IE3W Lesson 1: Essay Structure

9/30/2015

Hi everyone,

It was really great to meet everyone today! It's going to be a busy semester, but you'll see your writing skills improve quickly during our course.

Course Syllabus and Schedule:
At the beginning of our lesson, we went through the course guide and weekly schedule. From next week, you'll be writing parts of your essay each week. It'll be very important to manage your time so that you meet the deadlines. All of our course information can be found in the IE3 Writing Course Information section.

Essay Structure:
In our lesson, we learned the structure of an essay, which has three parts:
1. Introduction
2. Body Paragraphs (3)
3. Conclusion

We also learned about a classification essay and read a sample in class. The key point to remember is that you need a "principle of classification" when you decide your sub-topics for your essay.

From next week, we’re going to start writing our essay. We’ll learn about the “introduction” in more detail in class, and then you’ll write it for homework.

Topic Selection:
You also had some time to brainstorm topics (and subtopics) for your classification essay. When you choose your topic, make sure that it isn’t too general and isn’t too specific.

Homework:

Bring a B5 notebook and pocket file
Identify the parts of the sample classification essay (bring to class)
Blog Posting #1

Blog Question #1:

What is the topic of your classification essay? What are your three sub-topics?

Example:
I’m going to write about the most popular tourist destinations for overseas tourists in Tokyo: the Imperial Palace, the Asakusa Kanno Temple and the Tsukiji fish market.

*Write 2-3 sentences.
*Use capitalization, punctuation & spelling correctly.
*Submit by Tuesday, October 6 by 6:00pm.

53 Comments

IE3W-Nanako

9/30/2015 05:21:44 am

I'm going to write about famous college students' trip to abroad. And I have picked up these three: America, England and Australia.

Nicole

10/2/2015 02:41:46 am

Hi Nanako,

You've chosen an interesting topic to write about for your essay.

You can re-word your topic as: Popular countries Japanese Students Choose for Vacation.

Remember these grammar points:
famous means 有名な
popular means 人気がある

In your essay, use formal names of countries. You need to use the United States (U.S.) and the United Kingdom (U.K.).

Good work!
Nicole

IE3W-saki.n

9/30/2015 05:35:48 am

For my classification essay, I'd like to write about the three places where tourists visit in Japan. Those three places are Kyoto, Tokyo, and Okinawa.

10/2/2015 02:43:12 am

Hi Saki,

You've chose a good topic for your essay. You can make it a little more specific. For example, "three popular places tourists visit in Japan."

Good work!
Nicole

IE3W-Yuuka

9/30/2015 05:39:13 am

I'm going to write about the style and changes of fashion through the years. I've picked the 60s, 70s, and the 80s for my three sub-topics.

10/2/2015 02:45:22 am

Hi Yuuka,

Your topic and subtopics are very good. However, you need to choose a specific country. Fashion is very different in every country.

For example, "the changes in fashion in Japan."

Choose a country before our next lesson.

Good work!
Nicole

Ryoma

9/30/2015 05:40:35 am

I'm going to write about the various kind of the world cup.The 3 thing I pick for the subtopic are soccer,rugby,and ski.

10/2/2015 02:49:13 am

Hi Ryoma,

That's a very interesting topic. You can re-word your topic as "Three Popular World Cups."

For your third subtopic, you'll need to say "alpine ski."

Good work!
Nicole

IE3W-Shoko

9/30/2015 06:04:14 am

I am going to write about the way of getting informations. The three subtopics will be television, newspaper and the Internet.

10/2/2015 02:51:52 am

Hi Shoko,

You've given a clearly stated topic and subtopic, but this topic is too easy for a university essay. Also, it is a topic that is "common knowledge." By this, I mean that most people know this topic very well. You need to write on a topic where you will learn something new.

Please choose a new topic and subtopics by October 7 by 6:00pm and repost it below.

Thanks,
Nicole

10/6/2015 03:15:03 am

I am going to change my topic to junk foods. I will compare the including nutrients in hamburgers, french fries and hot dogs.

IE3W-Saki U

9/30/2015 07:07:41 am

I'm going to write about world-famous animations. And I chose these three as sub-topics: Pixar, Universal pictures and STUDIO GHIBLI.

10/2/2015 02:54:25 am

Hi Saki,

You've chosen a good topic and subtopics. For your topic, you can re-word it as "Popular animation studios."

Remember this grammar point: Don't use all capital letters for words in your essay. Use the rules of capitalisation. This means that proper nouns (e.g. names of people, cities, companies) have a capital letter only for the first letter.

For example: Studio Ghibli

Good work!
Nicole

IE3W-Takumi

9/30/2015 07:35:55 am

I am going to write about music festivals in Japan. I would like to write about three rock festivals as subtopics, and the three festivals are Rock in Japan Festival, Summer Sonic and Fuji Rock Festival.

10/2/2015 02:55:20 am

Hi Takumi,

Great topic and subtopics. You can re-word your topic as "popular music festivals in Japan."

