Principles of Effective Writing

Prepared by: Alvin V. Sambrano

Objectives:
 By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
 Define a composition
 Differentiate a paragraph from an essay
 Know the parts of a composition
 Learn the function of each part of a composition
 Write a well written composition
What is a Composition
 A composition can either be a paragraph or an essay.

 Paragraph – a group of interrelated sentences that

talk about one main idea

 Essay – a group of paragraphs that talk about one

central idea
The Difference Between a
Paragraph and an Essay
Paragraph
Short composition
Organized around a topic sentence
Contains introductory sentence
Uses sentences to explain major points
May use a concluding sentence
Essay
Long composition
Organized around a thesis
Contains introductory paragraph
Uses paragraph to explain major points
Always uses a concluding paragraph
 Parts of a Paragraph
Topic
Supporting
Sentence –
Details –
the central  There are three reasons why Canada is one sentences
idea of the of the best countries in the world. First, Canada that clarify
paragraph, it has an excellent health care system. All and prove
can be a stand Canadians have access to medical services at a
reasonable price. Second, Canada has a high the main
or a comment,
standard of education. Students are taught by idea
an objective
statement, or a well-trained teachers and are encouraged to
continue studying at university. Finally, Cohesive
question Devices –
Canada's cities are clean and efficiently
Concluding
managed. Canadian cities have many parks and transitional
lots of space for people to live. As a result, devices,
Statement – Canada is a desirable place to live. pronouns, or
an optional
repetition of
component
ideas used in
which
order for all
terminates
of the
theparagraph
sentences to
be linked
properly
Essay

 Unlike paragraph, an essay has a more elaborate

structure. It is divided into three general parts, namely
the introduction, body and conclusion.
Parts of an Essay
I. Introduction
a) Lead or Attention-getter
b) Transitional Statement
c) Thesis Statement
II. Body
a) Major Point 1
1. Minor Detail 1
2. Minor Detail 2
b) Major Point 2
1. Minor Detail 1
2. Minor Detail 2
III. Conclusion
a) Reiteration of Thesis Statement
b) Transitional Statement / Reiteration of purpose, benefit,
and recommendation
c) Closing Statement
Parts of an Essay
Introduction
 The introductory paragraph accomplishes three
purposes:

 it captures the reader’s interest (lead or attention-getter)

 it suggests the importance of the essay’s topic
 it ends with a thesis sentence

Often, the thesis sentence states a claim that consists of two or

more related points.

For example, a thesis might read:

 A college essay has an introductory paragraph, several body
paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph.
Parts of an Essay
Introduction: Thesis Statement
 A strong thesis statement is essential to a good essay, as each
paragraph of your essay should be related back to your thesis or
else deleted.

 Thus, the thesis establishes the key foundation for your essay.

 A strong thesis not only states an idea, but also uses solid
examples to back it up.

 A weak thesis might be:

Wikipedia is a powerful resource in many ways.

 As an alternative, a strong thesis for the same topic would be:

Wikipedia is a powerful resource because it allows users with knowledge
in a specific area to share their knowledge, because it allows users to
quickly find information about a vast array of topics, and because studies
have confirmed that it is as accurate as any other encyclopedia.
Parts of an Essay
Introductory Paragraph
While walking amidst the tall grasses in Route 169,
Ash was suddenly stopped by the sight of a wild Pokemon;
he opens his Pokeball case, calls out his Charizard, and gets
ready for an exciting battle. This is just one of the many
scenes a gamer may encounter when playing an adventure
role-playing game (RPG), a sub-genre of video games where
a player takes the role of a character which can interact in
the game’s fantasy world and play out the storyline. The
hook of adventure RPGs is the escape that they provide to
the player-a double-edged sword which can lead to either
innocent fun or uncontrollable addiction.
Parts of an Essay
Introduction
 Where is the lead or attention-getter in this
introductory paragraph?
 Why do you think the author used this as a lead?

 Which part of this paragraph is the transitional

statement?

 Where is the thesis statement?

Parts of an Essay
Introduction
While walking amidst the tall grasses in
Route 169, Ash was suddenly stopped by the sight of
a wild Pokemon; he opens his Pokeball case, calls out Lead or Attention-getter
his Charizard, and gets ready for an exciting battle.
This is just one of the many scenes a gamer may
encounter when playing an adventure role-playing
Transitional
game (RPG), a sub-genre of video games where a
Statement
player takes the role of a character which can interact
in the game’s fantasy world and play out the
storyline. The hook of adventure RPGs is the escape
that they provide to the player-a double-edged sword Thesis Statement
which can lead to either innocent fun or
uncontrollable addiction.
Parts of an Essay
Transitional Paragraph

 In some cases, a paragraph that is not directly

providing support to a thesis statement is included in
an essay. It is called a transitional paragraph.

