Improving Your English Writing

Part 5:

Essay Re-Start

John E. Clayton

Nanjung University, Spring, 2004

Good Day!

Please turn-in journal 1.

Please DO NOT turn-in your essay revisions.

First Essay - Results

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Well doneAcceptableWeak thesisNo ThesisUnacceptable formatWrong assignment

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A Movie of Your First Essay Results

What I Did With Your Essays

What Does It Mean?

No – your writing days are not over…

But we must go…

Back to the beginning…

Syllabus01 Introduction; Student photos; Overview02 Information cards; Punctuation; Writing process journal 103 Paragraphs; Essays – structure, outline, thesis, etc. journal 204 No Class - National Day Holiday05 No Class – Education Conference

06 Essays – conclusion07 Essays – Let’s start again Journal 108 Mid-term exam09 Review exam, Introduce Business letters, Movie journal 210 Business – Personal Statement11 Business – Personal Statement, Resume journal 112 Business - Resume13 Business – Cover letters journal 214 Movie – “Wizard of Oz” – if we are caught up15 Review for final exam16 Final exam

http://software.nju.edu.cn/~clayton/

Things To Avoid in Your Essays Remember, this is academic writing –

Do not use – big, strange fonts or clip art. Use Times Roman, or Ariel – 12 point

Don’t ask the reader questions. (eg: “Don’t you think so…”)

Try to avoid clichés. (eg: “a coin has two sides”, “a sword has two edges”, “in a word”, etc.)

“But…This is NOT How We Write in China!”

If you come to an American university from another country, you will find that essay writing expectations will probably be different.

No matter how you have been taught to write in your own country, you will be expected to write academic essays in an "American" fashion.

Thesis – What’s the Big Deal?American academic essays are usually "thesis-driven."

This means that you as the writer must explain the main point of your essay at the start.

An academic essay is not a mystery novel - your reader does not want to figure out the plot or search for clues, which is why you state your thesis at the start.

Writing DifferencesThe thesis-driven essay may be different from non-American writing forms, in which the thesis is often implied, delayed, or delivered at the end of the essay.

Consider the thesis statement a concise version of the entire essay, which usually appears in the introductory section of an essay. A thesis provides the reader with a "road map," clearly laying out the route ahead.

Writing Differences

Note that a thesis is an interpretation of a subject, not the subject itself.

For Example:The subject of an essay might be Smoking, but the thesis must then offer a way to understand smoking that others might dispute.

Goal of the ThesisThe thesis states:

- the primary goal of the argument- indicates the reasons to support the argument.

• Every assertion that you make afterward must be related to the thesis statement.

• The rest of the essay must clarify or support your thesis.

Example 1Subject: Smoking

Argument: Smoking is harmful, and should be banned

Primary goal: to ban smoking in public places.

Reasons: it’s dangerous, harmful and annoying.

Thesis:“Smoking should be banned from public places, because it is dangerous, bad for health, and very annoying to other people.”

Example 2Subject: Television

Argument: Some programs are educational, and kids should be encouraged to watch them.

Primary goal: to encourage children to watch good programs.

Reasons: to develop skills and broaden views.

Thesis:“While much on television is useless “fluff”, children should be encouraged to watch good programs, because they help develop listening skills and introduce the child to the world around them.”

Example 3Subject: Reading books

Argument: Books should remain a key resource for university students.

Primary goal: to encourage students to read more printed books.

Reasons: inexpensive, relaxing, always available.

Thesis:“Even though we are bombarded with information today, we should continue to invest time reading old-fashioned paper books, because they are inexpensive, they can help us relax, and they won’t shut-down at 11:00pm.”

Example 4Subject: Camping

Argument: A university club should be established to focus on outdoor activities, especially camping.

Primary goal: encourage the creation of a campus club to promote camping.

Reasons: healthy, relaxing, good use of time.

Thesis:“Even though some people say the university should be for academics only, the university should establish a club to promote camping, because it is a healthy, relaxing activity that uses time wisely.”

Classroom Exercise

1. Get in a group with one or two others.2. Find an argumentative topic on the handout.3. Create a thesis statement as you saw in the

examples:1. Subject…2. Argument…3. Thesis…4. Primary goal5. Reasons

Make-Up Class Movie Night

What? “The Haunted House”, with Eddie Murphy

Where? Pukou, room 3-226

When? Monday night, November 1st, 6-8:00pm

Who? All of Mr. Clayton’s writing class students

Problem! 300 students, 120 seats

Homework Assignment

Prepare for the mid-term exam (next week!)

Select a subject from the “sample thesis topics” list and write a good thesis statement.

Write an essay introduction paragraph, using your thesis statement.