Brief Overview of the 10 Essay Writing Steps
Below are brief summaries of each of the ten steps to writing an essay. Select the links for more info on any particular step, or use the blue navigation bar on the left to proceed through the writing steps. How To Write an Essay can be viewed sequentially, as if going through ten sequential steps in an essay writing process, or can be explored by individual topic.
1. Research: Begin the essay writing process by researching your topic, making yourself an expert. Utilize the internet, the academic databases, and the library. Take notes and immerse yourself in the words of great thinkers.2. Analysis: Now that you have a good knowledge base, start analyzing the arguments of the essays you're reading. Clearly define the claims, write out the reasons, the evidence. Look for weaknesses of logic, and also strengths. Learning how to write an essay begins by learning how to analyze essays written by others.
3. Brainstorming: Your essay will require insight of your own, genuine essay-writing brilliance. Ask yourself a dozen questions and answer them. Meditate with a pen in your hand. Take walks and think and think until you come up with original insights to write about.4. Thesis: Pick your best idea and pin it down in a clear assertion that you can write your entire essay around. Your thesis is your main point, summed up in a concise sentence that lets the reader know where you're going, and why. It's practically impossible to write a good essay without a clear thesis.
5. Outline: Sketch out your essay before straightway writing it out. Use one-line sentences to describe paragraphs, and bullet points to describe what each paragraph will contain. Play with the essay's order. Map out the structure of your argument, and make sure each paragraph is unified.
6. Introduction: Now sit down and write the essay. The introduction should grab the reader's attention, set up the issue, and lead in to your thesis. Your intro is merely a buildup of the issue, a stage of bringing your reader into the essay's argument.
(Note: The title and first paragraph are probably the most important elements in your essay. This is an essay-writing point that doesn't always sink in within the context of the classroom. In the first paragraph you either hook the reader's interest or lose it. Of course your teacher, who's getting paid to teach you how to write an essay, will read the essay you've written regardless, but in the real world, readers make up their minds about whether or not to read your essay by glancing at the title alone.)
7. Paragraphs: Each individual paragraph should be focused on a single idea that supports your thesis. Begin paragraphs with topic sentences, support assertions with evidence, and expound your ideas in the clearest, most sensible way you can. Speak to your reader as if he or she were sitting in front of you. In other words, instead of writing the essay, try talking the essay.
8. Conclusion: Gracefully exit your essay by making a quick wrap-up sentence, and then end on some memorable thought, perhaps a quotation, or an interesting twist of logic, or some call to action. Is there something you want the reader to walk away and do? Let him or her know exactly what.
9. MLA Style: Format your essay according to the correct guidelines for citation. All borrowed ideas and quotations should be correctly cited in the body of your text, followed up with a Works Cited (references) page listing the details of your sources.
10. Language: You're not done writing your essay until you've polished your language by correcting the grammar, making sentences flow, incoporating rhythm, emphasis, adjusting the formality, giving it a level-headed tone, and making other intuitive edits. Proofread until it reads just how you want it to sound. Writing an essay can be tedious, but you don't want to bungle the hours of conceptual work you've put into writing your essay by leaving a few slippy misppallings and pourly wordedd phrazies..
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ReplyDeleteThe Prince and the Pauper.
ReplyDeleteBy José Luis Juárez Alcántara
The Prince and the Pauper, tells the story of two unsatisfied boys who changes their lives and the consequences of that. It takes place in the United Kingdom, in the 16th century. The young prince of Whales, was tired of his boring life, he wanted more adventure. With the help of Tom Canty, a beggar’s son, he realized his dream was not at all, what he had expected. This story happened, in the land of England that is ruled by the King Henry VII, when the two young boys find themselves trapped in each other's worlds. One, a prince, the other a pauper, adjusts to the very different situations of which they are now entrapped. Young Prince Edward lived a life of luxury with servants to grant his every wish. Tom Canty spent his days begging on the streets, and his nights in a hovel with his bad father. When the two boys meet, a simple switch of clothing sets them on a path they'd never dreamt possible.
