ESSAY WRITING

ADN
THE STEPS IN THE
PROCESS OF WRITING
A PARAGRAPH
HOW SIMILAR ARE AN ESSAY
AND A PARAGRAPH?
ESSAY
STRUCTURE
THE HOOK

A hook is typically the first one

or two sentences of an essay or
article that is designed to grab
the reader’s attention.
 5 common types of essay hooks

1. Statistic hook
E.g: According to a recent survey by the American Psychological Association, 43
percent of adults claim that stress has caused them to lie awake at night in the past
month.
2. Quotation hook
E.g: Maya Angelou once said, ‘Stand up straight and realize who you are, that you
tower over your circumstances.’
3. Anecdotal hook
E.g: In my career as a social worker, one immigrant family I worked with didn't
know English, which made it challenging for my agency to address the family's
needs. I connected the family with English classes at the local community center.
By the end of the year, the children in the family spoke fluent English, while the
adults could successfully converse with me in English. This experience taught me
the importance of connecting families with community resources.
4. Question hook
E.g: What is the difference between a well-adjusted dog and an anxious one? For
starters, owners that encourage their dog’s excitement can make anxiety seem like
a behavior that’s rewarded.
5. Statement hook
E.g: French cinema is the most influential genre of film in the last 100 years and
has singlehandedly shaped modern cinema as we know it.
THESIS
STATEMENT
 THESIS
STATEMENT
• Tells the readers what the essay
is about.
• Thesis statements must make a
claim or argument. They are
not statements of fact.
• Indicates what the organization
of the essay will be.
• Is usually the last sentence in
the introductory paragraph.
LƯU Ý:
tránh dùng những
từ chung chung để
mô tả như ”good,
bad, fine…”
The thesis statement or main
claim must be debatable

*If your thesis is something

that is generally agreed
upon or accepted as fact
then there is no reason to
try to persuade people.
E.g: Pollution is bad for the
environment. (non-
arguable)
àAt least 25 percent of
the federal budget should
be spent on limiting
pollution. (arguable)
 The thesis needs to be narrow

The narrower the thesis is, the

more effective your argument will
be. Your thesis or claim must be
supported by evidence.
E.g: Drug use is detrimental to
society. (too broad)
àIllegal drug use is detrimental
because it encourages gang
violence. (specific)
Thesis Statement: Bad vs. Good

• 1. Bad: Everyone should exercise.

Good: Americans should add exercise to their daily
morning routine because it not only keeps their
bodies at a healthy weight but also reduces the risk
of high blood pressure.
2. Bad: High levels of alcohol consumption are bad for
you.
Good: High levels of alcohol consumption have
detrimental effects on your personal health, such as
weight gain, heart disease, and liver complications.
3. Bad: Reading can develop a
child's analytical mind.
Good: Reading develops a
child's mind by fostering
comprehension skills,
increasing vocabulary, and
exposing them to new worlds
they might not otherwise
encounter.
4. Bad: The internet has improved the lives of many.
Good: The internet serves as a means of
expediently connecting people across the globe,
fostering new friendships and an exchange of ideas
that wouldn't have occurred prior to its inception.
 Two Types of Thesis Statements

An An informative
argumentative (or expository)
thesis statement thesis statement
Determine your purpose for writing (to argue/to convince OR to explain/to inform) before
you begin the thesis statement process.
An argumentative thesis statement
will:

1. State your main claim,

which is debatable (or
arguable)
2. The reasons/evidence that
support this claim
3. The order in which you will
present your support
(organization)
Example:
Step 1. Choose a topic: barn owls.
Step 2. Focus the topic: barn owls’ nests and
farmers.
Step 3. Narrow the topic further by posing it
as a question: Should farmers eliminate barn
owl nests?
Step 4. Answer the question. The answer is
your thesis statement:
Barn owls’ nests should not be eliminated
from barns [debatable issue] because barn
owls help farmers by eliminating insects and
rodent pests [specifically states
reasons/evidence to support the claim].
What the essay will do: the essay would
explain how and why owls help farmers in
this way by providing sources, examples, and
support throughout the body paragraphs.
An informative (or expository) thesis
statement will:

1. state what you are

going to explain
2. outline the
organization of your
explanation
EXAMPLE
Step 1. Choose a topic: barn owls
Step 2. Focus the topic: lifestyles of barn owls.
Step 3. Narrow the topic further by posing it as a question: What are
the lifestyles of barn owls?
Step 4. Answer the question. The answer is your thesis statement:
The lifestyles of barn owls [introduces topic] include hunting for insects
and animals, building nests, and raising their young [states the
explanation and outlines the organization].
What the essay will do: This thesis statement establishes that the
paper will provide information on the lifestyles of barn owls. Using the
subdivisions in this thesis statement -
1. hunting for insects and animals;
2. building nests;
3. raising their young
WRITING
A BODY
PARAGRAPH
What Is a Body Paragraph?

Body paragraphs are units of

text that offer supporting
evidence to back up the thesis
statement of an essay, report,
or story.
 A GOOD BODY PARAGRAPH CONTAINS:

Relevant
Topic
Transitions supporting Conclusion
sentence
sentences
 Transitions

These are a few words at the

beginning or end of a paragraph
that connect the body paragraph to
the others, creating a coherent flow
throughout the entire piece.
 Topic sentence

Almost always the first

sentence and introduces what
the entire paragraph is about.
 Supporting sentences
These make up the “body” of your
body paragraph, with usually one
to three sentences that develop
and support the topic sentence’s
assertion with evidence, logic,
persuasive opinion, or expert
testimonial.
Conclusion

This is your paragraph’s

concluding sentence,
summing up or reasserting
your original point in light of
the supporting evidence.
 TEXT ANALYSIS
“HOW TO WRITE WITH STYLE”
(Vonnegut)
As for your use of language: Remember that two great
masters of language, William Shakespeare and James
Joyce, wrote sentences which were almost childlike when
their subjects were most profound. “To be or not to be?”
asks Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The longest word is three
letters long. Joyce, when he was frisky, could put together
a sentence as intricate and as glittering as a necklace for
Cleopatra, but my favorite sentence in his short story
“Eveline” is this one: “She was tired.” At that point in the
story, no other words could break the heart of a reader as
those three words do.
 TEXT ANALYSIS
Transition: As for your use of language:

Topic sentence: Remember that two great masters of language, William Shakespeare and James Joyce,
wrote sentences which were almost childlike when their subjects were most profound.

Supporting sentences: “To be or not to be?” asks Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The longest word is three letters
long. Joyce, when he was frisky, could put together a sentence as intricate and as glittering as a necklace
for Cleopatra, but my favorite sentence in his short story “Eveline” is this one: “She was tired.”

Summary: At that point in the story, no other words could break the heart of a reader as those three
words do
WRITING
CONCLUSION
ĐỌC BÀI VĂN
SAU VÀ TÌM RA
KẾT BÀI.
How to write a good conclusion

1. Rephrase the thesis statement.

2. Wrap up your main points of your work.

3. Your conclusion is no place to bring up new ideas and

should leave the reader with a long-lasting impression.
 Beginning with an unnecessary, overused
phrase.

Concluding
strategies Introducing a new idea in your conclusion.

that do not
work Making sentimental, emotional appeals that
are out of character with the rest of the paper.

Including evidence (quotations, statistics, etc.)

that should be in the body of the paper.