Unit 3.
The Parts and Techniques
of Essay Development
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 1
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 2
1. Writing an essay is an important part of human being’s expression,
especially for students in the course of course completion. It starts
from writing a simple paragraph to forming pieces of ideas to a
bigger substantial content. In the process, you may be able to
present it with good organization; but you tend to lose sight of
technicality.
2. In this unit, you will be taught on how to express your ideas and
opinions using the proper content organization along with other
inputs learned in previous chapters. You will incorporate all these
into series of related paragraphs to form an essay.
3. In an organic structure, these paragraphs in a longer discourse fall
into two classes, isolated paragraph and related paragraph. The
isolated paragraph stands on its own; it does not depend on other
paragraphs to have full understanding. The related paragraph, on
the other hand, relies on other paragraphs for intelligibility.
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 3
4. To determine the number of paragraphs according to plan of
development, you have to set an indention. The indention is done
by pushing inward so as to form an inch space from the left
margin. Other writers, however, follow the full block format
which means that indention is not required.
5. Below is the general structure of an essay.
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 4
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 5
6. A. THE PROCESS OF WRITING
7. The process of writing is the framework of your essay
composition. This helps you write an effective essay.
8. 1st PROCESS: PRE-WRITING includes Step 1. Pre-writing
techniques and Step 2. Planning to come up with what content
you want to present to satisfy the quality of your paragraph.
9. Step 1. Pre-writing technique is the primary process of thinking
about a topic you want to develop in your essay composition.
Here are the different methods:
10. a. Brainstorming is one of the techniques used to generate
various ideas on a subject in a quick manner. You do this by
considering the relationships of these ideas with each other so
you can decide with good inclusions in your writing.
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 6
11. b. Clustering is similar to a spider’s web whose lines connect to
generate various ideas. The center is the most general idea.
12. c. Freewriting is another way of bringing out ideas from
experiences. Punctuation marks, grammar, and other mechanics
are not the priorities at this stage. Your focus is to write anything
that comes to your mind.
13. d. Keeping a journal is a record of your daily thoughts and
activities for your future reference. This reflects your progress in
life. After keeping it for a few days, a week or a month, you
might come up with a topic to develop in your essay composition.
14. Step 2. Planning is another way in organizing your topic by
providing an outline from what topic you have decided to
consider for the paragraph development. This serves as your
guide during drafting.
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 7
15. Outline is of three (3) types: topic, sentence, and paragraph
outline. Topic outline is an outline whose idea is presented in a
word or a phrase. Sentence outline is an outline whose idea is
presented in a short single statement. And, paragraph outline is
an outline whose idea is presented with enough supporting details.
These three types of outline support the topic sentence.
16. At this point, you may write your working title that is closely
related to the thesis statement, considering the main points you
come up with. Sometimes, you have the main points with
tentative thesis (learn more what thesis really is later). Anyway,
you can still edit and revise this plan as you go along. This only
serves as your guide.
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 8
Example:
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 9
17. 2nd PROCESS: WRITING includes Step 3. Drafting of ideas to
develop paragraphs of the essay.
18. Step 3. Drafting is the next step in which you will write down
the ideas gathered and outlined from your chosen topic.
19. An ideal composition consists of introduction, body, and
conclusion.
20. The introduction is usually one paragraph which includes the
background information by using different techniques such as
historical review, anecdotes, surprising statement, quotation from
famous people, strong opinion, and question.
21. The background information starts from a general statement to a
very specific statement called the thesis statement.
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 10
22. The thesis statement is found at the end of the paragraph. It is the
central/controlling idea of the body paragraphs. In other words,
the topic sentence of each body paragraph addresses the thesis
statement.
23. A thesis statement is sometimes written in the dependent clause
of the sentence. It contains the following elements: a) a strong
controversial issue (e.g. All mothers are the worst workers in a
corporate business.), b) an action to take (e.g. All mothers
exerting effort to clear up their work issue in the corporate
business takes a stronger position to win), or c) a statement to
call for an answer (e.g. All mothers are likely to achieve
fairness in the corporate business world).
24. Here are the good structural considerations of a thesis statement:
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 11
25. a. A thesis statement should be in a declarative sentence.
Example:
Gays are hardly given the chance to run for a political position in
Korea.
This example expresses not only a fact but also a strong opinion
from an expert because he/she knows the possible outcome if
gays join the race in the politics. However, this should not be
presented in an informal way as if you say it in a plain
conversation.
like:
I give no chance for gays to sit with political power.
The people do not give gays a political chance in Korea.
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 12
26. b. A thesis statement should express one single idea, not more
than one.
