Essay Composition

Essay Composition

English Language Arts

Why are essays important?

Essays allow you to have the opportunity to practice effective written communication. This skill is useful for the rest of your student years. However, this is also a very valuable life skills as most jobs require people with the skill to produce organized, coherent, cohesive and supported ideas either written or orally.

Thesis statement

The thesis statement concisely states the main idea or argument of the essay, sets limits on the topic, and can indicate the organization of the essay. The thesis works as a road map for the entire essay, showing the readers what you have to say and which main points you will use to support your ideas.

What is the structure of an essay?

• Introduction: Hooks audience, and provides context.

• Body: Supports ideas.

• Conclusion: Sums the main points and closes the message.

Tips for a great thesis statement

• One sentence!

• State something you can support.

• Must be a complete answer to the question/prompt if available.

• It's not a fact.

• Specific and clear.

• Can be supported with 2-3 ideas.

Multiple Choice

A thesis statement can include your opinion.

• True

• False

• Depending on the type of essay.

Multiple Select

Which of the following must be present in all essays? Select all that apply.

• Introduction

• Body

• Counterargument

• Conclusion

Introduction

The introduction guides your reader into the paper by introducing the topic. It should begin with a hook that catches the reader’s interest. This hook could be a quote, an analogy, a question, etc. After getting the reader’s attention, the introduction should give some background information on the topic. The ideas within the introduction should be general enough for the reader to understand the main claim and gradually become more specific to lead into the thesis statement.

Body

The body of the essay supports the main points presented in the thesis. Each point is developed by one or more paragraphs and supported with specific details. These details can include support from research and experiences, depending on the assignment. In addition to this support, the author’s own analysis and discussion of the topic ties ideas together and draws conclusions that support the thesis.

Conclusion

The conclusion brings together all the main points of the essay. It refers back to the thesis statement and leaves readers with a final thought and sense of closure by resolving any ideas brought up in the essay. It may also address the implications of the argument. In the conclusion, new topics or ideas that were not developed in the paper should not be introduced.

Multiple Choice

In which section of an essay do we need to include the thesis statement?

• Introduction

• Body

• Conclusion

Types of essays

• Narrative: Tells a story

• Descriptive: Paints the picture

• Expository: Focuses on the facts

• Persuasive/Argumentative: Tries to convince