1. Essay #1: Your Goals as a Writer
English 85
Lisa Yanover

2. Essay #1: Overview Topic: Your goals as a writer in this course.
Length: 300 words minimum broken into three paragraphs (introduction, body, conclusion).
Format: MLA (see syllabus), typed, 2 copies due in class on the due date (see syllabus)
Objective of the assignment: to learn how to construct an essay and gain understanding of its elements and to reflect on your own goals for writing and this course.

3. Essay #1: Resources
Use the resources available to you during the whole writing process from prewriting to revision:
Consult your teacher for clarification of the assignment, including composition elements, or for feedback on what you’ve written. Primary modes: in class, in conference, by .
Consult your peers for feedback on your writing and confirmation of assignment guidelines. Primary mode: in class in peer review.
Consult the Writing Center instructors for assistance understanding composition elements, guidance with writing, and help improving grammar skills and overall clarity. Primary mode: in conference.

4. The Introduction: You, Your Topic, and Your Thesis Statement
The First Paragraph
The Introduction:
You,
Your Topic,
and
Your Thesis Statement

5. Step 1: Prewriting Brainstorm ideas: What kinds of writers are there?
List as many as you can think of.
For example:
Nervous writer
Imaginative writer
__________________

6. Step 2: Narrowing Your Topic
What kind of writer are you?
Choose the one kind of writer you think most describes you.
This is the first sentence of your essay.
For example:
I am a perfectionist writer.

7. Step 2: Other Styles of First Sentences
You might also try a first sentence, like the following:
As a writer, I am a perfectionist.
As a perfectionist writer, I worry all the time about whether my papers are good enough.

8. Step 2: Follow-up Explanation
There are almost endless possibilities for first sentences.
Make sure your first sentence shows who you are in style and content.
Remember, the title and first sentence create the reader’s first impression of you as a writer.

9. Step 3: Elaborating Now add to this paragraph.
Tell the reader something about the opening sentence.
For example:
Describe this kind of writer. What is being this kind of writer like? And, in particular, what is it like for you?
Discuss the advantages or benefits of being this kind of writer.
Discuss the disadvantages or difficulties of being this kind of writer.

10. Step 3: Follow-up Explanation
Remember, variety is not only the spice of life, it is the basis of good writing.
Don’t just answer questions using the same exact words and wording in the question.
Use the questions to guide your imagination and thinking. Then present your ideas, experiences, and descriptions in your own words and your own style.

11. Step 4: The Thesis Statement
End the first paragraph by presenting your Thesis Statement.
Definition: The Thesis Statement presents the essay’s main idea about the topic.
Focus the Thesis Statement on only one overall idea.
Make sure the Thesis Statement is just one sentence.

12. Step 4: Writing Your Thesis Statement
In Essay #1, the topic is your goals as a writer.
Focus your Thesis Statement on only one overall goal.
For example:
What kind of writer do you want to be? or
What do you want to accomplish as a writer by the end of this course?

13. Step 4: Follow-up Explanation
The Thesis Statement is a powerful and important sentence.
It is the focus of the entire essay.
It serves as a reminder to the writer of his or her purpose.
The Thesis Statement guides the reader to the writer’s purpose.

14. Body Paragraph: Supporting Your Thesis Statement

15. Step 5: The Topic Sentence
Begin the Body Paragraph by presenting a Topic Sentence
Definition: The Topic Sentence is the Thesis Statement of a Body Paragraph.
The Topic Sentence presents the main idea of the Body Paragraph.
It focuses on just one idea.
It relates to the Thesis Statement.

16. Step 5: Writing Your Topic Sentence
Because your Topic Sentence needs to relate to your Thesis Statement, first let’s review your Thesis Statement.
Your Thesis Statement presents your goal as a writer either the kind of writer you want to be or what you want to accomplish in English 85.
Focus your Topic Sentence on one overall method you will use to accomplish this goal.
For example:
I will take advantage of all the campus resources available to me.
I know I will need to develop good study habits.
_________________

17. Step 5: Follow-up Explanation
The Topic Sentence is general. It doesn’t present specific examples or details.
Remember, like the Thesis Statement, it focuses on just one idea.

