This document provides an overview of the foundations of writing a great college entrance essay. It discusses the importance of understanding audience and purpose in determining word choice, tone, and structure. Specific tips are provided, such as avoiding vague words and pronouns, using specific examples to support a clear thesis, and writing in a linear fashion by explaining each idea and transitioning smoothly between paragraphs. The steps of writing an effective essay are also outlined.

1. THE FOUNDATIONS OF GREAT
ESSAY WRITING
Session 1: Audience, Purpose, Word Choice, and
Linear Writing
Created and Designed by E.B. Conroy and Mia

2. WHAT WE’LL LEARN IN THIS SESSION
College Entrance
Essay Basics
Audience Purpose Word Choice Linear Writing

3. THE COLLEGE ENTRANCE ESSAY
• What is it?
• Students submit college entrance
essays when applying for college
• College entrance essays showcase
your ability to learn from and think
critically about your experiences

4. THE COLLEGE ENTRANCE ESSAY
What are they like?
College entrance essays are short, original
essays answering a specific prompt or
question
Who has to write
Students applying to colleges often write
an entrance essay to stand out from their
peers

5. THE
FOUNDATIONS
OF GREAT
WRITING
• Great writing…
• Has a purpose
• Makes a clear point or idea
• Supports that point or idea with specific
information
• Connects and arranges the information
clearly
• Has words that are appropriate
• Has sentences that are clear, concise, and
to the point (not rambling)
• Is emphatic (forceful, strong, distinct)
• Offers correct information

6. THE FOUNDATIONS OF A
GREAT ESSAY
• Before you can focus on getting
your amazing ideas across, you
have to have solid foundations
in place.
• The first questions to ask are…
• Who is my audience?
• What is my purpose? Why am I
writing?

7. THE PURPOSE
• Why you’re writing determines HOW you’ll write:
• The words you use (conveying the tone)
• The way that you put the words together
• The length of the sentences
• The style—such as whether you are serious or use humor
• ALL of these are important in conveying your message to your
audience

8. AUDIENCE
• The audience is who you are writing to
• Your friend, in an email
• Experts in your field
• Parents
• The local newspaper
• But it also determines how you’ll write
• Word choice, the sentences you choose, the style

9. THE 3 MAIN REASONS WE WRITE
• To express the writer’s feelings
• Focuses on the writer’s experiences, or needs
• Often uses descriptive, creative language (letters, poetry)
• To inform the reader (“expository”)
• Gives information, teaches, provides problem solving and evaluation,
compares and contrasts
• To persuade has two sides, chooses the “right” side and defends it
• Explains what the writer believes and thinks—and tries to get the reader to
”come to MY side” with facts and a goose case
• Chooses respectful language, gives facts or quotes from “experts,” and leads
the reader to make his or her own decision

10. WORD CHOICE
The words we choose depend on our AUDIENCE and PURPOSE.
In academic writing, there are certain words that are considered
“poor” (because they don’t make our meaning clear)
There are other words that are considered “good.” These words are
appropriate for upper-level writing and make our meaning clear.

11. WORD CHOICE
• Avoid fluff words: like, you know, really.
• Use clear, specific, concise words.
• Do not using “pointing words:” this, these, those, that
• Avoid ambiguous pronouns
• Use specific numbers and nouns
• Use words consistent with the tone and style
• Avoid personal pronouns like “I”, “We”, and “You”.
• Avoid contractions like “isn’t”, “they’re”, “wasn’t”, etc.
• Avoid slang
• Avoid a personal tone

12. LINEAR WRITING
• To write in a linear way, ask: What does the
reader need to know next?
• Step 1. Decide on a controlling idea and create a
topic sentence (for each paragraph)
• Step 2. Explain the controlling idea-- The writer
explains his/her thinking about the main topic,
idea, or focus of the paragraph.
• Step 3. Give an example, or multiple examples
• Step 4. Explain the example(s)-- “This explanation
shows readers why you chose to use this/or these
particular examples as evidence to support the
major claim, or focus, in your paragraph.”
• Step 5. Complete the paragraph's idea or transition
into the next paragraph

13. THE STEPS OF AN ESSAY
• Reading and Researching
• Brainstorming Ideas
• Developing Working Thesis and Outline
• Write Rough Draft
• Review for Content
• Revise Rough Draft
• Review for Grammar and Mechanics
• Revise Second Draft
• Continue Reviewing and Revising as Needed

14. RESOURCES
• Words Not to Use List
• Ambiguous Pronouns List
• Simplified Writing Chapters 1-4 (check with
Erin)
• College Writing—How to Write for College
• Your Personality and Writing Quiz

15. NEXT CLASS...
• We’ll learn how to use prewriting
techniques to ensure our essay is linear,
serves the audience and our purpose,
and uses upper-level word choice