Pre-Writing: Choosing a Topic
A definition essay attempts to define a specific term.
tries to pin down the meaning of a specific word, or define an abstract concept.
goes deeper than a simple dictionary definition
It's important to limit your term before you start defining it.
For example, you could write forever on the term "love." To limit it, you would write about either "romantic love,“ "platonic love,“ "first love."
1. Love
2. Hope
3. Independence
4. Injustice
5. Freedom
6. Education
7. Patriotism
8. Pain
9. Courage
10. Honor
11. Work
12. Responsibility
13. Beauty
14. Kindness
15. Compassion
16. Sexism
17. Gumption
18. Racism
19. Sportsmanship
20. Modesty
21. Self-assurance
22. Humility
23. Dedication
24. Sensitivity
25. Trust
26. Respect
27. Ambition
28. Right to privacy
29. Generosity
30. Laziness
31. Charisma
32. Common sense
33. Team player
34. Maturity
35. Integrity
36. Healthy appetite
37. Frustration
38. Optimism
39. Sense of humor
40. A teacher
41. Physical fitness
42. Marriage
43. True friendship
44.Citizenship
45.A good boss
46. Success
47. A coach
48. Intelligence
49. Personality
50. Peer pressure
51. Cruelty
52. Leadership
53. Persistence
54. Responsibility
55. Human rights
56. Sophistication
57. Self-respect
58. Comfort Food
59. A nerd
60. Heroism
61. Thrift
62. Sloth
63. Vanity
64. Pride
65. Greed
66. Virtue
67. Progress
68. A parent
69. A fan
70. A good student
Structure—The Introduction
Hook—When appropriate, use an attention-getting device to begin.
Avoid using questions
Instead try an unusual detail, strong statement, quote, statistic, short story
Background
Anything your reader needs to know to understand the rest of the essay
Thesis
The main claim/assertion/point you are proving in the rest of your paper
Should be interesting and arguable
Extended Definition: Thesis Statement
Think about the following when crafting your thesis:
• The term to be defined
• Your own definition of the term and how it varies from other definitions
• Reason(s) for giving a more detailed definition
• The kinds of additional information that will be used to extend the
definition
What do
introductions look
like in extended
definition essays?
When I was young, people would sometimes ask whether my
mother worked. I was never quite sure how to reply. If I said “No,” I
didn’t feel I was being truthful. If I said “yes,” the likely follow-up
question would be “Where does she work?” When I answered that my
mother worked at home, people would smile politely and say, “Oh,
then she’s a housewife.” “No,” I would explain, “she’s an artist.”
Because what seemed like a simple question turned out to be
complicated, I grew up giving the issue of work a lot of thought. In
one definition, Merriam –Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, describes
work as “the labor, task, or duty that is one’s accustomed means of
livelihood.” Unfortunately, not all work situations fit into this definition.
If they did, I would have to conclude that because my mother never
sold enough of her art to earn a living—that is, because her art was
not a means of “livelihood”—she didn’t work. By the same reasoning,
I would have to say that when Dad washed the dishes after dinner or
when I wrote a paper for my English class, either of us w e re actually
working—unless, of course, someone was paying us for our labor.
Why is it, then, that performing those tasks felt like work, even if the
dictionary would not define them that way? Perhaps what we need is
a more complex definition of the word work. It makes sense that work
is a labor, task, or duty. Rather than focus on whether work
contributes to one’s livelihood, though, it makes more sense to define
work as a labor, task, or duty that entails a sense of obligation, and
one that is performed with the goal of making a contribution.
Let’s take a look!
Structure—The Body Paragraphs
Topic sentence—Clearly relates to your thesis
Supporting sentences
Evidence to prove your point in the topic sentence
Reasoning/commentary to show how your evidence proves your
point
What do body
paragraphs look like
in extended definition
essays?
Most people believe they know what work is not. Work is not play. Does that mean that work is never fun? Of course not. Some people love their work. They see their jobs as rewarding experiences, brisk mental or physical workouts that end in the glow of success. Some people even select their careers based on what they have fun doing. A ski instruct r, for example, might choose that career because he or she loves to ski. What separates work from play is not how much fun we have doing it, but whether we feel an obligation to perform the task. If the ski instructor decides to hit the slopes on her day off, she is “playing.” If, though, a sense of obligation enters into the picture —“I have to practice skiing today so that I can become a better teacher”—then play becomes work. I might enjoy reading books on the weekend. If I have to read a book over the weekend for school, though, I’m likely to call this work rather than play, no matter how much or how little I enjoy it. One way to define “work,” then, is by what it is not: work is not play, an activity that a person is under no obligation to perform.
Let’s take a look!
• Use example, negation, structure,
function, and/or background to
explain the definition
• Each body paragraph should explain
ONE important aspect of your
definition
Structure—The Conclusion
Emphasize why it is important
Highlight the significance and relevance of the points you made in the rest of the paper
Synthesize your main points—put it all together!
Do NOT simply cut-and-paste your thesis here
Look at your opening and closing paragraphs side-by-side. If they say the same thing, you’re not quite there. It’s good, however, to refer back to your attention getter and bring your paper full circle.
