Essay Intro

Writing Essays Senior Lecturer: Ho Quang Ha M.A, M.Ed. DN UFL 12 Tel: 0914 044506

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EXPOSITORY ESSAYS

Writing an Essay

An essay is a piece of writing several paragraphs long instead of just one or two para-

graphs. It is written about one topic, just as a paragraph is. However, the topic of an essay

is too complex to discuss in one paragraph. Therefore, you must divide the topic into

several paragraphs, one for each major point. Then you must tie all of the separate

paragraphs together by adding an introduction and a conclusion.

Writing an essay is no more difficult than writing a paragraph except that an essay is

longer. The principles of organization are the same for both, so if you can write a good

paragraph, you can write a good essay.

An essay has three main parts:

1. An introductory paragraph

2. A body (at least one, but usually two or more paragraphs)

3. A concluding paragraph

The introductory paragraph consists of two parts: a few general statements about

your subject to attract your reader's attention and a thesis statement to state the specific

subdivisions of your topic and/or the "plan" of your paper. A diesis statement for an essay

is just like a topic sentence for a paragraph: It names the specific topic and the controlling

ideas or major subdivisions of the topic.

The body consists of one or more paragraphs. Each paragraph develops a subdivision

of your topic, so the number of paragraphs in the body will vary with the number of

subdivisions or subtopics. The body is the longest part of the essay and can contain as

many paragraphs as necessary to support the controlling ideas of your thesis statement. The

paragraphs of the body of the essay are like the main supporting points in a single

paragraph. Furthermore, you can organize the paragraphs in an essay just as you organize

the ideas in a paragraph, by chronological order, logical division of ideas, comparison and

contrast, etc.

The conclusion in an essay, like the concluding sentence in a paragraph, is a summary

or review of the main points discussed in the body.

The only additional element in an essay is the linking expressions between the

paragraphs of the body. These are just like transitions within a paragraph. You use

transitions within a paragraph to connect the ideas between two sentences. Similarly, you

use transitions between paragraphs to connect the ideas between them.

You can see that writing an essay is essentially the same as writing a paragraph; an

essay is just longer. The chart on the next page shows you how the parts of a paragraph

correspond to the parts of an essay.


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The Introductory Paragraph

All writers (even professionals) complain that the most difficult part of writing is getting

started. Getting started, or writing an introductory paragraph,' can be easy if you;

remember that an introduction has four purposes:

1. It introduces the topic of the essay. 2. It gives a general background of the topic. 3. It often indicates the overall "plan" of the essay. 4. It should arouse the reader's interest in the topic.

The introduction has two parts:

General statements A thesis statement

Notice that the writer must have a thesis statement to focus his or her thinking.

ESSAY

I. INTRODUCTION

General Statements

Thesis Statement

PARAGRAPH

II. BODY

Topic Sentence

A. Topic Sentence

1. Support

2. Support

3. Support

(Concluding Sentence)

A. Support

B. Support

C. Support

B. Topic Sentence

1. Support

2. Support

3. Support


Concluding

Sentence

C. Topic Sentence

1. Support

2. Support

3. Support


III. CONCLUSION

Restatement or summary

of the main points; final

comment

Diagram1: The Corresponding parts of a paragraph and parts of an essay.

Notes: Concluding sentences for body paragraphs in an essay are not always necessary.


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Notice the two parts of the introductory paragraph in the following model.

MODEL

Introductory Paragraph

General statements

Thesis statement

Any person who has lived in the twentieth century has seen a

lot of changes take place in almost all areas of human

existence. Some people are excited by the challenges that

these changes offer; others want to return to the simpler life-

style of the past The twentieth century has certain advantages

such as a higher standard of living for many, but it also has

some disadvantages such as a polluted environment, the

depersonalization of human relationships, and the weakening

of spiritual values

General statements

Introduce the topic of the essay

Give background information on the topic

The first sentence in an introductory paragraph should be a very general comment about

the subject. Its purpose is to attract the reader's attention and to give background

information on the topic. Each subsequent sentence should become more specific than the

previous one and finally lead into the thesis statement.

The thesis statement

States the main topic Often lists the subdivisions of the topic or subtopics May indicate the method of organization of the entire paper Is usually the last sentence in the introductory paragraph

The thesis statement is the most important sentence in the introduction. It states the

specific topic and often lists the major subtopics that will be discussed in the body of the

essay. Furthermore, it may indicate the method of organization such as chronological order

or order of importance.

Here are three examples of thesis statements with no subtopics mentioned:

Being the oldest son has more disadvantages than advantages.

Young people in my culture have less freedom than young people in the United States.

The large movement of people from rural to urban areas has major effects on cities.

In the following thesis statement, the subtopics are named:

The large movement of people from rural to urban areas has major effects on a city's

ability to provide housing, employment, and adequate sanitation services.


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When listing two or more subtopics in a thesis statement, a colon (:) is often useful:

Prejudice arises from three basic causes: childhood conditioning, ignorance, and fear.

Concluding sentences for body paragraphs in an essay are not always necessary.

