Semester II

Essay Writing (structure and requirements)

Lesson 1

Task 1. Recall the previously learnt issues on Plagiarism and Writing Paragraphs and
answer the following questions:
1. What is plagiarism?
2. What does referencing consist of?
3. Which dependent structures can help to successfully expand the sentence?
4. Recall the punctuation marks and instances of their usage.
5. What is the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing?
6. Dwell upon the structure of the paragraph.
7. What are the ways to organize ideas in a paragraph?
8. How are the items usually arranged in the descriptive paragraph?

Task 2. Watch the video «How to Write an Essay - Basic Essay Structure» from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1KbANXoWlo and fill in the gaps:
1. The first step in getting ready to start writing an essay is _______________________.
2. To organize all the ideas before writing an essay, create a(n) _____________________.
3. The successful introduction consists of the following essential parts: ______________.
4. The body of the essay may contain _____________________ paragraphs.
5. Each body paragraph starts with the _________________________.
6. The conclusion should ___________ or ____________ the main idea of the thesis
statement.
Task 3. Compare the structure of a paragraph with that of an essay. What is similar? What is
different?

(taken from https://learn.solent.ac.uk/mod/book/view.php?id=2735&chapterid=1787)

Task 4. Read the information below about the introduction. Write introductions of three
types to an essay about creativity in Ukrainian schools.

Writing an Introduction
A generic introduction generally does two things. The first section is usually a general
statement that shows the reader why the topic is important, gets their interest, and leads them
into the topic. The next section of the introduction is the thesis statement, the most important
part of the introduction. It tells the reader what the essay is about.
Some other types of the introduction are:

Contrast
This type of introduction usually begins with several sentences explaining a commonly held
opinion, and then presents the thesis as the opposite of that opinion or belief. Here is an
example:
Many people assume that learning to scuba is quite easy. They imagine that the process
consists of little more than strapping on a mask and fins, wading out into an ocean, and
paddling gracefully. However, learning to scuba requires extensive training, long hours of
practice, and excellent physical condition.

Funnel
In a funnel introduction, the first sentence offers a broad, general statement about the subject.
Then, sentence by sentence, narrow the subject down to a specific point of view or argument
(the thesis). Here is an example:
The life of a housecat is not always the safest of situations. In fact, domesticated
cats that play outside are faced with a number of problems that are often
overlooked. Most of these problems concern other neighborhood
animals, which is not surprising given that the average
housecat spends 40 to 60 hours outside per week.
The most serious threat to the health
of the housecat is the stray dog.

Upside-down Funnel
The upside-down funnel begins with your restated thesis and gradually becomes broader and
more general. In this way, you can show your reader that what you are writing about has
meaning outside of the paper, too:
The presence of stray dogs
is a serious threat to housecats
that play outside, but it is important
to remember that cats face many other
dangers as well. Disease, injury, and infestations
can affect indoor cats as well as outdoor. In the end, the risk
of owning a cat is significant, but cat owners understand that the risk
is worth the benefit of having a steadfast, friendly presence in their homes.
(taken from https://www.apu.edu/live_data/files/288/introductions_and_conclusions.pdf)