Thursday, September 5, 2013
First Post.
Hi Everyone: In the comment section below, please write an open response
in which you describe a) what you think a "great essay" is like and
what its elements are, according to what you think and what you have been taught,
and b) how you cope with difficult-to-read texts, addressing both what
you have been taught to do as well as what you actually do. See the
"Procedures" sheet for format and grading information. Thanks, Mr.
Telles.
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There are some very important elements that make up a great essay. First, it has to have a good thesis statement, an idea that can be proven well throughout the essay. The next part is the body of the essay. The second, third, and fourth paragraphs should support the thesis by using two or more examples. The transitions between between paragraphs are play a role in what makes the essay good. The end of one paragraph in the body should introduce the concept or reason explained in the next paragraph. What brings the whole essay together is the conclusion. The conclusion should summarize the main points mentioned in the body of the essay, and repeats the thesis statement to conclude the purpose of the essay.
ReplyDeleteThere are several different approaches to reading difficult text. One way is to discuss and read the text with a group. When others read a form of literature, they may get a message from the author that you did not. By having people in a group talk about their interpretations of the text, everyone can understand it from a different perspective. Another way to read difficult text is to simply read it multiple times. You can have a better understanding of the text if you read it once to understand what it is about, a second time to understand any messages or themes that are within the text, and a third time to double check for any other parts of the text that may have been missed.
Writing quality essays and having the ability to read and interpret difficult text are important for success in English classes.
A great essay consists of many crucial and important elements. First off, a quality essay requires a brief, non descriptive introduction that introduces the thesis and topics that are to be discussed in the body paragraphs of the essay. The body paragraphs follow the introductory paragraph. Each paragraph has a thesis supporting statement, and two examples, as well as other forms of persuasive details that help prove/support the thesis. Although the standard essay has three body paragraphs, there is no limit to the amount of body paragraphs in an essay, as there can be many more than three if needed. Lastly, the conclusion paragraph comes in after the body paragraph. The conclusion sums up the topics of the essay and restates the thesis statement, as well as giving additional input and facts relating to the thesis. This is a combination of what I think and what ive been taught, as both are very similar and tie in with eachother.
ReplyDeleteThere are several ways to cope with reading a difficult text. One way to cope with reading a difficult text is by reading it in parts, taking it slowly and allowing yourself to comprehend the reading, and what is occurring in the text. Also, taking notes about important details while reading the text will help to understand and remember key points of the text. Another affective way of coping with a difficult text is to read in a group or with another person, either out loud or to yourselves, and then discussing about the text at certain points, or when the text is finished. Your partner and or group members will have many different, as well as some similar perspectives about the text, and discussing ideas will strengthen your understanding, as well as your partners and group members. Strategies that I use myself and strategies that I have been taught for coping with difficult texts have both been utilized in this paragraph.
A great essay consists of many important elements, and there are several ways of coping with a difficult text.
I believe that the essential elements to a terrific essay. I believe a great essay has a short but powerful introduction that pulls the reader in. The body should be complex, but written so well that a reader not knowing anything about the thesis topic should be able to understand whats going on, and gain much from the writing piece both at the same time. A main factor that should be incorporated into the essay is, the ability to analyze the topic thoroughly. If you can analyze the topic enough to write about it then it will be seen that you understand the topic, know what it is about, and it will make your essay stronger. I was taught by many teachers to look at the question from different aspects to come up with a better answer or essay about this topic. It will make the writing piece more complex in that you can comprehend it from different points, thus making the essay more intricate and powerful. I also believe that the vocabulary used in essays is also important. The vocabulary should be at a higher level, should vary, and be used in the correct context (starting to get into grammar). Using these tactics, you should be able to formulate a not just great, but astounding essay.
ReplyDeleteThere are certain ways you can cope with reading difficult articles. One of the methods I use is I cut it up into small pieces and take each piece, making sure I interrogate the chunk to the point of me being able to fully understand it, and then put it back together one by one. This allows you to understand the sections of the writing piece and figure out how they could relate to each other or why it is relevant to the plot or thesis. This is what i usually do. Another method taught to me by my previous english teachers was when the text gets tricky to reread it and the text around it. This allows you to see how that piece of writing is relevant to the surrounding text allowing you to better understand what is going on in a more complex and flustering piece of literature. This is how I think that a difficult to read text should be tackled.
