Drafting your essay

1. Drafting your essay October 2010

2. Objectives • Have a clear understanding of how to go about drafting your essay

3. Structure of an Essay Title May announce your subject Sparks readers’ interest Introduction Paragraph 1 Introduction Identifies narrowed topic Presents thesis Interests readers Provides background Paragraph 2 Body Paragraph 3 Supports and explains your thesis Paragraph 4 Reemphasizes your thesis (does not merely restate it) Draws essay to a close Conclusion Paragraph 5

4. Methods of Organization • Most-to-least or least-to-most • Arrange supporting paragraphs from MTL or LTM based on importance, interest, etc. • Could begin with the most convincing or save the most convincing until last • Chronological Order • Arrange supporting details in order of which they occurred • Spatial Order • Organize details according to location/position

5. Methods of OrganizationExercise • Choose one of the following thesis statements and decide how you would organize its supporting evidence • Despite the many pitfalls that await those who shop at auctions, people can find bargains if they prepare in advance • My first day of kindergarten was the most traumatic experience of my childhood, one that permanently shaped my view of education • Learning how to drive a car increases a teenager’s sense of freedom and responsibility

6. Guidelines for Preparing an Outline • Always begin with a thesis statement • Use Roman numerals (I, II), capital letters (A, B), Arabic numbers (1,2) and lowercase letters (a, b) to designate levels of importance • Indent less important entries • Begin every entry with a capital letter

7. Guidelines for Preparing an Outline • Put entries of roughly equal importance at the same level • Make sure that each entry explains or supports the topic or subtopic under which it is placed

8. Structure of A Paragraph Identifies what the paragraph is about Makes a point about the topic Connects to the previous paragraph Topic Sentence Explain the topic sentence Support the topic sentence with evidence, such as examples, facts, statistics, personal experience and definitions Supporting Details Draws from the paragraph to close, or Leads to the next paragraph Concluding or Transitional Sentence

9. Guidelines for Writing Topic Sentences • A topic sentence must support the thesis • Must explain the thesis or show why it is believable or correct • A topic sentence should support exactly what the paragraph is about • Rather than writing general statements, tell the reader precisely what to expect • A topic sentence can appear in any position within a paragraph • Unless there is good reason, the topic sentence is usually placed at the beginning of a paragraph (sometimes may fall after the transition sentence)

10. Guidelines for Writing Topic Sentences - Exercise • Read the following thesis statement. Then identify the one topic sentence in the list that does not support the thesis Thesis: To make a marriage work, a couple must build trust, communication and understanding • Knowing why a spouse behaves as she or he does can improve a relationship • People get married for reasons other than love • The ability to talk about feelings, problems, likes and dislikes should grow as a marriage develops • Martial partners must rely on each other to make sensible decisions that benefit both of them

11. Guidelines for Writing Topic Sentences - Exercise • Revise each topic sentence to make it focused and specific. At least one of the revised topic sentences should also preview the organization of the paragraph • In society today, there is always a new fad or fashion in clothing. • People watch TV reality shows because they find them irresistible. • Procrastinating can have a negative effect on your success in college.