Expository and Essay Writing Part II

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Expository and Essay WritingPart II
Writing is the hardest work in the world. I have
been a bricklayer and a truck driver, and I tell
you as if you haven't been told a million times
already that writing is harder.  Lonelier. And
nobler and more enriching. - Harlan Ellison
I was working on the proof of one of my poems all
the morning, and I took out a comma. In the
afternoon I put it back again. - Oscar Wilde
The secret of becoming a writer is to write,
write and keep on writing. - Ken MacLeod
How do I know what I think until I see what I
say? - E. M. Forster
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What is an expository essay?

• Exposition means to explain or point out
  something
• An essay is a piece of writing that starts off
  with a specific point of view and then develops
  and supports that point.
• An expository essay answers a specific question
  about its subject.
• Justify thesis statement by asking
• What is it? How does it work?
• What is its significance?
• Why find this interesting?

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Five-paragraph format

• One paragraph introduction (contains thesis)
• One paragraph conclusion (echoes the main idea of
  the thesis)
• Three middle paragraphs (also called the body)
• Ranges between 400 and 1000 words
• Like a hamburger - body is the meat and the bun
  (intro and conclusion) holds it together

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From Last WeekPreparing to write

• Brainstorming - free association
• Process of coming up with ideas
• Requires more ideas/organization than a paragraph
• Write what you know
• Choose a topic appropriate for short essay
• Use a cluster diagram - dont censor ideas
• Group ideas into logical units - notice
  similarities and begin sorting through information

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The Thesis Statement

• Sets out your position, approach and limits
• The statement that you will prove and support in
  the rest of the paper
• A thesis statement is a full sentence dont
  confuse it with your title or topic. It always
  contains
• a) the topic of your essay
• b) authors opinion (thesis)
• c) reasons to back up this
  opinion (blueprint statement)
• Example The sitcom Friends remains one of the
  most successful programs on mainstream television
  because its approach appeals to the average
  middle-class American consumer. Its success can
  be attributed largely to character development,
  typical plot line conventions, and satirical
  humour.

But Mary, how can I know the main idea of
something I havent written yet?
A. Stracuzzi
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Or.

• Use Parallel Structure in your wording
• Law enforcement professionals increasingly
  require a diverse skill set. In particular,
  policing requires officers to be knowledgeable
  about the law, adaptable to issues of security,
  and responsible for keeping citizens safe.
• Talk about the body paragraphs in the same order
  as they will appear in the essay. For the above
  thesis 1) knowledge 2) adaptability 3)
  responsibility

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Characteristics of a Thesis Statement
A. Stracuzzi

• Its restricted, almost bite sized
• Rap and Hip-Hop music are popular for various
  reasons. Vs.Rap and hip-hop is the most
  suitable style of music to address social
  inequality in mainstream culture
• A good thesis is concise
• The ability to download music is great , but it
  has several drawbacks, and it should be done only
  in certain instances where artists give
  permission to do so.
• Vs.
• The ability of individuals to download music
  prevents corporations from maximizing their
  profit.
• A good thesis is specific, not vague
• Quentin Tarantinos films are really
  interesting because of the violence. Vs.
• The films of Quentin Tarantinos employ
  post-modern ideas of violence.

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• A thesis is not a titleThe Decline of Baseball
  in American Culture.
• Vs.In recent years,
  baseball has experienced a significant decline in
  popularity.
• A thesis is not a statement of absolute fact.
• Disney is a powerful corporation
• Vs.
• The Disney Corporation maks its profits by
  buying, selling, and commodifying childhood.
• A thesis is not an announcement of the subject.
• The subject of my essay is the medias
  representation of the ideal body weight for
  women. Vs.
• The media represents the ideal body for women
  through unrealistic images of weight.

A. Stracuzzi
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More Examples of thesis statements

• The rate of assimilation depends on an
  immigrants background, individual qualities,
  and situations
• In order to succeed, students need to attend
  their classes, do their homework, and study for
  tests.
• Using the drug ecstasy, can cause serious
  physical. mental, and emotional changes which
  could result in sudden death
• Love is a complex emotion because it cannot be
  reduced to a single definition. Answers a why?
• The correctional system is facing a shortage of
  trained personnel, a situation that can be
  remedied only if more funding is allocated for
  training Answers a how?

