crafting your essay: a step-by-step guide
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Henderson. Crafting Your Essay: a step-by-step guide. ANALYZE the PROMPT! Underline all the key concepts and demands of your essay prompt. Check for understanding by rephrasing the prompt in your own words. Know your prompt!. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
CRAFTING YOUR ESSAY: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
Henderson
KNOW YOUR PROMPT! ANALYZE the PROMPT! Underline all the key concepts and
demands of your essay prompt. Check for understanding by rephrasing
the prompt in your own words.
PRE-WRITINGWhile your initial steps for pre-writing may vary (searching through the text and your notes, free-writing, listing), your formal pre-writing document will be a cluster diagram.
CLUSTERING Place your central argument in the
center bubble Write your supporting arguments in the
outer bubbles; these may become your main ideas (topic sentences)
Write supporting ideas on the “branches”. These will likely be drawn from plot points or specific character traits.
FINDING EVIDENCE For each “branch”, search the text for IDEAL,
APPLICABLE quotations. Record potential quotations (with page
numbers) in your notes or on a separate sheet of paper.
COLOR CODE your quotes (using highlighters, markers, post-its) based on their validity.
The color codes should indicate strong, adequate, and weak textual support.
Alternatively, you may follow this process by flagging your text.
CRAFTING YOUR THESIS STATEMENT So now you have your “raw materials”
in the form of ideas and evidence. Time to construct an argument!
Incorporate all demands of the prompt in your statement.
For 90% of essays, the thesis statement can be established in one sentence.
VALID THESIS STATEMENTS Since the thesis is the central argument
of your essay, it is concerned with a BIG IDEA (not to be confused with a BROAD idea).
Thesis statements address the text’s meaning and the author’s purpose & techniques.
Remember the Goldilocks Effect: a strong thesis is not too broad and not too narrow – it is just right!
EVALUATING THESIS STATEMENTSDecide whether the following thesis statements are too broad, too narrow, or just right.o In To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem has to grow up.o To Kill a Mockingbird deals with innocence.o In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee argues
that innocence is always lost.o Through her use of symbolism and
juxtaposition in To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee argues that innocence is lost when ideals are corrupted.
CRAFTING YOUR MAIN IDEAS Look back at the “outer bubbles” in your
cluster diagram. Rephrase the arguments in those bubbles so
that they serve as “mini-thesis statements”: They will read like thesis statements, except that
they will deal with a more specific aspect of the text
They will address an idea that is clearly related to your thesis
I prefer the term “main idea” to “topic sentence” because it connotes an argument, but it’s the same thing, really. Don’t get all confuzzled.
EVALUATING MAIN IDEASConsider our sample Mockingbird thesis from earlier. Decide which of the following main ideas strongly and specifically supports the thesis.o The concept of innocence – and its fragility in a
corrupt world – is best symbolized by a mockingbird.o Many characters have their innocence corrupted.o Early in the novel, Atticus instructs Jim not to shoot a
mockingbird.o In the beginning of the novel, Scout and Jem are
innocent characters.o A study in character contrasts reveals the process by
which characters lose their innocence in the novel.
INTERMEDIATE STEP: LINE DIAGRAM This is a handy way to organize your
clustered ideas before beginning your formal outline.
OUTLINING Once you have your thesis statement
and main ideas established, you can start mapping out those components and supporting details in a formal outline.
The outline will not cover ALL the components of your essay, but it will organize all the key parts of your argument and essay structure.
A FORMAL OUTLINEAccess the blueprint for your formal essay outline on my Wiki.
BUILDING YOUR BODY PARAGRAPHS Plug in all the components of your outline
on a word document. Add context for your quotations (don’t
forget to weave!) Add transitions between and within your
paragraphs.