The prince, mistaken for Tom, is forced to live a pauper's life, while Tom takes on the life of a prince. During their adventure Tom and Edward were able to learn more about the life of each, so they realized that things are not always as we think. Tom knew a priest, Father Andrew, who always helped him raise money for his damn father, who beat Tom when he had no money to his home. Edward realized that the vagabond life was not just play and walking the streets at all hours, but actually the people in these social conditions suffered many injustices. On the other hand Tom met the luxuries of life of a prince, but he realized that many times it is boring everyone to do things for you and not let you live fully. Edward met a gentleman, Sir Miles Hendon, who helped him in many situations sharing moments of solidarity that were very significant for both. In this time the King died and Tom became in the new king of England. Edward cannot do anything because now he is a pauper and nobody knows him and he does not has authority. Now the boys are in trouble because they have to recover their true role, if you do not want the problems continue as usual. So with the help of Sir Miles, Edward makes it to the castle and talk to Tom causing a major controversy with the audience that is present at the coronation of Tom, they put them tests to see who the real "Edward."
The story finish when the audience recognize the real Edward and him get the kingdom. Edward lived for only a few years, but during those years he reigned most mercifully. Miles was made Earl of Kent, while Miles’ brother was stripped of his land and cast into prison. Frequently reminiscing about his experience as a peasant, King Edward demonstrated great compassion during a harsh period of English history. Because he understood his people, and ruled them in love, they in turn loved him, and exceedingly mourned his passing.
HAMLET (Summary)
ReplyDeleteWilliam Shakespeare
Hamlet is a son of the last King of Denmark, when his father dead, his uncle Claudius become the new King of Denmark. Some day appear him the father´s spirit who tells him the secret of his prison-house. He suffered the most unnatural murder and he want to revenge. The ghost describe the process of his death, the prince Hamlet find out that his Claudius´ uncle kill his father because Claudius´ wish power.So the officers Horatio and Marcellus help Hamlet because he has been revenged the father death.
One day the King say that something have you heard of Hamlet´s transformation, but the King undestand him because his attitude should be more that his father´s death, that thus hath put him so much from undestanding of himself and the King cannot dream of.
Gertrude is the queen of denmark and Hamlet´s mother, she doesn´t believe in the son´s distemper. So Hamlet talk about with Ophelia she tells him that she is a honest person but prince Hamlet say that he is very proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offences at his beck and he doesn´t change until he can revenge father´s death.
However the queen would speak with him and presently. Hamlet and Gertrude talk about the father´s ghost and he explains her that he need to look after due to the life castle is dangerous. When Hamlet comes back England, he speak with the kind and he gives him a poison, so Claudious dead and Hamlet revenge the father´s murder.
TO: L.E.S.I Second Grade 2009
ReplyDeleteTrainee teacher school
“Escuela Normal de Atlacomulco”
Atlacomulco, México, México
Hi everybody!!!!!!
I read a book named Othello by Shakespeare. This is a drama novel, let´s see.
Othello is a general of Venice, in secret; he got marriage with Desdémona, daughter to Drabantio the senator. He had two people who worked nearly with him. His loyal lieutenant is Casio, and Iago, a server of Othello, is a person who don´t like Othello and one of his purposes is to ruin him.
Iago achieved to send to Othello to the war in order that he will never come back ok but it didn´t happen. When Othello came back, Iago started to talk to him that Casio was a very bad person, and apart from that, he was unloyal because he seduces to Desdémona.
One night Iago fought with Casio in order to convince to Othello about that he had told him before, and Othello told to Casio. –go out of here, I don´t want to see you again. The best friends didn´t talk each other again, and then Iago took an advantage and followed to poisoning to Othello to believe that his wife was faithfull with him. Othello almost crazy about that, he killed to Déndemona and when he realized that all was a plan, he finished with his life.
Is a very interesting novel, but is too very difficult to understand.
See you in the class!!!!
Love
Adeline C