Essay Helpers

A) TYPES OF ESSAYS
1) narrative: the purpose of the narrative essay is to tell a story.
2) descriptive: in a descriptive essay, the purpose is to produce a mood or a dominant impression
of a person, place, or object. The writer tries to make the reader see, hear, or feel what the writer
saw, heard, or felt.
3) expository: the purpose of the expository essay is to inform, clarify, define, explain, or
analyze.
4) argumentative: an argumentative essay attempts to convince, bring about an event, or move
the reader to action. In an orderly way the writer analyzes a problem, offers a solution,
acknowledges opposing solutions, and restates the one given in the essay. The appeal to the
reader may be strictly logical or it may involve the reader's emotions.
B) THE FORMAL EXPOSITORY ESSAY
1) INTRODUCTION: introduces your topic/thesis and catches the reader's interest. With an
essay relating to history, set the scene (i.e. time period and persons / countries involved). Perhaps
use a rhetorical question.
2) BODY: expands upon your topic/thesis
3) CONCLUSION: summarizes your topic/thesis
HELPFUL HINTS:
- for a test essay, read the essay question very carefully
- remember to indent your paragraphs
- avoid the use of contractions (i.e. instead of "didn't" use "did not")
- avoid the use of the phrase "a lot of"
- avoid the use of slang and colloquial expressions (i.e. expressions used in everyday informal
talk, but not in formal speech or writing eg "they've had it", "it's a cinch")
- do not say in your introduction, "In this essay, I am going to tell you about..." Let your essay
speak for itself.

- throughout your essay, avoid the use of "you", use "one" instead. eg "You need to consider
safety when doing an experiment." Rather, "One needs to consider safety when doing an
experiment."
- watch out for run on sentences
eg The teacher put the question on the blackboard, we all began to write.
This run-on sentence could be fixed several different ways: (i.e.)
a) The teacher put the questions on the blackboard. We all began to write.
b) The teacher put the questions on the blackboard, and we all began to write.
c) As soon as the teacher put the questions on the blackboard, we all began to write.
CHECK YOUR SENTENCES BY READING THEM OUT LOUD TO YOURSELF. DO
THEY SOUND RIGHT?
- use effective transitional expressions between your sentences and paragraphs.
EXAMPLES:
a) Addition: moreover, further, furthermore, besides, and, and then, likewise, also, nor, too,
again, in addition, equally important, next, first, second, third, in the first place, in the second
place, finally, last.
b) Comparison: similarly, likewise, in like manner.
c) Contrast: but, yet, and yet, however, still, nevertheless, on the other hand, on the contrary,
even so, notwithstanding, for all that, in contrast to this, at the same time, although this may be
true, otherwise, nonetheless.
d) Place: here, beyond, nearby, opposite to, adjacent to, on the opposite side.
e) Purpose: to this end, for this purpose, with this object.
f) Result: hence, therefore, accordingly, consequently, thus, thereupon, as a result, then.
g) Summary, repetition, intensification: in conclusion, to sum up, in brief, on the whole, in
sum, in short, as I have said, in other words, that is, to be sure, as has been noted, for example, for
instance, in fact, indeed, to tell the truth, in any event.
h) Time: meanwhile, at length, soon, after a few days, in the meantime, afterward, later, now, in
the past.

C) PREPARE AN OUTLINE FOR YOUR ESSAY

- an essay is a well organized expression of writing, hence you need a plan before you start to
write your essay. There are several different styles of essay outlines, for instance "webbing" is an
excellent technique that many students are taught. Below is an example of another technique.
SAMPLE ESSAY OUTLINE
Topic: "Canada remained British because it was French"
Introduction:
- uncertainty for the colony of Quebec during the 1770s
- War of Independence to the south
- would the French in Quebec support the American Revolution?
- would Britain lose control over Quebec?
- history has shown, Canada did remain British because it was French (thesis
statement)
Body:
I) Why did the Canadiens not support the American Revolution?
- an opportunity to be liberated from the British
- France supported it
- answer: to a large extent, the Quebec Act
II) Describe the Quebec Act
- protection for French language, Roman Catholic religion, civil
laws,
- borders enlarged
- control over fur trade went to Quebec City and Montreal
merchants
- Que. Governor, Guy Carleton, hoped the French would remain
loyal

III) Describe reasons for American Revolution

- Intolerable Acts
i.e. Townshend/Quartering/Stamp/Quebec Acts
IV) American threat to Quebec
- 1775 invasion
- Canadiens defended Que. realizing benefits from the Quebec Act
+ American rule not an attractive alternative
Conclusion:
- Anglo-Americans did win their war of independence / USA came into being /
USA gained the Ohio Valley
- however, Que. (later Canada) remained under British rule through the
efforts of the Canadiens (i.e. restating thesis)
D) SAMPLE ESSAY
Note:
Purple text: donates a transitional expression
Blue text: emphasizes linking a key idea between paragraphs to create flow in the essay
Green dots: denote indenting (do not put in these dots though when you are indenting)
"Canada remained British because it was French"
.....The 1770s was a period of considerable uncertainty for the colony of Quebec which was later
to be divided into Upper and Lower Canada. Under British rule, the people of Quebec, most of
whom were French, had to consider the dramatic events that were taking place to the south. The
War of Independence or the American Revolution saw Anglo-Americans desiring to be free from
British rule and to form their own nation. Would such a desire spread to the French in Quebec?
Would Britain lose all its colonies in North America? As history has shown, in a rather ironic
way, Canada did remain British because it was French.
.....To begin to understand the irony of these events in Canadian history, one must ask the
question, why did the French in Quebec, known as les Canadiens, not support the American
Revolution? After all, it would have been an opportunity for them to be liberated from their
British conquerors. Furthermore, in their homeland of France, King Louis XVI gave military

