characteristics of essay slideshare

• My presentations

Auth with social network:

Download presentation

We think you have liked this presentation. If you wish to download it, please recommend it to your friends in any social system. Share buttons are a little bit lower. Thank you!

Presentation is loading. Please wait.

How to Write an Argumentative Essay

Published by Arabella Walker Modified over 4 years ago

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "How to Write an Argumentative Essay"— Presentation transcript:

Expository Writing.

BUILDING BODY PARAGRAPHS The first topic sentence of the first paragraph will be the first reason that supports your position. You may even wish to begin.

Organization of an Argument

5 Paragraph Persuasive Essay Including a counter-argument.

Baseline Conclusions & Counter Claims. Counter Arguments - Rebuttals Now, address those arguments in a paragraph explaining why your position is a better.

Writing the Argumentative Essay. CHOOSING A TOPIC To begin an argumentative essay, you must first have an opinion you want others to share.

The Persuasive Essay.

 The first paragraph of any essay is the introduction paragraph.  The introduction paragraph is like an upside down triangle in that it begins broad.

 Argument  Big Claim/Thesis  Mini Claim/Reason  Evidence  Explanation  Counterclaim.

Argumentative Evaluation and Writing

Persuasive Essay Writing to convince others of your opinion.

Argumentative Essays Paper #2.

The Roadmap of Your Essay

Argumentative Writing: Logical Progression

Argumentative Writing: Conclusions

How to Write a Counterclaim Paragraph

writing to convince others of your opinion.

*The claim is your topic/main idea of essay

The Argumentative Essay

Argumentative Essay.

About project

© 2024 SlidePlayer.com Inc. All rights reserved.

• International
• Education Jobs
• Schools directory
• Resources Education Jobs Schools directory News Search

Introduction to Academic Writing

Subject: English

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

29 August 2021

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

This editable PowerPoint lesson (17 slides in PPT format) covers the notion of academic argument, audience awareness, and the structure of a 5-paragraph essay (an introduction, three body paragraphs with well-developed topic sentences and key details that support the main idea, and a conclusion). It introduces the idea that English academic writing is direct in nature and should use formal language. Students will evaluate two model essays. They will also use a graphic organizer to brainstorm ideas for an essay of their own where they will have to argue an opinion.

The Zip Folder contains the PPT file, as well as the terms of use with a link to a copy of the resource in google drive.

Creative Commons "NoDerivatives"

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

This resource hasn't been reviewed yet

To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have downloaded this resource can review it

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource:

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• How to structure an essay: Templates and tips

How to Structure an Essay | Tips & Templates

Published on September 18, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

The basic structure of an essay always consists of an introduction , a body , and a conclusion . But for many students, the most difficult part of structuring an essay is deciding how to organize information within the body.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

The basics of essay structure, chronological structure, compare-and-contrast structure, problems-methods-solutions structure, signposting to clarify your structure, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about essay structure.

There are two main things to keep in mind when working on your essay structure: making sure to include the right information in each part, and deciding how you’ll organize the information within the body.

Parts of an essay

The three parts that make up all essays are described in the table below.

Order of information

You’ll also have to consider how to present information within the body. There are a few general principles that can guide you here.

The first is that your argument should move from the simplest claim to the most complex . The body of a good argumentative essay often begins with simple and widely accepted claims, and then moves towards more complex and contentious ones.

For example, you might begin by describing a generally accepted philosophical concept, and then apply it to a new topic. The grounding in the general concept will allow the reader to understand your unique application of it.

The second principle is that background information should appear towards the beginning of your essay . General background is presented in the introduction. If you have additional background to present, this information will usually come at the start of the body.

The third principle is that everything in your essay should be relevant to the thesis . Ask yourself whether each piece of information advances your argument or provides necessary background. And make sure that the text clearly expresses each piece of information’s relevance.

The sections below present several organizational templates for essays: the chronological approach, the compare-and-contrast approach, and the problems-methods-solutions approach.

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

The chronological approach (sometimes called the cause-and-effect approach) is probably the simplest way to structure an essay. It just means discussing events in the order in which they occurred, discussing how they are related (i.e. the cause and effect involved) as you go.

A chronological approach can be useful when your essay is about a series of events. Don’t rule out other approaches, though—even when the chronological approach is the obvious one, you might be able to bring out more with a different structure.

Explore the tabs below to see a general template and a specific example outline from an essay on the invention of the printing press.

• Thesis statement
• Discussion of event/period
• Consequences
• Importance of topic
• Strong closing statement
• Claim that the printing press marks the end of the Middle Ages
• Background on the low levels of literacy before the printing press
• Thesis statement: The invention of the printing press increased circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation
• High levels of illiteracy in medieval Europe
• Literacy and thus knowledge and education were mainly the domain of religious and political elites
• Consequence: this discouraged political and religious change
• Invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg
• Implications of the new technology for book production
• Consequence: Rapid spread of the technology and the printing of the Gutenberg Bible
• Trend for translating the Bible into vernacular languages during the years following the printing press’s invention
• Luther’s own translation of the Bible during the Reformation
• Consequence: The large-scale effects the Reformation would have on religion and politics
• Summarize the history described
• Stress the significance of the printing press to the events of this period

Essays with two or more main subjects are often structured around comparing and contrasting . For example, a literary analysis essay might compare two different texts, and an argumentative essay might compare the strengths of different arguments.

There are two main ways of structuring a compare-and-contrast essay: the alternating method, and the block method.

Alternating

In the alternating method, each paragraph compares your subjects in terms of a specific point of comparison. These points of comparison are therefore what defines each paragraph.

The tabs below show a general template for this structure, and a specific example for an essay comparing and contrasting distance learning with traditional classroom learning.

• Synthesis of arguments
• Topical relevance of distance learning in lockdown
• Increasing prevalence of distance learning over the last decade
• Thesis statement: While distance learning has certain advantages, it introduces multiple new accessibility issues that must be addressed for it to be as effective as classroom learning
• Classroom learning: Ease of identifying difficulties and privately discussing them
• Distance learning: Difficulty of noticing and unobtrusively helping
• Classroom learning: Difficulties accessing the classroom (disability, distance travelled from home)
• Distance learning: Difficulties with online work (lack of tech literacy, unreliable connection, distractions)
• Classroom learning: Tends to encourage personal engagement among students and with teacher, more relaxed social environment
• Distance learning: Greater ability to reach out to teacher privately
• Sum up, emphasize that distance learning introduces more difficulties than it solves
• Stress the importance of addressing issues with distance learning as it becomes increasingly common
• Distance learning may prove to be the future, but it still has a long way to go

In the block method, each subject is covered all in one go, potentially across multiple paragraphs. For example, you might write two paragraphs about your first subject and then two about your second subject, making comparisons back to the first.

The tabs again show a general template, followed by another essay on distance learning, this time with the body structured in blocks.

• Point 1 (compare)
• Point 2 (compare)
• Point 3 (compare)
• Point 4 (compare)
• Advantages: Flexibility, accessibility
• Disadvantages: Discomfort, challenges for those with poor internet or tech literacy
• Advantages: Potential for teacher to discuss issues with a student in a separate private call
• Disadvantages: Difficulty of identifying struggling students and aiding them unobtrusively, lack of personal interaction among students
• Advantages: More accessible to those with low tech literacy, equality of all sharing one learning environment
• Disadvantages: Students must live close enough to attend, commutes may vary, classrooms not always accessible for disabled students
• Advantages: Ease of picking up on signs a student is struggling, more personal interaction among students
• Disadvantages: May be harder for students to approach teacher privately in person to raise issues

An essay that concerns a specific problem (practical or theoretical) may be structured according to the problems-methods-solutions approach.

This is just what it sounds like: You define the problem, characterize a method or theory that may solve it, and finally analyze the problem, using this method or theory to arrive at a solution. If the problem is theoretical, the solution might be the analysis you present in the essay itself; otherwise, you might just present a proposed solution.

The tabs below show a template for this structure and an example outline for an essay about the problem of fake news.

• Introduce the problem
• Provide background
• Describe your approach to solving it
• Define the problem precisely
• Describe why it’s important
• Indicate previous approaches to the problem
• Present your new approach, and why it’s better
• Apply the new method or theory to the problem
• Indicate the solution you arrive at by doing so
• Assess (potential or actual) effectiveness of solution
• Describe the implications
• Problem: The growth of “fake news” online
• Prevalence of polarized/conspiracy-focused news sources online
• Thesis statement: Rather than attempting to stamp out online fake news through social media moderation, an effective approach to combating it must work with educational institutions to improve media literacy
• Definition: Deliberate disinformation designed to spread virally online
• Popularization of the term, growth of the phenomenon
• Previous approaches: Labeling and moderation on social media platforms
• Critique: This approach feeds conspiracies; the real solution is to improve media literacy so users can better identify fake news
• Greater emphasis should be placed on media literacy education in schools
• This allows people to assess news sources independently, rather than just being told which ones to trust
• This is a long-term solution but could be highly effective
• It would require significant organization and investment, but would equip people to judge news sources more effectively
• Rather than trying to contain the spread of fake news, we must teach the next generation not to fall for it

Signposting means guiding the reader through your essay with language that describes or hints at the structure of what follows.  It can help you clarify your structure for yourself as well as helping your reader follow your ideas.

