ESSAY WRITING
Topic, Supporting, and Concluding
Sentences
Introduction of an Essay
Your introduction paragraph should include:
• A “hook”, which is an interesting statement that
catches the reader’s attention.
• Background information/A bridge, or general
statements that give a broad picture of the subject.
• A thesis statement, which contains the topic and
controlling idea of the essay. It gives the main idea
that the writer is trying to explain or prove in the
essay. It may state the supporting ideas that will be
developed in the essay.
Body of an Essay
Each body paragraph develops one idea that supports
the thesis. Each body paragraph includes:
• A topic sentence that states the topic of the
paragraph.
• Supporting sentences, which all relate to the topic
and give information to support and develop the idea.
• A concluding sentence, which summarizes the ideas
in the paragraph.
• There may also be a transition sentence or clause that
helps connect the ideas between paragraphs.
Conclusion of an Essay
The conclusion brings the essay to a close. A conclusion
paragraph can do any of the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Summarize the main points in your essay
Restate your thesis
Give a suggestion
Predict about the future
Give a wish or hope
Give the author’s opinion
Give a result
The conclusion cannot include any new information.
Analyze an Essay
INTRODUCTION
Thesis
Hook
Bridge
Thesis
Thesis
• Your thesis statement will be the argument of your
essay.
• You will need to explain and prove this argument in
the following paragraphs.
• Your thesis statement ties your paper together and
gives it direction.
Qualities of a good thesis statement:
• A good thesis is…
• Not a question
• Poor Example: Why is it important to be in various
afterschool clubs?
• Better Example: It is important not to be in various
afterschool clubs to add more value to your education.
• Not a statement about absolute fact
• Poor Example: Florida is in the southern part of the
United States.
• Better Example: Florida is the best spring break
destination.
Do NOT:
• use “In my opinion…”
• use “My paper is going to be about…”
• use “I think that…”
• be too vague or too broad in your claim.
• list facts.
• ask questions.
DO:
• be specific
• make a claim that you have to support.
• make a claim that you can make the strongest
argument (it may not always be what you agree with).
Are the following theses good or bad?
____ Senator Debbie Stabenow works for Michigan.
____ My thesis is about how to get good grades.
____ Comparing and contrasting the two poems will
illustrate why “If” by Kipling is the best poem.
____ While on vacation I experienced quite an adventure.
____ Edgar Allen Poe was born in January 1809.
____ Implementing school uniforms would have many
benefits.
____ I am against school uniforms.
____ Students think that being “cool” means having to
sacrifice his or her morals, giving into peer pressure,
and doing bad in school.
INTRODUCTION
Hook
Hook / Lead
•Your hook is an attention grabbing strategy
that engages the reader.
•You want your hook to get your readers
interested in the rest of your essay.
Effective Hook Techniques:
• Quotation or Statistic
• A personal story
• Anecdote
• Metaphor
• Unexpected Claim
• Vivid Description
• Humor
INTRODUCTION
Bridge
Building Bridges
• A bridge is two or three
sentences that connect you
lead to your thesis.
• Your bridge will begin to
narrow your idea into your
thesis statement.
• You will bring up the topic of
your paper, but nothing
specific yet.
Hook
Bridge
Thesis
Practice! Identify the Thesis, Hook, and Bridge
Most people don’t choose who they eat
dinner with every night. It is usually whomever
a person lives with, or is around at dinnertime.
There are many fascinating people to spend
time with while eating dinner. If I were able to
choose any three people, dead or alive to eat
with, it would take me awhile to decide. After
great consideration I would invite Oprah, my
grandma, and President Lincoln.
Practice! Identify the Thesis, Hook, and Bridge
Most people don’t choose who they eat
dinner with every night. It is usually whomever
a person lives with, or is around at dinnertime.
There are many fascinating people to spend
time with while eating dinner. If I were able to
choose any three people, dead or alive to eat
with, it would take me awhile to decide. After
great consideration I would invite Oprah, my
grandma, and President Lincoln. THESIS
Practice! Identify the Thesis, Hook, and Bridge
Most people don’t choose who they eat
dinner with every night. HOOK It is usually
whomever a person lives with, or is around at
dinnertime. There are many fascinating people
to spend time with while eating dinner. If I were
able to choose any three people, dead or alive
to eat with, it would take me awhile to decide.
After great consideration I would invite Oprah,
my grandma, and President Lincoln.
Practice! Identify the Thesis, Hook, and Bridge
Most people don’t choose who they eat
dinner with every night. It is usually whomever
a person lives with, or is around at dinnertime.
There are many fascinating people to spend
time with while eating dinner. If I were able to
choose any three people, dead or alive to eat
with, it would take me awhile to decide.
BRIDGE After great consideration I would invite
Oprah, my grandma, and President Lincoln.