Ten Steps in Writing an Effective Essay
1. Read and Read and Read Prompt: Whatever you choose, make sure to think about every facet of the question. Read over and over again. Think. Digest what you are about to accomplish.2. Return to the text. Return to your blog responses, journal, and class notes. Go back and look your work again with the prompt in mind. How is everything new now that you are seeing the plays with the prompt in mind?
3. Rehearse. What? Yes! Rehearse and perform a verbal essay using the prompt and the works. How would you address a jury of your peers with you proposed thesis? What evidence would you use?
4. Find your Evidence: Find and cite valuable passages for each of the parts of the above prompt. Go to the net and cut and paste at least 10-12 passages and or quotations to use in your piece into a word document.
5. So what’s your point? Thesis statement: The questions in the prompt are guiding your essay. Look at your 10 major passages and ask yourself…what message am I taking away from this reading experience? Write a solid one sentence thesis statement of purpose.
6. Organization: Look at the list of quotations and organize the quotations into the paragraphs. Do not be afraid to "jump around...jump around...jump up, jump up and get down!"
7. Your thesis and 10 Quotations. Your complete thesis is the heading and the 10 quotations should be arranged in the order you would use them in your argument.
8. Compose body paragraphs: Using the prompt and your accompanying quotations - start writing your essay. Make sure you come to some sort of conclusion in the third paragraph. You may even have a brief conclusion as another paragraph.
9. Read your essay over: The professor’s eyes should not be the first set of eyes to read your essay. Make sure it is solid. Read it out loud.
10. Compose your introduction: Keep it brief and make sure the thesis statement you wrote is the last sentence.
A good thesis statement has these characteristics...
l. It is clearly and forcefully supported by the rest of the paper; it isn't just a springboard that allows the writer to jump into topics having little to do with the "thesis."
2. It is precise. It is not something that one has trouble understanding until one read the rest of the paper, and it is not something so general or so "safe" that it fails to represent any strong position. "Bad economic policy was one impact of the fall of Rome" is not precise.
3. It is something worth arguing about. There is no point in basing a paper on a thesis statement that is obvious to everyone or that is not concerned with any significant issue. Read your thesis and ask, so what?
Sample Introductions (by Tim Averill)
Prompt: Morally ambiguous characters -- characters whose behavior discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good -- are at the heart of many works of literature. Choose a novel or play in which a morally ambiguous character plays a pivotal role. Then write an essay in which you explain how the character can be viewed as morally ambiguous and why his or her moral ambiguity is significant to the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.
Single Sentence
In Albert Camus' The Stranger, a complex character who, on the basis of his actions alone, might be considered evil or immoral, would be the character of Raymond.
Commentary: Note that this intro just repeats a part of the prompt. It does not indicate the reason for the choice, and this choice of character is weak because the rest of this particular AP prompt indicated that the author managed to develop reader sympathy for the character. In TS, little sympathy for Raymond Sintes develops. The student should probably have chosen Meursault. Although this essay might pick up as it goes along, nothing of significance has been stated yet. This type of beginning could lead to a C, D or an F.
Double Sentence
In Albert Camus' The Stranger, the character of Meursault may be seen as evil by a majority of the members of his society. Through his callousness toward his mother's death, his indifference toward Marie's love, and his wish for the hatred of the crowd, Meursault can be seen in an evil light because these actions go against society's values.
Commentary: This intro is a step up because it makes a better character choice and shows more knowledge of writing in that it contains the typical three-pronged topic sentence leading to a structured five paragraph theme. This type of intro tends to lead to an essay getting a B or C.
Fully Developed
In Albert Camus' The Stranger, the protagonist Meursault is portrayed as a complex character who serves as Camus' spokesman for the philosophy of existentialism. On the basis of actions alone, one might arrive at the conclusion that Meursault is either immoral or evil: Meursault failed to show emotion at his mother's funeral and killed an man of Arab decent on the beach. However, by allowing the reader to identify with Meursault, by showing his apathy toward life as a motive for his actions, and by showing his change in character to one that appreciates and misses his old life, Camus allows the reader to sympathize with Meursault more than if these elements had been left out.
Commentary: The student has already completed the double pronged AP task in the first paragraph. He is at leisure now to develop his points in the time and space remaining. This type of thorough opener usually leads to a high score. It has the plenitude of detail that reveals intelligence at work. Also there are signs of competence in literary and general vocabulary ("protagonist" and "apathy") as well as excellent use of punctuation (How many students can write a sentence correctly using colons?)