Great work!
Nicole

IE3W-Kana

9/30/2015 07:27:06 pm

I’m going to write about Japan’s most popular fast food chains. The three subtopics are McDonald’s, Mister Donut and Mos Burger.

10/2/2015 02:56:10 am

Hi Kana,

Great choice for your topic and subtopics. You subtopics logically connect to your topic.

Great work!
Nicole

IE3W-Mayu

10/1/2015 09:42:35 pm

Today, so many tourists visit Japan. I'm going to write about popular sightseeing spots in Japan. Three subtopics are Hiroshima, Kyoto and Tokyo.

10/2/2015 02:56:47 am

Hi Mayu,

Great topic and subtopics. Your subtopics logically connect to your topic.

Super work!
Nicole

IE3W-Ryosuke

10/2/2015 03:57:16 am

I would like to write about political thought in modern Japan.
The three subtopics will be the right wing, the centrist and the left wing.
The reason why I chose the above topic is that I believe I must appreciate political ideology in modern Japan as a citizen in order to make Japan better in the future.

10/4/2015 09:12:34 pm

Hi Ryosuke,

You've chosen a challenging and interesting topic. Your subtopics are very broad. Since you want to learn about the Japanese political system, I would choose three specific parties (e.g. 自民党, 民主党, etc.) In Japan, it will be difficult to write about "left parties" that are similar to ones in the U.S. or Europe. Some consider 民主党 a "left-party," but their agenda is quite conservative.

Please reply below with three specific political parties that you would like to write about in your essay.

Good work!
Nicole

10/5/2015 04:58:12 am

Thank you for reply to my idea.
I would like to write about the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan(自由民主党), the Democrtic Party of Japan(民主党) and the Japanese Communist Party(日本共産党).
Each political party has differrent idologies.

Haruka

10/2/2015 08:17:23 am

I'm going to write about games which are famous in Japan. My hobby is playing games on my phone and I have been playing video games since I was eight years old. I know a lot of games especially games for smartphones, so I'm going to recommend some kinds of games I like.

10/4/2015 09:14:07 pm

Hi Haruka,

You've chosen a popular and interesting topic. However, you need to list three subtopics. These will be three games. You also need to classify them according to your opinion (e.g. most popular, most difficult, easiest, etc.).

Please reply with three subtopics (and your main idea about them) below.

Good start!
Nicole

10/6/2015 04:48:49 am

Sorry to be late to respond to you Ms.Takeda.
My main topic is "games has changed with the times of Japan " and the subtopics are "the games of '70s and '80s" "'90s and 2000s" and "present". For example,like Mario,TV tennis,Pokemon,and so on.

IE3W-DANIELLE-Danielle

10/4/2015 04:22:39 am

I would like to write about "The most mysterious places in the world". And the three subtopics would be Stonehenge,Nazca lines,and Teotihuacan.

10/4/2015 09:17:41 pm

Hi Danielle,

What an interesting topic! Your topic and subtopics are ok. You should change the word "mysterious" to "mystic" (e.g. the three most mystic places in the world).

Remember these grammar points:
1. Use and/but/so to CONNECT sentences. Don't use those words to start sentences.
2. For your punctuation, leave a space after a period and a comma.
3. When you talk about "Nazca lines, you need to say "the Nazca lines."

Good work!
Nicole

IE3W-HIDEAKI

10/5/2015 01:16:58 am

I'm going to write about uniqueness of soccer in each country: Japan, Spain and United Kingdom.

10/5/2015 02:11:59 pm

Hi Hideaki,

Great topic and subtopics! You can re-word your main idea as "the unique features of soccer."

Good work!
Nicole

Shunsuke

10/5/2015 03:33:34 am

I 'm going to write about the three countries that Japanese people visit the most and the reasons why people like them. The three subtopics are China,Korea, America.

10/5/2015 02:14:59 pm

Hi Shunsuke,

Your topic, main idea and subtopics all logically connect to each other. Great! You can re-word your topic and main idea as "there are three countries Japanese like to visit the most."

Remember these grammar point:
1. You don't need to say Japanese people. The word "Japanese" is a noun in this situation, which refer to the "people of Japan."

2. Use the formal name of "America." You need to use the United States (U.S.) in your essay.

Great work!
Nicole

IE3W-Iyona

10/5/2015 06:56:23 am

I'm going to write about Korean singers who are famous in Japan. The three subtopics will be TVXQ, SNSD and BTS.

10/5/2015 02:16:39 pm

Hi Iyona,

You have an interesting topic. Your main idea and subtopics connect to your topic. You can re-word your main idea as "popular Korean musicians in Japan."

Good work!
Nicole

IE3W-Mizuki

10/5/2015 06:57:09 pm

I’m going to write about the life style differences of college students: Japanese students, Thai students and Malaysian students.

10/6/2015 02:41:38 am

Hi Mizuki,

We are writing a classification essay. You have chosen a topic for a compare-contrast essay.

You need to choose a new topic. If you are interested in about lifestyles, an example would be types of lifestyles of Japanese students: living at home, living in dormitories and living on their own.

