103 Essay Structure

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Dramatic Opener or HookTransitional Sentence

Thesis Statement

Topic SentenceDetails and Examples

Concluding Transition Sentence

Summary Statement (restateyour thesis)Clincher

The body of youressay can be threeor moreparagraphs long.


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Introduction

Contains background information on the topic, but not informationspecific to the essay itself

Last sentence should be the thesis statementa general, three pointoutline on the paper

Body paragraphs

At least one body paragraph on each point from the thesis statement

Should contain specifics as to each point

Be as detailed as necessary

Conclusion

Should be a mirror image of the introduction

Restate the thesis

Wrap up the paper


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A very basic thesis statement is one or two sentences at the end of the firstparagraph that tells the reader the main idea of your essay. The thesis statementtells the reader what the essay will be about, and what point you, the author, willbe making.

A thesis statement should do these three things:1. It should clearly express what the essay is about.2. It should make a discussible point.3. It should indicate the structure of the essay.

Here is an example of a thesis statement for an essay about why a dog wouldmake a great pet. My three major points will be that dogs are loyal, easy to train,and make good companions. (these are your topics for the BODY of the essay).Here is an example of a thesis statement that I could use for my essay.

Thesis Statement:A dog would make a great pet for me because they are veryloyal, they are easy to train, and they make good companions.


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A thesis statement is an

assertion (a claim or declaration), not

a statement offact or an

observation.

Fact or observation:People use many lawn

chemicals.

Thesis:People are poisoning theenvironment with chemicals merely tokeep their lawns clean.


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A thesis takes a stand rather than

announcing a subject.

Announcement: The thesis of this paper is

the difficulty of solving our environmentalproblems.

Thesis: Solving our environmental problems

is more difficult than many environmentalistsbelieve.


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A thesis is the main idea, not the title.

It must be a complete sentence that

explains in some detail what youexpect to write about.

Title:Social Security and Old Age.

Thesis:Continuing changes in the SocialSecurity System makes it almost

impossible to plan intelligently for one's

retirement.


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A thesis statement is narrow,

rather than broad. If the thesis

statement is sufficiently narrow,it can be fully supported.

Broad:The Canadian steel industry hasmany problems.

Narrow:The primary problem if the Canadian

steel industry is the lack of funds to renovate

outdated plants and equipment.


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A thesis statement is specific

rather than vague or general.

Vague: Hemingway's war stories are very

good.

Specific:Hemingway's stories helped create a

new prose style by employing extensive

dialogue, shorter sentences, and strong Anglo-

Saxon words.


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A thesis statement has one main point

rather than several main points. More

than one point may be too difficult forthe reader to understand and the

writer to support.

More than one main point:Stephen Hawking's physical

disability has not prevented him from becoming a world-

renowned physicist, and his book is the subject of a movie.

One Main point:Stephen Hawking's physical disabilityhas not prevented him from becoming a world

renowned physicist.


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Thesis Statements

Your thesis statement will have two parts.

The first part states the topic. Kenya's Culture

Building a Model Train Set

Public Transportation The second part states the point of the essay.

has a rich and varied history

takes time and patience

can solve some of our city's most persistent and pressing problems

Once you have formulated a thesis statement thatfits this pattern and with which you are comfortable,you are ready to continue.


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Revising Your Thesis Statement

You can revise your thesis statement

whenever you want to while you are writing

your essay.

Writers often discover what their real

purpose and point is in the process of putting

their thoughts into words and then reading

what they've written.


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Now you are ready to put the introductory paragraph together. Remember that thetransitional sentence acts like a bridge to make a smooth connection between the hookand the thesis statement. You don't always need to include a transitional sentence, but youshould always evaluate your introduction to see if one is necessary.

Here's an example of an introductory paragraph for the "favorite pet" essay using aquotation for the hook.

