Essay Structure

1. Essays usually have three main parts:

- Introduction.

- Body paragraphs.

- Conclusion.

2. Introduction

Purpose:

- Grab the reader’s attention.

- Provide background information.

- Present your main idea (thesis statement).

Structure:

- Hook: A sentence to catch the reader’s interest.

- Background Information: General information or context about the topic.

- Thesis Statement: The main claim or argument of your essay.

- Signposting (optional): A brief outline of what the essay will cover.

3. Body Paragraphs

Purpose:

Develop your argument with clear points and evidence.

Structure (using TEECL):

- Topic Sentence: The main idea of the paragraph.

- Explanation: Explain the idea more clearly.

- Evidence: Give proof or examples to support the idea (with citation).

- Comment: Discuss how the evidence supports your point.

- Link: Connect the paragraph back to your overall argument.

4. Conclusion

Purpose:

Summarize your main ideas and restate your position.

Structure:

- Restate Problem and Position: Remind the reader of your main argument.

- Summarize Key Points: Briefly summarize your main arguments.

- Broader Significance/Implications: Talk about why the topic is important,

future predictions, or suggestions.

5. General Essay Writing Principles

No single theory can explain everything; each offers useful insights.

When preparing your essay:

- Identify all parts you need to cover.

- Do some initial research.

- Decide on your tentative position.

- Create a rough outline to organize your ideas logically.

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Five-Paragraph Essay Structure:

Introduction:

- Hook to grab attention.

- Thesis statement.

- Preview of three main points.

Body Paragraph 1:

- Topic sentence which states the first point and transition.

- Supporting details or examples.

- Explain how it proves thesis.

Body Paragraph 2:

- Topic sentence which states the second subtopic and transition.

- Supporting details or examples.

- Explain how it proves thesis.

Body Paragraph 3:
- Topic sentence which states the third point and transition.

- Supporting details or examples.

- Explain how it proves thesis.

Conclusion:

- Transition, Reverse "hook", and restate thesis.

- Summarize main topic and subtopics.

- Global statement or call to action.

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Definition of Types of Essay

An essay is a short non-fiction text that discusses a topic. The word "essay"
comes from the French words "essai" or "essayer," which mean "to try" or
"to attempt." Essays are used in all subjects and come in many types.

Types of Essay

1. Definition Essay: Defines a concept, idea, or perception.

2. Narrative Essay: Narrates a personal story, like a short story in essay

form.

3. Descriptive Essay: Describes something using senses (feel, smell, see,

taste, hear, etc).

4. Expository Essay: Explains a topic clearly without any complications.

5. Persuasive Essay: Tries to convince the reader to do something or not do
something.

6. Argumentative Essay: Presents arguments for a point and also

addresses opposing arguments.

7. Analytical Essay: Analyzes a subject from different angles.

8. Comparison and Contrast Essay: Shows similarities or differences

between two things.

9. Cause and Effect Essay: Explains causes and effects of something.

10. Critical Essay: Evaluates a literary work (merits or demerits).

11. Process Essay: Explains the steps to do, make, or break something.

12. Synthesis Essay: Combines ideas to make a judgement.

13. Explicatory Essay: Explains a piece of literature (like poem, short story,
and novel).

14. Rhetorical Analysis Essay: Analyzes a speech or text that uses

rhetorical techniques.

15. Review Essay: Reviews and evaluates a book or work.

16. Simple Essay: Basic five-paragraph essay on any topic.

17. Research Essay: Answers a question using research and sources.

Four types of essay: expository, persuasive, analytical, argumentative

1. Expository Essay

Purpose:
To explain a topic or idea clearly.

Key points:

* Clear thesis.

- Use facts and examples.

- Stay on topic.

- Be concise.

2. Persuasive Essay

Purpose:

To convince the reader to agree with your opinion.

Key points:

- Strong point of view.

- Use sound reasoning and solid evidence.

- Know your audience and how to win them.

- Avoid emotional or repetitive language.

- End with a strong conclusion.

3. Analytical Essay

Purpose:

To analyze and interpret a text, event, or art work.

Key points:

- Introduction with your focus.

- Deep analysis with examples.

- Include a critical personal response.

- Use formal language + present tense.

- Don't retell the story—analyze it.

- Link your conclusion to your main argument.

4. Argumentative Essay

Purpose:

To prove your opinion is better than others.

Key points:

- Clear main argument.

- Show pros and cons.

- Disprove opposing views with evidence.

- Organize ideas logically.

- Use good transitions.

- Know your audience.

- Support with facts and examples.

- Avoid repetition and overdoing language.

- End with a strong conclusion.

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The Fourteen Punctuation Marks in English Grammar

1. Period (.):

Ends statements and after abbreviations.

Ex:

- Sentence ender: Jane and Jack went to the market.

- After an abbreviation: Her son, John Jones Jr., was born on Dec. 6, 2008.

2. Question mark (?):

Ends direct questions.

Ex:

- When did Jane leave for the market?

3. Exclamation point (!):

Shows strong feeling or emphasis.

Ex:

- Within dialogue: "Holy cow!" screamed Jane.

- To emphasize a point: My mother-in-law's rants make me furious!

4. Comma (,):

Separates ideas, items in lists, or clauses.

Ex:

- Direct address: Thanks for all your help, John.

- Separation of two complete sentences: We went to the movies, and then

we went out to lunch.

- Separation lists or elements within sentences: Suzi wanted the black,

green, and blue dress.

5. Semicolon (;):

Connects related independent clauses.

Ex:

- John was hurt; he knew she only said it to upset him.

6. Colon (:):

Introduces lists, explanations, or emphasis.

Ex:

- He was planning to study four subjects: politics, philosophy, sociology and

economics.

- Second between independent clauses: I didn't have time to get changed: I

was already late.

- Third use of a colon is for emphasis: There was one thing she loved more
that any other: her dog.
- Also has non-grammatical uses in time, ratio, business correspondence
and references.

7. Hyphen (-):

Joins words into compounds, ex: part-time, back-to-back, well-known).

8. Dash (– or —):

Separates ideas or adds emphasis in sentences.

Ex:

- En dash: 1880–1945 or Princeton–New York trains.

- Em dash: She gave him her answer — No!

9. Parentheses (()): Adds extra information or clarifies.

Ex:

- John and Jane (who were actually half brother and sister) both have red
hair.

10. Brackets ([ ]):

Adds technical info or clarifications.

Ex:

- He [Mr. Jones] was the last person seen at the house.

11. Braces ({ }):

Used in math or programming to group items, ex: 2{1+[23-3]}=x.

12. Apostrophe (’): Shows possession, contractions, or plurals of letters.

Ex:

- Omission of letters from a word: I've seen that movie several times. She
wasn't the only one who knew the answer.

- possessive case: Sara's dog bit the neighbor.

- plural for lowercase: Six people were told to mind their p's and q's.

13. Quotation marks (" "):

Enclose direct speech or quotes.

Ex:

- "Don't go outside," she said.

- Quote within quote: Marie told the teacher, "I saw Marc at the playground,
and he said to me 'Bill started the fight,' and I believe him."

14. Ellipsis (...):

Shows omitted words or unfinished thoughts.

Ex:

- Omission of words: She began to count, "One, two, three, four...." until she
got to 10, then went to find him.

- Within a quotation: When Newton stated, "An object at rest stays at rest
and an object in motion stays in motion...." he developed the law of motion.