Lecture 5

Essay Writing
Skills


Recap
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The three Writing Stages
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Pre-writing

–

Writing

–

Re-writing

Exercise


Topic Highlights
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What is Paragraph?

•

Examples of Paragraph writing

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What is Essay?

•

What makes a good essay?

•

Dos and Don'ts

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How to Write an Essay?

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Essay Format

3


Paragraph Writing
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 Definition

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Unity

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Topical Sentence

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Supporting Details

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Relevant Exercises
4


What is a paragraph?
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It is a group of sentences that
introduces, presents and develops
one main idea about the topic.
It can be divided into three major

parts.
–

Topic Sentence (Beginning)

–

Supporting Details (Middle)

–

Closing Sentence(End)
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a) The Topic Sentence
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•

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  Normally the first sentence of the
paragraph
Conveys the overall point of view
of the paragraph
Helps the writer focus on the
idea written about

Helps the reader know about what
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the paragraph is all about


b) The Supporting Details
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•

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Sentences used to support the
main idea stated in the topic
sentence
Provide information about the main
idea through examples
Provide clear evidence that what
the
topic sentence says is
trustworthy
Strong convincing points
on
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c) The Concluding Sentence
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Reflection of the main idea pronounced in the
topic sentence

Sums up what the topic sentence and the
supporting details talk about
Closing sentence reminds the readers of what
they have to value
It is compulsory for the completion of the
paragraph unity
Indicates the end of a paragraph
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Prepares the reader for a smooth transition


Example: 1
TOPIC SENTENCE

SUPPORTING DETAILS
CLOSING SENTENCE

There are three reasons why Canada is one
of the best countries in the world. First,
Canada has an excellent health care
system. All Canadians have access to
medical services at a reasonable price.
Second, Canada has a high standard of
education. Students are taught by welltrained teachers and are encouraged to
continue studying at university. Finally,
Canada's cities are clean and efficiently
managed. Canadian cities have many parks
and lots of space for people to live. As a
result, Canada is a desirable place
9 to live.


Example: 2
TOPIC SENTENCE
SUPPORTING DETAILS
CLOSING SENTENCE

I don't like tests. Every time I take a test, I
feel nervous. When I study for a test, I don't
know if I will be able to get a good grade.
Often I worry about taking a test and can't
sleep. Sometimes I daydream or draw
pictures in class. After the test is over, I
worry about my grade. When my teacher

gives the test back to me with a grade, I still
can't relax because I know I will have
another test soon. Tests give me
a
lot
of
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Example: 3
TOPIC SENTENCE
SUPPORTING DETAILS
CLOSING SENTENCE

Cats are good pets. You don't have to
take a cat for a walk every day like a
dog. You do not have to wash cats
because they know how to clean
themselves. If you want to go on
vacation, you can leave some food and
water for your cat and it will be okay. A
cat can sleep on your bed and keep
you warm at night. I think these
things
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Paragraph Writing Exercise
Q. Write an excellent paragraph on the
following topic on a separate sheet of paper.

Topic: Friendship
•

Remember:
1.

Make sure your paragraph has a topic sentence.

2.

Make sure you provide at least 3 sentences that support
your main idea.

3.

Make sure you have a closing sentence.

4.

Check that all your sentences focus on the main idea.

★ Circle your topic sentence. Number your
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Essay Writing

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What is an Essay?
•

•

 

An essay is an organized
collection of your thoughts on a
particular topic.
An essay consists of three major
parts:
1.

Introduction

2.

Main body

3.

Conclusion

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What is an Essay?
•


•

The word “essay” is derived from the Latin
verb “exigere”, which means to:
–

Examine

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Test

–

Drive out

What could the purpose of an essay be
given this definition?
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What makes a good essay?
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Good structure:
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clear introduction


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well crafted middle

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clear and appropriate conclusion

Clear argument:
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progression through ideas with clear
indication

Well supported by relevant evidence


What makes a good essay?
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Well written:
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grammatical;

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correct spelling and punctuation;

–

good sentence structure

–

paragraphing and use of linking words and
phrases

–

Fully referenced using Harvard system


Assessing your Work Against
an Example Essay
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Read any essay and comment critically on
the structure and organisation. Identify
strengths and weaknesses.
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Is there a clear introduction to guide the
reader?
Are key concepts clearly communicated?
Does the writing progress/have a sense of
direction?
Is there a clear and appropriate
conclusion?


DOS & DONTS
DOS
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Prepare well in advance

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Write a first draft, leave and come back to it later

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Keep your focus on the question

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Edit carefully for sense, spelling, grammar and
punctuation
DONTS

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Write all you know about a topic

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Leave till the last minute


How to write an
Essay?


how to write an essay?
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An essay can have many purposes, but the basic
structure is the same no matter what.
E.g. You may be writing an essay to argue for a
particular point of view or to explain the steps necessary
to complete a task.
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Either way, your essay will have the same basic format.

If you follow a few simple steps, you will find that the
essay almost writes itself. You will be responsible only for

supplying ideas, which are the important part of the
essay anyway.

Don't let the thought of putting pen to paper
daunt you. Get started!


Essay Format
These simple steps will guide you through the essay writing
process:
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Decide on your topic.

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Prepare an outline or diagram of your ideas.

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Write your thesis statement.

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Write the body.

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Write the main points.


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Write the subpoints.

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Elaborate on the subpoints.

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Write the introduction.

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Write the conclusion.

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Choosing a Topic
You may have no choice as to your topic. If this is the case, you still may
not be ready to jump to the next step. Think about the type of paper you
are expected to produce. Should it be a general overview, or a specific
analysis of the topic? If it should be an overview, then you are probably
ready to move to the next step. If it should be a specific analysis, make
sure your topic is fairly specific. If it is too general, you must choose a
narrower subtopic to discuss.
For example, the topic "KENYA" is a general one. If your objective is to
write an overview, this topic is suitable. If your objective is to write a
specific analysis, this topic is too general. You must narrow it to something

like "Politics in Kenya" or "Kenya's Culture”.
Once you have determined that your topic will be suitable, you can move
on.


Organizing Your Ideas


Writing Your Outline
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•

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Begin your outline by writing your topic at the top of the
page.
Next, write the Roman numerals I, II, and III, on left side
of the page.
Next to each Roman numeral, write the main ideas that
you have about your topic, or the main points that you
want to make.
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If you are trying to persuade, you want to write
your best arguments.
If you are trying to explain a process, you want to
write the steps that should be followed.
If you are trying to inform, you want to write the
major categories into which your information can be
divided.