Essay Writing

The Basics
What does a good essay need?

An academic essay aims to persuade readers of an idea based

on evidence.
What should an academic essay do?

An academic essay should answer a question or task.

You will be provided with a prompt. This is the question

you will answer through your essay.

Even though it doesnt look like a question, we will treat

it as such.
How do we inform the reader of our answer to the prompt,
or question?

Your essay should have a thesis statement (answer to the

question).

Your thesis should be evident in your introduction, and

should be continuously referenced throughout your essay.
Example
Where is the thesis statement. (What is the POINT of the
essay)

Napoleon Hill once wrote The majority of men meet with failure because of
their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those
which fail. Green Eggs and Ham author Dr. Seuss must have taken this heart as
he created the character of Sam I Am, who goes to great lengths to convince
his friend to eat the strange food. Sam I am is a persuasive character because
he never gives up on his goal and he does not leave his friend alone until it
eventually pays off and he convinces his friend to try green eggs and ham. Sam
I Am comes up with a variety of plans, whether it be enlisting a mouse in a
house or a driving his car onto a train, and appointing a goat on a boat to
accomplish his goal.
Example
Where is the thesis statement. (What is the POINT of the
essay)

Napoleon Hill once wrote The majority of men meet with failure because of
their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those
which fail. Green Eggs and Ham author Dr. Seuss must have taken this heart as
he created the character of Sam I Am, who goes to great lengths to convince
his friend to eat the strange food. Sam I am is a persuasive character because
he never gives up on his goal and he does not leave his friend alone until it
eventually pays off and he convinces his friend to try green eggs and ham. Sam
I Am comes up with a variety of plans, whether it be enlisting a mouse in a
house or a driving his car onto a train, and appointing a goat on a boat to
accomplish his goal.
Your thesis indicates where you stand. But then you need to
develop sound arguments to defend your point.
What will the three points in the essay be?

Napoleon Hill once wrote The majority of men meet with failure because of
their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those
which fail. Green Eggs and Ham author Dr. Seuss must have taken this heart as
he created the character of Sam I Am, who goes to great lengths to convince
his friend to eat the strange food. Sam I am is a persuasive character because
he never gives up on his goal and he does not leave his friend alone until it
eventually pays off and he convinces his friend to try green eggs and ham. Sam
I Am comes up with a variety of plans, whether it be enlisting a mouse in a
house or a driving his car onto a train, and appointing a goat on a boat to
accomplish his goal
Three points

Napoleon Hill once wrote The majority of men meet with failure because of
their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those
which fail. Green Eggs and Ham author Dr. Seuss must have taken this heart as
he created the character of Sam I Am, who goes to great lengths to convince
his friend to eat the strange food. Sam I am is a persuasive character because
he never gives up on his goal and he does not leave his friend alone until it
eventually pays off and he convinces his friend to try green eggs and ham. Sam
whether it be enlisting a
I Am comes up with a variety of plans,
mouse in a house or a driving his car onto a train, and
appointing a goat on a boat to accomplish his goal
What next?

Once you have developed arguments that defend your thesis,

you must include textual evidence to prove your points. In
the case of your essay you will use quotations/examples from
the movie, and eventually a novel.

Use PPC!!!
Lets identify the point, the proof, and the comment.

Throughout the book, Sam I Am never gives up on his

goal of getting his friend to eat something he adamantly
does not want to. As soon as one course of action fails,
Sam immediately comes up with another. After his friend
refuses to eat green eggs and ham in a house with a
mouse, Sam suggests, would you eat them in a box? Would
you eat them with a fox? (Seuss 15). Again, his grumpy
friend refuses. Sam, always quick on his feet suggests
yet another course of action, bound and determined to see
his goal met. No matter how many times that his friend
refuses, Sam continues to try harder. Sams willingness
to keep trying demonstrates this character's dedication
and perseverance.
Lets identify the point, the proof, and the comment.

