Essay Structure and Thesis
The Writing Process
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Planning
Shaping/Organizing
Drafting
Revising
Editing
Proofreading
The Major Parts of Any Essay
• Title
• Introduction
• Thesis statement
• Body paragraph
• Topic sentence
• Supporting details
• Body paragraph…
• Topic sentence
• Supporting details
• Conclusion
Your Title
• This can be catchy, creative,
complex, or just to the point.
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A Day at Disney World
Spaced Out in Space Mountain
How to Wait in Line All Day and Not Lose Your Mind
Captured by Pirates
I Met My Maker on Toad’s Wild Ride
The Most Expensive Junk Food in the World
Postmodernism Meets Late Capitalism
But notice…
• The title indicates, at least in some fashion,
what the essay is about.
• Sometimes, after you’ve done some
freewriting, clustering, and general research
and thinking about your topic, writing the title
first helps you focus.
• You can always change the title later.
Introduction
• Your first or introductory paragraph should
both explain your topic and stimulate your
audience’s interest.
• We’ll have an entire lesson on this later, but
your introductory paragraph should contain
your thesis statement so that your reader
can focus on what exactly you are going to
talk about in the upcoming body paragraphs.
• The traditional location of a thesis in an
academic essay is at the end of the
introduction.
Introduction and Thesis
• Introduction
– Grabs audience’s attention
– Gives necessary background to understand the
topic/thesis
– Contains the thesis
• Thesis
– States essay’s topic, purpose, point of view
• Specific, powerful words ~> not general or vague
– May change during revision process
• Probable that it will
Visual Representation of Your
Introduction Paragraph
1. Broad sentence that sets the stage
2., 3. narrower sentences that provide
some details or a greater degree
of specificity
4. Very specific sentence
that focuses on exactly
what you are going to say
in the following essay
Thesis
statement
Allow Your Thesis to Guide Your Paper
• Pass out thesis handout.
Thesis Statements
A thesis statement can be:
The answer to a question that you
have posed
 The solution for a problem you have
identified
 A statement that takes a position on a
debatable topic
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Source: _A Writer's Reference_ by Diana Hacker
General Tips about Thesis Statements
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A statement that contains the essay’s topic and point(s)
Gives the reader a sense of what the essay will be about
Most thesis statements are only one sentence
Must be a complete sentence
Everything in the essay must support the thesis.
Usually comes at the end of the introduction:
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Introduction paragraph should follow this format:
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Attention getter (commonly known as a “hook”)
Introduce the topic and give background leading up to the thesis
State the thesis
What are the Roles of a Thesis?
1. It can assert an argument, explain a topic, and/or
analyze an issue.
2. It is specific in presenting the writer's position.
3. It limits both scope and topic of the paper.
4. It captures the reader's interest and focuses that
interest on the topic.
Kinds of Thesis Statements: Persuasive*
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An persuasive paper makes a claim based on
opinion, evaluation, or interpretation about a topic
and proves this claim with specific evidence.
Persuasive thesis example:
 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.
*If you have been asked to argue a point or choose a side on an issue, this is likely the
type of thesis you will use.
*Typically, you will use this style of thesis in English 101 and transfer-level courses.
Source: http://owl.english.purdue.edu
Kinds of Thesis Statements: Analytical*
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An analytical paper breaks the topic down into
parts, examines each part, and determines how
each part relates to the whole topic.
Analytical thesis example:
 An
analysis of the college admission process reveals
one challenge facing counselors: accepting students with
high test scores or students with strong extracurricular
backgrounds.
*If you have been asked to analyze a topic, issue, or reading, this is the type of thesis
you should use.
*Typically, you will use this style of thesis in English 101 and transfer level courses.
Source: http://owl.english.purdue.edu
Ways of Constructing Thesis Statements:
The Three Point Thesis (Essay Map)
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Contains essay’s topic + point,
and three supporting reasons
Example:
The Kardashians are a prime
example of the emptiness of
reality tv culture and the cult of
celebrity because their show
and subsequent lifestyles reflect
consumerist values, trivial
pastimes, and a focus on
superficial attractiveness.
