TYPES OF ESSAY
• Narrative essay
• Descriptive essay
• Expository essay
• Persuasive essay
DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY
Developing the five-paragraph
essay
Structure of The Five-
Paragraph Essay
THE
INTRODUCTIO N
PARAGRAPH
The Introduction Paragraph
• The introduction to an essay is a very important section in an essay as it
sets the expectations of the reader.
• An introduction should have two parts:
i. General statements/background information
ii.Thesis statement
General
statements/background information
Types of introduction:
•Introduce the main idea
•Grab the reader’s attention
Types of introduction:
•General-to-specific
•Definition/Explanation
•Set the scene
•Problem-solution
Exercise: Identify the type of the
Introduction
Exercise: Identify the type of the
Introduction
Exercise: Identify the type of the Introduction
Imagine a world without computers. Computers have become dependable part of our lives; where imagining having a day go by without using computer seems unnatural. The world without computers would be the one where people have to undergo many challenges. At present where the computer has become the integral part of our world, the world without computer would be troublesome. Computers are useful in many aspects of life. In fact, the medicals who use computers or with the help of the computer technology have discovered the cures for many diseases, businessman could expand their business globally and there would not be any computers where people could talk easily with their distant relatives.
Exercise: Identify the type of the
Introduction
Tips : The don’ts when you begin your introduction
•Don’t apologise
e.g: I would like to apologise if my points are not enough
•Don’t use a signposts
e.g: In this essay I will discuss
•Don’t use false facts and examples
•Don’t show your weak knowledge about the topic
e.g: Actually, I don’t really know about this topic
Actually, I’m not sure about the advantages of TV
Thesis statement
Thesis statement is the statement that has the sub-topics of the whole essay and it is normally the last sentence of the introduction.
THE BODY
PARAGRAPHS
The body paragraphs develop the idea presented in the introduction.
There are three main parts of the body paragraph. A body paragraph discusses a sub-topic of the whole essay.
A body paragraph should have 3 parts:
•A beginning (Topic Sentence)
•A middle (Supporting Details)
•An end (Concluding Sentence)
TOPIC SENTENCE
TOPIC SENTENCE
1. TV is a source of information and also a source of entertainment
• A topic sentence cannot have 2 or more
topics/ideas, it should focus on only one topic
• One benefit of TV is it is a source of information
2. Do you think TV is a source of information?
3. Is one of the benefits of TV is its function as a source of information?
• A topic sentence should not be a question
4. TV is a source of information because TV provides news of the current events in the world and also useful information through some channels like CNN and National
Geographic
• A topic sentence should not include
supporting details. It should NOT tell WHY TV is a source of information, but it should just tell that TV is a source of information.
• One benefit of TV is its function as a source of information
• One benefit of TV is its function as a source of information
5. There are some benefits of TV and one of the benefits that is obvious and surely all people know is TV as a source of information to
people
• A topic sentence should not be too long
• One benefit of TV is people can get a lot of information from it
• 6. A source of information.
• 7. Can get a lot of info.
• This is not a complete sentence.
• TV can give a lot of information to people
• TV is a source of information
It is undeniable that parents should bear some responsibility for the actions of their teenaged children. This is particularly true when they are absent from the home and not in a position to control their children. The argument is that if they were at home, then they would be able to make certain that their children did not join gangs and spent their time on socially acceptable activities.
Indeed, it is very often the case that teenagers who come from hardworking families spend their time on schoolwork and conduct themselves well. In fact, the teenagers who do create social problems by, for example, getting drunk or painting graffiti come from homes where parents are unemployed. This can also be said that working parents are in fact setting a good example to their children.
Other factors that lead to teenagers getting into trouble relate to the educational system. This is due to the fact that many teenagers leave school aged 16 and do not find work because of lack of qualifications. As a result, they spend time on the street with nothing productive to do.
Likewise, social problems with teenagers can be the consequence of poor discipline at school with teachers failing to control their classes.
SUPPORTING DETAILS
• You can write supporting details using:
S – statistics A – anecdote E – examples R – reasons A - authority
STATISTIC
• Statistics:
A fact or piece of data from a study of a large quantity of numerical data
ANECDOTE
• An anecdote is a short and amusing or
interesting account, which may depict a real incident or person. An anecdote is always
presented as based in a real incident involving actual persons, whether famous or not,
usually in an identifiable place
EXAMPLES
• A number of things, or a part of something, taken to show the character of the whole
REASONS
• A cause, explanation, or justification for an action or event
AUTHORITY
• The right conferred by recognized social person
1. (a) China has 267,000 square miles
(b) China is so big that you can find many things to do
2. (a) Bully is a boy or girl who acts mean or hurtful to others
(b) Bullies sometimes hit, kick, or push to hurt people
THE CONCLUDING SENTENCE
• The last sentence in a paragraph that concludes the paragraph.
