10 Steps to a Successful Essay.docx
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10 Steps to a Successful Essay.docx
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10StepstoaSuccessfulEssay
Step1:
MarkUpthePrompt
THEPROMPT
Apromptisasetofdirectionsthatgivesyouawritingtopicorassignmentthat"prompts"orguidesyoutowrite.
Here'sanexampleofawritingprompt:
WritingSituation:
Afteryearsoftryingtoconvinceyourparentstogetyouapetofyourveryown,yourparentshavefinallyagreed.However,theywanttomakesurethatyouwillbehaveresponsiblywithyournewpet.Yourparentsfeelthatitisimportantthatyoumakeagoodchoice.
WritingDirections:
Inafive-paragraphessay,writeaboutthepetyouwant.Discussthreereasonswhythisanimalwouldmakeagoodpetforyou.Convinceyourparentsthatyouaremakingtherightchoice.
Noticethatthepromptstartswithawritingsituation.Thisisbackgroundinformationtogetyouintherightframeofmindforwriting.
Nextarethewritingdirections.Thisisthepartyoureallywanttopayattentionto.Ittellsyouexactlywhatyouareexpectedtowrite.Hereyoulearnthattheformatoftheassignmentisafive-paragraphessay.Youalsofindoutthegeneraltopic.Youwillbewritingaboutthepetyou'dwant.Youhavetoincludethreereasonswhyyouwantthatpet,andyouhavetobeconvincing.Who'stheaudience?
Yourimaginaryparents.
MARKINGUPTHEPROMPT
Markingupthepromptmeansputtingmarksontheimportantpartsofthewritingdirectionssothatyouareclearaboutwhatyouhavetodofortheassignment.
Circle,underline,makesquigglymarksand/ornotesinthemargintohelpyourbrainfocusonwhatisrequiredinthewritingassignment.Clickheretoseeanexampleofthepromptafterit'sbeen"markedup."
It'sagoodideatorereadthepromptseveraltimes.Besuretotalktoyourteacherifyouareunclearabouttherequirementsofanassignment.Youdon'twanttospendtimewritingonatopicandthenreceiveapoorgradesimplybecauseyoudidn'tunderstandwhatwasexpected.
Step
Step2:
PrewriteforIdeas
Onceyouunderstandthewritingassignment,youneedtofigureoutwhattowriteabout. Agoodwaytodothatistoprewriteforideas.
Fourusefulprewritingtechniquesarebrainstorming,clustering,freewritingandimagemapping. Eachmethodcanhelpyougetallyourideasaboutatopicoutofyourbrainandontopaper. Thenyoucancheckyourideasanddecidewhichonestokeepandwhichtothrowout.
It'simportantnottojudgeyourideasasyouwritethem. Lettheideasflowoutofyourheadasfastasyoucan. Evenifanideaseemscrazyorweird,writeitdown.
Imagineyou'vebeengiventhewritingpromptaboutpets.Youspentafewminutesmarkinguptheprompt.Nowyouhavetothinkaboutwhattowrite.
Let'slookathowyoucanusethedifferentprewritingmethodstocomeupwithatopic.
Brainstorm/List
Whenbrainstormingorlisting,yousimplywriteyourideasdownthepageasfastastheycometoyou. Youmightusebulletsorhyphenstosetoffeachone.
Cluster/Map/Web
Clusteringormappingisawayofdrawingyourideasoutlikeaspiderweb. Themainideagoesinthemiddle,andyouexpandyourthoughtsoutfromthere.
Freewrite
Withfreewriting,youputyourideasontopaperintheformofsentencesasquicklyaspossible. Unlikethefinalessay,infreewritingyoudon'tworryaboutspelling,punctuationandgrammar. Getyourideasonthepagewhilethey'rebuzzingaroundinyourbrain. Imaginethatyou'retalkingtoyourselfonpaper. Ifyouhitaroughpatch,justkeepwritingwhatevercomesintoyourhead. Soonsomemoretopicideaswillcome,andyoucanaddthem.
ImageMap
Ifyouliketodrawordoodle,imagemappingmightjustbeforyou.Insteadofwritingyourideasdownwithwords,drawquicksketchestorepresentyourthoughts. Afteryou'vedrawnsomeideas,labelthemwithwordsifyoulike.
Forexample,Imadethefollowingbrainstormlistforthewritingpromptaboutpets:
NowIhavetolookovermylistandpickatopictowriteabout.Herearesomequestionsyoumightaskyourselfasyoutrytochooseyourtopic:
∙Aboutwhichtopicdoyoufeelmoststrongly?
∙Whichtopicwouldbetheeasiestforyoutowrite?
∙Forwhichtopicdoyouhavethemoststrongideasorbackgroundknowledge?
Tryusingseveraldifferentprewritingtechniques.Findtheonethatfeelsthemostcomfortabletoyou,anduseitwheneveryouneedtogenerateideasaboutanassignment.
Lookoveryourprewriteandcirclethetopicyouwanttowriteabout.Formyessay,I'vechosenthetopic"dogs."
Step3:
ListandDevelopMajorPoints
Nowthatyou'veselectedthetopicforyouressay,it'stimetothinkabouthowyou'regoingtodevelopyourmajorpoints.Forexample,IknowthatIwanttowriteaboutdogs.Lookingbackattheprompt,IseethatIhavetogivethreereasonswhyadogistherightpetforme.SoImakealistofthingsthatIlikeaboutdogs:
Next,Ilookovermylistanddecideonthethreemajorpoints,orreasons,thatIwanttodiscussinmyessay.Idecidethatadogwouldbethebestpetformebecausethey're...
