"Certainly, I'd like to write faster, but whenever I've tried it, the language has suffered. I tend to sift my mental lexicon for the fresher, more unexpected word the way an old prospector pans for the bigger, more valuable nugget. That takes time."
~ Tom Robbins [MOE'S favorite living author] on why he puts out a novel only about every 4-5 years ~
SUMMARY
I have tried in these pages to show you the
basics of writing a sound persuasive essay and
how to improve your written communication
skills.
The importance of arriving at a
thesis statement with potential for argument
has been emphasized
repeatedly, since once you have seized upon an
idea for which you hold genuine convictions,
the outlining of your supporting arguments
becomes easy. Remember to take your time and
sharpen the thesis so that it is not too
general, unmanageable, or dull.
Use branching and clustering
methods to assist you with fleshing out your
thesis and the ideas you want to discuss.
Freewrite, brainstorm and make lists - do
whatever it takes to come up with a topic and
thesis. Read the newspaper and magazines and
take a position. It is always best, though, to
write about something with which you are
familiar or have experienced. Do not jump from
one verb tense to another; choose one and be
consistent throughout the essay. Oftentimes,
students get the idea that, when discussing
works written centuries ago, that they must use
the past tense in their essays. To the
contrary, I have found
that the present tense usually works best. Even
when you are writing, say, about Shakespeare,
it is preferable to discuss him or his
characters in the present tense:
"Shakespeare gives us a Hamlet we can relate
to, since he has flaws and doubts, just like
us. Even though
he is a Prince, his tragic humanity becomes
evident throughout the play. Hamlet is
Everyman."
Now, try substituting the past tense of the
verbs and you will see that the present tense
simply rings true to the ear. If you consult
secondary sources, you will note that critics
invariably stick to the present tense.
Always create an outline before writing the
essay proper, preferably a formal outline with
your ideas numbered and examples jotted down in
full sentence form. Research and find
supporting evidence that will give your thesis
the added weight of authority. Identify your
audience, your readers, and treat them with
respect, as equals, avoiding a condescending
tone. Use developmental strategies to help
organize the essay: cause and effect,
comparison and contrast, definition, examples.
Analogies, metaphors, similes and figurative
language can often clarify a point. Always
provide examples in each paragraph. Begin your
paragraph with a topic sentence which supports
your overall idea or thesis. Think of the
paragraph as a kind of mini-essay, with a
beginning, middle, and end. Be careful not to
stray from your main idea, for it is far too
easy to digress and go down the wrong road.
Arrange your points
in order of ascending importance, saving your
strongest point for last.
The paragraph
immediately preceding your conclusion should
give the sense of a literary drum-roll, working
up to a triumphant crescendo [musical
metaphor]. Having read your complete essay,
your reader should feel there are no loose
ends; all relevant questions have been
discussed. He or she should feel enlightened,
satisfied, and, if you have argued convincingly
and with confidence, you may have persuaded
this person to accept your thesis as "truth."
There is no better compliment or achievement
when it comes to writing. Keats expresses this
idea tersely: "Beauty is truth; truth,
beauty."
Remember the importance of coherence and be
liberal and generous in your provision of
transitional words and phrases to
give your essay a sense of flow, rather than a
jerky, awkward rhythm. Do this not only within
each paragraph, but when moving from one
paragraph to the next. Think of yourself, then,
as a guide, leading your reader through unknown
territory. Anticipate objections to
your main argument and dispose of these
through refutation and argumentation. Yet,
concede minor points to
give your reader the feeling you are fair and
open-minded. These minor concessions should
come early in the essay, whereas refutation or
rebuttal provide the firewood for your larger
argument in the middle area of the essay. Be
certain your arguments are
logical and free of the many traps of fallacy
outlined in these pages. Observe faulty logic
on the part of your opposition and point this
weakness out to your audience. Check for
spelling errors and use proper punctuation for
these are also important and add to the respect
your reader will have for you.
