When
you have followed the steps of the prewriting stage, you are ready to begin
writing your essay—the first draft, of course.
This is when the fingers meet the keyboard, or the pen meets the
paper. Be sure in finishing your chores,
putting the children to bed, making your phone calls, and completing whatever
else you do that is distracting. If you
like music, put on your favorite tunes.
Watching television, while composing your essay, however, is not a good
idea. A word of caution, an essay
written at midnight before it is due will most likely have several problems. Pacing your assignment over a number of days
will help you do a better job.
Paragraphs
Usually the five-paragraph essay is 500 to 750 words long. You might even be assigned a composition that
is 1000 words long. That does not mean every paragraph is going to be neatly
divided into 100, 150, or 200 words.
Some paragraphs are going to be longer than others. A word of caution, a paragraph cannot be
shorter that three sentences. The
following diagram of a paragraph will help you understand this concept.
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Be aware in writing a paragraph that is too long. A paragraph of more than 250 words (a
double-spaced word- processed page) is the limit. Longer paragraphs bore the readers. Simply
put, readers lack patience. A topic sentence is similar to the thesis
statement. The topic sentence is a
one-sentence summation of the paragraph, as a thesis is for the entire essay.
The concluding sentence of a paragraph puts a wrap on the paragraph. On the other hand, the last sentence that is
used as a transitional one works to bridge on to the next paragraph—providing
unity to the composition. Usually, a
three-sentence paragraph serves as a transitional paragraph.
The Introduction
The first or introductory paragraph has to be well
crafted for the readers to be interested in the rest of the essay. Consequently, care must be taken. Serving as an attention getter, the first
sentence leads readers into the essay.
There are a number of tactics that can be used to write the attention getter. Some of the most widely used ones are listed
below.
1.
Start by asking a
question. For example,
“Do you know that
inappropriate economic structures end up in poverty”?
2.
Start by using statistics. For example,
“World
Bank estimated 1.29 billion people were living in absolute poverty in 2008.”
Many like statistics because it provides solid evidence. Others find problems with it because it can
be bent to suit the needs of vested interests.
3.
Besides, statistics must be
supported with their sources. Sources
will lend credibility to the statistics.
4.
Start by using a bold
statement. For example,
“Poverty
is pronounced deprivation in well-being, and comprises many dimensions.”
5.
Start by using an anecdote
(story). For example,
“The
Young girl thought to herself as she sat under the Cypress tree in the blazing
sun watching the heat waves shimmer above the blinding brightness of the hot
sand, "I wish I had food in my sTomach. My back aches and my body feels
weak and enervated. In the last week, I have eaten only rice and beans.
Sometimes I only eat two or three times a week.. ….”
6.
Start by using a
quotation.
7.
Start by using humor.
The Body
For the five-paragraph essay, the body consists of three
paragraphs—developed from the three main ideas of your outline. These three paragraphs need to be expanded
with the use of the sub-ideas also listed from each of your main ideas in the
outline. Supporting ideas come from a
number of sources. They include
examples, statistics, testimony, and anecdotes. Main ideas are the skeleton of the essay, and
the meat comes from the above sources which will shape the body. Think about these two examples.
A man is charged with murder. His
attorney gets up and tells the jury: “Ladies and gentleman of the jury, my client
is not guilty. I rest my case. Another man is
charged with murder, too. His lawyer
tells the jury:
“Ladies and gentleman of the jury, my client is not guilty of the charges
leveled against him. I will prove to you
that he was not even in Atlanta when the murder took place. He has in New York City, sitting at a
bar. The bartender and several patrons
of the pub will testify to that fact.
They remember my client because he had asked for a Heineken Beer, but
the barkeeper gave him a bottle of Miller beer.
Upset, my client threw the beer back at him, missing him narrowly.” Of the two lawyers, the
second one is obviously much better for having provided more evidence. Accordingly, good development is essential.
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Organizational Patterns
Development must follow an organizational pattern. A well organized essay is easy to read and
raises the credibility of the writer for being methodical and not unorganized.
There are three ways of organizing your composition.
Chronological Order
Chronology comes from
the Greek word chronos, meaning unfolding in a time sequence. You can start a story at the beginning then
travel until it ends logically, or it can begin at the end and finish at the
beginning. For example, a historical
account usually commences at the onset of the event and stops when it is over.
Spatial Order
This type of organization is used in describing people, places, and
things. In describing a room, begin from
the left or the right and come to the starting point or from the right to the
left. You can also begin from the
ceiling to the floor or from the floor to the ceiling. For a person, you can begin describing from
the head to the toes or from the toes to the head. The point of this order is not to jump
around. For example, you describe a
person’s face first, then his sTomach, next his hands and so on. This description will be confusing to the
readers.
Logical Order
Some ideas need to be put in a logical order. The English alphabet follows the sequence of
A, B, C and so on. For numbers, one
comes before two, two before three, and so on.
