Essay Writing Notes
**Example Essay Follows**
Introduction
 Grabber – Opening sentence in the form of either a question, quote, or anecdote that
“grabs” the readers’ attention and makes them want to read further.
o Question – causes curiosity, cannot be yes/no questions – we want open-ended
questions
o Quote – movie lines, famous people quotes, song lyrics, proverbs, statistics (ex.
4 out of 5 dentist recommend chowing Trident gum), lines from literature – the
catch – the quote has to have something to do with your topic!
o Anecdote – little personal story told from your own perspective that uses
awesome imagery (5 senses) – Should only be 1 sentence
 Tie-In – Sentence that acts like a bridge, connecting the grabber to the thesis. The tiein focuses the reader and explains how the creative attention-getter fits into the main
idea of the essay.
o HINT: Try writing your grabber first, then leave a space for your tie-in and write
your thesis down. Sometimes, it’s easier to notice the connection between your
grabber and thesis if you can see them right next to each other.
 Thesis – The main idea of the essay (what the essay is about). This statement
includes both the purpose for writing and the author’s opinion or argument (what the
writer hopes to prove).
 Layout – This sentence gives the reader a game plan of what your three main points
are going to be WITHOUT revealing too much information. Set up your three topics, in
order, but only give a HINT about what you’re going to say, to keep the mystery alive.
o Don’t show your cards right away. Keep key information hidden by using
synonyms to create many different ways of saying the same idea; then, just pick
the most interesting phrase that is also the most vague or mysterious. A sense
of mystery creates curiosity, which makes your reader want to discover more.
Make them work for it!
Body Paragraphs
Not all essays are 5 paragraphs long: some may be more; some may be less. You would use
the format for the number of body paragraphs that are needed in your essay.
 Fact – Topic sentence that explains what the paragraph will be about (also called a
“claim”). This statement always relates back to the thesis in some way. The fact
sentence should also be an idea that is able to be proven. The way you prove your fact
statement is by giving a solid reason, backing it up with an example and elaborating on
that example.
o This is a provable statement
 Reason – This statement, written in your own words, backs up your fact sentence with
a clear explanation of why it is the truth.
 Example – Supporting details that proves your “reason” is true. If quotes are required
in your essay, the example sentence would be a quote from your research that backs
up your argument. Don’t forget your “lead-in” phrase and citation!
 Elaboration – Statement in the writer’s own words that explains the example sentence.
If the example sentence is a quote, the elaboration sentence interprets the quote or
explains why that quote is included.
 Transition – This sentence acts like a bridge, connecting the paragraph you’re
currently writing in to the paragraph that comes directly after it. Transition sentences
make the topics from each paragraph flow together by showing the common ground
between two claims and prepping the reader for the next idea.
o Shows the relationship between both ideas
o FINAL BODY PARAGRAPH – When you are in your final body paragraph, this
sentence becomes your Summative Closing.
 The summative closing closes all your body paragraphs in one sentence.
Conclusion
 Clincher – This sentence is like the mirror-image of your grabber. It’s the attentiongetter for the conclusion. The clincher keeps the reader interested long enough to
finish reading your last paragraph.
o Reminds the reader of the grabber
o Don’t use the same words as your grabber
o Convey the same idea, or feeling, as the grabber without repeating the same
image.
 Verification of Thesis – This sentence should explain how the claims you wrote about
in your body paragraphs have proven your main argument.
o Use your layout and the topics of your body paragraphs
o Restate these ideas (all together in one sentence)
o Confidence is key (adopt an air of authority)
 Zinger – The zinger should be a creative idea that sums up what you’ve written and
leaves the reader with something to think about. This is the last thought in your
reader’s head before she puts your paper away, so your zinger should make you stand
out. The zinger is what makes your paper memorable.
o Play to your strengths (humor, music, creative writing, shock value, call to action,
emotional response, etc.)
o Make sure the zinger relates to your topic
o End with a bang! Give the best fireworks show the reader has ever seen!
Essay Example
Hypothetical Assignment: What is your favorite food?