Conclude by
summarizing your key ideas, but be careful your
wording is not identical to your opening
paragraph. Restate your thesis in your final
paragraph and broaden out the "funnel." Finish
with a general statement or observation. A
relevant quotation enhances a good concluding
paragraph. Never, under any circumstances,
should you introduce a new idea or argument in
your conclusion. Your conclusion is a summary,
a rehashing of that which preceded it,
expressed just as eloquently as you possibly
can.
Use quotations from time to time,
and brief anecdotes where they will support
your argument. Humour is also useful but avoid
turning the essay into a comic monologue.
Letterman and Leno will approve, but they are
not grading your work. Avoid wordiness or
"deadwood" - do not
use ten words where two will do. Beware of
redundancy and choose your words carefully. A
thesaurus [Roget's is the finest] will offer
you a wealth of synonyms to avoid the
dullness of repetition. You have some measure
of control when it comes to keeping the
attention of your reader, and it is incumbent
upon you to maximize it by offering a lively
discussion, colored with concrete examples that
can be visualized in the mind, energetic verbs,
and a robust argument that hooks your reader
and forces him to think. If you can accomplish
this task, you will have reduced the chance
that his mind will drift to that fishing trip
he has planned for the long weekend, or her
front row tickets to see Ricky Martin in
concert!
On the other hand, review the areas
where I have discussed those exceptional
instances where repetition is useful, e.g., as
a transitional device to aid coherence.
Generally speaking, there are exceptions to
most rules in writing, but until you become a
bit more seasoned, rules and guidelines are
your best friends. Be
sure to vary the length of your sentences and
use a variety of forms, such as imperatives
[most of the sentences I am using in this
paragraph are imperatives or commands, in the
kindest sense, of course], statements,
interrogatives, interjections, and other
forms. Avoid the fragment or incomplete
sentence. Re-read the section on "COMMON
ERRORS" of word usage, so that, unlike many
beginning writers, you will not confuse
"affect" with "effect", "its"
with "it's", "alternate" with "alternative" and
so on.
Above all, read the essays of the masters and
examine the components and arguments that make
these works so persuasive. Always read with a
skeptical eye, watching closely for unproven
assertions. Question everything. Expect the
author to prove his point to you and do not be
intimidated by pretentious language. Consult
your dictionary regularly. Use the active,
rather than the passive voice. Avoid awkwardly
worded constructions.
Rewrite. Never accept
the first draft of your essay as the finished
product.
Even the most gifted of writers must edit
their own work and polish the essay until it
reads to their genuine satisfaction. Have your
friends read the essay and ask them if it is
clear, and whether or not they can read through
it without misunderstanding or confusion. Just
as you may eyeball the source code of a
well-done HTML web-page, so also, take time to
imitate the prose masterpieces.
Yet keep your
own voice. Make the essay your own. Identify
your own style after reading through a few of
your own essays. You will see it emerging with
each piece of writing that you complete. I am
reminded here about something a newsgroup
member said recently in regards to another
member by
the name of "DC". DC's online "identity" had
been stolen and an imposter was posting
messages in DC's name. It became obvious to all
the members who know DC from his posts
that the wording and language of these fake
messages were suspiciously unlike DC's personal
style; the phraseology was foreign. We were all
questioning, "whusssuuuuuupppppp"! [Note that
linguistic power of advertising we discussed.]
So, one of the members [Dan aka Colonel
Buckeye]
posted this message:
"Say something DC-ish so we know it's really
you and not the imposter."
Clearly, this
incident illustrates that we all have a unique
"voice" and style. Find yours, examine it, and
use it in your
writing to your best advantage. Remember,
however,
to cull your conversational language of slang
and colloquialism when transferring
your ideas to the essay format, for the style
of the newsgroup post or email is, of course,
informal, abbreviated, and telegraphic. Stay
away from
the vernacular; in
other
words, do not use a conversational tone in the
essay. The academic essay is considered formal
and therefore one uses formal language. For
example, do not use contractions in your essay,
e.g., use "do not" rather than "don't".
Similarly, acronyms should be used sparingly
and should be accompanied by the full wording
in parentheses. Never use abbreviations. Be
fully aware of the power of
diction, the persuasive and misleading nature
of newspeak and politics, as well as the
manipulative language of advertising.
