Hints for Effective Essay Writing
Need more help after reading this page?
The time to think about what makes a good essay is not after you have written one, but even then there are some things you can think about to make improvements.
The most important thing to remember is: THINK ABOUT YOUR AUDIENCE.
For whom are you writing? Is it
-a persuasive essay for an English class
-an essay for the social sciences (history, government, business, economics or psychology)
-an essay in another language
When writing for an English class, you are writing a persuasive essay. Do not forget this! Many people write without thinking about for whom they are writing. Your essay will not have the message you want to convey if you do not keep your audience in mind.
When writing for English classes, literature classes, or language arts classes, remember the STANDARD FIVE PART ESSAY FORMAT. It is designed around an organized premise:
Tell them what you will tell them (introduction), tell them (body) and tell them what you told them (conclusion).
Here is the outline you can follow. Remember that it is not FIVE PARAGRAPHS it is FIVE POINTS. Each point may have more than one paragraph. Know when to break points down into paragraphs when you write long essays.
I. Introduction
A. Hook- interesting statement
B. Thesis- what are you writing to prove
C. Preview- a sentence which describes each of your three (or more)
main points
II. Main Point 1
A. A review of what you said in your preview statement that relates to
this point.
B. An analysis and further description of your point.
C. Quotes and evidence from the text to prove your point
III-IV Repeat above for main points 2 and 3
V. Conclusion
A. Summary of your points
B. Release the reader- let them know that you have proved your point
The Introduction
Your first paragraph is important because it structures your entire essay. Once you have a good introductory paragraph, everything else falls into place.
THE HOOK
This is your reader's first encounter with your writing- make it good. Start with an anecdote, a shocking statement, a preview of your thesis statement, a generalization that will later be proved, or some other interesting point.
THE THESIS
This is of more importance than any other one sentence in your essay. It is the reason you are writing- it is your purpose, your assignment. By the end of your essay you will have proved your thesis, so give it to them right away.
Writing a good thesis is an art. First, think about your topic. What DO you want to prove?
Now that you have a topic, narrow it down into something you can prove. If your assignment is to write your opinion, that is fine- all literary criticism is only fact-supported opinion. Think of your opinion, and support it with facts.
THE PREVIEW SENTENCE
This is more like housekeeping for your essay. You want your reader to feel at ease, and know exactly what you will be doing in the next few pages. You have told the reader in your thesis statement what you are going to prove. Now you are telling them how you are going to prove it.
PROVING YOUR POINTS
Always begin each main point section with a sentence of introduction that is very similar to the way you introduced the topic in your preview sentence. After you state your point, give the reader evidence from the book. Tell them what page the evidence is on (see here for citation information) and if possible give them a quote from the book to support what you say. There is NO STRONGER EVIDENCE than a quote. Always follow a quote with an explanation of how that quotation proves your point.
Sources of quotes for many books are in the Concordance, where you can search a book based on words you want to write about. For specific quotes from Charles Dickens' books, try the Charles Dickens Gad's Hill Place searchable quote bank.
The Conclusion
The conclusion is important because it summarizes everything you have said in your essay and leaves the reader confident that you have accomplished what you set out to do. It is more than simply re-stating your introduction, it is your final say to convince the reader.
Transition Words
It is important to transition between sentences in a paragraph and between paragraphs. Look here for some great transition words. Remember, make sure your transition words make sense! (click on a link)
Still need more? Type "transition words" into this search engine:
WANT TIPS ON:
OR TRY OTHER PAGES ON THIS SITE
