Essay Essentials
There is no one correct way to write an essay. But, the better essays have certain things in common.
A good mnemonic device is "FOCS", standing for Focus, Organization, Conventions, Support.
Focus | Decide on the topic of the essay and stick to it. During writing, re-visit the prompt to double-check that you haven't strayed. |
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Organization | Pre-write to lay out a logical order. Include a beginning, middle, and end (AKA an introduction, body, and conclusion). Use transitional devices to prompt the reader that you're moving on. |
Conventions | Use correct grammar, syntax, punctuation, usage, etc. |
Support | Use examples to support whatever you're saying. It's one thing to simply make a statement. It's a whole other level to then back it up with an example or even two. |
See The Good Essay for an example.
page revision: 6, last edited: 30 Aug 2011 22:23