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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Brainstorming

• In groups of five , take 10 minutes to brainstorm
  one of the following topics and record your
  answers
  
• Marijuana use and the Law
• Ethical Behavior for Law Enforcement Officers
• Sexual assault and the Law
• The abortion controversy
• The internet and music piracy
• Gun control
• Violence in films
• Capital Punishment

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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
• c) three reasons to back up this
  opinion
  
• Example My favorite TV show is Friends because
  I like the characters, the plot lines, and the
  humour.

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Example Thesis
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3 rules for your thesis
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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
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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
  group 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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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
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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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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 What irks me about action movies
  is the 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.
  
• 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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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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Another example of a conclusion

• Here is a thesis statement from an essay entitled
  Why Friends Is My Favorite TV Show.
  
• Friends is my favorite TV show because I like the
  humour, the characters, an the plots.
  
• In the conclusion, you would restate the thesis
  in new words.
  
• The hilarious situations, the comedic characters
  and the relevant plotlines 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 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
  
• Make sure your group name is on your sheets
  youll hand this in when your done

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