The essay overview

In longer essays whose body is split into multiple named sections, the introduction often ends with an overview of the rest of the essay. This gives a brief description of the main idea or argument of each section.

The overview allows the reader to immediately understand what will be covered in the essay and in what order. Though it describes what  comes later in the text, it is generally written in the present tense . The following example is from a literary analysis essay on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .

Transitions

Transition words and phrases are used throughout all good essays to link together different ideas. They help guide the reader through your text, and an essay that uses them effectively will be much easier to follow.

Various different relationships can be expressed by transition words, as shown in this example.

Because Hitler failed to respond to the British ultimatum, France and the UK declared war on Germany. Although it was an outcome the Allies had hoped to avoid, they were prepared to back up their ultimatum in order to combat the existential threat posed by the Third Reich.

Transition sentences may be included to transition between different paragraphs or sections of an essay. A good transition sentence moves the reader on to the next topic while indicating how it relates to the previous one.

… Distance learning, then, seems to improve accessibility in some ways while representing a step backwards in others.

However , considering the issue of personal interaction among students presents a different picture.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

College essays

• Choosing Essay Topic
• Write a College Essay
• Write a Diversity Essay
• College Essay Format & Structure
• Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

An essay isn’t just a loose collection of facts and ideas. Instead, it should be centered on an overarching argument (summarized in your thesis statement ) that every part of the essay relates to.

The way you structure your essay is crucial to presenting your argument coherently. A well-structured essay helps your reader follow the logic of your ideas and understand your overall point.

Comparisons in essays are generally structured in one of two ways:

• The alternating method, where you compare your subjects side by side according to one specific aspect at a time.
• The block method, where you cover each subject separately in its entirety.

It’s also possible to combine both methods, for example by writing a full paragraph on each of your topics and then a final paragraph contrasting the two according to a specific metric.

You should try to follow your outline as you write your essay . However, if your ideas change or it becomes clear that your structure could be better, it’s okay to depart from your essay outline . Just make sure you know why you’re doing so.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2023, July 23). How to Structure an Essay | Tips & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved August 17, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/essay-structure/

Is this article helpful?

Jack Caulfield

Other students also liked, comparing and contrasting in an essay | tips & examples, how to write the body of an essay | drafting & redrafting, transition sentences | tips & examples for clear writing, get unlimited documents corrected.

✔ Free APA citation check included ✔ Unlimited document corrections ✔ Specialized in correcting academic texts

• Sakshi Post

The structure & characteristics of a good essay

• A rhetorical question Ex: Can there be life after death?
• A dictionary definition Ex: The Collins Cobuild English Dictionary (2006) defines a ‘street-smart’ person as ‘one who knows how to deal with difficult or dangerous situations, especially in big cities.’
• A striking paradox, or epigram Ex : ‘The first rule is that you should first break all the rules.’
• An appropriate quotation, or proverb Ex: “In prosperity our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends,” said Colin Powell on ‘Friendship.’
• An anecdote A visitor once asked young Indira Gandhi why their home seemed so empty. She replied, "What else could it be when my father, mother, and grandpa are all in prison?"
• An intriguing piece of statistic Ex: The world produces 257 babies per minute, and India produces 51 of them.
• The Middle (or Body): The body of the essay should be organized logically and coherently. The writer must use proper signposts such as words, phrases, sentences, which enable the reader to move smoothly from one thought/idea to another. Inter-paragraph connectors such as secondly, thirdly, therefore, summing up, it can be deduced from the above, etc., may also be used. The middle includes the central idea/theme, or the argument of the entire essay. Hence, it must be written very precisely and cogently, substantiating the points you have made in the middle. The middle and the other parts of the essay also express a ‘perspective.’ In informal essays, personal style (I think; it seems to me; according to me) may be appropriate, but in scientific and formal essays, impersonal style (it is noted; it may be inferred; it has been scientifically proved) has to be used. Apart from the perspective, the middle also conveys the ‘tone’ or ‘tenor’ of the essay, which is a set of feelings/attitudes of the writer. The attitude may be towards the subject, or the reader, or self. The tone towards the subject can be objective, as in an essay on the role of Mathematics in Scientific Development, or it can be emotional (anger, resentment) in expressing the writer’s anger at criminalization of politics, or corruption. The anger can also be expressed in an ironic/satirical tone. The tone towards the reader may be emphatic or cranky, treating readers as a bunch of kids to be instructed. Sometimes, the writer may adopt a tone of face-to-face discussion.
• Conclusion (or End): The conclusion of the essay should be proportional to the length and complexity of the entire essay. You should avoid terms such as ‘To conclude,’ ‘Finally,’ ‘Lastly,’ ‘In the end,’ etc. The termination of a logical development of the thought sequence should look natural and coherent. The essay may end with a final sentence of evaluation about the central idea expressed in the essay (such as ‘corruption is unhealthy not only to a nation, but to the entire world’). Sometimes, it can even conclude with a rhetorical question (such as ‘will people ever learn from others’ mistakes?’). This kind of ending is found in editorials and lead-articles, and it is better to avoid such endings in formal essays.
• Unity: An essay must have unity, i.e., a theme with a particular purpose. The subject must be clearly defined and understood mentally first. Any irrelevant issue/point should not be included in the essay. The subject/topic of the essay should be treated in as many ways as possible with several points of view.
• Order: The essay should follow a set of line of thoughts in a certain pattern or order. It should reach a definite conclusion. The essay should not contain any unorganized or inconsistent thoughts/ideas put down together. Apart from unity of subject, there should also be unity of treatment, too. Hence, it becomes essential to think out mentally in advance before putting your pen to paper.
• Brevity: The essays should not be too long as it may not be able to sustain the reader’s interest. There should be a word-limit, although the length of the essay will depend on the nature of the topic and its complexity. An essay should attempt to express the idea succinctly and precisely, without beating about the bush.
• Style: An essay should have a very dignified and literary style, not a casual or conversational style. Slangs, colloquial expressions, and jargons should be avoided. The language and sentence-construction should be simple, plain, direct, and natural. Clarity in writing comes from clarity in thinking. Remember that, in an essay your objective is to ‘express’ and not to ‘impress,’ and when you express, you automatically impress.
• Personal Touch: An essay is a written composition giving expression to one’s personal ideas or opinions on a particular subject. Hence, the essay should reflect the writer’s personal feelings and opinions, and express his creativity and personality. Loss of personal touch will make the essay colourless and lifeless. Be yourself and express your own views, but never try to reflect others’ opinions. It is sincerity in what you write that lends a personal touch to the essay.
• Learning English
• Learning English Learning English

Photo Stories

10 Study Tips to Master Any Subject

10 Experts Psychology Tips to Build ..

NIRF Rankings 2024: Top 10 State Pub..

Full List of 70th National Film Awar..

More articles.

KU Offers Spoken English and Communication Skills Training!

Wishing others on various occasions

Congratulating.

Language Functions - Introducing oneself

Vocabulary used related to computers and internet, useful phrases for better communication, punctuation: using parenthesis.

• Environment
• Information Science
• Social Issues
• Argumentative
• Cause and Effect
• Classification
• Compare and Contrast
• Descriptive
• Exemplification
• Informative
• Controversial
• Exploratory
• What Is an Essay
• Length of an Essay
• Generate Ideas
• Types of Essays
• Structuring an Essay
• Outline For Essay
• Essay Introduction
• Thesis Statement
• Body of an Essay
• Writing a Conclusion
• Essay Writing Tips
• Drafting an Essay
• Revision Process
• Fix a Broken Essay
• Format of an Essay
• Essay Examples
• Essay Checklist
• Essay Writing Service
• Pay for Research Paper
• Write My Research Paper
• Write My Essay
• Custom Essay Writing Service
• Admission Essay Writing Service
• Pay for Essay
• Academic Ghostwriting
• Write My Book Report
• Case Study Writing Service
• Dissertation Writing Service
• Coursework Writing Service
• Lab Report Writing Service
• Do My Assignment
• Buy College Papers
• Capstone Project Writing Service
• Buy Research Paper
• Custom Essays for Sale

Can’t find a perfect paper?

• Essay Guide

What Different Types of Essays Exist?

