Writing - Essay Principles

Writing an Essay
Angga Rosma Pramodhawardhani

POLTEKIM
What Is An Essay?
“A short
piece of writing that consists of several
paragraph and tells a person’s thoughts or
opinions about a subject”
-Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary-
Why do people write an essay?
 Complete task from the lecturer
 For Scholarships
 Persuade the reader
 Share information
 Etc.
How to select a topic to write an essay?
 Select a topic that will INTEREST your audience
 Decide on the PURPOSE of an essay
 Identify your AUDIENCE
 Write about WHAT YOU KNOW
 NARROW down the topic
 Choose the PATTERN OF ORGANIZATION
Comparison/Contrast Classification
Cause/Effect Argumentation
Process Definition/Clarification
Using Transitions to Create Coherence
Use transition words or sentences to bridge ideas so the
reader does not get confused.
First Nevertheless
Second In contrast
In addition Furthermore
Therefore Etc.
Academic Conventions: Things to Avoid
 Avoid personal pronouns like “I”, “We”, and “You”.
 Avoid contractions like “isn’t”, “wasn’t”, etc.
 Avoid slang language like wanna, gonna, though, etc.
 Avoid plagiarism by citing your sources
How many paragraphs do we need to
write an essay?
Basically, 4 paragraphs:
 The first paragraph is an introductory paragraph.
 The middle two paragraphs are the body paragraphs.
 The last paragraph is the concluding paragraph.
“Introductory Paragraph”
 Tells the reader what the essay is all about.
 Consists of …
Hook
Connecting information
Thesis Statement
 Example
Why Do We Lie?
As little children, most of us were taught the virtue of honesty from
fairy tales and other stories. The story of Pinocchio, who begins life as a
puppet, teaches us the importance of telling the truth. The boy who lied by
‘crying wolf’ too many times lost all his sheep as well as the trust of his
fellow villagers. Even though we know that ‘honesty is the best policy,’ why
do we often lie in our everyday lives? The fact is that we lie for many
reasons.
Several Ways to Write the Introduction
HOOK
Several ways to write hook
Ask a question
Can you prevent youth brawls on the streets?
Use an anecdote
The average American is proud to be American, and he is eager to talk
about American products. However, the average American drives a
Japanese or German car to work every morning. He wears cotton shirts
made in Indonesia and pants made in Bangladesh. His dinner salad has
tomatoes from Mexico and salad dressing from France. Before he goes to
bed, he will watch his favourite program on a Japanese television set .
Use a quotation
“Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he’ll
eat forever.”
Use background information related to the thesis statement
THESIS STATEMENT
 A thesis statement is the main idea of an essay.
 A thesis statement is usually 1-2 sentences.
1# “Public schools need two changes such as adding qualified
teachers and repairing old tables and chairs. ”
2# “Public schools need two changes. There are adding qualified

teachers and repairing old tables and chairs”
 It is often placed in the end of introductory

paragraph of an essay.
THESIS STATEMENT
 should avoid…
The first person (I believe, In my opinion, etc.)
Unclear language (seems, might, maybe, etc.)
 should NOT be express in a form of Question or Phrase.

 should contain Topic, Controlling Idea, and Predictor.
“Public Schools need two changes such as adding qualified teachers
and repairing old tables and chairs. ”
T : Public Schools’ facilities
CI: Two Changes
P : Adding qualified teachers and Repairing old tables and chairs
Read these four thesis statements and answer the
questions for each thesis statement. (10 minutes)
1. Blindness requires a heightened development of the other senses,
especially touch and hearing.
2. Modern research suggest that the skin feels three main sensations:
pressure, heat, and pain.
3. Although vision is important, many people manage very well
without sight.
4. Losing the sense of taste can cause difficulties in a person’s social,
professional, and family life.
What is the topic?

What is the controlling idea?
If there is a predictor, what is it?
Choose 1 of these topics and write an introductory
paragraph in 30 minutes in a piece of paper.
(Remember: Hook, Connecting Information, Thesis Statement)
1. Health
2. Pollution
3. New regulation
4. Living in the dormitory
5. Way of Life
Write a simple outline behind your
paper! (15 minutes)
I. Introduction
Thesis Statement:_______________________________
II. Body Paragraph
Topic Sentence 1:_______________________________
Topic Sentence 2:_______________________________
Topic Sentence 3:_______________________________
III. Conclusion
________________________________________
Principle of Essay Writing V
“Writing the Body”
 Thesis statement is related to the topic statement in the body
paragraph.
 Consists of two or three paragraphs
 Uses linking information or transitions (a single word, a
phrase, or a dependent clause)
First Nevertheless
Second In contrast
In addition Furthermore
Therefore Etc.
Principle of Essay Writing VI
“Writing the Conclusion”
 Helps the reader to reconsider the main idea of the
essay
 Consists of
 Summary of all ideas in the body paragraph (whole essay)
 Often gives a suggestion, an opinion, a prediction, or a
conclusion
 Uses the transitions
In conclusion, … Finally, …
To summarize, … In short, …
As we have seen, …
Evaluation Guide for Essay Writing

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Writing an Essay

Angga Rosma Pramodhawardhani

2# “Public schools need two changes. There are adding qualified

 It is often placed in the end of introductory

 should NOT be express in a form of Question or Phrase.

What is the topic?

4. Living in the dormitory

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