Commentary: Note that this intro just repeats a part of the prompt. It does not indicate the reason for the choice, and this choice of character is weak because the rest of this particular AP prompt indicated that the author managed to develop reader sympathy for the character. In TS, little sympathy for Raymond Sintes develops. The student should probably have chosen Meursault. Although this essay might pick up as it goes along, nothing of significance has been stated yet. This type of beginning could lead to a C, D or an F.
Double Sentence
In Albert Camus' The Stranger, the character of Meursault may be seen as evil by a majority of the members of his society. Through his callousness toward his mother's death, his indifference toward Marie's love, and his wish for the hatred of the crowd, Meursault can be seen in an evil light because these actions go against society's values.
Commentary: This intro is a step up because it makes a better character choice and shows more knowledge of writing in that it contains the typical three-pronged topic sentence leading to a structured five paragraph theme. This type of intro tends to lead to an essay getting a B or C.
Fully Developed
In Albert Camus' The Stranger, the protagonist Meursault is portrayed as a complex character who serves as Camus' spokesman for the philosophy of existentialism. On the basis of actions alone, one might arrive at the conclusion that Meursault is either immoral or evil: Meursault failed to show emotion at his mother's funeral and killed an man of Arab decent on the beach. However, by allowing the reader to identify with Meursault, by showing his apathy toward life as a motive for his actions, and by showing his change in character to one that appreciates and misses his old life, Camus allows the reader to sympathize with Meursault more than if these elements had been left out.
Commentary: The student has already completed the double pronged AP task in the first paragraph. He is at leisure now to develop his points in the time and space remaining. This type of thorough opener usually leads to a high score. It has the plenitude of detail that reveals intelligence at work. Also there are signs of competence in literary and general vocabulary ("protagonist" and "apathy") as well as excellent use of punctuation (How many students can write a sentence correctly using colons?)
Thesis Statement Templates
Prose/Open Response Example #1:
(Insert author’s name) presents readers with _________________________ as a means of __________________________. Through the use of __________________________, ____________________________, and _________________________ he/she demonstrates the necessity for human beings to ________________________. However, this becomes more complicated because___________________________. Therefore, (Insert author’s name) uses ________________________ to make his/her point that in order to ____________________ one must ___________________________.
Prose/Open Response Example #2:
In the art of fiction, an author may choose to utilize (insert literary device) as a means of ________________________________. (Insert author’s name) takes this device to another level in _____________________________ by revealing _____________________________ through the use of _________________________. Through the course of the novel/play, _______________. However, by the end of the work ______________________________. Therefore, (insert author’s name) utilizes (insert literary device) to make the point _______________________________.
Prose/Open Response Example #3:
Often novelists/playwrights _________________________________. However, (insert author’s name) chooses to ______________________________________ in his her novel/play ____________________________ in order to reveal _________________________________________ about (insert theme). While on the surface it may appear _________________________, by the end of the work, (insert author’s name) proves______________________________. Therefore, ________________________________.
Poetry Example:
A poet may choose to utilize (insert literary device) as a means of describing the complex feelings attached to________________________________. (Insert author’s name) takes this device to another level in _____________________________ by revealing ___________________________ through the use of _________________________. On one level, the poet reveals ______________. However, the use of (insert literary device) also brings out the paradoxical feelings of _______________. Therefore, _____________________________________________.
The following will outline some of the precepts of good writing which I will want you to internalize. These will be reinforced as we do “boot camp,” but keep them in mind as you revise your essays.
Avoid plot summary!
Three Precepts for Composing Body Paragraphs (by Tim Averill)
The following will outline some of the precepts of good writing which I will want you to internalize. These will be reinforced as we do “boot camp,” but keep them in mind as you revise your essays.
Avoid plot summary!
Plot summary is the characteristic of junior high school writers and those who are clueless. You know that you are doing plot summary when your analysis follows the chronology of the work, rather than developing an idea and drawing upon the work at various places. Allow your idea to dominate the essay and provide the justification for the plot details you present.
Show, don’t tell.
Generally, I would like to see you more involved in the text when you write about a story. You need to use the text as the data that will illustrate and prove the point you are trying to make. If you turned in an essay which does not quote the text, you can be sure that you have not done enough to convince and educate your reader about your view of the story.
Show, don’t tell.
Generally, I would like to see you more involved in the text when you write about a story. You need to use the text as the data that will illustrate and prove the point you are trying to make. If you turned in an essay which does not quote the text, you can be sure that you have not done enough to convince and educate your reader about your view of the story.