support to the Anglo-Americans to help defeat the British. The answer to this seemingly
confusing question, lies to a large extent in the Quebec Act of 1774.
.....This act provided a number of benefits to the Canadien people. For example, they were
allowed to retain their language, Roman Catholic religion, and civil laws. Moreover, Quebec's
borders were enlarged to include the rich fishing and sealing grounds off Labrador as well as the
valuable fur trading area of the Ohio Valley. Quebec City and Montreal merchants were also
given control over the fur trade. With such concessions being made to the Canadiens, Quebec's
Governor, Guy Carleton, hoped that in the event of an American threat to Quebec, the French
would remain loyal.
.....Such a threat soon did arise as Anglo-Americans responded to what they viewed as a series of
"Intolerable Acts" imposed by the British Government. These acts included the Townshend Act
which forced them to pay duties on tea, glass, paints, and paper imported from Britain. AngloAmericans were frustrated that they were being taxed by a Government in which they had no
representation. In addition, there was the Quartering Act which forced Anglo-Americans to use
their homes to provide room and board for British soldiers and the Stamp Act which required
stamps to be affixed to legal documents and newspapers to show that a tax had been paid. As
well, there was the Quebec Act which angered Anglo-Americans for three main reasons. Firstly,
it blocked the westward expansion of the American colonies into the Ohio Valley. Secondly, it
gave protection to the Roman Catholic religion, and finally, it failed to provide an elected
assembly to the Quebec colony.
.....As a result of these "Intolerable Acts', the American Revolution began. It included an invasion
of Quebec in 1775 with the hope by the Americans that the Canadiens would welcome liberation
from the British. They were sorely mistaken though, as the Canadiens, remembering the benefits
they had achieved through the Quebec Act, defended the colony and ensured that it would remain
in British hands. Indeed, an American presence in Quebec did not offer the Canadiens an
attractive alternative to the British especially considering the American opposition to protection
for the Roman Catholic religion. Hence, in spite of France's support for the American cause, the
Canadiens chose to side with the British.
.....In the end, the Anglo-Americans did win their war for independence and the United States of
America came into being. The Americans even managed to gain control of the much coveted
Ohio Valley. Although this was a difficult loss to swallow for the people of Quebec, the colony
did remain in existence through the efforts of the Canadiens and ensured a future for Canada
under British rule.

COMPARISON
AND CONTRAST
PERHAPSTHEMOSTCOMMONASSIGNMENT in a Composition course is the comparison and
contrast essay. What could be easier? We've got these two things movies, books, rock bands,
decades, people, fashions, schools, ideas how are they alike and how are they different? The

paper practically writes itself! (A comparison, incidentally, is the process of showing how things
are alike; a contrast is the process of showing differences.)
There are some general rules to consider before we begin to write a comparison and contrast
essay, however.
First, is the comparison fair? Is it fair to compare the social nightlife of a small rural town in
Oklahoma to the nightlife of Manhattan? Probably not, unless our comparison is going to lead
our readers to a surprise: that for reasons they had never thought of before, the nightlife of Davis,
Oklahoma, is more fun, more fulfilling than the nightlife of the Big Apple!
The second question is one of procedure. We have, let's say, five points of difference between the
two things that we want to contrast. Shall we go from side to side, as if our essay were a pingpong match, or should we dwell on one side before going over to the other side, essentially
splitting our essay in half? It is possible to mix these two approaches, but our approach will
determine the overall structure, pacing, and effect of the essay.
Third, there has to be a good reason to make the comparison. Why should we compare this movie
to the novel it is based on? Why should we compare these two short stories, one by a modern
southern American Catholic woman and the other by a nineteenth-century French-Canadian man?
Will the comparison actually help anyone's understanding of either one? What's the point of the
comparison? When we've finished going through the various differences and similarities, is the
reader left with that horrible feeling, So what? or have we actually accomplished something
important? have we provided a unique insight into the nature of these two things that the reader
would never have discovered otherwise?
Finally, the business of a comparison and contrast essay is frequently (but not always) to
demonstrate a preference for one thing over another. The trick is to allow the preference to grow
out of the comparison without actually stating the obvious. Let the reader figure out the
preference from the language we use in the contrast; let the language do its work.
The following paragraphs are an excerpt from a Corby Kummer essay (first published in the April
1996 issue of the Atlantic Monthly) that compares one kind of hazelnut to another. If you, too, are
nuts about nuts, you can read the whole essay by clicking here. How does the author's preference
for one kind of hazelnet emerge from the essay? (Remember that we have excerpted paragraphs
from the essay, so other things are going on in the article that are not happening within this
abridged version.)
Last Christmas I had a chance to visit the family orchard that supplies the
nuts for those irresistible tozzetti my friend's mother makes. I was surprised
at how small a hazelnut tree, a member of the birch family, islike a modest
lilac. The trunks are seldom thicker than a forearm (U.S. trees are much
larger), and the wood is said to be excellent for shepherd's sticks, because it
doesn't splinter. There were still nuts on the trees, each tightly clustered with

