The Essay ELA 9 Ms. K. Phillips

What is an Essay? An essay is a series of paragraphs that develop a topic and express a writer’s opinion about that topic. The hardest part of writing a good essay is deciding what your opinion is and finding proof to support it.

What are the different parts of an essay? There are 3 main parts of an essay: Introduction Body Conclusion

Introduction Your introduction should “introduce” the topic of the essay to the reader. A good introduction will tell the reader what to expect in the rest of the essay and make him want to read more. A good introduction will have the following: –Motivator –Thesis Statement –Blueprint

1. Motivator This is a sentence or a few sentences at the very beginning of the introduction to grab the reader’s attention. It may take the form of: –Question-the writer asks the reader to consider a question –Anecdote-a very brief story that is related to the topic –Shocking statement/statistic- a statement intended to surprise the reader –Quotation-a quoted phrase that is related to the topic

2. Thesis Statement This is the main idea, the statement that the essay is built around. The thesis statement tells the reader your viewpoint on the topic. Example Thesis Statement: Advice from others can be very helpful when people are making major decisions. –Unless you are writing a personal essay you should not use the personal pronoun “I” in your thesis. Example: I believe that advice from others can be very helpful when people are making major decisions. –Be confident! – Get rid of the “I believe.

3. Blueprint This is a sentence or two that outline(s) the main points that you will develop in your essay. This should include at least three points. Each of the body paragraphs will then develop one of the points.

Body Each body paragraph will relate back to your thesis statement. Start a new paragraph for each main idea you use to support your thesis. Organize your paragraphs from weakest argument to strongest. Each body paragraph is ended by a concluding sentence that brings the paragraph to a close and forms a bridge or transition to the next idea that will be presented.

Each paragraph should contain the following: Topic sentence Point one Supporting evidence for point one Point two Supporting evidence for point two Point three Supporting evidence for point three Concluding sentence

Conclusion This paragraph summarizes your essay and ties up any loose ends. DO NOT introduce any new information or arguments in your conclusion.

A good conclusion has the following: Restatement of the thesis- Restate your thesis. Try to word your thesis differently in the conclusion. Restatement of topic sentences- Restate each of your topic sentences. Try to word them differently in the conclusion. Terminator- End your essay on a high note. Use a thoughtful statement, question, quotation, or a striking statement to finish off your concluding thoughts. Be sure to consider what type of motivator you used, and remember to relate your terminator to your motivator. For example, if you asked a question in your motivator, you might want to answer it in your terminator.

Final Tips All essays need a title. Keep your title general. Underline your title. Capitalize all words that are three letters or longer. Don’t spend hours thinking of a title! Usually, you can use the topic in your title. –Example Title: The Importance of Advice

If you use quotations in your essay, be sure to place quotation marks around them. –Example Quotation: In his inaugural address, President Obama stated, “I stand here today, humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.”

Be sure to double space your essays. It is easier to read. Take advantage of the spell check on your computer. It will improve your marks on conventions. Plan your essay and use an OUTLINE. It will make your essay more coherent and organized. It is very important to achieve unity within your essay. An essay’s unity is the focus that holds the separate thoughts together.