Sophomore English 202August 27th, 2012

WELCOME LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!

Today we will do the following:

1. Debunking Writing Myths

2. Basic Essay Terms What gets wetter and wetter the

more it dries?

OrganizationQuestion:How many paragraphs should be in an essay? Why?

Answer:Most of you would say 5…but, this isn’t always true. Younger, struggling students should stick to 5 paragraphs as a guide. However, as we progress, you should let the content (subject) guide your essay.

Thesis StatementsQuestion:True or FalseA thesis statement should include the THREE main ideas of the paper.

Answer (short):True and False

The “three-point” essay is just like the 5 paragraph essay. Younger, struggling writers should use it as a guide, but more advanced thesis statements will be used in this class.

Introduction ParagraphsQuestion:Try to explain how an introduction paragraph should be formatted.

Answer:Tough question. It should be formatted like a funnel:

Attention Getter (General)Main Ideas (Specific)

Thesis (Focused)

ParagraphsQuestion:How many sentences should be included in a paragraph? Why?

Answer:Many of you probably said 3. Well, some paragraphs are more effective with one sentence. However, if you need to elaborate more, the paragraph might be 9 sentences.

Topic SentencesQuestion:What should be included in a topic sentence? What’s the purpose of a topic sentence?

Answer:Ahhh, one of Mr. K’s pet peeves. You should include a transition in your topic sentence.

Also, the purpose of this sentence is to relate the subject BACK (link) to your thesis. So, the sentence should somehow relate to your thesis.

ConclusionsQuestion:True or FalseA concluding paragraph should almost be identical to your introduction?

Answer:Noooooooooo, False!

Conclusions should be fresh and exciting. Leave the reader with someone to remember. They can REMIND the reader of the introduction, but not repeat!!!

What did we learn???

Essay Terms Review- Formatting

Font: 12 point, Times New Roman, Double spaced

Margins: 1 inch

Heading: NameTeacher’s NameClassDate

Essay Terms Review- Formatting

Running Header: Upper right hand corner of page- Last Name and Page #.

Indent all paragraphs.

Essay Terms Review- Introductions

Shaped like an upside down cone...broad to specific.

Grabber/Attention Getter: Bold statement, statistic, or quote. MUST relate to thesis statement…

Focus Statement (main ideas): Present main ideas as a brief preview

of the paper.

Thesis Statement: State your argument in one

complete, succinct sentence. Not a 3-point!

Essay Terms Review- Body Paragraphs

Topic sentence: - First sentence- Transition- Must directly and clearly relate to thesis statement Support: - Quote- Introduce (relevant context- who, what, when)- Cite with MLA format- (Author’s Last Name Pg. #)- Explain and elaborate (how does it illustrate the main idea

mentioned in the topic sentence)Wrap-up:- Reiterate how your main idea relates back to the thesis.

Essay Terms Review- Conclusions

Modified thesis statement- Rephrased, not repeated.

Modified focus statement- Remind your reader of the main ideas. Rephrased, not repeated.

Final Challenge/Clincher- Leave your reader thinking about your argument as it relates to them. Ask a question, provide a bold statement, or end with a quote.