Table of content.

• 01. Determining What Types of Essay Writing You Need
• 02. Four Most Common Essay Forms
• 03. What Are the Different Types of Essays? 34 Common Kinds

There are many different types of essays students are asked to write. Some are easy to understand, but most others are either too similar to one another or so complex that even professors’ explanations don’t help much. It becomes a serious hindrance because without knowing what specific essays they’re writing, young people are almost guaranteed to get failing grades.

There are lots of examples of them being assigned an argumentative essay yet writing an analytical paper instead. Their college education largely depends on success in daily academic tasks, so it is vital to learn the difference between assignments. If you feel lost, don’t worry — in our article we will talk about every common type of such assignments in the most detailed way.

Determining What Types of Essay Writing You Need

The first thing students should do after reading their prompt is understand just what type of paper they’re expected to produce. Sometimes it happens instantly: professors explain what type you’ll be writing as they’re passing assignments, so from then on, all you need is figure out how to organize everything.  But there are also times when you only have a topic. For example, your prompt says the following: “Prove which city council candidate has better policies.” The question is clear, but how to determine which type it is? Start by identifying key words. In this instance, we should underline “prove,” “which,” “candidate,” and “better.” The first word points at an argument, the last one points at a comparison, so the majority essay forms are automatically eliminated.

Now, ask yourself questions. What is the goal of this topic? Again, an answer is simple: young writers must prove what candidate offers better policies. Proving something usually falls into an argumentative category, but it could be analytical, too. The next clue lies in additional instructions: study them attentively to understand whether professor expects subjective or objective opinion; should counter-arguments be regarded and addressed? This will help you settle on a specific type.

Four Most Common Essay Forms

There are 4 types of essays assigned most frequently. If you learn about them, you’re set by about 60% — other paper kinds are less specific and far easier to write. Take a look at the list below.

• Analytical Essay

It is based on analysis, research, and evaluation of findings. Writers could explore any subject, even controversial, but they must do it from an objective viewpoint, analyzing the existing evidence and making the conclusion on its basis.

• Argumentative Essay

It does resemble analytical papers, but there is a big difference: you should convince your reader that your point is valid by using evidence. Detached objectivity isn’t as crucial here as you could be arguing for the most ridiculous side for fun or out of spite — the goal is to be persuasive and use enough evidence. It could be both a serious and fun essay type.

• Cause and Effect Essay

The name says it all: you should identify the cause of something, explore it, and demonstrate what effect it has. The link between these two is that you should show how one thing leads to another. Some students like focusing on causes in particular while others pay more attention to effects — both options are acceptable.  

• Compare and Contrast Essay

This paper is often exciting for college students because it’s an easy and captivating task. Choose two or more things and start comparing as well as contrasting them. Comparison usually concerns differences while contrasting is related to similarities. You could compare/contrast topics, ways of expression, characters’ features, etc.

What Are the Different Types of Essays? 34 Common Kinds

Apart from 4 mentioned categories, there are plenty of other forms of essays. We are going to name them, clarify their main purpose, and list their characteristics. After seeing the table we’ve composed, you won’t have any questions left!

A few hours till deadline?

Let experts write a unique essay and save your time

Blog Navigation

• Comparison and Contrast

Can’t come up with a topic for you paper? We’ve prepared a collection of essay topics for you

Want to write a winning essay but lack experience? Browse our free essay samples

Elizabeth provides educational materials, conducts research, explores and solves student challenges. Her posts are always helpful, innovative, and contain interesting insights.

Related Articles

These days, it s impossible to find a student who wouldn t have heard about a Chat GPT essay writer. AI keeps transforming the academic sphere: it consistently simplifies research, helps generate ideas, and now it also takes care of the entire writing process. But is it truly that efficient?...

Not all students know how to write a definition essay. This type of task is pretty rare as for the most part, professors prefer more complex papers, like argumentative or descriptive ones. But when they finally assign it, students start panicking because they don t understand what it means and...

A request for learning how to write a comparison and contrast essay is extremely popular in online spaces. Students from countries all over the world type it when they receive this kind of college assignment, hoping to find clear answers and instructions. If you re here, then you ve come...

A surprising number of students feel unsure about how to write an informative essay. On the one hand, everything seems pretty easy: the name of this college task speaks for itself. An informative paper is a piece of writing where you present objective facts about a specific topic, expanding your...

At some point, every college student wonders, how to write an argumentative essay? It s a common task in all educational establishments, regardless of what country you re from or what major you re specializing in. An argumentative essay is a piece of academic writing where you provide your view...

If you re wondering how to write an expository essay, you ve come to the right place. This common college task always wreaks chaos among the students, making them panic in their attempts to understand what they should be doing now. The first thing students need lies in understanding what...

Characteristics Of An Essay

Dec 19, 2023

0 likes | 0 Views

>>> How to write an essay? Order on the website: HelpWriting.Net <<< Essay on Characteristics of Research, Characteristics Of Myself Essay, Characteristics Of A Good Student Essay, Essay On Character Traits, Personal Characteristics Essay, Essay on Common Traits of Entrepreneurs, Essential Characteristics of an Engineer Essay, Characteristics Of An Ideal Society, The Common Characteristic Of Entrepreneurs Essay, Short Story Characteristics Essay, Personal Values and Ethics Essay, Personal Essay : My Personal Qualities, Characteristics Of The English Language, Characteristics Of Myself Essay

Share Presentation

Presentation Transcript

• More by User

English that goes straight to the heart

What is an essay?

Aldous Huxley described an essay as “A literary device for saying almost everything about almost anything”.

What is an Essay?

An essay is a piece of writing that revolves around a particular theme and contains the academic opinions of the person writing it.

An essay can perform one or more of the following functions:

• Analyses and critically evaluates a topic
• Presents the writer‘s argument for or against an idea
• Describes something
• Narrates a story
• Persuades the reader

Also, Read 6 Types of Essay

Characteristics of a Good Essay

• Brevity: Express what you want concisely. Do not beat around the bush.
• Coherence: Every sentence and paragraph should flow smoothly and logically from the previous one. A clumsily written essay reflects not only the lack of preparation but also the absence of clarity of thought.
• Unity: The essay should never stray from its main purpose. Different points of view can be introduced, but they should all be used for the same subject.
• Lucidity: The essay should be easy to read and understand. Using tough words or difficult phrases may impress a few but can confuse many others. Great writers are praised not only for their beautiful ideas but also for the simplicity of their language.

Also, Read Top 10 Essay Examples

The objective of Essay Writing

Essay writing often forms a part of English written exams to test the ability of students to

Daily Test - Attempt Now

• Think critically: Critical thinking involves understanding the task at hand and evaluating it appropriately.
• Structure the ideas logically: The essay has to be structured and coherent. The ideas have to neatly flow from one paragraph to the other.
• Express views eloquently: The student should be fluent in the language he or she is writing in. Ideas when presented shoddily may not make the right impact.

Parts of an Essay

Introduction.

It constitutes the opening paragraph of the essay.

• It helps the reader get oriented with the topic.
• It states the purpose of the essay.
• It captures the interest of the reader.
• It presents the general idea of the essay.
• It often ends with the thesis or the main idea of the essay.

Body (Supporting Paragraphs)

They constitute the supporting sentences and ideas.

• They provide the reader with additional details about the main idea.
• They support the thesis of the writer.
• There is no fixed number of supporting paragraphs.
• Ideally, every supporting paragraph should contain a different idea.

It constitutes the ending paragraph(s) of the essay.

• It ties up loose ends of the paragraph.
• It helps in reiterating or highlighting the main idea.
• It summarises all the arguments.
• It brings the essay to a logical close.
• It never ends in detail.

Also, Read Short Essay Examples

Tips for Writing an Essay

Preparation.

• Read: The more you read, the better you get. Reading essays will give you the inspiration to write. It will fill you with knowledge that you can use to enrich your writing.
• Write: Practise writing essays. This will give you the necessary confidence that you require during the exams. Writing also sharpens your thought process preparing you to deal with essay questions with much ease.

1. Think about the idea given in the title or the prompt.

• What type of essay will be appropriate?
• What could be the main ideas?
• How to write the introduction, the body and the conclusion?
• Write all the ideas.

2. Structure your essay.

• Create an outline of your essay.
• Do not use more than two sentences for the introduction and conclusion, respectively.
• Therefore, it is important to plan your essay before instead of writing spontaneously.
• Arrange the ideas in chronological order if you are attempting a narrative essay.
• Arrange them in increasing order of importance while attempting a descriptive or expository essay.
• Remember to conclude the essay.

