Writer's Note The Five-Paragraph Essay The most common form of essay that is taught in textbooks isthe fiv-parag, a typical five-paragraph essay, paragraph 1 introduces the topic, paragraphs >. iyi ay ty topic by giving details, and paragraph 5 concludes the essay. The five-paragraph ee elo emphasized because it allows writers great freedom to explain their ideas ons yen) Mi their readers. At the same time, the traditional assignment in many writing classes go to Paragraph essay. In addition, if you understand how to write a five-paragraph essa VE easily expand this structure to include more paragraphs to address increasingly cease sophisticated ideas. An essay can range from three paragraphs to ten or more. pea and, the length of your essay, it should always consist of an introduction, a body, and a conch of sion oo ACTIVITY 1 Reading an Example Essay ‘which paragraphs are the introduction, the body, : the Read the following essay. Can you identify and the conclusion? Against E-Voting 1 Have you ever considered the argument that computers threaten democracy? With computer technology advancing daily, we know that many acti accomplished in a few minutes, or even seconds. For the most part, these technological innovations promise to save us time and money and to make our lives easier and more comfortable. Despite the greater efficiency of computers in so many areas, we should not turn over all aspects of our lives to computers. In particular, 1 believe that we should not vote with computers or other electronic media because democracy is too important to cede to the unreliability of cyberspace. accomplished: completed cede: to yield an innovation: a new idea or system2._In years past, people voted on paper ballots and marked them with ink or some similar means. Voters could see the choices they made. They could look back over their ballot to ensure that they did not make a mistake. Also, if arguments arose over the outcome of an election, paper has ballots allowed election officials to count votes by hand. This process may be tedious, but the benefit of being verifiable. Several countries still use this traditional method of voting, and it provides a crucial foundation for ensuring fairness. 3 _ If this traditional system of voting is not used, however, voters do not really know whether their votes are tallied accurately with e-voting systems. It is quite possible that a computer technician could develop a program so that a person could select one candidate on a computer screen, yet the vote would be counted for another candidate. Although some people might think this scenario sounds Paranoid, consider how many stories you hear in the news about breaches in computer security. The simple fact is that hackers can gain access to many computer systems for illegal purposes. By illegally entering into a cyber-polling station, they could easily change the outcome of an election. 4 _Ifvoting commissions decide to use electronic voting machines in their districts, they would be well advised to ensure that all voters receive receipts for their votes that would then be collected for subsequent verification. In this manner, voters could make sure that their receipts stated clearly that they did in fact vote for the candidates they desired. Furthermore, if any candidate suspected that the election was unfair, these receipts could be counted by hand and checked against the results that the computers provided. 5 Computer technologies have improved the qualities of our lives vastly, but these technologies are not a panacea for all of society’s troubles. Sometimes, a little more human work ensures a better result. Since voting is critically important to the effective and honest working of democracies, we should rely on a much older technology—paper and ink—rather than on computers for all of our elections. a breach: a hole or break in a security system arise: to come into being, appear tedious: tiresome, boring ahacker: a person who gains access to computer systems verifiable: able to be proven true or accurate to steal information or money tallied: counted, listed, recorded polling: voting a panacea: a cure for all diseases or problems paranoid: irrationally suspiciousSentences ssential to the quality of your writ .ge 203 in Appendix 1. Ee Lurene selon ng, oy sent "ferther pe leg Correct and vied es eal with “Against E-Votings How Do You Write an Introduction? 7 gives background information| af Sea ‘the topic—that is, the primary subject of the essay -rsades a thesis statement—the write’ ideas about or posi, onthe INTRODUCTION efi prograph ofa fine paragraph say the introduction. The intoducton has, e objective information to connect the reader to the topic, 1. It gives background Fike se ie, which is the subject of the essay. 2. It presents the topic, which is izes the main point of the essay and explains the writers idea 3. The thesis statement summari a aton abou the topic Ia short the thesis statement gives the Writers plan for they What Is the Difference between the Topic and the Thesis Statement ‘The topic isthe general subject ofthe essay. The thesis statement, on the other hand, ia specie sentence that explains the writers position about the topic. ea the subject of the essay ee Se | the writer's position about the topi are)a(e Me ae All rites must determine their purpose for writing; they must know what their main idea isand why itis important to them. This idea is contained in a special sentence called the thesis statement. ‘he diference between atopic and a thess statement silustrated in the following example Topic: cell phones in school Thesis statement: Student use of cell phones in schools should be prohibited. Note thatthe topic does not usually show the writer’ idea or position. However, the writer’ opinions clearly contained in the thesis statement. Working on Thesis Statements ‘The most important . mal idea and tells whi 2 2 eS8ay i the thesis statement, This statement identifies the waters The thesis statement