Brainstorming/Prewriting
Use a graphic organizer to help you collect your thoughts and cut down the time it takes you
to write your essay.
Favorite Food
Italian food is awesome!
Reminds me of
Grandmom
Easy to cook
Pasta is cheap
Introduction
Grabber – In my grandmother’s kitchen, I remember first the smells of my childhood – the big
pot of gravy on the stove smelling of basil and tomatoes from the garden, the parmesan
cheese being grated fresh from the block, and the spicy, garlic laden meatballs being baked
in the oven.
Tie-In – She was a phenomenal cook, and the only reason that I can successfully feed myself
and my family today is because I spent my whole childhood in her kitchen, learning her many
Italian secrets to the perfect meal.
Thesis – My favorite food in the whole world is Italian food.
Layout – Italian food conjures up memories from my past, it’s a simple weeknight meal, and
it’s affordable in these tough economic times.
Body Paragraph 1
Fact – One reason that Italian food is my favorite is that it reminds me of my grandmother.
Reason – This is important to me because I miss my grandmother every day, and the best
way to keep her memory alive is to cook the meals I grew up watching her make.
Example – For example, when I was little I used to stand on a chair and watch my grandmom
stir her pasta sauce with a wooden spoon, adding herbs and tasting mouthfuls until the whole
house smelled like heaven, and she explained everything she was doing to me because no
one else had the patience to learn her secret recipe.
Elaboration – This pasta sauce is such a significant part of my cuisine now because, not only
does it make me feel close to my grandmom when my own house is filled with delicious
smells of homemade sauce, but also because the rest of my family relies on me to make the
recipe since no one else ever bothered to learn while she was alive.
Transition – One thing that always impressed me about my grandmom was how much she
got done in a single day, and now that I’m an adult with a busy schedule of my own, I realize
how important it was for her meals to be simple to throw together quickly.
Body Paragraph 2
Fact – I love Italian food because it’s easy to make.
Reason – This is important to me because I’m usually so busy grading papers and working
two jobs, that if my dinners weren’t incredibly simple, I’d never have time to cook at all!
Example – One simple dish my grandmom taught me was spaghetti and meatballs, and it’s
so simple because it involves just a few basic ingredients and only two pieces of cookware.
Elaboration – Because the ingredients are basic, I usually have them on hand in my pantry,
and because it only involves one pot and one bowl, there’s never a lot of clean-up, but what
makes this meal truly uncomplicated is that both the sauce and the meatballs can be made on
a day when I have a lot of free time and then frozen for a day when I’m really busy.
Transition – Dishes that call for short ingredient lists and everyday cookware not only save
time and effort, but also money.
Body Paragraph 3
Fact – Italian food is the best food for a family on a budget because it’s so cheap to make.
Reason – This is important to me because, as a teacher, I make a really lousy salary, and
even the paychecks from my part-time job aren’t’ enough to pay the mortgage on time, so
keeping food-costs low is essential if I don’t want to go bankrupt.
Example – One really cost-effective recipe that my grandmom used to cook all the time when
she was growing up in the Great Depression was pasta fagiole, which is a vegetable, bean,
and pasta soup that feeds a large crowd using ingredients that can be purchased in bulk for a
fraction of the cost.
Elaboration – During the Great Depression, my grandmom cooked this vegetarian soup with
the cost of meat was too high, and I make this soup a lot now because the beans in the dish
give me protein without having to spend $8 on a package of beef for a traditional American
stew.
Summative Closing – My grandmom helped shape the woman I am today through her
careful lessons about time-management, frugality, and the importance of connecting with
family through food.
Conclusion
Clincher – My Italian grandmother’s kitchen held the tastes and smells of her heritage and
the same values I hope to pass onto my kids one day.
Verification of Thesis – Italian food is the best food in the world because it helps me
remember loved ones from my past, it’s so ingrained in my memory that I don’t need to look
at a recipe to cook it, and lastly it is budget-friendly so I have more money to spend on my
family.
Zinger – Italian food connects people to their families, whether they are Italian or not,
because Italian food always equates to “home”.