Definition Essay

 

A Brief Guide to Writing Definition Essays   by Cheryll A. Barker, Writing Tutor

The definition essay defines something, perhaps a particular word or idea. It is often a combination of the cause and effect, the descriptive, the narrative, the process, and the comparison / contrast essays, all working together to create a complete definition of a multifaceted subject.

Let’s say you are taking a test, and on the test you are asked to define the word "feminism." A dictionary, for example, defines the word feminism as “the theory of political, economical, and social equality of the sexes.” There is nothing wrong with this definition, but it does not give the reader a complete understanding of the word because it does not include the connotation of the word--the added meaning that society gives a word over time. Many people, for instance, think of feminists as outspoken and assertive, yet this is not part of the dictionary definition.

To write a successful definition essay you must share all the knowledge you have obtained on the subject. In order for the reader to have an absolute understanding of the word "feminism," you may want to start with the history. From that point you could tell about the men and women who saw the need for equality, and finally how feminism affects us today.

Features

Definition essays can focus on words or phrases which are:

• Obscure, unknown--the definition given is usually formal Do Not Do This Type
• Necessary to a field of study-usually formal definitions are given Do Not Do This Type
• Misunderstood--these essays often focus on the value of a correct understanding or the history of how the word became misunderstood
• Abstract--Often-informal definitions will be given of abstract words like love or beauty with the purpose of making these abstractions more accessible or concrete. Often these definitions are highly personal.
• Commonplace--sometimes definition essays will focus on commonplace words for the purpose of leading readers to a new appreciation of the word or to revitalize the word.

Selecting a Subject

1.    When selecting a subject, remember that most words or ideas have many different meanings. Do not hesitate to explore and use those meanings. A word as simple as "dark" can refer to what happens to the sky when the sun goes down, a shade of a color, the presence of evil, or a person’s mysterious side.

2.    After choosing the subject you want to define, and carefully considering all of its meanings, organize all of your thoughts in the order that would best convey the message you want to get across to the reader. An outline works best for this step.

3.    Decide what style of essay you want to use. If you are breaking your definition into parts, the process method may be your best choice. If you are defining by comparing your subject to another, comparison and contrast may be your approach. You will find the longer your definition is, the greater the chances are of using several of the techniques of writing an essay.

4.    Avoid defining a word by quoting the dictionary. Example: Webster’s dictionary says . . .

5.    Avoid defining with "is when" and "is where." These adverb-phrase introducers only describe words, rather than define them.

Definition Essay Strategies

1. Discuss what “it” is NOT.
2. Highlight its history—only if it is common knowledge to avoid having to cite it.
3. Describe something it causes or something it affects.
4. Explain its process of functioning. 
5. Discuss it by comparing or contrasting it to other things.
6. Classify it and identify its unique properties.
7. Discuss it by describing it physically and/or emotionally.
8. Tell stories about it.
9. Give examples of it.

 

 

DUE DATES:

Your Definition  Essay: Post By Friday, July 26th (Note this is a two-week block, so please make this your best essay!)

Your Comments on Two of your Peer's Essays: Post By Monday, July 29th.

Please note your responses to your peers for this assignment are different than previous requirements.  See Below***

Please be advised of the following:

•  This is a Graded Assignment of Pass/Fail.  No Rubric included; but nonsense writing will not receive credit--and this includes pointless comments to your peers such as: "I really liked your essay" or "I never knew how to change a tire before and now I know." 

• Use Net Etiquette when responding to your peers, i.e., "Dear Kanoe" and "Sincerely Michael."

• Do not adhere to MLA format for your essay, meaning heading, spacing, font, and such; otherwise, your essay will take up too much room on the blog site.  But give your essay a title.

• Include your name and the name of your Academy at the end of the essay.

• Most importantly: Have Fun!  Writing should be fun and not painful.  So find something that makes you want to share it with others.  This way you will be able to do your best work and practice what makes a good writer: Someone who cares deeply and passionately about their subject.  Once you care about your topic/subject, the rest of the essay becomes easy.

• ****Response to Your Peers

• Discuss the organizational structure they used for their essay.  For example, do they begin with a narrative, then discuss the cause and effects of what they are defining, and follow it with a discussion on what "it" is not with an ending that gives several details on what "it" is? 

• Cite details from your peer's essay that support your discussion.

 

 

 

 

Compare/Contrast Essay

A Comparison/Contrast essay is an essay in which you compare something or contrast something, or do both: compare and contrast.  To compare something means to emphasize the similarities between two or more things, concepts, or emotions.  To contrast something is to emphasize the differences between two or more things, concepts, or emotions.  But explaining something rarely falls into neat little compartments and quite often an author will emphasize how two things, ideas, or concepts are the same and different in order to convey a purpose.