In order to write a great essay, you must include important elements. First you should gather information about your topic and make sure you know what you are writing about. Then you need to write an introduction, which includes the thesis statement and the topics. Each topic has its own paragraph with supporting details and examples. You should try to make these paragraphs interesting to keep the readers attention. Lastly is the conclusion paragraph. This is where you restate the thesis and sum up everything you wrote about in the previous paragraphs. A typical essay usually has an introduction, conclusion, and three body paragraphs but you can do as many body paragraphs as you want.
ReplyDeleteThere are many ways to cope with difficult to read texts. The way that works best for me is to read with a group and discuss it out loud. This way you get to hear others perspectives on the text. Another way is to scan the section and look for important facts, titles, headings, sub-headings, and topic sentences to get its general idea. Taking notes and asking yourself questions while reading may also help. When you finish reading, review to see what you have learned, and reread those ideas that are not clear.
amaaaazing grace
DeleteThere are several main important elements that make an essay great. The first thing you should always do in an essay is to state the thesis statement, or the main point of the essay. The first paragraph is always a brief paragraph describing briefly about what you are going to talk about in the following paragraphs. The next part of the essay is the body paragraphs. This should consist of two to three paragraphs, each giving an example and details that support and back up your thesis statement. The last part of the essay is the conclusion paragraph. This paragraph is to help summarize what you have written about so the reader can fully and clearly understand the whole essay and the main or key points of it. These are the main few important parts of writing a great essay and also what i use in my essays as well.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion there are a few different ways you can cope with reading a difficult text. One way I would recommend is to read only sections at a time. Take your time and take notes while you are reading this section. When there is a difficult word or multiple words write them down and look up the meanings to them after you are done reading the section of the text. Another way some people may find helpful is to read out loud with another person like a friend. This could help you if you are more of a listener.If you are than this technique will benefit you the greatest. Thirdly, you could maybe talk to someone after you both read the text. You both summarize what you have read in your texts to each other. This could help you remember what it was about and also help you realize maybe a couple main points you missed in the text. These are some of many possible strategies to use to help you cope with a difficult text. These are just a few that i would consider to use because I know these work for me.
A great essay have a lot of many key and important elements that you should definitely use to make sure you have a great essay. There are also many many different ways you could do to help yourself cope with difficult tests, but it just depends on you which one works the best for you.
A great essay has many different qualities. The most commonly reviewed in school is structure. Generally, an essay should begin with an introduction paragraph, which introduces the topic and thesis statement. Next, several "body" paragraphs go in depth and contain the facts and details. Last is the conclusion paragraph. This exists to sum up the essay and leave the reader with something to think about. A great essay also needs solid facts to back up the thesis statement. All of these things do not exactly make an essay "great". In my opinion, there is more to it than structure and fact. Mood is crucial to the development of an essay. If the author is clearly not interested or excited about the topic, neither will the reader. Finally, a great essay needs clarity. Statements should be backed up by facts and the thesis statement should be clear and concise. These are major qualities a great essay should possess.
ReplyDeleteCoping with a difficult text is challenging. However, there are several tactics to help you get through it. It's very important to go slow and thoroughly cover the material. If there is something you do not understand: ask someone around you. If there is a word you don't know, look it up in a dictionary. It's very important to not keep to yourself if you are having trouble. Read slow and go over the material you read with a peer or friend. Most likely, your friend is having the same problems, so discuss it together. If the plot line is hard to follow, reread. All of these tactics are effective ways for coping with a difficult text. But, most importantly, find what works for you.
Writing a great essay and coping with a difficult text are hard things to master, and requires several elements to make perfect. Most of these elements, you will learn from teachers, but some you have to learn from experience.
A great essay contains many key elements that keep the reader interested and educated on your topic. What pulls the reader in is a gripping thesis statement that introduces your essay and explains what you will be writing about in the next paragraphs. A thesis statement that can interest the reader in just a few sentences is the start to a great essay.
ReplyDeleteA great essay also contains the ideas being presented in a neat and organized manner. These body paragraphs should include details that support the thesis statement and make your point or argument even stronger. Each paragraph should cover a different idea or piece of information so the reader will get to know more about your topic.
A good concluding paragraph is the final part of a great essay. The conclusion should restate the thesis statement and create a summary of what the reader has just read.
