- Types of Essays:
- Descriptive: In a descriptive essay a writer relies on adjectives and will appeal to the senses to make the situation or subject come alive.
- Narrative: A narrative is a writer's own account of an event or experience, usually written in first person point of view.
- Compare/Contrast: To understand two subjects, writers will often show how they are alike (compare) and show how they are different (contrast).
- Process Analysis: Here a writer explains how a thing or a process works or "how to" do something.
- Cause/Effect: Cause/effect writers try to explain the relationship of a subject and its cause.
- Problem/Solution: A writer explains a problem and offers a solution.
- Definition: The writer chooses a subject to define completely.
- Persuasive: In this type of essay, a writer supports his or her opinions with facts, examples, reasons.
- 5 Paragraph Essay Format:
- Introductory paragraph
- Catches the reader's interest
- Gives brief background on your topic
- Begins or ends with the thesis statement
- Body (paragraphs 2, 3, etc.)
- Develops, expands, and/or supports the thesis statement
- Includes a topic sentence for each paragraph
- Includes supporting details which reinforce the topic sentence
- Concluding paragraph
- Restates the thesis or sums up the argument
- Tells the reader what you think is important to remember
- Never introduce new information in the conclusion, instead extend your thinking on something from the essay
- Thesis Statement Construction:
- The thesis statement is your statement of purpose. Thesis statements do not use "I" or "my;" even though the idea present in your thesis statement is your own, use third person for a stronger, more confident approach.
- Use the following format for developing a good thesis statement:
- Write your topic
- Write your opinion about the topic
- Write three or four reasons why you hold that opinion
- Example:
- Topic: nuclear power
- Opinion: should not be used
- Why: it is potentially dangerous; it is more expensive than other alternatives; it causes water, land and air pollution
- Thesis statement = A+B+C:
- Nuclear power should not be used because it is potentially dangerous, it is more expensive than other alternatives, and it causes water, air and land pollution.