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Transitions
Good writing reads well and moves smoothly from paragraph to
paragraph (and sentence to sentence.)
The key is the use of transitions.
Transitions logically connect ideas and exhibit shift from one idea to
another, bringing about coherence. In
the opinion of many scholars, transitions are hallmarks of good writing, so
learn to use them. Below is a list of
transitions.
(Addition): in addition, besides, moreover, further,
furthermore, too, first, second, next, incidentally, by the way, too, in the
first place, in the second place, last, lastly, finally, as well
(Comparison): similarly, also, likewise, in the
same way, in the same manner, whereas
(Contrast): however, nevertheless, nonetheless, in contrast,
still, on the other hand, still, anyway, actually, in reality, at any rate, at
the same time, all the same, by contrast, on the contrary, otherwise, actually
(Result): therefore, thus, so, as a result, hence, after
all, in fact, as a matter of fact, by this means, accordingly, consequently,
naturally, of course, with this end, to this end, because of this, to this end,
with this end, because of this, in any case, in conclusion
(Example): for example, for instance, such as, in fact,
specifically, in particular, instead, in other words, in fact, that is, in
brief, in conclusion, to summarize
(Time): after, later, since, as, before, next,
immediately, then, later, eventually, at the same time, today, nowadays, then,
when, while, in the beginning, to begin, in the meantime, in the future,
finally,
(Direction): here, there, nearby, above,
below, further on, behind, opposite, on the opposite side, close, on the right,
on the left
Sentences
Sentences are the building blocks of paragraphs. Through the
understanding of the structure of sentences, you can fashion better
sentences. A sentence has to have a
subject and a verb. The subject is
either a noun or a pronoun and is the one which performs the action of the
sentence. A clause can be either
independent or dependent. An independent
clause includes a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a complete
sentence. Despite containing a subject
and a verb, a dependent clause cannot stand alone. In order to be a complete sentence, the
dependent clause needs to be attached to an independent clause. Sentences are
categorized as simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex.
Simple sentence
A simple sentence has a subject and a verb and acts as
one independent clause, as in this
example:
Kamal walks to school everyday.
subject (Kamal) verb (walks)
Compound sentence
A compound sentence has two independent clauses joined
by a comma and a coordinating conjunction (see the list of coordinating conjunctions
in the Errors List), as in this
example
Tom
walks to school, and his brother drives to work.
subject (Tom) conjunction (and) subject (his brother) verb
(walks) verb
(drives)
Complex sentence
A complex sentence has one independent clause and one or
more dependent clauses. For example:
Because it has rained
everyday of the month, the grass has grown faster than usual.
dependent clause (Because it has rained everyday of
the month)
independent clause (the grass has grown faster than
usual)
Compound-complex
sentence
A compound-complex sentence has two or more independent
clauses and one or more dependent clauses.
For example:
Tom went to school,
and his brother went to the doctor because he was sick.
independent clause
(Tom went to school)
independent clause
(his brother went to
the doctor) dependent clause
(because he was sick)
A final word about
sentences
The trick to becoming a skilled writer is remembering the KISS
(Keep It Simple Stupid) principle. That
means the use of simple and compound sentences with transitions. Your composition will be easy to read. Of course, the inclusion of a complex and a
compound-complex sentence now and then will flavor your essay. Remember, the more complicated your writing
is the chances of making mistakes are greater.
Think about books that are easy to comprehend. They are not written in a complicated manner.
Words
Likewise, the KISS principle applies to your choice of
words. Stay away from “big” or overly
fancy words. When your readers fumble
through the pages of a dictionary to understand what you are trying to saying,
your writing will prove to be distracting.
For example: The outdoor repast was repositioned
to the indoors due to heavy precipitation.
The same sentence can be written by substituting
“outdoor repast” with picnic, “repositioned” with moved, and “precipitation”
with rain.
Also, steer clear of wordiness. The above sentence can be
rewritten, thus: The picnic was moved indoors because of heavy rains. Not only have the uncommon words have been
replaced, the sentence is more precise—losing its wordiness. Do not say something in seven words when you
can say it in five.
Readers prefer concrete words over abstract words. Concrete words signify physical objects or
terms that are related to the five senses.
For example: motorcycle, sandwich, geranium. Abstract words, by contrast, are ones that
ideas, feelings, and emotions. For
example: love, justice, concept, cute.
Concrete words draw pictures in the minds of your readers. By contrast, abstract words fail to paint
mental pictures or evoke the senses. As
a result, precision in writing can only be achieved through the use of vivid
and precise words, although abstract words sometimes have a role in writing.
Inclusive Language
Language is a powerful tool, and, thus, needs to be used
responsibly. People’s sensibilities can
be hurt; therefore, avoid stereotyping, demeaning, or patronizing language on
the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, political
affiliation, disability and other reasons.
