Writing an Essay

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Writing an Essay
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Effective Writing

• Is focused on the topic and does not contain
  extraneous or loosely related information.
• Has an organizational pattern that enables the
  reader to follow the flow of ideas because it
  contains a beginning, middle, and end and uses
  transitional devices.
• Contains supporting ideas that are developed
  through the use of details, examples, vivid
  language, and mature word choice.
• Follows the conventions of standard written
  English (i.e., punctuation, capitalization, and
  spelling) and has variation in sentence structure.

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Introduction

• An introduction should entice your reader to
  continue reading

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Contents of an Introduction

• Attention Grabber/hook
• Striking fact/statistic (curiosity)
• Definition
• Quotation
• Humor (anecdote)
• Rhetorical Question
• Introduce your main points (typically each point
  is a separate paragraph)
• Thesis
• Declares what you believe and what you intend to
  prove
• Avoid announcing your intent in the thesis
  statement. Phrases such as "I want, " "I plan,"
  "I intend," or "this paper is about" are overused
  and unnecessary.

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Examples of Hooks

• Striking fact/statistic In one year, 365 days,
  256 people were killed by toasters.
• Definition A homograph is a word with two or
  more pronunciations. Produce is one example.
• Quotation True friendship comes when silence
  between two people is comfortable, believes
  writer Dave Gentry.
• Humor/Anecdote Yesterday morning I watched as my
  older sister left for school with a bright white
  glob of toothpaste gleaming on her chin. I felt
  no regret at all until she stepped onto the bus.
• Rhetorical Question Why me? Why am I always
  picked last in gym class?
• Curiosity A ducks quack doesnt echo. Some
  people might find a deep and mysterious meaning
  in this fact.

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Friendship

• A dictionary contains a definition of
  friendship somewhere in the Fs between the words
  fear and Friday. An encyclopedia supplies
  interesting facts on friendship. But all the
  definitions and facts do not convey what
  friendship is really all about. It cannot be
  understood through words or exaggerations. The
  only way to understand friendship is through
  experience. It is an experience that involves all
  the senses.

Somewhere between a definition and curiosity.
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Cheating in America

• Did you know that 7 out of 10 students have
  cheated at least once in the past year? Did you
  know that 50 percent of those students have
  cheated more than twice? These shocking
  statistics are from a survey of 9,000 U.S. high
  school students.

Statistic
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Summer 15 Days or 2 1/2 Months?
Anecdote

• The final bell rings. Its the last day of
  school, and summer has finally come! Students
  dont have to think about school for at least
  another 2 1/2 months. That is the way it should
  always be. Schools should continue using the
  traditional calendar and not a year-round
  schedule. There are numerous downsides to
  year-round schooling. It has no positive effects
  on education, it adds to costs, and it disrupts
  the long-awaited summer vacation.

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Summer

• Hi, my name is Jen and Im going to tell you
  why summer is my favorite season. I like summer
  because its warm, theres no school, and I get
  to go on a family vacation. Those are my three
  reasons for summer being my favorite season. Read
  on as I tell you more.

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Come up with a hook for the following

• Explain why you admire a particular person.
• If you had to be an animal, which would you be
  and why?
• Explain why some cities have a curfew for teens.
• Describe three major stresses in a teenagers
  life.

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Thesis

• Declares what you believe and what you intend to
  prove.
• Avoid directly announcing your intent in the
  thesis. Phrases such as I want, I plan, I
  intend, or this paper is about are over used
  and unnecessary. statement. Phrases such as "I
  want, " "I plan," "I intend," or "this paper is
  about" are overused and unnecessary.

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Theses

• Original Thesis Many Americans are buying
  foreign cars.?Revised Thesis Many Americans are
  buying the Toyota Corolla because of its
  competitive price, fuel economy, and high resale
  value.
• Original Thesis San Francisco is an interesting
  place to visit.?Revised Thesis San Francisco is
  a stimulating place to visit because of its
  magnificent location, its theaters and art
  galleries, and its many fine restaurants.

