Essay Writing Help:
Using Quotations and Transitions
PEE Method
• Remember, we are again using the PEE
method in this essay. You are need to
incorporate quotations into your paragraphs
to prove your points. And you are then
carefully explaining why you chose your
quotes and how they prove the point you are
trying to make. Let’s practice a little.
Here is the intro paragraph I showed you yesterday.
• Night, by Elie Wiesel, is a novel about the Holocaust. Like
other books on this topic, Night focuses on the Man vs.
Society conflict of the Nazi’s systematic killing of the Jewish
people of Europe. The novel leads us through the story of
one boy who lives through the ordeal. What makes this novel
unique, however, is its focus on the Man vs. Self inner
struggles of the main character, Elie. The author’s focus on
the main character’s personal struggles with his religious
beliefs, his relationship with his father and his search for his
identity bring the true horror of the Holocaust alive for the
reader.
Here are two possible topic sentences for the second paragraph.
Which one do you think is better and why?
• Elie struggles with his religious beliefs in the novel.
• As Elie is confronted with the horror of life in the
concentration camps, he begins to question his
religious beliefs.
Which quotations could you use to help support your point in
this paragraph?
With your elbow partner quickly think of one you are ready to
share with the class.
As Elie is confronted with the horror of life in the
concentration camps, he begins to question his
religious beliefs.
• In the beginning of the novel he is asked by Moishe
why he prays. “Why did I pray? Strange question.
Why did I live? Why did I breathe?” (Wiesel 4)
Write down an explanation to follow the quote.
And this one?
• In the beginning of the novel he is a religious
Jew who by day “studied Talmud and by night
…would run to the synagogue to weep over
the destruction of the Temple.” (Wiesel 3)
• How would you write an explanation?
Character Essay:
If instead we were to write about character
change, here might be a topic sentence for
one of our body paragraphs.
Elie’s character shows incredible change as he
grows up during the novel.
What next? Write it on your paper.
What comes before the quotations?
Elie’s character shows incredible change as he grows up during
the novel.
Although Elie is a young naïve child at the beginning of the story
who seeks the protection of his father, by the end of the book,
Elie is the one who his father calls to for solace as he dies.
Which quote might you choose to use?
Quote:
“My hand tightened its grip on my father. All I
could think of was not to lose him. Not to
remain alone.” (Wiesel 30)
Explanation?
Theme essay:
How about theme? If this was our topic
sentence, what would go next?
Elie is haunted by his silence and unwillingness
to protect others by speaking up against his
oppressors.
Transitions
• Transitions bridge the gap between ideas. They may be words or
phrases used in the beginning, middle, and/or end of body
paragraphs to lead the reader to a new idea and explain
connections between the old and new ideas.
• Transition words/phrases build sentences into compound and
complex forms and make your writing more subtle -if not overused.
• Conjunctions are specialized transition words whose sole purpose is
to show relationships between clauses. You should be able to
differentiate between transitional words and other types of
conjunctions like coordinating and subordinating.
Look at the list of transitions at the back of your sheet.
Transitions are also sentences and phrases that help you
transition from one idea to another.
Let’s go back to a simplified version of our introductory
paragraph.
What is missing? How can you make this paragraph flow better?
• Night, by Elie Wiesel, is a novel about the Holocaust. Night
focuses on the Man vs. Society conflict of the Nazi’s
systematic killing of the Jewish people of Europe. This
novel explores the Man vs. Self inner struggles of the main
character, Elie. This novel describes the main character’s
personal struggles with his religious beliefs, his relationship
with his father and his search for identity.
Compare
• Night, by Elie Wiesel, is a novel about the Holocaust. Night focuses on the
Man vs. Society conflict of the Nazi’s systematic killing of the Jewish
people of Europe. This novel explores the Man vs. Self inner struggles of
the main character, Elie. This novel describes the main character’s
personal struggles with his religious beliefs, his relationship with his father
and his search for identity.
• Night, by Elie Wiesel, is a novel about the Holocaust. Like other books on
this topic, Night focuses on the Man vs. Society conflict of the Nazi’s
systematic killing of the Jewish people of Europe. The novel leads us
through the story of one boy who lives through the ordeal. What makes
this novel unique, however, is its focus on the Man vs. Self inner struggles
of the main character, Elie. The author’s focus on the main character’s
personal struggles with his religious beliefs, his relationship with his father
and his search for his identity bring the true horror of the Holocaust alive
for the reader.
Go back to your first 4 paragraphs:
1. First of all, make sure that the quotes you have used prove
your point.
2. Then, make sure that your explanations tell us why the
quote is important or how it proves your point.
3. After that, read your essay over and look for places where
you need to add transitions to make it more cohesive and
organized. While you should not add transition words just
for the sake of adding them, try to use the list of words you
have to help make your essay better.
4. Start on your conclusion.
Conclusions
• Conclusions are difficult. Formal written English seems very
redundant. In the introduction we explain what we are going
to prove, in the body we prove it, and in the conclusion we tell
you what we proved!
• So you first need a topic sentence that sums up your
argument—like a rewording of your thesis.
• Then sum up your most important points succinctly.
• You might want to include one last quotation that really says it
all, or quote someone else who echoes your main point in
another way.
• Be brief and direct!
• Do NOT mention anything that you did not prove in your
essay!
Conclusion Example
• Elie’s character changes dramatically in the novel. The naïve
religious boy who is dependent on his father in the beginning
of the story is transformed into a hardened adult who
questions the existence of a God who allowed such horror. At
the end of the novel Elie writes, “One day when I was able to
get up, I decided to look at myself in the mirror on the
opposite wall. I had not seen myself since the ghetto. From
the depths of the mirror, a corpse was contemplating me.”
(Wiesel 115) He has changed so much in the novel that he
doesn’t even recognize the man he has become, a man who
has lost his family, his innocence, and his absolute faith in
God.
Conclusion
• Now examine the conclusion you have
written.
• Have you restated your thesis in a new way?
• Have you re-emphasized your main points?
• Have you included a quotation or example to
sum up your essay?
• Does you conclusion bring closure to the
essay?
Formatting Your Paper
• First, we need to make a title page. At the
beginning of your paper, scroll down to leave a
blank page.
• You essay question should be centered part
way down your page.
• Then in the bottom right corner type your
name, date and block, each on a separate line.
Formatting
• Your paper should be in 12 point font—
something simple like Times New Roman
• Your paper should be 1.5 spaced
• You should format your paper with a header in
the top right-hand corner that lists your last
name and the page number (Smith 1)
• The first word of every paragraph should be
indented
Formatting
• Because we are citing quotations, we must include a
bibliography listing your source—the book Night
• Again scroll down to a new page at the end of your
essay
• Center the word BIBLIOGRAPHY at the top of your
page—all capital letters
• Now use easybib.com and cite your novel on the
page