TWE Essays 285/292 285 your reader see, hear, taste, smell, or feel what it is you are describing by choosing vivid vocabulary. Avoid vague, general words such as good, nice, and bad, and replace these with more descriptive, specific terms. Metaphors (comparisons of two unlike items) are also often used in descriptions. Try to imagine that your reader has never experienced the object that you are describing; it is your job to bring this subject to life. Cause and Effect Essay To "cause" an action means to make something happen; the result or consequence of that action is the "effect." For example: "What are the chief causes of divorce, and how does it affect the children of the couple?" Typical transitions for this type of essay are: as a result, as a consequence, consequently, therefore, and thus. Conditional sentence-type essay questions are sometimes classified as "cause and effect" as well. For example: "If you won a million dollars in the lottery, how would you spend the money? Describe in detail how you think your life would change as a result of your new-found wealth." Interpretation/Analysis Essay In the interpretation-type essay, you are given a short quotation (usually 1-3 sentences in length). You are asked to interpret the saying (i.e., paraphrase the author's message); then, either analyze or form your own opinion about the original quotation. This kind of essay is rapidly growing in popularity, especially for essay entrance examinations to American universities and for many standardized tests. The time given for the essay test may vary from 15 minutes to two hours, depending on the school and/or the standardized test. Therefore, when you practice writing this type of exam, you should try several different time frames. Illustrative Essay Another type of essay is the one that is based on examples or illustrations to support the writer's thesis. For example: "What were the best classes you ever took? Give examples of at least two classes which you found outstanding, and explain why you chose these." Of course, illustration is an important component of many types of essay "body" paragraphs. Process Essay Process writing, generally speaking, provides instructions or details a process: that is, it tells the reader how to operate a VCR, apply to a school, build a bookshelf, learn a foreign language, etcetera. Therefore, while this writing style is quite common, it is not typically tested in an essay examination. On the other hand, it is not uncommon to be given this type of essay as an at-home assignment. THE INTRODUCTION TO THE ESSAY Like all first impressions, the introductory paragraph of your essay will leave a lasting imprint. Therefore, it is extremely important that it be well written. To favorably impress your readers, your introduction should contain the following: Hook How is a hook used in fishing? It dangles in front of its target (the fish) and tries to lure or TWE Essays 286/292 286 captivate it. In much the same way, the "hook" in an essay is used to catch the attention of your audience. To accomplish this, begin your essay with an interesting, thought-provoking idea about the topic you have been assigned. Avoid asserting the obvious; that is, merely stating a fact that everyone knows is true. For example, "Learning a new language is difficult" is a fact known to be true by almost everyone, and, therefore, serves no useful purpose. Sometimes a quotation (or proverb) works well as a hook if it is particularly relevant to the thesis. General Statements Regarding the Assigned Topic Your introduction should only introduce the main ideas of your essay. This is not the place for you to provide supporting details, such as specific names, places, and dates. Save these for the body of your essay. Thesis The thesis is the most significant statement in your essay. It consists of one sentence only and is usually the last sentence of your introduction. A thesis must be a complete sentence (unlike a title). It should also be narrow enough for you to be able to discuss it within the short time frame allowed on the TOEFL and within a two- or three-paragraph body. Yet it must also be general enough for you to be able to write two to three sub-points on this topic. Unlike some countries, in the United States, we do not state directly what we plan to do or say in our essay; for example, "I will write about " is unacceptable in an American essay. If your essay is well written, your intentions should be obvious to your reader without your having to explicitly state them. The thesis serves two basic functions. First, it states the main topic of your essay. Secondly, it provides a viewpoint or position that you, the writer, holds about this topic. For example, this is not a thesis: "Smoking in restaurants in New York is illegal." It merely states a fact, but provides no position or opinion regarding this fact. This is a thesis: "Not allowing smoking in restaurants in New York is highly unfair to the smoker and gives too much power to the nonsmoker." Here we are given both a topic (i.e., smoking in restaurants in New York is illegal) plus two clear opinions about this topic. Because this thesis states two positions regarding the topic, it will also help the writer to quickly and effectively set up the organization for the body of his/her essay. That is, the two sub-points have been clearly laid out in the introduction for both the reader and the writer. Often students feel that there must be a "right" or "wrong" position that they should take on a given topic. Remember: You are entitled to your own opinion. The readers are only interested in whether you have logically, clearly, and effectively supported the position that you have taken. Practice One Which of the following sentences is a thesis? If the sentence is a thesis, put a "T" in the space provided next to it. If it is not a thesis, put in "NT" in the space provided. Be prepared to discuss the reasons for your choices. 1. ____ Washington, D.C., is the capital of the United States. 