ELEMENTS OF
AN EFFECTIVE
ESSAY
Effective Communication
Every essay should contain:
 An
Introduction
 Attention
Getter (Hook)
 Background Statement
 Thesis
 Body
Paragraph(s)
 Transition
and Topic sentence
 Development and examples
 Conclusion
 Restatement
of thesis
 So-What? Factor
The Attention Getter (Hook)
 AGs
are important: they hook your reader
and get her interested in reading the rest
of your essay
 WARNING: An AG must relate to the
theme of the essay; an irrelevant AG will
confuse your reader.
 An AG can be as short as one or two
words, or as long as a couple sentences.
Examples



Imagine a line of dead and mangled bodies
stretching for twenty-five miles—25,000 corpses.
That is the number of victims of drunk driving every
year.
Beloved American author Mark Twain once said,
"Man is the only animal that blushes... or needs to."
My brother is living proof of this observation—he is
constantly making uncomfortable remarks about
others.
BAD: Imagine a serene beach with palm trees
dancing gracefully in the wind. The average
person will score a 488 on the writing section of the
SATs.
The Attention Getter
 Types
of Attention Getters:
 Open
with a specific example of your larger
subject
 Open with an anecdote (an amusing,
biographical story) that dramatizes your
theme
 Set the scene by describing a place, event, or
character
 Use dialogue to relate a significant
conversation between or among characters
 Begin with a quote that dramatizes your
theme
The Attention Getter
 Types
of Attention Getters (cont’d)
 Describe
a profound feeling
 Use detail to provide an attentive, focused
look at something in particular
 Open with an interesting fact or startling
statement
 Build your lead out of the meeting of two
opposites
 Start with a surprise
 Ask a question (but be sure to answer it at
some point)
Background Statement
 The
background statement is simply a
single sentence that provides a general
overview of the topic
 For example: Despite the education of
society and the effort to increase
awareness, the number of deaths due to
drunk driving stays the same year after
year.
The Thesis Statement
A
thesis is simply the main focus of an
essay
 If you are being asked a question, the
thesis functions as the answer to that
question.
 Question:
What is your favorite childhood
memory?
 Thesis: My favorite childhood memory is a trip
to Italy.
The Thesis Statement




If you are not being asked a question, you
must first decide what the focus of your essay
is, then formulate a sentence that describes it.
Do NOT write “The focus of my essay is...” in
your thesis statement.
A thesis should be one or two sentences in
length.
Example: The only way to deter the number of
drunk driving incidents is to strengthen the
laws and punishment against offenders.
Body Paragraph(s)
 Every
body paragraph in your essay
should contain the following elements, in
this order:
1.
Transition + topic sentence
 The
transition and the topic sentence can be
achieved in one sentence; otherwise, use
two.
 A transition is a bridge that connects two
paragraphs or ideas, much like a bridge
connects two sides of a river. There are
several ways to transition between
paragraphs or ideas:
Body Paragraphs
1.
2.
Rephrase the idea or replace it with a
pronoun. A pronoun that refers to
something mentioned in the previous
paragraph often provides a smooth
transition between paragraphs.
Repetition. This transition is easy to do but
can become tedious if used too often.
Body Paragraphs
1.
Direct reference. Refer to an earlier idea by
mentioning it directly.

2.
For example, you might say, “This congressional
committee worked long hours to accomplish the job
for which it had been appointed” and then begin
the next paragraph by writing, “How the committee
accomplished its job so effectively makes an
interesting story..”
Transitional phrases


Its always better to use your own words, but using a
transitional word or phrase is a good alterative.
Example: on the other hand, additionally, to oppose
Body Paragraphs
A
topic sentence is the central point of a
paragraph; each topic sentence
elaborates upon some part of the thesis
statement. Be sure that information
contained in the body paragraph relates
to the topic sentence.
Example
 We,
as Americans, have done a great
deal to counteract the effects of drunk
driving injury by educating children and
raising awareness in adults; however, we
are not doing enough to solve the
problem.
Body Paragraphs
 Supporting
sentences to further explain
the topic sentence
 Examples,
facts, or statistics may be used to
support the topic sentence
 You also need to explain how your examples
further develop your thesis. Do not assume the
connection is obvious.
 Transitions may also be used at the end of a
paragraph to prepare the reader for the next
idea ahead.
The Conclusion
 Rephrasing
main points
of the thesis and summary of
 Do
NOT rewrite your thesis word-for-word. Find
another way to phrase the idea.
 The
So-What? Factor
 This
sentence (or two) shows the relevance,
universality, or applicability of your thesis.
So-What Factor?
 We
must all educate ourselves about the
consequences of drunk driving, before
the epidemic takes the life of someone
close to us.
Important Info
 EVERY
essay you write (whether for this
class or another) should be at least 3
paragraphs: intro, body, conclusion.