PARTS OF THE ESSAYSOME DEFINITIONS

Instructor: Mrs. WilliamsCourse: ENG 1D

Title

the name of your essay; should capture your audience’s attention

Purpose is to make the reader want to read your essay – intrigue them!

Introduction

The first paragraph of an essay; includes hook, focus statement and thesis statement

HOOK: the first sentence of an essay; should hook the reader’s interest; can be a question, exclamation, or powerful statement

FOCUS STATEMENT: should transition into your thesis; should bridge together the background and what you are going to prove (Thesis)

THESIS STATEMENT: your “opinion: on the topic; must be written in the form of a statement

Main point:

A brief phrase that supports your thesis; used in the planning stages; eventually becomes topic sentences for body paragraphs

Body Paragraph

A paragraph of support for the thesis; must include topic sentence, details, 3 direct quotes, and a concluding sentence

Topic sentence: a main point in sentence form; the first sentence of each body paragraph; introduces the focus of the body paragraph

Details: facts, sensory details, incidents, anecdotes, and examples that support the topic sentence

Direct quote: word-for-word textual evidence used to support your topic sentence; encapsulated in quotation marks and cited properly

Conclusion

The last paragraph of an essay; includes a modified thesis, modified focus, and a challenge to the reader

Modified thesis: a restated thesis statement; should remind readers of your opinion on the topic

Modified focus: a restated focus; should remind readers of the original topic

Challenge: a provocative question, quotation, vivid image, call for action, warning, or suggestion to the reader; leaves reader thinking about your essay

Other important definitions:

Bridge: a transition word, phrase, or sentence connecting paragraphs; designed to help the essay flow smoothly

Audience: the reader(s) of your essay Formality: always at the formal level in literary essays

– meaning using third person point of view only (no “I”, “we”, “us”, “you”), no slang, no contractions, written in present tense

Organization: the order in which your paragraphs and/or details are arranged

Flow: the efficiency of an essay; good flow means that the essay is easy to read and paragraphs and ideas are well-connected