ESSAY WRITING

PURPOSE

The goal of an essay is to use proof from a

literary text to prove an idea.

AUDIENCE

You are writing for a person who is interested in what you have to say about a topic. Also, your audience will have some knowledge of the literary work you are using.

INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH

Hook• This is your first chance to introduce your

topic to your audience.• Begin with a general idea that can be

connected to your topic.• Some techniques you may use are:

anecdotes, definitions, descriptions, questions and ideas.

• Example: Are people in control of their destiny?

After your hook, you should include the following

items as you build down towards your thesis

statement:• Introduction of the text and major

characters you will be using as your evidence throughout your essay.

• Example: Having no control over one’s destiny is an important theme in Willam Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet.

Briefly provide some

background information

to your audience about

the text.

I.E. Romeo and Juliet

are not in control of their

lives. It is predetermined

destiny, not free choice

that controls Romeo and

Juliet.

THESIS STATEMENT

A thesis statement is where your central

argument is found. In other words, if

someone was to ask you what your essay is

about, your thesis would be your answer.

What could a thesis statement be for the topic: In

William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, how do

the main characters, Romeo and Juliet, prove their

destiny is predetermined?

Example: In William Shakespeare’s, Romeo and

Juliet, the idea that the main characters have no

control over their destiny is proven through the

long existing feud between the families, Romeo

and Juliet’s chance meeting and Mercutio and

Tybalt’s deaths.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN

Write an opening paragraph for the following topic:

In the story, The Possibility of Evil, by Shirley

Jackson, is Miss Adela Strangeworth a hero or a

villain?

Remember to include: a hook and build down

(with information)

BODY PARAGRAPHS

The body of your essay is where you

provide your ideas, supported by proof.

BODY PARAGRAPH: TOPIC SENTENCE

Your topic sentence is the first sentence in

your body paragraph. Its purpose is to inform

your reader what idea you will be proving in

the following paragraph.

For example: The long existing feud between

the Capulets and Montagues, is one of the

factors Romeo and Juliet have no control over,

but which influences their fate.

BODY PARAGRAPH: MAIN ARGUMENT

After your topic sentence, you must present your

argument. Use the following three steps:

Idea What is your argument?

Proof Quote from the text to support your argument.

Explanation Telling your reader how your idea and

proof are connected. Additionally, you explain to your

reader “why your proof and idea are important”.

Repeat this twice per paragraph. You need to

pieces of proof per paragraph!

EXAMPLE The long existing feud between the Capulets and

Montagues, is one of the factors Romeo and Juliet have no

control over, but which influences their fate. Romeo and

Juliet were both born into this feud, “Where civil blood makes

civil hands unclean. / From forth the fatal loins of these two

foes/A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life” (Prologue. 4-

6). Romeo and Juliet are born into their families and into a

feud. From the onset, there is nothing either character can

do about their families hatred for each other. It is the hatred

between both families that makes Romeo and Juliet hide

their relationship and make drastic choices, which will end

their lives.

SOURCING

You need to give credit for any ideas that are not

yours. Remember you did not write the play.

After you use an idea from the play, whether it is a

direct (word for word from the play) or indirect

quote (you put the idea into your own words) you

need to indicate where you got this information

from.

QUOTING POETRY

Divide lines of verse with slashes the way you would if

quoting poetry. You can tell a passage is in verse by

examining it to see if every line starts with a capital

letter, regardless of whether the line starts a sentence.

Ex. “But soft! What light through yonder window

breaks? / It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!” (II. ii. 2-

3). • (Act, scene, lines)

Q U O T I N G P O E T RY C O N T I N U E D

Note: When you are quoting more than four lines, you

may indent, single space, and type the lines directly as

they appear in the play. Do not use quotation marks.

I do protest, I never injured thee,

But love thee better than thou canst devise,

Till thou shalt know the reason of my live:

An so, good Capulet, --which name I tender

As dearly as my own,--be satisfied (III.i.67-71)

Q U O T I N G P R O S E

No slashes are necessary. You can recognize prose by

the fact that in prose, every sentence begins with a

capital letter, but not every line on the page.

Ex. “Well said! Follow me this jest now till thou hast

worn out thy pump, that when the single sole of it is worn,

the jest may remain after the wearing sole singular”

(II.iv.60-63).

Note: If you are quoting more than four lines, indent,

single space, and do not use quotation marks.

CONCLUSION

This is your last paragraph.

To begin, remind your reader of what you’re a trying to

prove. Write your central argument again, but don’t

use the exact same words as you did in your thesis.

Then explain and connect your arguments.

Finally, be sure that you don’t give any new information.

WORK CITED

Begin a new page

Centre and bold the title Work Cited

Format:

Author. Title. Editor’s name. Location of

publishing/ printing: publisher, year.

Form/media.

EXAMPLE WORK CITED

Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Ed. Ken Roy. Toronto: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1987. Print.