ESSAY WRITING

Introduction

Parts of an Essay Supporting Paragraphs

Summary Paragraph

Prewriting Essays

Writing Essays
How to Write an Essay
Editing Essays

Publishing Essays

Definition

Classification

Kinds of Essays Description

Compare and Contrast

Explanation

Introduction Paragraph

What is an introduction paragraph?

The introduction paragraph is the first paragraph of your essay.

What does it do?

It introduces the main idea of your essay. A good opening paragraph captures the interest of
your reader and tells why your topic is important.

How do I write one?

1. Write the thesis statement. The main idea of the essay is stated in a single sentence called
the thesis statement. You must limit your entire essay to the topic you have introduced in your
thesis statement.
2. Provide some background information about your topic. You can use interesting facts,
quotations, or definitions of important terms you will use later in the essay.

Example:

Hockey has been a part of life in Canada for over 120 years. It has evolved into an extremely
popular sport watched and played by millions of Canadians. The game has gone through
several changes since hockey was first played in Canada.
Supporting Paragraphs

What are supporting paragraphs?

Supporting paragraphs make up the main body of your essay.

What do they do?

They develop the main idea of your essay.

How do I write them?

1. List the points that develop the main idea of your essay.
2. Place each supporting point in its own paragraph.
3. Develop each supporting point with facts, details, and examples.

To connect your supporting paragraphs, you should use special transition words. Transition
words link your paragraphs together and make your essay easier to read. Use them at the
beginning and end of your paragraphs.

Examples of transition words that can help you to link your paragraphs together:

For listing different points For counter examples

First However
Second Even though
Third On the other hand
Nevertheless
For additional ideas To show cause and effect
Another Therefore
In addition to Thus
Related to As a result of
Furthermore Consequently
Also

Like all good paragraphs, each supporting paragraph should have a topic sentence,
supporting sentences, and a summary sentence.

Summary Paragraph

What is a summary paragraph?

The summary paragraph comes at the end of your essay after you have finished developing
your ideas. The summary paragraph is often called a "conclusion."

What does it do?

It summarizes or restates the main idea of the essay. You want to leave the reader with a
sense that your essay is complete.

How do I write one?

1. Restate the strongest points of your essay that support your main idea.
2. Conclude your essay by restating the main idea in different words.
3. Give your personal opinion or suggest a plan for action.

Example: Overall, the changes that occurred in hockey have helped to improve the game.
Hockey is faster and more exciting as a result of changes in the past 120 years. For these
reasons, modern hockey is a better game than hockey in the 1890s.
Prewriting Essays

What is the prewriting stage?

The prewriting stage is when you prepare your ideas for your essay before you begin writing.
You will find it easier to write your essay if you build an outline first, especially when you are
writing longer assignments.

Six Prewriting Steps:

1. Think carefully about what you are going to write. Ask yourself: What question am I
going to answer in this paragraph or essay? How can I best answer this question? What is the
most important part of my answer? How can I make an introductory sentence (or thesis
statement) from the most important part of my answer? What facts or ideas can I use to
support my introductory sentence? How can I make this paragraph or essay interesting? Do I
need more facts on this topic? Where can I find more facts on this topic?

2. Open your notebook. Write out your answers to the above questions. You do not need to
spend a lot of time doing this; just write enough to help you remember why and how you are
going to write your paragraph or essay.

3. Collect facts related to your paragraph or essay topic. Look for and write down facts
that will help you to answer your question. Timesaving hint: make sure the facts you are
writing are related to the exact question you are going to answer in your paragraph or essay.

4. Write down your own ideas. Ask yourself: What else do I want to say about this topic?
Why should people be interested in this topic? Why is this topic important?

5. Find the main idea of your paragraph or essay. Choose the most important point you are
going to present. If you cannot decide which point is the most important, just choose one point
and stick to it throughout your paragraph or essay.

