This document provides an overview of the key elements of an essay. It defines an essay as an organized piece of writing focused on a single topic that develops around a general idea or thesis statement. The document outlines the typical structure of an essay, including an introduction that states the thesis, multiple body paragraphs that each have a topic sentence and supporting details, and a conclusion that restates the thesis. It also discusses writing techniques like using signal words to transition between ideas and revising and editing to improve clarity and reduce errors. Finally, it lists some common types of essays such as descriptive, narrative, cause and effect, and persuasive.

1. ISFD N° 41
Subject: Language and Written Expression 4
Teacher: Stella Saubidet
Topic: Essay Writing
Students:
Andrea Fares
Ana Alonso
Year 2013

2. What is an Essay?What is an Essay?
 An organized piece of writing
focused on a single topic
Around a general idea or thesis


Thesis Statement
Develops
from all the
main ideas
in the
supporting
paragraphs


3. LayoutLayout
 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION
 BODY OF THE
ESSAY
 BODY OF THE
ESSAY
CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION



• Orientates reader
• Focus-purpose
• States thesis
• Topic Sentences +
Supporting ideas +
Concluding sentences
• Restates thesis
• Summarise
argument

4. Why an Essay?Why an Essay?
 To express ideas more clearly and
effectively
 To convey much information in a small
amount of space
 Essays are required by all college courses

5. Thesis StatementThesis Statement
•Main idea
•Generalization
•Includes all
paragraphs
T
H
E
S
I
S
States the:
Usually in
the fist
paragraph
Should be
JUST RIGHT
NEITHER
GENERAL
NEITHER
GENERAL
NOR TOO
SPECIFIC
NOR TOO
SPECIFIC

6. Introductory ParagraphIntroductory Paragraph
 Provides the first impressions
 Is the reader’s first contact
with the topic
 Attention getters are very
important to call attract the
reader.
Make a bridge to
connect the
attention getting
sentence (s) to the
Thesis Statement
CONCLUDE WITH A THESIS
STATEMENT

7. Strategies to get reader’s attentionStrategies to get reader’s attention
• Provide some interesting background
about the topic
• Use quotation to provoke thinking
• Ask a question about the topic
• State a surprising fact or a puzzling
statement
• State a common misconception
• Describe a problem
• Give an analogy
• Show how the topic is related to the
reader’s experience

8. Body of an EssayBody of an Essay
Set of paragraphs
that develop the
idea expressed in
the Thesis Stateent
Main ideas
arranged in
logical order
(time/place/impo
rtance)

9. Writing StageWriting Stage
•Begin writing after planning and arranging main ideas
•The number of paragraphs will depend on the topic’s complexity
•A short essay contains Introduction + 3 to 5 body paragraphs + Concluding
paragraph
• Use signal words to make smooth transitions

10. Signal/Transition WordsSignal/Transition Words
to avoid abrupt
jumps or breaks
between ideas.
Connecting
words or
phrases
like bridges
They link
sentences and
paragraphs
together
smoothly

11. Body ParagraphBody Paragraph
 Provide the content
 Should be unique
 Should be unified around a main
idea
 Should be arranged coherently

12. Conclusion of an EssayConclusion of an Essay
 Should not add new information
 It is usually short (one paragraph)
 Should follow logically from the body of
the essay
PURPOSE:
MAKE THE
READER THINK
BOUT THE TOPIC

13. Concluding ParagraphConcluding Paragraph

14. Revising and EditingRevising and Editing
Processes that make
ideas more logical and
understandable
Involves
rearranging
material
READING COLLABORATION
through
Final draft should
be neat and as
error free as
possible

15. Types of EssaysTypes of Essays
Descriptive
Use of
descriptive
language
Includes all five
senses
Narrative Tell a story
Contains dialogue
Cause and Effect
Comparison and Contrast
Classification
Problem/Solution
Persuasive
Mixed Pattern
Essays

16. ReferencesReferences