1. Beyond Five Paragraphs: Advanced Essay Writing Skills
Finding a Focus
Beyond Five Paragraphs: Advanced Essay Writing Skills

2. Focus= which aspect of the topic you want to zero in on
What is a Focus?
Focus= which aspect of the topic you want to zero in on
E.g
Topic of Essay= Climate change
Focus= present arguments/examples of how climate change is the result of human activity

3. Looking for Your focus in the essay prompt
Action verbs
Your purpose
Type of essay
recall, recount
To tell readers about a personal experience
narrative
describe, portray, depict
To create a vivid impression od scene, moment, person, or thing
descriptive
explain, report, outline, define, clarify, illustrate, demonstrate, present, clarify, analyze, compare, contrast
To present factual information that informs the reader about an issue or subject, or explains how to do something
expository
justify, argue, defend, prove, critique, evaluate, assess, discuss, analyze, compare, contrast
To make a claim about a topic and justify it with specific evidence or reasons
argumentative/persuasive

4. Type Description Author’s Purpose Text Elements
Descriptive
Presents sensory details (sight, sound, smell, taste, feel) about a person, place, event, or thing
To create a strong impression and “paint” a picture with words in the reader’s mind
figurative language such as similes, metaphors, imagery
mood
Narrative
Tells a story about an event or experience in the writer’s life
To reveal a life lesson or insight
conflict
action and plot
Expository
Objectively presents researched facts, statistics, expert opinions, details, and example
To inform, explain, describe, or define the subject
thesis statement
clear introduction, supporting body paragraphs, and conclusion
Argumentative/Persuasive
Presents evidence, reasoning, and arguments to support an opinion or point of view
To convince readers of an opinion or move readers to perform an action

5. Narrowing Your Focus Through Exploratory Writing
Cubing 1. Describe it 2. Compare it 3. Associate it 4. Analyze it 5. Apply it 6. Argue for or against it
5Ws and H:
create questions and brainstorm answers
Mind Mapping:
create visual links between related ideas