The four kinds of essay, and how to develop a one-line claim into the spine of everything you'll write.
Your Presentation 1 self-reflection and a one-sentence objective.
The writing unit begins, essay types, and turning that objective into a thesis.
Workbook Ch 1 & 7, essay types (p. 9) and thesis statements (pp. 29 to 33). This week sets up the paragraph and the essay.
The prompt's verb tells you which one you're writing, and the kind decides what shape your thesis must take.
Break a thing into parts and judge how they work. The thesis states the conclusion of your analysis.
Explain how or why something is as it is. The thesis names the differences or causes you'll develop.
Stake a contestable claim and defend it against the obvious objection. The thesis previews your supporting points.
Take a defensible position and develop it mostly through your own analysis. This is the essay you'll write.
| If the prompt says… | It's… | Your thesis must… |
|---|---|---|
| assess, evaluate, analyse | Analytical | state the conclusion of the analysis. |
| compare, explain, trace | Expository | name the causes or differences. |
| argue, defend, propose | Argumentative | stake a claim and preview support. |
| discuss, comment, respond | Commentary | take a position; signal judgement. |
Your first attempt is a draft. The good version comes from pushing the weak one through three or four honest revisions.
“Determine whether Coupang's logistics or its pricing reset Korean consumer expectations.”
“Coupang reset Korean retail through last-mile logistics density, not price, and rivals copying its prices keep missing why.”
An objective opens a question. A thesis commits to an answer you can defend.
Say your working thesis aloud. Which rung of the ladder is it standing on?
“Technology has changed society.” True of everything; arguable of nothing.
“Korea hosted the 1988 Olympics.” Nothing to defend.
“K-pop is important for many reasons.” Which reasons? Important how?
“This essay covers A, B and C.” A table of contents, not an argument.
“…through logistics density, not price” tells the reader your body has at least two paragraphs: one proving logistics, one ruling out price. The claim is the outline.
For each, name the problem (broad / fact / vague / list) and rewrite it as a defensible claim.
Trade rewrites. Can your partner disagree with each one? If not, it hasn't climbed far enough.
Take your Week-5 objective and develop the working thesis for your essay.
This outline is the skeleton of your Week-8 paragraph and your Week-11 essay. Save it in your Writing Journal.
Paragraphs that prove. Topic sentences, the LEAF model, and paraphrasing, building the unit your essay is made of.
Week 06 · Next, Paragraphs, Topic Sentences & Paraphrasing