2. Outlining ❖ Sort out the meaningful connections
among your ideas and information and start to plan your essay
3. draft ❖ construction of the essay 4. Revise * Macro revision and micro revision 5. Edit and proofreading ❖ To make sure every word, phrase, and
sentence is clear and correct
III. Types of Essays
1. Description ❖ Painting picture in words of a person,
place, object, or scene.
2. Narration
Give an account of an event or a series of events.
3. Exposition ❖ Provides information, explain or explore something
—— process of making a machine —— the causes of a natural or social
phenomenon —— the planning of a project —— a solution to a problem * mainly deal with relationships as well as processes (cf. description→ appearance and feelings;
Volkswagens are German cars My Volkswagen is well built.
Important Considerations in Essay-writing
❖ Understanding the nature and length of an assignment -- what kind of paper -- how long is it expected to be
4. Argumentation ❖ the purpose is to convince
(cf. exposition, to inform) ❖ Requirements to be met:
1) A debatable point:
e.g. Noise is the most harmful of all environmental pollution.
Essay-Writing
I. Elements in an Essay
❖ Vocabulary ❖ Sentences ❖ Paragraph ❖ Parts
II. Process of Writing
1. prewriting search for a topic generate ideas
3) Logic ways of reasoning: ❖ Inductive reasoning（归纳）
--- from facts to a general conclusion. ❖ Deductive reasoning（演绎）
--- from general to specific e.g. German cars are well built.
(1) Description of a person —— details of his/her appearance —— his/her character, thoughts and feelings —— the characteristic features of the person
1. Description
❖ painting a picture of a person, place, object, or scene
❖ develop through sensory details the impressions of one's senses —— sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch
narration → events and experiences)
* be explained by illustration, process, classification, and division, comparison, contrast, and analysis of their causes and effects or definition
❖ Determining your point of view -- first-person approach -- second-person approach -- third-person approach
❖ Using peer review ❖ Doing personal review
It was Robert Ackley, this guy that roomed right next to me. He was a very peculiar guy. He was a senior…. He was one of these very, very tall, round-shouldered guys – he as about six four – with lousy teeth. The whole time he roomed next to me, I never even once saw him brush his teeth. They always looked mossy and awful, and he damn near made you sick if you saw him in the dining room with his mouth full of mashed potatoes and peas or something. Besides that, he
had a lot of pimples. Not just on his forehead or his chin, like most guys, but all over his whole face. And not only that, he had a terrible personality. He was also sort of a nasty guy. I wasn’t too crazy about him, to tell you the truth.
My mother is very kind and sincere. She gets along with her neighbors and colleagues. When they have difficulties, she is always ready to lend them a helpful hand. Therefore she is loved and respected in our neighborhood.
Sample 3
The old man was thin and gaunt(憔悴的) with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck. The brown blotches(大斑点) of the benevolent skin cancer the sun brings from its reflection on the tropic sea were on his cheeks. The blotches ran well down the sides of his face and his hands had the deep-creased(深凹的) scars from handling heavy fish on the cords. But none of these scars were fresh. They were as old as erosions in a fishless desert.
Sample 2
I love my mother very much. Like many other Chinese women, my mother is diligent. She works in a primary school. In order to teach well, she prepares her lectures very carefully and often works so late at night.
Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated.
Sample 4
❖ The Catcher in the Rye
My mother often tells me to be honest and upright. She expects me to be useful to the people in the future. Up to now, I still remember her saying: Do as much as you can and you will succeed.
❖ Knowing your subject familiar or unfamiliar (direct or indirect experiences; research)
❖ Knowing your purpose and audience -- 3 major purposes: to inform, persuade, entertain -- instructor/adult audience -- fellow students -- children