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Where to put your thesis statement
A. Stracuzzi
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Common mistakes about thesis statements

• A thesis statement should not be an announcement,
  such as, In this essay, I will discussed the
  differences between men and women.
• Like a topic sentence of a paragraph, it should
  be neither too broad nor too narrow
• It should not be a simple fact that leaves no
  room for discussion e.g.. For me, the best pets
  are dogs
• It should set out a plan that is manageable in
  five paragraphs ( or in the amount of space the
  essay is supposed to be)
• Just states an opinion. I like the movie My Big
  Fat Greek Wedding

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Making an outline
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Making an outline

• Using the topic that you brainstormed in your
  groups last week create an outline for a proposed
  essay on your topic
• Topic
• Title
• Thesis statement
• Topic for first paragraph
• Supporting point 1
• Supporting point 2
• Supporting point 3

Use this outline
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Topics From Last Week

• Look at your paragraph from last week
• 1.Teenagers use of non-prescription drugs
• 2. Bullying at school
• 3. Sexual harassment in the workforce
• 4. Mandatory gun licensing
• 5. Young drivers drinking and driving
• 6. Eleven p.m. noise curfew
• 7. Personal safety

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Parts to an essay

• Introduction
• Middle Paragraphs (body)
• Conclusion

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Introduction

• Ist paragraph is your introduction
• Leads to thesis statement in last sentence
• Gives background info
• Narrows the topic of thesis down
• Doesn't include any supporting points
• Prepares reader for your argument
• Dont use statements like This essay will
  explain, or I am going to explain, or The topic I
  have chosen to write about - they are
  redundancies!

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Introduction can include

• some background information on your topic
• definition of a term, concept or idea
• a brief story, or narrative such as an event in
  history
• an opinion contrary to popular belief
• a startling statement, interesting fact or
  statistic
• a rhetorical question, one that you will answer
  yourself in the essay
• an apt quote

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Middle Paragraphs

• Body of your essay
• Follows the rules for a paragraph topic sentence
  3 points 3 examples
• Contains 1 main idea (Unity)
• Sentences in logical order (Coherence)
• Doesnt have conclusion use transition sentences
  to join to next paragraph
• A transition is a word or words that link ideas
  together. Examples For, but, however,
  furthermore, first, secondly, thirdly,
  Nevertheless

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The Conclusion

• Writing a conclusion is difficult you cant
  just say In Conclusion and repeat your thesis
  verbatim
• You can restate the thesis by rewording your
  original material
• Summarize repeat the main points of your essay
• Offer solutions to the problem you've presented
  or make a prediction of what might happen if your
  thesis is not followed
• Could end with a story that illustrates the point
  of your essay
• See Pg. 24 of your text for explicit examples

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Conclusion

• Gathers all ideas expressed in intro and body
• Last chance to impress reader about main idea
• Restates the thesis but not in the same words
• Example Thesis Mainstream Hollywood narratives
  recycle the same formula in almost every film.
  This lack of originality in action films is
  evident in the use of unrealistic dialogue, the
  illogical actions of the hero, and the clichéd
  chase sequences.
• Because action movies contain a formulaic
  pattern, the audience can become annoyed with
  the repetition of similar ideas and images. As a
  result, Hollywood cinema must continuously
  reinvent unique and interesting plot devices if
  they hope to continue to capture audiences in the
  future.
• Avoid an abrupt ending - wrap ideas up
• Offer a so what idea to close - show how it
  relates to a larger issue

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Another example of a conclusion

• The sitcom Friends remains one of the most
  successful programs on mainstream television
  because its approach appeals to the average
  middle-class American consumer. Its success can
  be attributed largely to character development,
  typical plot line conventions, and satirical
  humour.
• In the conclusion, you would restate the thesis
  in new words.
• The comedic characters, the relevant storylines,
  and the hilarious situations, make watching
  Friends the highlight of the week.
• Notice that the 3 points in the original theses
  consisted of 2 words in each reason however, in
  the restated thesis, the 3 points are stated in 3
  NEW WORDS that mean the same thing

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The Final Paragraph

• For the essay about friends, you might write
  something like this
• Now, if anyone asks me to name my favorite TV
  show, I would have to say that it is Friends
  because I like the hilarious situations, the
  comedic characters, and the relevant plotlines.
  For these reasons, Friends is the show that I
  wouldnt miss for anything, even getting my
  research paper done on time!
• The underlined words are examples of transitions

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Practice Writing an introduction

• Using your outline and thesis statement from last
  class write an introductory paragraph putting
  your thesis statement at the end.
• Construct a complete first paragraph using your
  topic sentence and supporting points remember
  to use examples to back up your points
• Construct a concluding paragraph on your chosen
  topic in the end, you should have a complete 3
  paragraph essay.

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Practice II

• Continue constructing a thesis statement for your
  expository essay make sure its a precise claim
  or argument
• Construct an outline for your essay and/or an
  introductory paragraph and/or
• Topic sentence for first body paragraph
• Supporting point
• Examples
• Supporting point Examples
• Supporting point
• Examples

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End of Slide ShowNext Week Argumentation
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