3. Use a consistent tense form while writing the essay.

4. Express clearly.

5. Be original in your ideas. Don‘t be afraid to think out of the box.

6. Use your own memories or your experiences to add to the essay.

7. Recheck for any grammatical errors after finishing the essay.

Also, Read Summarizing an Essay

Example of Essay

My native place.

My parents hail from a small village in Kerala which is nestled among mountains in a scenic district of the state. Every year, I visit my native place with my family. It is a trip that I look forward to all year. My father books the ticket two months in advance as it is difficult to procure reservations on short notice. Although I have lived in the city all my life, I feel that I never belonged to it. I have always felt at home in the quaint mountain village that is far removed from the hustle and bustle of city life.

It takes us 18 hours by train to reach the railway station that is closest to my village. The journey is usually gruelling in the summers but very pleasant in the winters and in the monsoons. We plan our trip in the summer months since we get a two-month vacation in April. In order to beat the heat, we travel by air-conditioned coaches every year. We board the train at noon and we reach our destination at 6 am the next day.

The morning air is heavy with the scent of flowers and wet foliage. The temple bells start ringing at 6:30 am and the sound of bhajans fills the air. The village is only a 20-minute rickshaw ride away from the station. When we enter my grandmother‘s house, we are welcomed by her diminutive figure holding a lamp.

According to her, it is auspicious to welcome loved ones by lighting the lamp at the altar of God. The moment we set foot into the house, we are filled with a sense of nostalgia and love. After a sumptuous yet simple breakfast, we relax with our family in the courtyard.

The cool mountain air is laden with scents of the rustic countryside. From afar, we hear the sounds of birds. My sister and I make paper boats and run to the little babbling brook that flows southwards. We set the boats on the water and watch them bob up and down. Far away from the world of video games and television, we seek fun in a world of simplicity.

The house itself has a personality. Simple, two-storeyed, made of stone walls and a thatched roof, the house is an old friend who warmly embraces you every time you meet. The rooms are small but well-maintained. On the ground floor is a room that my grandmother uses for storing condiments and grains. It is illuminated with a single light bulb and an old-fashioned lock-and-key style door. In its corner is a small bed.

The calming silence of the room soothes my ears and transports me into a magical place. I feel weightless. The smell of spices envelops me. On many occasions, I have spent hours sprawled on that bed reading a book or listening to music. If I ever have to pick a favourite place, then I have no doubt this would be it.

When twilight descends on the little hamlet, large clusters of stars start appearing in the sky. Such a sight is never seen in the city as the lights obscure the stars that appear in the sky. My grandmother lights the lamp again and we all gather around her to say our evening prayers. After enjoying her simple, rustic yet delicious meal, we retire for the night.

Sometimes when I am upset, I think of my quaint little house in the village, my grandmother‘s warm embrace, and the small room that smells of spices. They immediately help me put my worries away and bring a smile to my face.

You Asked, We Listened – Get Free Access to All Writing Lists 😍😍

6 Types of Essays

Read More »

Top 30 Essay Examples

Essay Writing Format

Long Essays

Daily reading comprehension test - attempt now, 1 thought on “what is an essay”.

How to finish or sum up essay in formal way? Thank you

Comments are closed.

Discover more from English Luv

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

Part One Academic Writing Essentials

Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

Learning Objectives

• To identify the parts of a paragraph: title, topic sentence, supporting sentences with details, concluding sentence, and transitions
• To understand how each part relates to one another within a paragraph through multiple examples
• To learn the key characteristics of a paragraph: format, unity, cohesion, and completion through multiple examples
• To practice writing each part of a paragraph with key characteristics through a variety of exercises

Read the paragraph “Missing My Childhood Days” below and do the activities that follow.

Missing My Childhood Days

          Thanks to two people and one place, my childhood was filled with fun. The first special person was my cousin Hector. I was the only child to my mom, and he was the only child to his mom. We were not lonely because we played and enjoyed family trips together. I loved playing hide and seek with him the most. The running, anticipating [1] , shouting, and laughing will always be in my memories. Secondly, I really miss my best friend Lisandra from my elementary school. Our moms were best friends, so it was easier for us to do many things together. For example, we used to explore the resorts and hotels near our homes. We imagined how we could decorate our own houses as elegantly as the hotels. Additionally, Lisandra had a little sister called Lolanda, and we loved to play with her and care for her as if she were our own baby. We fed her and sang songs to her. Even though I lost contact with Lisandra after she switched to a different school, our time together was very precious to me. Lastly, I really miss my childhood home. It was a big house with a patio decorated with pots of beautiful flowers. The house was large enough for me to ride my bike inside. There was also a pool. We had many family parties there. Playing riddles [2] by the poolside was one of the most popular games among us. Nowadays I do not have Hector and Lisandra in my life, and my childhood house has long been sold. However, I am grateful for having them all in my past because they have left me with priceless [3] memories.

By K. P. Checo (student), ESL Writing III, Harper College. U sed  with permission.

Discuss in groups:

• What are your most unforgettable childhood memories? Why are they unforgettable?
• What three areas of childhood does the author miss the most?
• What is the main idea of the above paragraph? Where do you find it in the paragraph?
• Where is the title?
• How does the author begin the paragraph?
• What is the spacing between one line to the next?
• Does each new sentence start a new line?
• What do you think a paragraph is?
• What do you like about this paragraph?
• How would you improve the paragraph?
• If you could ask the writer a question, what would you ask?

II. Definition of a Paragraph

A paragraph is a group of sentences about one main idea. The goal of a paragraph is to communicate to the readers what you think of a topic (your main idea) and why you believe this way (your supporting ideas). A paragraph also follows a certain format. Paragraph writing is the foundation [4] for all types of academic writing assignments such as essays and research papers.

III. Paragraph Format

You can see the format of a paragraph from “Missing My Childhood Days”:

• Center the title in the middle of the top line.
• Start the paragraph with indentation (a few open spaces in the beginning).
• Type or write double spaced.
• Each sentence follows the one before it without starting a new line.
• Use font size 12 if you type. (The font size may be hard for you to determine in this web-book.)

IV. Parts of a Paragraph

Understanding each part of a paragraph is an important step to good writing. One way to do this is to identify and color code each part.

Title – pink          Topic sentence – red               Supporting sentences – green

Supporting details – blue           Concluding sentence – red         Transitions – yellow

When you color code the parts, you know that

• you understand the paragraph organization.
• you are not missing any important compone n ts.
• all the parts are in the right order.
• the supporting details ( blue ) should be the longest and the most detailed.

          Thanks to two people and one place, my childhood was filled with fun. The first special person was my cousin Hector. I was the only child to my mom, and he was the only child to his mom. We were not lonely because we played and enjoyed family trips together. I loved playing hide and seek with him the most. The running, anticipating, shouting, and laughing will always be in my memories. Secondly , I really miss my best friend Lisandra from the elementary school. Our moms were best friends, so it was easier for us to do many things together. For example, we used to explore the resorts and hotels near our homes. We imagined how we could decorate our own houses as elegantly as the hotels. Additionally, Lisandra had a little sister called Lolanda, and we loved to play with her and care for her as if she were our own baby. We fed her and sang songs to her. Even though I lost contact with Lisandra after she switched to a different school, our time together was very precious to me. Lastly , I really miss my childhood home. It was a big house with a patio decorated with pots of beautiful flowers. The house was large enough for me to ride my bike inside. There was also a pool. We had many family parties there. Playing riddles by the poolside was one of the most popular games among us. Nowadays I do not have Hector and Lisandra in my life, and my childhood house has long been sold. However, I am grateful for having them all in my past because they have left me with priceless memories.

By K. P. Checo (student), ESL Writing III, Harper College. U sed with permission.

Exercise 1.  Use Paragraph “Missing My Childhood Days” as an example. Read Paragraph “Difficulties in English Writing” and identify the parts with the following colors:

Title – pink          Topic sentence – red           Supporting sentences – green

Supporting details – blue         Concluding sentence – red         Transitions – yellow

Difficulties in English Writing

          For me, writing is one of the most difficult skills to learn  in English. First, w ith writing comes spelling. Many words are pronounced the same but spelt completely differently, like flower and flour, blue and blew. I need extra effort s  to learn and remember how to spell and write them correctly. Another c hallenge I face i n English is sentence structure . There are many types of sentences in English such as  simple, compo und, and complex. Each type has its own punctuation rules. It takes a lot of hard work to understand how to build sentences effectively . Finally, grammar is challenging . My professors emphasize the importance of grammar because it plays a significant role in writing. Unfortunately, it is  also one of  the difficulties for me because  it has many , many rules and exceptions. For example, in  count  and noncount nouns unit , there are many confusing words like police and family . At first, I  thought the word “police” was singular, but in fact it is plural. In contrast, I thought the word “family” was plural, but it is singular in many situations ! Mistakes in singular and plural nouns lead to errors in verbs. Despite all these d ifficulties in spelling, sentence structure, and gramm a r , writing remains to be one of my favorite aspects of learning .

