Aim: How Can We Learn to Write an Effective Essay?

I.S. 239 Name ________________________

Class _____ February , 2017

Aim: How can we learn to write an effective essay?

Use the handout (OUTLINE)

This outline will help you write your essay.

Each paragraph should be at least six –seven sentences.

The ESSAY TOPIC:

Why is Roald Dahl’s writng worthy of our attention?

Do Now: Look at your INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH that you wrote for homework. Share with your classmates your hook and thesis.

Notes:

1. A thesis statement tells the reader what you are trying to prove. For OUR purposes, you will write the thesis statement as the last sentence of the introduction.

2. Remember, whatever your thesis statement is, THAT’S what you’re trying to prove.

TOPIC + OPINION + SO WHAT = A good thought out THESIS

You may want to make it more general rather than specific so you have more to work with.

For example, if your thesis statement is ….

RDahl’s writing is worthy of our attention because his writing is memorable, enjoyable and inspirational.

TOPIC + OPINION + SO WHAT = A good thought out THESIS

RDahl’s writing+ it’s worthy of out attention(some people might not think it’s worthy) + so what It’s memorable . enjoyable and inspirational.

Look at it like this:

If you say your thesis is :

Smoking makes your teeth yellow and your clothes smell, then the ENTIRE essay would have to be about yellow teeth and bad smelling clothing. LOL… You may want to generalize the thesis statement so you can include those two details as evidence that smoking is a bad habit.

3. I should be able to know what your essay is about just by reading your thesis statement. It should be able to stand alone.

Example:

Unacceptable thesis statement: It is bad for your health. (I don’t know what IT is. This statement doesn’t stand alone.)

Acceptable: Smoking is bad for your health.

4. DO NOT USE FIRST PERSON UNLESS I SPECIFICALLY REQUEST IT!

Example:

Unacceptable thesis statement: In my opinion, smoking is dangerous.

Acceptable thesis statement: Smoking is dangerous.

5. Each paragraph should be at least six sentences.

6. The introduction paragraph should be general. Use all your specific facts, examples and details in your body paragraph.

7. No colloquialisms! Essay writing is formal. Do not use informal language.

Example:

Do not use A LOT. Use MANY instead.

8. Remember that the whole point of the essay is to prove your topic sentence. The topic sentence of each body paragraph should be related to the thesis statement. All of the supporting sentences in each body paragraph must relate to the topic sentence.