Examples:
Gays are hardly given the chance to run for a position in Korean
politics.
Gay’s political career may be beneficial in terms of power,
prestige, and money.
These two examples have a separate thesis. One discusses on the
political issue due to sex orientation; the other discusses on the
benefits earned in a political career. A thesis statement should not
look like this: Gays are hardly given the chance to have a
position in Korean politics, but their political career, perhaps, is
beneficial in terms of power, prestige, and money.)
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 13
27. c. A thesis statement should provide an explicit overview of
what points an essay will be discussing or presenting.
Example:
Gays are hardly given the chance to run for a political position in
Korea due to immorality, mental appeal, and extended influence.
The points to be developed here are immorality, mental appeal,
and extended influence. Each will be provided with accurate
details in the body paragraphs.
28. The second part of an essay is body paragraphs. Each body
paragraph consists of a topic sentence that addresses or supports
a thesis statement. Based on the points of discussion, there are
usually three body paragraphs whose topic sentence is usually
placed at the beginning of each paragraph.
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 14
29. Remember, the techniques (such as historical review, anecdotes,
surprising statement, quotation by famous people, strong opinion,
and question) used in writing introductory paragraphs could also
be applied in writing body paragraphs.
30. In addition, other techniques could also be considered: personal
story, facts, adage, interviews, statistics, and research results.
31. The last part is conclusion. This paragraph gives a conclusion or
generalization addressing main points discussed in body
paragraphs. Concluding paragraph techniques are provided to
present the conclusion in an organized way.
32. The concluding paragraph(s) may be presented in the following
techniques: summarizing main points, offering a suggestion or
recommendation, providing a solution, and making a prediction.
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 15
Example: Considering Priorities in a Relationship
“For better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer ‘til
death do us part” are the common lines a bride and a groom say to confirm the
bond. However, not all couples remain true to this promise. Some remain with
each other for only a couple of years, while others do remain just a night after
wedding. As an upshot, people nowadays have a keen outlook on priorities in a
relationship by ranking them to assess the importance. It is believed that necessity
of setting priorities, not only their mutual feelings, develops maturity in a
relationship.
The first priority is family background. Two people who are about to engage
themselves in marriage should consider opinions of both families in any
circumstances. Generally, this kind of practice may influence their behavior and
eventually, the behavior will turn into attitude when they live together in their own
home. If a problem occurs in a relationship, right attitude may help solve a
problem. For instance, if there is a terrible financial problem, the couple may find
ways by working harder rather than borrowing money from their parents or just
anybody. This couple has the “hardworking attitude” no matter how big a problem
is. As a consequence, their children may have a better future through the right
attitude inherited from their parents.
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 16
The second priority is educational attainment with enough training or work
experience. The higher the education attainment, the better chances for job
opportunities two people in a marriage may have. Once they are much respected
with their expertise, they may easily augment their income, aside from earning
honor and prestige. This income supports the entire family. The children’s need
could be provided with quality education where knowledge and values are
inculcated, healthy food where they get their strength to live, wisdom where they
learn to limit their being materialistic, and many more. However, proper guidance
from professional parents is still the ultimate source of molding the total being.
The last priority is friends. Good friends may result to good response to life as
they guide lovers with financial, spiritual, social, and moral decisions. Due to the
fact that they are surrounded with good friends, they may be influenced in
choosing a finer quality life. With a moral or social support, for instance, a person
who has started having good friends since high school may be wise enough to
decide what is best for him in a relationship. He may weigh up the principles he
believes in his long challenging life until he finally chooses his final decision –
choosing the right woman to live with, for instance. However, patience and time
are still needed to find great friends.
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 17
These three priorities take time to appraise their justification. Some people can
never tell if the choice they think is effective until they hear and see other couples
living positively with these priorities, while others just accept as true if they
themselves have encountered good experience of these three. It really depends on
how genuine they are in treating the relationship. If they are able to identify the
right assessment, then they probably harvest the happiest marriage.
33. Evaluate the essay. Does the essay incorporate all necessary
parts and techniques of writing an essay? How would you
improve this essay?
34. It is important to note that this essay will be further revised and
supported with external sources, thus making it a documented
essay. This is the essence of this course, English logical
statement. This will be discussed in later units.
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 18
35. 3rd PROCESS: POST WRITING includes Step 4. revising and Step 5.
editing.
36. Step 4: Revising refers to the amendment of a text in order to correct,
update, and improve it. It improves theme, content or context, and
organization of the essay. In revising, review the following considerations:
Is the topic well narrowed?
Is the topic appropriate to the audience?
Does the topic relate the purpose of writing?
