BASIC ESSAY

WRITING

PART 1
WHAT TO WRITE:
THE PARTS OF A GOOD
ESSAY

THE BASIC ESSAY

The basic essay has three main
parts:
1.

Introduction

2.

Body

3.

Conclusion

THE INTRODUCTION

Background Information:
Capture your readers interest: Why should they care
about this topic?
Quickly give any information your reader will need to know
to understand you main idea.

Main Idea (Or Thesis):

Clearly state in a single sentence what the essay will be
about.

Supporting Points:
Tell what your main arguments will be to support your
main idea. This will let your reader know what to expect
in the body paragraphs.

SAMPLE ESSAY INTRODUCTION

"A dog is man's best friend." That common

saying may contain some truth, but dogs are
not the only animal friend whose
companionship people enjoy. For many
people, a cat is their best friend. Despite
what dog lovers may believe, cats make
excellent house pets as they are good
companions, they are civilized members of
the household, and they are easy to care
for.

A note on quotes, statistics and facts:

If an idea
is common PARAGRAPHS
knowledge, you dont need to say where it came
THE
BODY
from.
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Topicfall
Sentence:
IfTell
youwhat
use athe
quote,
statistic
fact,
you
must tell how you know. Where
main
idea isorfor
the
paragraph.
did you find the information? Who said it?

Each body paragraph should talk about one supporting

Isaac
gravity
when an apple fell on his head. (My 6 th
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for the discovered
essays main
idea.
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Science
You can
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as many body paragraphs as you need to
discuss all of your points, but you need to have at least
one.

Supporting Sentences:
Give support for your topic sentence. Use quotes,
statistics, examples, arguments, facts, observations, etc.

Concluding Sentence:
Using different words, remind your reader of the main
point of the paragraph.

SAMPLE ESSAY BODY

PARAGRAPH 1

In the first place, people enjoy the companionship

of cats. Many cats are affectionate. They will
snuggle up and ask to be petted, or scratched
under the chin. Who can resist a purring cat? If
they're not feeling affectionate, cats are generally
quite playful. They love to chase balls and
feathers, or just about anything dangling from a
string. They especially enjoy playing when their
owners are participating in the game. Contrary to
popular opinion, cats can be trained. Using
rewards and punishments, just like with a dog, a
cat can be trained to avoid unwanted behavior or
perform tricks. Cats will even fetch!

PARAGRAPH 2

In the second place, cats are civilized members of

the household. Unlike dogs, cats do not bark or make
other loud noises. Most cats don't even meow very
often. They generally lead a quiet existence. Cats
also don't often have "accidents." Mother cats train
their kittens to use the litter box, and most cats will
use it without fail from that time on. Even stray cats
usually understand the concept when shown the box
and will use it regularly. Cats do have claws, and
owners must make provision for this. A tall scratching
post in a favorite cat area of the house will often
keep the cat content to leave the furniture alone. As
a last resort, of course, cats can be declawed.

PARAGRAPH 3

Lastly, one of the most attractive features of cats as

housepets is their ease of care. Cats do not have to
be walked. They get plenty of exercise in the house
as they play, and they do their business in the litter
box. Cleaning a litter box is a quick, painless
procedure. Cats also take care of their own grooming.
Bathing a cat is almost never necessary because under
ordinary circumstances cats clean themselves. Cats
are more particular about personal cleanliness than
people are. In addition, cats can be left home alone
for a few hours without fear. Unlike some pets, most
cats will not destroy the furnishings when left alone.
They are content to go about their usual activities
until their owners return.

THE CONCLUSION

Reminder of Main Idea:

Remind your reader of the main idea of the essay, but
dont use exactly the same words.

Reminder of Main Supporting Points:

Summarize your main supporting points briefly and clearly
so that your reader will remember them.

Closing Statement:
Make your reader think about what you wrote. Leave the
reader with something memorable, but dont bring up new
ideas you have not discussed.

SAMPLE CONCLUSION
PARAGRAPH

Cats are low maintenance, civilized

companions. People who have small living
quarters or less time for pet care should
appreciate these characteristics of cats.
However, many people who have plenty of
space and time still opt to have a cat
because they love the cat personality. In
many ways, cats are the ideal house pet.

Essay found on:

http://lklivingston.tripod.com/essay/sample.html

PART 2
HOW TO WRITE:
STEPS TO A GOOD ESSAY

5 BASIC STEPS
1. Prewriting and Brainstorming:
Generating and Clarifying Ideas
2. Outlining:
Organizing Ideas and Planning the Essay
3. Rough Draft:
First Version with Mistakes
4. Revision / Proofreading:
Finding and Fixing Mistakes
5. Final Draft:
Last Version Without Mistakes

5 BASIC STEPS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Prewriting and Brainstorming If you already know

what you want to
write, you can skip
Outlining
this.
Do you have students
who
Rough Draft
think this is the only step?
Revision / Proofreading Do this as many times as you
need to, but at least once.
Final Draft

5 BASIC STEPS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Prewriting and Brainstorming If you already know

what you want to
write, you can skip
Outlining
this.
Rough Draft
Revision / Proofreading Do this as many times as you
need to, but at least once.
New Draft
Revision / Proofreading
Final Draft

5 BASIC STEPS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Prewriting and Brainstorming If you already know

what you want to
Outlining
write, you can skip
this.
Rough Draft
Revision / Proofreading Do this as many times as you
need to, but at least once.
New Draft
Revision / Proofreading
New Draft
Revision / Proofreading
Final Draft

PREWRITING:
WHAT KIND OF ESSAY WILL IT BE?
Type

Audience

Purpose

Formal

Teacher

Inform

Informal

Classmates

Persuade

Personal

Friends

Entertain

Family
Community
Boss

PREWRITING:
WHATS THE MAIN IDEA?