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Body Paragraphs

• Each paragraph should
• Begin with a transition word or phrase
• Focus on one topic
• All body paragraphs should
• Flow in logical order

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Body Paragraphs

• Body paragraphs should include beef to enhance
  your paper
• Cause and effect
• Make connections (within the paragraph or between
  different paragraphs)

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Transition Words

• Sequencing words
• To start off
• To kick it off
• Primarily
• First
• Second
• Third
• Next
• Then

• Afterwards
• In turn
• Simultaneously
• As a result
• Consequently
• Therefore
• With this in mind

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Transition Words

• For continuing a thought
• Consequently
• Clearly
• Then
• Furthermore
• Additionally
• In addition
• Moreover
• In the same way
• Following this further
• Pursuing this further
• Similarly
• Likewise
• By the same token

• To contrast a thought
• However
• On the other hand
• But
• Yet
• Nevertheless
• On the contrary
• Aside from
• Rather
• In contrast

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Transition Words

• Summarizing (conclusion)
• After all
• All in all
• In short
• In summary
• To sum up
• To summarize
• Finally

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Body Paragraphs and Supporting Details

• What would be your three main points for the
  following topics?
• Explain why you admire a particular person.
• If you had to be an animal, which would you be
  and why?
• Explain why some cities have a curfew for teens.
• Describe three major stresses in a teenagers
  life.

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Conclusion

• Wraps up the paper provides a sense of closure.
• Echo the introduction -- the two should be
  similar they both mention the main points of
  your paper
• Include a zinger
• Leave your reader with something to think about
• Challenge the reader
• Encourage them to take action
• Leave them with something to think about
• Dont let the reader forget your essay
• Pose a question

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Conclusion

• The concluding paragraph typically has two
  parts 1. The summary statement is one or two
  sentences which restate the thesis in a fresh
  way to reinforce the essay's main idea.?
• 2. The clincher is a final thought which
  should create a lasting impression on the
  reader.

Look at your thesis statement again and rework it
in a new way. Avoid repeating key words and
phrases from the thesis statement because you
don't want the summary statement to sound boring
or repetitive. Using a thesaurus is a good way to
find new, interesting words.
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Connecting your Conclusion with your Thesis

• Thesis Statement Many Americans are buying the
  Toyota Corolla because of its competitive price,
  fuel economy, and high resale value.?Summary
  Statement Reasonable pricing, low miles per
  gallon, and an attractive resale value have all
  contributed to the popularity of the Toyota
  Corolla in today's market.
• Thesis Statement San Francisco is a stimulating
  place to visit because of its magnificent
  location, its theaters and art galleries, and its
  many fine restaurants.?Summary Statement If you
  love beautiful surroundings, world class theater
  and art, and an exquisite meal, then San
  Francisco is the place for you.

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Introduction
Body Paragraph 1
Body Paragraph 2
Body Paragraph 3
Supporting Details
Supporting Details
Supporting Details
2
1
1
1
3
2
3
2
3
Conclusion
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What brings me happiness
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness
is the key to success. If you love what you are
doing, you will be successful. I couldnt agree
more with Herman Cain. My personal happiness
stems from many things. Three of the leading
notions are my family, random acts of kindness,
and exercising.
Random acts of kindness
Family
Exercising
Proves there are still good people in the world.
We have a good time together.
Always there for me
Pay it forward
Makes both parties feel good.
I love them and they love me.
Makes me good endorphins.
Healthier life!
Gives me something to do when Im bored.
Although my happiness is affected by many things,
the three central things are the three that play
the biggest part in my everyday life. My family,
random acts of kindness, and exercising play a
role in my life every day, and all of these
things make me feel warm inside. Just remember,
every minute you spend upset, you lose 60 seconds
of happiness.
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Lets create our own!

• 5 Paragraph Essay Graphic Organizer