two or three distinctly lobed leaves, which are technically husks. The clusters
look like beaten-gold oak leaves and acorns in Greek jewelry; I expect
Martha Stewart to be gilding them soon. . . .
In my taste comparisons I understood why Piedmont hazelnuts have
retained their reputation. The flavor of Viterbese hazelnuts is very fine, but
that of Piedmont nuts is more intense. Also, the skins of Piedmont nuts come
off more easily after heating (skin adheres more or less tightly by variety),
something that is crucial for candymakers who want to use whole nuts. . . .
In my taste comparisons I also learned how easy it is to over-roast
hazelnuts. Since I like toasty flavors so much, I usually think the darker the
better. But the almost pungent taste of hazelnutswhich is much more
assertive than the taste of almondsis easily obliterated by a minute or two
too long in the oven. Best to roast the nuts in a slow oven, 325 degrees, for
about ten minutes, just until you begin to smell them and they color very
lightly.
Unfortunately, the taste I encountered more than any other was rancidity.
This was a problem especially with the nuts I bought locally, because stores
have a tendency to keep nuts on the shelf far too long. The oils oxidize and
go rancid so quickly that the only safe place to store nuts is in the freezer.
(This is why I no longer buy hazelnut oil, whose flavor I love; it has usually
been pressed in France, and by the time I get it the oil has gone off
completely.) You'll have far better luck if you buy unshelled nuts rather than
shelled ones, because they resist oxidation longer. But then, of course, you
face the chore of both shelling and skinning the nuts.
I was disappointed by Oregon hazelnuts. Most are of a variety called
Barcelonahandsome round nuts practically as big as macadamias and
with nearly as little taste. The risk with any hazelnut is a kind of dead woody
flavor along with the characteristic one. Turkish and Oregon nuts, I found,
had the highest proportion of wood flavor, Piedmont the highest proportion of
hazelnut flavor. You can make your own comparison, buying Oregon nuts
from a local storeor mail-ordering them from a reliable company such as
Gahler's Hazelnuts, to ensure that they're fresh. . . .
The Piedmont variety would probably have great difficulty growing in

American soil, according to Cecil Farris, an amateur botanist I discovered

through the Internet who claims to have one of the world's most diverse
collections of hazelnut genetic material at his home, in Lansing, Michigan. It
would quickly succumb to eastern filbert blight, he says. But Farris has
worked on blight- and cold-resistant hazelnut varieties that have great flavor
and loose skins, and he wouldn't mind at all if Oregon growers used them
instead of Barcelona, which has "a woody old kernel and a thick, ugly shell
with a kind of pubescent fuzz at the apexit hasn't got anything I'm
interested in." Farris has his eye on other wet temperate regions that he
thinks would be ideal for hazelnuts: he describes the Appalachian region
between Bristol, Virginia, and Knoxville, Tennessee, as a kind of latter-day
Fertile Crescent, and dreams of using them like the mighty almond in
Hershey bars.
</TD< tr>
Community college student Charles M. Bezzler wrote the essay below which compares two
shopping experiences the experience of shopping in an old-fashioned American downtown
and the experience of shopping in a modern mall. It is reprinted here with his kind permission.
Don't forget to address the questions that follow the essay.
First, though, Charles had to do a little brainstorming.

1. TOPIC SENTENCES--The topic sentence is the general statement in a

paragraph that explains what the whole paragraph is about. It is usually the first
sentence in the paragraph.
2. STATEMENT (CONTROLLING IDEA)-a. A topic sentence contains a topic and a statement (controlling idea).
The statement (controlling idea) is what the writer intends to say about the topic.
TOPIC
STATEMENT (CONTROLLING IDEA)
Pollution
+ demands action.
Pollution
+ exists throughout the world.
b. A topic sentence implies an argument that must be proven. A
statement of fact cannot be used as a topic sentence since it does not need to be
proven.
Statement of fact: Television stations broadcast news.
Topic sentence: Television news shows are biased.
c. Topic sentences should not be too general.
Too general: Shakespeare was a great writer.
Topic sentence: Shakespeare's typical education seems unlikely
for a genius.
3. UNITY--Any sentence in the paragraph that does not support the topic
sentence is considered out of unity. Check each sentence by using the word
BECAUSE after the topic sentence:
Topic sentence: Dogs make excellent pets.
(BECAUSE) They are loyal.
(BECAUSE) They are playful.
(BECAUSE) They are useful.
The sentence "They are a lot of trouble to take care of" would be out of unity
since it does not explain why dogs make excellent pets.
4. SUPPORT--Paragraphs may have primary (major) support as well as
secondary (minor) support. Topic sentence: Dogs make excellent pets.
Primary support: First, they are loyal.
Secondary support: They are devoted to their owners.
Primary support: Next, they are playful.
Secondary support: They enjoy games like catch.
Secondary support: They like to play with toys.
Primary support: Finally, they are useful.
Secondary support: They can protect property.
Secondary support: They can warn of danger.
Look for transition markers (FIRST, ANOTHER, etc.) to identify primary
support.
1. CONCLUSION--The conclusion of a paragraph should bring the
paragraph to a close without bringing in a new topic or idea. A good
concluding sentence for the paragraph in item 4 might be "Dogs are truly
man's best friend." A poor concluding statement might be "Goldfish also

make good pets."

MODULE #17
PARAGRAPH DEVELOPMENT II
HINT SHEET
1. EVIDENCE--Be sure to provide specific and detailed evidence
to support the topic sentence. Think of your topic sentence as an
idea that must be proven to the reader. Offer enough facts,
opinions, and examples to prove your point.
2. TOPIC SENTENCES--Use questions to identify what
information needs to be developed in the paragraph:
TS -- Spelunking is a dangerous hobby.
Q - Why is it dangerous?
TS -- The space lab was a miniature laboratory.
Q - What makes it a miniature laboratory?
The question asks something about the statement (controlling idea)
of the topic sentence.
3. PRIMARY & SECONDARY SUPPORT--Paragraphs may have
primary (major) support as well as secondary (minor) support.
The primary support statement supports the topic sentence directly.
Secondary support statements support primary support statements.
Some paragraphs use only primary support. The topic sentence in
these paragraphs is supported by a list of evidence, with no
particular item having any more importance than any other. Most
paragraphs, however, are organized into both primary and
secondary supporting statements.
4. COHERENT PARAGRAPHS--Coherence means that the
paragraph "sticks" together in a tight and logical order. Coherence
can be emphasized by
a. Repeating important words.
b. Using transitional words and phrases
Examples ( for example, for instance)
Clarification ( in other words, in effect)
Contrast ( however, nevertheless, on the other hand)
Stages, steps, or a series (first, finally, so far)
A paragraph that isn't coherent seems "jumbled" and is hard to
follow.
5. PARAGRAPH ORDER--Paragraphs fall into four basic

patterns:

INDUCTIVE ORDER--Topic sentence last.

