General Essay Writing Tips

The Introduction

DO - Pay Attention to Your Introductory Paragraph

Because this is the first paragraph of your essay it is your opportunity to give the reader the best first impression possible. The introductory paragraph not only gives the reader an idea of what you will talk about but also shows them how you will talk about it. Put a disproportionate amount of effort into this – more than the 20% a simple calculation would suggest – and you will be rewarded accordingly.

DO NOT - Use Passive Voice or I/My

Active voice, wherein the subjects direct actions rather than let the actions "happen to" them – "he scored a 97%" instead of "he was given a 97%" – is a much more powerful and attention-grabbing way to write. At the same time, unless it is a personal narrative, avoid personal pronouns like I, My, or Me. Try instead to be more general and you will have your reader hooked.

The Body Paragraphs

DO: Tie Things Together

The first sentence – the topic sentence - of your body paragraphs needs to have a lot individual pieces to be truly effective. Not only should it open with a transition that signals the change from one idea to the next but also it should (ideally) also have a common thread which ties all of the body paragraphs together. For example, if you used "first" in the first body paragraph then you should used "secondly" in the second or "on the one hand" and "on the other hand" accordingly.

DO NOT: Be Too General

Examples should be relevant to the thesis and so should the explanatory details you provide for them. It can be hard to summarize the full richness of a given example in just a few lines so make them count. If you are trying to explain why George Washington is a great example of a strong leader, for instance, his childhood adventure with the cherry tree (though interesting in another essay) should probably be skipped over.

 

 

The Conclusion

DO: Be Powerful

The conclusion paragraph can be a difficult paragraph to write effectively but, as it is your last chance to convince or otherwise impress the reader, it is worth investing some time in. Take this opportunity to restate your thesis with confidence; if you present your argument as "obvious" then the reader might just do the same.

DO NOT: Copy the First Paragraph

Although you can reuse the same key words in the conclusion as you did in the introduction, try not to copy whole phrases word for word. Instead, try to use this last paragraph to really show your skills as a writer by being as artful in your rephrasing as possible.

http://www.internationalstudent.com/essay_writing/essay_tips/

 

 

How to a Write Good Argumentative Essay

This video will help you learn the structure of the argumentative essay. If you watch it, you have more imformation about argumentative writing. 

Structure of the Argumentative Essay Outline

Structure of the Argumentative Essay Outline

If you distill your argumentative essay outline down to its basics, you’ll find that it’s made of four main sections:

1. Intro
2. Developing Your Argument
3. Refuting Opponents’ Arguments
4. Conclusion

Here’s how your argumentative essay outline would look if you turned it into a pretty picture:

 

 

 

https://www.kibin.com/essay-writing-blog/argumentative-essay-outline/

 

Argumentative essay

 we will be studying about argumentative essay on our friday class.

ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

In this kind of essay, we not only give information but also present an argument with the PROS (supporting ideas) and CONS (opposing ideas) of an argumentative issue. We should clearly take our stand and write as if we are trying to persuade an opposing audience to adopt new beliefs or behavior. The primary objective is to persuade people to change beliefs that many of them do not want to change.

Choosing an argumentative topic is not an easy task. The topic should be such that

• it should be narrowed down

X Marijuana should be considered illegal. (Not a good topic because it is too general. In some medical cases, marijuana is prescribed by the doctors and the patients are encouraged to use it in case of suffering from too much pain)

√ Selling and using marijuana in public places should be considered illegal.

• it should contain an argument

X We should decide whether we want a bicycle or a car. (our stand is not clear: do we support having bicycles or cars?)

√ If we are under the age of 30 and want a healthy life, we should definitely get a bicycle instead of a car.

 

Organization: All argumentative topics have PROs and CONs. Before starting writing, it is imperative to make a list of these ideas and choose the most suitable ones among them for supporting and refuting.

There are three possible organization patterns:

Pattern 1:

Thesis statement:

PRO idea

PRO idea 2

CON(s) + Refutation(s)

Conclusion

 

 

Pattern 2:

Thesis statement:

CON(s) + Refutation(s)

PRO idea 1

PRO idea 2

Conclusion

 

Pattern 3:

Thesis statement:

CON idea 1 -----> Refutation

CON idea 2 -----> Refutation

CON idea 3 -----> Refutation

Conclusion

 The sample essay has been written according to the third pattern.

 

 

Supporting our ideas: This is the most important part when persuading others. We are asking some people to change their beliefs or actions. We should be supporting our ideas with such facts, statistics and/or authorities that there should not be room for any doubts. Here are some faulty supports we should avoid:

 

Thesis: Leaving the university and starting to work is good for the adolescent

because …

• Feelings, emotional arguments (… it makes one feel much better.)
• Irrelevant examples (wandering off the topic) (… he would then be able to take his girlfriend to expensive restaurants.)
• Oversimplification (… only then would he understand what it means to be an adult.)
• Hasty generalizations (... it is a widely known fact that all adolescents look forward to earning money.)
• Unreliable, even false outside sources (… according to www.doubtme.com, 80% of working men wish they quit school when they were at university and started working at an earlier age.)

