PLANNING AN ESSAY

PhD Madalina Armie

madaarmie@ual.es
University of Almería
CONTENTS

◦ General Considerations
◦ Ways to Writing
◦ The Parts of the Essay
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
THE SPOKEN
REGISTER
AND THE
WRITTEN
REGISTER
 ◦to describe events
◦to give information
Why do you NEED
to write? ◦to convey feelings and
ideas
 High order skills
Create thinking skills
Bloom’s
Evaluate taxonomy

Analyse

Apply
Low order
skills Understand -
thinking Describe, explain
skills
Remember
Writing skills
◦ Proof-read and edit your writing
◦ Consider the purpose of your
writing
◦ Consider your audience
◦ Plan and arrange ideas in a logical
order
◦ Consider the content
◦ Use correct spelling
◦ Use a proper layout
◦ Punctuate for meaning
 Choose the right definition:

1 n. 1. A story of events, experiences, or the like, the act

or process of narrating,(Macquarie Dictionary 1183).

Defining the 2 adj. 1. Pertaining to or of the nature of books and

word “essay” writings, esp. those classed as literature: literary history
(Macquarie Dictionary 1035).

3 n. 1. a short literary composition on a particular

subject (Macquarie Dictionary 595).
THUS, IF YOU MUST
WRITE 'A SHORT
LITERARY
COMPOSITION ON A
PARTICULAR
SUBJECT', HOW WILL
YOU BEGIN?
WAYS TO WRITING
 Content
The Writer’s
Syntax process

Grammar Audience
Writing

Mechanics Purpose

Organisation Word Choice

 • KEY QUESTIONS: Discuss, Explain, Analyse,
Understand Summarise, What are, What will
• You need JUDGMENT:
the question 'the forming of an opinion, estimate, notion, or
you are being conclusion, as from circumstances presented to the
mind'.
asked
 THE
GENERAL
STRUCTURE
OF AN
ESSAY
Gathering ideas
◦ One of the most difficult things about
writing is getting ideas. Use one of the
following brainstorming techniques:
◦ Free writing. You just write, without stopping
or correcting anything. Write whatever comes
to your head in relation to the topic. If you
don’t know the right word, spelling, grammar,
etc., you just write it in your language.
 Pollution,
◦ Spidergrams: noise
Think about the
Ruin our
topic and note lives Accidents, roads
down ideas everywhere
thinking first of the
main aspects, and
then points which Cars Make travel
derive from them. easier
Improve Go where/ when
our lives we want

Safer, public
transport at night
can be dangerous
Three diagrams: This
technique is similar to
spidergrams, except
that you give more
thought to the Life is better Developed
connections now than it countries?
established between was 100 years Who for?
points. Particular ago
questions run though
your head as you Means what?
write, helping you to
build ideas. How? Better
What? Why?, When? Safer health? Education
Where? Who? What How? How ? How?

does it mean? So
what? Are useful Better Better Wider More
questions that help higiene medicines literacy schools
you to develop the
content
Lancaster is a Good place to ◦ Making lists. With listing, very little
live: attempt is made to categorise your
ideas as they appear, except perhaps
-Quick , relatively safe town
some general headings. Connections
-Reasonable shops between ideas are added after a lot of
-University: Good facilities points have already been listed. You can
also separate the elements from the list
-Relaxed in pros and cons.
-Easy reach of London
But!
- The weather
 ◦ Scattered notes. This involves writing
Plans for writing
ideas down as they come into your
Creative/ imaginative work
mind. They are written down randomly
-Plot for short story?
-Using item of clothing? Bag? around the page so that your mind
remains free to make connections,
letters? Formal and less develop point or reject ideas afterwards.
formal?
Writing techniques-
brainstorming using photographs

