3 OUMH1203 TOPIC 3 WHAT ARE ESSAYS?
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Plan an essay;
2. Identify different types of essays; and
3. Develop paragraphs.
INTRODUCTION
Before you can actually communicate using different forms of writing, you need to know basic writing skills. This topic will assume that you have passed the sentence construction stage and know how to write good sentences. It will focus on teaching you how to write paragraphs. The best way to acquire this skill is to demonstrate it through essay writing.
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, an essay is:
A short literary composition on a single subject, usually presenting the personal view of the author.
Over time, essays have become very important in the academic world. Academic essays are used to measure how students fare in their writing performances.
Essays are also used to see the studentsÊ train of thought and ability to argue certain issues. Due to the different purposes of writing, there are many types of academic essays. Examples include the descriptive essay, narrative essay, comparative essay, and argumentative essay.
Even though there are many types of essays, the basic structure of one particular essay type is very similar to another. Once you understand the basic structure, you should be able to write any type of essay required of you.
Tip:
You need to read widely to improve your writing skills. The reading-writing connection should not be ignored.
3.1 PLANNING TO WRITE ESSAYS.
Writing good essays is more than just merely making sure the grammar and vocabulary used are correct. There are many writing strategies you can employ to write an essay. Some people like to write down key points as they come to mind and try to rearrange them later into something acceptable, some prefer to write straight away and think as they go along, while others may find it easier to work by coming up with some sort of visual mind map or outline to further develop their thinking.
As a beginner to essay writing, it is always good to plan what you want to write. As they say, failing to plan is planning to fail. The first thing to do is to make sure you understand what the question wants. Read the question carefully, identify the main issue and understand any new key terms there.
Basically there are four stages involved in essay writing:
(a) Pre-writing;
(b) Draft;
(c) Editing; and
(d) Final draft/essay.
3.1.1 Pre-writing Stage
In this stage you should think about the essay topic, then gather information and scribble your ideas related to it, putting this down in the form of a bulleted list, mind-map, outline and so on (please refer to Figure 3.1). Use the form that you are most comfortable with.
Figure 3.1: Ways of putting your thoughts and ideas in writing
Source: Cox, K. & Hill, D. (2004). EAP now!: Students' book. Melbourne: Addison Wesley
Longman Australia Pty. Ltd.
ACTIVITY 3.1
Do this activity either alone, in pairs, or in groups. Choose an essay topic and brainstorm the content of the essay. Write down all suggestions, no matter how silly they may sound to you. Keep these suggestions aside until later.
3.1.2 Drafting Stage
Different people adopt different strategies at this stage. You can come up with an outline and stick closely to this, or begin with the section you are most comfortable with. Alternatively, you can just start writing without a plan. As a beginner, it is always good to have an outline or a plan for your essay. An essay outline might involve the following:
Paragraph 1 – Introduction
Paragraph 2 – Point (a)
Paragraph 3 – Point (b)
Paragraph 4 – Point (c)
Paragraph 5 – Point (d)
Paragraph 6 – Point (e)
Paragraph 7 – Conclusion/Summary
ACTIVITY 3.2
Look at the notes you made during the pre-writing exercise (Activity 3.1). Read through them again and decide what you want to include and exclude from your essay. Rearrange and slot the points according to paragraphs. Write your essay based on your outline.
3.1.3 Editing Stage
After you have finished writing your essay draft, the next step is to reread the essay and edit it. At this stage, you will check the accuracy of content, clarity of expression, grammar, vocabulary and other aspects such as spelling, punctuation, format, and so on.
3.1.4 Final Draft Stage
The final stage is to rewrite your final essay neatly. Remember to check that the format used is correct. It is always good to keep your annotated draft next to you for easy reference.
ACTIVITY 3.3
Reread your first draft and annotate on it. Exchange your annotated essay with your friend and ask him/her to give you feedback. Do the same for him/her. Take note of the suggestions and make changes accordingly.
ACTIVITY 3.4
Rewrite your final essay using the annotated draft as a guide. Write neatly and ensure that the format is correct as you are going to hand in your essay after this stage. (You may want to re-edit and repeat Step 3 again and again until you are satisfied.)
3.2 TYPES OF ESSAYS
Although there are many types of essays, we are going to look at the three most common essays found in academic writing:
(a) Explanation Essay
An explanation essay usually starts with a general statement, followed by a series of explanations to support the statement.
(b) Argumentation Essay
An argumentation essay, on the other hand, is persuasive in nature and usually begins with a thesis statement. The writer's opinion is then argued out and restated once again in the conclusion.
(c) Discussion Essay
The discussion essay is very similar to the argumentation essay, except that it discusses both sides of the issue and lets the readers decide for themselves.
You are expected to make judgement, or form an opinion, on the type of essay you are going to write while researching your essay topic. One way to make judgement is to look at key phrases found in the topic given. For example, take a look at the essay questions below:
(a) Explain why computers are becoming more important in our daily lives.
