Essay Do's and Don'ts

Lucia Engkent has taught English composition and English for Academic Purposes for more than thirty years in several post-secondary institutions, including Seneca College, the University of Waterloo, York University, and the University of Alberta. Throughout her teaching career, she has written instructional materials such as institutional assessment tests and online material. Her six published textbooks include Skill Set (OUP Canada), Fiction/Non-Fiction: A Reader and Rhetoric (Harcourt), and Take Part: Speaking Canadian English (Pearson).Garry Engkent has taught English composition and literature for more than thirty years in several post-secondary institutions, including Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly known as Ryerson University), Seneca College, the University of Toronto, and the University of Alberta. Garry is the co-author of Groundwork: Writing Skills to Build On (Pearson) and Fiction/Non-Fiction: A Reader and Rhetoric (Harcourt).

• PrefaceChapter 1: The BasicsWrite clearly and conciselyAnswer the question and follow instructionsFollow the writing processHave something to sayMake your point and support itRecognize the difference between spoken and written EnglishUse appropriate styleRead to become a better writerThink criticallyPractise writingKnow your strengths and weaknessesEdit and correct your workUse resources wiselyBecoming a better writerChapter 2: Essay StructureChoose your topic wiselyBrainstorm to gather your ideasOrganize your ideas into body paragraphsWrite an outlineWrite an effective thesis statementWrite a titleIntroduce your topicDevelop ideas in body paragraphsWrite a satisfying conclusionEdit your draftStudy sample essaysPractise essay writingEssay checklistChapter 3: Types of EssaysDistinguish between personal and impersonal essaysNarrateDescribeClassify and defineDescribe processExplain causes and effectsComparePersuadeAnswer essay questions on testsApproaching essay assignmentsChapter 4: Writing about ReadingsDistinguish between fiction and non-fictionParaphraseSummarizeAnalyze non-fictionAnalyze fictionAnalyze poetryUnderstand literary termsWrite about what you readChapter 5: Research and DocumentationPrepare for research workFind suitable sources of informationTake notes as you researchFollow the basic principles of documentationQuote effectivelyUse MLA styleSample MLA research essayUse APA styleSample APA research essayResearch guidelinesChapter 6: VocabularyRecognize parts of speechUnderstand usage-The ways words are usedUse synonymsConsider connotationRecognize jargon, register, dialect, slang, and idiomsImprove your spellingBuild your vocabularyVocabulary checklistChapter 7: Grammar and Sentence StructureUnderstand basic sentence patternsUse verb tenses correctlyUse the passive voice effectivelyMake sure pronouns have clear, correct antecedentsUse singular and plural forms correctlyUse articles correctlyForm possessives correctlyDon't confuse s endingsUnderstand the use of prepositionsJoin words, phrases, and clauses with coordinating conjunctionsMake adverb clauses with subordinating conjunctionsUse adjective clauses to add informationUse noun clauses as subjects or objectsReduce clauses to phrases for concisenessAvoid misplaced modifiersUse clauses and phrases effectivelyEnsure sentences are completeCorrect your mistakesGrammar checklistChapter 8: Punctuation and FormatMark the end of each sentenceCapitalize proper nouns and the first word of a sentenceSeparate sections of a sentence with commasDistinguish between semicolons and colonsUse apostrophes for possession and contractionsUse space correctlyShow quotationsDistinguish hyphens from dashesUse italics for words used in special waysFormat your essayPunctuation and format checklistAppendix A: Selected Readings"Containing Health Myths in the Age of Viral Misinformation" by Roger Collier"The Downsides of Vaccine Passports Have Been Exaggerated" by Blake Murdoch"Why Are We So Shocked by Recent Waves of Anti-Asian Violence?" by Kate Shao and Kennes Lin"I'm Black. I'm Male. Give Me the Benefit of the Doubt, Please" by Daniel Reid Newell"The Story of an Hour" by Kate ChopinAppendix B: Sample Annotated EssaysAppendix C: Answer KeyGlossaryIndex