Essay types

WRITING AN ESSAY

Compiled by B.Jolamanova

1. DEFINITION/DIFFERENTIATION

An essay is a piece of writing on a topic containing several paragraphs

ESSAY TYPES

Argumentative essay Your opinion on a subject is argued based on reasoning and understanding.
a) You present objections and refute them

Descriptive essay The descriptive essay is a genre of essay that asks the student to describe an object, person, place, experience, emotion, situation, etc. This genre encourages the student’s ability to create a written account of a particular experience. What is more, this genre allows for a great deal of artistic freedom (the goal of which is to paint an image that is vivid and moving in the mind of the reader).

Comparison and contrast essay Shows the differences and/or similarities
between two persons, places, things, ideas, etc.

Research essay

Expository Essay	Gives directions or instructions about how to complete a task, or how something is done.	- How to water ski or snow ski - How to juggle work and school - How to lose friends - How to win an argument with your parents
Cause/Effect Essay	Focuses on a condition or situation and asks either why? (cause) or what is the result? (effect).	- second hand smoke (effects) - poor grades (causes & effects) - staying up too late (effects) - teen suicides (reasons why & effects)
Definition Essay	Defines a topic both concretely (dictionary def.)and abstractly (extended def.). A dictionary often defines a word three ways: 1. the term 2. the class to which it belongs 3. the characteristics that distinguish it. eg. truck (term) four wheeled vehicle (class) used for transportation (characteristic).	- Responsibility (facing the consequences of one's actions) - Best friends (what they are and are not) - snobs (how to recognize them in society) - courage (shown by common people in everyday life)
Comparison/Contrast Essay		- Two friends or relatives who could be compared - Two movies you have seen with similar characteristics/situations - A foreign car and an American car - Knowledge and understanding
Argumentative or Pro/Con Essay

3. TITLE A title tells the reader what the topic of the paragraph is. It is usually a word or phrase, not a sentence. It should be brief, but not so brief that doesn’t tell the reader what to expect.

Single paragraphs do not usually have titles. For longer essays or reports, though, the use of titles will become more necessary.

Remember these points when writing a title:

· The first, last, and all important words in a title are capitalized. Prepositions and articles are not considered important words in a title. Prepositions of more than five letters, however, may be capitalized. Articles that begin the title, of course, are capitalized.

· The title of a paragraph or essay is not underlined.

· The title is not enclosed in quotation marks, nor is it ended with period. For example:

My Greatest Culture Shock

4. STRUCTURE An essay has three main parts:

· An introductory paragraph

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

· 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 thesis 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 restatement of the main points discussed in the body.

Graphically the essay structure is usually presented as follows:

I. Introduction General Statements Thesis Statements II. Body A. Topic Sentence 1. Support 2. Support 3. Support (Concluding Sentence) B. Topic Sentence 1. Support 2. Support 3. Support (Concluding Sentence) C. Topic Sentence 1. Support 2. Support 3. Support (Concluding Sentence) III. Conclusion Restatement or summary of the main points; final comment.

TIPS

Present a point of view with convincing evidence

Challenge an alternate point of view

Focus on the topic and avoid irrelevancies

Communicate in a style that is easy to follow and cohesive.

Do not make absolute claims. Avoid statements such as “This proves that... “ and “If we take this action, the problem will be solved.” Always qualify your message with expressions such as “This seems to prove..

Do not apologize. Avoid casting doubt on your material by making statements such as “I may not have thought of all the arguments, but...” and “Even though I am not an expert, I feel that what I have said is correct.”

In your conclusion avoid introducing an entirely new idea or adding a fact that belongs in the body of the essay. http://class.georgiasouthern.edu/writingc/handouts/concludingparagraphs.htmUse English accurately and appropriately

Always keep to the topic set. Never prepare sections of text before the exam.

Use your own knowledge and experience and support your arguments

with examples and relevant evidence.

Organize and link your ideas and sentences appropriately, using a wide range of language and showing your ability to discuss ideas and express opinions

Always write between 250-265. If you write less than 250 you will lose marks, but there is no maximum number of words for either. But the more you write the more time you spend and the more mistakes you’re likely to make.

When you plan your essay, allow plenty of time at the end to check your work.

Remember that illegible handwriting will reduce your final score.

Like a paragraph, an essay has 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.

6. SAMPLE of an essay on the topic " Using a computer every day can have more negative than positive effects on your children. Do you agree or disagree?"

I tend to agree that young children can be negatively affected by too much time spent on the computer every day. This is partly because sitting in front of a screen for too long can be damaging to both the eyes and the physical posture of a young child, regardless of what they are using the computer for.

However, the main concern is about the type of computer activities that attract children. These are often electronic games that tend to be very intense and rather violent. The player is usually the ‘hero’ of the game and too much exposure can encourage children to be self-centred and insensitive to others.

Even when children use a computer for other purposes, such as getting information or emailing friends, it is no substitute for human interaction. Spending time with other children and sharing nonvirtual experiences is an important part of a child's development that cannot be provided by a computer.

In spite of this, the obvious benefits of computer skills for young children cannot be denied. Their adult world will be changing constantly in terms of technology and the Internet is the key to all the knowledge and information available in the world today. Therefore it is important that children learn at an early age to use the equipment enthusiastically and with confidence as they will need these skills throughout their studies and working lives.

I think the main point is to make sure that young children do not overuse computers. Parents must ensure that their children learn to enjoy other kinds of activity and not simply sit at home, learning to live in a virtual world.

7. REFERENCES

1. Reading and Thinking in English. Oxford University Press 1985

2. Zemach D. E., Rumisek L.A.. Academic Writing. MacMillan 2003

3. Jordan R.R. Academic Writing Skills. Nelson 1992

4. Twenty tips for IELTS success. Retrieved January 21, 2010, fromhttp://www.ielts-exam.net/ielts-preparation-tips/twenty_tips_for_IELTS_success.htm

5. IELTS Preparation Hints. Skills for the Writing Module. Retrieved March 3, 2010 from

http://www.askynz.com/ielts/preparation.htm

6. IELTS Sample Essays (Writing Task Two). Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://www.ielts-exam.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=7&id=15&Itemid=69

Дата добавления: 2015-10-29