Essay Review

ESSAY REVIEW Writing 4
ESSAY WRITING
 An essay is a piece of writing that discusses one main
topic.
 It consists of several paragraphs and is divided into
three parts:
 Introductory paragraph,
 Body paragraphs, and
 Concluding paragraph.
INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
INTRODUCTION/INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
General statements:
 Introduce the general topic of the essay
 Capture the reader’s interest
The thesis statement:
 States the specific topic
 May list subtopics or subdivisions of the main topics or
subtopics
 May indicate the pattern of organization of the essay
 Is normally the last sentence in the introductory paragraph
INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
 The introductory paragraph of
the model essay is a funnel
introduction.
 It begins with one or two very
general sentences about the topic.
 Each subsequent sentence
becomes increasingly focused on
the topic until the last sentence.
FUNNEL INTRODUCTION
ATTENTION-GETTING INTRODUCTION
DRAMATIC, INTERESTING, OR FUNNY STORY
SURPRISING STATISTICS OR FACTS
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
THESIS STATEMENT
A thesis statement should have the following elements:
 The topic of the essay
 The writer’s opinion about the essay topic
 The main ideas supporting the writer’s opinion
THESIS STATEMENT
Example of an essay question:
What are the reasons for going to university?
Thesis statement: Essay topic Writer’s opinion

Students go to university for a variety of reasons: academic
interest, future career, or social life. Main ideas
THESIS STATEMENT
 The thesis statement presents the main ideas in the order
they will be discussed in the body paragraphs.
 In the thesis, the main ideas can be:
 Listed after a colon (:), using nouns or noun phrases, as
in the previous thesis statement example
 Written without using a colon, as in the thesis
statement example on the next slide.
THESIS STATEMENT
Essay topic Writer’s opinion
Many students go to university because university graduates

have an advantage in their future career with their degree,
specialized knowledge, and
practical skills.
Main ideas
PROBLEM 1: THE THESIS IS TOO GENERAL
 A college education is a good investment.
 A college education is a good investment for four
reasons.
 Lasers are very useful.

 Lasers have several applications in industry and
medicine.
PROBLEM 2: THE THESIS MAKES A SIMPLE
ANNOUNCEMENT
 I am going to write sports injuries.
 Avoid sports injuries by taking a few simple
precautions.
PROBLEM 3: THE THESIS STATES AN OBVIOUS
FACT
 The Internet is a communication superhighway.
 The explosion of the Internet has had both positive and
negative consequences.
BODY PARAGRAPHS
TOPIC SENTENCES OF BODY PARAGRAPHS
 Topic sentences have two parts:
 Part 1: The topic and the writer’s opinion on the topic.
 Part 2: The controlling idea, which comes from one of
the main ideas presented in the thesis statement.
TOPIC AND WRITER’S OPINION ON THE TOPIC
Thesis statement:
Students go to university for a variety of reasons: academic interest, future
career, or social life.
Body 1 topic sentence:
First, many students attend university to study a particular subject in depth.
Another common reason for going to university is that a college often leads to
a better career in the future.
Finally, for some students, making friends and enjoying an active social life
can be a sufficient reason to stay in school for another four years.
CONTROLLING IDEA
Thesis statement:
Students go to university for a variety of reasons: academic interest,
future career, or social life.
First, many students attend university to study a particular subject in
depth.
Another common reason for going to university is that a college often
leads to a better career in the future.
Finally, for some students, making friends and enjoying an active social
life can be a sufficient reason to stay in school for another four years.
TRANSITION SIGNALS BETWEEN PARAGRAPHS
 Linking paragraph with transitions helps your reader see
how the subtopics are related.
 Link one paragraph to the next by adding a transition
to the topic sentence of the second paragraph.
 This transition may be a single word, a phrase, or a
dependent clause that repeats or summarizes the
main ideas in the preceding paragraph.
TRANSITION SIGNALS BETWEEN PARAGRAPHS
The concluding paragraph consists of three components :
 Restatement of the thesis
 Summary of the body paragraphs
 The writer’s final thought
CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH
RESTATEMENT OF THE THESIS
 The first sentence of the concluding paragraph is a
restatement of the topic and opinion from the thesis
statement.
 To restate these parts of the thesis statement, use a
different sentences structure and different words when
possible.
RESTATEMENT OF THE THESIS
Thesis:
Students go to university for a variety of reasons: academic
interest, future career, or social life.
Restatement of the thesis:

In conclusion, students may have the different reasons for
attending university.
RESTATEMENT OF THE MAIN IDEAS
First, many students attend university to study a particular
subject in depth.
Another common reason for going to university is that a college
often leads to a better career in the future.
Finally, for some students, making friends and enjoying an active
social life can be a sufficient reason to stay in school for
another four years.
Restatement:
RESTATEMENT OF THE MAIN IDEAS
Restatement:
For many of them, the main reason is to explore the
academic field they are interested in. However, some students
attend university to have an advantage in the job market in
the future. Others go to university to meet people with
different backgrounds and develop friendships.
THE FINAL THOUGHT
The last sentence of the concluding paragraph expresses
the writer’s overall opinion or prediction about the essay
topic. The purpose of this sentence is to:
 leave the readers with a strong impression
 encourage the readers to think about the topic after
they finish reading the essay
THE FINAL THOUGHT
When writing a final thought:
 Do not use I or you. Write from a third person’s point
of view.
 Do not introduce any new ideas or details. The final
thought must be relevant to what has already been
presented in the essay.
THE FINAL THOUGHT
Technique to write a memorable conclusion:
 Make a prediction
 Suggest results or consequences
 Suggest a solution, make a recommendation, or call for
action
 Quote an authority on the topic
MAKE A PREDICTION
We have seen how the costs of attending college have
been rising while, at the same time, sources of financial aid
for students have been disappearing. If this trend
continues, fewer and fewer families will be able to send
their children through four years of college.
SUGGEST RESULTS OR CONSEQUENCES
To sum up, the costs of attending college are up and
financial aid for students is down. Fewer and fewer future
members of the workforce are able to educate themselves
beyond high school. As a result, the nation will waste the
intelligence, imagination, and energy of a large
segment of the present college-age generation.
SUGGEST A SOLUTION, MAKE A
RECOMMENDATION, OR CALL FOR ACTION
It is clear that the U.S. system of higher education is in
trouble. For many students, four years of college is no
longer possible because of increasing costs and decreasing
financial aid. To reverse this trend, we must demand that
government increase its financial support of colleges
and universities and restore financial aid programs. Our
future depends on it.
QUOTE AN AUTHORITY ON THE TOPIC
In conclusion, costs are rising and financial aid is declining,
with the result that many can no longer afford to go to
college. If our nation is to prosper, increased government
funding for education is essential, even if it requires higher
taxes. As Horace Mann argued in his Fifth Annual Report,
a nation’s economic wealth will increase through an
educated public. It is therefore in the self-interest of
business to pay the taxation for public education.

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ESSAY REVIEW Writing 4

Thesis statement: Essay topic Writer’s opinion

Many students go to university because university graduates

 Lasers are very useful.

Restatement of the thesis:

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