essaywriting.docx

essaywriting.docx

《essaywriting.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《essaywriting.docx（10页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

essaywriting

EssayWritingChecklist

Introduction

Thefirstsentenceisthehookandisdesignedtograbthereader’sattention

Transitionfromthehooktothethesisstatement

Givethefulltitle（s）ofthework（s）youareexploringaswellasthecompletename（s）oftheauthor（s）

Thethesisstatementisthelastsentenceintheintroductionparagraph

Thethesisstatementclearlyanddirectlyrespondstothewritingpromptorassignment（thewordsinthepromptmaybeusedtoformulatethethesisstatement）

Theintroductionisatleast4–6sentences

BodyParagraphs

Thetopicsentenceisthefirstsentenceofeachbodyparagraph

Thetopicsentencesareanextensionofthethesisstatement—eachtopicsentenceclearlyprovesandsupportsthethesisstatementandrespondstothepromptorwritingassignment

Topicsentencesdonotsummarizeplotormakegeneralcomments

Bodyparagraphsaredevelopedwithatleasttwosupportingpassages/quotesfromtheliterature

Providereaderwiththecontextforeachsupportingquote:

speaker+occasion

Followeachquotewithatleasttwosentencesofanalysisthatexplainhowthequotesupportsandprovesthetopicsentenceandthereforethethesisstatement

Thelastsentenceofeachbodyparagraphisaconcludingsentencethatsummarizestheparagraphand/ortransitionstothenextparagraph

Conclusion

Restatesthethesisstatement

Summarizesthemainideaswithoutbeingrepetitive

Maypossiblyrevisitthehookorprovideanappropriatequotation

Expandsontheideasintheessay,leavingthereaderthinkingandpondering

Theconclusionisatleast4–6sentences

Neverwrite“Inconclusion…”

OtherImportantAspects

Useformalwritingstyle,tone,andlanguage

Avoidslang,poordiction,non-specificlanguage,andcontractions

Avoidaddressingthereaderandtheuseoffirst-person

Avoidaskingrhetoricalquestions

BemindfulandawareofMLAformatincitingyoursourcesinthetext

Payattentiontospelling,punctuationandgrammar

Alwaysproofreadandself-edityourwork

Giveyouressayacreative,thoughtfulandinterestingtitle

Takeprideinyourworkandgivetheessay100%ofyoureffort!

TopicSentenceChecklist

Aneffectivetopicsentence:

Provesandsupportsathesisstatement

Tellsthereaderthefocusoftheparagraph

Statesaclaim,idea,orassertion—theauthor’sexpertopinionabouttheliterature

Likethethesisstatement,addresseshow/whyquestions

Isveryclearandveryspecific

Avoids1stpersonpointofview

Avoidsplotsummary

Avoidsstatingtheobvious

Avoidsabstractideasandlanguage

Avoidspassivevoice

UsingSupportingDetailsChecklist

Considerthefollowingwhenusingsupportingquotesandpassagesinyourwriting:

Leadintoorsetupyourquote/passagewithspeaker（character/narrator）andoccasion（context,orwhat’shappeningintheplot

Followupaquotewithatleasttwosentencesofcommentaryandanalysisbeforemovingontothenextsupportingdetail

Avoidexcessiveplotsummary

Besurethequoteisrelevanttoyourtopicsentenceandthesis—doesyourquotehelpproveyourpoint

Avoidlettingthequotespeakforitself—avoid“dropping”thequote

ActiveandAcademicVerbstoUseinCriticalLiteraryAnalysis

Emphasizes

Elucidates

Compares

Suggests

Creates

Illustrates

Exemplifies

Parallels

Juxtaposes

Implies

Alludesto

Observes

Identifies

Organizes

Reinforces

Defines

Clarifies

Contrasts

Argues

Mirrors

Echoes

Develops

Connotes

Focuses

Balances

Relates

Expresses

Insinuates

Demonstrates

AnatomyofaParagraph&ParagraphChecklist

Considerthefollowingmodelofatypicalliteraryanalysisparagraph:

TopicSentence*

Supporting

Detail*

Supporting

Detail*

Supporting

Detail*

ConcludingSentence

Eachsupportingdetailismadeupof:

1.Lead-inorset-up:

Speaker+Occasion

2.Directquoteorpassage

3.Atleasttwosentencesoffollowingcommentary/analysis

TheConcludingSentence:

Wrapsupandsummarizestheparagraph

Transitionstothenextbodyparagraph

Avoidsthewords“inconclusion”or“insummary”

Considerthefollowingreminderswhencomposingaliteraryanalysisparagraph:

Usethestrongestargument,orsupportingdetail,last

Bemindfulofspelling,grammar,andpunctuation

Usepresenttenseverbswhenwritingliteraryanalysis

BemindfulofproperMLAformatwhencitingasource

Avoidpoordictionandslang

Avoidclichés,first-personpointofview,andaddressingthereader

ThesisStatements:

Strategies,Checklist,&Samples

Thethesisstatementinanessayofliteraryanalysisfunctionsasfollows:

-Itnarrowsyourtopictoacentralidea—alltopicsentencesandbodyparagraphswilldevelopandsupportthisidea

-Itassertssomethingspecificandsignificantaboutthetopic,conveyingyourexpertopinion

-Itmaypreviewhowyourideaswillbearrangedwithinyouressay

-Itislogical,precise,andreasonable

Herearesomestrategiesforformulatingathesisstatement:

I.Decodethewritingprompt:

Paycloseattentiontothelanguageoftheprompt.

