The essay

The Essay - Prof. Julia I. Martínez
Essay Writing
Introduction

What is an essay?
It is a piece of writing several paragraphs long.
It is written about one topic. It usually presents facts, opinions, and ideas on a certain topic.
It develops one central idea.

What are the parts of an essay?
Introduction
Body
Conclusion
Let’s analyse each of them in turn

Introduction
It is the first part of the essay, usually the first paragraph.
It has four purposes:
it introduces the topic of the essay
it gives a general background of the topic
it often indicates the overall ‘plan’ of the essay
it should arouse the reader’s interest in the topic.

Parts of the Introduction
General statements about the topic
Thesis statement
You can begin your essay using a ‘hook,’ which is the opening statement the writer uses to catch the reader’s attention

Ways of writing a hook
Ask a question
Use an interesting observation
Present a unique scenario
Use a famous quote
Use statistical information (with its source), especially one that is surprising or shocking

The Thesis Statement
It is the most important statement in the introduction.
Some things to remember:
it states the main topic
it lists the subdivisions of the topic
it may indicate the method of organisation of the entire paper
it is usually the last sentence in the introductory paragraph
it should be expressed as a complete sentence (affirmative or negative; not a question)
it should not express a fact
it should express only one idea

The Body
It is the group of paragraphs that will develop the subtopics announced in the thesis statement.
Each paragraph should have its own topic sentence and, eventually, a concluding sentence, too.
It is important to use transition signals between paragraphs, so that your writing runs more smoothly.

The Conclusion
It is the final paragraph of the essay.
It should never introduce a new idea or topic.
It can restate the main points (subtopics) discussed; it can restate the thesis statement; it includes your final comment on the subject.
Useful techniques: make a suggestion; give an opinion (if appropriate); make a prediction; leave the reader with something to think about; ask a question.

The essay

by julia_martinez on May 09, 2011

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