Writing Essays. . .
. . . 5 Part Form
Disclaimer!!!
 This is ONE model of essay writing -- a
good one, but not the only one!
 Variations exist regarding
 Method of citing
 Use of first person
 Form of the introduction
 Use of present tense, etc.
 Your teacher may give special instructions.
Follow them!
What is an Essay?
Essay Purpose
Essay Purpose
 An essay is a form of writing in which
you try to prove a point or support an
opinion (thesis)
 You must give reasons for your ideas,
and evidence to back up what you
say
 You must give the sources of your
evidence if you use them!
A Report is Different
 In a report, you are presenting
information that you have
collected on a topic
 You are not necessarily
supporting a point/an opinion
Opinions
 EVERYTHING you write is an
opinion, whether it is a persuasive
essay, an opinion essay, or a
research essay
 It becomes convincing only when
you back up your opinion!!
Opinions
 There are opinions, and then there are
opinions . . .
 You may be entitled to your opinion,
but…
 Your opinion needs to be supported if
you plan on convincing anyone else!!!
Support Opinions With…
 Facts
 Specific reasons
 Logical arguments
 Specific examples
 Support of experts
 Quotations
 NOT just because YOU say so!!!
How Should I Write My Essay?
Essay Style
u
Essay Style: Formal
An essay is not a chat room!
1. Write in full sentences, not point form
2. Never use slang, dialect, or short forms
3. Avoid contractions:
• Use “did not” instead of “didn’t”
lol
• Use “would have” instead of “would’ve”
or, even worse, “would of”!!!
Essay Style: Objective
 Use third person, unless your teacher
gives you permission to use first person
 Use:
 he, she, it, they, those, them (3rd)
 Do not use:
 you, your (2nd)
 I, me, we, us, myself (1st)
How Do I Set Up My Essay?
Essay Organization
Introduction
Opening Comments
 Introduce your topic in general terms
 Get the interest of your readers
 Example:
Students in public high schools are allowed to
choose the clothes that suit their personality
and make them feel comfortable. Catholic
students, however, are denied this choice.
Thesis
 A thesis is made up of two parts:
Statement
Plan
 The statement is what you are
trying to prove
 The plan is your list of proofs/
reasons/arguments
Examples
 Students in Catholic high schools wear
uniforms.
 Why should high school students have
to wear uniforms?
 Students should not have to wear
uniforms because I think they are ugly.
Examples
Students in high school
school should not have
have
to to
wear
uniforms
because
they
areare
tootoo
wear
uniforms
because
they
expensive,
they
areare
uncomfortable,
and
expensive,
they
uncomfortable,
and
they
limit
students’
right
to selfthey
limit
students’
right
to selfexpression.
expression.


Examples
ItItisisaagood
goodpolicy
policy for
for high
high school
school
students
becausethis
this
students to
to wear
wear uniforms
uniforms because
prevents
gang related
related
prevents them
them wearing
wearing gang
clothing,
givesthem
thema asense
sense
clothing,itgives
of of
belonging, and
and itstops
people
from
belonging,
stops
people
from
judgingothers
others based
based on
judging
on the
the way
way they
they
dress.
dress
.
Body Paragraphs
Topic Sentences
Every time you start a new
paragraph (argument) you must
start with a topic sentence that
reminds the reader of your
reason
Use key words from the thesis
Examples
 Thesis: Students in high school should not
have to wear uniforms because they are 1. too
expensive, they are 2. uncomfortable, and
they 3. limit students’ right to self-expression.
 Topic Sentences:
1. Special uniforms cost much more than regular
clothing…
2. The uniforms students are required to wear
are very uncomfortable…
3. If all students are forced to dress the same
this violates their freedom of expression…
Evidence
After the topic sentence, you
give reasons, details, examples,
and quotations that prove your
point
Your opinion is only as good as
the evidence that backs it up!!
Conclusion
Conclusion
 Start the conclusion by restating
your thesis and arguments
 Finish up with…
 Summary comments
 Application
 Suggestion for further thought
Citing Sources
Don’t Plagiarize!!
The Catechism: Works Cited
Catholic Church. Catechism of the Catholic
Church. Ottawa: Canadian Council of
Catholic Bishops, 1994.
Catholic Church. Catechism of the Catholic
Church. New York: Image, 1995.
Or…
Catholic Church. Catechism of the
Catholic Church. 2nd ed. Vatican:
Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2000.
There are many versions!
http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.
HTM
In-Text citation of The
Catechism:
 “The one God is triune in nature and
consists of three persons, Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit” (Catechism 1280).
Because of this…
 Direct quotation
 Note: cite section or paragraph
instead of page number.
In-Text citation of The
Catechism:
 Because God consists of three persons,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Catechism
1280) we always end our prayers by
saying…
 Paraphrase
 Note: cite section or paragraph
instead of page number.
In-Text Citation of Movies
 Include the work in the text lead up,
not in a parenthetical reference
 E.g.:
Terry Gilliam’s film 12 Monkeys
portrays James Cole as a Christ
figure who is willing to sacrifice
his life to save humanity.
Works Cited
12 Monkeys. Dir. Terry Gilliam. Perf.
Bruce Willis, Madeline Stowe,
Brad Pitt. DVD. Paramount,
1998.
In-Text Citation of Web Sites A
 Local Hero teaches about the importance of
respecting the environment, “Any movie that
can raise the consciousness of its audience
without preaching is a rarity, and this
beautiful film manages to do just that.”
(Internet Movie Database ¶8). In view of
this, all …
Citing IMDb
Internet Movie Database. Local Hero.
2008. 3 March 2008. <http://imdb.
com/title/tt0085859/>
Date of site,
then date you
accessed the
site.
Works Cited
Works Cited
Good Luck!