8.1 Example Essays

Reading excellent writers is not just entertaining or informative.  It also introduces you to new styles, vocabulary, and structures.  Analyzing what you read expands your own writing skills.  Reading good writing is also the easiest way to become a better writer.

Professional Essay Examples

These essays by published writers demonstrate the skills necessary to write well.  I will refer to them when we talk about writing and reading, and we will use them in several assignments.

• How to Mark a Book by Mortimer Adler is a great little essay with simple instructions for how to learn the most from what you read.
• I Won’t Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar.  Here’s Why” by Karl Wiens.  This essay was published in the Harvard Business Review, where big employers get information.
• The Maker’s Eye by Donald M. Murray is about the revision process.  It might be comforting to know that professional writers spend a lot of time revising.

Student Example Essays

These essays were all written by students at Mt. Hood Community College–students just like you.

The Best Place to Study.
This first essay was written in WR115 by Pablo Medina.  The assigned subject was “Mt. Hood Community College.”  He narrowed the subject to an appropriate size and stayed focused throughout the essay.  He provides three examples of why his thesis is true, with each example more important than the previous one (emphatic order).  His thesis is clearly stated in the introduction, his body paragraphs each have a topic sentence and specific details, and the conclusion is relevant without being repetitive.

Remembering My Beginnings at Mt Hood College.
This essay by Jennifer Steimer was written for WR121.  She deals with the same topic as Pablo, but in a more complex way.  She used a chronological structure to organize the essay, then revised and edited to correct mechanical errors.  One thing that makes the essay excellent is the quality of her details.

Calming the Butterflies.
This essay by Brittany McLoughlin is another example of how specific detail makes an essay come alive.  Her thesis is the last sentence in the introduction.  Her body paragraphs all begin with topic sentences.  Notice how she comes back to her original image of the butterflies in the conclusion, but she isn’t just repeating what she already said: she is expanding upon it.

Being Safe.
This last essay by Angela Godfrey is another great example of organization and detail.  Her concluding paragraph is especially good.  Like all the other writers, Angela went over and over her essay–first on her own, then in a peer editing group, then again on her own–until she was confident it had no grammar or usage errors.