GUIDE TO ESSAY WRITING

ELEMENTS OF AN ESSAY An essay is composed of three main parts: Introduction Paragraph Body Paragraphs Conclusion

Introduction paragraph

Introduction The introduction paragraph is the first paragraph of your essay. The purpose of the introduction is to grab the reader’s attention, introduce your topic, and tell the reader exactly what your essay will be about (thesis statement). In order to remember all of the elements of the introduction paragraph, we will follow the following acronym:

A.T.T.

A.T.T. A ATTENTION GRABBER In an essay, we want to grab the reader’s attention so that they will want to continue to read your essay. To grab the reader’s attention you can use one of three things: A Quote A Startling Fact or Statistic An Outrageous Statement

A.T.T. T TIE-IN SENTENCES The main purpose of the tie in sentence is to introduce your topic. You can do this by defining the topic, explaining the attention grabber, or saying something interesting about your topic. Your tie in sentence is also used to bridge the gap between your attention grabber and your thesis statement. Because of this, we want to ensure that the tie-in sentences are strong and aligned with your overall purpose and opinion!

A.T.T. CONTINUED THESIS STATEMENT The thesis statement tells the reader exactly what your essay will be about. The thesis statement is beneficial to both the writer and the reader. It guides the reader through the topics of the paper, and it serves as an outline of the paper for the writer. It is often considered the GPS of your essay because it tells the reader where your paper is going. The thesis statement is composed of 2 things: The writer’s CLAIM The writer’s GROUNDS (reasons why the writer has made their claim). The thesis statement is ALWAYS the LAST SENTENCE of the introduction paragraph.

Body paragraphs

BODY PARAGRAPHS A body paragraph is a group of related sentences about a particular topic or idea directly relating to the thesis. In persuasive writing, the purpose of the body paragraphs is to prove your thesis with researched facts, logic, and persuasive writing. Each body paragraph topic can be found in the GROUNDS of the thesis statement. For example, if my thesis statement is: Smoking should be illegal in the U.S. because it is harmful for the body and environment. Topic for Body Paragraph #1 = Smoking is harmful for the body Topic for Body Paragraphs #2 = Smoking is harmful for the environment In order to compose an effective body paragraph, we will follow the following acronym:

P.E.E.L.

P.E.E.L. P POINT The first sentence of your body paragraph. The purpose of the point is to notify the reader of what the body paragraph will cover. This sentence MUST align with your thesis statement. You will find the POINT of each body paragraph in the Grounds of your thesis statement.

P.E.E.L. E Evidence After you notify the reader of what this paragraph will cover, you will insert evidence to prove your point. This evidence must be strong, meaning that real facts, or real historical events, are provided to prove what you are saying. Although hypothetical situations can make good logical points, they are not strong enough to prove your point. Stay away from hypothetical situations.

P.E.E.L. CONTINUED E EXPLANATION After you have inserted your evidence, you must use your own words to explain how your evidence is relevant to your point. This can be implicitly or explicitly stated

P.E.E.L. CONTINUED L LINK Once you explained how your evidence is relevant to your point, you must link your point, evidence, and explanation back to your original claim. The link is important because it ties your argument together, and keeps the essay focused on the main purpose of the paper.

P.E.E.L. CONTINUED The explanation and link are the tools that you use to truly persuade the reader. This is your commentary/your time to get your reader to agree with your claim. Without these two things, your essay/argument will be weak and underdeveloped. It is important to take significant time developing your commentary.

Conclusion

Conclusion The conclusion is the last paragraph of your essay. The conclusion has three main purposes: Summarize your argument by restating your claim and grounds in a new way Briefly mention the evidence provided Persuade the reader with a few strong and persuasive closing statements. In order to compose an effective conclusion, we will follow the following acronym:

X.Y.Z.

X.Y.Z. X Y Z Re-eXplain your thesis statement Restate your claim and grounds in a new way Y whY should the audience care? Using persuasive writing, wrap up your essay by summarizing the main points, and convincing the reader of the importance of your argument. Z Zing the audience with a lasting thought This is your final impression on the reader, you want to end strong.