If you are unsure about a classification, seek guidance. Nevertheless, the following principles will
help you.
1.
Avoid the generic he. In the past, he, him, and his
were used to indicate people of either gender.
The correct thing is to use his or her, him or her, and his
and her. For a few times this form
is fine, but it gets tiring very soon.
To get around from your essay becoming boring, use plural subjects.
For example: A professor takes his or her
grading seriously.
A much improved example:
Professors
take their grading seriously.
2.
Avoid the generic man in
referring to both men and women—also as a suffix for many professions. This is also an old term. One way is to drop the suffix, and the other
is to learn the new the designations.
Some of them are:
Incorrect Correct
fireman firefighter
policeman police
officer
mailman mailperson,
mail carrier, postal carrier
garbage man/trash man garbage/trash
collector
mankind humans,
people
to man (verb) staff,
operate
chairman chairperson,
chair, head
businessman businessperson,
entrepreneur
salesman salesperson,
sales representative
1.
Avoid using terms that are
racially and ethnically stereotypical.
In other words, it is wrong to label people. Below are some correct and incorrect terms.
Incorrect Correct
Oriental (to be used for furniture
and other items) Asian (to
be used for all Asians, including
Japanese, Chinese, Laotians, Indians, Bangladeshis, and others)
Mexican, Puerto Rican, and others
from Latino (not Hispanic)
Latin and South America
Red Indian Native
Americans (Tribal names are preferable if they are known.)
2.
Avoid personal traits that are
unrelated to the topic. For instance:
Colin Powell, an
African-American man, served as President George Bush’s first secretary of
state.
Walter,
a Chinese immigrant, donated blood.
3.
Avoid other expressions, such
as calling disabled people crippled which is a term of ridicule
and disparagement. Calling someone handicapped
is also derisive because it portrays the disabled as those who hold out their
caps to beg for money. Homosexuals
like to be called gays and lesbians or just gays or lesbians, appropriate to
their sexual orientation.
The Conclusion
When
you are formulating your essay, you need to compose your conclusion which can
be incorporated into your essay as the fifth paragraph. The conclusion provides a closure for the
essay which you have diligently written.
Although the conclusion reiterates the introduction, it has to add
something new to it so the essay ends in a memorable manner. Reminiscent of the introduction, a good
conclusion employs a number of strategies:
- You can ask a question.
- You can use a quotation.
- You can use an anecdote.
- You can offer solutions for problems you might have posed.
- You can use humor.
(Again, use this strategy sparingly.)
- You can restate an idea that you might have brought up at the
beginning of the essay.
A word of caution though, the conclusion should be
lively and thought provoking.
Under no circumstance should
the conclusion offer apologies. Some do
that which leaves the readers to question the writer’s competence.
Diagram of an essay
An essay has the
following parts: introduction, body, and conclusion.
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Introduction
Attention getter
Supporting ideas
Thesis
Body
I. Main idea
A. Sub-idea
B. Sub-idea
II. Main idea
A. Sub-idea
B. Sub-idea
III. Main idea
A. Sub-idea
B. Sub-idea
Conclusion
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Types of Essays (Organizational
Patterns)
In a college
composition course, you will be asked to write several types of essays. Although they are individual patterns, they
can merge together. In a narration, for
example, you will find a lot of description.
Below are the common kinds of essays
1.
Narration tells a story. Good story telling is innate in every human
being. People like to hear and read
stories. People are even persuaded with
stories.
2.
Description uses the five
senses of sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound. Using these elements can heighten the
depiction of a person, place, or thing.
3.
Definition delineates a term
without making the dictionary meaning as the centerpiece of the writing. Instead, the writing will use examples,
classifications, characterizations, and other means.
4.
Process is a technique in which
an explanation is given of how something works or is done.
5.
Comparison and contrast is an
organizational pattern that lists the similarities and differences. An essay, using this pattern, can be written
in the normal five-paragraph format or the four-paragraph format. The four-paragraph arrangement is only to be
used with the comparison and contrast model.
In the five-paragraph comparison and contrast writing, each of the three
body paragraphs will constitute of one similarity, followed by a
difference. Conversely, the
four-paragraph essay will contain all of the similarities in one paragraph and
all the other differences in the next one, topped off by the introduction and
conclusion.
6.
Classification/division
catalogs different ideas under one category.
For instance, in the first paragraph (introductory) introduce the
classification/division topic. Then, in
each of the three body paragraphs, provide a part of the topic in a parallel
form.
7.
Cause and effect is another way
writing can be organized or from effect to cause. You can start by recording the cause and then
listing the effects. On the other hand,
you can provide the effect first and follow it up with the causes.
8.
Examples are the last type of
organizing an essay. Here, you will
begin by making a general statement of the topic in the introductory
paragraph. Follow it up with three body
paragraphs, each one with one or more examples