2. ____ There are two basic reasons for the rise of divorce: the lack of communication skills and financial problems. TWE Essays 287/292 287 3. ____ Divorce is not legal in my country. Some people think it should be, some don't. 4. ____ Walking is the best exercise: it is great for one's health, and it doesn't cost anything! 5. ____ Traveling for fun and education. 6. ____ Because I wanted to learn how to speak English fluently, it was essential that I move to an English-speaking country. 7. ____ Financial woes and lack of free time are the major causes of stress today. 8. ____ The Beatles sold over a million records in the 1960s. 9. ____ The Beatles and the Rolling Stones were far more talented than the popular rock bands of today. 10. ____ Now, I am going to write about the reasons I moved to the United States. To check your responses above, be sure the thesis statement: Contains one, and only one, complete sentence Provides a clearly defined main topic Takes a clearly stated position on the topic (instead of merely stating a fact) Doesn't explicitly state what you plan to do/say Answers NT 6. T 2. T 7. T 3. NT 8. NT 4. T 9. T 5. NT 10. NT Practice Two Take the following topics and questions, and turn them into theses. Remember that each thesis must be a complete sentence that clearly states your main idea and takes a position on this topic. Ideally, it will also set up the organization for the body of your essay. Doing this can save you a great deal of time when you write the body. It will also help you stay focused. EXAMPLE: Topic/Question: In many countries, the government practices censorship of television programs. Do you support this practice or not? Support your answer with specific examples. Possible Thesis: Government censorship of television programs is unfair and fiscally wasteful. 1. Topic/Question: If you had a choice, would you like to live forever? Explain why this does or does not appeal to you. Thesis: 2. Topic: Students attend a university or college for a variety of reasons. In your opinion, what should be the main purpose of a university education? Thesis: TWE Essays 288/292 288 3. Topic: When many people think of the United States, words such as independent and free- spirited come to mind. If you had to describe your country by its personality, what trait(s) would best describe it? Thesis: 4. Topic: Most people experience at least some degree of culture shock when they are getting accustomed to a new culture. What advice would you give to a friend of yours to help him get over culture shock? (You may write about your own culture or about the American culture.) Thesis: 5. Topic: It is necessary to be wealthy in order to be successful. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? Thesis: Practice Three Choose one of the questions from the above list (1-5) and write an introduction. Be sure to follow the steps laid out in the inverted pyramid diagram, and watch the time. Remember, on the actual test you will only have a very short time in which to compose your introduction. THE BODY OF THE ESSAY The main purpose of the body of your essay is to give support to your thesis (usually the last sentence of your introduction). To give sufficient support, you need to provide a minimum of two or three paragraphs in your body for an essay examination. However, a take-home essay generally has several body paragraphs. All body paragraphs begin with a topic sentence. The topic sentence states the main idea of the body paragraph, a main sub-point of your thesis. For this reason, it may be said that after your thesis, topic sentences are the most important part of your essay. Immediately following the topic sentence, you should provide clear, specific details to lend credence to the argument of your paper; specifically, to the topic sentence of that paragraph. To accomplish this, you should use specific dates, people, places, and/or events. You will most likely need more than one sentence to provide sufficient details for each point. Use transitions to introduce your examples (see list in appendix). Generally speaking, the body paragraphs are longer than the introduction and conclusion. However, be sure that each body paragraph contains only one main sub-point. All the ideas included in each paragraph must fall under the broader topic sentence. That is, every new idea requires a new paragraph. Think of each sentence after the topic sentence ("the set") as a sub-set of it. While you will want to use transitions within your body paragraphs, you also need to use them to connect one body paragraph to another. This is necessary to make your paper smooth and coherent. For example, if you are writing a compare/contrast essay, you may want to begin your second body paragraph with a transition phrase such as on the other hand or in contrast. Study the list of transition terms at the end of this chapter to determine which one(s) would be appropriate for the type of essay you are writing. TWE Essays 289/292 289 Practice One Read the following sample essay body divisions, and think of possible topics for these divisions. 1. I. Introduction II. Body A. Past B. Present C. Future III. Conclusion 2. I. Introduction II. Body A. Infant B. Quid C. Adult D. Old Age III. Conclusion 3. I. Introduction II. Body A. Emotional B. Mental C. Physical III. Conclusion 4. I. Introduction II. Body A. Urban B. Small Town C. Countryside III. Conclusion 5. I. Introduction II. Body A. Home B. Work C. School III. Conclusion Practice Two In the exercises below, take the topic provided and, working with a partner, create your own sub- topics. EXAMPLE: Topic: Best uses of home computers II. Body B. Entertainment C. Pay bills 1. Topic: The most practical college majors II. Body A. B. C. 2. Topic: Advantages to living in a foreign country - II. Body A. < : B. C. 3. Topic: What a person must do to have a successful life II. Body A. B. C. Practice Three Choose one of the topics above, and write a 3-paragraph essay body on it. You have 20 minutes in which to write the body. You may choose either two or three sub-points (body paragraphs). Be TWE Essays 290/292 290 sure that you begin with a topic sentence, and that all of the following sentences in that paragraph remain within the framework of your topic