6. Organize your facts and ideas in a way that develops your main idea. Once you have
chosen the most important point of your paragraph or essay, you must find the best way to tell
your reader about it. Look at the facts you have written. Look at your own ideas on the topic.
Decide which facts and ideas will best support the main idea of your essay. Once you have
chosen the facts and ideas you plan to use, ask yourself which order to put them in the essay.
Write down your own note set that you can use to guide yourself as you write your essay.

Writing Essays

What is the writing stage?

The writing stage is when you turn your ideas into sentences.

Five Writing Steps:

1. For the introduction, write the thesis statement and give some background information.
2. Develop each supporting paragraph and make sure to follow the correct paragraph format.
3. Write clear and simple sentences to express your meaning.
4. Focus on the main idea of your essay.
5. Use a dictionary to help you find additional words to express your meaning.
Editing Essays

What is the editing stage?

The editing stage is when you check your essay for mistakes and correct them.

Editing Steps:

Grammar and Spelling

1. Check your spelling.
2. Check your grammar.
3. Read your essay again.
4. Make sure each sentence has a subject.
5. Make sure your subjects and verbs agree with each other.
6. Check the verb tenses of each sentence.
7. Make sure that each sentence makes sense.

Style and Organization

1. Make sure your essay has an introduction, supporting paragraphs, and a summary
paragraph.
2. Check that you have a thesis statement that identifies the main idea of the essay.
3. Check that all your paragraphs follow the proper paragraph format.
4. See if your essay is interesting.

Publishing Essays

What is the publishing stage?

The publishing stage is when you produce a final copy of your essay to hand in.

Publishing Steps:

1. Make a paper copy of your essay.

2. Show your work to your teacher, tutor, or parents.
3. Ask them for hints on how to improve your writing.

Definition Essay

When you are writing a definition essay, you take a term or an idea and write about what it is.
Often, definitions are combined with classification or other forms of organization in the essay.
You need to give a careful definition of the key term before going on to discuss different types
or examples.

Write an essay defining energy resources and discuss the

Example question:
different types.
Introduction: Define the key term energy resources.
Supporting paragraphs: 1. Define one type of energy resources: renewable resources.
2. Define another type of energy resources: non-renewable
resources.
Summary paragraph: Summarize energy resources.
Classification Essay
In a classification essay, you separate things or ideas into specific categories and discuss
each of them. You organize the essay by defining each classification and by giving examples
of each type.

Example question: Write an essay discussing the three types of government in

Canada.
Introduction: Give background information about government in Canada.
Supporting 1. Define and describe federal government.
paragraphs: 2. Define and describe provincial governments.
3. Define and describe municipal governments.
Summary paragraph: Summarize government in Canada.

Description Essay
In a description essay, you write about what a person, place, or thing is like. You organize the
essay by describing different parts or aspects of the main subject.

Example question: Write an essay describing the polar bear.

Introduction: Introduce what a polar bear is.
Supporting paragraphs: 1. Describe where the polar bear lives.
2. Describe the body of the polar bear.
3. Describe what the polar eats.
Summary paragraph: Summarize what a polar bear is.

Compare and Contrast Essay

In a compare and contrast essay, you write about the similarities and differences between two
or more people, places, or things. You can organize the essay by writing about one subject
first and then comparing it with the second subject. A more effective way is to organize the
essay by comparing each subject by category.

Example: Write an essay comparing the weather in Vancouver and Halifax.

Introduction: Introduce weather in the cities of Vancouver and Halifax.
Supporting 1. Compare weather in spring and summer for both cities.
paragraphs: State how they are similar or different.
2. Compare weather in fall and winter for both cities.
State how they are similar or different.
Summary paragraph: Summarize the similarities and differences.

Explanation Essay
In an explanation essay, you explain how or why something happens or has happened. You
need to explain different causes and effects. You should organize the essay by explaining
each individual cause or effect.

Example question: Write an essay explaining why so many Europeans moved

to Canada during the early nineteenth century.
Introduction: Give background information on European immigration during this
time.
Supporting 1. Explain first reason: poor economy in Europe.
paragraphs: 2. Explain second reason: better living conditions in Canada.
Summary paragraph: Summarize main reasons.