By A. Alsalman (student), ESL Writing III, Harper College. U sed with permission.

Read the above two paragraphs again, and you can see that a good paragraph consists of:

• A title – to show the topic and catch the readers’ interest pink
• A beginning called the topic sentence – to show the main idea  red
• A middle called the supporting sentences and details – supporting sentences to explain the main idea    green ; details to explain the supporting sentences  blue
• Transitions or connecting words – to connect the ideas and guide the readers  yellow
• An ending called the concluding sentence(s) – to finish the paragraph  red

Paragraph Organization – the Hamburger Way

To make a tasty hamburger, you need to take time to get the ingredients ready and stack [5] them up carefully. Planning and organizing your ideas for a good paragraph can be very similar to making a hamburger.

• The sesame seeds on the top piece of bread is what you see as you unwrap a hamburger. It is like the title of a paragraph.
• The top piece of the bread is the first part of the hamburger. It is like the topic sentence .
• The middle part is what makes the hamburger delicious. The more ingredients you add, the tastier the hamburger is. This part is like the supporting sentences with details . More details for the paragraph will make it more interesting to read.
• You also add condiments like mustard, ketchup, and mayonnaise to not only make the hamburger juicier but also help the other ingredients like tomato slices and beef patties stick together. Those condiments are like transitions .
• The last piece of the bread makes the hamburger complete. The bread is made with the same ingredients as the top piece but with a different shape. This is like the concluding sentence. It restates the topic sentence but in a different way.

Below, you are going to learn how to write each part.

V. Title of a Paragraph

A title gives the readers information about what you write in the paragraph. It usually states or implies [6] the topic of your writing.

1. A good title is often very short. Sometimes it is only one word or one phrase. It is usually not a complete sentence.

The Best Invention

The Reasons for My Mediterranean Diet

The Characteristics of a Good Boss

2. A good title catches the readers’ interest. It tells the readers about the main topic, but it does not tell everything.

 Why Not Studying Hard?

 A Long-Kept Secret

To Mask or Not to Mask

3. A good title follows capitalization and punctuation rules.

• The first letter of the first word is always capitalized.
• Do not capitalize a short preposition, an article, or a coordinating conjunction unless it is the first word.
• Never capitalize the entire title.
• Do not put a period at the end.
• Do not put quotation marks around the title.
• Do not underline the title.

Discuss each pair of the titles below and notice how the errors are corrected.

the day I arrived in Chicago  X 

The Day I Arrived in Chicago  √

THE MAKING OF A DOCTOR  X

The Making of a Doctor  √

A Very Frustrating Experience.  X

A Very Frustrating Experience  √

“Advice from My Mother”  X

Advice from My Mother  √

The Mysterious Noise   X

The Mysterious Noise  √

For more explanations and examples in capitalization, please refer to Appendix B Capitalization . ( Open Appendix B here.)

Exercise 2.  Here are the titles of some paragraphs. Do they follow the rules? Write the correct title in the box. After you finish all the titles,  you can check your answers by clicking the “Check” button.  You may retry the exercise or see all the answers.

Example : 

From my home to school                                             

Correction: From My Home to School

VI. Topic Sentence

A topic sentence is a sentence that contains the main idea of a paragraph. It is usually put in the beginning of a paragraph. A good topic sentence has two essential parts and one optional part:

• the topic of your paragraph
• the controlling idea – your attitude/opinion about the topic
• (optional but preferred) predictors – the points you are going to explain in the body of the paragraph

In each pair of topic sentences below, one contains the topic and controlling idea. The other has the topic, controlling idea, and predictors. Identify each part and discuss which topic sentence you like better. Explain your reasons.

• My writing class is important in helping me prepare for college study.
• My writing class is important in helping me prepare for college study because I learn how to plan, write, and edit my own writing.
• I enjoy three aspects of my writing class.
• I enjoy three aspects of my writing class: my professor, my classmates, and the course materials.
• Many students feel stressed out in the writing class for three reasons.
• Because of long class periods, daily homework assignments, and lots of tests, many students feel stressed out in the writing class.,
• Writing in English is very different from writing in my native language.
• Writing in English differs from writing in my nature language in style, sentence structure, and punctuation.

Rules for a good topic sentence:

1. It must be a complete sentence that contains a subject and a verb.

•  My interesting writing class (not a complete sentence)  X
•   How to improve writing skills (not a complete sentence)  X
•  My writing class is interesting for three reasons. (a complete sentence)  √
•  In my writing class, I am learning how to improve writing skills in three ways.  (a complete sentence)  √

2. It can be a positive or negative statement, not a question. If you ask a question in the beginning of the paragraph, you should answer it in the next sentence. That second sentence is the topic sentence.

• Why is learning English important? (a question)  X
•  What is the best way to improve writing skills? (a question)  X
•  Why is learning English important? It is so because good English skills benefit people in their study, work, and daily life. (The second part is the topic sentence.)  √
• What is the best way to improve writing skills? I have three suggestions for ESL students to improve writing skills. (The second part is the topic sentence.)  √

3. Narrow down your topic. General topics are difficult to focus on and write.

• Year 2020 was a difficult year for me. (too broad)  X
• The COVID pandemic in Year 2020 made it difficult for me to study. (more specific)  √
• The COVID pandemic in Year 2020 made it difficult for me to study for three reasons: my classes went totally online in March, I could no longer use the college library and the Language Lab, and the poor Internet connection at home often interrupted my study on the course Blackboard site. (more specific)  √

4. Do not make an announcement.

•  In this paragraph, I am going to talk about the disadvantages to online learning.  (an announcement)  X
•  Let me explain the disadvantages to online learning. (an announcement)  X
•  This paragraph is about the disadvantages to online learning. (an announcement)  X
• There are three disadvantages to online learning. (not an announcement)  √
• There are three disadvantages to online learning: no immediate feedback from the professors, no interactions with the classmates, and unstable Internet connection at home. (not an announcement)   √

5. Do not write a fact because your opinion (the controlling idea) is missing.

• Harper College is a community college. (a fact)  X
• My classmates come from twelve different countries. (a fact)  X
• Harper College offers the best ESL programs in Illinois in three aspects: experienced professors, free tutoring, and the Language Lab. (Controlling idea “best” is added.)  √
•  Representing twelve countries, my classmates are great resources for learning different cultures. (Controlling idea “great resources for learning different cultures” is added.)  √

Exercise 3.  Read the following topic sentences. Identify the topic, controlling idea, and predictors.  Type your answers in the boxes. When you complete the entire exercise, you can click “Check” for feedback. You may retry or see all the answers.

I miss my high school life for three reasons: friends, sports, and time for myself.

topic:   my high school life

controlling idea:   miss for three reasons               

predictors:   friends, sports, time for myself

Exercise 4. Are the following good topic sentences? If not, why not? How do you improve them?  Click “True” for good topic sentences and “False” for the wrong ones.  You will receive instant feedback after each sentence. If a topic sentence is wrong, you will see the correction and explanation in blue .

Electric cars

This is not a good topic sentence because it is not a complete sentence and the controlling idea is missing.                  

Correction:  I like electric cars  more than gas-powered cars.

VII. Supporting Ideas and Paragraph Unity

Supporting means “holding up”, just as the bridge is “holding up” the man in the image on the left . Supporting sentences are crucial in “holding up” the main idea while making your paragraphs interesting and convincing [7] . They must support or explain the main idea in the topic sentence.

A good strategy for logical supporting sentences is to predict the question the readers may ask about your topic sentence. The result of this planning is actually the paragraph outline you learned in Unit 2 The Writing Process. (Open Unit 2 here.)

Paragraph Unity

Unity comes from the verb “unite” and means “hold tight, together”. In a paragraph, it means that all the supporting sentences work together to serve the same purpose: explaining the main idea.

Imagine two bouquets of flowers. Both look beautiful and in perfect harmony within themselves. However, if one sunflower is inserted in the middle of the roses, it will look out of place because it breaks the unity of the rose bouquet.

Then how do you tell if your paragraph has unity? There are two easy ways:

• Ask yourself, “Does each supporting sentence explain the controlling idea in the topic sentence?” If yes, your paragraph has unity. If not, you need to delete or change the supporting sentence. It is helpful to circle or underline your controlling idea in the topic sentence for easier checking.
• Always make an outline of the paragraph before you write. If you come up with a new idea while drafting the paragraph, put it in your outline first and ask yourself the first question.

Does the following paragraph outline show unity?