is bleeprin wile eine or supported in the body paragraphs of the essay. Many excellent thes Fane at fellows, that idea or position, Forces include an idea about a topic and then a general reason to support the writers position “In particni ean E-Voting,” pages 2-3, the thesis statement clearly states ‘media The wer concludes the the co at ME SHOU not vote with computers or other electronic lemocracy is too i lement by givi oe tne space’ NOTE: Because is f z followed by subje t+ verb; by , plained in Grammar Topic 5.3 onpage ie “ause ofis followed by a noun, This structure is furtherACTIVI i __ASTINITY 2. Thesis Statement Ideas, Positions, and Reasons For each t each topic below, complete the thesis statement with an idea or a position in the first blank, Then add a controlling idea after the ing idea is a ane enor ‘because. A controlling idea is a word or phrase that helps guide the flow 1, Subject: Humanities / Topic: \uthors / Thesis statement: My favorite author is because Subject: Sciences / Topic: Choice of study / Thesis statement: I want to study, because 3. Subject: Business / Topic: Plan of action / Thesis statement: If I could be the president of any company in the world, it would be because 4. Subject: Personal / Topic: Recreational activity / Thesis statement: My favorite recreational activity is because : For more practice with topics and thesis statements, try Unit 1, Activity 1 on the Great Writing 5 Web site: eltheinle.com/greatwriting What Is in the Body of an Essay? Fey? 1. usually consists of three (or more) paragraphs 2. explains and supports the thesis statement “The body of an essay follows the introduction. In the body paragraphs, writers explain and support their ideas or the position they stated in the thesis statement. In a good essay, the body paragraphs develo the writers thesis statement so that the reader fully comprehends the writer’s point of view. Transition Words One way to make the supporting information in the body paragraphs clear isto use appropriate transition words. Transition words help the reader to follow the ideas in the essay. They can be single words, such as but, this, and although. Transitions can also be phrases, such as in addition, as a result, and for these reasons. ‘Two words that are especially helpful for connecting ideas in your writing are the adjectives this and these. You can mention an idea in one sentence and then refer to it in subsequent sentences using the swords this and these. Using this or these helps readers to know that you are continuing to talk about the same topic. It is important to note that a noun is used with these two adjectives. The noun is usually a synonym or general noun for the idea that it is replacing or representing. Examples from “Against E-Voting” 1. In Paragraph 2, the writer talks about the advantages of traditional voting systems. Paragraph 3 addresses the ways in which e-technologies can be exploited and thos circumvent honest voting practices. It is important to study how the writer moves from Paragraph 2 to Paragraph 3. The alking directly about e-voting fraud in Paragraph 3. Instead, the writer sa, writer does not start ti not used, however, voters do not really know whether the “{¢ this traditional system of voting isi sms.” The word this is used as an adjective p, re tall Jy with e-voting systems: : a ceeeeep he hes not been used before, but the writer is using the worg noun system. was just explained. ‘ 2. ee i“ ee = 4, i‘ writer explains why computer technologies create some serious - In Paragraphs 2,3 and 4 the Paragraph 5, which is the conclusion, the writer argues that “thee problems. At the beginning of for all of society's troubles” Instead of repeating all the facts of technologies bie - eas the “umbrella” word technologies preceded by the adjectiy reasons again, Fore the ‘Nstem ty © these Writer's Note This and These with Noun Synonyms 7 purpose ofthis, tha, thee, and those isto connect information without "peating the same non. Although thes four words can fuetion as pronouns or as adjectives ts preferable ous ther as adjectives in academic writing to ensue clarity. When YOU thse these aan adjective, be ure to use a dierent noun—a synonym or general “umbrella? noun instead of repeating the same noun. This strategy makes your writing sound more academic. ORIGINAL NOUN Hackers can gain access to many computer systems for illegal purposes. TRANSITION WORD SYNONYM Good: These criminals could easily change the outcome of an election. Weak: These hackers could easily change the outcome of an election. Sometimes it is impossible to find a good synonym. In such cases, it is acceptable to Tepeat a noun once or twice. However, it is considered very weak writing to repeat the noun, so try to use a synonym. | Activity 3 This and These + webcast comane iii — Write this or these on the line to show the second reference to a noun. The first one has been done for you. iL Submarines allow marine biologists to witness life in the ocean closely and to collect important data from these studies, These vessels are an important resource for scientific study. 