Know the eight parts of speech, the 14
punctuation marks, and their proper and
appropriate usage.
In addition, cite your sources in the
research essay using the MLA (Modern Language
Association) style of
documentation. Never plagiarize for you fail
to learn anything by copying another's work;
moreover, aside from the ethical offense, it
is
a serious academic charge. Take a break when
the writing becomes stressful. Allow yourself
enough time to do so before your deadline, and
do your work in small increments or
the
amount of time most comfortable and manageable
for you.
Finally, I encourage you to believe that it
gets easier; you learn from each piece of
writing and the accumulated knowledge becomes a
real and marketable skill. Therefore, think of
each writing project as an opportunity for
excellence, a challenge rather than a chore.
The high grade or the kind comments will
unquestionably be exciting and helpful to your
academic or work-related goals. Far more
significant, though, are those invaluable
skills you will have acquired: they will not
only validate you as a person, but will give
you that elusive intrinsic reward that
transcends all extrinsic "pats on the back"
beyond your wildest imagination. Trust me.
I wish you much success in writing your essays
and I do hope you will return here to review
those sections which you may have found
helpful. Until then, as the Everly brothers
say, "bye, bye, love."
Thank you for visiting "MOE'S TIPS ON ESSAY
WRITING."
WRITING RESOURCES
Below are a few of the links to writing
resources and reference works that I found
most
useful during my several years of university
essay writing and teaching. These indispensable
tools are
now online.
THE
ELEMENTS OF STYLE
Probably the most dog-eared little gem of a
book I ever used. Excellent,
simply-written, numbered rules of punctuation,
grammar, and composition. A must-have in your
"faves" or on your desk. By William Strunk,
Jr., a highly respected grammarian and
author.
[ONLINE]
OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY
Unfortunately, this huge database requires a
subscription fee. My one-volume hard copy with
lighted magnifying glass, cost me
over 350 dollars Canadian although I considered
it a good investment. I am not trying to
be facetious, but this master work must be
mentioned in any pursuit that involves
language
and words. If you have access from your school
or library, this timeless work stands alone in
its comprehensive excellence.
MERRIAM-
WEBSTERS ONLINE DICTIONARY
Excellent reference with search screen.
Fast.
MLA [MODERN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION]
STYLE GUIDE
The world-renowned guide used by most
universities as the definitive means of
documenting sources for research papers.
Lesser
known is the fact that it has very good
coverage of how to write good essays and
compositions and deals with matters of grammar
and usage too.
THE PURDUE UNIVERSITY WRITING
LAB
Absolutely everything you ever wanted to know
about writing the essay. Covers it all -
composition, grammar, punctuation, strategies,
spellings, links, I mean everything. [Why did
I even bother to create my humble few pages?
Perhaps because I condense my material so one
is not so overwhelmed; that's my story and I'm
sticking to it.]
FOWLER'S 'THE KING'S ENGLISH'
Henry
Fowler, although long departed, is still
regarded as the foremost
authority on proper usage of the English
language.
This wonderful volume gets right down
to the tiniest detail concerning the proper and
improper use of words, giving a plethora of
examples. I find it useful in
settling arguments!
ROGET'S THESAURUS
The authority on synonyms since 1911. You need
never repeat yourself again. Most of the
well-known dictionaries also publish a
thesaurus and they are just fine, but Roget's,
updated regularly, of course, is still the king
of thesauri.
WRITER'S WEB
Writing resources from the University of
Richmond. Epecially helpful to the beginner or
freshman university student. Not as
comprehensive as Purdue but covers most essay
writing concerns very well.
A
GUIDE FOR WRITING RESEARCH PAPERS
Capitol College's website, based on the MLA
requirements. First rate, complete. Answers all
your documentation queries.
ADVICE ON ESSAY
WRITING
A brief but helpful summary of writing
strategy, with an invitation to participate in
an online essay writing course. May be a
fee.
HUME'S 'OF ESSAY
WRITING'
AN essay on writing the essay by 18th century
Scottish philosopher David Hume. Read and
imitate.
ESSAY WRITING FOR
STUDENTS IN POLITICS AND SOCIAL
SCIENCES
Although the site is based in Australia, these
guidelines also apply to universities in North
America. Quite thorough.
