AEIS 111 Essay Mechanics

Belinda Young Davy

A. BASIC WRITING PRINCIPLES

Good writing is interesting and easy to follow.

Easy to follow:

1. Background: You have given the reader all the necessary information to understand the references you
make.

2. Organization: You have organized the information into logical units tohelp the reader follow what you
say.

3. Thesis: You have clarified the main idea in the introduction.

4. You have followed the basic academic pattern: general information to specific information

(Note: Follow this pattern in each paragraph and for the overall essay).

5. You have used appropriate transitions and connectors to let the reader know the relationship of one idea to another, (e.g., however, therefore, moreover, finally).

Paragraphs:

1. Topic Sentence :A topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph.

2. Cohesion: The first sentence of each paragraph connects the new idea to the previous paragraph.

3. There is a logical order of ideas, such as first to last chronologically, cause to effect, or least to most important.

4. Sentences in the paragraph provide sufficient support for the main idea.

Essay:

1. The Introduction contains a general opening, background information if necessary, and then narrows to the thesis statement which is the central idea of the entire essay.

2. The Thesis statement contains the central idea or main point of the essay. It states your position on a subject. It is not a single fact and not a question. It is a generalization which could be an answer to an assumed question. It gives the reader an indication of the essay's organization.

3. The Body contains a logical breakdown of the thesis. Each breakdown has one main idea that is connected to the whole essay topic.

4. The Conclusion begins narrowly with a link to the last body paragraph. It summarizes the thesis, then broadens to a final general statement to leave an impression on the reader.

B1. Essay Format

1. All essays must be neatly typed in the MLA (Modern Language Association) format. They should be as free as possible from surface grammatical and spelling errors and contain few, if any, last-minute corrections. You must proofread and edit your paper carefully before turning it in.

MLA Typing Format Rules:

• Use 81/2 X 11 paper. Type the essay . DO NOT type on the back side of the teacher's copy!!
• Double space evenly throughout the essay.
• Use 1" (2 1/2 cm) margins on all 4 sides (This can be automatically done for you by the computer.)
• Indent each paragraph by 5 spaces (one tab stop).
• Center the title. Capilatilze the first letter of ALL words, except articles, prepostions and conjunctions. Use the same size type as in your essay. Do NOT use boldface letters or fancy fonts.
• Number each page .
• Staple your pages together in the upper left corner.

2. You CANNOT ignore any comments or corrections made to an essay draft. Your grade will be lowered if you have not attempted to make ALL of the corrections I have indicated on each draft.

3. All assignments must be clearly labeled in the upper left or right corner of page 1. The label should include your full name, course name (AEIS 111, 12:30) and instructor, description of assignment (for example: Essay 2, Draft 2), and date. (See the MLA Essay Style model below.)

4. Proofread your essay before you hand it in (see the proofreading instructions below labled
C. Proofreading).

B2. Essay Format Sample

1

Buyng Lee
AEIS 111, 10:00 UH
Young Davy
Essay 1, Final Draft
October 10, 2000

Experience may be the best teacher of all. I learned one of the most important lessons of my life when I

volunteered at a U.S. homeless shelter last year: The lesson is that money does not make you happy; you

must make yourself happy.

C. Proofreading -- checking for mistakes

It is important to proofread your essay BEFORE you turn it in; the more you do it, the more proficient you will become. The most important thing is to be systematic. First, check for grammar mistakes. Some mistakes ae more serious than others. The six points below cover the most important mistakes to check for:

1. Be sure that every sentence has a MAIN verb
2. Check for subject- verb agreement and pronoun agreement mistakes.
3. Check for singular/plural mistakes and pay careful attention to count/non-count vocabulary. Check you dictionary.
4. Check for verb tense mistakes. You should know how to use present tense, past tense, future tense, present progressive/continuous tense, past progressive/continuous tense,present perfect tense, and past perfect tense,
5. Check for sentence fragments. A sentence fragment does not have a subject, or does not have a verb, or does not have a complete idea (For example, "The library which is located near the tennis court.", or "Because the weather was cold after the storm."
6. SPELLING

D. Outlining

A outline is a writing plan. It shows the different ideas you plan to use in your essay and where you plan to use them.

MAKING A GENERAL OUTLINE

An outline is a visual plan to show how you will organize you essay. Below you will find a sample of the structure of an outline.

Title:

I. Introduction

A: Hook (this sentence can also be our thesis)

B: Connecting Information

C. Thesis

II. Body

A: Paragraph 2 topic sentence/Main idea

B: Paragraph 3 topic sentence/Main idea

C: Paragraph 4 topic sentence/Main idea

D: Paragraph 5 topic sentence/Main idea

III. Conclusion

A: Restate the thesis

B. A suggestion, opinion or prediction

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This page last updated October 2001