Putting it all together

Last updated: 13 Oct 2008

Now that we have seen several models for the essay, let's choose one and approach the essay example given above.

The analysis of an argument example given was:

The Awesome Energy Riders have become an extremely popular toy line for the ACME Co. Management at Hollywood Pictures thinks that this success will translate to the silver screen, and have bought the rights of the Awesome Energy Riders to make four pictures.

Discuss how well reasoned you find the plan of Hollywood Pictures. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusions.

And our notes from the brainstorming session:

• Riders will not be successful in movie format
• Riders movie will be poorly made
• Riders movie would be too violent
• first movie is good, but successors flop
• parents won't take kids to movie
• fall out of fashion quickly

Let's now choose one of the model essay structures shown on the last page:

Model 1

1^st paragraph: state the author's argument before announcing whether you agree or disagree with it

2^nd paragraph: support your critique

3^rd paragraph: further support

4^th paragraph: further support

5^th paragraph: conclusion

Now let's fit our brainstorming with this essay model:

1^st paragraph: Introduction

• Riders will not be successful in movie format
• Riders movie would be too violent
• but not totally convincing

2^nd paragraph

• what if success doesn't translate to silver screen? i.e., too violent, too scary for children.
• what if director/producer is bad

3^rd paragraph

• parents won't take kids to movie

4^th paragraph

• first movie is good, but successors flop
• fall out of fashion quickly

5^th paragraph: conclusion

Now you don't have to re-write everything again when you fit your notes with an essay model.

Just put numbers corresponding to a paragraph beside each point in your brainstorming notes, so that you know which paragraph you will put each idea.

Before we turn this into an essay we will look at some useful vocabulary.

Next page: Useful vocabulary