ESSAY STRUCTURE
Name the three main parts of a standard essay.
Introduction, Body, Conclusion
Give one linking word for contrast.
however / although / whereas / on the other hand
Replace the informal word: “kids” → ?
children
Paraphrase: “Nowadays, many people use social media.”
“These days, social media is widely used by many people.”
Correct: “He don’t like coffee.”
“He doesn’t like coffee.”
What is the purpose of a topic sentence?
To introduce the main idea of a paragraph
Fill in: “The project was delayed, ___ the team worked hard.”
yet / although
What’s more formal: “a lot of” or “many”?
many
Paraphrase: “I think the government should do more.”
“In my opinion, more action should be taken by the government.”
Identify the problem: “According me, this is wrong.”
Should be “According to me.”
How many main ideas should each paragraph have?
One clear main idea
Which linking phrase means “as a result”?
therefore / consequently / as a result
Rewrite informally: “I regret to inform you that your request was denied.”
“I’m sorry, but we can’t approve your request.”
Change the voice: “People believe that education is the key to success.”
“It is believed that education is the key to success.”
Correct: “People should to recycle more.”
Remove “to”: “People should recycle more.”
What should a thesis statement do?
Clearly state the writer’s position or argument
Combine the sentences: “He studied hard. He passed the exam.” → Use a linker.
“He studied hard, so he passed the exam.”
Rewrite formally: “I can’t put up with this.”
“I cannot tolerate this.”
Rewrite without changing meaning: “The number of cars increased rapidly.”
“There was a rapid increase in the number of cars.”
What’s wrong? “There is many reasons for this.”
“There are many reasons for this.”
Identify the problem: “In this essay I will talk about pollution.” → Rewrite more academically.
“This essay will examine the causes and effects of pollution.”
Replace informal “but” in an academic way.
however / nevertheless / nonetheless
Identify 2 features of formal writing.
No contractions (can’t → cannot), no slang, use of impersonal tone, complex structures
Improve academic tone: “A lot of people think this idea is bad.”
“Many people consider this idea to be ineffective / problematic.”
Rewrite: “In conclusion, I think that it’s very bad.” → Make it academic.
“In conclusion, it can be argued that this issue has serious negative implications.”