PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATOLICA DEL PERU

LANGUAGE CENTER

THE WRITING PROCESS

ORGANIZING AN ESSAY SB103

by TESOS Student Cecilia Cadenillas

THE WRITING PROCESS

In general, the writing process has 3 stages.
1.

Brainstorming Arrangement Writing and Revision

2.

3.

1.

Brainstorming.- The accumulation of ideas and information to support or explain what you want to say.

2.

Arrangement.- Outlining and organizing the thesis statement and the supporting arguments with examples.
Writing and Revision.- First draft.

3.

Example 1 Outlining
THESIS STATEMENT
The accelerating population growth will be devastating
1st Supporting Paragraph : Worldwide starvation Specific Evidence: Food distribution 2nd Supporting Paragraph: Environment destruction Specific Evidence: Pollution 3rd Supporting Paragraph: Lack of space to live and play Specific Evidence: Psychological problems

THE FIVE-PARAGRAPH ESSAY

What is an Essay?
An essay is a form of composition in which
the writer analyzes or interprets a subject,

usually involving the personal

interpretation of the writer.

PARTS OF AN ESSAY
Most essays are divided into three basic sections:

The introduction The body The conclusion

THE INTRODUCTION
The introduction must have:
1.

2.

3.

Attention Getter: the opening that gets to the heart of the subject and captures the interest of the reader The Thesis Statement: a statement of the most important point to be discussed A brief summary of the main topics of each supporting paragraph

Example 2 Introduction
Throughout history, population growth has increased dramatically. From 2 billion in 1930 to 4 billion, 48 years later. The consequences of this accelerating population growth can already be seen , and will be even more devastating in the future. If this kind of growth continues, it will result in worldwide starvation, destruction of the environment, and literally, no room to breathe.

THE BODY
The body consists of three supporting paragraphs, logically arranged to develop the

main ideas.
Each paragraph in the body of the essay

is controlled by its own topic statement, which

focuses on one aspect of the thesis, and expand on each point with supporting facts, details and examples.

Characteristics of the body

The body should be:
unified: focused on expanding one central idea (thesis). developed: using examples, quotes, details to provide a clear and complete treatment of the subject. coherent: follow an ordered line of thinking from sentence to sentence and from paragraph to paragraph.

Example 3 Supporting Paragraph

If population growth continues at its present rate, it will put enormous pressure on world food supplies. The results will be hunger and starvation on a massive scale. In the near future, according to one expert, the production of cereal grains must be doubled, animal products quadrupled, and fruits and vegetables tripled. The probability of accomplishing such goals is not high, given the vagaries of weather and the difficulty of raising sufficient capital to finance such efforts.

THE CONCLUSION
The conclusion draws together the ideas and information presented in the essay. It summarizes or restates the main idea, argument or findings.
The conclusion is vital. It is the last impression the reader has of the essay.

The conclusion often:

gives a clear answer or restatement of the answer to the central question, summarizes the main points in the essay,

repeats the key information and arguments

points out what the evidence suggests.

Example 4 Conclusion
To sum up, unchecked population growth is the most serious problem humanity faces today. Hunger and starvation, environmental destruction, and increasing human tensions and irritability --these are the certain results if we are not able to solve it.