Unit 1 exploring the essay
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The document discusses the structure and components of an essay. An essay typically contains 3-10 paragraphs that each discuss one idea related to the overall topic. There are four main types of essays: narrative, comparative, cause-effect, and argumentative. The introduction contains a hook to engage the reader, background information, and a thesis statement outlining the key points. The body paragraphs each contain a topic sentence and supporting details. The conclusion restates the main ideas without providing new information.
Unit 1 exploring the essay
- 1. EXPLORING THE ESSAY Goal: To Learn about the structure of an essay
- 2. What Is An Essay? An essay is a short collection of paragraphs that presents facts, opinions, and ideas on a topic. An essay usually has three to ten paragraphs. Each paragraph discusses one idea, often stated in the topic sentence of the paragraph. This idea is related to the topic of the whole essay. The topic sentence of the a paragraph can be located anywhere, but the most common place is at the beginning of the paragraph.
- 3. letter word sentence paragraph essay Connections
- 4. Kinds of essays? There are many ways to write an essay. The method that a writer chooses is based on the topic of the essay and the kind of essay that presents the topic in the best way. There are four kinds of essays: 1. Narrative 2. Comparison 3. Cause-effect 4. Argumentative
- 5. Most writers use more than one method of writing. Example: If you are comparing the lifestyle of actors and professional athletes, you might include information about how actors and professional athletes get their start in their careers (cause-effect). You might also give an account of a specific athlete’s story (narrative). In addition, your essay could include facts and opinions about how one profession is more respected than the other (argumentative).
- 6. The Hook It is the opening sentence of any essay. A hook in writing is used to catch readers and get their interests so that they will want to read the essay. The Thesis Statement It states the main idea of the essay and tells what the organization of the information will be. The Topic Sentence The topic sentence tells the reader the main topic of the paragraph. Sometimes it also gives the reader a hint about the writer’s purpose.
- 7. Supporting Sentences The supporting sentences in an essay are in the body. They always relate to the topic sentence of the paragraph in which they occur. Common supporting sentences give examples, reasons, facts, or more specific information. Without supporting sentences, an essay would be nothing more than a general outline. Conclusion It is important for an essay to have a good conclusion. The introduction and conclusion often share same ideas and words.
- 8. What is in the introduction The introduction form most paragraphs are is in one paragraph. This introductory paragraph consists of three parts: 1. The hook 2. Connecting information 3. The thesis statement The Hook The hook is the opening statement or statements. The writer uses the hook to catch readers’ attention. Writing a good hook is not easy. It requires a great deal of thoughts and practice.
- 9. Ways to write a hook: 1. Ask question: if the readers want to know the answer for the question, they are “hooked” and read the essay. How many people take medicine—even simple aspirin—every day? 2. Use an interesting observation An observation written by the writer will make the readers want to continue reading the essay. Asian economics are not sleeping well these days. 3. Begin an essay with a unique scenario to catch readers’ attention Travelling at more than one hundred miles an hour, he feels as though he is not moving. He is engulfed in complete silence. For a moment, it is as if he entered another dimension.
- 10. 4. Use a famous quote as a hook “To be or not to be; that is the question.” 5. Use a statistic, especially one that is surprising or shocking. Over 20000 people in the United States are killed in alcohol-related traffic accidents every year. Connecting Information After the hook, the writer usually writes three to five sentences that help connect the reader and the topic. These sentences can be background information about the topic or they can be examples. From these sentences, the has a good idea of what the topic might be.
- 11. The Thesis Statement It is usually the last part of the introduction. It can be one or two sentences long. In the thesis statement, the writer tells the reader what to expect in the essay. There are two kinds of thesis statement: 1. Stated Thesis Statement: Some writers want to give a specific outline of the paper in their thesis statement. The main problems facing South American countries are lack of jobs opportunities for citizens, increasing demands for better health care, and limited universities programs for poor students. 2. Implied Thesis Statement: Other writers are not so direct. They readers are not given the specific information but given the general topic. The reader must read on to find out the supporting details. The important problems facing South American countries today require immediate attention.
- 12. Writing the Body The body of an essay is the main part. It usually consists of three or four paragraphs between the introduction and the conclusion. The body follows a plan of organization that the writer usually determines before he or she starts writing. The organization varies according to the kind of essay. You can write the organizational plan in an outline. There are different levels of outlining: A general outline: includes the main points A specific outline (detailed): includes notes or even the smallest pieces of information
- 13. Writing the Conclusion Some people think that writing the conclusion is the hardest part of writing an essay. For others, it is easy. When you write a conclusion, follow these guidelines: 1. Let the readers know that this is the conclusion. in conclusion, From the information given, To summarize, 2. Do not introduce new information in the conclusion. 3. The kind of essay you are writing may determine the way you end the essay. Two ideas can be helpful: a. The final sentence(s) often give a suggestion, an opinion, or a prediction about the topic of the essay. b. Sometimes the final sentence(s) simply say that the issue has been discussed in the essay with so many strong, persuasive facts that the answer to the issue is now clear.