Quoting the text will help you even if the reader of your paper does not agree with you; in fact, the reader will at least see the reason for your error, even if he is not persuaded that you have made a good point.
I also think that you all need to make sure that you have an idea to develop before you start writing. Too much of what you write, just make assertions about the book (It was confusing or It was intricately written rather than talking about how the book functions as a work of art).
So, why should we care? What is your point?
If a student has time and is working for a top score, the first paragraph should have an attention-getting opener. It should be an original lively approach, literate, concise, and clear. The first paragraph must name the author and work, if possible. It should have a clearly stated thesis, not just an uninspired statement of the obvious. It should not merely repeat the prompt. The introduction should also forecast the approach that the students will use to develop the thesis, but without falling into rote five-paragraph or simplistic organization. The organization of the essay will be controlled more by the idea than the chronology of the story or the treatment of a series of literary techniques. No matter what your topic, your opening should reveal that you have a strong grasp of the meaning of the work.
The following paragraph is from a student's analysis of the relationship between two characters in Woolf's To the Lighthouse. Notice how statements expressing the writer's ideas and observations are verified with evidence from the novel in both summarized and quoted form.
We learn about Mrs. Ramsey's personality by observing her feelings about other characters. For example, Mrs. Ramsey has mixed feelings toward Mr. Tansley, but her feelings seem to grow more positive over time as she comes to know him better. At first Mrs. Ramsey finds Mr. Tansley annoying, as shown especially when he mentions that no one is going to the lighthouse (Woolf 52). But rather than hating him, at this point she feels pity: "she pitied men always as if they lacked something . . ." (85). Then later, during the gathering, pity turns to empathy as she realizes that Mr. Tansley must feel inferior. He must know, Mrs. Ramsey thinks, that "no woman would look at him with Paul Rayley in the room" (106). Finally, by the end of the dinner scene, she feels some attraction to Mr. Tansley and also a new respect: "She liked his laugh. . . . She liked his awkwardness. There was a lot in that man after all" (110). In observing this evolution in her attitude, we learn more about Mrs. Ramsey than we do about Mr. Tansley. The change in Mrs. Ramsey's attitude is not used by Woolf to show that Mrs. Ramsey is fickle or confused; rather it is used to show her capacity for understanding both the frailty and complexity of human beings. This is a central characteristic of Mrs. Ramsey's personality.
I also think that you all need to make sure that you have an idea to develop before you start writing. Too much of what you write, just make assertions about the book (It was confusing or It was intricately written rather than talking about how the book functions as a work of art).
So, why should we care? What is your point?
If a student has time and is working for a top score, the first paragraph should have an attention-getting opener. It should be an original lively approach, literate, concise, and clear. The first paragraph must name the author and work, if possible. It should have a clearly stated thesis, not just an uninspired statement of the obvious. It should not merely repeat the prompt. The introduction should also forecast the approach that the students will use to develop the thesis, but without falling into rote five-paragraph or simplistic organization. The organization of the essay will be controlled more by the idea than the chronology of the story or the treatment of a series of literary techniques. No matter what your topic, your opening should reveal that you have a strong grasp of the meaning of the work.
Body Paragraph Example
The following paragraph is from a student's analysis of the relationship between two characters in Woolf's To the Lighthouse. Notice how statements expressing the writer's ideas and observations are verified with evidence from the novel in both summarized and quoted form.
We learn about Mrs. Ramsey's personality by observing her feelings about other characters. For example, Mrs. Ramsey has mixed feelings toward Mr. Tansley, but her feelings seem to grow more positive over time as she comes to know him better. At first Mrs. Ramsey finds Mr. Tansley annoying, as shown especially when he mentions that no one is going to the lighthouse (Woolf 52). But rather than hating him, at this point she feels pity: "she pitied men always as if they lacked something . . ." (85). Then later, during the gathering, pity turns to empathy as she realizes that Mr. Tansley must feel inferior. He must know, Mrs. Ramsey thinks, that "no woman would look at him with Paul Rayley in the room" (106). Finally, by the end of the dinner scene, she feels some attraction to Mr. Tansley and also a new respect: "She liked his laugh. . . . She liked his awkwardness. There was a lot in that man after all" (110). In observing this evolution in her attitude, we learn more about Mrs. Ramsey than we do about Mr. Tansley. The change in Mrs. Ramsey's attitude is not used by Woolf to show that Mrs. Ramsey is fickle or confused; rather it is used to show her capacity for understanding both the frailty and complexity of human beings. This is a central characteristic of Mrs. Ramsey's personality.