(b) Many cosmetic and personal care products undergo safety testing before they are made available to consumers. Most of the time, this means exposing animals to chemical compounds. We should allow animal testing in scientific research provided no animals are harmed in the process.
Discuss.
(c) China in this new millennium decided to reconsider the "bamboo curtain" policy in order to cooperate and strengthen its ties with other countries. What has led to this policy shift and what are the possible consequences?
ACTIVITY 3.5
Look at the three essay questions above and underline the key terms for each question. Then, write a brief explanation of what you should include in your essay for each of the topics.
From Activity 3.5, you should have identified the key terms below:
Explain.
Discuss.
What has.
What are.
A brief explanation of what should be included in each essay is suggested below:
(a) I must talk about why computers are becoming more important.
(b) I must think about animal testing and make a decision whether I agree or disagree with the premise: "We should allow animal testing in scientific research provided no animals are harmed in the process." I must define "animal testing" and explain why this is an issue.
(c) There are two questions that need to be answered here. I must research and find out what other people think about why China is trying to cooperate and strengthen its ties with other countries. I must also explain the reasons for the policy shift and speculate about possible consequences in the future.
3.3 DISCOURSE MARKERS
A discourse marker is a word or phrase used in a conversation to signal the speaker's intention to mark a boundary:
"Anyway, I'll have to be going now."
The function of anyway is to signal a change in the direction of the conversation, in this case to finish it, so anyway is a discourse marker here.
Discourse markers can be used to focus, clarify, contrast, change the subject, show agreement or disagreement etc.
Source: Discourse Marker – Glossary Definition - UsingEnglish.com. (n.d.).
http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/discourse-marker.html
There are many types of discourse markers in essay writing, depending on the purpose and relationship of the ideas you are trying to express. Table 3.1 shows some common discourse markers that you usually position at the start of a phrase or a clause.
Table 3.1: Examples of Different Types of Discourse Markers Purpose/
Relationship ! Sentence Connectors Position within >> Clause/Sentence
(i) Adding something Moreover; In addition; Additionally; Further; Further to
this; Also; Besides; What is more Initial position
(ii)Making a contrast between two separate things, people, ideas etc. -- However; On the other hand; In contrast; Yet >> Initial position
(iii) Making an unexpected contrast (concession) -- Although; Even though; Despite the
fact that; In spite of the fact that; Regardless of the fact that Initial position ! Starts a second/subordinate >> clause
(iv) Saying why something is the case -- Because; Since; As; >> Insofar as Initial position
Starts a second/subordinate >> clause
(v) Saying what the result of something is -- Therefore; Consequently; In consequence; As a result; Accordingly; Hence; Thus; For this reason; Because of this >> Initial position
(vi) Expressing a condition -- If; In the event of; As long as; So long as; Provided that; Assuming that; Given that >> Initial position ! Starts a second/subordinate clause
(vii) Making what you say stronger -- On the contrary; As a matter of fact; In fact; Indeed >> Initial position
Besides the above examples, there are other types of discourse markers that we usually use in essay writing. This includes:
(a) Time Sequence Markers.
Time sequence markers link sentences together as shown in Table 3.2:
First, he went to the post office. Then, he stopped by the market.
Table 3.2: Time Sequence Markers
Types < - - - - - > Sentence Connectors.
(i) Time markers (general). Before, since, as, until, meanwhile, at the moment, when,
whenever, as soon as, just as.
(ii) Sequence markers < - - > First(ly), initially, second(ly), third(ly), to begin with, then,
next, earlier/later, after this/that, following, afterwards,
finally, lastly
(b) Addition and Contrast Markers
Addition markers connect two sentences which are in agreement with each other or support a point (please refer to Table 3.3). For example:
(i) He likes watching movies.
(ii) He enjoys listening to music.
He likes watching movies and listening to music.
Contrast markers, on the other hand, link sentences which are not in agreement with each other (please refer to Table 3.3). For example:
(i) He did not agree.
(ii) He went along with the plan.
Although he did not agree, he went along with the plan.
Table 3.3: Addition and Contrast Markers
Types < - - - - - > Sentence Connectors
(i) Addition markers < -- > And, in addition, further, also, both, not only but also, furthermore, moreover, besides
(ii) Contrast markers < -- > However, but, albeit, though, on the other hand, in contrast, on the contrary, conversely, although, though, while, whereas, in spite of, despite
(c) Contrast, Deduction, Example, Addition, Summation Markers
These markers connect sentences which add information, summarise or give reasons to support a point (please refer to Table 3.4).
Table 3.4: Contrast, Deduction, Example, Addition, and Summation Markers
Types Sentence Connectors
(i) Add information And, in addition, additionally, moreover, also,
furthermore, as well as, not only but also
(ii) Contrast But, whereas, on the contrary, on the other hand,
however, despite
(iii) Summarise/Conclude To summarise, in summary, in conclusion
(iv) Reason/result/cause/effect
Therefore, thus, though, because, as, if, so
(v) Give examples For example, such as, for instance
(d) Cause and effect markers
Cause and effect markers connect sentences which show cause and effect (please refer to Table 3.5). For example:
(i) There was a traffic jam.
