In-Class Essay
1. Thesis Statement
O The thesis statement is a sentence that explains to the reader
the specific topic or argument of your essay. Your thesis is the
MAIN IDEA that runs throughout the essay. One easy way to
write a thesis statement is the following: Finish the sentence
“In this essay I will prove that…..” Then you just need to get rid
of the “In this essay I will prove that” part.
O
E.G: IN THIS ESSAY I WILL PROVE THAT poor eating habits,
unhealthy lifestyles and overall physical health are a result of junk
foods such as chips and fries that should not be sold on school
property.
O By omitting the first part of the sentence, your thesis is a
stronger and more persuasive statement. By reading this
statement, the reader then knows that your essay will be
arguing reasons for why junk food should not be sold on school
property.
1. Thesis Statement
Thesis
Though many people dismiss hip
hop, it gives youth the
opportunity to express
themselves using a popular
medium.
Students who are forced to wear
school uniforms have their
creativity stifled.
Strong/ Why?
Working
/Weak
Improvement
1. Thesis Statement
Although both chefs and cooks
can prepare fine meals, chefs
differ from cooks in education,
professional commitment, and
artistry.
A healthy diet is important.
Exercising is important to
enhance health, fitness and
overall quality of life.
2. Language
O NEVER refer to yourself in a formal essay (i.e. do not use “I”- “I think, I feel,
my belief is” etc). The reader understands that you are the “expert” on the
topic, and by eliminating references to the first person, your argument
becomes a stronger statement.
O
I.E.- “I think that childhood obesity is on the rise in Canada and schools are partly
to blame.”
Could be easily changed to
O
“Childhood obesity is on the rise in Canada and schools are partly to blame.”
O Do NOT use contractions: It’s, that’s, don’t
O Avoid using the words THIS, THAT, THESE, or THOSE if they do not refer to
anything.
O Never talk about the physical essay, such as “The first paragraph will be
about…”
O Never begin any of your sentences with “Because” or“And”.
2. Language
O Do NOT use slang such as “like” or MSN type writing such as “LOL”.
You are writing a formal essay and your audience is your teacher.
Therefore, you must get into the habit of using language in a more
formal manner.
O Colloquialisms: Common Language – gonna, awesome, cool,
O Keep the same tense throughout; Do not switch back and forth
between past and present. Refer to the book in one or the other, not
both.
O Repetition: use synonyms. However, however, however. Therefore,
therefore, therefore. Although, although, although. ESPECIALLY IN
THE SAME PARAGRAPH!!
O Transitions: Do not number your paragraphs. Use other transition
words. (Another, other, then, moreover)
Quotations/Bibliographical
Information (MLA)
O In-Text Citations (Books)
O In reference to ONE text throughout, simply put the page
number where the quote or reference is found, in parenthesis
with the period at the end, on the outside of the second bracket.
O Eg. Wordsworth states that Romantic poetry was marked by a
“spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” (263).
O In reference to MORE than one text by different authors include
the last name of the author and the page number where the
quote or reference is found, in parenthesis with the period at
the end, on the outside of the second bracket.
O Eg. Romantic poetry is characterized by the “spontaneous
overflow of powerful feelings” (Wordsworth 263).
Quotations/Bibliographical
Information (MLA)
O Bibliographies (books)
O There is a very specific way to include the bibliographical information in
your bibliography and it also depends on the type of source you are
using. EVERY DIFFERENT TYPE OF SOURCE HAS A DIFFERENT WAY OF
BEING CITED!!!
Book:
Lastname, Firstname. Title of Work. Place of Publish:
Publisher, Year. Type of Source.
Eg.
Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads. London: Oxford U.P.,
1967. Print.
WEB ADDRESSES ARE NOT ENOUGH!!!
Conclusions
O The last part of writing the essay is the conclusion. Remember,
the conclusion is a recap of what the essay is about. The
conclusion tells the reader “here is what I just told you.”
O The conclusion begins by restating your thesis in a FRESH, new
way. Therefore, do NOT restate your thesis word for word from
your introduction.
O Next, for each of your body paragraphs, rewrite the CONCLUDING
SENTENCES with a little bit of your explanation.
O Finally, end your essay with a final thought. Be careful- this is not
the time to introduce new ideas. Instead, you want to leave your
reader with something to think about that is related to your topic.
NOT A QUESTION. MAKE IT A STATEMENT!!