There should be only

one for each essay.
Everything in the
essay should connect
to this.
It should be clear.
It should be
mentioned early in
the essay.

STEP 1 BRAINSTORMING:
GENERATING IDEAS

If you have no ideas,

use this to come up
with some.
If you have too many
ideas, use this to pick
the best one.
If you have a good
idea, use this to
clarify what you want
to say about it.

BRAINSTORM SUGGESTION 1:
THE LIST
Use words and phrases to note all of your ideas as they
come to you. Dont worry about spelling, grammar or
punctuation.

Why is essay writing important for students?

Critical Thinking Skills

Making good arguments

Analytical Skills
Researching
Expressing ideas
Practical

Giving examples
Proofreading
Did I say this in the best way possible?
Finding reliable information
Using others words appropriately
Communicating original thoughts
For work
For school

BRAINSTORM SUGGESTION 2:
CLUSTERING
Write your main ideas with big letters and circle them.
Connect the ideas that go with them with lines. This can
help you see how all of your ideas go together.
Why is essay writing important for students?
Giving
Examples

Author

Making
Arguments

Practical
Work
Journalis
t

School

Critical
Thinking
Skills

BRAINSTORM SUGGESTION 3:
THE PRO/CON LIST
This one is helpful in generating ideas when a student needs to choose a
side on an issue: Pro/Con, Yes/No, Good/Bad, Right/Wrong, For/Against.
Is essay writing important for students?

Yes
Develops Critical Thinking
Skills
Practical for School or Work
Students learn to Express
Ideas

No
Students have too much
work
They already know how

OTHER BRAINSTORM
SUGGESTIONS:
4. Free Write
Pick a time (maybe 5 minutes) and write non-stop. Write
anything that comes to mind. If you cant think of
anything, write that you cant think of anything, or even
blah blah blah.

5. Journal
Write a few sentences each day to record the thoughts
youve had. Did you think of something interesting or
new?

6. Discussion
Talk with your friends, classmates, teacher or family about
a subject. Do they have interesting ideas? Do you all
agree with each other?

STEP 2 OUTLINING:
ORGANIZING IDEAS

Use outlining to organize the ideas you came up

with while brainstorming.
Remember the parts of a basic essay.
Are all the ideas in the right place?
Do you have all of the parts you should have?
Do you have anything that doesnt belong?

OUTLINE TEMPLATE
I. Introduction
A. Background Information
B. Main Idea
C. Supporting Points
II. Body Paragraph 1
A. Topic Sentence
B. Supporting Sentences
C. Concluding Sentence
III. Body Paragraph 2
A. Topic Sentence
B. Supporting Sentences
C. Concluding Sentence
IV. Conclusion
A. Reminder of Main Idea
B. Reminder of Supporting Points
C. Closing Statement

EXAMPLE OUTLINE INTRODUCTION

I. Introduction
A. Background Remember that these supporting points
will each get one body paragraph. It is
1. Many students
are
good to have the
paragraphs appear in
expected to write
at are
the same an
orderessay
that the points
some point in their
mentioned
lives.
in the introduction. It helps
reader know what to expect.
2. Can be the
frustrating
B. Essay writing is important
because it helps develop critical
thinking skills.
1. Students practice making
logical
arguments
2. Students realize the
importance of
giving support
for their thoughts

EXAMPLE OUTLINE - BODY

PARAGRAPH 1
II. Body Paragraph 1
A. Essay writing helps
students practice making
logical arguments.
1. Just saying something
doesnt
make
it first
true.
Notice
that this
is the
supporting
2. You want
your
reader
point mentioned
in the
introduction.
to agree
with your point of
view.
B. A good body paragraph will
be persuasive.

EXAMPLE OUTLINE - BODY

PARAGRAPH 2
III. Body Paragraph 2
A. Essay writing helps students
realize the importance of giving
support for their ideas.
1. You can use facts,
statistics,
quotes, examples,
observations and
arguments to
stronger.
Andmake
here your
is theideas
second supporting
B. The stronger your support is,
point.
the harder it will be for your reader
to disagree.

EXAMPLE OUTLINE CONCLUSION

IV. Conclusion
A. Students develop critical
thinking skills when they
practice essay writing.
1. They learn how to
make logical
arguments.
Even though you should remind the
2.your
They
practice
giving
reader of
main
idea, dont
write
support for
their ideas.
the same sentence again!
B. Essay writing is an
essential topic for all
students.

STEP 3 ROUGH DRAFT:

WRITING THE ESSAY

This will be the first version of the essay with full

sentences and paragraphs.
If you made a good outline, this part should go very
quickly.
There will still be mistakes in the rough draft, but if
you did a good outline, you wont have as much
revision to do.

STEP 4 REVISION / PROOFREADING:

FIXING THE MISTAKES
Revision usually refers to big things:
Is

your essay organized well?

Is your essay easy to understand?
Is your main idea clear?
Does everything in the essay connect to the
main idea?
Do your arguments make sense? Are they
convincing?
Do you remind your reader of your main points?

STEP 4 REVISION / PROOFREADING:

FIXING THE MISTAKES
Proofreading usually refers to little things:
Are

there any misspelled words?

Did you use punctuation correctly?
Is your grammar correct?
Do you use confusing vocabulary when you dont
need to?
Do you use transition statements (linking words)
to show how your ideas connect to each other?

STEP 5 FINAL DRAFT:

READY FOR THE READER
If you revised and
proofread
thoroughly, now
the essay is READY

FOR THE
READER!!!