How to write an argumentative essay? CCB 2C

How to write a literary essay? - Catherine Called Birdy

2C - A.Ramqaj & G. Zündel

10.10.2023

Thinking out loud...

Answer the following questions:

1. What is a literary essay?

2. How to structure a literary essay?

3. What are the different parts of a literary essay?

4. What is the most important thing before writing an essay?

​

3 main parts

​§ = Paragraph

Introduction (1 §)

1. Capture the reader's interest

   1. "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry has touched the hearts of readers for generations".

2. Background information (explains where your thesis will stem from)

   1. "In this timeless novella, a young prince's adventures on Earth lead to profound reflections on friendship, love, and imagination."

3. Thesis statement (what are you defending? what's your position?)

   1. "This essay explores how Saint-Exupéry uses storytelling to convey deep wisdom and invites us to rediscover the beauty of childhood innocence."

! Thesis statement !

It tells the reader what to expect and what is the purpose of your essay.


e.g. "This essay explores how Saint-Exupéry uses storytelling (HOW) to convey deep wisdom (WHAT) and invites us to rediscover the beauty of childhood innocence (WHY)."


The thesis statement usually comes at the end of your introduction.

Body (1 § per idea/argument)

1. Paragraph 1

   1. Topic sentence (what? + how?)

      1. "The Little Prince's encounters with the other characters illustrate the importance of kindness."

   2. Explanations/analysis and textual evidence

   3. Result or mini-conclusion

2. Paragraph [...]

   1. Topic sentence (what? + how?)

   2. Explanations/analysis and textual evidence

   3. Result or mini-conclusion

The body is the development and the explanation of your arguments. It's the way you defend your thesis statement.

​HOW

​WHAT

The Burger Model to essay writing

Answer the following questions:

​How do you like your burger?

​What do you need to make a good burger?

The Burger Model to essay writing

Conclusion (1 §)

1. Rephrases the thesis statement

   1. e.g "In 'The Little Prince,' Saint-Exupéry's special story reminds us of the beauty of being a child and the valuable lessons it teaches us."

2. Summarises the main points you made, the main arguments you advanced

   1. e.g. "The Little Prince's encounters with various characters illustrate the importance of kindness, imagination, and seeing beyond the surface. In addition, the main topics of innocence and beauty depicted through the lexical field encourage the reader to find wisdom in small things."

3. Open the discussion or ending on a more general note

   1. e.g. "This timeless tale serves as a gentle reminder that sometimes, the most important lessons come from the heart, and the most beautiful things are seen with the eyes of a child."

​Do not introduce a new topic in your conclusion!

The burger is everywhere!!!

​1. The top bun (a.k.a the introduction paragraph)

2. The toppings (a.k.a. the body paragraphs)

3. The bottom bun (a.k.a. the conclusion paragraph)

Open Ended

What are three important keywords (=mots-clés) that you gathered from the essay-writing presentation?
(submit 3 keywords that have struck you)

Multiple Choice

What are the three main parts of a literary essay?

• 1. 1.Introduction

  2. 2.Thesis statement

  3. 3.Conclusion

• 1.Thesis statement

  2. 2.Body

  3. 3.Textual evidence

• 1.Introduction

  2.Body

  3.Conclusion

• 1.Introduction

  2.Body

  3.Arguments

Multiple Choice

What's the most important thing for a successful essay?

• 1. Have topic sentences to each §

• Have a well-structured thesis statement

• End the essay in a general way.

• Summarise the book.

Multiple Choice

Which one of the following answers represents how to construct a § in the body of your essay?

• 1. 1. topic sentence

  2. 2. textual evidence

  3. 3. explanation

  4. 4. result / conclusion

• 1. 1. topic sentence

  2. 2. result

• 1. textual evidence

  2. 2. explanation

  3. 3. result /conclusion

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is "evidence"?

• In chapter 2 of the Little Prince, the lexical field of childhood depicts the innocence of the Little Prince.

• Therefore, the reader is encouraged to think of his own childhood memories in order to put himself into the prince's shoes.

• That explains the imaginative world in which the Little Prince and the other characters evolve.

Multiple Choice

Which one of the following is "explanation"?

• In chapter 2 of the Little Prince, the lexical field of childhood depicts the innocence of the Little Prince.

• Therefore, the reader is encouraged to think of his own childhood memories in order to put himself into the prince's shoes.

• That explains the imaginative world in which the Little Prince and the other characters evolve.

Multiple Choice

What's the difference between summarising and analysing?

• An analysis explains why things are a certain way and their effect.

  A summary is a short description of the book and its main points.

• An analysis retells the story from the perspective of the reader.

  A summary reviews the important aspects of a story.

• An analysis is shorter than a summary.

  A summary is longer than an analysis.

Multiple Choice

What are the three main components of a thesis statement?

(three main questions)

• WHAT

  WHERE

  WHY

• WHAT

  HOW

  WHEN

• WHO

  WHICH

  WHY

• WHAT

  HOW

  WHY

Open Ended

List as many linking words as possible:

Fill in the Blanks

When you write an essay, it is important to start with an

, then write the essay, and finally proofread it.