I deal with reading difficult text by reading small parts at a time and writing down words that I don't know or taking notes and asking questions. Asking someone else about the text introduces you to another opinion and may change the way you think about a difficult text, possibly making it easier to understand. Discussing the text in a large group is also a good way to understand a difficult text because you are getting a lot of input from different people that may understand words or ideas that you didn't get.
A great essay just takes good facts that can support the subject that you are talking about. It need to have a good thesis to start it then the body paragraphs. It does not have to be an extremely long essay, but must be long enough for you to get and explain all the facts you have clearly. It is not good though if you are just trying to extend the essay because then you will end up repeating or including false facts. Then you must put a good conclusion to wrap up the essay. In the conclusion you want to restate your thesis and then basically copy your first paragraph. That is the basics to writing a good essay.
ReplyDeleteWhen I have to read difficult text the way that i personally prefer is to read it in sections. I like to go paragraph by paragraph and this makes you focus on one thing at a time and can help you from getting overwhelmed. It is also good for speeding up the reading. Often times it will make in go faster than it would if you read it all at all at once. There was never any specific way to read hard text taught to me but that is the best way I have come up with. That is how I try to write my essays and how I read harder text.
A great essay is very important to know how to write because it is a useful tool for communication and self-expression. Essays begin with a powerful thesis. It must draw the reader in with an interesting thought or introduction to the piece. I think that the best essays are written by people who care about the subject material and are willing to explore the thoughts behind it. After the introduction, the body of the essay should highlight the important points in the subject. It should make the reader understand or think deeply about the topic. The body should also contain facts to improve validity of the essay. The body is important because it analyzes the subject matter, explains its importance, and gets across the message that the reader is trying to send. Finally, in my opinion, the end of the essay is always the best part. This is because it sums everything up and leaves a lasting and meaningful thought in the reader's mind. These elements are all needed to compose a great essay.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read difficult texts, the most important thing to do, I find, is to concentrate. In school we have been taught to read, reread and then to stop and think. I use this method because it allows you to be exposed to the text, then to absorb it and finally to analyze it. Those three things are key components to understanding writing. Also I have been taught to constantly question the text, which I love to do. This is because it makes me think and try to decipher the meaning of the text. I also look up any words that I don’t understand. Another thing that I do that helps me cope with challenging text is to discuss or research background information about the book. I like to know about the setting, the author and the time period it was written. This allows me to understand unusual terminology or difficult wording. Using these strategies that I have learned and discovered, I can cope with reading difficult text.
A great essay always starts with a catching topic sentence that pulls the reader in and wants them to continue reading. This should suggest the idea of your essay in an interesting way that will grab their attention. A great essay should begin with an introduction paragraph. The main point of an introduction paragraph is to describe what your essay will be discussing. Most importantly your introduction paragraph should build up the argument you are trying to prove and end with a thesis statement that is clear and specific as possible. Having at least 3 or more body paragraphs to support your thesis is ideal. Your supporting paragraphs should contain separate points that back up your thesis in different ways. Your body paragraphs should start with a topic sentence that hooks the reader and explains the main focus. Adding as much examples and evidence your body paragraphs is always the best way to verify your thesis. Body paragraphs are where all the content is found so it is important that you try your best to connect as many details as you can to the thesis statement. A transitioning sentence should always be used at the end of your body paragraph to familiarize the reader with the next topic. Great essays usually end with a conclusion paragraph that wraps up the purpose of your essay with out bringing up any new ideas and simply restating your thesis and ends with a memorable closing sentence that sums up the reason for your essay. Lastly, by going back and proof reading, fixing any mistakes you might have made, or even adding vocabulary or further evidence to make sure your essay flows and sounds flawless is what makes a great essay.
ReplyDeleteIt's always struggling when you have a difficult to read text but there are many ways you can cope with it. You can start off reading by taking it chapter by chapter that way it is easier to concentrate rather then overwhelming yourself. You should also keep your eyes out for any tiles or headings that can give you an idea of what you will be reading. Every once in a while looking away from the text and asking yourself questions and thinking about what you just read can help you understand. Writing your questions down and keeping notes is an effective way to remember what you read and keep track of what your reading so later you can have the opportunity to ask someone in class for clarification. Things you do not understand you should look up or re-read and see if you can figure them out through context clues. Reading out loud and discussing as a class is a good way to cope because it allows other people's point of views to be heard and helps you see things in a new perspective. Overall, difficult to read texts are not as scary as you think as long as you have the right coping mechanisms to get you through it.