  Refuting opposing arguments: Before we start saying that the opponents are wrong, we should specify their opposing ideas. Otherwise, it would be like hitting the other person with eyes closed. We should see clearly what we are hitting and be prepared beforehand so that he cannot hit us back. We can do this by knowing what we are refuting.

e.g. X Some people may say that adolescents should not leave university education; however, they are wrong. (what they say is not wrong. Maybe their supporting idea is wrong /irrelevant /insufficient. We should state their supporting idea specifically to be able to refute it.)

√ Some people may say that adolescents should not leave university education because they are not physically and psychologically mature enough to cope with the problems of the real world. However, they forget one fact: adolescents can vote or start driving at the age of 18 (in some countries even before that age!), which proves that they are considered physically and psychologically mature at that age.

http://www.buowl.boun.edu.tr/students/types%20of%20essays/ARGUMENTATIVE%20ESSAY.htm

 

 

 

 

 

Topics for For and Against Essay

There are some topics below. You should choose one of them for next week class.

1. Should teachers have to wear uniforms or have a dress code?
2. Since the invention of nuclear weapons we have had a long period of global peace and stability. Do you think that nuclear weapons global peacemakers or killing devices?
3. Should boys and girls be in separate classes?
4. Is the death penalty effective?
5. To what extent is the use of animals in scientific research acceptable?
6. Should student’s textbooks be replaced by notebook computers?
7. Should students be allowed to have cell phones in elementary and high schools?
8. Should wealthy nations be required to share their wealth among poorer nations?
9. Is fashion important?
10. Are we too dependent on computers?
11. Most high level jobs are done by men. Should the government encourage a certain percentage of these jobs to be reserved for women?
12. Should students be allowed to grade their teachers?
13. The destruction of the world’s forests is inevitable as our need for land and food grows. Do you agree?
14. Many parents give their children certain chores or tasks to do at home. Should children have to do chores or tasks at home?
15. Should the voting age be lowered to thirteen?
16. Should the government place a tax on junk food and fatty snacks?
17. do you think that homework should be abolished?

   http://www.edgalaxy.com/journal/2012/9/11/25-great-essay-topics-for-students.html
http://www.dcielts.com/ielts-essays/sample-ielts-essay-questions/
      

You can get more information about For and Against Essay.

Please click on the link and get more information about For and Against Essay.

What is For and Against Essay?

A "for and against" essay is a formal piece of writing in which a topic is considered from opposing points of view. You should present both sides in a fair way by discussing them objectively and in equal detail. A good essay of this type should consist of:

a) an introductory paragraph in which you clearly state the topic to be discussed, without giving your opinion;
b) a main body in which the points for and against along with your justifications, examples or reasons are presented in separate paragraphs; and
c) a closing paragraph in which you state your opinion or give a balanced consid¬eration of the topic.
Note: Opinion words (I think, I believe, In my opinion, etc.) can only be used in the closing paragraph where you give your opinion on the topic.
Points to consider
Before you start writing your essay you should make a list of the points for and against.
• Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence which summarises the topic of the paragraph.
e.g. In addition, many people feel reading is a relaxing and worthwhile activity.
• Do not use informal style or strong language to express your opinion (e.g. I know…, etc.). Express your opinion in a non-emotional way (e.g. It seems that, I therefore feel, etc.).
• Well-known quotations relevant to the topic you are writing about will make your composition more interesting. For example, if you are writing an essay on education, a quotation you may include is: "Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance." (Will Durant)
Note: Although these are "balanced" arguments, if you feel that either the for or against side is stronger and should be supported, this side should be presented in paragraphs 4 & 5, thus leading the reader to your conclusion.
Introduction
Paragraph 1
state topic (summary of the topic without giving your opinion)
Main Body
Paragraphs 2 & 3
arguments for & justifi¬cations, examples, and/ or reasons
Paragraphs 4 & 5
arguments against & justification, examples, and/or reasons
Conclusion
Final Paragraph
balanced consideration/ your opinion directly or indirectly

Useful expressions and linking words/phrases
• To list points:
Firstly, First of all, In the first place, To begin/start with, Secondly, Thirdly, Finally
• To list advantages:
One/Another/A further/An additional (major) advantage of… is … The main/greatest/first advantage of… is …
• To list disadvantages:
One/Another/ A further/An additional (major) disadvantage/drawback of. The main/greatest/most serious/first disadvantage /drawback of… Another negative aspect of…
• To introduce points/arguments for or against:
One (very convincing) point/argument in favour of… / against, A further common criticism of… / It could be argued that…..
often claimed/suggested

• To add more points to the same topic:
in addition (to this), furthermore, moreover, besides, apart from, what is more, as well as, not to mention (the fact) that, also, not only … but also/as well, both … and, There is another side to the issue/question/argument of…
• To make contrasting points:
on the other hand, however, still, yet, but, nonetheless, nevertheless, even so,
it may be said/argued/claimed that,…
others/many people oppose this viewpoint/strongly disagree…, claim/feel/believe this argument is incorrect/misguided
although, though, even though, while, whilst, whereas, despite/in spite of (the fact that), regardless of the fact that
Opponents of … argue/believe/claim that…
The fact that… contradicts the belief/idea that…

Useful expressions and linking words/phrases
• To introduce examples:
for example, for instance, such as, like, in particular, particularly, especially, This is (clearly) illustrated/shown by the fact that… One/A clear/striking/ typical example of (this)… The fact that…. shows/illustrates that…
http://academicwriting.wikidot.com/for-and-against-essays