The Essay

Types of Essays:  

Argument:  An argument essay states and supports a claim about a debatable topic.

Informative:  An informative essay informs about a subject 

and is usually about a subject that is not debatable. 

Use Rafts to figure out what you are supposed to be writing.

Role

Audience

Format:  Essay? Letter? Poem? Story? 

Task: Verbs (action words)

Strong Key Words: Nouns and Adjectives (What is it about?)

Parts of an Essay

Start out with a hook,

 then add your overall central idea which is also called a thesis.

Use a transition to show the relationship
of the next paragraph to the first.

Add some meat with the paragraph that supports the overall central idea.
It needs a central idea with supporting evidence (details) and warrants (explanation)
for the central idea of the paragraph.

Use a transition to show the relationship
of the next paragraph to the one right before it.

Add more meat with another paragraph that supports the overall central idea.
It needs a central idea with supporting evidence (details) and warrants (explanation)
for the central idea of the paragraph.

Use a transition to show the relationship 

               of the next paragraph to the one right before it.

If you are writing argument, acknowledge a point the other side would say, and show how your argument is stronger that that.

Add more meat with another paragraph that supports the overall central idea.
It needs a central idea with supporting evidence (details) and warrants (explanation)
for the central idea of the paragraph.

Use a transition to show the relationship 

                      of the final paragraph to the others.

Conclude by summing up or restating your overall central idea.
(In an argument essay you might ask your reader to do something or to change their thinking.)   

Add "taste" and interest with your details (evidence) and explanation/commentary (warrants) within the paragraphs.

Do not forget to 

Revise -- ARMS   

 Add, Remove, Move Around, Substitute

and Edit -- SMILEs

Use complete SENTENCES.

Use punctuation MARKS at the end of each sentence.

INDENT to begin paragraphs.

Use capital LETTERS to begin sentences and for proper nouns.

EDIT for other conventions.

Check for your own SPELLING problems.