Guide to Essay Writing

I.   How the Essay is graded

Essays are graded on a 80-point scale. The respective point values are indicated below

Thesis (15 pts)
[5] Promise (The question is significant, and the reader is clear about what to expect in the paper)
[5] Richness (Uses precise and descriptive language)

[5] Restatement (in conclusion, usually with greater detail and specificity)

Main Points (50 pts)

[10] Organization (Logical and clear arrangement of elements)
[10] Analysis (A reasonable and systematic exposition of your argument)

[10] Originality (Evidence of creative and independent thinking)

[10] Evidence (Good use of the sources, especially the readings)
[10] Citation (Citing your sources, when necessary, accurately and completely)

Writing (15 pts)
[5] Clear sentences (Well-formed sentences, good word-choice, and avoidance of convoluted or wordy constructions)
[5] Paragraphs and Transitions (Paragraphs of reasonable length with clear topic sentences. Clear and logical connections between paragraph and sections of the paper)
[5] Punctuation and Spelling

II.  Detailed discussion of the elements of essay writing

Thesis

The key to a successful essay is a strong and clear thesis.  This is your main point or argument.  It answers the question posed.  It consists of one or two sentences in your introductory paragraph. It introduces the key terms you will use throughout the paper.  In your paper, underline the thesis, so that you know--and I know--what your thesis is supposed to be.  The thesis will be graded on "promise" and "richness."  Promise refers to the clarity and significance of your point.  Richness refers to the use of specific and descriptive language that will guide the reader throughout the paper.  Let me give you some examples:

Thesis 1:  "Fascists and communists are both similar and different."

Comment:  Neither rich nor promising

Thesis 2:  "Fascists had more in common with communists than real differences."

Comment:  Promising, but not rich.  The thesis does not tell the reader what specific comparisons will be made.  In other words, the reader does not know
what the differences are, or what sorts of things are held in common. Likewise, the meaning of "real" in this context is unclear.

Thesis 3:  "Although strongly opposed in theory, fascists and communists shared a common emphasis on centralized power and a violent struggle against the status quo, which made their politics very much alike in practice."

Comment:  Promising and rich!  The differences and similarities are clearly defined.
Key terms such as "theory" and "practice," "centralized power" and "violent struggle" are connected together in a coherent argument. The rest of the paper should illuminate and demonstrate the thesis.  If you write about things not related to your thesis, then either your thesis is not broad enough, or your paper is not focused enough.  When you come to your conclusion, you should summarize your paper and restate your thesis, explaining how your arguments and evidence have demonstrated your point.

Special note on "thesis drift"

The single most serious problem that students encounter in writing a paper is what I call "thesis drift."  This occurs most often when only one draft is written.  When one writes the introduction (with the thesis) and then the rest of the paper, the point or argument may change in the process of writing.  Then there is often a different thesis at the end from the one at the beginning.  Sometimes, the writer is not clear at first
what his/her thesis is until the end, so the thesis is unclear at the beginning, but clear at the end.  This is maddening to the reader (and the grader).  They don't like uncertainty or surprises!  Be sure to write a second draft with an eye to consistency and coherence.  In a well-written essay the last thing to be re-written is the introduction, because only when you know exactly what you are arguing at the end will you know what to write at the beginning.

The Main Body

The bulk of the paper (and the bulk of the points) is the main body of the paper.  The first element of importance is organization.  This should be planned carefully with an outline before you begin writing.  (Of course you can change your organization later as you write.)  For this assignment, the most straight-forward organization would be to discuss the related themes in sequence.  The sequence is important.  Which do you discuss first, and why?  Perhaps it comes first chronologically, or perhaps it is the least (or most) important factor as you see it.  The important thing is to know why you have chosen the order you have, and to tell the reader the logic in the opening paragraph.

The category of analysis includes the quality of insight, understanding and comprehension of the documents and issues that you discuss.  A good analysis results in a clear and convincing argument.

The aspect of originality is less tangible.  In terms of analysis and writing, a certain freshness, independence, and imagination is always an asset, as long as it does not get out of hand, and become overly speculative or imaginative. This is not a piece of fictional writing, but that does not mean there can be no imagination at all.  Perhaps you see connections or ironies that other authors have not mentioned. Perhaps you notice some not-so-obvious possible interpretations of your sources.

Your evidence is artifacts, writing or events from the past that illustrate your points.  You will be graded on how well you understand the evidence, and can present it in a fashion that support your arguments.

Citation is the simplest aspect of this assignment, but has its own complications. Some students tend to cite too many statements, and others too few. You should cite any statement that fits either these criteria: A) an idea or statement from another person, or B) any statement you make that would be in any way uncertain or questionable without substantiation. Don’t worry about noncontroversial facts. Well-known dates and events, for example, don’t require citation.

Writing

Writing clearly and efficiently requires practice, editing and re-writing.  One way to test your writing is to read it out loud. If you have to hesitate or stumble, that is an indication of problems. One key problem associated with clarity is choosing the right words. Some student writers like to choose longer, more complicated words, though that often makes things worse.  Sentence structure is also closely related to clarity.  It is difficult to be clear without complete, well formed sentences.  Two key problems to avoid are run-on sentences and passive construction. We are sometimes tempted to pack too many ideas and qualifications into a single sentence, adding more and more sub-clauses and even full sentences into one. This is a run-on sentence.  Another problem to avoid is passive construction.  Passive construction removes the true subject of the sentence by making the verb phrase into the subject.  Sometimes the true subject of the sentence will appear as the object.  This inversion makes the sentence much more awkward to read and understand.  Let me give you an example of passive construction, and a better, more active construction:

Passive: "Controlling the population through the power of the state was what Robespierre wanted."
        verb/object becomes subject                   passive verb (was)     subject becomes object

Better to be Active:

"Robespierre wanted to control the population through the power of the state."
                  subject        verb                    object (prepositional phrase)

I hope you agree that the second sentence is much clearer. Notice that it is shorter!

Paragraphs are a coherent and sustained thought.  Each paragraph has a topic sentence that summarizes the main idea of the paragraph, and usually is the first sentence in the paragraph.  Some students write paragraphs that are too long, and some write paragraphs that are too short.  If the paragraph is too long, it cannot be a single coherent thought.  If the paragraph is too short, it cannot be a sustained thought.  Paragraphs that are two or three sentences long are probably too short.  Paragraphs a page long are probably too long.  The connection between paragraphs, and between larger sections of the paper, what we call transitions, are very important to the essay.  They are sentences that carry the reader from one thought to a new thought, particularly from one paragraph to another.  As a general rule, the first sentence of each paragraph (which may be the topic sentence also) should provide a transition from one thought to another.