Avoid being didactic—this means preachy
What do conclusions
look like in extended
definition essays?
According to the definition in the
dictionary, my mother was not working. If we
broaden the definition of “work,” however, so
that it includes both an obligation and a
contribution, we can take steps toward a much
more inclusive and realistic meaning of the
word. By taking into consideration the many diff rent ways people can contribute their
labor, we can begin to see that what looks like
play is sometimes really work; that work is not
always about how much money a person
earns while performing a task; and that our
labor, if it makes a contribution to ourselves,
our employers, our society, or our world, is
always important work.
Let’s take a look!
The Content
One purpose of this essay is to practice writing at length about some
topic, in a focused and sustained way.
Focused -- not rambling disconnectedly on "everything I know about X", but
discussing a specific topic or cluster of interrelated topics in an integrated way.
Sustained -- following through some clear line(s) of argument in some depth.
Whichever way you go, you should aim for a clearly structured essay and some meaty
arguments.
Go beyond the obvious! This is vital for a good definition essay! Be potato pickers, not tomato pickers.
Structure—Transitions
Transitions guide your reader through your paper.
Any time you switch topics, include a transition.
Two types of transitions:
Transition Words
Paragraph Hooks
Take a word or idea from the previous paragraph
and repeat it in the next paragraph
Conjunctions
and
but
or
for
nor
neither
so
yet
To introduce a topic
as for
concerning
with regard to
with respect to
To summarize
in all
in a word
in brief
briefly
in other words
in short
in summary
that is
To show purpose
in order that
in order to
so that
To show cause and
effect
accordingly
as a consequence
as a result
consequently
for this reason
hence
it follows that
so/so that
then
therefore
thus
To compare
by comparison
here again
in the same way
in a similar manner
likewise
similarly
so too
as
also
equally
To contrast
conversely
however
instead
in spite of that
anyhow
on the contrary
on the other hand
otherwise
rather than
still
yet
To explain, give
reasons
actually
admittedly
because
certainly
for example
in fact
indeed
really
of course
since
that is
To add information
and reasons
add to this
again
also
besides
equally
further
furthermore
in addition
moreover
once more
then too
too
yet again
yet another
To show various
conditions
in this event
in these
circumstances under such circumstances
this (that) being so
provided that
in spite of
none
nevertheless
at the same time
even if
if
unless
otherwise
although
even though
though
despite
To show conviction
after all
at least
at the same time
apparently
even so
evidently
certainly
conceivably
conclusively
doubtless
no doubt
perhaps
possibly
presumably
probably
surely
undoubtedly
To show concession
admittedly
after all
all the same
at any rate
granted
however
in any case
in spite of
it is true that
nevertheless
obviously
of course
still
to be sure
To show
chronological order
after that
afterwards
later
shortly
subsequently
concurrently
in the meantime
in the meanwhile
now
simultaneously
when/while/was
first, second, etc.
formerly
earlier
previously
before that
then
already
at last
at length
by that time
finally
To list or show logical
order
for example
for instance
in particular
to illustrate
the one…the other
this…that
these…those
here…there
either…or
neither…nor
whether…or
though…yet
wherever…there
since…then
the more…the more
not only…but also
The Writing—Pronouns
In formal, academic writing…
Stick with 3rd person pronouns
He, she, it, they, them
Avoid 2nd person pronouns like the plague
NO you, your
Unless you are writing about a personal experience, avoid 1st person
pronouns
I, me, we, my, our, ours
Word Choice
Choose interesting, vivid, and
appropriate words.
Avoid being too repetitive and don’t
be vague
Keep your diction (word choice)
academic in tone.
Throw out boring or overused words.
Stuff, good, bad, very, really
Keep words that get to the point, that
are descriptive, that are evocative, that
sound interesting
Choose words that reveal something
interesting to the reader.
Think about changing "I slipped on my
shirt" to "I punched my arms into my
shirt." One is a throw-away action, you
might even skim it. It’s just there like,
“Okay great, now I know she’s not
naked!” But the other shows emotion.
That girl is angry about something if
she’s punching her arms into her shirt.
Sentence Structure
Vary your types/lengths of
sentences
Compound
Complex
Simple
Compound-Complex
Vary sentence beginnings
• Are some of your sentences long and
others short?
• Do you start the beginnings differently?
• Do some sentences start with a part of
speech other than a noun or pronoun?
• Do you use sentence length strategically to add emphasis and
suspense?
Sentence Structure:
An Example
This sentence has five words.
Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety.
Now listen.
I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length.
And sometimes, when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals–sounds that say listen to this, it is important.
Common Mechanics Errors
Avoid sentence fragments and comma splices.
Comma Splice: Mrs. Springer’s class is the best, I never miss it. ---BAD! How do we fix this?
Fragment: The class period before last when we worked on quotation integration—BAD! How do we fix?
Possessives
Spongebob’s hamburger, Harper Lee’s book, my friend’s car
Always italicize or underline book titles.
Weirdly, spelling…