Storyline/reader decisions
Guided walk
getting feedback
Interactive task/ simulation
music?
 Organise your ideas
Once you have gathered ideas, the next thing to do is to
organize those ideas into a writing plan. Try to group and
organize your ideas so that you will be ready to begin your
first draft. If you have done free writing first, you will need
to extract the ideas you had to make a list, a spidergram or
a tree diagram.
Number and group your ideas. Look through your notes
and number them to show which ideas belong together.
Copy out ideas again in groups. Add to them as you wish
Decide on a structure. Look through your notes and
decide on an overall structure for your writing. For
example:
- introduction- positive points. Negative points- conclusion
- Introduction- most important points- least important
points- conclusion
- Introduction- topic 1- topic 2- topic 3, etc. – conclusion
Creating an
outline (I)
Creating
an
outline
(II)
2.
Creating
an
outline
(III)
Developing a
Thesis Statement
◦ What is a Logical Fallacy? A logical fallacy is an
argument that contains a mistake of reasoning.
◦ A reasoning error that weakens or invalidates the
argument
◦ Types of logical fallacies
- Ad Hominem
- Slippery Slope
- Hasty generalisation
- Either / Or Reasoning
- Circular Reasoning
- Ad Populum
 AD
HOMINEM
Ad Hominem
◦ Rejects someone’s argument or claim by attacking the
person rather than the person’s argument or claim.

a) X is a bad person.
b) Therefore, X’s argument must be bad.
Example: Hugh Hefner, founder of playboy magazine,
has argued against censorship of pornography. But
Hefner is an immature, self-indulgent millionaire who
never outgrew the adolescent fantasies of his youth. His
argument, therefore, is worthless.

◦ Hugh Hefner is a bad person.

◦ Therefore, Hugh Hefner’s argument must be bad.
SLIPPERY
SLOPE
Slippery Slope
◦ When a relatively insignificant first event is
suggested to lead to a more significant event,
which in turn leads to a more significant event,
and so on, until some ultimate, significant event is
reached, where the connection of each event is
not only unwarranted but with each step it
becomes more and more improbable.
◦ Logical Form:
◦ If A, then B, then C, ... then ultimately Z!
◦ Example #1:
◦ We cannot unlock our child from the closet
because if we do, she will want to roam the
house. If we let her roam the house, she will want
to roam the neighborhood. If she roams the
neighborhood, she will get picked up by a stranger
in a van, who will sell her in a sex slavery ring in
some other country. Therefore, we should keep her
locked up in the closet.
 HASTY GENERALISATION
- someone draws a conclusion based on just a small sample size.
- The conclusion is supported by insufficient evidence.
Either/ or
reasoning
◦ Presenting a situation in
simple all-or-nothing
terms when there are
other possibilities in
between.

◦ Black or White Reasoning

◦ Kelly: Chester and I

support the inclusion of
prayers in public schools.
Chester: Hey! I never said
that.
Kelly: You're not an atheist,
are you Chester?
Circular Reasoning
The proposition is supported by the
premises, which is supported by the
proposition, creating a circle in reasoning
where no useful information is being
shared. This fallacy is often quite
humorous.

Logical Form:

X is true because of Y.
Y is true because of X.
Ad Populum
◦ The source appealed to
is popular opinion, or
common knowledge,
rather than a specified
authority. So, for
example:
◦ These days everyone
(except you) has a car and
knows how to drive;
So, you too should have a
car and know how to
drive.
◦ Often in arguments like
this the premises aren’t
true, but even if they are
generally true, they may
provide only scant
support for their
conclusions because
that something is widely
practiced or believed is
not compelling evidence
that it is true or that it
should be done.
Examples from
Advertising and
Politics
◦ Ad Populum:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=3pSdTuRAdqo
◦ Ad Hominem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=SVhTAY0R_SE
◦ Either/Or Reasoning:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=u5wAUOWfX38
◦ Slippery Slope:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=6g-87PFgONI
◦ Circular Reasoning:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Sip9TjlRXLE
THE INTRODUCTION
Purpose and
Aims
◦ The purpose of
the introduction is
to introduce the
topic to your
audience and to
state the purpose
of your essay in
the thesis
statement.
The thesis statement
◦ Each essay you write will contain a thesis
statement. This statement is usually one
A successful thesis
sentence that gives the purpose of the essay. statement results
Must not be a from selection,
simple statement qualification. and
At the beginning or fact that specificity.
of the essay, requires no
Strongest, clearest usually at the end elaboration
statement in the of the introductory
essay paragraph
 1.The Koran is wonderful. (The controlling idea is simply a
judgement, and cannot be supported.)

