WRITING 4

SECTION 1 – ESSAY
ORGANIZATION
 What is an essay?
• A piece of writing several paragraphs
long instead of just one or two
paragraphs
• Written about one topic
• All of the paragraphs are tied
together by adding an introduction
and a conclusion.
 Main parts of an essay
An essay has three main parts:
• An introductory paragraph
• A body (at least one, but usually two
or more paragraphs)
• A concluding paragraph
 THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
(Introduction)

THE PURPOSES:
• introduces the topic of the essay.
• gives a general background of the topic.
• often indicates the overall ‘plan’ of the
essay.
• should arouse the reader’s interest in the
topic.
 General
statements
The + the HOOK: opening statement(s)
+ give background information on
the topic
introduction
A thesis
statement
+ states the main topic
+ often lists the subdivisions of the topic or subtopics
+ may indicate the method of organization of the
entire paper (ex: order of importance, …)
+ is usually the last sentence in the introductory
paragraph
 Any person who has lived in the
twentieth century has seen a lot of changes
General take place in almost all areas of human
statement existence. Some people are excited by the
challenges that these changes offer; others
want to return to the simpler life-style of
the past. The twentieth century has certain
advantages such as a higher standard of
living for many, but it also has some
Thesis disadvantages such as a polluted
statement environment, the depersonalization of
human relationships, and the weakening of
spiritual values.
How to write a strong introduction
• A strong introduction:
+ introduces the topic clearly.
+ gives several sentences of
information about the topic. (hook +
connecting information)
+ states the thesis (the main idea) of
the essay.
• Any of the following will make an
introduction weak:

+ it doesn’t give enough information

about the topic or gives too much
information about it.
+ it talks about too many different topics.
+ it does not state a clear thesis.
 WAYS TO WRITE A GOOD HOOK
1. Ask a question:
“How many people take medicine – even simple
aspirin – every day?”
2. Use an interesting observation:
“Asian economists are not sleeping well these
days.”
3. Use a unique scenario to catch readers’
attention.
“Travelling at more than one hundred miles an
hour, he feels as if he is moving. He is engulfed in
complete silence. For a moment, it is as if he has
entered another dimension.”
4. Begin with a famous quote: “Many of life’s
failures are people who did not know they were
close to success when they gave up.” (Thomas
A. Edison)

5. Use a surprising or shock statistic:

“Over 20,000 people in the United States are
killed in alcohol-related traffic accidents every
year.”
 THESIS STATEMENT
• Usually the last part of the introduction
• One or two sentences long
• Introduces main idea of an essay
• States the specific topic of the essay
• May list the sub-topics of the main topic,
and may also mention the method of
organization
• Two kinds: Direct/ stated or indirect/
implied thesis statement
• Stated thesis statement:
give a specific outline of
the essays
• Implied thesis statement:
not give a specific
information, just the
general topic
 Stated or implied thesis statement?

1. The important problems facing South

American countries today require
immediate attention.
2. The main problems facing South American
countries are a lack of job opportunities
for citizens, increasing demand for better
health care, and limited university
programs for poor students.
 Examples of thesis statements with/ without
subtopics mentioned
What do you notice about the following thesis
statements?
- Being the oldest son has more disadvantages than
advantages.
- Young people in my culture have less freedom than young
people in the United States.
- The large movement of people from rural to urban areas has
major effects on cities.
- The large movement of people from rural to urban areas has
major effects on a city’s ability to provide housing,
employment, and adequate sanitation services.
- Puppies, like children, need both love and discipline to
become responsible citizens.
• When listing 2 or more subtopics in a thesis
statement, a colon (:) is often useful:
Ex: Prejudice arises from three basic causes:
childhood conditioning, ignorance, and fear.
• Correlative conjunctions (both … and, not only
… but also, neither … nor, either … or) are also
useful in thesis statements listing two subtopics:
Ex: Young people in my culture have less freedom
than young people in the United States not only
in their choice of life-style but also in their choice
of careers.
Which is a good thesis statement?
• Ex:
- In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer months are
warmer than the winter months.

- When studying a foreign language, there are several

ways to improve your use of the language.