A great essay to me is when it contains all of the elements an essay should have with personal touches and details. The elements an essay should have are a good introduction paragraph with a gripping first sentence that intrigues the reader, a strong thesis statement to explain what you'll be writing about and interesting details/examples/ideas that support your thesis statement. A great essay also includes the body paragraphs that are lengthy but don't get boring. They contain your details/ideas/examples that support your thesis statement and help provide knowledge to the reader to explain what this essay is all about. These body paragraphs should have personal insight, facts and they should make your reader understand your topic more and more as they go through your essay. Then finally, a great essay should end in a strong concluding paragraph. It should restate your thesis statement, your details/ideas/examples that support the thesis statement and a strong concluding sentence that leaves the reader satisfied with your essay.
ReplyDeleteI deal with difficult reading by taking it nice and slow and try to understand it as much as I can. If I read something that contains vocabulary I don't understand, I read the sentence after and see if I can infer what the new vocabulary means. If not, the dictionary is my next option. Though, through difficult reading I like to ask others and get their insight and opinion, maybe they know more or they can see it in a different way that makes more sense to me.
Writing great essays takes a while to understand and you improve on it every time you write a new one. It involves elements you'll learn from teachers, but you will figure out on your own on how you like to prepare and write for one. On the other hand, reading difficult text can be a conflicting process, but there are many ways to face it so you can understand.
I believe that there are a number of key components to a great essay, and that great essays have to embody certain elements. One component of a great essay is an attention grabbing thesis statement that is complete without being too wordy. The rest of the first paragraph should give some details about the main points stated within the thesis without revealing too much. Then, the body paragraphs (normally two or three) each provide further details and information on a particular main point discussed in the thesis. Each body paragraph discusses that main point while showing how it supports the thesis. Finally, the conclusion paragraph sums the whole essay up. It begins with a restatement of the thesis statement, followed by a summary of what the essay was about.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion there are a few different techniques you can use to cope with a difficult-to-read text. If vocabulary is the reason that the text is hard to read, you could do what we have been taught, use context clues to determine hat the word/words mean. If your having trouble understanding what your reading you could go back and reread the same portion at a slower pace, allowing you to thoroughly interpret what you're reading. One last technique you could use to cope with a difficult-to-read text would be to write down important details and/or questions that arise while you are reading the book. This allows you to remember through vision and writing, which would help you retain the new information you obtained while reading the text.
There are many important elements into writing a great essay. The thesis statement, in my opinion, is the most important element because it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the essay and it guides them through the rest of the writing. The introduction shouldn't be very long, but it should give a brief introduction on what the essay is mainly about. The introduction should really make the reader really want to read the essay. After the introduction, in come the body paragraphs. The body paragraphs should really express the details and information about the main subject about the essay. Each body paragraph should contain specific information about just one thing. Putting too much information about different things in a body paragraph could really distract the reader and make it hard for them to go back into the text. After your body paragraphs, you should wrap up your essay with a conclusion paragraph. The conclusion paragraph should give a brief summary about the essay. I believe that it is not a good thing to restate your thesis statement in your conclusion.
ReplyDeleteObviously everyone has their own methods of writing a good essay, but everyone should all be aware of the main elements that will help you create that good essay!
I believe a good essay is well written and to the point. It's not to lengthy and off topic but it has great details and examples of the subject explaining. There's shouldn't be to many spelling errors if you check and go over what you've written or even have someone read it over for you. It should also at least be five paragraphs or more with more than five sentences in each one but that's what I learned. Many people have different views on a good essay but most of them are some what similar
ReplyDeleteWhen writing an essay, it is important to put time and effort into it to make it great. To start off, you want an excellent thesis statement which is the main idea of the essay. You also would want to add many great details and facts to back up your statement. Make sure you have the structure to the essay, which would be an introduction, at least three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. An introductory paragraph is the first paragraph of the essay, which explains what your topic is about. The body paragraphs are the details that back up your thesis and makes the essay most interesting. The conclusion paragraph is like the period to a sentence, it finishes off the essay. It is important to have these paragraphs pitch perfect, which is why you should always proof read your essay to make sure you have limited mistakes. Also, make the essay very effective and persuasive so the reader will be intrigued and will want to continue reading. I was taught that it was easiest to have an outline before you start the essay because it makes it easier to get all your thoughts in order. It is a lot harder when you try to write an essay without a diagram or an outline. Also when writing an essay, I was taught that its helpful to think of the questions when, who, what, where, and why. They give you more options on what to write. Essays aren't exactly the most fun to write, but they can be very important, especially on their quality.
