WRITE GREAT ESSAYS HOW TO [...]... this chapter show you how to clarify your writing A Clarity CHAPTER 2 HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS 11 12 HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS CHAPTER 2 Clarity E L I M I N AT E A M B I G U I T Y Ambiguous means having two or more possible meanings Ambiguous language can either be words and phrases that have more than one meaning, or word order that conveys a meaning different from the one intended by the writer Example:... the more and better ideas you will probably come up with) ◆ List every word or phrase that comes to mind about your topic If you have not selected a topic, write in answers to the questions, “What do I have to say to my audience?” or “What do I want my audience to know about me?” 3 4 HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS CHAPTER 1 Organization ◆ As with freewriting, do not edit or censor any ideas, and ignore... getting down to the business of writing means focusing on these three things This chapter deals with organization When you begin your essay with organization, you will have I Organization CHAPTER 1 HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS 1 2 HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS CHAPTER 1 Organization guidance and direction through the writing process, especially if you are in a timed situation Organization lets you see how your... The writer needs to restate the career instead of using a pronoun in order to eliminate the possibility the reader will not understand the sentence Write instead: Trini is interested in teaching and farming, but farming is her career choice Bring the paper with you tomorrow to the meeting that discusses the detention policy Example: Clarity CHAPTER 2 HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS The pronoun that is too... (noun): to acknowledge; to quote as a reference the ability to see; vision a place or location 23 24 HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS CHAPTER 3 Word Choice complement (noun): compliment (noun, verb): match praise; to give praise consul (noun): counsel (noun, verb): an official appointed by the government to live in a foreign city and attend to the interests of the official’s country a group of people called together... waited almost an hour for her friend Ambiguous: I told her I’d give her a ring tomorrow Clear: I told her I’d call her tomorrow Ambiguous: A speeding motorist hit a student who was jogging through the park in her blue sedan Clear: A speeding motorist in a blue sedan hit a student who was jogging through the park Clarity CHAPTER 2 HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS MODIFIERS ADD PRECISION Clarity in essay writing... able to as a matter of fact as a person as a whole as the case may be at the present time both of these many or much suddenly like can in fact or Delete Delete Delete Delete currently or now both 15 16 HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS by and large by definition due to the fact that for all intents and purposes has a tendency to has the ability to in order to in the event that in the near future is able to it... and minor parts? The answer to the first question is your thesis Place it at the top of the pyramid Below it, write the major parts and join them to the thesis with lines Next, write the minor parts beneath the major ones, connecting them with lines Finally, your details should be added under the parts to which they correspond Organization CHAPTER 1 HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS SAMPLE PYRAMID CHART Here... connotative meaning, you must consider whether O Word Choice CHAPTER 3 HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS 21 22 HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS CHAPTER 3 Word Choice the words you choose might confuse or possibly offend your audience That means being aware of inclusive language, and avoiding slang, clichés, and buzzwords Your essay is an important opportunity to get a positive message across Don’t miss it by inadvertently... humor, art, poetry, and criticism Organization CHAPTER 1 HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS BOOKS ◆ The Art of the Personal Essay: An Anthology for the Classical Era to the Present, Philip Lopate, editor (Anchor, 1997): over 75 essays written in the past 400 years by writers around the globe ◆ The Best American Essays 2003, Robert Atwan and Anne Fadiman, editors (Mariner Books, 2003): annual publication since 1986—any . strategies to help you write great essays, no matter which type you write. In contrast to basic writing guides that contain plenty of information you don’t need, How to Write Great Essays focuses. also explained. Chapter 7 shows you how to prepare for timed essays. Learn how to research your exam, how to familiarize yourself with possible topic choices,and how to budget your time dur- ing. WRITE GREAT ESSAYS HOW TO