How to Create Effective ESL Essays
Posted on April 23, 2009
You are a foreign student who wants to study in America and takes the ESL (English as a Second Language) program. Well, your mission is rather difficult, since you need to learn a lot of things about English to be able to study in any American institution.
Besides, education traditions in the United States and elsewhere in the West are different from those in your native country. Thus, ESL students should get ready to work hard.
We recommend you pay special attention to ESL essays. The way you express ideas in written form is something that professors in all American institutions take very seriously.
By the way, right now you do not need to learn some special secrets of writing. Instead, you should focus on the basic principles.
Perhaps, you have looked through a number of ESL essay samples but still do not understand those principles. Well, our writers have some good tips on how to write an essay for the ESL program.
ESL essays: tip 1
One of the main principles of American writing is a strong thesis statement. The purpose of a thesis statement is to:
- Define the main reason for writing an essay;
- Indicate the author’s position on a matter.
So, practice creating good thesis statements when writing ESL essays.
ESL essays: tip 2
Structuring is another important aspect of American writing. As a rule, they write 5 paragraph essays, and such structure is considered standard. So, make sure that your ESL essay includes the following sections:
- Introduction (the thesis statement is the last sentence of your introductory paragraph);
- Main body (usually includes 3 points or paragraphs);
- Conclusion (summarizes everything said).
ESL essays: tip 3
American professors take plagiarism very seriously. So, practice citing sources when writing ESL essays.
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Revising, Editing, and Proofreading: What Is the Point?
Posted on April 22, 2009
Revising, editing, or proofreading…whatever you call it, it is the final and important stage of the whole writing process. Revising and editing might influence the grade on your paper greatly. A “B” or a “C” – it really makes a difference!
By the way, do you know the difference between revising and editing? Many students use these words interchangeably, but actually, these are different processes.
So, let our writers explain you the essentials of revising and editing.
Revising papers
In a few words, revising essays means taking a deeper look at what you have written. At this stage, you have to focus on the content of your essay. Re-read your essay several times and check what ideas can be changed or even eliminated. Make sure that you do not deviate from the main idea. Paragraphs of your paper should be connected to a thesis statement, each supporting and explaining it.
Editing papers
At this stage, you check such things as punctuation, grammar, and spelling. If grammar and punctuation rules are not your strong point, better get equipped with grammar books and other specific manuals.
Now, let us give you some general recommendations for revising and editing.
- Put your paper aside for a while after you complete it. Efficient revising and editing require a fresh look at what you have written.
- After you finish revising and editing, let someone else read your paper. Thus, you will get more ideas on how your essay can be improved.
- If you feel that revising and editing is something you cannot cope with, turn to professional editors. There are a lot of online essay services that can make your paper perfect. Some of them are free, while others require certain payment.
A Comprehensive Guide to Writing Rhetorical Essays
Posted on April 21, 2009
Before writing this article, we conducted a survey. Frankly, we expected better results, but it turned out that a great number of students know almost nothing about rhetorical essays.
We presume you are among those students if you are looking for answers in this article. Well, you will definitely get them!
We have to tell you straight away that a rhetorical essay is quite an ambiguous task. The point is that we know at least two ways of completing and interpreting rhetorical essays. Thus, let us discuss both of them.
Rhetorical analysis essays
Can you say that critical thinking skills are your strong point? If your answer is positive, you have a chance to produce an effective rhetorical analysis essay. You will have to read a text critically and then present on paper all ideas and discoveries that you have made in the process of reading.
There are several questions that you need to answer before you start writing your rhetorical analysis essay:
- Who is the author of the text? What do you know about him/her? What is your attitude to this person?
- What is the text about?
- Did the author develop a strong argument?
- Do you see any fallacies about the author’s argument?
So, when writing a rhetorical analysis essay, you have to define the overall effectiveness of a certain text.
Rhetorical essays: option #2
Another way to prepare a rhetorical essay is to write a paper using rhetorical methods. Probably, after the words “rhetorical methods” the images of some unreal monsters pop into your mind. But! We have good news for you. You are familiar with those methods. They are:
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Mind-Blowing Ideas for Essays on Fear
Posted on April 17, 2009
Fear seems to be a really exciting topic to discuss. Fear is a feeling that every person faces sooner or later. Even the strongest and most brave people are afraid of something.
Obviously, right now, you are afraid to get a low grade on your essay on fear. You realize that the topic is fascinating, and you cannot write something like ‘I am so afraid of snakes” in your essay on fear.
Well, do not be afraid, since we have what you are looking for. This is a list of some really good ideas for essays on fear.
Essays on fear: idea #1
Some people believe that fear is one of the main signs of weakness. Do you agree with it? Does fear mean that you are a weak person? Or, do you think that weakness and fear have different origins? Answer these questions in your essay on fear.
Essays on fear: idea #2
Your essay on fear can be based on some works of literature. We recommend you the works of Edgar Poe or George Orwell. What makes their works so scary? Do you like them? If you have a favorite one, tell about it in the essay on fear.
Essays on fear: idea #3
You definitely have some fears. What are they? Are you afraid of spiders or height? Can you overcome your fear right now? Then we ask you to find an ugly spider, for instance, hold it for a while, and then describe your feelings in the essay on fear. Believe us, such essay on fear will stand out.
If you do not think these ideas fit your paper, you can scan through free essays on fear. Find out what other students think about this feeling and choose to cover in their papers.
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The Basic Principles of Writing a Documented Essay
Posted on April 16, 2009
Are you still trying to figure out what a documented essay is? You know, it is closer than you think. Do you know that research papers and term papers are also called documented essays? So, congratulations! Consider your teacher wants you to prepare a term or research paper.
Yes, this work is going to be a bit more complicated than essays you have written before. Let us explain you the main difference between documented essays and typical essays.
Assertions that you made in previous essays were mostly based on your observations, ideas, and beliefs. All assertions that you have to make in your documented essay should be supported with evidences from different kinds of sources.
Now, let us give you more details about writing a documented essay.
Topics for documented essays
A list of topics for documented essays is just endless, and choosing a good idea for your documented essay will be one of the main challenges. You can either develop topics that you have already investigated further or pick something new. Yet, there is a golden rule that you have to keep in mind: your choice of a topic for a documented essay should depend on your interests, preferences and knowledge.
Sources for documented essays
Sources that you use when writing your documented essay are the main key to success. You will have to work with primary and secondary sources, collect data from books and publications or make an experiment, conduct surveys to get necessary data.
Documenting sources
It is actually the gist of writing documented essays. All sources should be cited and arranged into a Bibliography list. Mind that you will have to learn the rules of MLA, APA, and some other citation styles. We suggest you read articles about MLA research paper and APA research paper.
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