In life we are constantly comparing and contrasting.  We do this in order to argue for what we believe in or what we want.  And we do it about something as benign as a new cell phone app to something very serious such as a relationship.  And while most of us are used to making these comparisons/contrasts verbally, in college and in high school, you will be required to do this on paper about very complex ideas.  In a nutshell, this analytical process—compare/contrast-- helps us make sense of the world in which we live.

There are two classic organizational patterns for a comparison/contrast essay.  One is called block format and the other is called point-by-point.  Below is an outline highlighting both patterns of organization.  Notice that this hypothetical essay would be examining the difference between vacationing in the mountains or at a beach.

Block Arrangement (four paragraphs) I. Introduction Set up the topic on what you will compare and/or contrast.  Refer to your resources on introductions.  End your introduction with a thesis statement that reveals your opinion on what you are comparing and contrasting.  Try to avoid writing a thesis that has a list.  Instead follow this example: Mountain vacations are the best place for people from southern California.   Topic + Opinion=Thesis Statement II. Mountains—One long block paragraph about the mountains A.  Climate B.  Types of Activities C.  Location  III. Beach—One lone block paragraph about the Beach A.  Climate B.  Types of Activities C.  Location  IV. Conclusion-Choose a concluding technique from your resources.   Point-by-Point or Alternating Arrangement (five paragraphs) I. Introduction—Same as above II. First difference between mountains and beaches is climate A.  Mountains B.  Beach III. Second difference between mountains and beaches are types of activities A.  Mountains B.  Beach IV. Third difference between mountains and beaches is the location A.  Mountains B.  Beach V. Conclusion

The above outlines represent a very simplistic strategy.  Remember, most topics do not neatly fall into simple categories and they may require not only a discussion on how they are different, but also how they are the same.  Some authors might discuss a topic’s similarities within an introduction and then use the bodied paragraphs to discuss their differences, or vice versa.  And then some authors may feel the need for a more elaborate discussion where differences and similarities are discussed point-by-point.

Just remember the most basic rule of thumb when writing: A paragraph is created when a new idea is introduced.  You may have several paragraphs to compare/contrast your topic and can even combine the block strategy with the point-by-point strategy.  So let your common sense dictate the organization of your essay.

For more explanations on Compare Contrast Essays, click on this link: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/compcontrast/

DUE DATES:

Your Compare/Contrast  Essay: Post By Friday, July 5th.

Your Comments on Two of your Peer's Essays: Post By Monday, July 8th.

Please be advised of the following:

 

•  This is a Graded Assignment of Pass/Fail.  No Rubric included; but nonsense writing will not receive credit--and this includes pointless comments to your peers such as: "I really liked your essay" or "I never knew how to change a tire before and now I know."  You need to practice noticing details or the lack thereof.  But make your comments supportive and meaningful; otherwise, don't comment and just lose part of the credit.

• Use Net Etiquette when responding to your peers, i.e., "Dear Kanoe" and "Sincerely Michael."

• Do not adhere to MLA format for your essay, meaning heading, spacing, font, and such; otherwise, your essay will take up too much room on the blog site.  But give your essay a title.

 

• Include your name and the name of your Academy at the end of the essay.

 

• Most importantly: Have Fun!  Writing should be fun and not painful.  So find something that makes you want to share it with others.  This way you will be able to do your best work and practice what makes a good writer: Someone who cares deeply and passionately about their subject.  Once you care about your topic/subject, the rest of the essay becomes easy.

Cause and Effect Analysis Essay

 

In high school and college you will write several essays that use the expository technique of Cause and Effect.  A Cause and Effect technique may control an entire essay or it may be part of an essay.  For example, in an essay that discusses how heat lightening works, part of the essay might explain the effects of heat lightening.  Similarly, if you were writing a narrative about how you had to suddenly move back to the mainland, your narrative might include why you had to move as well as some of the effects this sudden move had upon you.  Cause and Effect analysis can stand alone or can be combined with other writing patterns.  It just depends upon the purpose you are trying to achieve and your audience.

Sometimes Cause and Effect analyses include an explanation of causal chains.  In a causal chain, a cause leads to an effect; that effect becomes a cause that leads to another effect; then that effect becomes a cause, and so on.  For example, if being tall made a person feel awkward (effect); feeling awkward (cause) may have reduced their self-confidence (effect); their reduced self-confidence (cause) may make it hard for them to later make friends (effect).

After you choose your topic, be mindful of a couple Fallacies (errors in logic).

1.) Oversimplification.  Most cause-and-effect relationships are complex, involving multiple causes and effects.  Failure to consider important causes or effects is oversimplification.

