5H Essay Writing

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 5

Welcome!:)

Today

Class work

- explain writing test

- what is an essay?  

- what is an persuasive essay? 

Individually

- identifying different parts essay

Leerdoelen

• Ik kan benoemen wat er van mij wordt verwacht bij de toets in de toetsweek. 
• Ik begrijp wat een essay is. 
• Ik begrijp wat een persuasive essay is. 
• Ik herken de verschillende delen van een essay. 

What is an essay? 

An essay...

... is a short, formal piece of writing dealing with a single subject.

... is typically written to pesuade the reader.

... consists out of three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. 

... has a title, but does not have any subtitles.

... contains a thesis statement and topic sentences stating the main arguments. 

Your essay will have to be around 500 words. 

How to organise your persuasive essay

The introduction.The introduction in your persuasive essay should grab the readers' attention and provide background information about your subject. It should end with a clear statement of your thesis.

The body. The body should consist of all the arguments that support your thesis. Each paragraph should focus on one particular point. 

The conclusion. The conclusion should restate the main argument and supporting points. After all, the point of a persuasive essay is to convert your readers to your point of view.

Introduction example

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

hook

The first sentence acts as a “hook” to draw the reader’s attention. In this case, it does so by making a strong claim about the importance of the essay’s subject.

Background

The following sentences set the context for the debate this essay weighs in on.

Thesis

These sentences make up the thesis statement. This is the central argument of the essay—the claim(s) that the rest of the essay will work to back up with evidence and analysis.

A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia. An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing”. Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says”. Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

Topic sentence

This topic sentence tells us what the paragraph will be about: teachers’ perceptions of their students’ use of Wikipedia as a source.

Evidence and further information

Final sentence

The final sentence provides a concise statement of the point the author has made in this paragraph, and may also gesture towards what will be discussed next.

Conclusion example

The internet has had a major positive impact on the world of education; occasional pitfalls aside, its value is evident in numerous applications. The future of teaching lies in the possibilities the internet opens up for communication, research, and interactivity. As the popularity of distance learning shows, students value the flexibility and accessibility offered by digital education, and educators should fully embrace these advantages. The internet’s dangers, real and imaginary, have been documented exhaustively by skeptics, but the internet is here to stay; it is time to focus seriously on its potential for good.

Summary

The first sentences serve as a concise summary or synthesis of the arguments made in the body, reminding the reader of your overall argument.

Significance

This sentence highlights the importance of the topic by linking it with a contemporary trend in education. The conclusion is a good place to emphasize the relevance of the argument you have made.

Strong closing statement

The final sentence usually tries to capture the importance or originality of the argument in a strong, memorable statement.

Introduction

Thesis statement

Body

Topic sentence

Conclusion

a beginning section which states the purpose and goals of the following writing

a sentence or two that summarizes the main point that an essay

the part of an essay that explains and develops the main idea

helps organize the paragraph by summarizing the information in the paragraph

the last paragraph of your essay summarizing its thesis and arguments

What does an essay outline look like?

1. Direct quote

The nomad is not bound to a geographical place he calls home and shows similarities with the expatriate, as both are flexible and not bound to their birthplace. In addition, as the expatriate, the nomad “enjoys both autonomy and a direction of its own” (Deleuze and Guattari 43-4). However, unlike the traditional idea of nomadism suggests, the nomad should not be defined by movement, seeing that he “distributes himself in a smooth space” (44), and in effect, he never leaves his own territory. In other words, although he “goes from one point to another” (43), he is always at home. 

1. Put the literal text from your source between quotation marks

2. Add the last name(s) of the author followed by the pagenumber(s) between parentheses 

3. If you use another quote from the same source in the same paragraph, then only page number(s) is enough. 

    

Unless, of course, you have used another source in between. 

2. Long direct quote 

In his journal, Crusoe describes his first attempt at domesticating a goat in December of his first year on the island:

                   … by nursing it so long it grew tame, and fed upon the little 

                  green at my door, and would not go away: This was the first 

                  time that I entertain’d a thought of breeding up some tame 

                  creatures, that I might have food when my powder and shot 

                  was all spent. (Defoe 72)

After this first attempt, he does act on these thoughts, emanating from his necessity to fend for himself, after his supply of ammunition has depleted.

1. A long quote is anything that’s longer than 4 typed lines. You’ll present these quotes in a block of text set off from the rest of your paragraph. Because the quote is set off in a block, you don’t need to put quotation marks around it.

2. You do need to add the last name and page number between parentheses.

3. Paraphasing

Original quote:

"Our results show that 40% of voters in the referendum election didn't make up their minds until they arrived at the polling place" (Hammersmith 55).

Paraphrased quote:

Based on this study, 40% of referendum voters waited until they got to the polling location to decide how they would vote (Hammersmit 55). 

1. Paraphrasing is when you restate someone else’s ideas in your own words. 

It’s a great way to incorporate evidence into your paper without using a direct quote every time. 

2. Although you don’t need to use quotes around a paraphrase, you do need to refer 

to the source.

Exercise

Read the text and note down different voices in the text.

- Students voice (mark yellow)

- indirect external voice (paraphrases)

- direct external voice (quotations)

Exercise

Read the text and note down different voices in the text.

- Students voice (mark yellow)

- indirect external voice (paraphrases)

- direct external voice (quotations)

Your Essay

For your final essay you can choose between these 5 topics:

1. Should vaccines be enforced?

2. Would a sugar tax improve young children's health

3. How should (Dutch) society respond to a refugee stop/immigration ban?

4. Should university/college be made free and accessible for everyone?

5. Are privacy regulations on (social media) apps too strict or not strict enough?