ReplyDeletea) Who wants a great essay? You want a spectacular essay. Great is not good enough.
ReplyDeleteFirst: the difficult introduction. The initial ingredient needed in the recipe that is a spectacular essay is a clincher that clinches readers so hard that they will be sore for days. Then there's the thesis, followed by a few sentences that briefly describe what you are going to be discussing in your essay. You need at least three points that should prove your thesis. The introductory paragraph shouldn't be too wordy or give too much away--that's just going to scare the heck out of people. Nobody wants to read that. To wrap up, use a cool transition to head on over to your body paragraphs. Keep it cool. Classy.
Your body paragraphs should start off with a topic sentence that clearly states what point you are going to be addressing. The meat comes next--go in depth and prove your topic clearly using examples. Shake up your word choice and revise and revise to make it as snappy as possible. Don't try to bore people here. You want them to understand what you're talking about and be interested all at the same time. Use those classy transitions to keep it going. I think that you should go from the weakest to strongest points in your paragraphs to make a bigger impact.
Last but not least... the conclusion. What's the point in a conclusion? Nothing? Wrong-o, there is a point. Make sure your paragraphs are looking good and are proving your thesis strongly--and then it's time to head in for a landing. Your conclusion should restate your thesis and summarize all the topics you just discussed, but make it deeper and use different wording. Nobody likes a copy-and-paste of the introduction. (Also, don't add any new details!) Once it reaches the end, try to make your reader think. The last sentence shouldn't leave anything out in the open, but it should leave a lasting impression.
b) Back in the day, I was taught to write down my questions and all my 'connections' when I read difficult material. Teachers also advised me to keep a dictionary by my side in case I didn't understand some vocab or use 'context clues.'
But I don't actually have a Webster's dictionary and a pencil in my hand when I'm reading something Victorian. I read it slowly and try to digest it as much as possible if I hit a rough patch of ancient text. Sometimes I will ask questions in my head, and if I don't understand a character's action or what just happened I will read it over again. If I hit a freaky word all of a sudden, I don't consult Webster's; I use my handy-dandy iPod dictionary. Once I'm done with a chapter I think about what I just read for a second.
I guess a helpful thing to do would be to consult fellow peers if you're reading the same difficult stuff. We have different opinions and views to chime in that help us all with our reading. Take it slow, review, and try to find the main points in the text. There's no need to be a speed demon.
A great essay needs to grab the reader's attention right off the start, as well as let the reader know what he or she is reading about. The key is to not be writing on and on about random details that drift too far from your thesis. Your main focus when writing any specific essay is to make readers buy into what your saying based on the supporting details. The first step is to make sure you know what your supposed to be writing about, and then research from there to be confident in your thesis statement. Every essay should have some sort of "swing" sentence that intrigues the reader, or gets them interested. This should be clever, but also using humor or asking a question could make the reader interested. It's essential to base your writing on facts and although personal ideas or preferences could get some people to buy in, usually readers need hard facts that make sense. One trick that I use is throwing in random big complex words that can sometimes can trick readers into thinking your correct because you sound studious. With all that said your number one objective is to make readers be on your side of the argument. If you accomplish that you've written a great essay.
ReplyDeleteWhen coping with a hard to read text I usually resolve to group discussing's that allow me to listen to others input on how they interpreted it. When I am dealt with reading one of these hard texts on my own I have to adjust and come up with a new way to understand. Of course reading it more than once helps a lot but I find movies, pictures, and other perceptions of that text help me more than anything. I'm a very visual person but unfortunately half the time I don't get the luxury of taking advantage of the visuals. In the case of reading a hard book without any of these factors that help me, I'm left with digging in deep and concentrating as much as possible.