sentence. A new topic introduces a new paragraph. THE CONCLUSION OF THE ESSAY The conclusion of the essay is often neglected. One reason for this is that students often run out of time during the essay examination and never get beyond the body of their papers. Another factor is that students often do not know how or when to end their essay. Yet failure to end your essay is analogous to not finishing the final chapter of a book. Your reader is left with unanswered questions; you must put these to rest before you finish your paper. However, if you have gone through the recommended organization steps laid out in our earlier sections and practiced timed writing on your own, finishing your essay should become an easier task. The following guidelines can help you improve your concluding paragraph: Before writing your conclusion, reread your introduction (paying special attention to your thesis) and your topic sentences. This will refresh your memory as to the main idea and main subpoints of your paper. Begin your conclusion with a paraphrase of your thesis. It is vital that you not repeat your thesis verbatim. Doing so is redundant and boring, and you miss the opportunity to show your readers the breadth of your vocabulary. Follow with general statements. These should be a summary or evaluation of previously mentioned main thoughts. Your last sentence should provide a final thought or comment concerning your main topic. The following should be avoided in a conclusion: New information does not belong in a conclusion. You have neither the time nor the space to develop it further (this is what the body paragraphs are for). Avoid detailed information in support of your thesis. This, too, should be found in the body of the essay, after your topic sentences. Don't begin your conclusion with "to conclude" or "in conclusion." It is clear to your reader that this is your final paragraph and is obviously your conclusion. (You may, however, begin your conclusion with transitions like therefore, thus, to sum up, or in summary.) A conclusion should not be lengthy. In general, three or four sentences will suffice. This is especially true of a 30-minute essay examination conclusion. Practice One Take the following thesis statements and paraphrase them so that they would fit into a conclusion. Remember that a paraphrase keeps the same ideas of the original statement, but uses your own words. When paraphrasing a thesis, it is often helpful to underline the key words in the original sentence. Be sure to use synonyms for these where possible. Also, be sure to include all of these main ideas in your rewrite. For example: THESIS: Getting married and having children is not key to one's happiness. PARAPHRASED THESIS: A person may find contentment in life even if (s)he never TWE Essays 291/292 291 marries or has children. 1. Thesis: "If you want to live a long and productive life, you must exercise regularly and eat healthy foods." Paraphrased Thesis: 2. Thesis: "Because of the conveniences and the cultural opportunities available in the city, living there is superior to living in the countryside." Paraphrased Thesis: 3. Thesis: "The only ways to become a proficient writer are to read as much as possible and write whenever you can." Paraphrased Thesis: TRANSITION TERMS The word transit means to move or pass from one place to another. Thus, the words and phrases we use to move smoothly from one idea to another one in an essay are called transitions. To create a coherent, smooth essay, you must use these terms, and use them correctly. While not every sentence in an essay requires a transition, you must disperse a variety of them throughout the essay to link sentences and paragraphs to each other. The chart below states the purpose of the transition and provides you with a variety of similar ones to use. Avoid redundancy in your essay by choosing several different ones. In other words, don't use "however" every time you want to show contrast; instead, select as many different phrases as needed that serve the same function. Use commas to separate transitions from the rest of your sentence. Purpose of Transition to show likeness or add information to show contrast to introduce examples to explain to emphasize to generalize to conclude or show result to indicate sequence or show order Possible Transition Terms also, too, besides, in addition, furthermore, moreover however, but, on the other hand, conversely, yet, though, in contrast, nevertheless for example, such as, e.g., to illustrate, for instance that is, in other words, i.e. TWE Essays 292/292 292 in fact, indeed, certainly, clearly, of course generally speaking, in general, overall, for the most part, usually, typically, in conclusion, in summary, to sum up therefore, thus, consequently, as a result, as a consequence first, second, next, then, finally, lastly Appendix 2: A Patterned Plan of Attack Writing READ THE QUESTION CAREFULLY . Be sure you understand exactly what is being asked, and prepare to answer it. ORGANIZE YOUR THOUGHTS in an outline or other logical way. ADD sufficient DETAILS OR EXAMPLES in the plan for each major topic. PAY ATTENTION TO GRAMMAR . Do not try to make it complicated. Just make sure every sentence is complete and logical. PAY ATTENTION TO VOCABULARY . Do not try to use words if you are not absolutely certain how they should be used. Big words are not necessary to achieve a good score. WRITE CAREFULLY , following the organization of your outline and watching the grammar and vocabulary. PROOFREAD . Make changes as necessary. . three paragraphs in your body for an essay examination. However, a take-home essay generally has several body paragraphs. All body paragraphs begin with a topic sentence. The topic sentence states. TWE Essays 285 /292 285 your reader see, hear, taste, smell, or feel what it is you are describing by choosing vivid vocabulary. Avoid vague, general words such as good, nice, and bad, and replace. speaking, the body paragraphs are longer than the introduction and conclusion. However, be sure that each body paragraph contains only one main sub-point. All the ideas included in each paragraph