Underlineorhighlightwordsthatindicatespecificareasoffocus.Usethelanguageof

thepromptwhilecomposingyourthesisstatement.

*Dependingonthepromptorassignmentyouaregiven,youmaybeableto

simplyrestatethepromptwhileincludingyouranswertohow/whyquestions.

II.TakeInventory:

Determinewhichsupportingdetailsorpassagescouldbeusedto

proveyourthesis.

*Becareful!

Avoidarbitrarilyselectingquotes.Becertainthesupportingdetails

youchoosedo,infact,supportthecentralidea.

III.IdentifyRelationships,Distinctions,&Categories:

Onceyouhaveavarietyof

supportingdetails,determinewhatvariousaspectsofthethesisstatementeach

detailsupports.Thesedistinctionsorcategorieswillbeusedtodeterminewhatyour

topicsentencesandbodyparagraphswillbemadeupof.

IV.ReviseandDraftAgain:

Rewritethethesisasmanytimesasnecessarytoachieve

satisfaction.Continuallyrefertotheprompttobesureyouaredirectlyand

specificallyrespondingtoitsrequirements.Youmayfindthatafteryouhavewritten

thebodyparagraphs,yourpaperhastakenadifferentdirection.Inthatcase,you

mustreviseyourthesisstatementtosuittherestoftheessay.

Considerthefollowingchecklistwhencomposingathesisstatement:

Donotusefirst-personpointofviewinathesisstatement,unlessyouarewritingapersonal

autobiographicalessay.Formalliteraryanalysisrequirestheuseofthirdpersonpointof

view.

Thethesisstatementshouldbelimitedtoonesentence.Inrarecases,twosentencesmay

benecessary.

Refertothewritingpromptfrequentlywhilecomposingthethesisandbesureyour

statementclearlyrespondstoallaspectsoftheprompt

Thethesisstatementislocatedattheendoftheintroductoryparagraphinatypical

literaryanalysisessay.

Thethesisisa“roadmap”fortheideaspresentedintheessay;itinformsthereaderwhat

willbeanalyzedintheessayandinwhatorder.

Thethesisstatementpresentsideasinlogical,clear,andspecificlanguage;itavoidsvagueor

abstractlanguage,poordiction,andslang.

Thethesisstatementisanalytical,notfactual;itconveystheauthor’sexpertopinion,or

assertionandavoidsstatingtheobvious.Itanswershowandwhyquestions.

Thethesisstatementislogical,precise,andreasonable.

TheIntroductionParagraph:

Strategies&Checklist:

Theintroductionparagraphinanessayofliteraryanalysisfunctionsasfollows:

-Itfocusesthereader’sattentiononthetopicandarousescuriosityaboutwhatyou

havetosay

-Itspecifiesyoursubjectandimpliesyourattitude/tone

-Itprovidesbackgroundnecessarytounderstandthethesisstatement

-Itisconciseandsincere

-Itcomestoapointwiththethesisstatement

AnatomyoftheIntroduction:

1stSentence:

HookorOpeningSentence

-Engagesthereader’sattention

2nd–3rdSentence

-Shouldmentiontheauthor’scompletename

andthecompletetitleoftheworkbeing

analyzed

3rd-5thSentences

-Functiontotransitionideasfromhooktothesis

ThesisStatement

-Finalsentence（s）oftheintroductionparagraph

StrategiesforComposingHooksorOpeningStatements:

-Useavividquotation

-Createavisualimagethatrepresentsyoursubject

-Createananalogyforyoursubject

-Offerasurprising/interestingstatisticorotherfact

-Stateanopinionrelatedtoyourthesis

-Askaquestionordefineawordcentraltoyoursubject（Note=Usethesetechniquesverysparinglyandcautiously,astheymaybeconsideredcliché）

Considerthefollowingchecklistwhenwritinganintroductionparagraph:

Theopeningsentenceorhookengagesthereader’sattention

Theintroductionavoids1stpersonpointofview,slang,andpoordiction

Specifictermsorlanguageareclearlydefined

Necessarybackgroundinformationisprovided

Theparagraphclearlyandlogicallytransitionsfromthehooktothethesisstatement

Thethesisstatementappearsattheendoftheintroduction

Theparagraphisclear,logical,andreasonable

Avoidvague/abstractlanguage

Avoidanattempttobecute,funny,orterriblyclever

Theintroductionisusually4–6sentences（longerintroductionstendtorambleanddetractfromthetopic）

Usespresenttenseverbsconsistently

TheConclusionParagraph:

Strategies,Checklist,&Samples

Theconclusionparagraphinaliteraryanalysisessayfunctionsasfollows:

-Itfinishesofftheessayandtellsreaderswherethewriterhasbroughtthem

-Itrestatesthethesisandcontainsechoesof