Four basic steps in essay writing

Four basic steps in essay writing The first step: Begin with a point or thesis Narrow the subject to find the point that you want to discuss - Begin with a subject that is neither too broad nor too narrow -> narrow it down (or broaden it out) until you have a thesis that you can develop with four or five hundred words. Practice - Number the stages in each list from 1 to 5, with 1 marking the broadest stage and 5 marking the thesis. List 1. _____ Teachers _____ Education _____ Math teacher _____ My high school math teacher was incompetent. _____ High school math teacher List 2 _____ Financial institutions _____ Bank _____ Dealing with customers _____ Working in a bank _____ I’ve learned how to handle unpleasant bank customers. List 3 _____ Camping _____ First camping trip _____ Summer vacation _____ My first camping trip was a disastrous experience. _____ Vacations Writing a thesis statement The thesis statement : contains an expression of an attitude, opinion or idea about a topic Unlike a topic sentence, it is broader and expresses the controlling idea for the entire essay. Here are some characteristics of a thesis statement. A thesis statement should be expressed in a complete sentence. A thesis statement expresses an attitude, opinion or idea; it does not simply an announce the topic the essay will develop. A thesis statement should express an opinion; it should not express a fact. A thesis statement should express only one idea toward one topic: if a thesis statement contains two more ideas, the essay runs the risk of lacking unity and coherence. Common errors in writing a thesis Announcements rather than statements Example: This subject of this essay is my beloved mother. I want to talk about the crime wave in my city. The traffic problem in this city is the concern of this essay. Statements that are too broad. Example: My parents are the most influential people in my life. Crime is a major concern of everyone in our country. The invention of the computer has changed the world. Statements that are too narrow. Example: My parents had only one child. Last year, there were twenty robberies in my neighborhood. My house is a two-storey building. Statements that contain more than one ideas Example: My parents help me grow in important ways, although in other respects I was limited. The problem of overcrowded prisons must be solved, and judges must start handing out tougher sentences. The students living in the dorm have many advantages, but they also face many problems. [...]... Included are people in every age group, from the young to the old Some act as if they were at home in their own living rooms watching the TV set 1b Little kids race up and down the aisles, usually in giggling packs Teenagers try to impress their friends by talking back to the screen, whistling, and making what they consider to be hilarious noises Adults act as if they were at home in their own living... informal outline To ensure that your essay will have adequate support -> informal outline Try to find out three points that support your thesis If you have a logical plan to develop the thesis statement, you will be in a right position to write an effective essay Example: Thesis statement: My mother has three qualities that I admire 1 Patience 2 Thoughtfulness 3 Independence Practice Complete the informal... Specific details - attract the readers’ interest - make your essay interesting to read - easy to understand because the readers always enjoy learning particulars about people, places and things Specific details - explain the writer’s points - help the readers see and understand the general ideas Compare these paragraphs: 1a Many people in the theater show themselves to be inconsiderate They make noises and... nouns Ex: - A man strained to lift the crate - A heavyset, perspiring man strained to lift the heavy wooden crate Use words that touch the five senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch Ex: - That fragile-looking, gray-haired woman jogs five miles a day - A piercing whistle told the cheering crowd that there were two minutes left to play (hearing) - When he returned, all he found in the fridge was stale... to make a greater impact to the readers 4 The order of interest: The details are arranged according to your interest You can put the less interesting detail then the more interesting one, or vice verse 5 The order of familiarity: More obvious detail to less obvious detail, or vice verse 6 Categorical: Details are arranged by dividing the topic into parts or categories ... gifts for men were displayed in the department-store window on Valentine Several items in my purse had been crushed _ The waitress told us we could have several types of potatoes _ I swept aside the things on my desk in order to spread out the road map The doctor examined various parts of my body before diagnosing my illness as bronchitis... lost an hour’s pay and was called in to see the boss Modern life makes people suspicious and unfriendly My roommate and I are compatible in most ways, but we still have conflicts at times My concern here is to discuss “neardeath” experiences reported by some patients Practice Complete the following thesis statements by adding the missing third supporting point that will parallel the two already... problems in American life  _ People who eat a lot of red meat almost three times more likely to get colon cancer than people who eat mostly fish and chicken _ I am going to write on my ideas concerning “F” grades _ Action must be taken against drugs _ The hardest teacher I ever had taught me a lesson I will never forget  _ This essay will discuss the student sitting next to me in my English... illness as bronchitis _ The food choices in the cafeteria were unappetizing Our neighbor’s family room has a lot of electronic equipment Practice Change vague, indefinite sentences into sharp, specific ones Example: She works hard all summer All summer, Eva sorted peaches and blueberries in the hot noisy canning factory The test was difficult ... you are constantly aware of all the food they’re eating 2b And people of all ages crinkle candy wrappers, stick gum on their seats, and drop popcorn tubs or cups of crushed ice and soda on the floor 3a People are also moving around near you, creating a disturbance and interrupting enjoyment of the movie 3b They also cough and burp, squirm endlessly in their seats, file out for repeated trips to the . Four basic steps in essay writing The first step: Begin with a point or thesis Narrow the subject to find the point that you want to discuss - Begin with a subject. contains two more ideas, the essay runs the risk of lacking unity and coherence. Common errors in writing a thesis Announcements rather than statements Example: This subject of this essay. thesis with specific evidence The informal outline To ensure that your essay will have adequate support -> informal outline. Try to find out three points that support your thesis. If you