The essay-writing book

What does it suggest about essay writing?

Chapter One

• give readers preview of what’s “motivating your argument” (21), and always keep in mind

main purpose of your discussion (27)

Chapter Three

• quotations should always have reason for being in a paper, and should be given some

context (i.e., discussion [44])

• effective quoting/paraphrasing is fine balancing act between someone else’s views, your comments on those views, and your own

views (49)

Chapter Five

• use “voice markers” to differentiate between your views and someone else’s (e.g., “While X

suggests ___, I would caution against a complete acceptance of this view” [75])

Chapter Six

• anticipate criticism of your opinion in order to strengthen paper (78), since process of

writing is a “conversation” (79)

• easier to write paper if you “entertain counter-arguments” (80)

Chapter Ten

• metacommentary (i.e., action of commenting on your own thoughts) helps generate more

ideas and greater depth in paper (131)

• dealing with counter-arguments (see Ch. 6) is also form of metacommentary (134)

• paper with good metacommentary not only makes claims; it “stage manag[es]” claims

(137) and maybe goes beyond them

Essay structure

So what do I need, and do, in a paper?

Essay 1, opinion piece

Should include...

Opinion & body

• intro.: contains your specific opinion (i.e., thesis statement)

• body paragraphs: expand on thesis; maintain focus; draw inspiration from primary text,

opinion, interplay between two; explain ideas and grow discussion; reflect upon validity of

own thoughts; establish connections between primary work and opinion

Conclusion

• ties together loose ends; reaffirms dominant thoughts; suggests new ideas/modes of

inquiry

Essay 2, extended opinion piece

Should include...

Opinion & body

• intro.: contains your specific opinion (i.e., thesis statement)

• body paragraphs: expand on thesis; maintain focus; draw inspiration from primary text,

opinion, but open to critical possibilities/interplay; reflect upon validity of

own thoughts and those of criticism; establish connections/polarizations between primary

and secondary work, and opinion; synthesize

Conclusion

• ties together loose ends; looks at discussion in its entirety; suggests new ideas/modes of

inquiry

And don’t forget...

• in extended opinion pieces (i.e., research papers), think of secondary sources as tools

that allow you to “bridge” certain gaps between your opinions and primary text, but never allow secondary sources to speak for

you