1.loyal
2.easytotrain
3.funtotakeplaces
Eachoftheseideaswillturnintoaseparatebodyparagraphformyessay.NowIgobacktothosethreemajorpointsandbrainstormonceagaintodevelopmoreideas.Whywouldbeingloyal,easytotrain,andfuntotakeplacesmakeadogtheidealpet?
HowcanIconvincemyparents?
Atthispoint,youshouldhaveaprettygoodideaofwhatyou'regoingtowriteaboutinyouressay.Ifyougetstuckhereandhaveproblemscomingupwithideasforyourthreemajorpoints,gobacktoyouroriginalprewriteandtrytofindanotherideathatwillworkbetterforyou.
Clickbelowtofindexamplesofhowtodevelopyourmajorpointsusingotherprewritingmethods.
Developmajorpointswithclustering.
Developmajorpointswithimagemapping.
Developmajorpointswithfreewriting.
Developmajorpointswithbrainstorming.
Step4:
WriteaThesisStatement
Aftermarkinguptheprompt,prewritingforideas,andlistinganddevelopingmajorpoints,youshouldhaveaprettygoodideaofwhatyouressaywillbeabout.Nowit'stimetowritethethesisstatement.
THETHESISSTATEMENT
Averybasicthesisstatementisasinglesentenceattheendofthefirstparagraphthattellsthereaderthemainideaofyouressay.
Athesisstatementshoulddothesethreethings:
1.Itshouldclearlyexpresswhattheessayisabout.
2.Itshouldmakeadiscussiblepoint.
3.Itshouldindicatethestructureoftheessay.
Let'slookatsomeexamples:
OriginalThesis:
ManyAmericansarebuyingforeigncars.
RevisedThesis:
ManyAmericansarebuyingtheToyotaCorollabecauseofitscompetitiveprice,fueleconomy,andhighresalevalue.
Therevisedthesisstatementclearlyexpresseswhattheessayisabout(theToyotaCorolla.)Itgivesusatopicthancanbediscussed(whypeoplearebuyingtheToyotaCorolla.)Anditestablishestheorganizationalstructureoftheessay(threespecificreasonsforthemodel'spopularity:
price,fuel,andvalue.)
OriginalThesis:
SanFranciscoisaninterestingplacetovisit.
RevisedThesis:
SanFranciscoisastimulatingplacetovisitbecauseofitsmagnificentlocation,itstheatersandartgalleries,anditsmanyfinerestaurants.
Therevisedthesisstatementtellswhattheessayisabout(SanFrancisco).Itgivesatopicthatanbediscussed(whySanFranciscoissuchagreatcity.)Anditindicateshowtheessaywillbeorganized(threebodyparagraphsdiscussingthecity'slocation,itsartgalleriesandmuseums,anditswonderfulrestaurants.)
OriginalThesis:
Chessisagreatgame.
RevisedThesis:
Playingchessisapopularactivityamongstudentsbecauseitisinexpensive,engrossing,andcanbeplayedalmostanywhere.
Therevisedthesisstatementstatesthemainideaoftheessay(chess.)Itgivesatopicthancanbediscussed(chessisapopularactivity.)Anditrevealshowtheessaywillbeorganized(threebodyparagraphsthatdealwithhowcheap,entertaining,andportablechessis.)
Let'sgetbacktothe"favoritepet"prompt.Ihavedecidedonmytopic:
dogs.Ihavechosenthreereasonswhyadogwouldmakeagoodpetforme.Mythreemajorpointswillbethatdogsareloyal,easytotrain,andmakegoodcompanions.HerearetwowaysIcouldwritemythesisstatement:
ThesisStatement:
Adogwouldmakeagreatpetformebecausetheyareveryloyal,theyareeasytotrain,andtheymakegoodcompanions.
ThesisStatement:
Becauseofitssenseofloyalty,itsabilitytobetrained,anditsgoodcompanionship,adogistheperfectpetforme.
Avoidannouncingyourintentinthethesisstatement.Phrasessuchas"Iwant,""Iplan,""Iintend,"or"thispaperisabout"areoverusedandunnecessary.
Trywritingathesisstatementforyouressaythatincludesthetopicofyouressayandyourthreemajorpoints,asillustratedabove.
Clickheretoseemoreexamplesofthesisstatements.
Step5:
PlantheEssay
Youmaythinkwe'respendingtoomuchtimeplanningtheessay,butbelieveme,it'sworthit.Themoretimeyouspendintheprewritingandplanningstages,theeasieritwillbetoconstructtheparagraphsforyouressay.
Inthissectionwewillbefocusingonthethreebodyparagraphs.Wewilllookattwodifferenttypesofplans:
thetopicwebandthesentenceoutline.Sometimesjustdoingoneofthemissufficient;however,ifyouwanttodoareallythoroughjob,youshoulddobothplans.
Let'sgobacktothe"favoritepet"prompt.Wehavealotofgoodideasreadytogo,nowwejustneedtoorganizethem.
TOPICWEB
Thetopicwebisagraphicorganizerthathelpstogetyourideasintherightplace.Idoesn'tincludealotofdetail;itcontainswordsandphrases.It
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