Term	Definition	Note
	Essay	A piece of writing that gives your thoughts (commentary) about a subject. All essays you will write will have at least five paragraphs: an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph.	Persuasive writing, the focus of this course, attempts to convince the reader that what you think about the topic matters and should be deeply considered.
		PARTS OF THE ESSAY
1.	Introduction (Also called the introductory paragraph)	The first paragraph in an essay.	It includes introductory information and the thesis, most often at the end
2.	Thesis	A sentence with a subject and opinion (also called commentary).	In more advanced and complex writing, a thesis may be several sentences, even paragraphs. You will receive additional detailed information about thesis statements later in the unit.
3.	Body Paragraph	A middle paragraph in an essay.	It develops a point you want to make that supports your thesis.
4.	Topic Sentence	The first sentence in a body paragraph. This sentence must have a subject and opinion (commentary) for the paragraph.	A topic sentence does the same thing for a paragraph that the thesis does for the essay.
5.	Concrete Detail (CD)	Specific details form the backbone or core of your body paragraphs.	Synonyms for concrete details include facts, specifics, examples, support, descriptions, illustrations, proof, evidence, quotations, paraphrasing, and plot references. (KNOW THESE)
6.	Commentary (CM)	Your opinion or comment about something.	Synonyms for commentary include opinion, insight, analysis, interpretation, inference, personal response, feelings, evaluation, application, relevance, explication, and reflection. (KNOW THESE)
7.	Chunk	One sentence of concrete detail and two sentences of commentary.	A chunk is the smallest unified group of thoughts you can write.
8.	Concluding Sentence	The last sentence in a body paragraph. It is all commentary.	Do not repeat key words. It gives a finished feeling to the paragraph and may help transition to the next paragraph.
		PARTS OF THE ESSAY (continued)
9.	Concluding Paragraph (Also called the conclusion)	The last paragraph in your essay. It may sum up your ideas, reflect on what you said in your essay, add commentary about the subject or give a personal statement about the subject (but not one unsupported by the body of the essay).	Conclusions generally do not include concrete details and do not repeat key words from your paper – especially not from your thesis and introductory paragraph. It gives a finished feeling to the essay. In persuasive writing, it explains the relevance of the subject and the reason your view on the subject is vital to consider.

		STEPS IN THE WRITING PROCESS:	Some writers simply begin writing (drafting). However, this too is a form of pre-writing. Following the draft, a good writer will pick their own writing apart and either shape it or use a graphic organizer (thinking map) before beginning again. These steps may be jumbled and repeated, but none should be excluded.
1.	Pre-Writing	The process of getting concrete details down on paper before organizing an essay into paragraphs.	Forms of pre-writing include Thought Exercises, daily writing prompts and thinking maps (e.g., bubble clusters, spider diagrams, outlines, columns, Venn diagrams, flow charts, brainstorm lists).
2.	Shaping	The step that begins the organization of the essay.	Create an outline of the thesis, topic sentences, concrete details, and commentary ideas.
3.	First Draft	The first version of the organized essay.	Also called the rough draft.
4.	Peer Response	Written responses and reactions to another’s paper.	Also called peer review. Peer review may also be verbal during in-class workshops
5.	Revision	The process of considering and incorporating peer suggestions for improvement.	This step should be repeated several times. In the latter stages, it may also include incorporating the instructor’s feedback and specific attention to all of the six-trait areas.
6.	Final Draft	The final version of the essay.	This typically occurs when it’s time to move on to a new project or topic because almost every essay can be continually improved. I encourage students to continually revise and resubmit their work as much as they wish. REMEMBER: WRITING IS THINKING – WRITING IS REWRITING – REWRITING IS RETHINKING