No, it does not show unity.  It contains irrelevant [8] ideas because they do not support the main idea “help college students”.  Here are ways to improve the outline:

• Cross out the irrelevant ideas.
• Add relevant information to support the main idea.
• In the second support, a personal example is also added to make the paragraph more interesting.
• In the third support, the new idea “manage time better” is a repetition of the second support “practice time management skills”. Therefore, it should be deleted. It is important not to repeat the same information that is already explained in other parts of the support.

Exercise 6.  Use the topic sentences below to build relevant supporting ideas. Check to make sure that all the ideas support the main idea in the topic sentence. Share your outline with your partner and discuss each other’s ideas.

Example :   

• Topic sentence: Men can often be better care givers than women.
• Topic sentence: People 18 years and older should serve two years in the military.
• Topic sentence: Chicago is the most romantic city in the U.S.
• Topic sentence: Chicago is the best place for children to visit on the weekend.

Exercise 7.  The following paragraph about a special place does not have unity.  There are four additional sentences to be deleted (not including the example). Type the numbers of the irrelevant sentences in the boxes below. When you complete the entire exercise, you can click “Check” for answers. You may also retry or see all the answers.  Sentence #4 is an example.

Types of Supporting Sentences

Good supporting sentences not only explain the main idea but also include interesting details such as

facts – numbers, general truths, scientific truths…

reasons – logical explanations…

experts’ opinion s – research findings, quotes by experts in the field…

examples – stories of well-known people, personal experiences, personal quotes…

Read Paragraph “Good Roommates” below and discuss how the writer uses the types of details. Color supporting ideas in green and the details in blue .

Good Roommates

          Having good roommates makes lives more enjoyable. First, good roommates understand each other’s need for peace and quiet after a day’s study. 1 They do not make unnecessary noises. For example, my roommate Abia and I have different class schedules. She spends the day at school, and I attend night classes. When I come back to the apartment very tired at 10 pm, she always turns down her music or speaks very softly on the phone with her friends. Moreover, good roommates share useful information. 2 Writer Barbara Dana once said, “A good roommate may be the single most important thing to have when one is away at school.” It is true because Abia’s and my families are far away. I have taken more courses at college, so I give Abia advice about classes, student clubs, and scholarships. She helps me in a different way. While I was looking for a part-time job last year, she told me about the job openings in her workplace. Finally, good roommates respect each other’s differences. 3 As the U.S. is a land of immigrants, it becomes the land of opportunities to learn different cultures and religions. I have learned about the significance of Ramadan for Abia, and she has understood the importance of Easter for me. Together, we have developed a good understanding of each other’s beliefs. In brief, good roommates help each other become more caring, supportive, and tolerant [9] . They make living easier in this complicated world.

In the first supporting details (first blue block marked with 1): personal examples of Abia and me

In the second supporting details (second blue block marked with 2): a quote by an expert, personal examples of Abia and me

In the third supporting details (third blue block marked with 3): general truth, logic, personal examples of Abia and me

Exercise 8.  Use Paragraph “Good Roommates” as an example, read Paragraph “No Capital Punishment” and discuss what types of interesting details the writer uses. Color the supporting ideas in green and the details in blue .

No Capital Punishment [10]

          Capital punishment should be banned [11] because the result cannot be changed, it is killing a life, and it does not stop the crime. First of all, the result of capital punishment is irreversible [12] ; therefore, it is important to be absolutely certain of a person’s guilt. Nevertheless, in some cases, this is simply impossible to prove a person’s guilt with 100% certainty. What if a person is wrongly charged? The death penalty will affect that person and his or her family forever. Next, capital punishment is killing. Killing people for any reason is wrong. Life is sacred, and humans do not have the right to decide the lives of others. Some people believe that capital punishment will stop criminals from committing crimes as they will be afraid to die. However, this is not the reality. Violent cases still occur daily. For instance, on the weekend of July 4 th , 2021, Chicago Sun Times reported that over 100 people were shot in Chicago and 19 of them died. That weekend was considered the deadliest and most violent in the city that year. This shows that putting criminals to death will not reduce the crime. For these reasons, death penalty should not be supported. The people and the government must find a better solution [13] to punishing the law breakers.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2021/7/3/22561910/chicago-weekend-shootings-july-2-5-homicide-gun-violence . Last accessed on July 10, 2021.

VIII. Transitions and Paragraph Cohesion

Cohesion focuses on the link between ideas so that they flow naturally from one to the next. When a paragraph has cohesion, ideas progress smoothly to create a connected whole.

Imagine cohesion as a waterfall cascading [14] smoothly and continuously.

There are different ways to achieve cohesion. One of them is by using transitions.

Transitions are also called connecting words . They help the writer organize thoughts and guide the readers in understanding the order of ideas clearly. Transitions are often needed not only between supporting sentences but also within them.

Compare the two paragraphs “Applying for the John & Melanie Frieburg ESL Student Scholarship” below. Which one is better? Why is it better? Underline the transitions in Paragraph 2 that you do not see in Paragraph 1.

Paragraph 1

Applying for the John & Melanie Frieburg ESL Student Scholarship

          Applying for the John & Melanie Frieburg ESL Student Scholarship online is not hard if you follow these steps. Go to the scholarship page on the Harper College website and search for this specific scholarship. Read all the information related to it: the requirements, the deadline, and the amount of the award. Fill out the application form online completely and accurately. There are twelve supplemental [15] questions including your grades and financial situation. Do you have an average grade of C? A paragraph about your educational aspiration is required. Get two recommendation letters from two people who know you well. Be sure to ask them first and give them enough time to write the letters. Proofread your application and submit before the deadline. You can always ask help from the Scholarship Office, the ESL Department, or the One Stop Center. The process is easy to follow and well worth your efforts for this special honor.

Paragraph 2

          Applying for the John & Melanie Frieburg ESL Student Scholarship online is not hard if you follow these steps. First , go to the scholarship page on the Harper College website and search for this specific scholarship. Read all the information related to it, such as the requirements, the deadline, and the amount of the award. When you are ready , fill out the application form online completely and accurately. There are twelve supplemental questions including your grades and financial situation. For example, do you have an average grade of C? A paragraph about your educational aspiration is also required. Another step is to get two recommendation letters from two people who know you well. Be sure to ask them and give them enough time to write the letters. Finally, proofread your application and submit before the deadline. At any stage of your application, you can always ask for help in the Scholarship Office, the ESL Department, or the One Stop Center. As you can see, the process is easy to follow and well worth your efforts for this special honor.

With connecting expressions like “First”, “such as”, “When you are ready”, and other underlined transitions, Paragraph 2 explains the steps much more clearly.

How are the transitions used?

•  The transition for the first supporting idea is often optional.
• “Finally” is usually used to show the last supporting idea in the body of the paragraph. It is not used right before the conclusion.
• The transition before the concluding sentence is optional.  It is actually more common without it.
• After most transitions, there is usually a comma, but this is not always true.  There are different types of transitions with different punctuation rules.  You will learn them step by step throughout the course.
• Do not overuse transitions; otherwise, the paragraph will read very unnatural. As you read and write more, you will gradually develop a sense of when a transition is or is not necessary.

Here are some common transitions:

Study Paragraph “Good Roommates” again. Notice how the three transitions ( first, moreover, finally ) connect the supporting ideas and the transition ( in brief ) is used before the concluding sentences.

Study Paragraph “No Capital Punishment” again. Notice how the transitions ( first of all, therefore, nevertheless, next, however, for instance ) are used to connect ideas between supporting ideas and within them. The transition ( for these reasons ) is placed before the concluding sentence.

Exercise 9.  Choose the appropriate transitions below and type them in the boxes to finish the paragraph about a daughter. There may be more than one correct answer, but type just one. Not all listed transitions are needed. When you complete the entire exercise, you can click “Check” for feedback. You may retry or see all the answers. The first one is an example.

first, second, next, in addition, also, furthermore, moreover, last, finally, for example, to sum up

Exercise 10.  Choose the appropriate transitions below and type them in the boxes to finish the paragraph about a life lesson. There may be more than one correct answer, but type just one. Not all listed transitions are needed. When you complete the entire exercise, you can click “Check” for feedback. You may retry or see all the answers. The first one is an example.

however, on the first Saturday, then, after crying for an hour,  while I was eating breakfast, now, at night, finally, after that, after I arrived

IX. Concluding Sentence(s)

A concluding sentence signals the end of a paragraph.

You can also write two or three sentences in this part with one or

more of the following methods:

• Restates [16] the main idea but in different words or sentence structure.
• Summarize the main points in the body of the paragraph.
• Express an opinion, make a prediction, put forth a recommendation, or ask a question related to the topic.

A conclusion must not bring up a new topic.

×     For those three reasons, I enjoy swimming the most. I will also start playing basketball next week.

