This document discusses the characteristics and structure of a good essay. It defines an essay as coming from the Latin word "exigere" meaning to examine or test. Essays improve personal skills like close reading and analysis. A good essay has unity of content, logical order, brevity while conveying the main idea, uses clear and ordinary language, and contains personal feelings related to the topic. The structure of an essay includes an introduction with a thesis statement, 3 body paragraphs supporting the thesis, and a conclusion summarizing the content in relation to the thesis.