Amy Geraghty
ReplyDeletea) A good essay is easy to spot if you're looking for the right things. Good grammar is always a plus, maybe for some people, the length of the essay matters, but for me, the thing that makes me want to read an essay is the first sentence of the first paragraph. It's got to say something relatable or interesting to really get the reader's attention right off the bat. A great essay has got to be easy to read. Sentence flow is important; without it, the whole thing is choppy and hard to get through. Another thing that's very important to writing an essay is the topic, and making sure you stick to it. Getting off track or rambling on isn't what the reader wants. Stick to the topic and get to your point quickly. If you've got all these things in your essay, it's going to be a good one.
b) Coping with difficult-to-read books has always been a little hard for me. But i found that a good way to get through to the text is talking to people who have already read or reading the book that you're struggling with. You can discuss some things that you didnt understand, or that seemed pointless. They can give you a new perspective because everyone interprets things a little differently, and you could see a whole new side to the book that you didn't even think about before. Another way you can cope with the text you're struggling with is to read an essay on the book. The essay could focus on a theme in the book that you didn't pick up on before and that theme might be more relatable to you than you thought the book was. There are plenty of other ways to get through a difficult book, but those are the sources that I find the most helpful.
A great essay needs to have a lot of different necessities in order to be “great”. To be a great essay, the writer must interpret the essay into a format in which a reader who has not read or seen a text or film can understand, so that they feel like reading an essay in which they have no idea about is not pointless to them. and A great essay also needs to be supportive and full of facts and, if necessary, quotes. When an essay is full of facts and quotes about the topic in order to grab the attention of the reader. If it is not full of facts and quotes, then the reader may be uninterested in the essay and believe that it is poorly written. Quotes and facts are usually supported within a topic in the essay about a main topic (essay topic). The topics within the topic of the essay is what makes up the body paragraphs of the essay. The body is the most crucial part of the essay because this is the part that you should try to grab the reader’s attention. Other paragraphs that are major in a great essay are the introductory paragraph and the conclusion. This is where you state your thesis statement. When writing an essay, if the thesis is interesting, it is what brings readers towards your paper. For example, if you are watching television and a commercial comes on for a TV show starring your favorite athlete, you would probably want to watch the TV show because it brings your attention towards it by the thesis statement. Grammar and spelling is also very important when writing a great essay. If the essay is full of spelling mistakes and grammar faults, the reader may become confused, not understand the paper, and will not like the work that has been put into it. If these qualities are not located in an essay, in my opinion, it is not a great essay, according to the teachers that I have been taught by and myself.
ReplyDeleteWhen coping with difficult-to-read texts, I have a list of methods that I have created that helps me to understand when reading a text. If I do not understand an excerpt of text, I read it several times, and take breaks in between reading them of about 5-20 minutes or so. Then, I will go and do something else that does not involve a lot of thinking during the 5-20 minutes. During that time period, I think about each word and put my thoughts together by each phrase, then sentence, then paragraph. Then I go back and keep reading, but I do not read on until I have comprehended an excerpt in which I do not understand. Taking notes and thinking about the different parts is another way to do the above method. It only keeps your thoughts in order. Talking with a group about a text or pieces of a text are also a great method for me. For example, Dracula seemed very “open to interpretation” to me and I discussed with a friend about how different events happened in order of appearance during the book. After we talked for about 30 minutes we both learned things about the book that we didn’t know until we talked. I suggest that many people take my advice and do the same methods that I use to interpret and comprehend a text as I do.
P.S. If my name does not show up, this was written by Jack Favazza.
A great essay needs to have a great starting sentence. The first sentence needs to suck the reader in so he continues to read the whole thing. Also this essay needs to have a strong structure. Something that will hold the readers attention and interest him. The essay shouldn't be too long to the point where it is crammed with a bunch of useless information but it also shouldn't be too short to the point where it doesn't get the point across or give any supporting details. The conclusion of your essay is important because you want to leave the reader on a good note, Something that sums up the whole essay well should work fine.
ReplyDeleteCoping with difficult to=read texts is difficult. A lot of the times you don't even realize that you didn't take anything in from what you just read. When i realize i didn't understand what i read i usually just re-read everything all over again. I have been taught that all you need to re-read is the topic sentence and the conclusion sentence because they each kind of sum up what you are reading. I've tried that and it does work sometimes but i find that usually its less work to just read the whole paragraph again instead of trying to find where the conclusion sentence starts and whether they actually did summarize what was happening. - Liam Carney
To make a great essay, you need some important elements. First, you need to create a short introductory paragraph that doesn’t describe much but just enough to understand what the essay is about. Second, you need to have a strong body, detail, or example paragraph that gives the reader more of an idea about the essay. Third, you need to be persuasive in your paragraphs and try to convince the reader about the essay. Take as many body paragraphs as you need to make your point. If you feel like your essay doesn’t make the point you want it to take more time and get the essay the way you want it to be. The conclusion paragraph should summarize the body paragraphs. This is a mixture of what I think and what I’ve learned what makes a great essay.
