Writing Essays

How to write an essay

By Nakiya Beaman

Start with an intro

​Some text here about the topic of discussion.

​Start your introduction with.....

​A Summary

and end it with a thesis statement

Multiple Choice

What kind of hook does this paragraph have?

From Hocus Pocus to The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, it’s clear that people love witches. In fact, witches are the most popular adult Halloween costume year after year. But those frivolous and fanciful witches we know today—cackling in black garb and pointy hats with broomstick in hand—have evolved a great deal over the past several centuries.

• Startling Statement

• Fun Fact

• Anecdote

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the strongest thesis statement?

• Friendship is cool.
• It is important to have a good friend because they'll be the ones who will be with you when you take your last breath in the end.
• Friends are the most important people in your life.
• Having friends is important.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the strongest thesis statement?

• You should never give up.
• You are able to set your mind to anything if you don't give up.
• Never giving up is important.
• Never giving up is important because there will always be hardships in your way.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the strongest thesis statement?

• Laughter is important because not only does it make you and other people feel good, it makes the world a much better place.
• Laughter is important.
• Laughter is important when you're sad.
• Laughter is important because everyone needs to laugh.

​What is a thesis? The thesis is a statement (usually a single sentence) that expresses the central idea or main argument of the essay and reflects the writer’s purpose for writing it. It typically appears at the end of the introduction, as the last sentence (though it may appear elsewhere). For more on introductions, see our handout Writing an Effective Introduction. The thesis may be implied or explicitly stated, but should always be evident to the reader. The thesis may differ depending on the type of writing (argumentative, persuasive, informative, narrative, etc...). The thesis should be restated in a new and interesting way in the conclusion.<!--EndFragment-->

​Parts of a thesis: Thesis statement = Claim + Supporting Points Claim: This part states the main idea of the essay, and tells your reader what you intend to convince them.

For example, being a vegetarian is better than eating meat…

​

Supporting Points: This part lists the major supporting points to be discussed in the body of the essay, and it tells your reader what they should expect to learn in support of your claim, and in what order.

For example,

​Supporting Point 1: because it is healthier, Supporting Point 2: costs less, Supporting Point 3: and doesn’t harm animals. Put your claim and your supporting points together into one sentence that expresses the central idea of your essay. This is your thesis statement:

Being a vegetarian is better than eating meat because it is healthier, costs less, and doesn’t harm animals.

Open Ended

Finish the following statement and make it a three-part thesis:

Stealing is acceptable when a person does it for their family because...

Open Ended

Finish the following statement and make it a three part thesis:

Students today have it hard because....

Open Ended

Finish the following statement and make it a three part thesis:

High school students should be allowed to use cell phones in the classroom because...

How to write Body Paragraphs

Some text here about the topic of discussion

Draw

Circle where the author introduces the evidence and elaborates on the topic sentence

Draw

Circle where the author explains their evidence

Draw

Circle where the author intodruces the evidence and elaborates on the topic sentence

Draw

Circle where the author explains their evidence

Draw

Circle where the author uses transitional and signal words

Draw

Circle where the author uses transitional words and signal words

Example of Concluding Paragraph

Another Example Conclusion

Multiple Choice

True or False: It's a good idea to introduce new information in a conclusion paragraph.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: It's okay to write super long conclusions that overload the reader with information.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: You should either analyze facts you've already talked about or restate those facts in a conclusion.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: Your conclusion should not have any random or off-topic information.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: Questions are okay in a conclusion paragraph.

• True

• False