Guide to Essay Writing

I.   How the Essay is graded

Essays are graded on a 100-point scale. The respective point values are indicated below

Thesis (10 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)

Main Points (50 pts)

[10] Organization (Logical and clear arrangement of elements)
[10] Evidence (Good use of the sources, especially the readings)
[10] Analysis (A reasonable and systematic exposition of your argument)
[10] Coherence (The main points are connected logically to each other and to the thesis)
[10] Originality (Evidence of creative and independent thinking)

Conclusion (10 pts)
[5] Summary (a summary of your main points must be part of the conclusion)
[5] Thesis restatement (Restate the thesis in the light of your main points)

Style (20 pts)
[5] Clarity (good word-choice, and avoidance of convoluted or wordy constructions)
[5] Sentences (Complete and well-formed sentences)
[5] Paragraphs (Paragraphs of reasonable length with clear topic sentences)
[5] Transitions (Clear and logical connections between paragraph and sections of the paper)

Mechanics (10 pts)
[5] Punctuation
[5] Spelling

II.  Detailed discussion of the elements of essay-writing

Below is some explanation of those elements, and valuable advice on writing a good essay.

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, and
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 kind of things are held in common
                                        Likewise, the meaning of "real" in this context is unclear.

        Thesis 3:  "Although strongly opposed in theory, the common emphasis on centralized power and
                          the violent struggle against the status quo made Fascist and Communist 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 talk 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 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 in 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 nasty surprises!  Be sure to
write a second draft with an eye to consistency and coherence.  Your first version of the thesis should be
provisional.  Probably the last thing you will write is the introduction, because only then do you know
exactly what you are arguing, and what your thesis really is.

The Main Body

The bulk of the paper (and the bulk of the points) is the main bodyof 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 as you write later).  For this assignment, the most straigtforward organization would be to discuss the three basic factors one at a time 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 why in the opening paragraph.

Your evidence is a person, event, writing or idea from the past that illustrates your point.  You will be graded on how well you understand the evidence, and can present it in a fashion that support your arguments.

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.

Often, there is good insight and evidence in an argument, but the different parts of the analysis are like jumbled puzzle pieces, rather than a coherent picture.  Coherence means that all the individual points made in the body fit together and reinforce each other.  The way this is done is to make sure that you always keep your thesis in mind, and that you do not write about things unrelated to the thesis.

Finally, there is the less tangible category of originality.  A certain freshness,Ý independence, and imagination is always an
asset in writing, as long as it does not get out of hand!  This is not a piece of imaginative or fictional writing, but that does not mean there can be no imagination at all.  Perhaps you see a connection with the world of today.  Perhaps you see a connection between historical events or ideas that I or the book have not discussed.  This kind of qualities are valuable so long as they contribute to the general argument of the paper.

Style

The four elements of style are clarity, sentence structure, paragraphing and transitions.  These are things that need practice.  In practical terms, the main problem associated with clarity is chosing the right words.  Another more subtle issue is forming strings of sentences that make a clear exposition of thought.  Sentence structure is closely related to clarity.  It is difficult to be clear without complete, well formed sentences.  The main problems here are incomplete, convoluted or run-on sentences.  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 invertion makes the sentence much more awkward to read and understand.  Let me give you an example of passive contruction, and a better, more active contruction:

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

Active:ÝÝ "Robespierre wanted to control the population through the power of the state."
                        subject        verb                    object

I hope you agree that the second sentence is much clearer.Ý 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 it usually is the first sentence in the paragraph.  Some students write paragraphs that are too long, and some write paragraphs that are too shart.  If the paragraph is too long, it cannot be a single coherent thought.  If the parapraph 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,Ý 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.  However, the final sentence of a paragraph should set up the transition to a new thought.
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