Extended Definition Essay

Extended Definition Essay 

Definition 

In an essay of definition, you clarify a complex concept, an abstract idea, or a complicated ideal. (Ex.:  inflation, hope, democracy) As a writer, you will put boundaries around a term, concept, or idea.  To develop and extend a definition, you can give a dictionary definition, make a comparison, provide a fitting quotation, offer a negative definition (tell what it is not), and so on.  The effectiveness of your essay depends upon your ability to understand your subject, to know what really sets it apart from all other members (related ideas) in its class.  In an extended definition, your explanation will limit, distinguish, or clarify a topic. 

Thesis Development 

The thesis statement names the subject of the definition and makes it apparent that the term will be defined.  Sometimes a thesis names the class to which the subject belongs and gives the particular features or categories that sets it apart.  In addition, a thesis may reflect the writer’s purpose or attitude forward the term, concept, idea, or ideal. 

Organization 

In your introduction, you will set up the order for your paper.  In your brainstorming and pre-writing, you should come up with distinguishing characteristics for your topic.  Do these fall neatly into categories?  Consider giving examples or opinions (quotes) by experts.  The extended definition essay does not require a specific organizational structure.  You may find yourself incorporating a variety of organizational patterns. 

Tips on Writing 

• Consider giving examples, including those of what your subject is not.  Is it similar but different to something else? 
• Can your find concrete ways to explain abstract ideas?  Analogies or object lessons work well. 

Pitfalls to Avoid 

Avoid giving only the dictionary definition.  Consider including the denotations (objective perceptions) and the connotations (emotional associations) with your subject.  These can be both positive and negative. 

Avoid circular definitions.  Don’t use the term to define it.  For example, you wouldn’t define a mystery novel as something mysterious. 

Avoid oversimplification.  Dig deep into your topic. 

Essay Guidelines 

• Due dates:  Pre-Write due October 12; Rough Draft due October 24; Final due November 7 
• Essay length:  700 – 900 words (about 2 – 3 pages) 
• Rough drafts can be typed or hand-written, but must be double-spaced. 

• Final draft format:  
• Typed (if this is not possible, please let me know) 
• 1 inch margins 
• Name and date on the upper right hand corner 
• Number the pages on the lower right hand corner 

• Title centered above the text of the essay 

Extended Definition Essay

Definition

            In an essay of definition, you clarify a complex concept, an abstract idea, or a complicated ideal. (Ex.:  inflation, hope, democracy) As a writer, you will put boundaries around a term, concept, or idea.  To develop and extend a definition, you can give a dictionary definition, make a comparison, provide a fitting quotation, offer a negative definition (tell what it is not), and so on.  The effectiveness of your essay depends upon your ability to understand your subject, to know what really sets it apart from all other members (related ideas) in its class.  In an extended definition, your explanation will limit, distinguish, or clarify a topic.

Thesis Development

            The thesis statement names the subject of the definition and makes it apparent that the term will be defined.  Sometimes a thesis names the class to which the subject belongs and gives the particular features or categories that sets it apart.  In addition, a thesis may reflect the writer’s purpose or attitude forward the term, concept, idea, or ideal.

Organization

            In your introduction, you will set up the order for your paper.  In your brainstorming and pre-writing, you should come up with distinguishing characteristics for your topic.  Do these fall neatly into categories?  Consider giving examples or opinions (quotes) by experts.  The extended definition essay does not require a specific organizational structure.  You may find yourself incorporating a variety of organizational patterns.

Tips on Writing

– Consider giving examples, including those of what your subject is not.  Is it similar but different to something else?

– Can your find concrete ways to explain abstract ideas?  Analogies or object lessons work well.

Pitfalls to Avoid

Avoid giving only the dictionary definition.  Consider including the denotations (objective perceptions) and the connotations (emotional associations) with your subject.  These can be both positive and negative.

Avoid circular definitions.  Don’t use the term to define it.  For example, you wouldn’t define a mystery novel as something mysterious.

Avoid oversimplification.  Dig deep into your topic.

Essay Guidelines

– Due dates:  Pre-Write due October 12; Rough Draft due October 26; Final due November 9

– Essay length:  700 – 900 words (about 2 – 3 pages)

– Rough drafts can be typed or hand-written, but must be double-spaced.

– Final draft format:

– Typed (if this is not possible, please let me know)

– 1 inch margins

– Name and date on the upper right hand corner

– Number the pages on the lower right hand corner

– Title centered above the text of the essay

Extended Definition Essay

Definition

            In an essay of definition, you clarify a complex concept, an abstract idea, or a complicated ideal. (Ex.:  inflation, hope, democracy) As a writer, you will put boundaries around a term, concept, or idea.  To develop and extend a definition, you can give a dictionary definition, make a comparison, provide a fitting quotation, offer a negative definition (tell what it is not), and so on.  The effectiveness of your essay depends upon your ability to understand your subject, to know what really sets it apart from all other members (related ideas) in its class.  In an extended definition, your explanation will limit, distinguish, or clarify a topic.

Thesis Development

            The thesis statement names the subject of the definition and makes it apparent that the term will be defined.  Sometimes a thesis names the class to which the subject belongs and gives the particular features or categories that sets it apart.  In addition, a thesis may reflect the writer’s purpose or attitude forward the term, concept, idea, or ideal.

