De La Salle Senior English / Sr. Pat

WRITING AN ESSAY

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH:

 Begins with a Broad General Statement.
 Narrows focus to topic.
 Introduces events or item that you or others experienced
 Includes details that will help you recreate the events or items
 Create a dominant impression of the event or item
 Last sentence is Thesis Statement that establishes writer’s purpose and outlines the body of the paper, including at least three claims, traits or characteristics of your paper.
 The introductory paragraph should hook the reader and name or suggest the event.

FIRST MIDDLE PARAGRAPH:

 Begins with a transition.
 Identifies the Topic of the paragraph in first or second sentence. Topic mates first element of Thesis Statement above.
 Discussion to focus on what happened in or during the event. Description of event or item
 Create a single focus for each paragraph by focusing on specific actions or events that occur within the larger, main event.
 Following each example is a commentary by the writer regarding the importance of the event or item

SECOND MIDDLE PARAGRAPH:

 Begins with a transition
 Identifies the Topic of the paragraph in first or second sentence. Topic matches second element of Thesis Statement above.
 Discussion or expansion on the second event (keep in mind the one dominant impression)
 Trait is explained using concrete, sensory detail and description.
 Following each example is a commentary by the writer regarding the importance or necessity of the event

THIRD MIDDLE PARAGRAPH:

 Begins with a transition.
 Identifies the Topic of the paragraph in first or second sentence. Topic matches third element of Thesis Statement above.
 Discussion of the third event or expansion or the main event
 Trait is explained using concrete, sensory detail and description
 Following each example is a commentary by the writer regarding the importance or necessity of the event.

CONCLUSION:

 Begins with a transition.
 Restates the Thesis Statement in the introduction
 Redefines the theme or issue introduced in 1st paragraph in relation to the body paragraphs.
 Writer draws conclusions and offers opinions
 Paragraph broadens to reveal universal meaning (i.e. relates back to general statements in introduction).
 Does not introduce new concepts or ideas.
 Note: As the writer sees fit, Body maybe broken up into more than three paragraphs

MECHANICS:

 Has subject/verb agreement.
 No spelling errors.
 Has consistent verb tense.
 No other grammatical errors.
 Does not use first or second person.(except in narration essay)
 Does not use contractions or slang.
 Properly cites references and examples.(in literary analysis)
 Uses proper quotations when quoting excerpts, remembering to use double quotes for dialogue
 DO NOT Underline or Italicize YOUR title.
 Maintains consistent voice and style
 No minimum number of sentence, but must have sufficient sentences for explanation and support. (Suggest five to seven sentences per paragraph.)
 Narrative essays need to be rich in details to be more believable.
 Details must help develop the purpose of the narrative.
 Organization in narrative will usually be chronological; however, you may use flashback or flash forward.
 Transitions appropriate for chronological organization
First, second, third, after, that, next, then later, as soon as, until, when, once, at the same time, during, meanwhile, while, suddenly, three weeks later, finally, last (of all), most importantly, to finish

 Proofread Proofread Proofread
 A paper that is not proofread is only worth a C GRADE

WRITING AN ESSAY•

Figure out a purpose for writing
• Determine who the audience is and why they may need this information
• Observe the subject firsthand and record all observations answering both factual questions and sensory questions
• Discern the dominant impression that the observations lead to and state it in the thesis
• Organize the information using transitions that indicate space and follow a logical progression: go from the left to right, top to bottom, interior to exterior, smallest to largest, front to the back
• Use specific nouns and strong verbs

AN EXAMPLE AND OUTLINE FOR DESCRIPTIVE WRITING

I. Introduction, which contains a thesis, which states the main impression and lists the major factors that lead to it. It also uses a college level strategy, tells how the subject came up, and names the audience who can benefit from knowing the information if applicable.

II. Body

• First logical focus
• Second logical focus…etc

III. Conclusion