Example: Violence against children is solely the result of poverty and lack of education.  While this may be true, it does not take into account several other causal relationships that lead to child abuse.

2.) Post hoc, ergo propter hoc, which means “after this, therefore because of this” assumes that a later event was caused by an earlier non-related event.  Taken to extremes, this error in logic can lead to superstitious thinking, like when a person sprains their ankle after breaking a mirror. Certainly the act of breaking a mirror could not contribute to spraining ones ankle.  That’s just silly thinking!

Cavemen Logic

New Resources are posted for you on the webpage under Third Essay Assignment.  There you will find a sample Cause and Effect essay.  There are questions that follow this sample essay.  Part of your response needs to comment on one of the questions and then post your essay.  There is also a list of possible topics that includes a brief discussion on Cause and Effect essays.  As noted before, you may choose your own topic, but please keep it PG-13.   And this time I posted a couple graphic organizers that may help you.  

 Please read these resources.  They are the fastest way for me to communicate content and for you to improve your writing.

WARNING: Sometimes postings can be lost while trying to post; therefore, create your essay in a word doc then copy/paste it into the posting section of this blog. 

 

Assignment:

1.) Read the sample Cause and Effect essay.  Think about possible answers to the four questions that follow the essay.

2.) Review the list of possible Cause and Effect essay.  This file also has a brief discussion on Cause and Effect essays.

3.) Post your response which should include:

•  A discussion on one of the four questions that follows the essay "Learning to Hate Mathematics" by Anne Miller.  Then post . . .
• Your Cause and Effect essay that shows you thought about some of the rhetorical techniques that Anne Miller uses.  Remember, rhetorical techniques have to do with the art of persuasion by using language in an aesthetically pleasing manner.  This means I would like to see you include figurative language such as a metaphor, perhaps the use of a framing device where the introduction and conclusion has a common thread, the use of description and dialogue and so on. . . 
• Finally, post your response to two classmates' essays.  Please bump-up the quality of your responses to your peers.  While these essays and your responses to your peers are credit/no credit, this is your opportunity to practice what you will be doing once the school year begins.  So do not state a broad vague response such as, "I really liked your topic.  That was really creative.  I blah, blah, blah, blah."  You need to get specific.  Whenever you make a statement, you need to follow it up with a specific example and then explain why whatever you are noting is important.  Or, you may have a discussion with the author.  You could relate a similar incident that the author discusses or you could ask the author a question and explain to them why you would like to have an answer to this question.  I will try to comment on some of the Classification essays in order to model this again for everyone.  Please remember that while I do not respond or comment on everyone's essays, I do read them all. The essays are great but the commentary is weak.

 

DUE DATES:

Your Cause and Effect Essay with a discussion on one of the questions that follows the sample essay, "Learning to Hate Mathematics": Post By Friday, June 30th.

Your Comments on Two of your Peer's Essays: Post By Monday, July 1st.

Please be advised of the following:

•  This is a Graded Assignment of Pass/Fail.  No Rubric included; but nonsense writing will not receive credit--and this includes pointless comments to your peers such as: "I really liked your essay" or "I never knew how to change a tire before and now I know."  You need to practice noticing details or the lack thereof.  But make your comments supportive and meaningful; otherwise, don't comment and just lose part of the credit.
• Use Net Etiquette when responding to your peers, i.e., "Dear Kanoe" and "Sincerely Michael."
• Do not adhere to MLA format for your essay, meaning heading, spacing, font, and such; otherwise, your essay will take up too much room on the blog site.  But give your essay a title.
• Include your name and the name of your Academy at the end of the essay.
• Most importantly: Have Fun!  Writing should be fun and not painful.  So find something that makes you want to share it with others.  This way you will be able to do your best work and practice what makes a good writer: Someone who cares deeply and passionately about their subject.  Once you care about your topic/subject, the rest of the essay becomes easy.

 

 

The Classification Essay

The Shot Blockers!

 

 

 

 

The Stealers!

When authors classify a subject, usually their purpose is to show or explain a pattern that may have never been noticed.  A sportswriter, for example, might “observe that great basketball defenders tend to fall into one of three groups based on their style of play: the shot blockers, the stealers, and the brawlers.  Sometimes, writers also classify to persuade readers that one group is superior: that same sportswriter might argue that shot blockers are the most effective defenders because they not only create turnovers like the stealers, but they also intimidate the opponent like the brawlers do (Repetto 210).

The Brawlers!