Ways of Constructing a Thesis:
Because/Therefore
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Contains problem and solution
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Despite some gains in recent years, the film and television
industry is still not doing enough to represent societies in
our media that are as diverse as the society we live in.
[lead-in, identifies problem] Therefore, order to increase
minority representation in movies and television shows,
[goal] casting agencies should not be allowed to specify
race in a casting call unless it is an integral part of the
story [solution].
The author would need to include support and
evidence for both the problem (thereby justifying the
goal) and why the solution would be a viable one.
Ways of Constructing Thesis Statements:
The Umbrella
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Contains essay’s topic, point, and
alludes to reasons why the reader
should believe you.
Do not directly state the supporting
reasons, but instead allude to them.
Example: “Although thought to be
humane and necessary, animal testing
for medical and cosmetic purposes
[topic] does not live up to it’s promises
and causes more harm than good
[point and reasons].”
Do NOT use language like, “There are
many reasons people don’t like animal
testing, mostly it’s cruel.”
Thesis: DO NOT
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DO NOT announce your thesis: “In this
essay, I am going to tell you about Mt. SAC
college and why you should go there.”
(Side note: Some instructors may
encourage this type of statement, and
always do what your instructor suggests)
DO NOT confuse your reader: Just make
sure that the topic and point are clear.
A Thesis CANNOT be a fact: Doesn’t
allow you to prove anything because it’s
already factual.
DO NOT be vague: Words like “good,”
“bad,” “right,” and “wrong,” don’t convey
specific meaning.
A Theis CANNOT be a question: “Don’t
you think animal testing is inhumane?”
 Does not give the point of the paper.
 Leaves it open for readers to fill in the
blank.
Creating a Thesis Statement
1. Determine essay’s topic (what you’re talking about)
Example: Pixar’s film Up
2. Determine what kind of paper you are writing and what kind of thesis
statement you need to use: analytical, persuasive, or expository.
Example: Persuasive=It’s not really a “kid” movie.
3. Determine the way you will construct your thesis: list or umbrella?
4. Put it all together!
Example: Pixar’s most recent film, Up, should not be considered a “kid” movie
because its character conflicts and main theme of loss are too complex for
children to understand.
Opposing Example: Entertainment aimed at children should not
underestimate a child’s ability to understand complex concepts, and the
popularity of movies like Pixar’s Up prove that children can understand and
even identify with themes of loss and sacrifice.
Body Paragraphs
• Body paragraphs support and explain the
essay’s thesis.
• The more the merrier, for several reasons:
• They are reader friendly
• They help make the essay look organized.
• And, of course, they help you meet your
paper’s page-length requirement. 
Some Guidelines
• Each paragraph is a complete thought.
• As soon as you start to change thoughts, or
go a new direction, start a new paragraph.
• Don’t be afraid of having “too many
paragraphs.”
• I like to see at least three indents on a page
• Generally a paragraph starts with a
topic sentence, that tells what the
paragraph is about,
• and the other sentences provide details
and support.
• You can have as many or as few
sentences to a paragraph as you want,
• In fact, it makes your paper more
readable, creates a better rhythm, if you
vary the paragraph length.
The Golden Rule
• Don’t let a paragraph wander – keep it
to one central thought.
• When you feel your mind changing
gears, it’s time to change paragraphs!
Conclusions
• A concluding paragraph is the final
paragraph in your essay
• It presents a philosophical summary of
the essay, linking directly back to the
intro
• And (sorry) it does NOT start with “In
conclusion…”
Prewriting, Writing, Rewriting
• General tips
– REVISION TAKES TIME!
– Plan to write at least three drafts
• 1st draft… Focus on the BIG stuff
– Overall organization of essay
– May revisit this step several times
• 2nd draft… Concentrate your efforts
– Edit
• 3rd draft… Get nitpicky
– Proofread
Reminder About the Upcoming Essay Rough Draft
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Our Peer Review is next week.
 Your
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rough draft should be at least three full pages.
Remember, topics for this paper are very flexible,
however you still need to meet the minimum
requirements from the prompt.
Always re-read the prompt before you start
writing.