Essay
-a group of paragraphs that develops
a central idea
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Structure of an Essay
• Introductory paragraph
-General Information
-Thesis statement
• Developmental paragraphs (3 or >)
-Topic sentence
-Supporting sentences
• Concluding paragraph
-Summary
-Personal comment (optional)
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Structure of a paragraph and an essay
• Paragraph
-Topic sentence
• Essay
-Introductory paragraph
-Thesis Statement
-Supporting Sentences
-Supporting details
-Concluding sentence
- Developmental paragraphs
- Concluding paragraph
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Introductory Paragraph
• Purpose
- to give readers the general/ background
information
- to catch the readers’ interest
- to provide the central idea of the essay in the
thesis statement
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Types of Introductory Paragraphs
• “Turnabout” introductory paragraph – authors opens
with a statement contrary to his or her actual thesis
• Dramatic Entrance – author opens with a narrative,
descriptive, or example pertinent to the topic
• “Relevant Quotation” – author opens with a
quotation pertinent to the topic
• Funnel approach – author opens with general
information leading to the central idea of the topic
(most common type of introductory paragraph)
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Turnabout” introductory paragraph
• An Example:
We live in an era where television is the national pastime. Since
the invention of the television set, people have been spending
more of their free time watching television than doing anything
else. Many of the television addicts feel that this particular
pastime is not a bad one; indeed, they argue that people can
learn a great deal watching television. I am sure that if you look
long and hard enough, you can probably find some programs
that are educationally motivating. However, for the most part, I
say that watching television is a waste of time.
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Dramatic Entrance Introductory paragraph
• An example:
The rain pours down as if running from a faucet, lightning
streaks across the dark restless sky, and thunder pounds the
roof and walls of the house. All of a sudden the wind kicks up.
Trees sway madly back and forth; loose objects are picked up
and thrown all around. The house creaks and moans with
every gust of wind. Windows are broken by pieces of shingle
from a neighbor’s roof or loose objects picked up by the wind.
Power lines snap like thread. The unprepared house and its
occupants are in grave danger as the awesome hurricane
approaches. Had they prepared for the hurricane, they might
not be in such danger. Indeed, careful preparation before a
hurricane is essential to life and property.
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Relevant Quotation Introductory Paragraph
An Example:
• “The saffron is an arrogant flower,” begins an old Spanish zarzuela named
for its lush, purple blossom. “It is born with the sunrise and dies at
sunset.” For a couple of weeks in October of every year, in Spain’s La
Mancha region, the arrogant crocus is harvested frenetically, as fast as it
flowers. For Saffron is the world’s most precious spice, often rivaling,
ounce for ounce, the cost of gold. A pound of its tiny threads – the
stigmas, of female organs, of Crocus sativus, an autumn crocus – currently
costs well over $2,000. There is such a demand for these little fibers the
Spanish call “red gold” that virtually all that is grown will be sold.
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Funnel Approach Introductory Paragraph
• Traveling to a foreign country is always interesting,
especially if it is a country that is completely different
from your own. You can delight in tasting new foods,
seeing new sights, and learning about different
customs, some of which may seem very curious. If
you were to visit my country, for instance, you would
probably think that my people have some very
strange customs, as these three examples will
illustrate.
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Funnel Approach
General
Statements
Thesis
Statement
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Thesis Statement
• Is the central idea of the essay
• May lists the subdivisions of the topic
• May indicate the method of organisation of
the entire paper
• Is usually the last sentence in the introductory
paragraph
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Thesis Statements
• Can be written in several ways
- Without subtopics:
• Eg: Being the oldest son has more
disadvantages than advantages.
Young people in my culture have less
freedom than young people in the United
States.
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• With subtopics:
1)The large movement of people from rural to urban areas
has major effects on a city’s ability to provide housing,
employment, and adequate sanitation services.
2)Prejudices arises from three basic causes: childhood
conditioning, ignorance, and fear.
3)Young people in my culture have less freedom than young
people in the United States not only in their choice of lifestyle but also in their choice of careers.
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How to Tell a Strong Thesis Sentence from
a Weak One.
• A strong thesis takes some sort of stand.
Example: There are some negative and positive
aspects to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.
(Thesis Statement)
This is a weak thesis. First, it fails to take a stand.
Second, the phrase “negative and positive aspects” is
vague.
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Because Banana Herb Tea Supplement
promotes rapid weight loss that results in the
loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a
potential danger to customers. (Thesis)
• This is a strong thesis because it takes a stand.
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• A strong thesis justifies discussion.
Your thesis should indicate the point of the discussion. If your
assignment is to write a paper on kinship systems, using your
own family as an example, you might come up with either of
these two thesis statements:
My family is an extended family. (Thesis Statement)
This is a weak thesis because it states an observation. Your
reader won’t be able to tell the point of the statement, and
will probably stop reading.
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While most American families would view consanguineal
marriage as a threat to the nuclear family structure, many
Iranian families, like my own, believe that these marriages help
reinforce kinship ties in an extended family. (Thesis Statement)
This is a strong thesis because it shows how your experience
contradicts a widely-accepted view. A good strategy for creating
a strong thesis is to show that the topic is controversial. Readers
will be interested in reading the rest of the essay to see how you
support your point.
