1. The Structure of an Essay
Unit 8
The Structure of an Essay

2. What is an Essay?
Words are collections of sounds; sentences are collections of words; paragraphs are collections of sentences; and essays are collections of paragraphs.
First and foremost, the essay is, essentially true, a piece of non-fiction.
Secondly, all essays have definable beginnings, middles, and endings.
In addition, an essay is built around central idea, normally referred to as thesis.
Finally, essays consist of three, or more paragraphs.
The primary job of the essay is to thoroughly discuss its main idea (s).

4. What is a thesis statement?
A thesis statement is a sentence or sentences which summarize the main idea or ideas of your paper and clearly expresses what it is you are going to say about your topic.
Your statement identifies what topic will be discussed and the purpose of your paper.

5. Your thesis statement will have two parts.
The first part states the topic.
For example:
Palestine's Culture
Public Transportation

6. The second part states the point/ controlling idea of the essay.
has a rich and varied history
can solve some of our city's most persistent and pressing problems

7. Or in the second part you could simply list the three main ideas you will discuss.
has a long history, blends traditions from several other cultures, and provides a rich heritage.
helps with traffic crowding, resource management, and the city budget.

8. Thesis Statement Examples
Example of an analytical thesis statement:
An analysis of the college admission process reveals one challenge facing counselors: accepting students with high test scores or students with strong extracurricular backgrounds.
The paper that follows should:
explain the analysis of the college admission process
explain the challenge facing admissions counselors

9. Example of an expository (explanatory) thesis statement:
The life of the typical college student is characterized by time spent studying, attending class, and socializing with peers.
The paper that follows should:
explain how students spend their time studying, attending class, and socializing with peers

10. Example of an argumentative thesis statement:
High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness.
The paper that follows should:
present an argument and give evidence to support the claim that students should pursue community projects before entering college

11. Writing a Strong Thesis
1. A thesis takes a stand (gives the author’s opinion) rather than announcing a subject.
Announcement: The thesis of this paper is the difficulty of solving our environmental problems.
Thesis: Solving our environmental problems is more difficult than many environmentalists believe.
2. A thesis statement is not a statement of fact or an observation.
Fact or observation: People use many lawn chemicals.
Thesis: People are poisoning the environment with chemicals merely to keep their lawns clean.

12. Writing a Strong Thesis
3. A thesis should not state two sides of argument equally.
Two sides of an argument: There are advantages and disadvantages to living in big cities.
Thesis: Although there are some advantages, living in big cities has many disadvantages.

13. How to write a thesis statement
To create a thesis statement simply follow this formula:
TOPIC  +  OPINION  =  THESIS STATEMENT
Thesis statement =
Opinion +
Topic
When it comes to animals, cats make better pets than dogs.
Make better pets than dogs
Cats
The movie “Omar Almukhtar" ignited many emotions in an audience.
Omar Almukhtar movie arouses many emotions.
Movies and emotions
In the story "On the Sidewalk Bleeding", the boy loses his identity and is only recognized as a gang member.
The boy lost his personal identity and was only seen as a gang member.
Gangs and identity in the story "On the Sidewalk Bleeding".