18. Step 6: Support – the Planning Stage
Definition: Support presents relevant information about the Topic Sentence.
A Topic Sentence raises questions, things a reader needs to know in order to understand your topic fully.
Your job as a writer is to anticipate the reader’s questions.
For example, reread the following Topic Sentence:
I will take advantage of all the campus resources available to me.
A reader would ask what those resources are and how you will take advantage of them.

19. Step 6: Practice with Support - the Planning Stage
Now you try it. Here’s another Topic Sentence:
I know I will need to develop good study habits.
What questions would a reader ask? What will a reader need to know in order to understand what the writer means?
Now anticipate the questions a reader would have about your Topic Sentence.
What do you need to give more information about?
What do you need to clarify?
What do you need to explain?

20. Step 6: Planning Your Own Support
First, write your Topic Sentence at the top of your page.
Next, form a question about it.

21. Step 6: Examples & Details or Primary Support & Secondary Support
The most important tools of support are examples and details.
Examples and details provide specific information about the topic.
Examples and details are also called Primary Support and Secondary Support.

22. Step 6A: Examples or Primary Support
Examples are called Primary Support because they support the Topic Sentence directly with information about it.
For example, reread the Topic Sentence:
I will take advantage of all the campus resources available to me.
Here, primary support would be a list of examples of the resources.

23. Step 6A: Writing Your Own Support Examples
Take the page with your Topic Sentence and the question about it.
On the lines below, list 3-5 examples that answer the question, each on a separate line.

24. Step 6B: Details or Secondary Support
Details give information about the examples.
Details are called secondary because they come second (after) the primary (first) support.
Details or Secondary Support supports only the Primary Support.
Details are important in order to make the examples clear and vivid to the reader.
So even though details do not directly support the Topic Sentence, they are necessary for a complete picture and understanding of the topic.
Details can be description or explanation of your example.

25. Step 6B: More about Details
Do not list all of your examples and then present your details.
Instead, your support should look like this:
Example #1
Detail #1
Detail #2
Example #2
Detail #3
Example #3
And so on

26. Step 6B: Writing Your Own Support Details
Write each of your examples with space between them.
Next, in the space below each example, present details that give information about that example.
Use description to help the reader picture an object, person, or situation clearly and fully.
Use explanation to help clarify an idea for the reader.

27. Step 6B: Follow-up Explanation
The number of examples you use will vary from essay to essay and from paragraph to paragraph.
Similarly, the amount of details needed will vary from example to example.
There needs to be enough support to make the ideas clear, vivid, and convincing to the reader.
Typically, this means more than one or two examples and details about each example.

28. Step 7: The Concluding Sentence
The Concluding Sentence pulls the whole paragraph together.
The Concluding Sentence doesn’t summarize or repeat the contents of the paragraph.
The Concluding Sentence comments on the topic in relation to the contents of the paragraph. Ask yourself:
What do I think about the Topic now? Or
How do I feel about the Topic now?

29. Step 7: More about the Concluding Sentence
Often, the Concluding Sentence also connects back to the Thesis Sentence.
The Concluding Sentence doesn’t just repeat the Thesis Statement; it helps us understand more about the Thesis Statement. Ask yourself:
What does this paragraph add to my understanding of the Thesis Statement? OR
How does this paragraph change my understanding of the Thesis Statement?

30. Step 7: Writing Your Own Concluding Sentence
Ask yourself:
How will these methods help me achieve my goal? Or
Why will these methods help me achieve my goal?
Your Concluding Sentence should answer one of these questions.

31. Step 7: Follow-up Explanation
Remember, a key to good writing is originality. So be yourself.
Don’t repeat the wording in the examples or on the assignment sheet. For example, if the question is “How will these methods help you achieve your goal,” don’t say “using these methods will help me achieve my goal.”
Also, in order to communicate effectively, you must be specific.
For example, with regard to the question above, let us know what methods you mean, how they will help, and remind us what your goal is.

