Essay Writing: Thesis, Structure and Tips for Introduction and Conclusion, Study notes of Technical English

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Thesis-Support Essay Structure

Tips for Introduction and Conclusion

Presenter: Clive James

What is an Essay

• An essay is a way to express your personal opinion about a topic
• It usually has a message to convey for a specific purpose
• It conveys your point (s) of view and full grasp of the topic
  • Types of Essays :
    • Descriptive Essay
    • Definition Essay
    • Compare and Contrast Essay
    • Cause and Effect Essay
    • Narrative Essay
    • Process Essay
    • Argumentative Essay
    • Critical Essay
    • Expository Essay
    • Persuasive Essay

Essay Outline Example – Introduction and Thesis

First Paragraph - Introduction

• Essay Title : Capitalize all major words
  • Introduction : First Paragraph of Essay
    • Lead-in : Provide a quotation, surprising statement, or question, etc.
    • Development : Give background information, tell an interesting story, present a vivid description, give a definition, explain both sides of a debate
    • Thesis or the central theme of the essay

Thesis Statement Examples – Expository thesis

• Example of an Expository (explanatory) Thesis Statement:
  • “The life of the typical college student is characterized by time spent studying, attending class, and socializing with peers.” - The paper that follows should: - Explain how students spend their time studying , attending class, and socializing with their peers

Thesis Statement Examples – Argumentative Thesis

• Example of an Argumentative Thesis Statement:
  • “High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness.” - The paper that follows should: - Present an argument and give evidence to support the claim that students should pursue community projects before entering college

Organization - Topic Sentences

• What is a Topic Sentence?
  • Every essay “body” paragraph should contain a topic sentence that identifies the main idea
  • It should not be too general nor too specific
  • It is often the paragraph’s very first sentence and ties back to the thesis statement in the first paragraph
  • The supporting details in the paragraph will further develop the topic sentence

Organization - Topic Sentence Example

• Topic Sentence Exercise:
  • Write a topic sentence for the following paragraph:
    • During the 1990s , I really enjoyed watching Friends on television every Thursday night. I really wanted Rachel’s haircut—I think every girl wanted Rachel’s haircut back then! Rachel’s haircut went really well with the Guess Jeans that were so popular in the 1990s. I remember all the advertisements for

Guess and Calvin Klein Jeans that were in each month’s Sassy magazine. I don’t

think Sassy magazine exists anymore, but it was one of the most popular

magazines for young women in the 1990s.

• “Thinking about the 1990s brings back a lot of memories for me about fashion and popular culture.”

Organization- Relevance of Ideas Exercise

• The bold sentences in the paragraph below are irrelevant and could be eliminated.

“Exercise is really good for one’s physical and mental health. It is proven that aerobic exercise is good for the heart, which is very important to overall health. I used to run every day, but now I go to dance classes to get my aerobic exercise. Strength training is important for maintaining muscle mass and improving bone density. Both muscle mass and bone density can decrease as we age, so improving them through strength training is important. My grandmother broke a hip last year because her bones were so fragile. All kinds of exercise have been shown to relieve depression, anxiety, and stress.”

Flow - Order of Ideas Exercise

• The paragraph below is reorganized to be more logical:

It is important to plan your trips carefully. When you go on a trip, you need to think about how much money to allot for things like transportation, food, and hotels. Hotels and transportation on trips can be expensive if you don’t book them with plenty of time in advance. Another thing to plan for is how much time you want to spend sightseeing and doing different sorts of activities. Even though you may want to do everything, you have to remember that there are only so many hours in the day! Planning your trip carefully will allow you to have a more relaxed trip.

Second Body Paragraph – Example

Third Body Paragraph – Example

Conclusion – Last Paragraph of the Essay

• The following outline may help you conclude your paper:
  • Rephrased Thesis :
    • Restate your topic and why it is important
  • Summary :
    • Summarize your essay’s three supporting points
  • Clincher :
    • Tie back to your introduction; give a prediction, suggestion, quotation, or call to action

The Restated Thesis

• How to restate your thesis:
  • The restated thesis is the first sentence of the conclusion.
  • It re-words (not repeats) the thesis idea.