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Showing posts with label structure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label structure. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Essay Structure - Body


It's time to write your body paragraph(s).
 
The support for your claim with evidence and commentary (2nd - 4th* Paragraph) 
*Note that your instructor might require you to have a certain number of supporting paragraphs, there are no limit to essays! Generally not a fixed amount.
  • This would be the support that you have brought up in your thesis. These paragraphs will give you an opportunity to explain and prove your thesis by using evidence to verify the support of your claim.
  • To verify and prove your support, you need to have the evidence, which are facts taken from a source. This maybe paraphrased or put into a quote, as long as you are able to cite your source (preferably from a trusted and reliable source).
  • Following each evidence is the commentary, which is necessary to clarify to your reader why the evidence proves the supporting claims. You should conclude each of your supporting paragraphs by smoothly transitioning each one from another.

Here is the same example from before, but adding the body paragraphs:
Outline
Title: How to Play Tennis
I. Introduction paragraph
     A. Hook: tennis around the world
     B. Introduction of topic: playing tennis
     C. Thesis: proper equipment, necessary strokes, keep score, places to play
II. Equipment
     A. Rackets
          a. wood vs. metal
     B. Balls
          a. white vs. colors
          b. high altitude balls
III. Strokes
     A.Forehand and backhand
     B. Lob
     C. Slam
     D. Serve
     E. Volley
IV. Scoring
     A. Points 
          a. 15, 30, 40, game
     B. Winning
          a. game, set, match
Essay
      There are many different competitions around the world regarding tennis. Although people watch this fascinating sport, many people do not fully understand the game. The best way to understand a sport is to play it. Therefore, in order to play tennis, you should have the proper equipment, learn the necessary strokes and how to keep score, and become familiar with places to play.
     Equipment is necessary when playing tennis. The most important piece of equipment is the tennis racket. You should try a wood racket and metal racket to determine which you prefer. The wood may be lighter, but you often get more power from a metal racket. Additionally, tennis balls come in white or yellow. On some surfaces, yellow is easier to see. Yellow balls have become very popular. A tennis player must be careful to purchase special balls when playing at high altitudes. Regular balls will usually bounce off the court due to thinner air.
     Tennis involves more than just hitting a ball over a net. Various strokes are used, such as forehand and backhand, varied by changing the group on the racket; the lob; the overhead slam; the serve; and the volley.  The first serve is usually more powerful than the second serve.
     Tennis is scored by sets. Four points make a set. The points are counted as fifteen, thirty, forth, and game. You must win the game by two points. Six games make a set, and either two or three sets make a match.

Come back to finish this essay with the conclusion!

Good luck!
-The CAS English Blog

Monday, March 25, 2013

General Essay Structure


If you have ever taken a class in an academic institution, then you will definitely face a conundrum every college student will encounter – writing an essay. It's simple to understand why someone might question the purpose of writing essays. It’s tedious, boring and dull. So why would your instructor give you such a mind-boggling task?

You unconsciously read or heard an informal essay if you've ever watched television, listened to the radio, or looked at a billboard. Each of these things are trying to tell you something by having a "voice".

It’s important for you, the student, to have a voice for the sake of your academic success. 
Just like advertisements, your "voice" needs to have structure. Understanding essay structure will help create an essay that is not only easy to read, but  also easy to understand.

The essay structure generally consists of:
  1. An introduction with your background and thesis (1st paragraph)
  2. The support for your claim with evidence and commentary (2nd - 4th paragraph)
  3. Your conclusion. (Last paragraph)

These are all separated into different paragraphs, typically mapped by an outline, a helpful tool for writers to create a well written essay. The outline will help you model your essay quickly before writing.

Make sure to note what format your instructor would like your essay to be in (MLA, APA, etc.) and what type of essay (expository, descriptive, persuasive, narrative).

Here is a visual representation:

The next post will be about the first paragraph - your background and thesis statement. 

Stay tuned for more information!
-The CAS English Blog