STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION

INTRODUCTION TO WRITING AN ESSAY

Wrtitng an essay is somehow similar to writing a paragrap. Study the following diagram on the coparison of essay and paragraph interms of THE STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION. ESSAY

I. INTRODUCTION (or Introductory Paragraph)

General Statement Thesis Statement

I. BODY (or Development Paragraphs)

A. Topic Sentence 1. Suppporting idea (sentence) 2. Suppporting idea (sentence) 3. Suppporting idea (sentence) (Concluding Sentence)

PARAGRAPH

B. Topic Sentence 1. Suppporting idea (sentence)

Topic Sentence A. Supporting idea B. Supporting idea C. Supporting idea Concluding Sentence

2. Suppporting idea (sentence) 3. Suppporting idea (sentence) (Concluding Sentence)

C. Topic Sentence 1. Suppporting idea (sentence) 2. Suppporting idea (sentence) 3. Suppporting idea (sentence) (Concluding Sentence)

III. CONCLUSION (or Concluding Paragraph) Restatement or summary of the main points; final comment

STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION

structural comparison

PARAGRAPH
I. INTRODUCTION

ESSAY

NO GENEREAL STATEMENT Topic sentence: Stating the main idea of the paragraph One complete sentence Not too general or specific

General statements: a few sentences about your subject to attract your reader attention. = Thesis statement to state the subtopics / subdivisions of your topic.

II. BODY
Main supporting sentences Development paragraphs One or more paragraphs depending on the number of subtopics/subdivions stated in thesis statement. THE SAME

Logical orders: a. Chronological (time order); b. Contrast (differences); c. Comparison (similarities); d. Logical division of ideas (importance order)

III. CONCLUSION
Concluding sentence: - Signals the end of the paragraph - Leave the reader with important points to remember A summary or review of the main subtopics/ subdivisions in the body with writer's feeling

structural comparison

THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

The introductory paragraph has two parts: 1. General statements 2. A thesis statement THE THESIS STATEMENT Here are a few points to remember about the thesis statement: 1) The tthesis statement should be expressed in a complete sentence. It should not be written as a question. 2) The thesis should be the strongest, clearest statement in the essay; it should contain no ambiguities or vague terms. 3) A thesis statement expresses an opinion, attitude or idea; it does not simply announce the topic the essay will develop, or introduce a fact. Examples: Not a thesis statement: I am going to discuss the effects of radiation. Thesis statement: The effects of radiation are often unpredictable. Not a thesis statement: Cows produce milk. Thesis statement: The milk cows produce is not always fit for human consumption. Not a thesis statement: There are many advantages and disadvantages to going to college. Thesis statement: The advantages to going to college far outweigh the disadvantages. Not a thesis statement: Mrs. Brown, my neighbour, has four cats and three dogs. Thesis statement: Mrs. Brown, my neighbour, owns four cats; these animals present serious health hazard in our neighbourhood. 4) The thesis will contain controlling ideas that will be used in the topic sentences of the body paragraphs of the essay Example: A succesful soccer coach has four qualities. (controlling ideas underlined)

There are two kinds of thesis statements: with subtopics named and with NO subtopic mentioned Subtopics are those topics mentioned in the controlling ideas which are to be developed in the body paragraphs. Each subtopic is a developed paragraph in the body. Examples: Thesis statements with NO subtopics mentioned: The large movement of people from rural areas has major effects on cities. Thesis statements with subtopics named: The large movement of people from rural areas has major effects on a city's ability to provide housing, employment and adequate sanitation services.

Correlative conjunctions like both and / not only but also / (n)either (n)or are also Note: useful in thesis statements listing two subtopics. A colon (:) is useful when three or more subtopics are listed in a thesis statement.

THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

types of introduction

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TYPES OF INTRODUCTION
There are many ways to begin an essay. In this module, we will discuss four basic types of introductions as described below: TYPE OF INTRODUCTION DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE We live in a era where television is the national pastime. Since the invention of the television set, people have been spending more of their free time watching television than doing anything alse. Many of the television addicts feel that this aprticular pastime is not a bad one: indeed, they argue that people can learn a great deal watching television. I am sure that if you look long and hard enough, you can probably find some programs that are educaitonally motivating. But, for the most part, I say that watching television is a waste of time. The rain pours down as if running from a faucet, lightning streaks across the dark restless sky, and thunder pounds the roof and walls of the house. All of a sudden the wind kicks up. Trees sway madly back and forth; loose objects are picked up and thrown all around. The house creaks and moans with every gust of wind. Windows are broken by pieces of shingle from a neighbor's roof or by loose objects picked up by the wind. Power lines snap like thread. The unprepared house and its occupants are in grave danger as the awesome hurricane approaches. Had they prepared forthe hurricane, they might not be in such danger . Indeed, careful preparatin before a hurricane is essential to life and property. No two people are exactly alike, and my two brothers, Nhan and Hung, are no exceptions. When I think of them, I think of Rudyard Kipling's words: East is East West is West Never the twain (two) shall meet Even though they have the same parents, their considerable differences in looks, personality, and attitude toward life reflect the differences between Eastern and Western cultures. Travelling to a foreign country is always interesting , especially if it is a country that is completely different from your own. You can delight in tasting new foods, seeing new sights, and learning about different customs , some of which may seem very curious. If you were to visit my country , for instance, you would probably think that my people have some very strange customs, as these three examples will illustrate.

The Turnabout (l t ng c v n

The author opens with a statement contrary to his or her actula thesis

The Dramatic entrance (d n nh p su s c, n t ng) Impressive entrance

The author opens with a narrative, description, or dramatic example relevant to the topic

The Relevant quotation (trch d n h p l)

The author opens with a quotation relevant to the thesis

The Funnel (ci ph u - d n nh p qui n p)

The ideas prgress from the general to the specific just as a funnel is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. (in many essay genres)

types of introduction

types of introduction

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The introductory paragraph with the model "Funnel" has four purposes:

1. Introducing the topic of the essay. 2. Giving a general background of the topic.

General statements

3. Indicating the overal "plan" of the essay. 4. Arousing the reader's interest in the topic.

Thesis statement

Note: The overall "plan": The subdivisions/subtopics & The method of organization.

Avoid the following problems in introductions: 1) The apology, complaint, or personal dilemma (ti n th i l ng nan): weakens the essay because it distracts the reader. Example: I have now walked three times completely around the campus in a serious effort to come up with a suitable topic for this paper. When I noticed a pedestrian getting run over by a bicycle, I knew that that would make a good topic for my discussion. Although I couldn't care less about the welfare of the two people involved, I went over nevertheless (I hope I never to do it again) and asked if I could be of any assistance. Thank God they said no. Even though I don't know very much about glycosis, I decide to write what I can. 2) The panoramic beginning: impossible to narrow to a thesis without a break in unity. Example: Since the beginning of time, man has been intimately concerned with the process of life; we are all more or less involved with the same topic. War is a topic that has been handled admirably by poets throughout the course of history and man's conscious destruction of his fellow man.

types of introduction