The Essay
What is an essay?
 Origin
of the word: Essai (French)
 An essay is a short work, treating a topic
from the author’s point of view.
 Work of Non-Fiction
 The author may include personal
experiences and reflections.
 It is an attempt at something
 Sharing an idea
 Proving and justifying that idea
Informal




vs.
Points may be more
personal to the author.
The author will share his
personal views, ideas and
feelings rather than
staying objective.
Ideas must, however, be
justifiable.
An informal essay does
not necessarily share the
same structure as a formal
essay.
Formal




Written in formal English.
(No contractions)
Contains a logical and
orderly presentation of
evidence (facts, statistics
and quotations)
Stay objective  your
argument must be based on
facts instead of feelings and
personal experiences
Must have an introduction, a
body and a conclusion
Editorial Essay
 Combination
of fact and opinion
 Written in a less formal style than the
formal essay… but more formal than the
informal essay.
 In between Formal and Informal
 They can involve satire.
 Tone can range from serious to light
hearted.
 Example: Metrosexual is out faster than
you can say bling-bling
Goal
 The
goal of any essay is to present a point
to an audience, and convincing them it is
the best or the only option by justifying
your ideas.
 You can argue almost anything… as long as
you can provide arguments to support your
thesis.
 Using valid secondary sources, you may
reinforce your ideas.
Structure
 Like
any text, an essay contains an
introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
 In the introduction, the idea will be briefly
presented, as well as the thesis statement.
 In the body, the points will be presented
once again, this time with information to
back it up.
 In the conclusion, a brief recap of the text
will be presented, as well as the author’s
opinion.
Strategies for an effective
introduction
 Answer
a question.
 Use a quotation to present your thesis.
 Describe an example of what you’re trying to
prove.
 Write your introduction last.
 Be straight forward and confident
 Don’t say “In this essay I will talk
about”… just do it!
Paragraphing

1 paragraph = 1 idea
 Introductory paragraph
 You want to engage the reader in your essay.
 Say what your paper is about.
 Body
 Topic sentence
 Everything that follows the topic sentence in
the paragraph should develop the topic
sentence’s point.
 Closing Paragraph
 You want to leave the reader convinced and
inspired.
Transitional sentences

Transitions are the sentences or words that allow
readers to follow the flow of your argument.
 A few examples…
Time
after, before, currently,
during, earlier, immediately,
later, now, then
Contrast
but, however, in spite of,
nevertheless, nonetheless, in
contrast, on the contrary, yet
Sequence
first, second, third, ... next,
then, finally
Similarity
also, in the same way, just as,
likewise,
Example
for example, for instance,
namely, specifically, to
illustrate
Position
Above, adjacent, below,
beyond, here, in front, in
back, nearby, there
Additional additionally, again, also, and, Conclusion finally, in a word, in brief, in
Evidence as well, besides, equally
conclusion, in the end, in the
important, further, then,
final analysis, on the whole,
furthermore, in addition,
thus, to conclude, to
summarize, in summary
Voice
 Voice
is the way your writing 'sounds' on
the page.
 It has to do with the way you write, the tone
you take - friendly, formal, chatty, distant the words you choose - everyday words or
high-brow language - the pattern of your
sentences, and the way these things fit in or not - with the personality of the narrator
character and the style of your story.
#1 Rule…
 Justify
what you’re saying!!
 Examples
 Facts
 Quotes
 No
matter what you say… tell me WHY
and/or HOW you know this.
Questions…