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A strong thesis expresses one main idea.
• Readers need to be able to see that your paper has
one main point. If your thesis expresses more than
one idea, then you might confuse your readers about
the subject of your paper. For example:
• Companies need to exploit the marketing potential
of the Internet, and web pages can provide both
advertising and customer support.
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• This is a weak thesis statement because the
reader can’t decide whether the paper is
about marketing on the Internet or web
pages. To revise the thesis, the relationship
between the two ideas needs to become more
clear. One way to revise the thesis would be to
write:
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• Because the Internet is filled with tremendous
marketing potential, companies should exploit this
potential by using web pages that offer both
advertising and customer support.
• This is a strong thesis because it shows that the two
ideas are related. Hint: a great many clear and
engaging thesis statements contain words like
“because,” “since,” “so,” “although,” “unless,” and
“however.”
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• A strong thesis statement is specific.
A thesis statement should show exactly what your paper will
be about, and will help you keep your paper to a manageable
topic. For example, if you write a paper on hunger, you might
say:
World hunger has many causes and effects.
This is a weak thesis statement for two major reasons. First,
“world hunger” can’t be discussed thoroughly in five or ten
pages. Second, "many causes and effects" is vague. You
should be able to identify specific causes and effects. A
revised thesis might look like this:
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Hunger persists in Appalachia because jobs
are scarce and farming in the infertile soil is
rarely profitable.
This is a strong thesis because it narrows the
subject to a more specific and manageable
topic and it also identifies the specific causes
for the existence of hunger.
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Developmental Paragraph
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• Purpose:
- To explain, illustrate, discuss or prove the
thesis statement
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Points to remember when writing
developmental paragraph
• Each developmental paragraph discusses one aspect
of the thesis statement.
eg: Smoking cigarettes has several effects on a
person’s health.
Each paragraph should then have as its topic an
effect.
• The controlling idea in the developmental paragraph
should echo the central idea in the thesis statement.
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• The developmental paragraphs should have
coherence and unity.
• Transitional signals are important not only
within paragraphs but also between
paragraphs.
• There is a need to show relationship between
your first and second paragraph, between
your second and third paragraph and so on.
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Paragraph Transitions
A Model
• Aggressive Drivers
The number of vehicles on freeways and streets is
increasing at an alarming rate. This influx of motor
vehicles is creating hazardous conditions. Moreover,
drivers are in such a rush to get to their destinations
that many become angry or impatient with other
motorists who are too slow or who are in their way.
Aggressive drivers react foolishly toward others in
several dangerous ways.
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Body Paragraph 1
Transition words
•
One way an angry driver may react is cut off
another motorist. (+ supporting sentences)
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
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Body Paragraph 2
Transition words
•
Another way is to tailgate the other car. (+
supporting sentences)
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________
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Body Paragraph 3
Transition phrase
•
In addition to cutting and tailgating other
cars, aggressive drivers often use rude
language or gestures to show their anger. (+
supporting sentences) ______
_____________________________
_____________________________
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Body Paragraph 4
Transition clause
Although law enforcement authorities warn
motorists against aggressive driving, the
number who act out their angry impulses has
not declined. (+ supporting sentences)
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
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Concluding paragraph
• To conclude, aggressive drivers are
endangering everyone because they create
hazardous conditions by acting and driving
foolishly. They should control their anger and
learn to drive safely. After all, the lives they
save could be their own.
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Concluding Paragraph
• Function of Introductory Paragraph: open
essay for discussion by introducing the topic
and the central idea (thesis)
• Concluding paragraph: wraps up discussion –
bringing the development to a logical end
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Common approach to writing a concluding
paragraph
• Restate the main points (subtopics) discussed.
• State them briefly
• Paraphrase the main points
• Add a final comment (optional)
Do Not:
• Bring up a new topic
• Sound repetitious, so paraphrase the ideas.
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An Introductory paragraph
A sample
Any person who lived in the twentieth century has
seen a lot of changes take place in almost all areas of
human existence. Some people are excited by the
challenges that these changes offer; others want to
return to the simpler life-style of the past. The
twentieth century has certain advantages such as a
higher standard of living for many, but it also has
some disadvantages such as a polluted environment,
the depersonalization of human relationships, and
the weakening of spiritual values.
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A Concluding Paragraph
A model
In short, although the twentieth century has indeed given
some of us a lot of advantages by making us richer, healthier,
and freer to enjoy our lives, it has, in my opinion, not made us
wiser. The twentieth century has also made our earth dirtier,
our people less humane, and our spiritual lives poorer. We
wish to continue to enjoy the benefits of technological
advancement because they free us to pursue our other
interests and goals. However, we must make a concerted
effort to preserve our natural environment for future
generations. Moreover, we should take time now to make our
lives more meaningful in our increasingly impersonal,
mechanized world.
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Format of Final Examination
• MCQ and Structured Questions (All topics but pay
particular attention to topics covered from Week
8-Week 14)
• Identifying sentence problems
• Identifying and/or writing thesis statement
• Identifying and/or writing topic sentence
• Write selected paragraphs (Introductory, body
paragraphs or concluding paragraphs)
• Cohesive devices