NATURAL ORDER--Topic sentence first; sentences
follow in the order they occurred.
CLIMACTIC ORDER--Topic sentence first; sentences are
arranged from the least
important to the most important.
EMPHATIC ORDER--Topic sentence first; sentences
follow in no particular order

Transition Words & Phrases

Sequence:
again, also, and, and then, besides, finally,
first...second...third, furthermore, last, moreover, next,
still, too
Time:
after a bit, after a few days, after a while, afterward,
as long as, as soon as, at last, at length, at that time,
before, earlier, immediately, in the meantime, in the
past, lately, later, meanwhile, now, presently, shortly,
simultaneously, since, so far, soon, then, thereafter,
until, when
Comparison:
again, also, in the same way, likewise, once more,
similarly
Contrast:
although, but, despite, even though, however, in
contrast, in spite of, instead, nevertheless,
nonetheless, notwithstanding, on the contrary, on the
one hand...on the other hand, regardless, still,
though, yet
Examples:
after all, even, for example, for instance, indeed, in
fact, of course, specifically, such as, the following
example, to illustrate
Cause and Effect:
accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, for

this purpose, hence, so, then, therefore, thereupon,

thus, to this end
Place:
above, adjacent to, below, beyond, closer to,
elsewhere, far, farther on, here, near, nearby,
opposite to, there, to the left, to the right
Concession:
although it is true that, granted that, I admit that, it
may appear that, naturally, of course
Summary, Repetition, or Conclusion:
as a result, as has been noted, as I have said, as we
have seen, as mentioned earlier, in any event, in
conclusion, in other words, in short, on the whole,
therefore, to summarize
Return to the Write Place Catalogue
Circle the elements that seem to pair off and draw lines between
them. Eliminate things that don't pair off well and seem irrelevant
to our comparison. Based on the "evidence" of our brainstorming
and the overwhelming crowds in the malls last Christmas, it looks
like we'll have to concede that the mall experience has a distinct
advantage in the battle for the hearts and pocketbooks of American
shoppers. But that's what sports writers call a no-brainer, leading to
a so-what conclusion. Instead, let's turn the whole thing upside
down at the end.
Charles M. Bezzler
English 101 W554
Professor Hartford
April 9, 1999

Shopping in America
Since the 1950s, American shoppers have been spending their
money in suburban malls instead of in downtown business
districts. This is even true of shoppers who have to go out of
their way to shop in the malls; they will bypass downtown stores
(which they might have gotten to by convenient bus) to drive to
the brightly bedecked and and weather-free meccas of shopperheaven. The result, some people claim, is the demise of the
central urban commercial district, Downtown, a process leading

inevitably toward more widespread urban blight. But why are

Americans are so easily lured to shop in malls in the first place?
First, Americans don't like weather. They like to be indoors
whenever possible, even on nice days, and they're willing to pay
a premium to be protected from the elements. If they can find
someone who can afford it, they will even put their sports
stadiums under a gigantic bowl, and they love to stay indoors for
a day of shopping, perhaps never seeing the sun from the time
they first enter until they leave, hours later, relieved of money,
oxygen, and much money. Second, Americans love convenience
and, except during the crush of major holidays, malls offer
plenty of convenient parking. A happy, enormous island of
commerce in a sea of asphalt, the mall offers plenty of docking
points usually next to major commercial outlets for cars
that circle in search of the closest slot and an easy entrance.
Third, the mall offers an extraordinary variety of products under
its one gigantic roof. Specialty stores and boutiques offer items
that people don't realize they need until they're put under the
spell of brightly lighted, beautifully furnished window after
window of beguiling wares. Malls are built to respond to
Americans' insatiable desire for stuff; either that, or a generation
of Americans has been genetically engineered to respond to the
sellers of stuff. Either way, it works.
And finally, the mall feels safe: it is lighted, warm, dry, busy.
Senior citizens are invited to do their walking exercises there in
the early hours; physically challenged people easily meander the
smooth floors of curbless, stairless businesses in motorized
carts; children are amused by clowns and fed at convenient
cafeterias in Food Court.
America's Downtown, on the other hand, is often in sad repair.
Parking is difficult, if not dangerous, and until you get through
the door, it's all outdoors. To get from store to store, you must
expose yourself to heat, cold, rain, snow. There are sometimes
solicitors to fleece you of change before you even get into a
store. If there is a plan here, it is not evident to most shoppers.
Where is the information kiosk with a cordial, well-informed
attendant to direct you to the nearest clothier, jeweler, fast-food
outlet, or bathroom? Is there a bathroom?
What is left in the American Downtown to recommend it to

