Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students

1. What are some pointers for essay writing?
2. Where can I get help with introductions and conclusions?
3. Where can I get advice on essay structure?
4. Where can I get info on writing about Literature?
5. Where can I get hlep with writing thesis statements?
6. How do I structure a classification essay?

What are some pointers for essay writing?

Do not announce

Do not address the reader

Do not repeat

DO NOT ASSUME:  in  a literary essay, you need to provide background 
information and detail for your reader BEFORE you get to the main 
points.  Provide a summary so the reader knows what you are talking 
about.

Provide transition between ideas and between paragraphs. Go beyond 
the plain old First, second, third, finally

Always identify the author and story/poem you are writing about

In Kathy Song�s �Lost Sister,� �
In the movie The Joy Luck Club, which was based on a book by Amy Tan
In Amy Tan�s The Joy Luck Club

Study wordiness in your Little, Brown Handbook.  Do the  exercises.

Put titles of short works in quotation marks (poems, short stories, 
essays)
Put titles of longer works in italics OR underlining (movies, plays,  
books, magazines)

Words to avoid:  portray		thing		due to fact that

Aspect of    NOWADAYS	in this day and age		back in the day

A lot		

Say exactly what you mean.  Do not try to sound fancy.  MEANING comes 
first.
 � The introduction with thesis statement
� The body, which supports the thesis statement
The conclusion, which gracefully brings the essay to a close

The foundation of every paper is the THESIS STATEMENT


It succinctly and clearly states the main idea of the paper,
The primary point the paper will address.

The thesis statement must be
� An inference (a point to be proven, an opinion, a biased statement)
� Phrased appropriately.  
� Placed at the END of your introduction
It is never a fact.
It must  contains a bias word that will be proven or explained
Do NOT announce
� Never say
� �In my paper you will read�
� This paper will discuss
� The paragraphs below will explain�.
 in the essay

Miami-Dade is a prestigious community college.
Plan of development
A solid thesis statement may include 
three main points to discuss in the essay
Miami-Dade is a prestigious community college
� It has won numerous national awards
� emergency service workers in South Florida
� It has developed model specialized  programs in a variety of 
disciplines
to prove!)

Techniques for opening the essay
� Begin with an interesting story or anecdote
� Ask a question
� State a startling or surprising fact
� Open with a pertinent quotation

In composition


Move from the general o the specific
� Begin with a topic sentence.  A topic sentence does for the paragraph 
what the thesis statement does for the entire essay
� It includes a bias word or opinion on one particular point to be proven 
in the paragraph
It should have at least THREE facts, details, or examples for support

 A Few Do�s and Don�ts
Do not addess the reader.  Never use �you.�
� Do not insert, �I feel�, �I think,,� or �In my opinion�
� Avoid slang
� Avoid empty words and phrases
� Avoid cliches
� Always be specific
� Do not repeat yourself
� Use transitions

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Where can I get help with introductions and conclusions?

http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/intros.htm

http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/English/essay/intro.html

http://www.wooster.edu/writing_center/Help/concl.html

http://cstw.ohio-state.edu/writing_center/handouts/intros_conclusions.ht
m

http://www.asu.edu/duas/wcenter/introconc.html

http://www.gmu.edu/departments/writingcenter/handouts/introcon.html


http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/endings.htm

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Where can I get advice on essay structure?

http://www.write-an-essay.com/essay-structure.html

http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/English/essay/

http://www.write-an-essay.com/essay-structure.html
]
http://www.csulb.edu/~wrl/essaystr.html

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Where can I get info on writing about Literature?

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_lit.html

http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/literature.html

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Where can I get hlep with writing thesis statements?

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_thesis.html

http://www.hamilton.edu/academics/resource/wc/Intro_Thesis.html

http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/thesis.html

http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/thesis.html

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How do I structure a classification essay?

THESIS: ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________.

I.  Category 1 ____________________

    A .  Description of category

   B.   Examples of those who fit the category

	1.

	2.
	
	3.

II.  Category 2  _____________________

     A.  Description of category

     B.  Examples of those who fit the category
	
	1.
     
	2.

	3.

III. Category 3 ____________

     A.  Description of category

     B.  Examples of those who fit the category
	
	1.
     
	2.

	3.


  
If you have more than 3 categories, continue on the back.  Make sure you are 
descriptive and specific 
in your explanations and examples.

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