** Keep your thesis at the top of the page as your cognitive focal point! **
ELUCIDATING LITERARY ELEMENTS Plot
Exposition, rising action, climax, denoement
Conflict Internal vs. external; four types
Genre Adherence to/departure from genre
conventions Theme Tone
ELUCIDATING LITERARY ELEMENTS Character
Flat, static Round, dynamic Protagonist, antagonist Hero, antihero/heroine Foil Chorus
DELINEATING LITERARY DEVICES Metaphorical devices
Simile, metaphor, and extended metaphor Symbol and motif Allusion Allegory
Diction Dialect Slang, idiom, colloquialism
DELINEATING LITERARY DEVICES Devices of sound
Alliteration, consonance, assonance, onomatopoeia
Denotation vs. connotation Contradictions
Paradox, antithesis, dichotomy, oxymoron
TRANSITIONSFor showing contrast/exceptions
but, however, in spite of, on the one hand ... on the other hand, nevertheless, nonetheless, notwithstanding, in contrast, on the contrary, still, yet
For showing cause and effect
accordingly, consequently, hence, so, therefore, thus
For emphasis & additional info
additionally, again, also, and, as well, besides, equally important, further, furthermore, in addition, moreover, then
For setting up analysis (verbs)
Suggests, establishes, illustrates, reveals, underscores, juxtaposes, symbolizes, characterizes, embodies, expresses, demonstrates
For opening and closing
Whereas, because, although, while, equally, more/lessUltimately, in brief, ultimately, on the whole, thus
INITIATING YOUR ESSAY: INTRODUCTION
You should already have the most important part of your introduction securely placed in its sacred spot at the end of the paragraph (ahem, your THESIS).
In the lead, establish the title, author, and topic of your essay. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, a
racially charged crisis shatters the innocence of a sleepy, southern town.
INITIATING YOUR ESSAY: INTRODUCTION Next, look to your body paragraphs for
main plot points and ideas. Use this material to write a 5(ish)-
sentence synopsis. (In other words, retell the story with your perspective in mind. Make general points along the way.)
Establish the issue/problem/focal point that will serve as the reason for your thesis.
INITIATING YOUR ESSAY: SAMPLEIn Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, a racially charged
crisis shatters the innocence of a sleepy, southern town. Two white children, Jem and Scout, are denied the blissful ignorance of their youth when they witness a rape trial which ends the life of an innocent black man. Through the ordeal, Jem and Scout learn that adults’ motives are not always pure and that the arc of the universe does not always bend toward justice. Such a complex idea is made accessible to the children (and Lee’s audience)through accessible symbols and the juxtaposition of benign and malicious characters. Through her use of symbolism and juxtaposition in To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee argues that innocence is lost when ideals are corrupted.
CLOSING YOUR ESSAY: CONCLUSION Remember that the purpose of the
conclusion is to repackage – to restate in a succinct way – the argument that you have taken pages to develop.
Follow the REVERSE of your intro paragraph: Loosely restate your thesis Loosely restate your main ideas and
arguments Final thought on the significance or lasting
impression of the text
HONEY BADGER SAYS DON’T… Forget the 80/20 rule! Open a paragraph
with a quotation! Follow a quotation
with “This quote means”; “In this quote”; “In other words”!
Begin your conclusion with “In conclusion”!
Write in first or second person!
REVISING SENTENCE STRUCTURE To improve clarity, voice, and fluency,
consider using the following sentence constructions: Compound sentences with semicolons Complex sentences Modifiers with colons and dashes Interrupting phrases Subordinating conjunctions Periodic sentences to emphasize a point
EDIT FOR GRAMMAR! Is your grammar a turd
in the compositional punch bowl? Subject-verb agreement Pronoun-antecedent
agreement Run-ons & comma
splices Fragments Dangling/misplaced
modifiers Homophones
CITING YOUR SOURCES Formatting and citations must be in
accordance with MLA standards. All secondary sources must be valid
and authoritative. ANY presentation of another writer’s
IDEAS as your own is considered PLAGIARISM.
DONE! HOOTIE SAYS HI.