Ajarn Michael's

How to Start Your Essay

How NOT to start your essay:
1. Do NOT start writing right away.
2. Do NOT ever write in Thai and translate. NEVER EVER write in Thai and translate - not just because you are are trying to learn to use English but because you will make your work harder and you will make more mistakes - especially dictionary mistakes and word order mistakes. Writing in English is VERY different than writing in Thai.

Here's what to do first.
1. Decide on your topic and have it approved by your teacher..
2. Think of a one sentence OPINION (not a fact, not a question) about the topic. Show that to your teacher.

Wrong: The tsunami in Thailand killed many people. This is a FACT, not an OPINION.

Example:
Topic: Eng and Chan
Opinion: Even though they were joined together their entire life, Eng and Chan led full lives.

Example of how to do research. Go to Google and search for:
Eng Chan
Siamese twins
Original Siamese twins*

How do you search for "My Mom is the best Mother in the world?" You don't.

Valentine's Day is the best holiday of the year.
Search? Very difficult
If we really want to understand Valentine's Day, we should know its origins. OK
Search - Origin Valentine's Day
St. Valentine

If your topic and opinion sentence are approved by your teacher, here is what to do next.

DO NOT WRITE THE INTRODUCTION.
Develop some possible subtopics about your Main Topic. These subtopics might be used for the topic sentences in the body paragraphs. What we are thinking about here is the body - topics to be discussed in the body that SUPPORT your opinion.

Examples:
Eng and Chan when they were young. (The details here will come from your research. Having topics will help you know what to look for.)
Their family life.
Their life on the road making shows.
Their life in America.
Their wives and children.
When they died. How they died.

Do some preliminary research. Look around on the internet for stuff. Print things that you might use.
Go to the library or bookshop and look for stuff.

NEXT
Put some of your research together.
Make notes.
Develop a rough outline.

After this you can start writing your paper.

These lecture notes for general to specific movement in a 5 paragraphy might help you move on.