shoppers? Practically nothing. Nothing, that is, unless you

regard as important the notion that the businesses you give your
money to should be owned by people, families, in your own
community. Yes, there may be chain-stores; it seems there has
always been a W. T. Grants, a J. C. Penneys, a Whackers. But
the people who owned the franchise and worked behind the cash
register were people you might meet in your own neighborhood.
When you walk into the Downtown hardware store, you often
feel wood, not vinyl linoleum, beneath your feet. And some old
guy, who seemed old when he sold your father the hammer you
use today, will sell you nails in a paper bag, weighing them out
by the handful until you get the exact number you need, not the
arbitrary number that comes in a hermetically sealed plastic box.
Next door, in the department store, there will be two women
who know you by name and who can't wait to help you find
what you need or will let you ruminate among the shelves if you
want. In the drug store across the street, the pharmacist knows
your aches and pains and what you've been taking for them the
last five years and what upsets your stomach and knows to call
your doctor when the prescription doesn't make sense. If there is
a soda fountain there naah, that's asking too much.
The truth is that the American mall grows where it does because
someone with enormously deep pockets decides to plunk it
down where there used to be woods or a golf course. He
surrounds it with hundreds of acres of parking and waits for
people to come spend their money, as he knows they will
because people will do what mass advertising tells them to do.
Downtown, on the other hand, grew where it did because there
was an organic need for it. It was a community's response to a
community's needs neighbors responding to neighbors and
it flourished as the community flourished. If the mall can replace
this sense of community, then so be it; it deserves our affection
as well as our dollars. If it can't, then we have gained convenient
parking and freedom from the weather at an awful price.

Points to Ponder:

Canyoufindthethesis statementforthisessay?
What,ifanything,holdstheparagraphstogether?
Tryprintingouttheessayanddrawing

interconnectedcirclesbetweenthestructural
elementsthatconnectideas.Wouldyouhave
brokentheparagraphsdifferently?
Didthecontrastgobackandforthbetweenmall
andDowntownordiditdeveloponebeforeit
wentontotheother?Isthataneffectivestrategy
forthisessay?
Doestheconclusiongrowoutofthebodyofthe
essay,ordoesitfeelsortof"tackedon"?Where,
exactly,doestheconclusioncallforaresponse
thattheessayhasn'tearned?
Isthecontrastbetweenthemallandthe
Downtownadequate?overdone?fair?
Isitclearwherethewriter'spreferenceslie?Are
hispreferencestooobviousandishefairtothe
"otherside"?Doestheauthoractuallystatea
preferenceorareyouallowedtoinferitfromthe
language?Whatdoestheessaysay,exactly,that
allowsforthisinference?

THE PROCESS ESSAY

THEFIRSTESSAYASSIGNEDINACOMPOSITIONCOURSE is often
the so-called process essay, the writing project in which we
describe how to do something or tell how something happens. The
nice thing about the process essay is that it can be truly helpful.
When our readers finish this essay, they will know how to do
something that they didn't know how to do before or they will
understand some process that had mystified them before. There are
several cautions to keep in mind in choosing a topic for a process
essay.
Don't write about something that is too complicated. Don't try to
write a brief process essay about something that needs an
instruction manual. When you have to drive from Hartford to St.
Louis, you start by getting to Waterbury. You don't like being
overwhelmed by directions, and you don't want to overwhelm your
reader. Also, don't write about something that needs to be
accompanied by visual aids. We could read a good essay about
how to wallpaper around a window or a bathroom vanity, but it

would be much better to watch a videotape of the same process.

There are some things that are much better seen than read. Try
describing the process of tying your shoes and you'll see what we
mean.
Be especially careful of the connections between your sentences in
a process essay. There is a temptation to connect each sentence
with "And then," "then," "and then." That's all right when Aunt
Gloria is telling you how to make meatloaf, but it's boring in an
essay. Try writing the essay with all the and then's you want, and
then go back and eliminate most of them; you'll probably find you
don't need most of them. Try for a variety of transitional tags.
Don't number the steps of your essay, and avoid using words like
"secondly," "thirdly," etc. You might want to say "first" and
"second," but then let the numbering go. Also, although it would
be tempting to use graphical embellishments even something as
simple as bulleted paragraphs or sentences avoid doing this for
the purpose of this essay. The trick here is to let the language do all
the work for you. (You might want to ask your instructor about this
matter of graphical elements, especially if you are writing a more
technical essay.) Oh, and speaking of meatloaf, avoid using
abbreviations tsp., oz., etc. in formal academic writing.
Write everything out and save the abbreviations for Aunt Gloria's
recipe card.
At first glance, it seems that beginning a process essay would be
easy: just start with the first step, right? Well, perhaps so, but if
your readers aren't interested in your process, they might just put
your essay aside and go watch television, and you don't want that.
Your beginning ought to involve readers in the human dimension
that makes knowing your process important to them. If you're
going to write about how to jump-start a dead car battery, don't
start with hooking up the cables. Start with the dark snowy
morning in the parking lot, and there's no garage around, and sleet
is dripping down your neck, and how do you hook up these stupid
cables you find in the trunk? If you're going to write about how to
make a souffl, don't start with the eggs. Start with how you'd feel
if your new mother-in-law came over for dinner and your souffle
came out looking like a pile of scrambled eggs and then tell
your readers how they'll feel if they do things your way! Your
readers might not be interested in car batteries or souffls, but they
will be interested in the human condition of being stuck and
miserable or embarrassed, and they will read on.
Allow one of your steps to stand out from the others; in other
words, don't let all the steps in your process feel equally important.

