2. Understanding the Parts of an Essay
• An essay is a group of paragraphs that makes an
argument about a topic.
• An effective essay should:
• introduce a topic
• state that topic clearly
• explain that topic through evidence and examples
• make a argument or debatable conclusion about that idea.
3. What is an Essay?
• An essay has four main sections:
• an introduction that states the topic of the essay and make a point
through the Thesis Statement
• supporting or body paragraphs that contain the supporting point that
explain the details of the topic
• a conclusion paragraph that ties all the points of the essay together
and restates your main point.
• A reference or works cited page that documents your sources.
4. Introductions
• There are several ways to begin an essay. You could:
• give background information
• begin with an original definition of a concept or term
• tell a story or anecdote that relates to your topic
• begin with a question (that you then answer)
• give a meaningful or important quotation
• make a surprising statement that catches the reader’s attention
• give a contradiction
• start with a fact or statement.
5. What NOT to do in an Introduction
• Be sure to avoid the following when creating an
introduction:
• Don’t apologize – never start with statements like “In my opinion” or
“I may not be an expert, but…”
• Don’t begin with dictionary definitions – avoid beginning an essay
with “According to Dictionary.com,”
• Don’t announce what you intend to do – never start with phrases
such as “In this essay, I will…” “I am going to argue that…”or “The
purpose of this essay is to…”
• Don’t wander – give a detailed but short overview of your topic. Give
your reader just enough to make them want to read the rest of your
essay.
6. Body Paragraphs
• It is important to make sure that each body paragraph you
write is:
• Unified – relates to the main idea/topic of the essay
• Coherent – flows smoothly and logically from one paragraph to the
next
• Well developed – has plenty of supporting evidence, facts, and
explanation to make your ideas clear.
• Follows a pattern of development
• Clearly supports the Thesis Statement – make sure each paragraph
relates back to and connects to the Thesis Statement.
7. Conclusions
• The conclusion should give your readers a final
impression of your topic and entire essay. In your
conclusion you could:
• review your main points or restate your thesis
• give a recommendation of what your reader should do after reading
your essay
• give a prediction of what will follow
• end with a relevant quote
8. What NOT to do in a Conclusion
• Avoid making the following common mistakes when
writing your conclusion:
• Don’t repeat word for word your thesis or main point – come up with
a new way of giving your earlier thoughts
• Don’t end with an empty phrase – avoid clichés such as “You don’t
know what you’ve got till it’s gone” or “That’s how the cookie
crumbles”
• Don’t introduce new points or go off in a new direction – a
conclusion should always connect to what was said earlier in the
essay.
• Don’t’ end with an unnecessary announcement – never end by
saying you are ending such as “In conclusion” or “As you can see”
9. Essay Organization
• You can organize your body paragraphs using one of the
three following layouts:
• A point-by-point layout separates your essay sections by the points
you are making
• A subject-by-subject layout separates your essay sections by the
subjects/objects/texts you are using.
• A chronological layout puts your essay sections in order according
to time.
10. Formal Outlines
• Before you draft your essay, it is recommended that you
generate a formal outline.
• A formal outline allows you to layout each point and sub-
point of your essay in the order you have chosen.
• Your outline should follow the general pattern below:
I. Introduction
I. Thesis Statement
II. Point/Subject/Event (as many as you are making in your essay)
I. Supporting evidence/examples
III. Conclusion
I. Restate Thesis