 

The purpose of classification essay is to make divisions, classifications, or categories in order to identify   specific differences which help explain, instruct, and/or argue.  So if you don't understand basketball, let me explain a classification essay using pizza.  Have you ever argued with your friends on where you want to go for pizza?  If so, you examined the subject of pizza restaurants.  Your purpose was to justify why your favorite pizza restaurant is better than your friends’.  Therefore, you took the time to tell your friend everything great about your favorite pizza restaurant and everything horrible about their favorite pizza restaurant.  You might have even made a concession, where you acknowledged that their restaurant happens to have something you really like, but you followed up that concession with a rebuttal—fought back-- with why your choice is better.

Your assignment is to write a classification essay.  You may choose any topic, provided your essay remains PG-13.  And as a reminder, PG-13 can have adult-like topics, but they must be legal, refrain from sexual innuendos or even explicit sexual references, and be of the nature where your God-fearing elderly grandmother would enjoy reading.  So please keep the content of your essay appropriate.  Use your brain and not “shock factors”.

New Resources are posted for you on the webpage under Second Essay Assignment.  There you will find a sample classification essay, a list of possible topics, and a thorough discussion on the tricks to writing a classification essay.  Please read these resources.  They are the fastest way for me to communicate content.

WARNING: Sometimes postings can be lost while trying to post; therefore, create your essay in a word doc then copy/paste it into the posting section of this blog. 

DUE DATES:

Your Process Essay: Post By Friday, June 21st.

Your Comments on Two of your Peer's Essays: Post By Monday, June 24th.

Please be advised of the following:

•  This is a Graded Assignment of Pass/Fail.  No Rubric included; but nonsense writing will not receive credit--and this includes pointless comments to your peers such as: "I really liked your essay" or "I never knew how to change a tire before and now I know."  You need to practice noticing details or the lack thereof.  But make your comments supportive and meaningful; otherwise, don't comment and just lose part of the credit.
• Use Net Etiquette when responding to your peers, i.e., "Dear Kanoe" and "Sincerely Michael."
• Do not adhere to MLA format for your essay, meaning heading, spacing, font, and such; otherwise, your essay will take up too much room on the blog site.  But give your essay a title.
• Include your name and the name of your Academy at the end of the essay.
• Most importantly: Have Fun!  Writing should be fun and not painful.  So find something that makes you want to share it with others.  This way you will be able to do your best work and practice what makes a good writer: Someone who cares deeply and passionately about their subject.  Once you care about your topic/subject, the rest of the essay becomes easy.

 

The Process Essay

"Game rules, repair manuals, cookbooks, science textbooks---these and many other familiar works are essentially process analyses.  They explain how to do something (play Monopoly, patch a hole in the wall), how to make something (an omelet), or how something happens (how hormones affect behavior, how a computer stores and retrieves data)" (Repetto 239).

Your task is to write a process essay in which you explain how to do something, how to make something, or how something happens.  You may choose any topic but your writing should be rated PG-13.  So while you can have fun with this assignment, just make sure that what you say and suggest does not offend the general public.  Things to consider when choosing your topic is your audience, which happens to be your entire class plus myself.  So try to avoid boring your audience, yet keep your language and innuendos appropriate for a 13-year old or an dear elderly grandparent.

Remember, that even though you are explaining a process, you are still creating an argument.  Therefore, keep in mind the essential components of rhetoric--that which persuades your reader in a pleasing manner--which means to include:           

So how should you begin?  Please use the most proven method before you even think about writing and do a little brainstorming! 



Then craft your essay making sure that you have an introduction with a thesis statement, bodied paragraph(s) that support your thesis, and a conclusion that does not repeat your thesis statement.  Please refer to the Basic Writing Resource files on the AP Lang & Comp webpage. 

WARNING: Sometimes postings can be lost while trying to post; therefore, create your essay in a word doc then copy/paste it into the posting section of this blog. 

DUE DATES:

Your Process Essay: Post By Friday, June 14th.

Your Comments on Two of your Peer's Essays: Post By Monday, June 17th.

Please be advised of the following:

•  This is a Graded Assignment of Pass/Fail.  No Rubric included; but nonsense writing will not receive credit--and this includes pointless comments to your peers such as: "I really liked your essay" or "I never knew how to change a tire before and now I know."  You need to practice noticing details or the lack thereof.  But make your comments supportive and meaningful; otherwise, don't comment and just lose part of the credit.
• Use Net Etiquette when responding to your peers, i.e., "Dear Kanoe" and "Sincerely Michael."
• Do not adhere to MLA format--heading, spacing, font, and such; otherwise, your essay will take up too much room on the blog site.  But give your essay a title.
• Include your name and the name of your Academy at the end of the essay.
• Most importantly: Have Fun!  Writing should be fun and not painful.  So find something that makes you want to share it with others.  This way you will be able to do your best work and practice what makes a good writer: Someone who cares deeply and passionately about their subject.  Once you care about your topic/subject, the rest of the essay becomes easy.