Equally important means equally unimportant. Attach a special

warning to one of your steps. If you don't connect the positive pole
to the positive pole of the batteries, you could cause an explosion
or melt down your battery. If you don't do such-and-such with your
crockpot just at this point in the process, your souffl is headed for
culinary disaster. This special moment or warning in the process
will lend the essay a variety of tone, some texture, another human
dimension, and remind your readers that someone (you, the writer)
is trying very hard to be helpful to them, and that's going to keep
them reading.
As you write your essay, be watchful of your pronouns. If your
frame of reference has consistently been yourself, and you have
said, over and over, how "I" do things: first I do this, then I do this,
and then I do this, you want to remain consistently within that
frame of reference. When you get to the conclusion of the essay,
don't suddenly address the reader and say "You do it this way"; the
shift in perspective can bewilder the reader. Consistency is the
chief virtue here.
There is, of course, a difference between a process essay that tells
readers how to do something and a process essay that describes the
process by which something gets done by someone else or by
nature. You could write a great process essay describing what
happens when Mother Nature decides it's time for trees to lose
their leaves in the fall. Something in the changing angle of sunlight
tells these two rows of cells in the leaf's stem to begin to dry up,
and the chlorophyll begins to dry (allowing the leaf's other colors
the red, the orange, the yellow of fall to show through) and
then the stem breaks at just that point (the same for every leaf) and
the leaf falls off. Neither you nor your readers are actually,
physically, involved, but the process is fascinating in its own right.
Here is a simple process essay on how to retrieve an e-mail
message in the computer labs.
How to Start Up Your E-Mail Client
Nothing can be more frustrating than knowing that your best
friend has just sent you some e-mail, but you don't know how to
get into the computer system at school to read your e-mail. It
doesn't do any good to know that there is help available online
because you can't even start the machine, and it's embarrassing
to ask lab assistants who are busy helping others with complex

spreadsheet questions. So you sit there looking at a blank screen

as if your fervent wishes could make it turn itself on.
Turning the computer on really isn't hard. There are two buttons
you have to push: the large rectangular button on the CPU (the
box beneath or next to the monitor) and the little round button
on the monitor (the screen). If you forget to turn on the monitor,
the computer will start, but you won't see anything on the
screen. After you press these buttons, it sometimes takes a few
minutes for the computer to start up and go through its own setup process and automatically check for new computer viruses.
There is nothing for you to do but twiddle your thumbs while
this is happening, so practice your thumb-twiddling beforehand
so you look like a pro. If the computer doesn't start up properly,
it's probably not something you did wrong, and you should try
another machine or ask the lab assistant for help.
Eventually, the computer will warm up and a small grey box,
called a dialog box, should pop onto the screen. Click on the
TAB key until the top window on the dialog box is highlighted.
Type your username into this box. (As soon as you start typing,
the highlight will disappear and your typing should show up.)
Your username is your last name and the last four digits of your
social security number, without any spaces. When you've typed
your username, click on the TAB key again and the password
window will be highlighted. Type in your password, which
consists of the first six digits of your social security numberno
spaces, no hyphens. However, your typing will not show up in
the window. This is so that people behind you cannot see your
password as you type it. When you're done typing in the
password, click on the ENTER key and the computer should
open up your account.
Be very careful as you type in your username and password. You
are allowed three chances to type this information correctly, and
if you fail your username will be locked out of the system for
twenty-four hours. This is done because the computer system
thinks that some hacker might be trying to figure out your
password to break into your account. If you don't type this
information carefully and correctly, you can be locked out of
your own account for a whole day.
The computer should open the computer now so that the monitor
reveals its basic desktop arrangement, with a group of little icons

along the left-hand edge. If the icons appear elsewhere, don't be

alarmed; the system should still work for you. Move the mouse
over the mouse-pad so that the cursor-arrow on the monitor
moves over the icon called INBOX. Using the left-hand button
on the mouse, double-click on the INBOX icon. Double-clicking
is a skill that veteran computer-users take for granted but
"newbies" sometimes find challenging. You might want to
practice. It requires a quick click-click, clicking twice within
about half a second. If you wait too long between clicks, the
computer will think your attempt at a double-click is two
separate clicks and nothing will happen. Also, the cursor-arrow
has to remain on the icon during both clicks of the mousebutton. As soon as the computer recognizes that you have
double-clicked the INBOX icon, it will open the e-mail program
using your account. (A small hour-glass or clockface will show
up on the screen while the program opens.)
When INBOX finally opens, allow the program a couple of
minutes to download your new mail from the system. It should
do so automatically, but if it doesn't, you can click on the menu
item item called TOOLS (at the top of the screen) and then click
on the item called SEND AND DELIVER. (Single clicks should
do the job here.) Your INBOX will then download your mail.
The e-mail you've been promised should be sitting in your IN
folder now. Simply double-click on the name of the e-mail
message you want to read and it should open up for you. We
hope it's the news you've been waiting for!
Don't forget to quit out of the INBOX program and out of your
computer account, or the next person to sit down at that
computer will be able to read your e-mail account and send out
messages under your name! The QUIT command is under the
FILE menu of the INBOX. To shut down the computer itself,
hold down the CONTROL key and the ALT key (lower left-hand
corner of the keyboard) and press the DELETE key on the
number pad. You can then click on the SHUTDOWN option.
Make sure that the computer shuts down properly before you
leave the computer station.

Points to Ponder:

Didthewriterconsistentlyaddressthereader?
Howdidthewritergetreadersinvolvedin
readingaboutaprocesstheymightnothavebeen
interestedin?
Didanyoftheelementsoftheprocessstandout
fromtheothersordidtheyallfeelthesame?
Howaretheparagraphsconnected?Wouldyou
haveusedothertransitionsbetweenideas?
Doyouthinktheessayeverbecomestoosimple
minded?

