination of putting this thesis forward and effectively supporting it is the art of essay writing. A good essay has a clear thesis from which the rest of the essay flows.

Organizing Information In an essay you are using the best information that you have to prove that a thesis is true. Organize your information into coherent paragraphs.

A Method Gather your best information. Put similar ideas together. These “chunks” of information become your main body.

The Introductory Paragraph Funnel Analogy Broad to narrow Introduce the general topic and move toward your thesis.

The Introductory Paragraph Your first sentence will introduce the broadest aspect of your topic. You may start with a quote or a profound observation related to your topic. You must name the text you are writing about and the author, and provide context. Each sentence moves you closer to your most narrow topic : your thesis. The thesis statement is usually near the end of your introductory paragraph

The Introductory Paragraph In the novel, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, written by Ken Kesey, a group of troubled men in a mental health facility are given their individuality and manhood back, when an unlikely hero is admitted to the hospital Then you would provide specific information to lead to your thesis. Sample 1 2

The Main Body This is where you use your best evidence to prove that your thesis is true. You refer to events and incidents to support your thesis. You should use direct quotations to support your thesis. Everything you write should be clearly connected to the thesis of your essay. CTT

The Main Body Your First Main Point Generally speaking, it is a good idea to use your strongest point (argument) in the second paragraph of your essay. Usually at the end of the paragraph you write a sentence that connect this argument to your thesis. CTT

The Main Body The first sentence of all of the rest of your main body paragraphs provide a transition from the previous point to your next point. Then follow the same formula: make a point that support your thesis. Use your text to support your argument. Be sure to make a clear CTT. Move to your next point.

Using Quotes 1. Introduce your quotations. A quotation should never suddenly appear out of nowhere. Some kind of information about the quotation is needed. Name the author, give his or her credentials, name the source, give a summary. You won't do all of these each time, but you should usually name the author. For example: a. But John Jones disagrees with this point, saying, "Such a product would not sell." b. In an article in Time Fred Jackson writes that frogs vary in the degree of shyness they exhibit: "The arboreal tree frogs seem to be especially. . . ." 2. Discuss your quotations. Do not quote someone and then leave the words hanging as if they were self explanatory. What does the quotation mean and how does it help establish the point you are making? What is your interpretation or opinion of it? Quotations are like examples: discuss them to show how they fit in with your thesis and with the ideas you are presenting. Remember: quotations support or illustrate your own points. They are not substitutes for your ideas and they do not stand by themselves. It is often useful to apply some interpretive phrasing after a quotation, to show the reader that the you are explaining the quotation and that it supports your argument: Here we see that , This statement shows Clearly, then, We can conclude from this that ,This tells us that ,From this we can understand that 3. Use some variety in introducing quotations. A. Pick the quotation verb which seems in each case to fit your purpose most exactly. For example: In this essay Green tells us, "Hope increases courage." Note that the particular verb you choose helps orient your reader toward your opinion of the statement. "Jones says" is neutral; "Jones informs us" is positive, "Jones alleges" is somewhat negative. Other verbs to choose from include: say, writes, observe, notes ,remarks ,adds ,declares , informs us , alleges ,claims ,states ,comments ,thinks ,affirms asserts ,explains, argues

THE CONCLUSION Make the end of your essay count. End with a profound bang Do not “fizzle out!”

The Concluding Paragraph You have worked hard to write a great essay. Don’t leave your reader with a bad last impression. Draw your final conclusions—make sure you CTT as you conclude.

The Concluding Paragraph COMMON MISTAKES: Starting a new topic. Making a main body argument. NOT concluding the actual topic you have just written about.