• It restates the main idea of the paragraph
• Keeps the reader focused on the discussion of the paragraph
• When writing the concluding sentence:
i. Restate the main idea of the paragraph using different words
ii. Change the sentence of the topic sentence by using different words or different structure
iii.You can write the concluding sentence by using words and phrases such as ‘therefore’, ‘ thus’, ‘as mentioned before’ or ‘in conclusion’
1. The best way to enjoy holidays in Malaysia is by driving (a) When you explore Malaysia by car, you can
experience all the beautiful sceneries the country has to offer
(b) When you drive, you experience the different smells of the restaurants, the vegetations and sometimes the ocean
(c) You can stop and look in the windows of shops or sit on a bench for a short while and talk to the local people
(d) In a car, you can stop easily if you see something interesting because you control the journey
2. I submitted my assignment late because something happened to my computer
(a) I was almost finished writing my paper and I was checking it for errors
(b) Suddenly, my computer screen went blank, and the power was gone
(c) The accident made me lose many hours of work, so I could not turn in my assignment on time
(d) Later, I learned that a construction worker nearby had mistakenly dug up the power line and
disrupted the electricity
THE
CONCLUSION
PARAGRAPH
THE CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH
• A conclusion should reinforce your thesis statement, help your reader better understand what he or she has already read and provide a sense of closure or ending for your essay. You should end your essay by leaving an impact on the reader.
• When writing the conclusion paragraph:
i. use words such as 'in summary', 'in conclusion', 'in short', 'all in all', 'in brief, 'in other words', 'on the whole', 'to conclude', 'to sum up' to begin your conclusion
ii. you need to restate your thesis statement:
– use different words or sentences to restate your thesis statement (not exact same like the thesis statement in the introduction).
iii. you need to summarize your sub-topics:
– summarize your sub-topics and their main points only (no need to me everything),
– show how important the sub-topics are and why they are important to be mentioned again in the conclusion,
You need to make your finals comments that can leave some impacts on the reader. You can make your final comments in the form of:
• Suggestions
e.g: Therefore, the government should increase the number of police officers patrolling at the black areas so that crimes can be reduced.
Thus, the government should double the penalty for the traffic culprits in order to reduce the number of accidents on the road.
• Prediction
e.g: If we do not start recycling now, the future generation will have to live with rubbish.
• Quotation
e.g: As what many people say, ‘Prevention is better than cure’.
Example 1:
In conclusion, watching TV has more advantages than disadvantages because TV is a source of information and entertainment as well as a means of socialization. Therefore, we should not have all negative views towards watching TV as TV is a beneficial and significant invention that can change our lives in a positive way. It is important for us to watch TV and without TV, it is difficult for us to know what is going on in the world immediately, to heal our boredom and sadness and also to build good relationship with people. Thus, TV is such an effective creation.
Example 2:
To summarize, there are three causes of stress among university students such as their many assignments, homesickness, and financial problem. University students need to be aware of these reasons for their stress as stress is detrimental. Proper time and money managements can help prevent the students from becoming stressed. Also, self-motivation is important to be built so that the students will be aware of their coming to the university that is to further their studies.
What is more important is: prevention is better than cure and thus stress should be avoided before it is faced by the students.
TRANSITIONS
EXERCISE 3
Read the following sentences and underline the transitides. Also, write the logical relationship in the space provided.
1. _____________________
He passed the examination with flying colours despite the fact that he did not put in much effort.
2. _____________________
Soccer teams need really good strikers to win championships.
Similarly, football teams need really good quarterbacks.
3.______________________
Some British car companies made inefficient, uninspired products for decades. As a result, they are now going bankrupt.
4 .___________________
Properly inflated tyres can help your gas mileage. In fact, it is one of the most effective ways to increase the performance of your car.
5 .___________________
Adibah is a very strict teacher. That is to say she is often looking over your shoulders watching everything you do.
6 .___________________
Luck is always on Irine's side. For instance, I once saw her win RM100 on a horse race because she liked the name of the horse.
7.____________________
To summarise, transitions help improve the cohesiveness of one's writing.
My favourite restaurants
TASK
• General statement
• Thesis statement
• 1st body paragraph topic sentence
• 2nd body paragraph topic sentence
• 3rd body paragraph topic sentence
• Restate thesis statement