Writing Prompt - Expository Essay

Voting is an Important Act of Citizenship

Many US citizens do not exercise their right to vote at any level of

government. They give up their right to important input on issues
because they do not take the time to investigate the issues or go to
the polls to cast a ballot for a candidate that may have similar
values. Some think that one vote does not make a difference so
why should they bother.Often elections are decided by a very small
percentage of those eligible and registered to vote.
Your job is to explain the value of having and exercising the
right to vote. Use the five-paragraph form for the explanation.

Be sure to think of reasons why it is important to vote. Think of

the kinds of laws that effect the average individual. Think how the
stated platforms of the various parties influence the outcomes of
actions of lawmaking bodies.
Use a planner.
Be sure to state that it is important to vote in your topic sentence.

That is the assignment. You do not have a choice.

Think of three good reasons why everyone should vote.
Once you have written them down, think about some supporting
reasons or examples. If you can think of some examples from
history, you might be able to include some concrete give examples
from the past of how a law came about or was changed by the
actions of the lawmakers. Or you can give examples from the
present or recent times to explain how voting does make a
difference. Feel free to reference things that have happened in your
school that could parallel events in the local, state or national
government. Think of some excuses that you might have heard and
explain why they are not valid.
This is a difficult task, but it is not important if you put your mind
to it.
Once you have the three reasons and have three supporting facts or
ideas for each one, it is time to plan for the summary ending.
Be sure that you have a strong summary and restate, in an original
manner, the main points of your essay. It is necessary to restate and
remind people of the main facts that you brought out throughout
the essay. It is necessary to remind them of the focus and the main
points that you have brought out.
When you have finished the planner, it is time to write.
Try to think of a good opening sentence that clearly focuses in on
the topic. Be sure that it is sufficiently broad to cover your points,
but not so broad as to loose the interest of the reader right off the
bat. Using something like, "voting is important." Does not create
interest or clearly define the topic.
As you write, take time to phrase each sentence in your mind. Pay
attention to the arrangement of the sentence that went before so
that you are varying the sentence structure. Be sure that the subject
and the verb agree. Try to write inactive voice as it is so much
more powerful.
Writing Prompt - Expository
An Interesting Book or TV Show

You probably have read many interesting books or watched an

exceptional TV show recently. It probably stands out in your mind
for many reasons. It is the kind of show that many people really
enjoyed and would not mind watching again. Maybe it was a
painless way to learn, perhaps it dealt with a subject that you
particularly enjoy. Maybe it stimulated the imagination. Whatever
the reasons, you know that many people found it interesting.

Choose a book or TV show that that many people enjoyed. You

are to write an essay telling the reader why many people
enjoyed it. Write the essay in five-paragraph form.
Use a planner.
Think back and pick out a show or book that you remember well.
List the things that were really important about the show or book.
These might well be the main ideas of your paragraphs. Write
down those ideas.
Look at the information. What is the most important idea or feeling
that unites these ideas? This will be the basis of your opening
sentence. Remember that you are not trying to persuade someone
to read it or watch it. You are just explaining why you thought it
was interesting.
Write it down.
Think about each of the subtopics. What are the things that made
those subtopics important? Be sure that you are relating specific
information. Those are the supporting facts that you will be using
in your paragraph. Using statements like, "It was funny. Or "It
showed a lot of interesting things about" are meaningless unless
you explain what elements made it that way.
When you are finished, give some thought to how you will
originally restructure your opening sentence. How will you
summarize the most important three ideas that you developed? The
summary ending is important to refocus the reader on the main and
most important points of the essay.
Now that you are organized, write the essay. Take a moment to
think each sentence through so that you are writing with strong
verbs and you are varying your sentence structure. Review the

planner and try to form the sentences in your mind before they go
down on paper. Think about the flow of thoughts from one
sentence to the next. Planning and evaluating as you go really cuts
down on the need for rewriting
Be sure to include important transitions so that one paragraph
flows easily into the next. Remember that they can either be at the
end of one paragraph or the beginning. But they must be there.

When you are finished, go back and check for errors. Spelling,
punctuation, and paragraphing should be perfect. If not, fix the
mistakes. As you are rereading, did you vary the sentence structure
or do you have a boring list of reasons supporting each idea? If so,
try to change some to increase the interest and the power of the
essay. Be sure that the summary is not simply just a copy of the
first paragraph. It should have the same thoughts, but it should be
originally written.
Writing prompt - Expository
Colonial Ingenuity
You have studied about the early settlers to this country. You know
about the hard times that they encountered and know that most of
the settlements survived and prospered. They lived in
environments that were often difficult, but they overcame those
difficulties. Many of the simple every-day acts required individual
creativity and effort. They had to live everyday being resourceful
enough to meet their needs and the needs of their family and
community. Even at an early age, each member was expected to
contribute.
Your job is to write a five-paragraph essay about how the
colonists used their creativity and resourcefulness to survive
and succeed.

Use a planner.
Think about the problems that faced the colonists. Those general
problems can be ones that are related to every day life. They do not
have to be earth shattering. Write them down. Be sure that the

problems are general. If not, it will be difficult to write a paragraph

about each.
How will you organize the paragraphs? Will you do it by problem
or by group of persons who worked together for success? Is there
another arrangement that might be appropriate?
For each difficulty, list the ways that the colonists solved the
problem. If you really are not sure, think about how you might
have solved the problem. They might have done some of the same
things. Think about the creativity that was involved and note it.
When you have all of the brainstorming done and the ideas placed
on your planner, figure out an effective opening sentence that ties
all of those ideas together. Remember that you are to stress their
ingenuity. That focus must be part of the sentence,
Now, how can you rewrite that sentence as part of the summary
fifth paragraph? Do the same for each of the three supporting topic
sentences.
As you write, think about the formation of each and every sentence
and how it relates to the one that came before. Be sure that they
logically follow.
Transitions between sentences are often as important as those
placed between paragraphs. Be sure that you explain and cite
examples to support your topic sentence. These are very important
in an expository essay.
Remember that this is a expository essay and not a personal
opinion. Do not use the pronoun "I".
When you finish, reread and be sure that you stress the focus of
ingenuity in each of the paragraphs. Be sure that the essay did not
become a list of the ways that the problems were solved.
Reread and edit the essay making sure that there are no spelling
errors, capitalization mistakes, sentence fragments or run-on
sentences. Be very certain that you stayed with the focus of the
assignment.
Writing Prompt - Expository

