A. Introduction and thesis statement (Say what you want to do)

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 416.

Exercise 1. Read the article by Peter Timman. Tell your partner what you remember about the basic outline format for essays.

Guide to Writing an Essay

Writing

An essay can have many purposes, but the basic structure is the same no matter what. These simple steps will guide you through the essay writing process:

1. Decide on your topic.

2. Prepare an outline of your ideas:

a) write your thesis statement,

b) write the body,

c) write the main points,

d) write the subpoints,

e) elaborate on the subpoints,

f) write the introduction,

g) write the conclusion.

3. Add the finishing touches.

Think about the type of paper you are expected to produce. Should it be a general overview, or a specific analysis of the topic? If it should be an overview, then you are probably ready to move to the next step. If it should be a specific analysis, make sure your topic is fairly specific. If it is too general, you must choose a narrower subtopic to discuss.

The purpose of an outline is to put your ideas about the topic on paper, in a moderately organized format. Begin your outline by writing your topic at the top of the page.Then say what you want to do … do it … say what you have done.

Following this Basic Outline:

1) Before writing you must have a thesis statement. This is one sentence announcing the central idea of the paper. It must be specific. This statement should sum up the basic meaning of the paper and signal to the reader what to expect.

2) The first sentence is the most important one because it gets the reader's attention.

3) The first paragraph is very important. It should make the reader want to continue reading.