Correlative conjunctions (both ... and, not only... but also, neither... nor, either ... or) are

also useful in thesis statements listing two subtopics:

Young people in my culture have less freedom than young people in the United States not

only in their choice of life-style but also in their choice of careers.

Puppies, like children, need both love and discipline to become responsible citizens.

To sum up, an introductory paragraph is like a funnel: very wide at the top, increasingly

narrow in the middle, and very small at the neck or bottom.

Diagram 2: A Funnel Introductory Paragraph

PRACTICE 1. Recognizing the Parts of an Introduction

STEP 1: Read the following introductory paragraphs, each of which is in scrambled order.

STEP 2: Rewrite each paragraph, beginning with the most general statement first. Then

add each sentence in the correct order until the introduction becomes more specific. Write

the thesis statement last.

Paragraph 1

(1) If done properly, a handshake gives the impression of strength and honesty, and if done

improperly, it conveys weakness and dishonesty. (2) In some cultures, people bow, and in

others, they shake hands. (3) In English-speaking countries, shaking hands is the custom.

(4) A proper handshake has four ingredients: pressure, pumps,' eye contact, and verbal

message. (5) The way people greet each other when they meet for the first time varies from

culture to culture. (6) How one shakes hands sends an important message about one's

character.

Correct order: .

General statements

Thesis statement


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Paragraph 2

(1) However, in others, the nuclear family is the norm, with only the parents and young

children sharing the same house. (2) People in different cultures all over the world have

different systems for family life. (3) In most cultures, people live in extended families, in

which several generations share the same house. (4) If this new system becomes

widespread, it could have enormous effects on American society. (5) On the positive side,

living together might reduce the divorce rate in the United States; on the negative side, it

might lead to the eventual disintegration2 of the traditional family unit altogether. (6) In the

United States, some couples are experimenting with still another system of family life:

living together without marriage.

Correct order: .

Paragraph 3

(1) Although scientists have experimented with different methods of prediction, from

observing animal behavior to measuring radio signals from quasars,3 no method has proven

successful. (2) Earthquakes are the most destructive natural disasters known to humans, in

terms of the millions of deaths and billions of dollars in property loss that they cause. (3)

Despite these heavy losses, scientists are still unable to predict earthquakes. (4) This paper

will review the history of the science of earthquake prediction, then discuss each of the

prediction methods in more detail, and finally present data indicating the success-failure

ratios of each method.

Correct order: .

PRACTICE 2. Thesis Statements I.

A. Study these thesis statements from two different essays on the topic of the status of

women in Xanadu, an imaginary country. Which method of organization (chronological

order or comparison and contrast) does each one indicate?

1. Beginning in World War II and continuing through the period of economic boom, the

status of women in Xanadu has changed remarkably.

Method of organization: .

2. Although the status of women in Xanadu has improved remarkably in recent years, it is

still very low when compared to the status of women in the countries of the industrial

world.

Method of organization: .


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B. In each of the following two thesis statements, both tile method of organization and

the major subdivisions of the topic are indicated. Each subdivision will itself become the

topic of a separate paragraph in the body of the essay. How many paragraphs will the

body of each essay probably contain? Underline the topics of each paragraph.

1. The status of women in Xanadu has changed remarkably in recent years due to increased

educational opportunities and changes in the country's laws.

Probable number of paragraphs: .

2. The status of women in Xanadu has improved remarkably in recent years in the areas of

economic independence, political rights, educational opportunities, and social status.

Probable number of paragraphs:

C. Analyze the following thesis statements.

STEP 1 Locate the main topic and the subtopics in each of the following thesis

statements.

STEP 2 Underline the subtopics.

STEP 3 Draw a circle around the words or punctuation marks that are used to introduce

the subtopics.

Example:

Capital punishment should be abolished not only because it deprives another person of

life but also because it does not stop crime.

1. Women generally live longer than men for two main reasons: they tend to take better

care of their health, and they have better resistance to stress.

2. Drug and alcohol abuse among teenagers can be traced to the following causes: lack of

parental supervision, lax' enforcement of drug laws, and the social and psychological

problems of teenagers themselves.

3. In choosing a major, a student has to consider various factors, such as personal interest,

job opportunities, and the availability of training institutions.

4. An architect should be both an artist and an engineer.

5. The purpose of this report is to analyze the influence of the Spanish language on American English.


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PRACTICE 3. Thesis Statements II.

A. STEP 1. Complete the following thesis statements by adding subtopics to them.

STEP 2. Circle your subtopics. If you use correlative conjunctions, be sure your

structures are parallel.

1. A computer is necessary for college students for three reasons: . 2. International students have a difficult time taking notes in class due to 3. Successful students have the following qualities: 4. A generation gap exists in my home because of .. 5. To survive a major disaster such as an earthquake requires . 6. Poverty creates negative consequences for society such as . 7. My two sisters are as different as day and night not only in but also in 8. Living in a city has certain advantages over living in the suburbs: ..

B. Write a clear thesis statement for an essay on each of the following topics:

1. Leaving home 2. Choosing a career 3. Foreign travel 4. A personal bad habit

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