Paragraph Coherence and Unity

Coherence literally means “to stick together”. Coherence in paragraph writing means
that all of the ideas in a paragraph support the topic sentence of your paragraph and
allow the reader to easily understand the ideas you want to express.
Paragraph coherence can be achieved by using major and minor connectors, these
are also called “transitions”.

Major Connectors: Major connectors help organize the main points of your
paragraph. These can also be expressed as bulleted or numbered lists.

Examples: * First, * Second, * Third,
* Finally, * In conclusion, * To summarize.

Minor Connectors: Minor connectors provide coherence to a paragraph by connecting
the sentences within each of the main parts of your paragraph.

Examples: * In addition, * Others include, * ...,but...
* also * That is, * For example, * For instance.

Paragraph Unity means that the paragraph is about only one main idea or topic. All
the sentences in the paragraph (topic, supporting/detail sentences and sometimes,
the conclusion sentence) are telling the reader about one main topic or idea. If you
have a sentence that is not directly related to your main topic, your paragraph is
considered to “lack unity” or the sentence is “off-topic” and should be removed from
the paragraph.

Each paragraph in your article is a sub-division of your complete article topic.

Essay Types

Persuasive/argumentative essay. Makes a claim or takes a position and backs it up with statistics, expert opinions, and other evidence. You may review an opposing review and explain why it is wrong and you are right.

Comparison essay. Demonstrates similarities and differences between two topics.

Descriptive essay. Explains the “what, why, how, when, and where’s” of a topic. For example, a descriptive essay about a tree would explain what it’s made of, why it grows, when it grows, and so on.

Evaluation essay. Describes a thing or event and explains its importance, value, and/or relevance. Did you like this thing? Why?

Narrative essay. Tells a story in a sequence of events. There should be some point, lesson, or idea gleaned from this narrative to make the essay meaningful.

Successful writers know that they produce the best material when they put a little bit of heart and soul into their writing. You can improve your grades and your writing if you personalize just a bit!

LINK:http://homeworktips.about.com/od/essaywriting/a/types.htm

Types of Sentences by Structure

• Simple Sentence – “I love chocolate.” One independent clause (underlined).

• Compound Sentence - “I love chocolate, and I love eating chocolate.” Two or more independent clauses.

• Complex Sentence – “I love chocolate because it’s decadent.” One independent clause and one or more dependent clauses (italicized). Note: according to Wikipedia, a sentence like “The dog chewed up the shoes that I just bought” is a simple sentence, not a complex sentence, because the relative clause “that I just bought” simply modifies the noun without performing any other function. I’m not sure how accurate this is, however.

• Complex-Compound Sentence – “I love chocolate because it’s decadent, and I love eating chocolate because it’s delicious.” Two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.

LINK: http://learningnerd.wordpress.com/2006/09/12/english-grammar-types-of-sentences/

How to Write an Essay: 10 Easy Steps

1. Research: Begin the essay writing process by researching your topic, making yourself an expert. Utilize the internet, the academic databases, and the library. Take notes and immerse yourself in the words of great thinkers.

2. Analysis: Now that you have a good knowledge base, start analyzing the arguments of the essays you're reading. Clearly define the claims, write out the reasons, the evidence. Look for weaknesses of logic, and also strengths. Learning how to write an essay begins by learning how to analyze essays written by others.

3. Brainstorming: Your essay will require insight of your own, genuine essay-writing brilliance. Ask yourself a dozen questions and answer them. Meditate with a pen in your hand. Take walks and think and think until you come up with original insights to write about.

4. Thesis: Pick your best idea and pin it down in a clear assertion that you can write your entire essay around. Your thesis is your main point, summed up in a concise sentence that lets the reader know where you're going, and why. It's practically impossible to write a good essay without a clear thesis.

5. Outline: Sketch out your essay before straightway writing it out. Use one-line sentences to describe paragraphs, and bullet points to describe what each paragraph will contain. Play with the essay's order. Map out the structure of your argument, and make sure each paragraph is unified.

6. Introduction: Now sit down and write the essay. The introduction should grab the reader's attention, set up the issue, and lead in to your thesis. Your intro is merely a buildup of the issue, a stage of bringing your reader into the essay's argument.

(Note: The title and first paragraph are probably the most important elements in your essay. This is an essay-writing point that doesn't always sink in within the context of the classroom. In the first paragraph you either hook the reader's interest or lose it. Of course your teacher, who's getting paid to teach you how to write an essay, will read the essay you've written regardless, but in the real world, readers make up their minds about whether or not to read your essay by glancing at the title alone.)

7. Paragraphs: Each individual paragraph should be focused on a single idea that supports your thesis. Begin paragraphs with topic sentences, support assertions with evidence, and expound your ideas in the clearest, most sensible way you can. Speak to your reader as if he or she were sitting in front of you. In other words, instead of writing the essay, try talking the essay.

8. Conclusion: Gracefully exit your essay by making a quick wrap-up sentence, and then end on some memorable thought, perhaps a quotation, or an interesting twist of logic, or some call to action. Is there something you want the reader to walk away and do? Let him or her know exactly what.

9. MLA Style: Format your essay according to the correct guidelines for citation. All borrowed ideas and quotations should be correctly cited in the body of your text, followed up with a Works Cited (references) page listing the details of your sources.

10. Language: You're not done writing your essay until you've polished your language by correcting the grammar, making sentences flow, incoporating rhythm, emphasis, adjusting the formality, giving it a level-headed tone, and making other intuitive edits. Proofread until it reads just how you want it to sound. Writing an essay can be tedious, but you don't want to bungle the hours of conceptual work you've put into writing your essay by leaving a few slippy misppallings and pourly wordedd phrazies..

LINK: http://www1.aucegypt.edu/academic/writers/

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