Monday, September 12, 2011

What, then, does a good essay need?

Most of you said something about why the selected essays were good--now please make some suggestions about what a good essay needs.  If you see something someone else says that you don't agree with, argue with it--but mainly offer some clear suggestions on what makes for a good essay about literature.

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47 comments:

  1. AnonymousSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:02 AM

    Clear logical flow
    ben eggleston

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  2. stefan mesarovichSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:03 AM

    Good points connecting to the reading. It should make sense.

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  3. Julianna GoldringSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:03 AM

    A good essay argues a point with solid evidence without sounding arrogant or biased. -Julianna Goldring

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  4. Jacob DanaSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:03 AM

    A good essay should have a large amount of evidence to support whatever argument is being made.

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  5. Jake CohenSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:03 AM

    A good essay is concise, reads well, and adequately provides evidence in addition to convincing analysis to support its thesis.

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  6. Sam PSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:03 AM

    an argument

    -Sam P

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  7. Kate RhodesSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:04 AM

    Have a good thesis/idea and points to back it up and describe it. Have enough information that it is interesting but not only facts.

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  8. Hali NelsonSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:04 AM

    Have clear ideas with evidence to back them up
    The ideas should all be connected

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  9. pemaSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:04 AM

    interesting, clear, and as concise as possible.

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  10. Sarah FlemingSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:04 AM

    A good essay needs to be well structured, with each idea presented well and in a logical order. It also needs to provide insightful and engaging ideas about the topic.

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  11. Jonathan OhSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:04 AM

    Well organized and clean arguing would make a good essay. A good essay should show what it wants to show to readers without confusing them.

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  12. BiancaSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:04 AM

    a good essay has a lot of direct examples that prove the thesis. once there are examples, they have to be explained in a way that shows how they prove the thesis.

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  13. AnonymousSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:05 AM

    A good essay starts with a good introduction that hooks the reader and sets up an argument that is backed up by evidence and analysis.

    -Jack Corcoran

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  14. Corrina Roche CrossSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:05 AM

    A good thesis clearly stated in the intro and conclusion, also clear topic sentences for each body paragraph.

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  15. Jake BambergerSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:05 AM

    A good essay needs a clear concise thesis followed up by evidence to support it.

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  16. AnonymousSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:05 AM

    A good essay needs a strong and concise thesis, arguments to prove the thesis, and evidence for the arguments.

    Brandon Martone

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  17. AnonymousSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:05 AM

    A good essay should have a clear and concise thesis that is backed up by sufficient and relevant information.

    -- Gabby St Pierre

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  18. AnonymousSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:05 AM

    A good essay reads and flows well. Also, it provides strong evidence to prove its purpose. - Josh Slavin

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  19. Marisa NajarianSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:06 AM

    keeps the reader intrigued and clear so anyone can follow along

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  20. Jon WeinsteinSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:07 AM

    a good essay should have some form of organization or progression. it should also have good evidence, and analysis that is easy to understand, and works well with the over all themes or traits of the essay.

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  21. Cyrus RassoulianSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:07 AM

    A good essay is well written and concise. It uses interesting topics and language to keep the reader interested. It takes an idea and enhances or argues it in some new light. A good essay should be a joy not a hassle to read. It should thoroughly convince the reader of its point or thesis.

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  22. AmandaSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:08 AM

    A really good essay needs a good argument that is easy to follow and original ideas that pull the reader in.

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  23. Becca RobinsonSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:09 AM

    A good essay has a clear thesis supported by details, and has a nice flow.

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  24. Ellie YulovSeptember 12, 2011 at 3:50 PM

    Interesting hook that makes the reader want to read more, a conclusion that leaves the reader convinced and still thinking deeper about the topic -ellie

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  25. Lindsey PearlsteinSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:01 AM

    A strong thesis that all evidence relates to.

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  26. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:02 AM

    A good essay connects all the evidence back to the thesis and actually proves a point.

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  27. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:02 AM

    A good essay needs a good thesis followed by convincing evidence.
    -oliver sablove

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  28. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:02 AM

    A good essay has original and creative ideas driving the paper that make the reader think about/learn about new ideas. - Daniel Krane

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  29. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:02 AM

    unusual but pleasing structure, topic and/or language
    Dimitar

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  30. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:02 AM

    Smooth transitions between different different ideas
    ~Lily

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  31. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:03 AM

    I think the most important thing in an essay is clarity. Keeping sentences concise makes the point much stronger. When the sentences become too muddled, the point it's making becomes muddled too. An essay also becomes more clear when it uses direct quotes, since you have all of the author's evidence put right in front of you.
    ~Rebecca K

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  32. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:03 AM

    a good essay needs to have a strong argument that is clearly backed by reliable facts and evidence
    Corey Grillz and James Wronoski

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  33. Sam Kellman-WanzerSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:03 AM

    A good essay needs a convincing argument, and must be written in an intellegent manner.
    -Sam Kellman-Wanzer

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  34. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:03 AM

    A good essay must be well written and easy to understand. There should be a flow throughout the paragraphs that is easy to follow and provides good evidence and analysis without stopping the flow.
    -Dr. Michael James Weinstein III

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  35. Jared VidelefskySeptember 13, 2011 at 11:03 AM

    A good essay needs good vocabulary and no grammatical errors. It also has to have a good structure and needs to flow.

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  36. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:04 AM

    A good essay needs correct form. It needs appropriate paragraph structure with a clear ideas. It also needs to include good transition sentences that lead into other paragraphs.
    - Jamie Lamoureux

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  37. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:04 AM

    A good essay needs to be interesting and to to present a clear thesis early on, and to not veer off topic in the support of the thesis -- Marie

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  38. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:04 AM

    A good essay needs a point and evidence to support it. It needs to be clear and interesting because a boring essay is dumb. You want people to read it!

    -Claire and Danielle

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  39. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:04 AM

    A good essay has a "golden nugget" idea. It has an argument that when you read it, it sheds the reading in a whole new light and or point of view that not everyone would consider.

    Ella MacVeagh

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  40. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:04 AM

    A good essay states a clear thesis that is backed up by evidence quoted directly from the text. This evidence is analyzed using a variety of methods to make the paper diverse and continuously interesting to the reader (i.e. analyzing diction AND punctuation).
    - Anna Parkhurst

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  41. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:04 AM

    A good essay needs a good thesis that is connected to and supported throughout the whole essay.
    -chloe fishman

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  42. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:04 AM

    Corey and James also think that a good essay should use a diverse vocabulary and it should have nearly flawless grammer and punctuation
    Corey Grillz and James Wronoski

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  43. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:05 AM

    A good essay needs a thesis that argues one point and has many pieces of evidence to back it up. Also a good essay needs a conclusion that poses a new view point that wasn't posed in the body paragraphs.

    -Jordan Bayer

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  44. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:06 AM

    A good essay has a clear topic or thesis. It should be interesting or else the reader wont want to continue reading
    Siena Fried

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  45. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:06 AM

    John David Nurme

    An interesting and well constructed essay contains a thought provoking thesis that does not just state the obvious, but sets an argument (or topic) for your essay that engages the reader. This must then be followed up by body paragraphs that support your thesis with well backed evidence, and a conclusion that doesn't simply summarize the contents of the essay, but leaves the reader thinking.

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  46. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:10 AM

    that Colby Says...

    An excellent essay, for me, will have an easily understood argument even if the subject of the essay is complex.

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  47. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:22 AM

    A good essay should have a hook to pull the audiences in. The essay should have a flow that makes the audiences convinced on the idea you are trying to portray. A conclusion that wraps everything up and makes the reader think in a deeper meaning
    -Shira Hartman

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