Essays With Ease

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Essays With Ease

• Designed by
• Elisa Paramore

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Introduction

• Although the ability to write is an in-borne gift
  as far as a having a natural aptitude for words
  and their management, it is also the result of
  planning, directed effort and practice. All of
  which can be taught skills as long as a person is
  willing to learn the steps and apply them
  correctly.

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Different Types of Essays
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• There are many different types of essays and each
  one has its own unique characteristics and ways
  to best write them. The rest of this workshop
  will discuss each of the essays and their
  characteristics.

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Analogies

• This is a special type of comparison It is what
  is also referred to as an extended comparison. It
  is most widely used to relate two items that on
  the surface appear to have nothing in common but,
  do have at least some of the same underlying
  characteristics.

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• Analogies are not good when used as arguments
  because no matter how many similarities may be
  shared, there are always some differences.
  Therefore, a writer cannot assume that because
  two things have some things in common that they
  are exactly the same.
• Take for example the ways that learning to be a
  good driver is like learning to be a good writer.
  The only way that these two circumstances are the
  same is the fact that as people get more practice
  they become better.

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Argumentative Essays

• Argumentative essays are used to either explain
  or defend a personal opinion.
• Before starting to write this type of essay take
  a few moments and ask yourself the following
  questions
• What have I read recently ,or what can I read
  quickly easily, before I write that will help
  me to support my reason for holding this opinion?

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• What have I learned about this subject from TV,
  movies or radio that will help me to support my
  opinion?
• What have I learned from reliable friends,
  parents, other relatives teachers that will
  help me to support my reason for my opinion?

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Other considerations for Argumentative Essays

• What is my oppositions reason for believing
  differently ?
• Who is my audience?
• Which points about my topic best illustrate why I
  believe as I do?
• Use of a pro and con sheet may help to clarify
  the points most relevant to your argument.
• Use the appropriate tense

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• This type of essay can be done in one of four
  different ways
• By first presenting your points and then
  refuting the points of your opposition
• By refuting your oppositions points then
  presenting your points and their support
• By presenting your first point and its support
  which refutes your oppositions first point, and
  continue the same process with your second and
  third point, etc.
• By presenting a point for your belief and then a
  point that refutes the oppositions belief.

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• Keep in mind that it is necessary to select
  evidence that effectively supports your claim.
  This evidence may be in the form of personal
  experiences, experiences or testimony from
  others, factual information, statistics from
  reliable sources, charts, graphs or diagrams, or
  expert testimony

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Narratives

• Narratives are essays that relate one moment in
  which a writer reveals an experience he/she has
  had. They are used to tell a story in such a way
  so the reader can easily follow the events.
• Before writing this type of essay it is best to
  keep the following suggestions in mind
• What moment in my life best illustrates the point
  I want to write about? Remember that a moment is
  limited as much as possible in time. It is best
  to use the moment in your life that you recall
  most sharply.

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• What kinds of details would make this moment come
  alive? Remember to show the setting in which the
  moment occurred through such things as color,
  smell, touch sound. Describe the people who
  were there and use important bits of dialogue
  that occurred while the moment was developing.
• Also keep the following things in mind
• What is the purpose of the narrative?
• Be consistent in your viewpoint.
• Follow a logical time sequence.

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• Make your characters believable and come alive
  with as much description as possible
• Limit the the scope of the moment as much as
  possible so that your reader does not get bogged
  down in a bunch of irrelevant material.
• Use dialogue sparingly. Only include the most
  important dialogue that directly relates to the
  moment you are describing.

