The Essay
Dun, dun, dun….
The Formal Essay
• The formal essay applies a thesis to a text(s).
• It is, generally speaking, a character or theme
study.
• Every piece of analysis develops some
aspect of the thesis.
• The focus is on your ideas, not you; therefore,
use only the third person pronoun “one”. DO
NOT write “I”, “me”, or “my”.
What is a thesis?
Good question…
A thesis is the central organizing idea of your essay.
Start with an effective thesis, and the plan of your
essay will often follow naturally.
It is vitally important that you understand the
difference between a topic and a thesis. A topic is
simply a subject. A thesis is a subject with an
argument attached.
Examples:
Topic: Hamlet and Horatio.
Thesis: “Although Hamlet admires Horatio’s stoic
temperament and values his companionship,
Hamlet’s temperament is more heroic.”
Topic: Learning a foreign language.
Thesis: “The best way to learn a foreign
language is through active practice and
immersion among native speakers.”
The Keyhole
Method to
Writing an
Essay
Introduction
Body Paragraph 1
Body Paragraph 2
Body Paragraph 3
Conclusion
Introduction
Begin broadEnd Narrow
Start off with a hook (a quotation or a statement) that has
nothing to do with the text your essay will focus on.
Your hook should be 1-3 sentences and should
introduce your reader to the topic.
Then…make a link between
your topic and the text.
Next…state your 3 arguments (3 separate sentences
Either your 3 effects OR your 3 causes.)
Conclude your introduction with your thesis statement.
Body Paragraphs
The SEEC paragraph:
• Statement- topic sentence which outlines what you will
develop in the paragraph (must support your thesis).
• Example- the evidence.
• Explanation- discuss your evidence’s importance or impact.
• Concluding Sentence- wrap up. Summarize your remarks
or make reference back to the topic sentence or thesis.
•Note: You may want to include more examples and more
explanation depending on length requirements/analysis of
integral points
In a 5 paragraph essay you will have 3 SEEC body paragraphs. All three
paragraphs are proving the thesis stated in your introduction.
Body Paragraph Order
Body Paragraph #1- Stronger
Body Paragraph #2- Strong
Body Paragraph #3- Strongest
You want to make a good first and last impression!
Conclusion
Restate your thesis
in different words. Summarize
your three arguments. Finally,
leave the reader with something to think
about. Avoid asking a series of rhetorical questions.
Introducing Quotations
For your essay you will be
incorporating quotations.
Therefore your SEEC paragraph
will become a SEQEC
paragraph (statement, example,
quotation, explanation,
concluding sentence).
The Technical Part of Your Essay
• Give your essay an interesting and
suggestive title.
• Number your pages.
• Follow standard format for first page.
• Follow standard format for citation of
secondary sources and works cited page.
MLA Documentation This is serious stuff…
Even though you will only be using one text for this
essay (Macbeth) you must cite it and include a formal
Works Cited page.
NO Title Page!
While fascinating, we DO NOT need to see another
picture of Macbeth OR a bloody dagger.
Your first page should look like this…
Harrington 1
Christian Harrington (Your name)
Wayne Sproule (Mr. Harrington)
EDUC 3310.03 (ENG3U1)
14 April 2009 (Due date)
Lessening Depressive Symptoms
in Adolescents (Creative title)
Numerous psychological studies have been completed that illustrate the positive
correlation between body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms in adolescents, especially in females.
In many of these studies it was found that adolescents’ perceived body image and stage of development
have a stronger influence on their body dissatisfaction than their actual body size, suggesting the power
of psychological processes. Similarly…
Other things to remember:
• Everything double spaced, and in 12 point font.
• 1 inch margins all around.
• Again, NO title page.
• When stating the text’s name italicize it.
• Indent the first line of your paragraphs (use the
tab key on your computer’s keyboard).
• Use internal citations after introducing quotations.
•Example: “…essay writing is awesome” (Harrington 14).
Researchers ensured the types of tests used had high validity and that re-tests were
conducted 3 days after the original interviews were given to ensure accuracy in
responses (Stice 441). Despite all of these precautions, sample responses still relied
almost entirely on how adolescents perceived themselves. How students’ perceive
themselves in relation to others has a profound affect on their educational
experience. If students perceive themselves negatively, they are less likely to make
positive peer relationships and perform well in school. Programs have been devised
to help students improve or prevent negative self-perceptions.
Three different types of programs can be implemented to test adolescent
depression prevention methods: universal, selective and indicated. Indicated
programs involve individuals that show “mild to moderate signs or symptoms of a
disorder” (Shochet 303).