In writing, there are four basic genres of essays/papers that everyone must know. The better you master these, the better you will do in school and in any future career.
- Descriptive—Describe a person, place thing, or idea
- Narrative–storytelling
- Persuasive—Convince that your opinion/point of view is valid
- Expository—report on/expose information
Of course, in virtually anything you write, these various types of writing will overlap, and a single paper is rarely limited to only one of these. For example, a compare/contrast essay will require you to be persuasive, possibly also to describe things, perhaps recount parts of a story or event, and to report or explain things. A science report is expository and usually narrative. It is essential that you can write all four genres well.
Here we will be concentrating on the final two—persuasive and expository. These are the types of essays that are most common in schools and their mastery is essential, mandatory in all areas of study. It is critical to have a good introduction to begin, usually a single introductory paragraph, which ends in a simple yet clear thesis statement. Be concise and remember KISS—Keep It Short, Simple.
This is a good model of a good Intro paragraph. There are many other methods of development and organization, but this will work for you in any course, on virtually any writing assignment. I recommend that you use it. It is short, easy to learn and with very little practice it becomes second nature to you–almost automatic.
Use this formula for the thesis: SV P1, P2 (Subject+Verb Point1, Point2). For a longer assignment, add additional Point3, Point4, etc. Although this format says “Sentence,” you may use more than one to help development and transition. At other times, you can skip a step or combine two steps into a single sentence.
This simple SV P1, P2 formula does two things: it makes your thesis crystal clear to the reader so he knows what to expect; and it gives you a quick outline of what you will write in your essay. Always place the thesis statement last in the Intro. Begin the first paragraph of your Body immediately afterwards to develop Point1 through the specific details, examples and support that your teachers demand. Once you finish Point 1, begin the next paragraph/section of your paper to develop Point 2. Once you are finished supporting Point 2, you only need to write a brief Conclusion.
By the way, on standardized exams (ACT, SAT, TOEFL, et al) your time is limited, so only write two Points; you rarely have time to develop three Points fully.
First Sentence—A Broad, General Statement
This is often unnecessary on classroom tests and at home essays for class because your teacher knows you more personally. However, I recommend that you always write this on a standardized exam that will be graded by a stranger. The idea is to get this grader to agree with you from the very beginning, at least subconsciously. In other words, your broad general statement has nothing to do with the topic at hand, instead it is a truism that the reader will automatically agree with. To exemplify, “Like individuals, nations often disagree.” Or, “There are many reasons why people like certain things.”
Second Sentence—Narrow to the topic
This is when you get to the actual topic. “Among nations, disagreements often erupt in violent conflict such as the Napoleonic Wars.” Or “Since it was first published, Frankenstein has had a remarkably large fan base.”
Third Sentence—Define/Clarify any necessary terms
This step may or may not be necessary depending on the prompt and your approach in answering it. “At times, this is largely a proxy war, which is….” Or, “In fact, Frankenstein has sold more copies worldwide than any other work of fiction.”
Doing this is particularly necessary if the essay involves highly subjective words like love, hate, injustice, freedom, etc. By defining terms here, the reader now understands how you are using these words in the Body of the paper. As long as your definition is reasonable, it’s the reader’s duty to accept your meaning for the length of the essay.
Fourth Sentence—Name the title and author
This is compulsory in any literary analysis, review, or in writing about any other work of art and design. It is often necessary in many other areas of study such as a scientific theory or a political campaign. “Mary Shelley’s Gothic novel Frankenstein is a good example of a story with lasting popularity.”
Fifth Sentence—Restate the prompt
Whether it comes from your classroom teacher or the writers of a standardized test, the prompt tells you specifically what to write about and often gives parameters that must be followed. Prompt: “In a 450-600-word essay, explain why Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is still popular today.”
You might write, “While there are many reasons for today’s popularity of Mary Shelley’s best-known novel, two are most prominent.”
Sixth Sentence—SV P1, P2 thesis statement (Four paragraph structure)
“In fact, Frankenstein’s present popularity is due to Point1 and Point2.”
Of course, you will choose the points to use, but you can clearly see that this thesis formula is now an easy outline of what to write in the body of your essay. Simultaneously, it lets the reader know what to expect in the rest of your essay.
Through practice, you will quickly learn when your Intro can be reduced to a mere four sentences and when it should be expanded to eight or more sentences.
As I began, this is not the only way to write an introductory paragraph. There are many other that are equally efficient. Nevertheless, I recommend it because it is easy to learn, adaptable to all subjects, includes everything demanded of an Intro, and can be mastered with little practice.
Snippet: One of the problems in translating from one language to another is that a direct translation is sometimes impossible and often distorted. For example, the popular superhero team The Avengers becomes The Revengers in Chinese. Close, but not quite the same. And our Three Stooges are known as The Three Smelly Shoemakers in China.
Global English Tutor - Paul Cuadrado 