OVERVIEW OF AN ESSAY

 

This handout is meant only as an brief, helpful (I hope) summary of what you will need to accomplish for this essay and future ones that you write in this class. Throughout the quarter, we will cover the elements in this handout-- introductions, conclusions, thesis statements, topic sentences, development, organization, and so on-- in more detail.

In your introduction, attempt to draw your readers (your peers and me) into your essay, sparking their interest, giving them a sense of what you will cover in the body paragraphs of your essay, and providing a thesis statement/controlling idea to guide your ideas and arguments in your body paragraphs. Your introduction does not need to be one paragraph; it may be two or more depending on what shape your essay takes. Your thesis statement does not need to be one sentence, but it should be as clear and concise as possible.

In the body of your essay, focus your paragraphs with clear and provocative topic sentences and develop your points with specific examples, experiences, and other evidence.  Also, at some point in your essay, you will need to clearly explain the connection between the evidence you provide and the points you're trying to make. Remember, your readers often need detailed information and explanations to comprehend your points.

As with the introduction, your conclusion does not need to be only one paragraph; in fact, stronger essays usually have concluding sections that address the implications and significance of what you address in your body paragraphs.

 

Introduction	drawing your readers into your essay, introducing your reader to the subject, giving necessary background information, leading up to the assertion of your main claim (your thesis statement)
Body Paragraphs	presenting the points that support your thesis, developing your points/arguments, explaining the significance of your points/arguments (your intro. may overlap with conclusion)
Conclusion	leading your readers out of your essay and leaving them with the effect or feelings you want to convey, discussing the overall significance or the implications of what you've written about (the "So what?")

I encourage you to look closely at the formats of the readings we did for this essay topic, examining how the authors started their writings, concluded them, focused their arguments, and so on.