The author Aldous Huxley once said, Tohis dog, every man is Napoleon; hence theconstant popularity of dogs. As I considerthe pet I would like to have share my life,its Huxleys quote that sums up why a dogwould be the best choice. Because of itssense of loyalty, its ability to protect youand its great companionship, a dog is theperfect pet.

THESIS

HOOK

TRANSITION


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What is the body of an essay?The body of an essay is the part between the introduction and the conclusion. It containsthe evidence. So far, we have used the example of three paragraphs, but there can be ahundred or more paragraphs to an essay. It all depends on the subject of your essay. Ifyou have a lot to say about your subject, you will probably have more than 3 bodyparagraphs. Each paragraph in the body of the essay contains the following sentences:

TOPIC SENTENCE:This sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is going to beabout.

DETAIL SENTENCE: Your paragraph can have many detail sentences. The detailsentence tells your reader a little more about your topic. Each detail sentence must includean EXAMPLE.

CONCLUDING/TRANSITIONAL SENTENCE: This sentence wraps up what you havealready told the readers and gets them ready for the next paragraph.


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Body Paragraph #1

Discusses the first topic of your thesis

statement.

Begins with a sentence that connects the

subject of your paper and the first area of

discussion.


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Body Paragraph #2

Discusses the second topic of your thesis

statement.


overall subject of the paper, the previous

paragraphs topic, and the current topic using

a transitional phrase.


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Transitional Phrases

Make stronger connections between paragraphs within apaper.

Act as a bridge between the previous discussion and thecurrent discussion.

Some common transitions: To add: and, again, and then, besides, equally important, finally,

further, furthermore, nor, too, next, lastly, what's more, moreover,in addition, first (second, etc.)

To conclude: in brief, on the whole, summing up, to conclude, inconclusion, as I have shown, as I have said, hence, therefore,

accordingly, thus, as a result, consequently, on the whole


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Body Paragraph #3

Discusses the third topic of your thesis

statement.


subject of the paper, the previous paragraphs

topic, and the current topic using a

transitional phrase.


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Conclusion

Generally the hardest part for students towrite

should be a mirror image of theintroduction

Restate the thesis (use different words)

Wrap up the paper


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Just as every essay has a clear beginning, it should have a clearending. The last paragraph, also know as the conclusion, should make

your essay sound finished.

The concluding paragraph typically has two parts:

1. The summary statementis one or two sentences which restate thethesis in a fresh way to reinforce the essay's main

idea.

2. The clincheris a final thought which should create a lastingimpression on the reader.


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The summary statement is an effective way to start your concluding paragraphbecause it helps to drive home the ideas you've expressed in your essay.

Look at your thesis statement again and rework it in a new way. Avoid repeating

key words and phrases from the thesis statement because you don't want thesummary statement to sound boring or repetitive. Using a thesaurus is a goodway to find new, interesting words.

Here is an examples of thesis statements and summary statements:Thesis Statement:Many Americans are buying the Toyota Corolla because ofits competitive price, fuel economy, and high resale value.Summary Statement:Reasonable pricing, low miles per gallon, and anattractive resale value have all contributed to the popularity of the Toyota Corollain today's market.


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The clincher, also referred to as the closer, is your last opportunity to connect with thereader. One way to make the most of this moment is to return to the technique you usedfor your hook. Here is a list of clinchers.

Complete the Anecdote (the story you told at the

beginning.

Ask a final rhetorical question.

Use a new quotation or refer back to the opening quotation.

Continue the original description of a character, setting, or object.

Make a prediction or recommendation based on the facts youresearched.


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Now lets put it all together. Here's an example of aconcluding paragraph for the "favorite pet" essay thatuses a quotation as the clincher.

Nothing can compare to a dogs dedication,intelligence, and friendship. Because a dogoffers all these wonderful qualities and more,it is once again clear why people say that

a dog is mans best friend. Dogs not onlymake great pets but also wonderful companions.

SummaryStatement

Clincher

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103 Essay Structure