Exercise 11.  Compare the pairs of topic sentences and concluding sentences from the paragraphs you have studied in this unit. Then discuss in groups what method the concluding sentences use and how they relate to the topic sentences.

Paragraph “Missing My Childhood Days”

Topic sentence: Thanks to two people and one place, my childhood was filled with fun.

Concluding sentences : Nowadays I do not have Hector and Lisandra in my life, and my childhood house has long been sold. However, I am grateful for having them all in my past because they have left me with priceless memories.

The conclusion restates the main idea (they have left me with priceless memories), summarizes the three supporting points in the body (I do not have Hector and Lisandra in my life, and my childhood house has long been sold), and expresses an opinion (I am grateful for having them all in my past).   The conclusion relates to the topic sentence and explains the controlling idea very well.  

• Paragraph “Difficulties in English Writing”
• Paragraph “My Special Place”
• Paragraph “Good Roommates”
• Paragraph “No Capital Punishment”
• Paragraph “Applying for the John & Melanie Frieburg ESL Student Scholarship”
• Paragraph “My Daughter”
• Paragraph “My Valuable Life Lesson”

X. Paragraph Completion

Each paragraph explains a complete idea and needs to have a clear ending. There are several ways to check if the paragraph is complete:

• Does the paragraph have a title?
• Is the topic sentence there?
• If you have predictors in the topic sentence, are all of them explained in the body of the paragraph?
• Are there details to further explain the supporting ideas?
• Do you have a concluding sentence at the end?
• Are there proper transitions to connect ideas?

If any one part is missing, the paragraph is incomplete.

Read the following paragraph. Is it complete? If not, discuss what is missing and how you can improve the paragraph.

          Jogging is beneficial physically, mentally, and socially. First, jogging makes people physically fit. It not only strengthens the muscles and immune system but also helps to reduce weight. Thirty minutes of jogging will burn about 250 calories. Extra weight causes all kinds of health problems, and a daily run will help shed [17] the extra pounds. Besides, jogging keeps people mentally healthy by reducing their stress. Modern life is full of anxieties. Workers have project deadlines, students take tests, parents deal with family financial challenges, and all people run into relationship issues from time to time. According to many doctors, jogging can act as a stress reliever [18] , boost [19] the feel-good hormone, and distract people from daily worries. Jogging is a simple act of activity that helps people become healthier in many ways.

What is missing?

• There is no title.  Add a title, such as “The Best Exercise” or “The Benefits of Jogging”.
• The third support is missing. From the topic sentence, the readers expect to see support in three areas: physical, mental, and social. However, the writer did not discuss the “social” aspect of jogging. Therefore, the paragraph is incomplete. The writer should add some information about the social benefits of jogging. Ideas could include joining a jogging club and meeting new friends.

Exercise 12.    Use the above paragraph as an example. Is the following new one complete? If not, discuss what is missing and how you can improve the paragraph.

       Unleashed dogs are dangerous to the environment, other living beings, and even to themselves. First of all, dogs do not have minds like humans; therefore, they often do not know what proper behavior is in public. When they are not restricted by a leash, they can run and step on flowers and plants in the parks.  They may also leave their waste there if their owners are unaware of it. What’s more, dogs can frighten the pedestrians on the street. Some of them are afraid of dogs and may experience intense fear when a dog jumps at them. Dogs may also scare drivers. What if they lose control of their vehicles? Other animals like ducks and geese will also find the running and barking “strangers” threatening. Lastly, unleashed dogs are a danger to themselves. There are many hidden holes on the roads and in the parks, and dogs can easily fall into them and hurt themselves. Because dogs can also cause traffic accidents, they may be injured as well. If there is construction nearby with heavy machinery and harmful chemicals, the consequences will be deadly to the dogs.

XI. Unit Review Practice

Exercise 13. Read the following paragraph about online learning. It is based on an outline example you studied earlier in this unit. As you read, do the following:

Color code the paragraph:

Title – pink           Topic sentence – red             Supporting sentences – green  

Supporting details – blue       transitions – yellow       Concluding sentence(s) – red

 Discuss:

• Have you taken an online class? If so, have you had similar experiences as described in this paragraph?
• What types of supporting ideas and details are used to explain the main idea?
• Does the paragraph have unity?
• What types of conclusion are used?
• Is the paragraph complete?
• Is the title centered on the top line? Is the first sentence indented?
• How do you improve the paragraph?

Three Benefits of Online Classes for College Students

          Taking online classes helps college students in three significant ways. First of all, online classes provide many conveniences. Many college students have a job, and some also need to take care of their family.  When the courses are online, the students often do not have a fixed class time. As a result, they can pick any shift available at work, and they can also schedule activities with their loved ones like going to the park or even going on a vacation. For those with small children, childcare is no longer a huge issue. In addition, some college students do not own a car, but their education will not be affected because they can take classes remotely. Secondly, college students improve their time management skills. I have learned to use my time more wisely. For example, during my first semester of online class, I spent a lot of time video chatting with my friends in the beginning. My professor set all the test deadlines by midnight each Sunday, so I postponed my study till Saturday.  However, there was too much reading and practicing then, and I simply could not complete the required study to get a good grade.  In the second half of the semester, I forced myself to make a schedule for daily study time and to be more disciplined [20] in following it. I was able to finish all the materials before the test, and my grade improved. The most important skill through online learning is independent learning. Even though professors are available through office hours, emails, and live sessions, students must learn to solve problems on their own most of the times. They can do so by reading, checking dictionaries, and finding additional online learning resources from YouTube videos or the Khan Academy website. The type of “self help” foster skills in independent learning, which is essential in college study and future profession. Taking online classes is challenging, but these benefits make their experiences worthwhile.

  NSNT Practice

Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts for Writing in Appendix A. ( Open Appendix A here. ) Choose two topics to practice the steps in the writing process, including writing a paragraph for each. You may start with the NSNT approach and then rewrite the paragraphs. Check to see that the paragraphs have all the necessary parts and that they follow the rules for format, unity, cohesion, and completion.

Vocabulary Review

The words here have appeared in this unit.  The best way to learn them is to guess the meaning of each word from the context.  Then hover your computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

• A paragraph is a group of sentences with one main idea.
• A paragraph must follow a proper format, with the title in the center of the top line and an indent in the beginning of the paragraph. All the sentences should be written/typed double spaced and follow one another without starting a new line.
• A paragraph consists of a title, a topic sentence, several supporting ideas with details, 1-2  concluding sentences, and transitions.
• Each paragraph should have all the above necessary components. If one of them is missing, the paragraph is not complete.
• A title explain the topic of the paragraph or gets the readers interested in the topic. It is centered on the first line and should follow the capitalization rules.
• A topic sentence contains the main idea of a paragraph and is usually put in the beginning. It must have a topic and a controlling idea.  It must be a complete sentence and should not be a fact or an announcement.
• Supporting sentences should be detailed and should help explain the topic sentence. If anything is irrelevant to the main idea, the paragraph will not have unity.
• A concluding sentence restates the main idea and signals the end of the paragraph. It can include an opinion, a suggestion, a recommendation, or a question that is related to the topic.
• Transitions are important in guiding the readers in understanding the information in the paragraph and providing a smooth connection between ideas.  Transitions help maintain the cohesion of a paragraph.

Media Attributions

• a group of children running and laughing outdoors © Photo by MI PHAM on Unsplash
• a hamburger © Photo by amirali mirhashemian on Unsplash
• parts of a hamburger © Photo by Pablo Merchán Montes on Unsplash
• lots of books showing titles on shelves © Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash
• a light bulb surrounded by six circles © Pixabay
• a man sitting on a bridge over a river © Photo by Alex Azabache on Unsplash
• a rose bouquet © Photo by Enrique Avendaño on Unsplash
• a sunflower bouquet © Photo by Farrinni on Unsplash
• a balcony with a table, two chairs, and some plants © Photo by Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu on Unsplash
• waterfall in Yellowstone National Park © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
• ESL Scholarship winners 2015/2016 © Lin Cui is licensed under a All Rights Reserved license
• words “THE END” on wooden pieces © Photo by Ann H from Pexels
• a checklist and a yellow pencil © Tumisu on Pixabay
• unleashed dogs on beach © Photo by Laura Stanley from Pexels
• a MacBook, a notebook, etc. on a desk © Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
• a page in a dictionary © Pixabay
• anticipate: verb, wait for something to happen ↵
• riddle: noun, a game of guessing the answers ↵
• priceless: adjective, very valuable, cannot be measured by a price ↵
• foundation: noun, basis, groundwork of something more complicated ↵
• stack: verb, to pile or put one on top of another ↵
• imply: verb, say indirectly ↵
• convincing: adjective, make people believe ↵
• irrelevant: adjective, not related, having nothing to do with the main idea ↵
• tolerant: adjective, accepting differences ↵
• capital punishment, noun phrase, a type of punishment to kill a criminal ↵
• ban: verb, stop, not allowed to happen ↵
• irreversible: adjective, cannot go back to the original situation ↵
• solution: noun, the answer to a problem ↵
• cascade: verb, flow from high to low smoothly ↵
• supplemental: adjective, extra, additional ↵
• restate: verb, write again, repeat ↵
• shed: verb, get rid of ↵
• stress reliever: noun phrase, something to reduce or take away stress ↵
• boost: verb, raise, improve ↵
• disciplined: adjective, self-controlled, strict with oneself ↵

Building Academic Writing Skills Copyright © 2022 by Cui, Lin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Characteristics of a Good Leader Argumentative Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

What makes a good leader of a country?

