Improving Your Essays A StepbyStep Guide The Skeleton

Improving Your Essays A Step-by-Step Guide

The Skeleton of an Essay Think of the human body. You’ve got bones, muscle, skin, etc. If we’re comparing the human body to an essay, which part might the skeleton represent? What does a skeleton do?

The Skeleton of an Essay Every essay (even those you write in class or on a test) needs the following elements: 1. Introduction 2. Body 3. Conclusion

The Skeleton of an Essay The Introduction • 3 -4 sentences • TOPIC sentence & THESIS statement • PREVIEW of what you’re going to say in the body of the essay

A book’s narrator gives the reader insight into what that character thinks, feels, and does. We are closer to the narrator than any other character in a book. In Jerry Spinelli’s novel Stargirl, the narrator is Leo, a shy boy who observes Stargirl from a distance. Through Leo’s narration, the reader is wrapped up in Stargirl’s mysterious ways because since Leo does not know anything about Stargirl’s home life, neither do we. If Stargirl was narrated by Stargirl herself, the novel would be very different because we would have more of an idea as to what she thinks and why she does the bizarre things that she does. 1. 2. 3. 5. Topic sentence – what we’re discussing Clarification of the topic sentence & 4. More background/context info Thesis statement – the point that I’m going to make

Think it’s impossible for a 7 th grader to do this? NOPE! Check out this one I received: Stargirl is narrated by Leo. If it were narrated by Stargirl, a lot of questions would be answered. We would know where she lives, more about her parents, why is the way she is, and her view points of other people. 1. 2. 3. 5. Topic sentence – what we’re discussing Clarification of the topic sentence & 4. More background/context info Thesis statement – the point that I’m going to make

The Skeleton of an Essay The Introduction 1. Topic sentence: Introduces the topic 2. Re-word the topic sentence: Think about starting it with, “In other words…” 3. Preview of the examples that you’re going to use 4. The thesis statement: Almost re-states the question verbatim

The Skeleton of an Essay The Body • Each example should get its own paragraph. • Transitions! What are some of the best ways to move from paragraph to paragraph? • SAME structure as the Introduction paragraph! Topic sentence, 2 -3 sentences, conclusion sentence.

The Skeleton of an Essay Conclusion • Try and find a way to wrap it up without using the same wording that you did in your Introduction • Consider a counter-point.

The Muscular System of the Essay • What makes up the muscles of an essay? • What do muscles do in the body? • How would that relate to the human body?

The Muscular System of the Essay • Content - What are you trying to say? Get to the point! • Reasons – Why are you trying to say what you’re trying to say? • Examples – How are you trying to say what you’re trying to say? What else is left on the body?

The Skin of the Essay What do you think would classify as the “skin” of the essay? What does skin do for the body? How might it relate to an essay?

The Skin of the Essay • • Style Word Choice Grammar Figurative Language

The Skin of the Essay • • Style Word Choice Grammar Figurative Language

The Skin of the Essay • Vary your sentence structure! STYL E Maybe you have a few sentences that use a semi-colon or a conjunction. Maybe you ask a question as the next one. Maybe you have a list in the next one. • Vary your sentence length! Try and go long sentence, short sentence, long sentence, short sentence. • Substitute “the story” or “the book” for the author’s last name. (In this case, Spinelli. ) • Try to use synonyms for words rather than the same word over & over

The Skin of the Essay Gramar I obviously don’t expect you to have mastered all of the English language in the 7 th grade, but there are some UNFORGIVABLE errors that we have gone over 100 times already. • Sentences require a period, an exclamation point, or a question mark at the end of them. • New sentences need to be capitalized. • When someone owns something, it gets an apostrophe before the “s. ” For example: “Miss Owsley’s classes are so awesome. ” • Sentences need to have a direct purpose – ONLY ONE PURPOSE! One sentence can’t do an entire paragraph’s job!

Now It’s Your Time To Try! Ms. Owsley is going to give each of you a question to answer. You need to demonstrate that you understand the format of an essay, including: • The BONES • The MUSCLES • The SKIN

Question: Do you think that violence is ever justified? Physical violence has played a huge role in world history. Most of what we learn in school – wars, assassinations, and revolutions – comes from either a small or large initial act of violence. But is it ever justified? The answer is extremely subjective; depending on who you are, where you live, and what side of the violence your own personal interests lie, you may agree or disagree that the act of violence was justified. However, there is one common truth in violence amongst most free-thinking people, and that is that violence is only truly justified when it serves to protect yourself or others from more violence.