Essay Development

The Three Parts of an Essay An essay has three main parts: Introduction Body Conclusion

Introduction The introduction contains two parts: General statements to attract the attention of your readers Thesis statement – state the main idea of the essay. Thesis statement for an essay is like a topic sentence for a paragraph.

Thesis Statement The most important sentence in the introduction. States the specific topic of the essay. Young people in my culture have less freedom than young people in the United States. Sometimes a thesis statement lists the subtopics that will be discussed in the body. Young people in my culture has less freedom than young people in the United States in their choice of where they live, whom they marry, and what their job is.

Body Paragraph The body paragraphs in an essay are like the supporting sentences in a paragraph. It can be arranged in many patterns such as: Logical division of ideas Chronological order Comparison / contrast

Logical division of ideas Divide your topic into subtopics, and then discuss each subtopic in a separate paragraph. Write a thesis statement that indicates logical division. Use transitions between paragraphs to guide your reader from one subtopic to the next. Transition signals (refer to textbook pg 68)

Concluding Paragraph It signals the end of the essay. To do so, begin your conclusion with a transition signal. Remind your readers of your mains points by either: Summarize your subtopics Paraphrase your thesis statement It leaves readers with final thoughts on the topic.

Cont’d How to make your conclusion memorable? Make a prediction Suggest results or consequences Suggest a solution, make a recommendation, or call for action. Quote an authority on the topic.