ReplyDeleteThere are several ways with coping with an unclear difficult text. One way is to re-read the text you have just read, sometimes you always don’t understand what you’ve just read and when you re-read the text you can have a better understanding or feeling of what the text is saying. Another way is to read with a group sometimes other people understand it more easily than others. Also reading with a group can help you get different ideas of what the text could possibly be saying. These are some ways I’ve used myself to understand difficult text and get a better feeling of what the text is saying.
Sabrina Maciel
ReplyDeleteThere are many big parts to creating a “great essay”, first by starting with addressing the question. Without addressing the question the reader might not be aware of what questions are being answered. Also the question must actually be answered itself, and answering the question is the one of the most important parts. Another vital part to a great essay is making sure you have facts to back up your answer. Without facts it can be hard for people reading to agree or be interested in what you’re saying. A good essay may also include ones opinion, so the reader can understand where the writer is coming from and reasons behind their opinion. A good writer puts their own thoughts into their essays and gives the reader their point of view. Everyone is taught the basics to writing when they’re younger so at first we all get the same idea, but everyone learns that there's more to writing than just the basics I was only taught to answer the question. There’s a lot more too it than just the basic, using more complex vocabulary, and sentences. More complex sentence structure can leave the readers mind wandering and interested.
My reading level isn't that good and when I have to deal with harder to read texts I struggle. I try my hardest to use the vocabulary around the text to help me understand the context of the word. I use the sentence to help me comprehend the words I don’t understand. Using the vocabulary around the words I don't understand helps me piece together the definition. Another way reading a difficult texts is by reading out loud to yourself to help you process what you’re reading and hearing it can help you understand it more. Reading in groups as well can help you listen to how other people may read something and give you a better understanding. Hearing how people say things can change the way something is understood. It gives you a different perspective of things. Another helpful tool when reading a difficult text is to discuss with a group member of some sort to get both opinions and compare and contrast the different ideas. Giving you a better idea of what something could mean. Two minds is better than one especially when working together. rereading the context and slowly going through it can help you as well. Reading something slowly when you don’t understand it can help you analyze it better.
A great essay starts with a great thesis. The thesis states the writer’s view on a topic, demonstrates the style of writing that will occur in the rest of the essay, and has a hook that intrigues the reader. It is important that the thesis is one of the first sentences in the first paragraph, because it gives a reader an expectation of the rest of the essay. The first paragraph should also incorporate the central details that will be supported in the body of the essay. The body should consist of two to three paragraphs that each have a main idea relative to the topic of the essay, and are supported by different pieces of information. The different information should comprise of quotes and facts from outside resources. This is something that almost all of my teachers have taught, and I believe that this is extremely crucial to forming a great argument. A great essay needs to be summarized with a conclusion. The conclusion follows the body paragraphs, and it wraps up the essay, as well as give a brief description of the essay, similar to the opening paragraph. The purpose of the final sentence or two of the conclusion is to get across the main point of the essay in a way that will be remembered by the reader.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was taught how to read texts that were more difficult than ones I usually read, I was always told that rereading helped more than any other method. Although it can be cumbersome to go and read something that you have already read, I find that I understand texts so much more when I am going back to look over something. Another detail that I have found that helps me out while trying to read a difficult text is to go to a place where there is little to no chance of distractions or disruptions. For me, it is not a problem to read a text that I find compelling and not too difficult to read in a place like a bus or restaurant, but it is next to impossible to read something that is either not interesting to me or is a challenge for my reading level in a place like that. These two methods make reading difficult to read texts much more manageable.