Organization

            In your introduction, you will set up the order for your paper.  In your brainstorming and pre-writing, you should come up with distinguishing characteristics for your topic.  Do these fall neatly into categories?  Consider giving examples or opinions (quotes) by experts.  The extended definition essay does not require a specific organizational structure.  You may find yourself incorporating a variety of organizational patterns.

Tips on Writing

– Consider giving examples, including those of what your subject is not.  Is it similar but different to something else?

– Can your find concrete ways to explain abstract ideas?  Analogies or object lessons work well.

Pitfalls to Avoid

Avoid giving only the dictionary definition.  Consider including the denotations (objective perceptions) and the connotations (emotional associations) with your subject.  These can be both positive and negative.

Avoid circular definitions.  Don’t use the term to define it.  For example, you wouldn’t define a mystery novel as something mysterious.

Avoid oversimplification.  Dig deep into your topic.

Essay Guidelines

– Due dates:  Pre-Write due October 13; Rough Draft due October 27; Final due November 10

– Essay length:  700 – 900 words (about 2 – 3 pages)

– Rough drafts can be typed or hand-written, but must be double-spaced.

– Final draft format:

– Typed (if this is not possible, please let me know)

– 1 inch margins

– Name and date on the upper right hand corner

– Number the pages on the lower right hand corner

– Title centered above the text of the essay

Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 10 (October 31)

Greetings!

We had a good class again this week.  When I first started teaching at CHAT, I wondered how I was going to fill a 90 minute class. Now, I think I could go all day with each class.  They are a great group of students!

For our Quick Write, I gave them a topic that I picked up from the joking around of some of the students.  So, I asked them to write about their personal political persuasions and opinions.  It was quite interesting to hear the variety of opinions that these students have.  

The Words of the Day:

maelstrom: fr. Dutch; a violent whirlpool or a turbulent situation

madeleine: fr. French; a small shell-shaped cake or pastry made of flour, eggs, sugar

magna cum laude:  fr. Latin; with great praise

summa cum laude:  fr. Latin; with highest praise

We're just about done with the book, My Antonia.  The students have prepared presentations about the characters, themes, and setting.  We heard from some of them this week.  I combined students who had chosen the same topics.  We heard thoughts about the setting and Jim Burden, the narrator of the story.  Next week, we'll hear the rest in addition to taking a final exam.

I handed back their Rough Drafts of the Classification or Extended Definition Essays.  As is my custom, I like to go over grammar errors and mistakes common to their papers.  In my opinion, that's one of the best ways to learn grammar.  We discussed commas, contractions, parallel construction, "there is/are, etc.." using the word "things," and use of prepositions.  

They are to work on the Final Drafts of their essays and have them ready next week.  Along with their papers, they should list 5 corrections that they've made.

Following our book, we will be reading some other prairie-style literature.  For next week, they are to read the handout with an excerpt from John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath.  Pay special attention to the landscape descriptions.

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Finish Final Draft of Extended Definitions or Classifications Essay

     -- Include 5 Corrections.

-- Read the Grapes of Wrath excerpt.

This Week's Blogs

Class Notes

Enjoy your weekend.  It's supposed to be beautiful!

Mrs. Prichard

Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 9 (October 24)

Greetings!

Another great week at CHAT.  What can I say?  These are great kids who work hard and engage well in the class.  Our Quick Write for this week was titled "Harvest Time."  As I drive to school in the morning from Northfield, I see those corn and bean fields being harvested one row at a time.  I'm a small-town Iowa girl, so I've always loved farms and gardening.  I asked the students if they could plant any kind of seed that would grow anything they wanted, what would it be?  We had gold and money trees, and even a book tree.

Our Words for the Day were 2 that I chose:

lollygag -- to loiter aimlessly; 

dillydally -- to waste time, especially by indecision

(Note: These words were not given as subtle hints about their work ethics.  They came up in another setting, and I thought they were fun words.)

The students handed in the rough drafts of their Extended Definitions or Classification Essays.  I had asked them to pay special attention to their introductions and conclusions.  I'm looking forward to reading them.

We've finished our book, My Antonia by Willa Cather.  I could tell that some students enjoyed the book, and others found it less interesting.  The book is an episodic novel and doesn't have much of a driving plot with some great conflict that needs resolving.  We talked at length about Jim's relationship with Antonia, his marriage, Antonia's marriage, and the ending of the book.  For part of the class we broke into small groups for discussions.  Next week:  Presentations and Final Exam

I ended the last few minutes with some Grammar discussion. We looked at the differences between prepositions/prepositional phrases and subordinating conjunctions/ dependent clauses.  Some words that we might quickly pick out as prepositions are really functioning in the sentence to introduce a dependent clause.  For their homework, they are to write a sentence for each of the subordinating conjunctions below (14 sentences):

while, whether, until, once, although, because, even if, if, since, so that, unless, whenever, before, after.

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Presentations on My Antonia

-- 14 sentences with subordinating conjunctions and dependent clause

This Week's Blogs

-- Helpful Links to more about Subordinating Conjunctions

-- Class Notes

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Prichard