Writing consists of putting in writing a thought, an opinion, etc., although not everything type of writing (or also called writing) is appropriate within the world academic. We call essay to academic writing. The essay is a type of prose that briefly analyzes, interprets, or evaluates a topic. I know consider a literary genre, just like poetry, fiction, and drama. The trial with the one that students usually find is the essay that constitutes a question of homework or exam and that it differs from other types of writing in that:
Use a formal tone. Therefore humor, sarcasm, colloquial vocabulary and tangential or irrelevant observations. Must keep in mind that there is more difference between spoken (informal) and written (formal) in Spanish than in English, so to an English speaker a Spanish style will often seem impersonal and even pretentious. It is written for a reader who, although intelligent, does not necessarily know background matter. In fact, the primary purpose of the exam essay or homework is to demonstrate own knowledge about the course as completely as possible. It is important to answer the question exactly. Keep in mind that an essay is usually judged according to three criteria:
1. Relevant and well-documented content.
2. An appropriate and well-organized argument.
3. The correct and idiomatic use of language.
BEFORE YOU START WRITING
Don't think that professional writers will write any text in one go. Before to reach the final text they must write several drafts. Will happen to him yourself and should not be discouraged by it as it is part of the process. Early in the process, you don't worry about getting a vocabulary ideal or waste time with the dictionary. That corresponds to a later stage. When you can't find the right word, write the one that is closest to you and underline it, or don't bother using a Spanish word and leave it on its own language.
The steps in preparing an essay are:
1. Make a list of ideas. Once done, try to find a logical order for it and sort it by categories.
2. Make an outline. This will allow you to present all the ideas as well as the central arguments in a visual way.
3. Write the first draft and then as many as necessary.
THE ORGANIZATION OF WRITING
An essay consists of 3 fundamental parts: introduction, knot or body, and conclusion. We will see each of those parts in detail below. 3.1 introduction 3 The introduction tells the reader: the purpose of the writer, the approach to the topic and the organization that will follow the trial. Let's see how something so apparently complex.
The first step of the introduction is to generate ideas, but be careful: it is about generate ideas about a specific question rather than a very broad topic. Therefore, it will be necessary to limit the subject and focus it, that is, organize it according to a certain perspective and through a series of questions that the writer asks himself same. By approaching the topic it is possible to elaborate the thesis: a sentence that consists of the answer to a focus question. Now, to get the reader's attention that thesis you can make use of the following strategies:
Surprise: when it manifests the most notable or unforeseen event of the trial.
Confirmation: when it is based on the information that the reader already knows in order make it easier for you to accept the rest of the argument.
Contradiction: when it begins with a common idea accepted by a majority, to then prove that it is wrong and correct it. Suspense: when the data is presented little by little, leaving the key question, perhaps posing it to the reader. The introduction, which will not be longer than one paragraph (at most two), It will contain the following parts: · First, a brief general introduction to the topic. · Next the thesis, which will indicate the interpretation of the implications of the question as well as the order that the essay will follow. Next, we will see a series of theses corresponding to specific questions.
In homework / exam essays the title is the question itself. However, when write a good argumentative essay for other purposes should keep in mind the great importance of the title, which is a rhetorical guide or cue for the reader. The title alone can awaken the interest or apathy of the reader and is also important because it conveys, from the beginning, the impression that the writer wants to communicate.
In the body the development of the aspects that were indicated in the introduction. In general, each aspect mentioned in the thesis will occupy a paragraph of the test. Now, the organization of the knot / body will vary somewhat depending on whether one is chosen another argumentation strategy. It is a very important section of the essay as it demonstrates the ability to organize and argumentation of the writer. Therefore, the proper use of transitions and good use of logic.
There are different strategies for organizing the body, often they use several of them in the same essay. The academic essay does not usually make use of the description or narration but exposition, that is, includes a statement general (thesis) and specific evidence to support it. Now, depending on the purpose, the writer will use one or another argumentation strategy:
The analysis. It consists of the description of parts or components of an entity. It is a technique of the study of literature. Thus, the analysis of a novel would include the characters, plot, point of view and other elements that make up the novel.
Comparison and contrast. It serves to point out similarities and differences between two or more sets or entities.
Definition. Clarification of a term or concept that the reader may not know. The different ways of defining include: the situation of a concept within a class, illustration through examples, use of synonyms, and etymology.
Classification. It looks a lot like analysis but instead of wondering about the parts of which the whole is made up asks about the different kinds of entity. For example, the picaresque novel could be studied as a class within the novel in general insofar as it is a subgroup or genre.
The cause and effect. Examine an object or phenomenon and look for its origins and consequences.
BEWARE !: Another way to convince the reader not by evidence but by emotion corresponds to the so-called persuasion strategies. Figurative language is used (images, metaphors and other rhetorical figures) in order to reach the reader. While I know used in both advertising and creative writing, they are not the subject of this course and should not be used in academic essays.
The conclusion
The conclusion is the last paragraph of the essay and should collect (or recapitulate) the ideas that they were presented in the thesis, in the introduction. In the conclusion the formula of the introduction is reversed: it begins with a brief summary of the essay and ends with a well-thought-out phrase that catches the attention of the reader about the key point of the article. This last sentence should reflect well the approach of the essay and often serve to place the central idea within a larger context.