ESSAY VOCABULARY

AN ESSAY IS… An answer to the teacher-given question Your opinion Supported by evidence to prove your opinion At least three paragraphs long Always focused on what it is proving

AN ESSAY IS NOT…A storyOff-topicWritten in slangA hurried assignment (unless you

are asked to do a timed-essay)Easy--but will become easier with

practice

PARAGRAPHSParagraphs are

sections of an essay that are indentedIntroduction

ParagraphBody

Paragraph (s)Conclusion

In the indentation space, number the paragraphs on the final draft example.

INTRODUCTION -(1ST PARAGRAPH)

The first paragraph of the essayHookTAG BridgeSummaryThesis

HOOKThe hook is the opening of the

introduction. A hook’s purpose is to grab the

reader’s attention.Always avoid questions. Instead,

try using: a famous quotation, a strong statistic, or imagine a world where…

Label the hook with a hook

*Be sure whatever you decide to use matches the overall argument.

BRIDGEThe bridge connects the hook into the argument of the essay.

Label the bridge with a bridge

T.A.G.The TAG stands for Title, Author,

Genre (what type of writing is it- fiction, non-fiction, etc.

Label the title with a T Label the author with an A Label the genre with an G

PLOT SUMMARYPlot Summary: 1-2 sentences telling what is the novel/story about

Underline the plot summary

THESISA thesis is your answer to the question the teacher has asked you and is what you’re proving in your essay.

It is your argument that includes subpoints which map out the body paragraphs.

Highlight the thesis in yellow

BODY PARAGRAPH(S) – MIDDLE PARAGRAPHSTopic SentenceChunksConcluding Sentence

TOPIC SENTENCEThe topic sentence

will state one of the subpoints from your thesis

It will introduce that body paragraph

Label the topic sentence with a T.S.

Highlight with the green highlighter

LEAD-IN (CONTEXT)The Lead-in answers the-

Who is in the quote?What is happening

around the quote?When does it happen?Where does it happen?

Label the Lead-in LI

CONCRETE DETAIL (CD) The Concrete Detail is

the evidence that proves your thesis and relates to your topic sentence.

This is in “quotation marks” and is followed by the (page number) in parenthesis

Much like the concrete outside, a Concrete Detail cannot be changed.

Circle the quotation marks around the Concrete Detail

Label the Concrete Detail with CD

COMMENTARY (CM) The Commentary is

your opinion. It explains how the CD proves your argument/thesis.

There are always at least two sentences of Commentary following each CD.

CMs are sometimes called: InterpretationExplanationOpinion JustificationAnalysis

Label the Commentary with CM

Remember, there is always a minimum of

2 CM

CHUNK’S “MAGIC FORMULA”:It’s a ratio. 1 LI:1 CD:2 CMThis means that for every

Concrete Detail, there needs to be two Commentaries to explain how the CD proves the essay’s argument.

One piece of this formula in an essay is called a chunk.

CHUNKLead-in (Context)Concrete Detail (Evidence)Commentary (Analysis)

CONCLUDING SENTENCEThe concluding

sentence will wrap up your body paragraph

Restate the topic sentence and transition to the next body paragraph

Highlight with the pink highlighter

CONCLUSIONThis is the last paragraph of the

essayRestate the thesis in different

wordsEnd with a final thought!

FORMULA FOR A BODY PARAGRAPH… Topic sentence- What is body paragraph

about? Lead-in– An example of _______ occurs

_______: Concrete Detail-- “ “(page #). Commentary- This shows… Commentary- This also demonstrates… Lead-in– Another example of… Concrete Detail “ “ (page #). Commentary This shows… Commentary- This also demonstrates… Closing Sentence– Restate the topic sentence

JUST ONE MORE THING… Even though an essay is your opinion,

you should never use the personal pronoun “I” in your essay. If your name is on the paper, then I know the opinions in the paper are yours.

NEVER use: I, you, we, us our, me, etc. Use: One, an individual, or people

instead All verbs need to be in the present

tense; the piece of literature is still alive!

DON’T WORRY! Everyone feels stressed when learning to

write essays. It’s difficult, but you’ll get better with practice. I promise!