Throughout the book, Sam I Am never gives up on his

goal of getting his friend to eat something he adamantly
does not want to. As soon as one course of action fails, Point
Sam immediately comes up with another. After his friend
refuses to eat green eggs and ham in a house with a
mouse, Sam suggests, would you eat them in a box? Would Proof
you eat them with a fox? (Seuss 15). Again, his grumpy
friend refuses. Sam, always quick on his feet suggests
yet another course of action, bound and determined to see Comment
his goal met. No matter how many times that his friend
refuses, Sam continues to try harder. Sams willingness
to keep trying demonstrates this character's dedication
and perseverance.
One more time, where is the point, the proof, and the
comment?
In the Brothers Grimms fairy tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Snow White is presented as a
typical female character through her beauty, kindness and naivety. First, in the fairy tale Snow
White and the Seven Dwarfs, Snow White is presented as a typical female character by being a
beautiful girl. In particular, her beauty is shown when the evil queens mirror states that, Snow
White is the fairest of them all (Brothers Grimm 2). This example proves that Snow White is ranked
the most beautiful in all the kingdom, as the mirror sees all. The lead female character in most
fairy tales is presented as pretty and attractive. Snow White is also a normal female character
since she is a kind person in her story. She is presented as kind when she helps the dwarfs with
their cooking and cleaning (Brothers Grimm 3). Snow White helps unselfishly, out of the goodness of
her heart, and therefore proves her kind nature. Finally, Snow Whites actions show her naivety,
another stereotypical fairytale female trait. For example, Snow White proves her nave nature when
she slowly takes the apple from the old womans hand (Brother Grimm 5). Without even thinking
Snow White accepts an apple from a stranger, who turns out to be the evil queen, showing her overly
trusting nature. Often in fairy tales, the women are portrayed as innocent and ignorant. In
conclusion, throughout their fairy tale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Brothers Grimm
portray Snow White as a stereotypical female character because she is a lovely, helpful and
trusting character, shown through her actions and others reactions to her
In the Brothers Grimms fairy tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Snow White is
presented as a typical female character through her beauty, kindness and naivety.
First, in the fairy tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Snow White is presented as
a typical female character by being a beautiful girl. In particular, her beauty is
shown when the evil queens mirror states that, Snow White is the fairest of them
all (Brothers Grimm 2). This example proves that Snow White is ranked the most
beautiful in all the kingdom, as the mirror sees all. The lead female character in
most fairy tales is presented as pretty and attractive. Snow White is also a normal
female character since she is a kind person in her story. She is presented as kind
when she helps the dwarfs with their cooking and cleaning (Brothers Grimm 3). Snow
White helps unselfishly, out of the goodness of her heart, and therefore proves her
kind nature. Finally, Snow Whites actions show her naivety, another stereotypical
fairytale female trait. For example, Snow White proves her nave nature when she
slowly takes the apple from the old womans hand (Brother Grimm 5). Without even
thinking Snow White accepts an apple from a stranger, who turns out to be the evil
queen, showing her overly trusting nature. Often in fairy tales, the women are
portrayed as innocent and ignorant. In conclusion, throughout their fairy tale, Snow
White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Brothers Grimm portray Snow White as a stereotypical
female character because she is a lovely, helpful and trusting character, shown
through her actions and others reactions to her
What are the orange words?
In the Brothers Grimms fairy tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Snow White is presented as a
typical female character through her beauty, kindness and naivety. First, in the fairy tale Snow
White and the Seven Dwarfs, Snow White is presented as a typical female character by being a
beautiful girl. In particular, her beauty is shown when the evil queens mirror states that, Snow
White is the fairest of them all (Brothers Grimm 2). This example proves that Snow White is ranked
the most beautiful in all the kingdom, as the mirror sees all. The lead female character in most
fairy tales is presented as pretty and attractive. Snow White is also a normal female character
since she is a kind person in her story. She is presented as kind when she helps the dwarfs with
their cooking and cleaning (Brothers Grimm 3). Snow White helps unselfishly, out of the goodness of
her heart, and therefore proves her kind nature. Finally, Snow Whites actions show her naivety,
another stereotypical fairytale female trait. For example, Snow White proves her nave nature
when she slowly takes the apple from the old womans hand (Brother Grimm 5). Without even
thinking Snow White accepts an apple from a stranger, who turns out to be the evil queen, showing
her overly trusting nature. Often in fairy tales, the women are portrayed as innocent and ignorant.
In conclusion, throughout their fairy tale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Brothers Grimm
portray Snow White as a stereotypical female character because she is a lovely, helpful and
trusting character, shown through her actions and others reactions to her
What are transitions and how are they used?

