Writing an Essay

Steps in Writing an EssayBrainstorming (Getting ideas)

Outlining (Organizing ideas)

Writing (Getting it down on paper)

Revising (Making corrections)

BrainstormingListing

Gets lots of ideas on paper quickly.

Clustering Allows you to begin organizing your ideas while

listing

Free writing Put pen to paper and start writing!

Listing

Gets lots of ideas on paper quickly. Note down every idea that comes into your head Don’t stop and consider each one – just write! The more the better!

Rank, organize and re-arrange your list: Divide into positive and negative aspects Categorize your list (social, political, economic) Personal experience

Prompt: What are the most important impacts

of the automobile on society?

Listexpensesmogtraffic accidentscan be beautifulfun to drivetime spent commutingnoiseeconomic importanceconvenience

Clustering

Begin with a few central ideas.

Draw a picture map or “bubble map.”

Link each new idea as you think appropriate.

Prompt: What are the most important impacts of the automobile on society?

Clustering

noisesmog

commuting

expense

negative positive

convenience

artistic merit

economic importance

fun

?

Prompt: What are the most important impacts of the automobile on society?

air pollutiontime spent commuting

social personalconvenience

economic importance

hobby

traffic accidents

collectingrecreation

Clustering

Free writing

Note down whatever thoughts come into your head, in narrative form.

Keep writing until your ideas take shape.

Tell your “Inner Censor” to shut up! Don’t worry about grammar or spelling now.

Experiment with phrases/sentences to use.

Prompt: What are the most important impacts of the automobile on society?

Free writing

Impacts of automobiles on society, well there are lots,

there’s the cost of ownership, fuel, insurance, and so on,

there’s traffic accidents, noise from engines, noise from

alarms beeping, all the time you have to spend in your car if

you commute to work – but I’m only thinking of the

negative things – let’s see, they’re sure convenient, and

they can be fun to drive, and some them are really quite

beautiful, and can be collector’s items, and building them

sure provides a lot of jobs for people. But smog’s a real

downside . . .

Step 2: Outlining

A chart – or “blueprint” – for the essay.

Organizes the ideas you generated in Step 1.

Provides supporting details.

Uses Roman Numerals to list Main Ideas.

Uses the alphabet to list supporting details.

Sample Outline:

I. IntroductionII. Social

A. Economic importanceB. Traffic accidentsC. Air pollution

III. PersonalA. Time spent commutingB. ConvenienceC. Hobby

1. Recreational driving2. Collecting

IV. Conclusion

Descriptive Essay

Two main objectives: to provide information to present and explain the topic so the reader can

easily understand it. NOT to argue a point or defend an opinion

Describes an idea, process, or concept.

Answers these questions: What is it ? What is it like ? What does it mean ? How does it work/happen ?

Recognizing Prompts for Descriptive Essays:

Active verbs like consider, identify, describe, define, or analyze. Examples: What do you consider to be the qualities of a

good student?

Identify and describe the most interesting geographical feature of your country.

Describe what, in your opinion, makes good art or literature.

Define the important characteristics of a teacher.

Step 3: Write! Writing an Introduction

An Introduction requires four parts:

A “Hook

Background information

Thesis Statement which clearly states your position

A “map” of the main points your essay will discuss

Background information

Provides enough information to introduce the topic.

Not too much information!

Tells the reader: why this topic is important; the meaning of any special terms used in the essay; what has motivated the writer to write about this

topic.

The Thesis Statement

Tells the purpose of the essay.

Makes clear your feelings, opinion or attitude about the topic.

Should be expressed clearly, in a single sentence.

The most important sentence in the entire essay!

The “Map”

Tells reader what to expect from essay.

Lists main ideas, in the order they will discussed.

Helps reader understand how essay is organized.

Helps reader understand how description, argument, comparison, etc. will be constructed.

Is either part of the Thesis Statement or in another sentence immediately after the ThSt

Body Paragraphs

Heart of the essay

One paragraph for each idea identified in the map

Topic sentence of each paragraph refers back to map

Minimum of one, max of ??

Step 3: Write! Writing the Conclusion

Function of the conclusion paragraph:Brings your writing to an end.Identifies the solution, resolution, or decision

that is the logical outcome of the discussion in the body paragraph(s).

Remember this about Conclusions: The logical message, lesson or decision expressed

in the conclusion must agree with (confirm) your ThSt.

The conclusion need not be long and must not introduce any new information.

Step 4: Revision

Review your work for errors

Read the essay aloud

Read the essay backwards

Do a spell check

Look for your common mistakes