2. The flag of Libya is entirely green, color is the national color of Libya. we read about World War I. Tesulted in the deaths of ‘millions, 3. In our history cl ry class today, war ended in 1918 and ‘The first step in making potato salad is to Peel six potatoes, Once step has been completed, you will boil the Potatoes for fifteen minutes,5, According toa report in the school newspaper yesterday, the president has suggested that university education be free for students who have a high grade point average. As expected, proposal is extremely popular with the parents of, students. However, story did not say how the president intends to pay for plan. For more practice with this and these, try Unit 1, Activity 2 on the Great Writing 5 Web site: ltheinle.com/greatwriting What Does the Conclusion of an Essay Do? 1. restates the thesis statement (the writer's main point) 2. usually offers a suggestion, opinion, or prediction Most good essays end with a conclusion that summarizes the writer’ thesis statement. In the in fact, the most common error that writers make conclusion, a writer does not add any new information. fa their conclusions is the addition of new information. Adding new information does not make your essay sound stronger or more convincing, Instead, new information may actually confuse your reader. ‘Good vitters vary the content and style of thei conclusions, buta conclusion often ends with 5 sentence that expresses a suggestion, an opinion, or a prediction. The writer suggests what should be done how, or the writer offers a final opinion about the topic, or the writer predicts what will happen next- The bottoms line fs that without a conclusion, essays often seem incomplete and unfinished. Understanding the Writing Process: The Seven Steps Choose a topic. Brainstorm. ‘Write the first draft. Get feedback from a peer. Revise the first draft. Proofread the final draft. Step 1: Choose a Topic Every essay addresses a specific topic, whether itis one that you choose or one that your teacher assigns. After the topic has been selected, your next task will be to develop ideas about that topic. In this explanation of the Seven steps in the writing process, the topic that we will uses “technology in society” and the writers thesis statement is “Computers have a negative influence on society” Understanding the Writing Process: The Seven Steps"i ing to write an essay Without thinking mistake ote Ifyou start writing too soon, your © js thi e 5 Your essay, val . 1 you already know about it? What do ni ; Mi earabout this topic? Only after you hay e a soa ayo begin wet rn Your reade ts Ve Completeg re 2 Brainstorm , ideas about your topic by brainstorm step sn writing an essay is to generate ideas aDOUt Yo storming, sua Thenest ao the topic “technology in society” The student decided to focyt rd thy cant nin heb PEP : negative in RS computers encourage ‘too much sitting in “outsourcing” jobs, Front of computers sending them overseas i too much snacking more automation Negative hile sitting means feuer jobs Influences of | ! Computers 0p spam, e-mail, and mnt pe veorle are ; ‘addicted? to computer games distract com people, lower productivity paters Personal Relationships People rely on computers to conmnicate e-mails are often misread, causing confusion | Slide prebentati ins Personal relationships e demand tace-to-tace As you can see interactions tl the thee that she oe” Her came up wi Present withthe pa OU MeBaive influences that computers have. She chos* Support and crossed out the other.ACTIVITY 4 Brainstorming a Topic ” lass Brainstorm in the box artnet te Des bd aes olen ee Oe needs to enact, SSAA bakesoriing ita perma tpublicwse of foul (bad) language.” When you are finished, compare Brainstorming Box Step 3: Outline ‘Affer you brainstorm your ideas, the next step is to make an outline. An outline helps you to organize how you will present your information. It helps you to see which areas of the essay are strong and which are weak. Formal outlines use Ro’ phrases. Others have full sen nd capital leters. Some outlines consist of only words or man numerals hat will best help you write a great essay. ences, Use the type of outline t Understanding the Writing Process: The Seven StepsOriginal Student Writing: Essay In this section, you will follow the seven steps in the writing process to write a five-paragraph essay. To review the details of each step, see pages 7-13. jal Essay ACTIVITY 15 O1 Using the seven steps in the writing process that follow, write a five-paragraph essay. Step 1: Choose a Topic Your first step is to choose a topic for your essay. Your teacher may assign a topic, you may think of one yourself, or you may choose one from the suggestions below. As you consider possible topics, ask yourself, “What do I know about this topic? What do my readers know? What else do I need to know? Do I need to research this topic?” GOLuE nti] © What are the advantages of being bilingual in today’s society? - Which twentieth-century scientific discovery caused the most change to our Gerrit ash daily lives? Explain. Corporations have collapsed after top executives used dishonest accounting EMencrs practices. What types of ethical reforms should be put in place to ensure that, these practices end? attraction. Describe your first trip to a z00, theme park, or other to! a TetoaEL 1. What topic did you choose? 2. Why did you choose this topic?Step 2: Brainstorm as you can, -as about the topic Use this space to jot down as many ideas ak Brainstorming Box esehh? There are many times when you must write ‘Wick, % quickly can you write in Englis How quickly can y‘ to feel comfortable during those times. Timed-writing Prac such as ona test. It is important mn i feel better about writing quickly in English. take out a piece of paper. Read ne the writin, can make you fé lines below. Then ta piec te a basic outline for this writing Prompt (ing First, read the essay guid ; as you can, wri Id spend no more than 5 minutes on yo, tid uty below the guidelines. As quickly the thesis and your three main points). You shoul tes to write a basic 5-paragraph essay about your topic. 4, i collect your work and return it to you ata later date the en tics You will then have 40 minut« of the 40 minutes, your teacher wil Essay Guidelines « Remember to give your essay a title. + Double-space your essay. + Write as legibly as possible (if you are not using a computer). « Include a short introduction (with a thesis statement), three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. utes before the end of the activity to review your work. « Try to give yourself a few min and subject-verb agreement mistakes. Check for spelling, verb tense, If) ‘you could meet one famous person, living or dead, who would it be? Explain why you would choose to meet this person and what you would hope to gain from the experience.