Is your technique used in your introductory paragraph directly related to the thesis
statement?
Is the thesis statement acceptable?
Are the outlined main points or topic sentences addressing the thesis statement?
Are the paragraphs employing the three parts and the three qualities of writing?
Are the details of the paragraph good enough to support the topic sentence?
Is the technique used in concluding paragraph effective to support the body paragraphs?
37. Step 5: Editing refers to the correcting of errors to ensure accuracy and
clarity. It improves grammar, spelling, word choices, capitalization of
letters, and punctuation marks.
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 19
Activity 1: Write an introductory paragraph using one of the
techniques (historical review, anecdotes, surprising statement,
quotation by famous people, strong opinion, and question).
Example:
In South Korea, English language education began in 1883
when the Joseon government opened its English language school
to Korean students to become interpreters of English (Kim, 2008).
In 1999, policy makers decided to push through the idea of
making English a national language along with Korean, due to
the challenges of the 1997 economic struggles (Frouser, 2009).
Since then, conversation classes have become mandatory aiming
to develop communicative competence (Kwon, 2000).
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 20
Technique: _______________
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Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 21
Activity 2: Construct an acceptable thesis statement for each
topic.
No. Topic Thesis Statement
1. Extended family
2. The Benefits of
Being Loved
3. Academic Struggles
4. Language and
Culture
5. Crime and Solution
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 22
Activity 3: Construct one essay for any of the following topics
listed: a) Extended family, b) The benefits of being loved,
c) Academic struggles, d) Language and culture, or e) Crime and
solution. Important: Use the essay template found on the website.
First, outline your essay here.
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Source:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/media
/pdf/20090212013008_560.pdf
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 23
Adapted from:
https://www.regent.edu/admin/stusrv/writingcenter/files/APA%206th%20Edition%20Quickvie
w.pdf
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/20090212013008_560.pdf
APA format: VARYING DEFINITIONS ON ONLINE COMMUNICATION
Varying Definitions on Online Communication
and Their Effects on Relationship Research
Kim Jin Hyuk
XYX University
1
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 24
Source:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/media
/pdf/20090212013008_560.pdf
Then, body and conclusion paragraphs follow below.
2
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 25
Activity 4: Read each concluding paragraph and identify the
technique applied (summarizing main points, offering a
suggestion or recommendation, providing a solution, and making
a prediction). Write your answer on the space provided before
each paragraph.
1. _________________________
Lovers who consider the three priorities may not have
experienced them yet. Or, they may have, but not that much to
claim confidence. They need more advice from a guidance
counselor, from a person himself who has an in-depth experience,
and from any reliable people who can justify these considerations.
They should find time to qualify these as we all know regrets are
always the consequence.
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 26
2. _________________________
Family background, educational attainment, and friends are other
considerations that may help grow the relationship between two people
who love each other. Each contributes to whatever he or she wishes to
come true, such as: family background improves the attitude;
educational attainment augments family income; and good friends help
them to be wise enough to decide on what to undertake in life.
However, they still have to take extra care in considering them.
3. __________________________
These priorities have underlying problems which are not presented
in the essay; only positive situations are considered. If problems occur,
the solution is just to consult a guidance counselor, a person himself
who has an in-depth experience, and from any reliable people who can
justify these priorities. For best result, sincere prayer for enlightenment
and moral actions for physical and emotional strength are needed.
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 27
4. _________________________
These three priorities take time to appraise their justification.
Some people can never tell if the choice they think is effective
until they hear and see other couples living positively with these
priorities, while others just accept as true if they themselves have
encountered a good experience of these three. It really depends
on how genuine they are in treating the relationship. If they are
able to identify the right assessment, then they probably harvest
the happiest marriage.
IMPORTANT.
1. Use the activity slides provided on the professor’s website.
2. Submit your answered activities not later than 1:30pm on
October 10, 2016 (Monday) to [email protected]. Use the
same email thread whenever you submit your work for easy
access.
28 Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018)
unit 3.
Sources:
Note: Some of the texts in this material were taken from the
sources below. This material is used for classroom purpose
only.
Folse K. S.,Vokoun, A. M. and Solomon, E. V. (2010). Great
paragraphs. Boston, MA, USA: Sherisse Roehr.
Ramos, I.D. (2016). Writing various essays to basic research: A
textbook and workbook combined. Cebu City, Philippines: Nina
Educational and Book Supply.
Ross, V. (2015). A brief guide to critical writing. Philadelphia, PA:
Critical Writing Program.
29 Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018)
Unit 3. The Parts and Techniques of Essay Development (Dr. Ian Done D. Ramos, 2018) 30
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