The Important Guest

Imagine that someone invented a time travel machine and offered
you the opportunity to invite and transport any person to your
classroom from any time in the past. If you had your choice of the
most interesting person with whom you could share the class day,
who would it be? This person could someone from any part of life:
politics, military, media, the arts, sports etc.
Your job is to write a five-paragraph essay to explain how this
person could be of benefit and interest to your class.
Brainstorm and think of all those persons who interested you?
Which one do you think would be the most enjoyable and
beneficial to invite? Why? In choosing a subject, make sure that
the person has a varied background. If you only know about one
contribution and little about the person's life, you will probably not
be able to write a good essay.
Use a planner.

Once you have written down the name, write down the general
reasons that you chose the person.
Under each of those subtopics, write down things, ideas, or
activities that they could share with the class. Think about specific
things the class should know, could learn from the person, things
they could do with them etc. Why would they be fun, interesting,
or important? Write those supporting ideas too. Remember they
the person is coming to your time and not the other way around.
Sort through the ideas and choose those you feel are the best.
Think about how you will originally restate the topic sentence and
the supporting sentence too as part of the summary ending.
Now you are ready to write.
In your topic sentence, be sure that you set the scene and name the
person. In the following three sentences, you need to tell about the
things that will occur when the person is here. You are explaining
why this person should be invited. You are not persuading

someone to invite him or her.

In each of the paragraphs, tell about the benefits of having this
person in the class. Tell what and how this person could contribute
to each of your ideas. As you write, thing about how to formulate
each sentence so that their structures are varied. Write in the active
voice to give strength to you writing.
After you finish the summary ending, reread the essay and correct
all mistakes. Errors in spelling, capitalization, changes in tense,
incorrect pronoun references weaken the writing and distract the
reader. Be sure they are corrected.
Be sure that each paragraph explains the contribution that the
person could make to the classroom. Rewrite any sentences that do
not contribute to the smooth flow of ideas.
Writing Prompt - Expository
Important Invention
Invention and technology have always been an
important part of changing the way one lives.
Things that did not exist when your parents or
grandparents were young, now have changed the
way most people in this country live. Some of those
inventions are large and others are small. No mater
what their size, they have altered the lives of the
average person today. Think about one such
invention that came about in the last hundred years
or so.
You are to write an essay on how that invention
changed the lives of the people. Explain how life
was then, how it is different today, and whether
the result is positive or negative. Assume that
this essay will be part of a history text.
Use a planner.
Put down the name of the invention you have
chosen. Note in this prompt, you have been given
the required subtopics. You do not have a choice.

Put those three ideas down on the planner.

Think about things that you could say about each.
How was life different without this invention? What
did they do without it? List other things that you
could include.
How has this invention affected the lives of the
people today? Give examples of the use of this
invention. Perhaps noting emotions would be
appropriate. List the things that you want to
include.
Has this invention had a primarily positive or
negative benefit? Make a choice. Explain and give
examples to support your side. The prompt does not
give you a choice to explain both sides of the issue
even though there may well be two ways to look at
it.
Be sure to include transitions. Even though the
thoughts may be quite different, transitions are
needed.
Be sure that you vary the sentence structure by
thinking about each sentence and the one that you
wrote before it. Be sure that the sentences flow to
create unity in the paragraph.
Summarize, in an original manner, the opening
paragraph and refocus the reader on your important
points.
Go back and reread. Correct any mistakes that take
away from the strength of the essay. Be sure that
there are not errors in spelling capitalization, or
pronoun reference. Double check to see that there
are no sentence fragments or run-on sentences. Be
sure that the subject and verbs agree.
Writing Prompt - Expository
These are just prompts with no additional information to guide one

in thinking.
The Telephone
The telephone has become a most important part of everyone's life.
Most of us have difficulty imagining what it could be like to live
without it.
Write a five-paragraph essay explaining how the American
family uses it for business, pleasure, and emergencies. Assume
that this will be published as a part of an encyclopedia article.

Writing Prompt - Expository

The Best Teacher
Each of us had a teacher that we consider to have been really good.
It may not have been a person that we really like at the time. But,
in looking back, we realize that that person presented and saw to it
that we knew some things that would be really important.
Sometimes it was how that person presented things and not just
what opportunities were supplied. That person does not have to be
a classroom teacher. Think about that person and the reasons that
they are positively memorable.
Write a five-paragraph essay and explain why this person is an
excellent teacher.

Writing Prompt - Expository

An Effect on my Life
The arts (music, art, drama, dance etc,) and sports have important
effects on people's lives. When begun at a young age, they can be
pursued for a long time and can shape future interests, careers, and
life styles. One does not have to become a superstar, but the effect

can be there and shown in many ways.

Choose one of the arts or a sport and explain how it could
shape a person and influence one's life if begun when one is
young.

Editing, Revising, and Evaluating

Expository Essay and Prompts
Narrative Essay and Prompts

Persuasive Essay and Prompts

General Writing Prompts for Your Use
Tips and Techniques for Effective Essays

The target audience for the resources of the site is grade five through early high school.
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