2.The Koran is the perfect book for everyone. (too general

and judgmental.)

3.The Koran is one of the best religious books in the world.

Examples (Somewhat qualified, but still too general: best and worst
are hard words to support.)

4.The Koran is one of the most important religious books in

the world. (Better: more qualified, more objective in
language, but an additional controlling idea would direct
the essay more clearly.)
LET’S PRACTICE!
The “lead”
◦ The lead, or opening paragraph, is the most important part.
◦ With so many sources of information – newspapers,
magazines, TV, radio and the internet – audiences simply are
not willing to read beyond the first paragraph (and even
sentence) of a story unless it grabs their interest. A good lead
does just that. It gives readers the most important
information in a clear, concise and interesting manner.
◦ It also establishes the voice and direction of an article.
Different
Types of Leads
◦ It captures the attention
of the reader. An
interesting lead is a
“hook” that encourages
the reader to keep
reading. Many times, the
lead does not seem to
relate to the topic.
 LET’S
PRACTICE
THE BODY OF THE ESSAY
 Introduction

REVIEW: Thesis Statement

ESSAY Body

FORMAT
Conclusion
The Body
◦ The body is a set of paragraphs that develop
the idea expressed in the thesis statement.
◦ Make a list of main ideas that support the
thesis statement. Each main idea becomes
the main idea sentence for a body
paragraph.
◦ Arrange the main ideas in logical order (time,
place, importance).
◦ Plan out each body paragraph by listing
major details that support each main idea.
◦ Order the details within each paragraph in a
logical way. Each body paragraph may end
with a concluding sentence.
 ◦ Body Paragraph 1
Topic Sentence: Gnome-napping is stealing someone’s personal property, and

Example stealing is illegal.

Main Points
1.
2.
◦ Thesis Statement: 3.
Gnome-napping is stealing personal property, and is illegal, ◦ Body Paragraph 2
morally wrong, and disrespectful.
Topic Sentence: It is morally wrong to take anyone’s property, whether it is a gnome
or a car.
Main Points:
1.
2.
3.
o Body Paragraph 3
Topic Sentence: The GLF is incredibly disrespectful because they take items that don’t
belong them.
Main Points:
1.
2.
3.
 The Writing Stage
◦ After planning and arranging your main
ideas and major details, begin writing
your body paragraphs.
◦ The number of paragraphs depends on
the topic’s complexity, inclusiveness, and
your purpose for writing.
◦ Usually a short essay contains 3 to 5
body paragraphs, plus an introduction
and conclusion.
◦ Remember to use signal words to make
smooth transitions between sentences
and paragraphs.
 Signal/
Transition words
◦ For examples: For
example, for instance, to
illustrate
◦ For organisation or
chronological order: The
six steps are…, next, finally
first, secondly, third
◦ For
additional
points:
Furthermore,
in addition,
also,
moreover
◦ For opposing ideas:
On the other hand, in
contrast, although,
however
◦ For similar ideas:
Likewise, similarly, in
comparison
◦ For exceptions:
However, nevertheless,
but, yet, still
◦ For emphasis: Above
all, finally, more
importantly
◦ For understanding: In
other words, in essence,
briefly
◦ For summarizing: In
conclusion, to sum up,
for these reasons, in a
nutshell
◦ For exams: Remember
this, this is important,
this could be on the test
THE CONCLUSION
The Conclusion.
Remember:
◦ Leave the reader thinking about your topic.
Leave an impression on them!
◦ No new information.
◦ Be sure to recap your ideas.
◦ Restate your thesis statement in different
words
◦ You might want to have your reader do
something after reading (“call to action” –
Example: Go write your Senator about this
problem.)
 FINAL
REVIEW
Writing tips

◦ While you are writing keep

rereading what you have
written and make changes
where necessary.
◦ Write reminders to yourself or
very rough notes to avoid
getting stuck.