- There are advantages and disadvantages to using

nuclear power.
 Writing a strong thesis statement
• Thesis statement …
+ should give an idea that can be discussed
and explained with supporting ideas.
Ex:
- When studying a foreign language, there are
several ways to improve your use of the
language.
+ should not be a sentence that only gives a fact
about the topic – it can’t be discussed or argued
about:
Ex: In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer
months are warmer than the winter months.
+ should not state two sides of an argument
equally:
Ex: There are advantages and disadvantages to
using nuclear power.
Revised:
Although there are some advantages, using
nuclear power has many disadvantages and
should not be a part of our country’s energy plan.
 Points to remember:
a. Should be expressed in a complete
statement
b. Expresses an opinion, attitude, or idea
c. Should express an idea, not a fact
d. should not state two sides of an argument
equally
e. Should be placed near or at the end of the
introductory paragraph (to make it
interesting and inviting enough)
Students’ answers to ex B/page 19
CLASS B
• 1. However, one thing happened, maybe it
was my imagination, but it still taught me a
lesson.
• 2. However, there was a scary experience
that I still remember until now.
• 3. However, one thing made us feel terrible
when we were playing in a strange place.
 WRITING 4

THE CONCLUDING
PARAGRAPH
 THE CONCLUSION
• A good concluding paragraph:
- summarizes the main points of the essay.
- restates the thesis (using different words).
- makes a final comment about the essay’s
main idea.
- may emphasize an action that you would like
the reader to take.
* Be sure to introduce the concluding paragraph
with a conclusion transition signal.
EX:
• In conclusion • To conclude
• In summary • To summarize
• Finally • In brief/ short
• Therefore • Indeed

Exercise 5 – page 75 “Academic writing from

par to essay”
• TASK: Read the model introductory paragraph.
Then study the concluding paragraph for the
same essay. Is the concluding paragraph a
summary of the main points of the essay, or is
it a paraphrase of the thesis statement? Is
there a final message for the reader?
 Any person who has lived in the
twentieth century has seen a lot of changes
take place in almost all areas of human
existence. Some people are excited by the
challenges that these changes offer; others
want to return to the simpler life-style of
Introductory the past. The twentieth century has certain
paragraph advantages such as a higher standard of
living for many, but it also has some
disadvantages such as a polluted
environment, the depersonalization of
human relationships, and the weakening of
spiritual values.
 In short, although the twentieth century
has indeed given us a lot of advantages by
making us richer, healthier, and freer to enjoy
our lives, it has, in my opinion, not made us
Concluding wiser. The twentieth century has also made our
earth dirtier, our people less humane, and our
paragraph
spiritual lives poorer. We wish to continue to
enjoy the benefits of technological
advancement because they free us to pursue
our other interests and goals. However, we
must make a concerted effort to preserve our
natural environment for future generations.
Moreover, we should take the time now to
make our lives more meaningful in our
increasingly impersonal, mechanized world.
• NOTE:

* Do not introduce new

information in the conclusion.
(otherwise it sounds like a
combination of the body of an
essay.)
 SECTION 3

THE ESSAY
BODY
 What is an outline?
• a list of the information you will put in your
essay
An outline …

* begins with the essay’s thesis statement.

* shows the organization of the essay.
* tells what ideas you will discuss and shows
which ideas will come first, second, and so on.
* ends with the essay’s conclusion.
• Writing an outline can be a very useful way of
organizing your ideas and seeing how they will work
together.
• Use Roman numerals (I, II, III, etc.) for your essay’s
main ideas: your introduction and thesis statement,
your main body paragraphs, and your conclusion.
I. Introduction
II. First main idea
III. Second main idea
IV. Third main idea
V. Conclusion
• Finally, use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) to give

details for your supporting points.

I. Introduction
II. First main idea
A. First supporting point
1. First detail
2. Second detail
B. Second supporting point
1. First detail
2. Second detail
…. And so on.
 Evaluating an outline
• Before starting to write an essay,
check your outline for
organization, support, and topic
development.
Organi - Paragraphs in the right order
-zation - Supporting points and details in the right order

- Each main idea related to the thesis statement.

- Each supporting point related to the paragraph’s
Supp main idea.
-ort - Each detail related to the paragraph’s supporting
points

- Enough main ideas to develop the thesis

Topic statement
develop- - Enough supporting points for each main point
ment - Enough details for each supporting point