Essay Writing

Essay Writing English 0750 March 2009

What is an Essay? Short

discussion of a topic Set of related paragraphs organized logically May be descriptive, analytic, narrative, or argumentative Focused and controlled by a main idea

How is an Essay Structured? •

Introduction

– Set the stage – Express your main idea •

Body – Support the main idea – Provide examples, arguments, evidence

•

Conclusion – Wrap up the essay – Revisit the main idea

Why Write Essays? English

0950 is called Essay Writing and involves writing at least 5 essays English 1101 & 1102 are also essay writing classes, and any other classes require essays Writing essays requires you to think through an idea thoroughly and carefully

How do I Write an Essay? Plan

◦ ◦ ◦ ◦

Narrow your topic Brainstorm ideas Develop a thesis statement Create an outline

Draft

◦ Draft one paragraph at a time ◦ Draft quickly, allowing mistakes to happen

Revise

◦ Work on your thesis & support ◦ Check your paragraph constructions ◦ Rework your sentences to improve their clarity

Essay Assignment Write

a narrative essay describing an important event in your life Base your essay on your six-word memoir (see the Smith magazine website for examples) Bring your six-word memoir and essay outline to the drafting workshop on Wednesday, 3/18 Bring your rough draft to the revision workshop on Monday, 3/30 The essay is due on Wednesday, 4/1