Basic Essay Essay

Introduction This forms the beginning of your essay. It tells the examiner, or your teacher, that you understand the question and gives them an idea of the plan that you have to answer the essay. Give a very brief summary of the text or a definition, if necessary. Answer the question that was asked, without any details or explanation. These answers will become your topic sentence / points in the upcoming paragraphs. your introduction does not need to be more than five lines in length. Body This portion of the essay is an expansion of the points, or the answer, that you gave in your introduction. Each segment of the essay, hence each point, should be given its own paragraph. This is the case because your aim is to express a single idea in one paragraph. State your topic sentence, or one of the points listed in your introduction. Provide at least two appropriate examples, from the text, to prove your point (these can come in the form of quotes, in relation to Shakespeare, or simply a brief retelling of the action). Expand by discussing how the previous examples prove your point, or solidifies your topic sentence. Repeat this process for each point, or topic sentence. Conclusion This is the end of your essay. It prevents your essay from ending abruptly and gives it a feeling of completion. A repetition of the points, or topic sentences, expressed in the body End of essay! EXAMPLE: (Single Text) The book Twilight is about complicated love. a. Discuss one sign, each, that indicates that the two protagonists are in love with each other. b. In your opinion, should Edward have left Bella alone? Introduction Complex love is a complicated relationship between two people. In the text Twilight, Isabella Swan and Edward Cullen share an intricate interconnection that is exhausting, yet fulfilling. Bella obviously loves Edward because she was willing to become a vampire in order to spend all her days with him, while Edward displayed an extreme level of protectiveness towards Bella. Despite this fact, he should have left her alone. Body: point # 1 There is no question that Bella was deeply in love with Edward. This is the case because she was willing to become a vampire in order to spend her life with him. In doing this, she would have to sacrifice life as she knows it. She would have to give up her humanity, her family and friends; her way of life. For some-one to make this choice they would need to be deeply mesmerized by the person. Body: point # 2 Edward’s protectiveness towards Bella also indicates that he too was in love. An example of this over-protectiveness is the fact that he did not drink her blood. In denying his voracious need, as seen when he states that â€Å"you are like my personal brand of heroine†, he is making a major sacrifice. He is fighting his ‘vampire nature’ in order to ensure that she was safe. This can be nothing but love. Body: point #3 Despite the overwhelming love between the two characters, Edward should have left Bella alone. This is the case because he is endangering her life by his mere presence. The major point to prove this fact is that she was hunted by vampires because she was in his company. She was perfectly safe without him in her life, therefore, he should have stayed out of it. Conclusion Based on an analysis of the relationship between Bella and Edward, one could conclude that both characters were deeply in love. This does not, however, excuse the fact that he should have left her alone. [This essay is a class construction: grade 10, 2011] b) COMPARATIVE ESSAY (two texts, poems or short stories) The format for this essay does not differ greatly from the basic essay. It is comprised of an introduction, body and conclusion, with a similar format. The difference is that while you are still answering one question, you are using two texts / short stories / poems to do so. Therefore, your approach to the body of this essay would be slightly different: Your topic sentence, or point, would relate to two texts / poems / short stories. Your examples would come from two texts etc. You would attempt to explain how the examples from each text etc. explains the point, or topic sentence.   The physical structure of your comparative essay, therefore, can look one of two ways. (i) You can choose to address two texts in a single paragraph, with the topic sentence as the connector, or, (ii) you can choose to address the texts in separate paragraphs that follow each other (meaning one below the other). Please note that the paragraphs must follow each other because they are connected by the same topic sentence. (i) Single paragraph INTRODUCTION Give a very brief summary of the texts or a definition, if necessary. Answer the question that was asked, (without any details or explanation), using both texts. These answers will become your topic sentence / points in the upcoming paragraphs. Due to the fact that two texts will be used, the introduction for this essay might be lengthier than the single essay. Think along the lines of 6-8 lines in length. BODY State your topic sentence, or one of the points listed in your introduction (must relate to both texts). Provide at least one appropriate example, from each text, to prove your point (these can come in the form of quotes, in relation to Shakespeare, or simply a brief retelling of the action). Expand by discussing how the previous examples, from each text, proves your point, or solidifies your topic sentence. Repeat this process for each point, or topic sentence. CONCLUSION A repetition of the points, or topic sentences, expressed in the body End of essay! (ii) Separate paragraphs INTRODUCTION Give a very brief summary of the texts or a definition, if necessary. Answer the question that was asked, (without any details or explanation), using both books/poems/short story. These answers will become your topic sentence / points in the upcoming paragraphs. Due to the fact that two texts/poems/short stories will be used, the introduction for this essay might be lengthier than the single essay. Think along the lines of 6-8 lines in length. BODY State your topic sentence, or one of the points listed in your introduction (relate to one text). Provide at least two appropriate examples to prove your point from one text (these can come in the form of quotes, in relation to Shakespeare, or simply a brief retelling of the action). Expand by discussing how the previous examples prove your point, or solidifies your topic sentence. Repeat this process in the following paragraph for the next text. Please remember that both texts are, at this point, still exploring the same topic sentence. The analysis of one topic sentence, therefore, occurs in two paragraphs. Each text gets a separate paragraph, and they follow each other. Remember, twins cannot be separated! CONCLUSION A repetition of the points, or topic sentences, expressed in the body End of essay! Rules for the comparative essay: The important point to note is that wherever one text / short story / poem is mentioned, the twin text etc. must immediately be addressed as well. Under no circumstance must you write completely on one text etc, and then address the twin text etc. four paragraphs after. If this is done, it means that you have written two separate essays. If you have three paragraphs for your body, then the two texts etc., must be mentioned simultaneously in each paragraph. Please note that the points from the separate texts etc. can be addressed in different paragraphs, but they must follow each other if they are addressing the same point. Think of the comparative essay as your twin children; it is impossible to go anywhere without both of them. Therefore, do not complete a point without linking your thoughts to the two texts etc. that are to be addressed.