BIOGRAPHIES OF
THE CLASSICAL ESSAYISTS
Learn about Emerson, Thoreau, Plutarch. With an
alphabetical listing of the very finest
essayists.
THE
CAMBRIDGE HISTORY OF ENGLISH AND AMERICAN
LITERATURE"
"Considered the most
important work of literary history and
criticism ever published on writings in the
English language. Compiled over fourteen years,
from 1907 to 1921, the Cambridge History
contains over 303 chapters and 11,000 pages,
with essay topics ranging from poetry, fiction,
drama and essays to history, theology and
political writing."
'CIVIL
DISOBEDIENCE' BY HENRY DAVID THOREAU
One of the finest essays ever written. Thoreau
was a 19th century author/philosopher who also
penned WALDEN. A good model.
RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION
ONLINE
Covers the humanities and social sciences.
Another useful guide.
THE CHICAGO MANUAL OF SYLE
FAQS
Answers to many questions you are
likely to ask.
HYPERGRAMMAR
From the University of Ottawa, an excellent reference with an alphabetical list of
grammatical terms linked to their definitions,
usage, with examples.
THE COLUMBIA GUIDE TO ONLINE
STYLE
If you do your writing online,
this guide offers proper style, and elaborates
on the difference between the traditional style
of hard copy and web-based writing.
GUIDE TO GRAMMAR AND STYLE
Jack
Lynch's online guide with search engine. Has a
nice personal touch.
Newsgroup For Linguaphiles
Newsgroup
where you can interact with fellow writers or
language enthusiasts. Includes a good FAQ.
GLOBULATED
NODGELETS
Humorous site that shows the
differences between English and American
spellings. Learn and laugh.
WRITING THE ARGUMENTATIVE
ESSAY
Focuses on argumentation and has
links to useful resources.
WEB LINKS FOR WRITERS
A generous selection of links for all kinds of
writing tasks.
RESEARCHPAPER.COM
More on research and documentation.
Even has its own chatroom.
BARTLETT'S
FAMILIAR QUOTATIONS
Another classic
reference with keyword search. You want a good
quote from John Keats? It is only a click away.
Since a good essay is enhanced by relevant
quotes, this online work should get lots of
use.
RHETORIC
AND COMPOSITION
Everything from
classical rhetoric to online writing. Links to
historic examples of essays and rhetoric.
THE
ENGLISH SERVER
Covers a wide range of
topics, including essay writing, and has many
links to great literary works and major genres.
GARBL'S WRITING RESOURCES
ONLINE
Annotated guide to a huge
directory of resources, all linked. This site
is a recent "find" for me and it certainly goes
to my "faves."
"ANSWERING THE CRITICS OF PLAIN
LANGUAGE"
A fine essay by Professor
Joseph Kimble who criticizes the vague
bureaucratic language of government.
INTRODUCTION TO PLAIN
LANGUAGE
Also covers the writing process
and elements of style and word usage.
FIGURES OF SPEECH
Well organized [tables] site, listing all the key figures of speech, e.g., metaphor, with examples of proper use. Figurative language helps clarify ideas in your essay and provides vivid, colorful images and an energy to your writing. Every essay should have at least one figure of speech. Examples and elaboration or explanation of a point are excellent places to add a figure of speech.
INTERNET ORACLE: THESAURUS, PHRASES, AND QUOTATIONS
Very useful combination of resources with links to Bartlett's and Roget's among many others. Keyword search.
SPELL ONLINE
International spell checker with test bed. Paste your text and test it or retrieve the British spelling for an American word. Translator included.
BARTLEBY.COM
The preeminent Internet publisher of literature, reference and verse providing students, researchers and the intellectually curious with unlimited access to books and information on the web, free of charge.
MOE'S WORD OF THE DAY
What - I should exclude my own fine site out of humility and deny you a relevant source of information:-) Not just the word of the day but six pages, including essays on language, and special linguistic communities and popular slang, such as the lost art of diner calls, biker slang, baby boomer neologisms, and the vocabuary of swing jive. Come on down!