 Its major function is to bridge one paragraph to

another.
Parts of an Essay
Transitional Paragraph
The RPG genre encompasses various games, such as
interactive computer programs, live-action events, and
more. The earliest games of RPG date back to the 16th
century in the form of an improvisational theater where the
dialogue has to be carried out spontaneously out of stock
characters and settings. By the 19th and 20th century, board
games and war games have become popular RPGs. The
genre has since evolved with the rise of technology, thus
giving birth to RPGs in video games. The element of
fantasy and adventure coupled with this technology have
produced widely-known games such as Pokemon,
Digimomn, Golden Sun, and others, and have since
attracted various gamers.
Parts of an Essay
Body
 Each body paragraph has a topic sentence.

 If the thesis statement contains multiple points or

assertions, each body paragraph should support or justify
them, preferably in the order the assertions originally
stated in the thesis statement.

 The topic sentence for the first body paragraph will refer to the
first point in the thesis sentence and the topic sentence for the
second body paragraph will refer to the second point in the
thesis sentence and so on.

 Generally, if the thesis sentence contains three related points,

there should be three body paragraphs, though you should base
the number of paragraphs on the number of supporting points
needed.
Parts of an Essay
Body
The ease of slipping into another persona is one of the
attractive features of role-playing games. A player can acquire a
different personality or point of view just by choosing a
character. He could be an alchemist in Golden Sun, a trainer in
Pokemon, or a warrior in The Legend of Zelda without leaving
the room. In addition to this, the fantasy world in adventure
RPGs also provide an attractive feature. Players can get lost in a
completely different world and explore it.

Aside from these aspects, the most potent escape that

fantasy RPGs can possibly give players is the potential to break
out of restrictions. Any gamer can do as he pleases without
rendering huge losses or risking anything outside the game. The
power accorded to RPG characters enable the player to do
anything despite physical limitations that he may have in real
life. For instance, he may battle with another player without
getting tired or inducing real-life wounds to anyone.
Parts of an Essay
Body
The other side of the coin presents a grim possibility.
Since this genre offers a whole new dimension for the
player, it also makes it easier to get lost in the game and
deliberately escape from real world problems. Once the
offer of escape is abused, a player can choose to simply
ignore the demand of real life and slip into his chosen
fantasy world.

Moreover, the attractive nature of a fantasy world

might be addicting. According to Mark Griffiths, a
psychologist from Nottingham Trent University, there are
signs that enjoyable games and activities make the body
produce endogenous opiates such as endorphins.
Moderation and responsible gaming should be encouraged,
so as to prevent addiction from happening.
Parts of an Essay
Body
 Point out the topic sentences from each of the
paragraphs in the body.

 Was the order of assertion in the thesis statement

followed in the body?
 Discuss your answer.
Parts of an Essay
Conclusion
 The concluding paragraph usually restates the thesis
and leaves the reader something about the topic to
think about.

 If appropriate, it may also issue a call to act, inviting

the reader to take a specific course of action with
regard to the points that the essay presented.

 One strategy for ending an essay is to link it to the

attention-getter in the introduction.
Parts of an Essay
Conclusion
These form of escape offered by adventure RPGs
effectively encourage a player to indulge in another
world, while at the same time exposing him to the
danger of addiction. It is therefore a challenge for
gamers to draw the line between fun and addiction, to
stay within the boundary of the former and curb the
pangs of the latter. After all, once the credit rolls in and
every Pokemon is caught, the player has to journey
back to the real world.
 Parts of an Essay
Conclusion
 Where is the restatement of the thesis in the conclusion?

 Is there a call of action in the conclusion?

 Is there a link to the attention-getter in the conclusion?

 Justify your answer.
Compare
 The hook of adventure RPGs is the
escape that they provide to the player-
a double-edge sword which can lead Thesis Statement
to either innocent fun or
uncontrollable addiction.

 These form of escape offered by

adventure RPGs effectively encourage Restatement of Thesis
a player to indulge in another world,
while at the same time exposing him
to the danger of addiction.
 Aristotle suggested that speakers and, by extension,
writers should tell their audience what they are going
to say, say it, and then tell them what they have said.
The three-part essay model, consisting of an
introductory paragraph, several body paragraphs, and
a concluding paragraph, follows this strategy.
SOURCES
 Barrot, J.S. (2016). Academic Reading & Writing for Senior High School. Quezon City: C & E
Publishing, Inc.

 https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_to_Write_an_Essay/Parts

 https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20141121192314-262038053-parts-of-a-paragraph