There are a handful of key elements that come into play when crafting an intriguing essay. First off, you have the all important first paragraph. The first paragraph may as well be the most important part of the entire essay because, with out a good hook, who would want to read the essay anyways? No one is going to read an essay that starts off pitifully because odds are; the rest of the essay is pitiful too! Your starting paragraph has to begin with a powerful and interesting sentence relating to your topic in some way, shape, or form. The rest of the first paragraph should be just a little tasting of the main course of your essay, the body paragraphs. It should tell just enough for the reader to want to continue on, but not too much as to spoil it right away. Next is the body paragraphs; obviously another crucial part of the essay. In this part of your essay you want to put in a great amount of detail but, remember, do not start to drift off topic just to write more words. Its also critical that while writing this portion of the essay you use unique and descriptive words that appeal to all the human senses to really make the reader feel as though they are in your essay. Lastly, bringing up the caboose of your essay is the clincher. Its very important that in your clincher you restate the main ideas of the essay so the reader knows what they just read. Its also important that you end the essay with an impacting sentence because it is the last thing the reader will see; so in essence you want to end your essay with a bang.
ReplyDeleteThere are a couple of things I do every time I come across some difficult text. I usually find a book difficult when the text is boring. To counter this, I use a couple methods to keep focus and power through the book. I really don't believe in most of the methods I was taught such as taking notes or summarizing every chapter. Instead I like to do things such as make bold predictions or ask myself questions about the character, or maybe even try to relate to the character in some way. When I do these things, it forces me to want to read on to see if one of my predictions could be justified, my questions will be answered, or to discover a new similarity between a character and myself. This way, even a horrible book can become an interesting read.
I always like to think to myself that writing a good essay, or coping with a tough text is not the most terrible thing that could happen. I like to look at the better end of the spectrum, because hey, it could be worse!
A great essay should begin with a great thesis statement that gets the reader's attention. A great essay should answer the question completely and thoroughly. The first paragraph should be simple but show what you are trying to prove with your essay. The body paragraphs should each be filled with evidence supporting your thesis, things like quotes. Your conclusion should be similar to the first paragraph. Quickly summarize the things you talked about before, and restate your thesis, and you should be good to go.
ReplyDeleteWhen dealing with hard to read material, I find that it helps to pace myself. With books that really are a drag to read, I'll figure out how many chapters there are and how much time I have to get the book done and then read a certain amount of chapters a day to get it done without wanting to tear my hair out. If I have a short period of time to get reading done, I'll try to mix it in in sections with other things I have to do so that I'm not stuck reading it at 11pm, barely able to keep my eyes open and dying of boredom. Sometimes when there are other books I'd much rather be reading, I'll allow myself to read one chapter of my choice book for every three I read of the difficult book. That way, I'll be eager to get through the hard chapters to figure out what happens next. Or, if I'm going on a long trip, I'll pick a place that we are supposed to pass and decide to read up until we get there. Getting through difficult books can be hard, even on 10 hour drives to different countries, but these are the things that have worked most for me.
I think to create a great essay you have to make sure that evrything flows together and not make it seem as if you are trying just to put words together. You have to make sure that you begin your essay with as hook or question, so you can grab the attention of the reader. You also have to make sure that you structure your body paragraphs correctly by having an idea and then adding at least 3 details to support your idea or else you idea isn't that strong as it should be. The conclusion is important because this is were you try to end you essay with a strong closing statement and really emphasize what your idea is and why you think that. Lastly I think that your essay has to be technacally sound, what I mean by this is punctuation,spelling and grammar.
ReplyDeleteI think the best way to cope with a difficult to read text is by taking it slow and read it a couple of times so you really understand what is happening in the book. I have also been taught that you should take notes or summerize what you have read after reading a chapter and if you still cant summerize it go back and read it again and try to take it a little slower and summerize every couple pages and then try to summerize the chapter.
I think to create a great essay you need to express all your main points with strong reasoning. Also you need great punctuation that helps the reader understand what you are trying to say. In your intro paragraph you have to state your main ideas with out giving you main points away so the reader if he has curiosity in your subject will keep reading about your topic. Your body paragraphs should be able to feed the ready with knowledge on the topic and give him your opinion or just the facts that you gathered depending on the topic. But, the most important thing is that you double check your essay after like two or three days so then it is not fresh off in your mind and that will allow you to make the corrections and notice any miss spellings and such
ReplyDeleteI think the best way to deal with difficult reading is taking it slow and steady. Reading is not a race to see how fast you can read a book, it is a way for you to digest the knowledge or the story so that you have a good understanding of what you are reading instead of knowing just some of the things that you skimmed over. I think that when you go slow and steady you have a better chance of understanding the language of the text like in Dracula and will be able to slowly read it faster as it progresses.