Remember that we are not comparing our subtopics. We are simply giving information about each one.

Please tell me your new topic and subtopics in class tomorrow.

Good try,
Nicole

IE3W-Gon

10/5/2015 06:58:10 pm

I’m going to write about the difference between 3 universities in Tokyo. The universities will be Waseda, Keio and Aoyama.

10/6/2015 02:44:01 am

Hi Gon,

You've chosen a topic for a compare-contrast essay. Also, there is no principle of comparison among your subtopics. For example, Waseda and Keio are considered two of the top universities in Japan. AGU is a very good university, but it doesn't have the same ranking.

Remember that we are simply giving information about your subtopics. We are not comparing or contrasting them.

Please give me your new topic and subtopics in tomorrow's lesson.

Good try,
Nicole

IE3W-William

10/5/2015 07:06:46 pm

I'm going to write about famous car companies in Japan. The subtopics are Toyota, Honda, and Nissan.

10/6/2015 02:45:21 am

Hi William,

You've chosen a good topic with logically connected subtopics. Change "famous" to "the most popular car companies."

Good work!
Nicole

IE3W-Seicho Kin

10/5/2015 07:25:18 pm

I want to talk about 3 martial arts. Karate, Muay Thai and Tarkwondo. I will want to talk about the difference and similarity between those 3.

10/6/2015 02:48:41 am

Hi Seicho,

We are not writing a compare-contrast essay. We are writing a classification essay. You have a topic (martial arts) and subtopics (karate, mauy thai and taekwondo). You now need a main idea (e.g. the most dangerous martial arts, the most difficult, the most popular, etc.)

Remember that you do not need a capital letter for these martial arts.

Please tell me your main idea for your thesis in tomorrow's lesson.

Good work,
Nicole

IEⅢ-Sae

10/5/2015 09:54:36 pm

I’m going to write about how climate affect the way people live in 3 countries: Japan, Finland and Brazil. I might change a sub topic from Brazil to Singapore.
I am also thinking about other topic which is high school education system in 3 countries: Japan, Ireland and Finland.

Could I choose which one to write by tomorrow's class? I am sorry that I wrote more than 3 sentences.

10/6/2015 02:55:22 am

Hi Sae,

Your homework was to choose ONE topic, main idea and subtopics by the deadline.

For your first topic, this is a cause-effect topic. We are writing a classification essay. Your topic and subtopics are too broad for a classification essay. An example of a classification essay on climate would be the "types of climate in Japan."

For your second topic, this is a compare-contrast essay, so you can't choose it for a classification essay. If you are interested in education, you could write on the types of learning styles (e.g. visual, auditory, kinaesthetic).

Please tell me your topic, main idea and subtopics in tomorrow's lesson.

Good try,
Nicole

IE3W Yume

10/5/2015 10:52:30 pm

I'm going to write about popular Disney characters :Mickey,Donald,and Goofy.

10/6/2015 02:50:03 am

Hi Yume,

Your topic, main idea and subtopics all connect to each other logically.

Good work!
Nicole

IE3W-Misaki

10/5/2015 11:52:00 pm

I am going to write about difference where we drink coffee. And the three subtopics will be the coffee shop, the convenience store and the homemaid.

10/6/2015 02:59:27 am

Hi Misaki,

Your topic is ok. However, remember that we are writing a classification essay - we give information about our three classifications. You do not have to compare the different ways. Therefore, your topic and main idea would be "common ways people enjoy coffee."

For your expression "homemade coffee," a better expression is "home-brewed coffee."

When something is "homemade," this means it is made form different ingredients.

Good work!
Nicole

IE3W-Yuu

10/6/2015 12:49:57 am

I'm going to write about cafes in Japan. Today there are a lot of cafes in Japan. The topics I will write are STAR BUCKS, Doutor and TULLY'S.

10/6/2015 03:01:16 am

Hi Yuu,

Your topic and subtopics are OK. However, you need to add a "main idea." For example, you can say the most popular coffee shops.

Also, pay attention to the use of capital letters. For proper nouns (=the names of people, companies, etc), you only use a capital letter for the first letter (e.g. Starbucks, Doutour, and Tully's).

Good work!
Nicole

Momona

10/6/2015 12:51:44 am

I am going to write about the
different types of religions.
Top three organized religions which are Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism are going to be my subtopic.

10/6/2015 03:02:09 am

Hi Momona,

You've chosen a challenging and interesting topic. Your topic, main idea and subtopics all connect together logically.

Great work!
Nicole

IE3W-Miki

10/6/2015 01:34:27 am

I'm going to write about types of essay. The subtopics are compare and contrast essay, cause and effect essay and narrative essay.

10/6/2015 03:03:25 am

Hi Miki,

You are taking a writing class, and learning about different types of essay. Also, in IE2 Writing, you learned about some of these essay. Therefore, you wouldn't be learning anything new for this essay.

Please choose a new topic, main idea and subtopics for tomorrow's lesson.

Good try,
Nicole

IE3W Lesson 1: Essay Structure

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