A leader can be defined as someone who leads others. According to Greer, “a leader can be someone who is in charge or commands others in an organization or a country” (30). Leadership cannot be based solely on an individual’s responsibility. It is important to add that a leader is not just about politics.

Thus, leaders can be found in every sector including sports, entertainment, and corporate sector among other areas. The argument about leadership focus on: what are the right qualities? What should the leaders do to strengthen these qualities? How are these qualities developed? This paper seeks to argue the qualities that ultimately define a good leader in a country.

To answer the question on what makes a good leader appropriate, it is important to acknowledge that traditional qualities that have defined a good leader such as aptitude, strength, determination, and vision are not sufficient in today’s world. In this changing world, a leader- in addition to the listed qualities- needs a high degree of emotional intelligence.

A look at history can reveal a number of highly skilled and intelligent leaders who took over leadership of their country only for them to perform dismally. Therefore, it can be concluded that finding the right leader is an art and science. Notably, “although leaders may share general qualities, each leader has a personal style of doing things. Some leaders are passive and analytical while others are very proactive and confrontational” (Daft and Lane 52).

Another important thing to acknowledge is that a leader, especially in a country or state, will often face different situations that will often require different approaches. While pursuing diplomacy, the leader will be required to be a sensitive negotiator; while consoling victims of a disaster, the leader will need to show empathy and comfort; when dealing with state enemies, the leader is needed to have a forceful authority.

The general conclusion, in my opinion, is that, to be leader, intelligence, hard work, and vision are important aspects to consider. However, even with all these, a leader should have the emotional intelligence to be successful and sustain the leadership status that is made possible by the primary characteristics listed.

There are various aspects of emotional intelligence that are critical to good leadership. According to Goleman, “they include self-awareness, enthusiasm and responsiveness. Others include group skills and self-regulation” (21). Researchers have carried out studies in the corporate world, and the results have shown that emotional intelligence is often what distinguishes the outstanding leader.

The first component I analyze is the aspect of self-awareness. This refers to the ability to have a deep understanding of one’s emotions, strengths, weaknesses, motivational factors. To be self aware means that one is honest with his or herself. It also implies that the individual is neither critical of others nor unrealistic.

Further, individuals who are self aware can predict how different emotions will affect them and the performance of their work. For example, a leader who has self awareness may know that interviews with the press often make him or her nervous. Therefore, it is prudent to avoid such interviews and choose other methods of communication.

The same self awareness can be applied when it comes to ideals and values in which an individual believes. It has often been said that a leader who does not believe in anything will fall for anything. Therefore, the leader with self-awareness will be able to turn down an investor’s request to set up a big industry in the country if that investment will hurt the environment.

Weak leaders who lack self awareness will accept to do something, but after two or three years down the line, they will rescind their decision. It can be noted that people who have self awareness are coherent and articulate. They are able to speak openly and precisely tackle the areas they are addressing. They are also able to describe themselves accurately (Northouse 154).

The other component of emotional intelligence is self regulation. From the onset, it is important to acknowledge that emotions are part human life. Although humans cannot do away with emotions, it is possible to control and manage them.

Self regulation is the ability to manage and control one’s feelings in order to make one free from distractions. In this case, individuals should also be able to direct these feelings to a useful channel. For example, a leader may witness a shambolic presentation by members of his cabinet to a key investor.

With the disappointment, the leader may feel the urge to kick a chair or bang the table which will bring a negative side of him to the investors. Therefore, self-regulation is the ability to apologize to the investor and carefully select the words that will authoritatively, yet humbly explain to the members of the cabinet the areas that will need to be corrected. Another example is when the leader of a country faces a threat of attack from another country.

In such a delicate matter, one wrong move can cost the country in many ways. However, if the leader maintains calmness, does not panic, and can prepare the relevant stakeholders to deal with the problem, then the effect is different, and the damage can be controlled.

Self-regulation is also a strong pillar of integrity. Thornton noted, “on many occasions, people with integrity are often caught in decisions that lack integrity” (p.13). Although such leaders have integrity, they lack self-regulation, which often enhances integrity. An example is a leader who is faced with a crisis and has no solution for the crisis.

In the heat of things, the leaders may decide to apply a solution that is outside the law. Thus, although the action may have been intended to help the country, lack of self regulation may lead the leader to undermine his own integrity. The third aspect of emotional intelligence is motivation. It is almost an unwritten rule that a good leader should have motivation. In this context, motivation refers to the urge to achieve.

A motivated leader is one who is never contented with the status quo. They are always striving to do better things and doing them differently. Such leaders often raise the performance bar, and they keep track of the scores. In this case, a good example is Thomas Sankara, the slain leader of Burkina Faso from Africa. Sankara became the leader of Burkina Faso at a time when the country was reliant on donor funds.

Uncomfortable, with the status quo, he led his countrymen on an overdrive to practice farming to a level that had hitherto been unseen. The country was for the first time able to feed all its population without the aid from foreign countries. The same leader introduced a government policy requiring all top government officials to stop the usage of the extravagant Mercedes Benzes. Instead, government officials were encouraged to use the modest Volkswagen vehicles so as to save money for increment of teacher’s salaries.

The fourth component of emotional integrity is empathy. The uniqueness of this component is that, unlike the aforementioned components, this component is very easy to identify and recognize. However, the modern world will rarely reward a leader in business or politics on account of empathy. In this case, the conventional understanding of empathy is to be able to take other peoples’ feelings and give them priority as if they were one’s own.

In this context, empathy refers to the ability of the leader to consider the interests of all stakeholders when making decisions. The last component is the idea of social skills. The two components are related as they are concerned with the ability to establish meaningful relationships with other people. A leader is always leading and managing people. Thus, a good leader should be able to get along with these people.

From the discussion, it is clear that, to lead a country, a great team is what will deliver great leadership. However, in every country, there is a leader. Some are led by a monarch, others by dictators, or others like the United States by a democratically elected leader. In monarchs and dictatorships, leaderships will tend to be highly concentrated around an individual.

On the other hand, democracies allow power to be decentralized to other institutions like the parliament, judiciary and the executive. The common denominator is that, whether the power is decentralized or centralized, the leader or leaders of the country need to possess certain qualities to lead the country effectively. The argument put forward is that, apart from the conventional qualities, a good leader of a country should possess the quality of emotional intelligence.

Works Cited

Daft, Richard, and Patricia Lane. The Leadership Experience . Mason, OH: Thomson/South-Western, 2008. Print.

Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ . London: Bloomsbury, 1996. Print.

Greer, Eddie. “Dare To Lead: Continuous Learning Creates The Best Leaders.” Professional Safety, 56.6 (2011): 30-31. Print.

Northouse, Peter. Leadership: Theory and Practice . Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2010. Print.

Thornton, Grant. What makes a good leader? 2008. Web. www.grant-thornton.co.uk/pdf/20-leadership-report.pdf

• Separate but Equal: "Letter From Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr.
• Stephen Benjamin and his vision
• Intelligence in What Makes a Leader? by D. Goleman
• Individual Presentation and Plan: Developing Self-Awareness
• Developing Self-Awareness in Managers
• Political Firsts: Hiram Rhodes Revels and Romualdo Pacheco
• Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards
• Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy: Partners or Opponents?
• Thomas Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia
• A Critical Evaluation of Criteria for a Successful Presidency from a Citizen’s Perspective
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2018, June 18). Characteristics of a Good Leader. https://ivypanda.com/essays/qualities-of-a-good-leader/

"Characteristics of a Good Leader." IvyPanda , 18 June 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/qualities-of-a-good-leader/.

IvyPanda . (2018) 'Characteristics of a Good Leader'. 18 June.

IvyPanda . 2018. "Characteristics of a Good Leader." June 18, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/qualities-of-a-good-leader/.

1. IvyPanda . "Characteristics of a Good Leader." June 18, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/qualities-of-a-good-leader/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Characteristics of a Good Leader." June 18, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/qualities-of-a-good-leader/.