(ii) I was late.
There was a traffic jam, so I was late.
Table 3.5: Cause and Effect Markers
Types Sentence Connectors
Cause and effect markers So, but, because, as, if, the reason, provided that, in
comparison
3.4 WRITING PARAGRAPHS
This section will show you how paragraphs evolve in essay writing. It is assumed that you are already able to construct sentences on your own. Briefly, an essay consists of three sections: (1) an introduction, (2) the body, and (3) a conclusion. As every paragraph is a mini essay in itself, we can also say that the three sections of the essay exist in every paragraph.
As the name suggests, the introduction paragraph introduces the subject matter of the essay. Usually, the initial sentence introduces the topic and is followed by supporting sentences. The topic sentence, or thesis statement, gives readers an understanding of what your essay is all about while the supporting sentences comprise evidence to support, verify, or provide meaning to the topic sentence (sometimes, with examples). The paragraph then ends with a concluding sentence that sometimes includes information on what comes next in the essay.
The next few paragraphs, called body paragraphs or support paragraphs, contain supporting evidence for the essay. The topic that you have chosen must now be supported through a description, explanation or argument. In order to do that, list all your main points to support your topic and expand each main point into a paragraph.
This process will result in several paragraphs within the body of the essay. Write each paragraph as if it is on its own, clearly stating what that paragraph is about in a topic sentence, then support that topic sentence with evidence (four or five sentences).
You can also provide examples, quotations, facts, and other evidence to support this paragraph. Some writers end with a summary line but this is not necessary. Lastly, write the summary or concluding paragraph. This paragraph will summarise the whole essay, thus making clear to your readers your
understanding of the essay topics. Many people do not take this paragraph seriously as they think it is just a matter of stringing the points together. In actual fact, writing this paragraph can be tricky because you might add too many details or too little information.
The best thing to do is to read all your main points and sub-points. Then, in your own words, write about your understanding of the whole essay in the order it appears. You can use the thesis statement to begin this paragraph if you want to.
Remember to be concise and precise. Revise and check for accuracy. There you have it. It is done. You have written a very basic form of essay. You might want to let a few of your friends read your essay and revise accordingly based on their feedback.
The following is a basic outline for an essay:
INTRODUCTION
– Topic sentence/thesis statement of the whole essay.
– Support/Evidence.
– Conclusion for this paragraph and what is to come in next few paragraphs.
BODY
Support Evidence 1 – Topic sentence for this paragraph.
– Support/Evidence for Evidence 1.
– Examples/Quotations etc.
– Conclusion (optional).
Support evidence 2 – Topic sentence for this paragraph.
– Support/Evidence for Evidence 2.
– Examples/Quotations etc.
– Conclusion (optional).
Support evidence 3 – Topic sentence for this paragraph.
– Support/Evidence for Evidence 3.
– Examples/Quotations etc.
– Conclusion (optional).
Support evidence 5
CONCLUSION – Write your summary of the whole essay. Remember to be as clear and convincing as you can as this is the last paragraph your readers are reading.
It is fine if you are not producing great essays at this point as we will focus on each part of the essay in greater detail in the topics to come. At this stage, it is good if you can practice the four steps in essay planning:
(1) pre-writing,
(2) draft,
(3) editing, and
(4) final draft.
It is also good to know the outline of a basic essay.
Writing a good essay requires some amount of planning. Basically, there are
four stages involved:
– Pre-writing;
– Draft;
– Editing; and
– Final draft/essay.
In academic writing, the three most common types of essay are:
– Explanation essay;
– Argumentation essay; and
– Discussion essay.
A discourse marker is a word or phrase used in a conversation to signal the
speaker's intention to mark a boundary.
An essay consists of three sections:
– Introduction;
– Body; and
– Conclusion.
Body
Conclusion
Discourse markers
Evidence
Introduction
Thesis statement
Topic sentence
Cox, K., & Hill, D. (2004). EAP now!: Teacher's book. Alexandria, VA:
Prentice Hall.
Cox, K., & Hill, D. (2004). EAP now!: Students' book. Melbourne: Addison
Wesley Longman Australia Pty. Ltd.
Moore, S., & Murray, R. (2006). The handbook of academic writing. Buckingham:
Open University Press.
Feak, C. A., & Swales, J. M. (2004). Academic writing for graduate students
(2nd ed.). Essential tasks and skills (Michigan series in english for academic &
professional purposes). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press/ESL.
Discourse Marker – Glossary Definition – UsingEnglish.com. (n.d.). Retrieved
September 6, 2009, from http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/discourse-marker.html
Discourse Markers. (n.d.). Retrieved September 6, 2009, from
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/
No comments:
Post a Comment