english chapter 7 drafting an essay

to write an essay you would need to do

- do additional prewriting and research to learn more about your topic. - write a tesis stament and develop sustaining paragraphs. - write an effective introduction and conclusion. -choose a good title.

suggestions for a strong thesis

-ask a provocative or disturbing related question. -begin with a dramatic or engaging anecdote. -offer a quotation that illustrates your thesis. -cite a little known fact or shocking statistic.

suggestions for effective titles

-ask a question that your essay answers. -use alliteration. -use play on words or catchy humorous expressions. (lees formal essays). -use a brief quotation.

suggestions for a strong conclusion 2

-discuss grader implications not fully addressed on the essay. but do not introduce a whole new issue. -conclude with a fact quotation, anecdote, or example that emphasizes your thesis.

introduction 4 common mistakes to avoid. in your introduction don't:

-don't discourage your readers from continuing. statements such as " this process may seem complicated, but.." -don't use casual, overly familiar tone in academic writing. "you'll never in a million years..."

conclusion 4 common mistakes to avoid. in your conclusion don't:

-don't make an announcement or restate your thesis directly. " in my essay i have shown..'' -don't introduce major points or supporting evidence. reasons belong in the body of your essay.

introduction 4 common mistakes to avoid. in your introduction don't:

-don't make an announcement. avoid opening with " I am, or this essay" -don't prolong your introduction. an introduction that is longer than two paragraphs is long-winded.

efective introduction should

-establish your topic, indicate your focus approach and point of view. -set the tone of your essay, how you sound to your readers. -interest your readers and provide background information. -present your thesis statement.

methods of organization

-most-to-least or least-to-most. -chronological. -spatial.

the writing process

-pre write to find ideas. -developing and supporting your thesis. -drafting your essay. -revising your essay. -editing and proofreading your essay.

formal outlines fall in 2 categories

-sentence outlines. uses complete sentences. -topic outlines. uses only keywords and phrases.

suggestions for a strong thesis 2

-state a misconception, and correct it in the thesis. describe a hypothetical situation. compare your topic with one that is familiar to you or your readers.

suggestions for a strong conclusion

-take your readers beyond the scope and time frame of your essay. -remind readers of the relevance of the issue or suggest why your thesis is important. -offer a recommendation or urge your readers to take action.

preparing an outline or graphic organizer

after you have written your thesis statement and choosing the method of organization, take a few minutes to cease your outline.

writing a strong introduction

because your introduction creates a first and lasting impression, take the time to get it right.

a conclusion

brings your essay to a satisfying close. For most essays, your conclusion should reaffirm your thesis without directly restating it.

preparing a graphic organizer

depending on your method, begin by putting your working thesis at the top and list your main points below.

depending on your purpose, audience, stance, genre, and medium, your title should be

direct, informative, witty, intriguing or a combination of all.

conclusion 4 common mistakes to avoid. in your conclusion don't:

don't apologize or weaken your essay. ''after all, Im only 21.." don't use standard phrases, don't use phrases such as ''to sum up''

least to most

if readers are interested in the topic, hold the most memorable evidence for last.

most to least

if you want to entice your readers, include your strongest evidence first.

least-to-most

order of importance, familiar, or interest.

chronological order

order of time in which events appear. begin the body of the essay with first event, second event etc. this order is common in narrative essays.

organize your supporting ideas

the body of your essay contains your supporting ideas, make sure you decide on the supporting evidence and the order in which you will present it.

writing a good title

the title of your essay should indicate your topic and prepare readers for what follows.

outline

there are two types: informal or scratch and formal outlines

spatial order thesis

thesis, -top part, -middlepart, -bottom part, -final paragraph.

least to most thesis

thesis,-less important, -more important, -still more important, -most important, -final paragraph.

most to least thesis

thesis,-most important,-less important, -still less important, -least important,-final paragraph

chronological thesis

thesis-first event-second vent-third event-last event-final paragraph.

the structure of your essay

title. introduction. body. conclusion.

informal outline

uses keywords and phrases to list your main points and sub points.

formal outline

uses roman numerals (I,II), capital letters (AB), arabic numbers (1,2), and lower case letters (a,b), and indentation to designate level of importance.

writing your introduction conclusion and title

when you write an essay you don't have to start with the introduction and write straight to the end, you can start with the body or the conclusion and write the introduction last. depends on the student.

spatial order

you organize details about your subject by location. top to bottom, head to toe, inside to outside etc.