COMPOSITION 2

Essay rules
Introduction
(3-5 sentences)
- Hook.
- More specific statement.
- Thesis statement.
 Introduction
(3-5 sentences)
- Hook (attracts reader attention, creates
interest, makes the reader wants to continue):
Surprising statement, question, quotation, statistic,
story.
 Introduction
Hook: Surprising statement
 Introduction
Hook: Question
(not too many)
 Introduction
Hook: Quotation
(not a quote known to everyone)
Introduction
Hook: Story
 Introduction
Hook: Statistic
(not hard ones, not too common)
 Introduction
More specific statements (funnel):
The most general statement, then getting more
specific.
Introduction
Practice
Answer
 Introduction
Thesis statement:
Topic sentence + controlling idea:
(something you want to prove).
 Introduction
Thesis statement: Things to avoid
- Don’t say: ’I will talk about this…’ or ‘this essay
is about…’
- Don’t assume your reader knows what you're
talking about, be specific.
- Don’t foget: (Topic sentence + controlling idea)
 Thesis
statement
examples
 What’s wrong
with these Thesis
statements?
 What’s wrong
with these Thesis
statements?

Pronoun, not specific

“I will give…”

Obvious opinion No controlling idea,

Why? For whom?
 Recap: Introduction
(3-5 sentences)
- Hook: (attracts reader attention, creates
interest, makes the reader wants to
continue).
- More specific statement.
- Thesis statement: (something you want to
prove).
Body Paragraph
(2-4 supporting ideas)
(1-3 details/examples)
 Topic
Sentence
 Topic
Sentence
Supporting
ideas
(2-4)
 Details/
examples
(1-3)
 Details/
examples
(1-3)
Conclusion
 Write
a conclusion
Answer
Answer
Answer
Conclusion
Types of essays:
1. Compare/contrast essay
2. Cause/effect essay
3. Argumentative essay
 Shows the similarities
Compare/
or differences
contrast essay between two things
Describes the causes
Cause/effect
or effect of
essay something
Proves a point by giving a
Argumentative reason
(Each paragraph proves a
essay reason to support the thesis)
Compare/
contrast
essay
Compare/
contrast
essay
Compare/
contrast
essay
Comparison transition words (Same) Contrast transition words (Different)

As However

Just as On the contrary

Both/and On the other hand

Also In contrast

In the same manner In spite of

In addition Though/although

Neither/nor Unlike

Similarly Even though

Further more Instead of

As well as Whereas
Comparison transition words (Same) Contrast transition words (Different)

Like While

Moreover Yet/but

Each of Even if

In the same way For all that

Not only …, but also Either/or

Again Of course

Have in common Some may say

Alike Nevertheless

Share the same Now …, then

Just as In spite of the fact that

Comparison transition words (Same) Contrast transition words (Different)

So Otherwise

In comparison Despite

One similarity…, another similarity Then again

Likewise Conversely
Practice
Practice
Types of essays:
1. Compare/contrast essay
2. Cause/effect essay
3. Argumentative essay
 Shows the similarities
Compare/
or differences
contrast essay between two things
Describes the causes
Cause/effect
or effect of
essay something
Proves a point by giving a
Argumentative reason
(Each paragraph proves a
essay reason to support the thesis)
Cause/effect
essay
Cause/effect
essay
Cause/effect
essay

Eat too much Get sick

Get full, stomach ache, overweight Bad diet, not enough sleep, not enough
exercise
Cause/effect
essay
Thesis Statment

(Blue print)
Cause essay
Cause essay

Why does something

happen? Causes
Effect essay
Effect essay

What happens when …? Effects

Cause/effect
essay
Cause/effect
essay
Cause/effect Practice
essay
Cause/effect Practice
essay
Types of essays:
1. Compare/contrast essay
2. Cause/effect essay
3. Argumentative essay
 Shows the similarities
Compare/
or differences
contrast essay between two things
Describes the causes
Cause/effect
or effect of
essay something
Proves a point by giving a
Argumentative reason
(Each paragraph proves a
essay reason to support the thesis)
Argumentative
essay
Argumentative
Topics

Should = debatable
Argumentative
Topics

You may not always agree

with the topic, choose the
side that you can best
defend (legalising drugs)

Shows that you have an open mind, you don't show that
they are correct but you acknowledge the other side
 Topic
Sentence
 Topic
Sentence
 Body
Paragraph

Each body paragraph will have a different

reason that supports your argument

You would use the opposing point as part of your topic

sentence, but you would state that that belief, or that
position, is actually wrong.
Argumentative Practice
essay
Argumentative Practice
essay