ELEMENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE ESSAY Effective Communication

Every essay should contain:  An Introduction  Attention Getter (Hook)  Background Statement  Thesis  Body Paragraph(s)  Transition and Topic sentence  Development and examples  Conclusion  Restatement of thesis  So-What? Factor

The Attention Getter (Hook)  AGs are important: they hook your reader and get her interested in reading the rest of your essay  WARNING: An AG must relate to the theme of the essay; an irrelevant AG will confuse your reader.  An AG can be as short as one or two words, or as long as a couple sentences.

Examples  Imagine a line of dead and mangled bodies stretching for twenty-five miles—25,000 corpses. That is the number of victims of drunk driving every year.  Beloved American author Mark Twain once said, "Man is the only animal that blushes... or needs to." My brother is living proof of this observation—he is constantly making uncomfortable remarks about others.  BAD: Imagine a serene beach with palm trees dancing gracefully in the wind. The average person will score a 488 on the writing section of the SATs.

The Attention Getter  Types of Attention Getters:  Open with a specific example of your larger subject  Open with an anecdote (an amusing, biographical story) that dramatizes your theme  Set the scene by describing a place, event, or character  Use dialogue to relate a significant conversation between or among characters  Begin with a quote that dramatizes your theme

The Attention Getter  Types of Attention Getters (cont’d)  Describe a profound feeling  Use detail to provide an attentive, focused look at something in particular  Open with an interesting fact or startling statement  Build your lead out of the meeting of two opposites  Start with a surprise  Ask a question (but be sure to answer it at some point)

Background Statement  The background statement is simply a single sentence that provides a general overview of the topic  For example: Despite the education of society and the effort to increase awareness, the number of deaths due to drunk driving stays the same year after year.

The Thesis Statement  A thesis is simply the main focus of an essay  If you are being asked a question, the thesis functions as the answer to that question.  Question: What is your favorite childhood memory?  Thesis: My favorite childhood memory is a trip to Italy.

The Thesis Statement  If you are not being asked a question, you must first decide what the focus of your essay is, then formulate a sentence that describes it.  Do NOT write “The focus of my essay is...” in your thesis statement.  A thesis should be one or two sentences in length.  Example: The only way to deter the number of drunk driving incidents is to strengthen the laws and punishment against offenders.

Body Paragraph(s)  Every body paragraph in your essay should contain the following elements, in this order: 1. Transition + topic sentence  The transition and the topic sentence can be achieved in one sentence; otherwise, use two.  A transition is a bridge that connects two paragraphs or ideas, much like a bridge connects two sides of a river. There are several ways to transition between paragraphs or ideas:

Body Paragraphs 1. Rephrase the idea or replace it with a pronoun. A pronoun that refers to something mentioned in the previous paragraph often provides a smooth transition between paragraphs. 2. Repetition. This transition is easy to do but can become tedious if used too often.

Body Paragraphs 1. Direct reference. Refer to an earlier idea by mentioning it directly.  For example, you might say, “This congressional committee worked long hours to accomplish the job for which it had been appointed” and then begin the next paragraph by writing, “How the committee accomplished its job so effectively makes an interesting story..” 2. Transitional phrases  Its always better to use your own words, but using a transitional word or phrase is a good alterative.  Example: on the other hand, additionally, to oppose

Body Paragraphs  A topic sentence is the central point of a paragraph; each topic sentence elaborates upon some part of the thesis statement. Be sure that information contained in the body paragraph relates to the topic sentence.

Example  We, as Americans, have done a great deal to counteract the effects of drunk driving injury by educating children and raising awareness in adults; however, we are not doing enough to solve the problem.

Body Paragraphs  Supporting sentences to further explain the topic sentence  Examples, facts, or statistics may be used to support the topic sentence  You also need to explain how your examples further develop your thesis. Do not assume the connection is obvious.  Transitions may also be used at the end of a paragraph to prepare the reader for the next idea ahead.

The Conclusion  Rephrasing of the thesis and summary of main points  Do NOT rewrite your thesis word-for-word. Find another way to phrase the idea.  The So-What? Factor  This sentence (or two) shows the relevance, universality, or applicability of your thesis.

So-What Factor?  We must all educate ourselves about the consequences of drunk driving, before the epidemic takes the life of someone close to us.

Important Info  EVERY essay you write (whether for this class or another) should be at least 3 paragraphs: intro, body, conclusion.