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Essay-Writing Basics

Your essay should be broken down into the following three components:

1. The Introductory Paragraph

Your essay should begin with an introductory paragraph. Its purpose is to accomplish three things:

1. It should grab your reader’s interest. How?

a. Open with a question about your topic.

b. Provide an interesting story or anecdote about the subject.

c. Present a fact or figure.

2. It should introduce your topic. This is usually done in broad terms at the beginning of your introductory paragraph but becomes continually more focused and specific as your paragraph progresses.

3. It should include a thesis statement. A thesis statement tells your reader specifically what you plan to discuss in your essay. It is your road map. It tells you where to go and how you’re going to get there. In other words, it tells the reader, in one sentence, what the remainder of your essay will be about. It should be the last sentence in your introductory paragraph. A good thesis statement:

a. is not a question.

b. has an angle - i.e., it has something to prove that is worth proving.

c. shows creativity and originality.

d. is clearly and succinctly phrased.

e. does not begin with “In this essay, I will discuss …”

f. can be proved.

g. is not written in slang, but in the standard form of the language.

2. The Body Paragraphs

The body of your essay is made up of supporting paragraphs. They are the heart of your essay. Each supporting paragraph discusses one specific aspect of your thesis statement. It is important that this be done in a manner that is clear and logical. The more development that is present in these paragraphs, the better. Development should not, however, be confused with summary. You should, instead, use evidence to support your thesis statement.

It is important that these paragraphs be arranged in the best possible way – either chronologically, in order of importance, or in another order determined by you. This order should relate back to the information you presented above in your introductory paragraph and your thesis statement.

It is important that these paragraphs flow smoothly from one to the next. (Each paragraph in the body of your essay should relate to the one before it.) To achieve this flow, be sure that the first sentence in each new paragraph serves as an effective link to the one before it. Transitional words and phrases are often used for this purpose.

3. The Conclusion

The concluding paragraph should tie all the important points in the essay together and draw a final conclusion for the reader. It should leave the reader with a clear understanding of the essay’s topic. Concluding paragraphs are often constructed in the opposite manner of the introductory paragraph. Unlike introductory paragraphs, your conclusion moves from specific to general. Writers often restate their thesis statements again in their conclusion but use different words. Do NOT write out your thesis exactly as it appears in your introductory paragraph. This would be redundant!

Your conclusion should:

• stress the importance of your topic by placing it in a larger context. In other words, it should answer the question, “So what?” that your reader might ask;

• give the essay a sense of completeness; and

• leave a final impression on the reader.

Your conclusion is the last thing your reader will read; write a strong, final thought that leaves a lasting impression!

Essay Planning Sheet

Use this sheet to help you plan your essay by jotting down ideas in each of the boxes below.

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

Thesis:

BODY PARAGRAPHS

CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH

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