english essay format

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English Essay Format
Before you start writing, carefully read any and all the documents provided for analysis, think about the topic, whenever possible, do some research and check your facts.
Ask yourself key questions (wh- questions, namely) so that you can list the key aspects of the topic.
Organizing your ideas, so as to start organizing your essay (also known as a paper, in American English) is most important: it makes it easier for you to write, and it also helps guide your reader through it; a clearly organized paper will better hold the reader's interest and convince them that your thesis is valid.
Also, in an academic context, page layout and formatting represent up to 15% of your grade, so make sure you watch it close, and think of how to make it technically easier to read and correct for your instructor, by inserting margins, double-spacing, and so on.
The classic format of an essay consists in a Three Part project, as it is typically made up of the Introduction, the Body (two to three Main Points), and the Conclusion, so it looks like this:
I. Introduction II. Body : Point One, Point Two, (Point Three) III. Conclusion
Of course, depending on the topic (and your inspiration), you might have more or fewer words to develop your thoughts, which is part of the challenge as well. However, using this structure should make it easier for you to have an outline, i.e. envision your paper before you actually get down to writing it.
I. The Intro…
The Introduction should address three key points (and answer three corresponding questions), so as to prepare your reader. Only start writing the introduction once you know what you will develop later, and pretend the reader does not have the essay question or the reference article available.
1. General Topic: What am I talking about in this paper? Answering this question should let the reader know what the general subject of the paper is.
For instance, if your paper analyses a specific article and topic, you then need to use corresponding and adequate key words (they will convert into extra points, trust me on this).
2. Key Ideas/ Main Points & Arguments: How am I going to talk about it? This is where you let the reader know how your paper is organized, and where you very briefly introduce your main points or the evidence that will prove your point.
3. Point/ Line of Argumentation: What am I going to prove in this paper? What is the key idea? This is where you make your thesis statement, usually in the last sentence of your introduction, so as to clearly state your line of argumentation or the point you intend to make in your paper. Carefully think about the correct linking words (do not pile on ‘ands’ and ‘buts’…). For example, you might use the following structure: 1. I agree with… 2. but… 3. indeed…
Please note that the introduction should not take up too many lines/words. Keep it concise (about ¼ of the total essay).
II. The Body…
The Body consists of the different paragraphs that go between the introduction and the conclusion. This is where you develop your line of reasoning, and prove your point, thanks to relevant examples. A good starting place is to envision that each point goes into a separate paragraph (one point= one paragraph), where you:
· Introduce your point, and clarify it · Provide supporting illustration/evidence (this is where quotes go, but keep them as short as possible: the point is to read your lines, not someone else’s) · Explain how the point and evidence relate to your thesis: the whole purpose of each paragraph is to do precisely this, but it helps to spell it out clearly in at least one sentence of the paragraph.
Also: be careful not to mix up ideas with examples, as examples serve to illustrate an idea but do not explain anything on their own.
III. The Conclusion…
Basically, the conclusion briefly restates/rephrases the thesis from the introduction, tracing your argument, as you made it within the essay.
Contrary to what is done in a French essay, there is no need for an opening.
Wrap things up, and indicate your word count.
Beware of the very last sentences: do not force yourself to meet the word target by writing terrible sentences at the very end. It’s better not to meet the target than to throw in horrors.
Recommendations:
Do not over-generalize (no, you cannot say that « everybody is a Westerner »).
Do not say « we » all the time, but use the 1st person « I » instead.
Limit conditionals: they sound very French.
Put things and people in context: provide a minimum of contextual information.
If you know a word doesn’t exist, then don’t use it, and check for an alternative.
Don’t forget to run a spell-check once you are done. Edit your text, before you submit your essay for grading.
Reading and getting ready: 30 minutes
Based on the above recommendations, and the article below, please follow the first necessary steps (research, organize, and write an outline to analyze the document (just like you have practiced with the various cartoons).
How to compare health-care systems
The Economist explains
BRITAIN'S National Health Service (NHS) was recently judged the “world’s best health-care system” by the Washington-based Commonwealth Fund in its latest ranking of 11 rich countries’ health provision. The Commonwealth Fund tends to give the NHS a pretty clean bill of health in its assessments (it also scores Switzerland, Sweden and Australia highly). Other rankings reach different conclusions. How do you compare something as complex as a national health-care system with its peers?
The Commonwealth Fund makes quality, access, value for money and equity the leading criteria for judging which countries perform well. Its emphasis on access and per-capita spending mean that America, struggling to extend its insurance coverage, while committing
a large amount to overall health-care spending, regularly comes bottom of the Commonwealth Fund table. But that judgment overlooks what American health care delivers well: it scores highly on preventative health measures, patient-centred care and innovation, for instance. It has led the way in reducing avoidable harm to patients, with Seattle’s Virginia Mason hospital delivering “near zero harm”, something many systems, including England’s, are seeking to emulate.
What the NHS is good at is providing cost-efficient care. It spends $3,405 per person per annum, less than half America's outlay of $8,508. Alas, that does not mean the NHS is financially secure: a £2 billion ($3.4 billion) shortfall looms from 2015 and NHS England is struggling to implement £20 billion in savings. And some outcomes for serious conditions do not commend the English model, which does worse on serious cancer treatment than Canada, Australia and Sweden, according to data from the King’s Fund, a health-care thinktank based in London. American women have higher survival rates for breast cancer. Mortality rates following strokes also let down the English system.
Not everyone agrees with the Commonwealth Fund about what should be measured, and how the results should be weighted. A survey on health-care efficiency by Bloomberg recently chose Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan as the best performers, based on their efficiency. Adding greater weight to patient choice, for example, might reshuffle the rankings. The Commonwealth Fund most values equity and access, and so rewards the systems where it finds these. But change the weighting given to each category and you can quickly change the outcome. When it comes to judging the world’s health systems, preferences and values guide conclusions, as well as raw data.
Written by A.McE., The Economist, June 29th 2014
Assignment:
Writing: 40 minutes at least
Then, proceed to write a full analysis/essay in 250 words (+/- 10%), and edit it prior to uploading both the outline and your essay onto the platform.
Please remember that I would like to read your own words, so, please do no quote too much, and do not overly paraphrase. (There will be markdowns for those who do).
Feel free to message me any questions you might have 

Où j'en suis dans mon devoir

j'ai fais un peu l'intro