32. The Concluding Paragraph: Wrapping up Your Essay

33. Step 8: Understanding the Concluding Paragraph
The Concluding Paragraph pulls the whole essay together.
The Concluding Paragraph reminds us of and develops the main idea of the essay.
Remember, the main idea of the essay is the Thesis Statement.
Developing an idea means adding something new to our understanding of it or changing our understanding of it.
Don’t just summarize (repeat) in the conclusion what you’ve presented in the rest of the essay.

34. Step 8: Beginning the Concluding Paragraph
Begin the Concluding Paragraph by reminding the reader of your Thesis Statement.
Don’t just repeat the Thesis Statement in the same exact words.
Present the main idea along with what you have discovered about it from writing the essay.

35. Step 8: Preparing to Write Your Own Concluding Paragraph
Here, too, having a question in mind will help you focus. Consider the following questions:
How easy or difficult do you now feel achieving your goal will be? OR
How important is it to you to achieve your goal?
The Thesis Statement focused on your goal as a writer, so the questions above also focus on that main idea.
The Concluding Paragraph begins by answering this question.
So, one might write in response to the first question about how easy or difficult achieving the goal now seems:
I know becoming a confident writer will be a difficult task, but I now feel confident I will be able to accomplish this goal.
Note: This is just one possible sentence out of an almost endless variety of possibilities.

36. Step 8: Practice with Preparing to Write the Concluding Paragraph
Now you try. Come up with a question about the Thesis Statement, and write it at the top of your page.
Next, write a sentence in which you answer that question clearly and specifically.
The sentence you write is the first sentence of your Concluding Paragraph.

37. Step 8: Follow-up Explanation
Because the Thesis Statement is the main idea of the essay, the essay has not fulfilled its purpose and cannot be considered done until you have supported and developed that Thesis Statement fully.
Beginning the last paragraph with a reminder of your Thesis Statement not only reminds the reader of that Thesis Statement and how important it is, but it also reminds you, the writer.

38. Step 9: Elaborating
The next and final step of writing the essay is the development of the Thesis Statement and presenting your final thoughts on it.
In your final thoughts, you might:
Explain why you feel or think the way you say you do.
Look to the future.
Explain why the topic and your main idea about it are important.
So let’s look again at the sentence:
I know becoming a confident writer will be a difficult task, but I now feel confident I will be able to accomplish this goal.
In the rest of your Concluding Paragraph, you might explain any or all of the following:
why this task will be difficult
why you feel confident about accomplishing it now
why it is important to you to accomplish it
what plans you have for the future that accomplishing it will benefit

39. Step 9: Follow-up Explanation
Do not shortchange the Conclusion. Remember, this is the thought the reader will be left with.
What do you want the reader to think about?
What do you want the reader to remember about you and your essay?

40. The Title Revision, Editing, & Proofreading
The Final Touches
The Title
Revision, Editing, & Proofreading

41. Step 10: The Final Touches
When you’re done, give your essay a title.
The title should be original (not just the name of the assignment).
It should reflect the topic and main idea.
Remember, the title and first sentence of the essay together create the reader’s first impression of you and your essay, so you want them to be interesting and informative.

42. Step 10: Practice with Titles
Take a look at the essays in the back of your textbook Real Writing.
Which ones grab your attention?
Which ones make you want to read the essay?
Now focus on one title that grabbed your attention, and answer the following questions:
Why did the title grab your attention?
From its title, what do you think the essay will be about?

43. Step 10: Writing Your Own Title
Now you try it. Write your own title.
Then test your title by showing it to someone. Ask him or her:
Does the title grab your interest and make you want to read the essay?
From the title, what do you think the essay will be about?

44. Step 11: Revision, Editing & Proofreading: A Look Ahead
The true final step of any writing assignment is revision. The steps of revision include
Revision: reexamining the essay to make sure it has fulfilled all aspects of the assignment, from the Thesis Statement (foundation) up.
Editing: making substantial changes, including adding transitions, details, clarification, reordering paragraphs and sentences, and correcting serious grammar errors, ones that affect overall clarity, particularly sentence structure issues, as well as other issues interfering with effective communication of ideas
Proofreading: going over a printout of the essay’s final draft and correcting minor errors, including typos, spelling errors, slips in formatting, etc.
We will discuss this step separately at a later date.