Transitions are phrases or words used to connect one idea to

the next.

Transitions also show the relationship within a paragraph

(or within a sentence) between the main idea and the support
the author gives for those ideas.

Different transitions do different things....

 Developing a Thesis
Statement
I will do this for you this time next time its
you!
What is a thesis statement?

Remember it is your answer the prompt.

It should take the form of a statement.

It can be refuted (someone can disagree with it).

Just by reading your thesis, the reader understands the main

idea of your essay.
Your thesis should be focused and specific enough to be
"proven" within the boundaries of your paper.

DONT: People named Sam are persuasive.

DO: In Green Eggs and Ham Sam I Am is a dedicated character
because he never gives up on his goal.

DON'T: Human beings are essentially evil.

DO: In Lord of the Flies, William Golding suggests that
human beings are essentially evil.

A thesis is found in the introduction paragraph, usually

near the end.
Developing a thesis statement

1. Generate a topic from an assignment.

a. Describe a character from the story Green Eggs and Ham
i. Sam am I is funny dedicated unique
2. Create a working thesis from the topic.
a. In Green Eggs and Ham Sam I Am is a persuasive character because he
never gives up on his goal.
3. Eventually, you will add evidence to support your thesis.
a. Sam I am is a persuasive character because he never gives up on his
goal and he does not leave his friend alone until it eventually pays
off and he convinces his friend to try green eggs and ham. Sam I Am
comes up with a variety of plans, whether it be enlisting a mouse in
a house or a driving his car onto a train, and appointing a goat on a
boat to accomplish his goal.
Integrating Quotations

(seamlessly)
How do you choose the right quotation?

A good quotation:

supports the point youre making

is in context, so we know who is saying what in what

situation

is just long enough to get the job done, a few words

instead of a block quotation when a few words will do the
job
Hanging quotations are awkward and choppy for the reader

Throughout the book, Sam I Am never gives up on his goal

of getting his friend to eat something he does not want to.
As soon as one course of action fails, Sam immediately comes
up with another. His friend refuses to eat green eggs and
ham in a house with a mouse, but tries again. Would you eat
them in a box? Would you eat them with a fox? (Seuss 15).
His grumpy friend refuses.
To achieve fluidity, you have to integrate the quotes into
your own sentences.
There are three good ways to do this.

1. Tag lines
2. Colons
3. Frame with your own words
Tag Lines

Using one of the following strategies:

According to the narrator (or character), quote (page).

So and so explains, quote (page).

So and so explains that quote (page).

Good Example: According to Scout, Atticus was feeble: he

was nearly fifty (Lee 89).

Bad Example: Scout thinks Atticus is sick. Atticus was

feeble: he was nearly fifty (Lee 89).
Colons

Your sentence joined to the authors sentence with a colon.

Bad Example: Bob Ewell is clearly an unpleasant character.

[He] stopped Atticus on the post office corner, spat in his
face, and told him hed get him if it took the rest of his
life (Lee 217).

Good Example: Bob Ewell is clearly an unpleasant character,

as his rude behaviour demonstrates: [He] stopped Atticus on
the post office corner, spat in his face, and told him hed
get him if it took the rest of his life (Lee 217).
Frame with your own words

A few of the authors words (less than a sentence) in

quotations, surrounded by your own sentence.

Good Example: Scout was often annoyed with Jem because, his
maddening superiority was unbearable (Lee 138).