Essays
Research Papers, Narratives, Personal Statements, Literary Analysis, Synthesis Essays, Rhetorical Analysis, and so many more.
There are essays for every occasion. Here are some tools to get started, and some common elements that will help you write the best possible essay for any possible class and assignment.
There are essays for every occasion. Here are some tools to get started, and some common elements that will help you write the best possible essay for any possible class and assignment.
Getting Started
The Call of the Question:
The Call of the Question:
Before you start, you need to be 100% positive that you understand the Call of the Question, or topic. What is the prompt? What does your teacher expect from you? This tells you what sort of essay you are writing - argumentative? persuasive? narrative?
Examine the prompt closely, rewrite it in your own words and ask your instructor if your interpretation is correct.
Are tests like ACT and SAT effective? is a very different prompt from Discuss your experience taking the ACT or SAT. And different still from Research the origins of analysis exams such as ACT and SAT? and even still different from Convince the reader that the ACT and SAT should be abolished.
Examine the prompt closely, rewrite it in your own words and ask your instructor if your interpretation is correct.
Are tests like ACT and SAT effective? is a very different prompt from Discuss your experience taking the ACT or SAT. And different still from Research the origins of analysis exams such as ACT and SAT? and even still different from Convince the reader that the ACT and SAT should be abolished.
Same idea, same general topic, but very different focus.
Outline:
You've figured out your topic, you have your focus and now you need to organize your preliminary ideas.
It's time to outline.
There are myriad ways to outline an essay.
It's time to outline.
There are myriad ways to outline an essay.
You may be assigned a particular outline, you may have the freedom to choose one that best suits you. Some of us are linear thinkers and like a straightforward, traditional outline. Some of us are more visual and appreciate a bubble chart or the hamburger patty. No one outline is greater than another.
The most important concept behind an outline is to build a map of where your essay will lead you. You are not necessarily filling in information on your outline, rather what information you need to discover and in what order it will fall.
The most important concept behind an outline is to build a map of where your essay will lead you. You are not necessarily filling in information on your outline, rather what information you need to discover and in what order it will fall.
Argument and Counterargument:
Every, single type of essay under the sun has the basic ingredients of argument and counterargument. Think of argument as your point of view on the subject. The counterpoint is the opposing view, or a person who would disagree with you.
For example: Prompt: Green energy research has been a major point of research in the past ten years. What particular technology do you see making a major impact in the world? Argument: Electric Cars will solve the fossil fuel crisis and provide sustainable transportation options. Counterargument: Electric Cars are unreliable for long distance travel and thus not a viable option for future transportation needs. The argument provides your focus on a broad topic, and it gives you a strong discussion point. |
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Research:
Let's start with research papers. Prompt: Research one of the ways that climate change will impact human life on Earth in the next twenty years. What do you need to know? -what is climate change? -focus on 1 way rising temperatures, ocean levels, melting ice caps, etc... will affect human life on Earth -how is this particular issues caused, aggravated, and possibly cured? How do you find reliable sources? Many of our resources are online, but websites can be tricky. Some are reliable, some are junk. Some look reliable and are full of junk. BE CAREFUL. Vetting a source means you have made sure it is reliable, appropriate and other academic minds in that field of study believe it is legit. Just because a website looks official, does not mean the information is reliable. Compare these sites: |
Each of these sites look organized and neatly written. All claim to have research based evidence. However, one is unverified and unprovable nonsense, one is constructed of solid, verifiable science, and one is a blog written by various contributors. It is easy for a site such as Flat Earth to appear as a legitimate research source, however, you need to verify that the information provided is sound and reliable. Don't be fooled. Blogs can have good information on them, but are not reliable as a research source.
If you're a flat earther and feel deeply offended - sorry not sorry.
If you're a flat earther and feel deeply offended - sorry not sorry.
What About Personal Statements and Narrative Essays?
You've been assigned to write about you, yourself! Excellent. You still need to do a bit of research, but it will be a little different.
Prompt: Describe and discuss a person in your life that is important to you and how they have impacted your life.
What Do You Need To Know?
-Who are you going to write about? Your grandmother? Aunt? Friend?
-Where is this person from? Where are they now?
-Did they immigrate to the US? From where? How? No? What is their life like in their country?
-Are the things they taught you cultural? Family based? Experiential?
What kind of research sources can help with this?
Prompt: Describe and discuss a person in your life that is important to you and how they have impacted your life.
What Do You Need To Know?
-Who are you going to write about? Your grandmother? Aunt? Friend?
-Where is this person from? Where are they now?
-Did they immigrate to the US? From where? How? No? What is their life like in their country?
-Are the things they taught you cultural? Family based? Experiential?
What kind of research sources can help with this?
You will, of course, insert a great deal of narrative and personal stories. However, your personal statement will be much stronger when it includes an element of research. These sites listed above are but two examples of how you might bolster your narrative with facts and history. Don't forget - interviews are research too. If you can, sit down with your subject and interview them, record their answers, this is valuable on so many levels.