Word Rogues | On English and Writing: Leon Lanzbom

Essay #2: Still-Life Description: Due: 9.24

For this, your first piece of word art, you will describe your favorite meal. We're shooting for a 750 word essay that describes the image of this food, offering three points of observation and a thesis.

You must use your five senses to paint the most wonderful specific details in words, sight, smell, taste, touch, and maybe even hearing. To make your words as vivid as possible, use strong verbs and colorful nouns--words that appeal to the reader's senses. Keep away from the "to be" verbs (be, is, am, are, was, were, been, being).

Here is an example of "Passive" description with no appeal to the senses:
The hat is being worn by the boy.

Here is an "active" example, rich in description:
Carl wears a fedora.

Notice how the second sentence, with its one colorful verb, not only paints a vivid picture of Carl but it also uses far fewer words (actually half the amount). With clarity comes concision.

Download your Description essay pack HERE.

This packet must be filled out and handed in with your essay

Click the above to Download your Descriptive Essay Due 9.24

The Essence of an Academic Essay

Title

short and sweet: grab the reader’s attention
create a portrait of what’s to come

Introduction Paragraph

1. Attention getting opener: spurs interest
-anecdote
-quotation
-relevance or cool statistic
-broad statement that leads into your argument
-contrast statement that leads into your argument

2. Plan of development (main points with which you will support your thesis)

3. Thesis
two parts: the main idea and your slant on the main idea.

Body Paragraphs

With each body paragraph, you will go from the least important points to most important points, or weakest to strongest support.

1. topic sentence
illustrates main idea of the paragraph

2. Major details (main points)

3. specific details (breaking the main points down. Offering research.)

4. address counter-arguments: either in your major details or after specific details are given.

Conclusion

We go full circle back to your thesis here

1. reemphasis your thesis using other words
2. review your main points
3. Prediction or recommendation or a last question

The Outline of Your Essay

Title

Short and sweet

Introductory Paragraph

Introduction
Plan of development: points 1,2, and 3
Thesis Statement

The introduction must attract the reader.
The plan of development is a list of points that support the thesis. The points are offered in the order they are given.
Thesis: the main idea in two parts: topic and your opinion.

First Supporting Paragraph

Topic sentence (point 1)
Specific evidence (lots of it)

The topic sentence is the first supporting point for your thesis.
The specific evidence delves into you topic sentence.

Second Supporting Paragraph

Topic sentence (point 2)
Specific evidence (lots of it)

The topic sentence advances the second supporting point for your thesis.
The specific evidence develops that point.

Third Supporting Paragraph

Topic sentence (point 3)
Specific evidence (lots of it)

The topic sentence advances the third supporting point for your thesis.
The specific evidence develops that point.

Concluding Paragraph

Summary, conclusion or both

A summary is a restatement of the thesis and its main points.
A conclusion is a final thought or tow stemming from the subject of the paper.
_______________________________________________

Click here for "English Works" five paragraph essay example.
Click here for Bertrand Russell's, "Three Passions," another great essay example.
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Assign Essay #2:

The Argument Essay: Hegemony or How Society Acts Like a Bear in an Invisible Cage.

The philosopher, Antonio Gramsci, studied how large groups of people are coerced to form societies. Gramsci wondered what makes people in a huge group, like a nation, stay within the invisible borders of that society? What

makes citizens obey laws and even give the ultimate sacrifice for their country, their lives? Gramsci analyzed and compared the powers that cause “spontaneous consent given by the great masses of population to the general direction imposed on social life by the dominant fundamental group” (Gramsci 277). He examined the societal theory that came before him and proposed something called "hegemony," the domination of a set of ruling beliefs and values through consent rather than coercion.

Under hegemonic conditions a large group of people, even whole nations, internalize so effectively what their rulers want them to believe that this group of people genuinely think they are voicing their own opinion when they are actually voicing the opinion of the powers that be. Does this sound familiar? Wasn’t there a bear in the Denver zoo that internalized so effectively the bars that surrounded him that he voluntarily believed they existed even though they didn’t exist? Just like the invisible cage, hegemony is not necessarily a brainwashing as much as it is an acceptance, like the bear that accepted his imaginary cage, he could have beyond stepped beyond his imaginary cage’s borders anytime, so too hegemony leaves room for descent. It’s artificial. We can resist it if we so decide.

In this 750-word essay, you are going to argue for some hegemonic influence that we as a society consent to. It could be in fashion, art, music, politics, or anything where we genuinely think we are voicing our own opinion, but we are actually voicing the opinion of the powers insidiously hovering over us.

What is the goal of an argument essay?

1. To offer a claim and to back up that claim with research, reasoning, and persuasion. Since we are arguing on one side of the issue, our side, we avoid confrontation by offering thorough explanations for our claims and anticipating any questions that may arise on the reader’s side. Never use rude language.

2. To organize your argument in a point-by-point manner.

Download your essay HERE

Gramsci, Antonio. “Hegemony.” Literary Theory an Anthology. Eds. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. Oxford: Blackwell, 1971.

Cause and Effect essay

Assign Essay: cause and effect Due 11.17

Read the following: Developing a Cause and Effect Essay p.269-272; “Three Passions” by Bertrand Russell, 641-42; “Taming the Anger Monster,” Ann Davidson, 272, and “The Joys of an Old Car,” 265. Look at these essays through the lens of “Cause and Effect.” Many actions do not occur without causes, and a given action can have a many effects, good or bad. Write about an incident, an accident, a break-up, a book, a movie, that had a powerful effect on you.

Download your cause-effect outline HERE

Click here for Bertrand Russell's, "Three Pas

Click the MLA logo for MLA worksheet: Due 3 Nov. 2008