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Writing Your Essay
Write your introduction. Your introduction should give your reader background information about your topic. Try to make your introduction engaging but not too overzealous. Avoid summarizing the prompt--it’s best to simply state your argument. Also avoid dramatic introductions (beginning an essay with a question or exclamation is generally best to avoid). In general, do not use the first (I) or second (you) person in your essay. State your thesis, generally as the last sentence in the first paragraph.
Example introduction: Revenge was a legally recognized right in ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The many revenges in the epic poem Beowulf show that retribution was an essential part of the Anglo-Saxon age. However, not all revenges are created alike. The poet's portrayal of these revenges suggests that the dragon was more honorable in his act of revenge than Grendel's mother.
This introduction gives your readers information they should know to understand your argument, and then presents an argument about the complexity of a general topic (revenge) in the poem. This type of argument can be interesting because it suggests that the reader needs to think about the text very carefully and not take it at face value.
Don't: include filler and fluff sentences beginning with "In modern society" or "Throughout time."
Do: briefly mention the title, author, and publication date of the text you're analyzing.
Write your body paragraphs. Each body paragraph should have 1) a topic sentence, 2) an analysis of some part of the text and 3) evidence from the text that supports your analysis and your thesis statement. A topic sentence tells the reader what the body paragraph will be about. The analysis of the text is where you make your argument. The evidence you provide supports your argument. Remember that each claim you make should support your thesis.
Example topic sentence: The key to differentiating between the two attacks is the notion of excessive retribution.
Example analysis: Grendel's mother does not simply want vengeance, as per the Medieval concept of ‘an eye for an eye.’ Instead, she wants to take a life for a life while also throwing Hrothgar’s kingdom into chaos.
Example evidence: Instead of simply killing Aeschere, and thus enacting just revenge, she “quickly [snatches] up” that nobleman and, with him “tight in her clutches,” she leaves for the fen (1294). She does this to lure Beowulf away from Heorot so she can kill him as well.
The formula "CEE" may help you remember: Claim-Evidence-Explanation. Whenever you present a claim, make sure you present evidence to support that claim and explain how the evidence relates to your claim.
Know when to quote or paraphrase. Quoting means that you take the exact text and, placing it in quotation marks, insert it into your essay. Quoting is good when you use the precise wording of something to support your claim. Make sure that you use the correct form of quotation, depending on if you are using MLA, APA or Chicago style.Paraphrasing, on the other hand, is when you summarize the text. Paraphrasing can be used to give background or compress a lot of details into a short space. It can be good if you have a lot of information or would need to quote a huge portion of text to convey something.
Don't: quote from more than two passages per paragraph, as a rule of thumb.
Do: support all subtle or controversial claims with quotes or paraphrasing.
Example of a quote: Instead of simply killing Aeschere, and thus enacting just revenge, she “quickly [snatches] up” that nobleman and, with him “tight in her clutches,” she leaves for the fen (1294).
Example of a paraphrased sentence: The female Grendel enters Heorot, snatches up one of the men sleeping inside it, and runs away to the fen (1294).
Write your conclusion. Your conclusion is where you remind your reader of how you supported your argument. Some teachers also want you to make a broader connection in your conclusion. This means that they want you to make a ‘bigger world connection’. This could mean stating how your argument affects other claims about the text, or how your claim could change the view of someone reading the text you analyzed.
Don't: introduce a completely new argument in your conclusion.
Do: expand beyond your thesis statement by discussing its implications or wider context.
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