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Comparison/Contrast Essays

• The comparison/contrast essay discusses the
  likenesses differences between 2 or more items
• This comparison/contrast can be written in two
  different ways
• point by point format, or
• block format

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Point By Point

• The point by point style is one in which each
  point that is shared between the items is
  discussed one after the other in one paragraph
  and the differences are covered point by point in
  another paragraph

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Example of Point by Point

• Paragraph 1
• Item A B both have this kind of climate
• Item A B both have this kind of weather
• Item A B both have this kind of population
• Paragraph 2
• Item A B differ in terms of tourist industry
• Items A B differ in terms of economic
  development
• Items A B differ in terms of medical care
  available

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Block Format

• In this format the items are discussed in
  separate paragraphs but the same topics must be
  covered about both so that the paragraphs are
  balanced and show a direct comparison and
  contrast between the two items
• In this format the items of least importance are
  mentioned first and the most important items are
  mentioned last so that the reader will have a
  better chance of being able to remember the main
  points being stressed

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Example of Block Format

• Paragraph 1
• Climate, weather, population, tourist industry,
  economic development and medical care found in
  ITEM 1
• Paragraph 2
• Climate, weather, population, tourist industry,
  economic development and medical care found in
  ITEM 2

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Which Format is LEAST Effective

• The point by point format of comparison/contrast
  is least effective because it is not possible to
  go into as much detail about each point. However,
  if you decide to follow this type of format
  anyway, it is necessary to use more lively
  illustrations and more varied vocabulary to make
  it as interesting as possible.

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Definition Essay

• The definition essay is one that offers an
  extended definition of some word or term that has
  special meaning to the writer
• In this type of essay it is recommended that the
  writer use the following strategies to help
  clarify the definition as much as possible state
  examples, describe the parts of the object being
  defined, compare/contrast term to similar terms,
  explain the operation or process used, give
  familiar synonyms, define by what the term does
  not mean, present a history of the term, discuss
  causes effects

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Descriptive Essays of Places

• The descriptive type of essay relies on concrete
  sensory details
• It can be written by using narration,
  comparison/contrast, supporting instances that
  discuss one aspect of the place you are
  describing or by mood sketches which describe the
  mood that is evoked in the place or physical
  description

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Literary Analysis Essays

• The literary analysis essay may discuss only one,
  or several, of the following items in relation to
  a story or book
• character analysis
• overall theme
• action
• structure
• tone
• language

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Character Analysis Essays

• This type of essay discusses specific traits of a
  characters personality this may be done in
  several different ways
• Each paragraph discusses a moment in the story
  that illustrates a specific trait
• Discusses important moment(s) in a characters
  development
• Using specific quotes to illustrate specific
  trait(s)

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• Show how a character changes from the beginning
  of the story to the end of the story
• Show how a character responded to a moment of
  crisis and how a moment in the writers life was
  similar or different
• Show how the writer would have responded in a
  particular instance
• Show how the same instance was portrayed
  differently in the story and the movie version

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Illustrative Essays

• This type of essay uses several similar examples
  to examine or explain one main point.
• Illustration is done by using sensory details to
  support the main point as well as using
  transitions to move smoothly from one example to
  the next.

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Process Analysis Essays

• This type of essay gives directions or shows the
  reader how to do something or to explain how
  something has been done in the past. Therefore,
  it is necessary to use the most clear, precise
  language possible.
• This type of essay breaks down the process of how
  to do something into steps

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• Keep these things in mind when preparing to write
  this type of essay
• It is necessary to include all relevant
  details-first include major steps that need to be
  followed all materials needed
• Provide any descriptive information that will
  serve as an attention getter
• Use concrete sensory details
• Steps may be given in chronological order or by
  order of importance, depending on process being
  discussed

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When to Use Chronological Order Order of
Importance

• If you are describing how to make something, use
  chronological order because it is important to
  follow a certain order in completing the steps
• If you are describing how to care for something,
  for instance, caring for puppies, use order of
  importance

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Conclusion

• I hope that this workshop on essay writing has
  been helpful in explaining the characteristics
  and ways to write different types of essays.
  Dont forget to come by Student Support Services
  to complete an Academic Enrichment Summary so we
  may document your participation. If you are
  viewing this workshop via the internet you may
  click on the link in the directions box on the
  Workshop page and print one out or
• e-mail it to rcrews_at_wallace.edu . Handouts
  available upon request.
• EXIT

EXIT