“Writing a Definition Essay
A definition essay defines a word, term, or concept from a subjective perspective (your personal understanding or opinion). It is an extended definition that goes beyond the denotative meaning (explicit meaning as could be listed in a dictionary) of what is being defined to the connotative (more interpretive) meaning. Since your personal meaning may differ from the general concept, your goal is to make your meaning clear for your readers. One way to do this is through the use of specific, detailed examples that explain or clarify your definition. From your paper, your readers should be able to understand your perspective on the topic.
Your Assignment:
You are to write a full three page minimum essay that creates a definitional statement to address any one of the following questions:
1) What does success mean to you?
2) What is the value of freedom?
3) What does prejudice mean in American society today?
“Mr. Bowden, could you give us an example?”
Yes, I can. Say that I were writing a paper in which I define “work,” my first paragraph would mention that my father worked in a factory for thirty years, that his father was a farmer, and his grandfather was a sharecropper. Then I would mention that I received an education, and work as a teacher, and talk about how I still consider work to be manual labor.
The body of my paper would describe in detail, what it’s like to prime tobacco and cut lumber, and then compare that with working in an office. I would tell a story about my father and I during a drought, when all our crops died, and how it made me feel to see my father beaten by things he couldn’t control.
My conclusion would do something different and fresh, as all good conclusions should. I would talk about how manual labor is more difficult, but more rewarding, than a job that doesn’t involve physical work. This reiterates my definition, that physical work is real work, but puts a new spin on it.
Keep in mind that we want interesting, passionate writing. There is no formula for doing this. Start by trying to care about the experience you are relating to the reader, and showing the reader why it matters to you. Writing, in part, is the act of making someone else care about one of your ideas.
In writing this essay, students should:
Understand and apply principles of definition
Create a three-point thesis that acts as a roadmap for the essay
Organize their essay according to points laid out in their thesis
Understand and apply principles of exemplification
Understand and apply requirements of assignment, including use of MLA format
Apply rules of standard English and skills learned in ENG 111
Format And Style
This is a semi-formal essay, and you may use contractions and first person.
Follow MLA style standards and use Times New Roman 12 point font.
3 full pages, typed.”
“For example, let’s learn a bit more aboutdefinitional arguments from one of last week’s readings. Imaginethat we took John McCain’s basic argument that”courage is a kind of madness”and applied it to your paper.For our paper,I would suggest something like”Courage on the battlefield is a kind of madness because it requires the risk of great physical danger,it defies all logic and reason,and it cannot be explained.”I would then recommend that the first part of the paper’s body,a paragraph or two,discuss the first of these points(“it requires the risk of great physical danger “).The next part of the body would cover the second point(“it defies all logic and reason”),and the final part of the body would cover the third point(“it cannot be explained”).You will follow this same pattern in defining ONE of the terms I gave you, “success,” “freedom,” or”prejudice”. In other words, your thesis should look SOMETHING like “I have learned that freedom is _________________, because _______________, ________________, and ________________.” And your paper will use this as aroad map to guide and organize the content of the body paragraphs.”
I’d prefer it be about predjudice!
