The First and Second Steps

in Essay Writing

Eng. 201
Miss Nadia Al Saheb
Steps for Writing an Essay
Begin with a point, or thesis.
Support the thesis with specific
evidence.
Organize and connect the specific
evidence.
Write clear, error free sentences.
 Brainstorming
Describe a favorite childhood place that made you feel secure, safe,
private or in a world of your own. Begin with a thesis statement,
something like this:
" _________was a place that made me feel ________ when I was a
child."
Remember to keep the point of your thesis statement in mind as you
describe this place.
Include only details that will support the idea that your place was one of
security, safety and privacy.
 Step One:
Begin with a point, or thesis
A good thesis statement does two things.
1) First, it tells readers an essay's topic.
2) Second, it presents the writer's attitude or
opinion about the topic.
example: owning a pet has several important
benefits
Essay's topic: owning a pet
Writer's attitude: has several important benefits
 Writing a Good Thesis I
To start with, you need a topic that is
neither too broad nor too narrow.
General Subject Limited Subject Thesis
Marriage Honeymoon A honeymoon is perhaps the best
way to begin a marriage

Family Older Sister My older sister helped me

overcome my shyness

Television TV Preachers TV evangelists use sales technique

to promote their message

Children Disciplining of My husband and I have several

Children effective ways of disciplining our
children
 Writing a Good Thesis II
Common mistakes when writing thesis
statements:
1) Announce the subject rather than state a
true thesis.
2) Write a thesis that is too narrow.
3) Write a thesis that is too broad.
 Write Statements not
Announcements
The subject of my paper will be my parents
My parents each struggled with personal demons.
I want to talk about the crime wave in our country.
The recent crime wave in our city has several
apparant causes.
The baby-boom generation is the concern of this
essay.
The baby-boom generation has changed the
American boom in new ways.
Avoid Statements that are
Too Broad
Disease has shaped human history.
In the mid- 1980's, AIDS has changed people's attitude
about dating.
Insects are fascinating creatures.
Strengths, organization and communication, make the
ant one nature's most successful insects.
Men and women are very different.
Men and women are often treated very differently in the
work place.
 Avoid Statements that are
Too Narrow
Dead End Statements (no place to go with it):

The speed limit near my house is sixty - five miles per

hour.
The speed limit near my house should be lowered to
sixty- five miles per hour for several reasons.
A hurricane hits southern Florida last Summer.
Federal officials made a number of mistakes in their
response to the recent Florida hurricane.
Avoid Statements that are
Too Narrow (cont.)
The requirement that a U.S. president must
be at least thirty five years old is unfair and
unreasonable.
A person must be at least thirty - five years
old to be elected president of the United
States.
 Make Sure Statements
Develop Only One Idea
One of the most serious problems affecting young
people today is bullying, and it is time more kids
learned the value of helping others.
Studying with others has several benefits, but it
also has drawbacks and can be difficult to
schedule.
Teachers have played an important role in my
life, but they were not as important as my parents.
 Step Two: Support the
Thesis with Specific Evidence
Write down a brief version of your thesis
idea, and then work out and jot down the
three points that will support the thesis.
Movie going is a problem:
1) Inconvenience of going out
2) Tempting snacks
3) Other moviegoers
Step Two: Support the Thesis
with Specific Evidence (cont.)
Just as a thesis must be developed with three
supporting points, each supporting point must
be developed with specific details.
1) Details excite the reader's interest.
2) Details serve to explain a writer's points.
They give the evidence needed for us to see
and understand general ideas.
The body paragraphs in essays contain only
vague generalities, rather than the specific
supporting details that are needed to engage
and convince a reader.
 Vague Support
•And people are often messy, so that
you're constantly aware of all the food wrappers , stick gum on their seats,
they're eating
• People are also always moving
around near you, creating a
disturbance and interrupting your
enjoyment of the movie
Specific Support
•And people of all ages crinkle candy
and drop popcorn tubs or cups of
crushed ice and soda on the floor
•They also caught and burp, squirm
endlessly in their seats, file out for
repeated trips to the restrooms or
concession stand, and elbow you out
of the armrest on either side of your
seat.