1. Writing an Essay

2. Steps in Writing an Essay Brainstorming (Getting ideas) Outlining (Organizing ideas) Writing (Getting it down on paper) Revising (Making corrections)

3. Brainstorming Listing  Gets lots of ideas on paper quickly. Clustering  Allows you to begin organizing your ideas while listing Free writing  Put pen to paper and start writing!

4. Listing Gets lots of ideas on paper quickly.  Note down every idea that comes into your head  Don’t stop and consider each one – just write!  The more the better! Rank, organize and re-arrange your list:  Divide into positive and negative aspects  Categorize your list (social, political, economic)  Personal experience

5. Prompt: What are the most important impacts of the automobile on society? List expense smog traffic accidents can be beautiful fun to drive time spent commuting noise economic importance convenience

6. Clustering Begin with a few central ideas. Draw a picture map or “bubble map.” Link each new idea as you think appropriate.

7. Prompt: What are the most important impacts of the automobile on society? Clustering noise smog commuting expense negativepositive convenience artistic merit economic importance fun ?

8. Prompt: What are the most important impacts of the automobile on society? air pollution time spent commuting socialpersonal convenience economic importance hobby traffic accidents collecting recreation Clustering

9. Free writing Note down whatever thoughts come into your head, in narrative form. Keep writing until your ideas take shape. Tell your “Inner Censor” to shut up!  Don’t worry about grammar or spelling now. Experiment with phrases/sentences to use.

10. Prompt: What are the most important impacts of the automobile on society? Free writing Impacts of automobiles on society, well there are lots, there’s the cost of ownership, fuel, insurance, and so on, there’s traffic accidents, noise from engines, noise from alarms beeping, all the time you have to spend in your car if you commute to work – but I’m only thinking of the negative things – let’s see, they’re sure convenient, and they can be fun to drive, and some them are really quite beautiful, and can be collector’s items, and building them sure provides a lot of jobs for people. But smog’s a real downside...

11. Step 2: Outlining A chart – or “blueprint” – for the essay. Organizes the ideas you generated in Step 1. Provides supporting details. Uses Roman Numerals to list Main Ideas. Uses the alphabet to list supporting details.

12. Sample Outline: I.Introduction II.Social A.Economic importance B.Traffic accidents C.Air pollution III.Personal A. Time spent commuting B. Convenience C.Hobby 1. Recreational driving 2. Collecting IV.Conclusion

13. Descriptive Essay Two main objectives:  to provide information  to present and explain the topic so the reader can easily understand it.  NOT to argue a point or defend an opinion Describes an idea, process, or concept. Answers these questions:  What is it ? What is it like ?  What does it mean ? How does it work/happen ?

14. Recognizing Prompts for Descriptive Essays: Active verbs like consider, identify, describe, define, or analyze. Examples:  What do you consider to be the qualities of a good student?  Identify and describe the most interesting geographical feature of your country.  Describe what, in your opinion, makes good art or literature.  Define the important characteristics of a teacher.

15. Step 3: Write! Writing an Introduction An Introduction requires four parts:  A “Hook  Background information  Thesis Statement which clearly states your position  A “map” of the main points your essay will discuss

16. Background information Provides enough information to introduce the topic. Not too much information! Tells the reader:  why this topic is important;  the meaning of any special terms used in the essay;  what has motivated the writer to write about this topic.

17. The Thesis Statement Tells the purpose of the essay. Makes clear your feelings, opinion or attitude about the topic. Should be expressed clearly, in a single sentence. The most important sentence in the entire essay!

18. The “Map” Tells reader what to expect from essay. Lists main ideas, in the order they will discussed. Helps reader understand how essay is organized. Helps reader understand how description, argument, comparison, etc. will be constructed. Is either part of the Thesis Statement or in another sentence immediately after the ThSt

19. Body Paragraphs Heart of the essay One paragraph for each idea identified in the map Topic sentence of each paragraph refers back to map Minimum of one, max of ??

20. Step 3: Write! Writing the Conclusion Function of the conclusion paragraph: Brings your writing to an end. Identifies the solution, resolution, or decision that is the logical outcome of the discussion in the body paragraph(s). Remember this about Conclusions:  The logical message, lesson or decision expressed in the conclusion must agree with (confirm) your ThSt.  The conclusion need not be long and must not introduce any new information.

21. Step 4: Revision Review your work for errors Read the essay aloud Read the essay backwards Do a spell check Look for your common mistakes