WHAT IS AN ESSAY?
The word ‘essay,’ meaning the presentation of a case, is derived from the Latin word ‘exagium.’ An essay is a focused piece to inform or convince. The literary critic, political manifestos, learned arguments, daily observations, recollections, and reflections of the author are commonly employed as essays. It is used in a non-fictional manner to present the ideas of writers.
Multiple uses of this type of writing go far beyond political manifestos and critique of art, as well as the author’s observations and reflections. ‘Essay’ is a loose written term that asserts the opinion of the author on a subject, be it academic, publishing, or even humorous. There are thousands of different essay writing approaches and a million different subjects to choose from, but what we have found is that good essay writing tends to follow the same setting.
Before you write your essay, there are three things to consider: thesis, type, and publicity. Your thesis or the crux of what your essay is concerned about is by far the most important. Before you write, you should always identify your thesis. If you have trouble nailing it down, ask yourself, “What is that when my reader finishes reading my essay I want to remember?” Many types of essays are available. The following are some of the most common types.
- Argumentative
- Descriptive
- Narrative
- Compare and contrast
- Analytical
- Persuasive
- Expository
While the kinds of essays vary, they all share the common aim of presenting and advocating a subject or position for the reader.
STRUCTURE OF AN ESSAY
To structure your essay according to the logic of the reader means to examine your thesis and anticipating what a reader needs to know and in which sequence, to be sure of your argument. In general, every type of essay consists of three parts:
- The Introduction
- The essay body
- Conclusion
INTRODUCTION
The primary aim of the introduction is to offer your position (also referred to as “the thesis” or “argument”) on the issue at hand. For instance, the essay should start with a “hook” before reaching a thesis statement, in which the reader gets involved and want to read continuously. Examples of good hooks include the relevant sentences (“No man is an island”) or unexpected statistical information (“three of the four doctors report…”).
You should only proceed to the thesis after your reader’s attention is “tied.” The declaration of your thesis should be a one-sentence explanation of your position that will leave no doubt in the mind of the reader as to which side of your essay.
Provide a mini-outline after the thesis, which shows the illustrations used to support your argument in the rest of the essay. This not only gives readers a better understanding of what to expect in the following paragraphs, but also of what this essay is all about.
THE ESSAY BODY
The mid-points of the essay are commonly known as the paragraphs about the body, and as mentioned above, the major purpose of the body is to provide detailed examples of your thesis.
If you need another clearer starting point for the first part of your body, you should use your strongest argument or your leading example (as in the case of chronological explanations). The first sentence of this paragraph should be the topic sentence of the paragraph, which relates directly to the examples in the mini-outline introductive paragraph.
But it is not enough to mention one sentence body paragraph, which just cites the example of “George Washington,” or “LeBron James.” No, after this effective essay, the reader is told about this topic by detailing who or what an example is and, most importantly, why that example is relevant.
You must then explain exactly why your thesis in these assertions has been proven. The importance of this step can’t be understood (though it is underlined); after all, this is the whole reason why you set the example first. Seal the deal directly by stating the relevance of this example.
In showing the reader where one section ends and the other begins, use transitional phrasing. The written equivalent of speaking indicators used in formal speeches can be useful to see that they signal the end and beginning of one set of ideas. They essentially lead the reader from one section to another paragraph.
THE CONCLUSION
While it ends with your essay, it should not be considered an afterthought for the conclusion paragraph. As the last paragraph is your last opportunity to argue, it should be very strict.
The conclusion can be regarded as a second presentation as it includes several of the same elements as the introduction. Although it doesn’t take long – it should be enough for four well-made sentences – the essay can be made or broken.
A final transition (the “conclusion” and “end”), and an allusion to the “hook,” start with effective findings. Effective conclusions after that, a review of your thesis should be provided.
This should be the fourth or the fifth time you use it, so it is acceptable for you to use some (but not all) of the original language used during your presentations as you use a variety of body paragraph word choices. This repetitive effect not only strengthens your argument but is also intimately connected with the second major factor of the conclusion: a short review of the trial’s three major claims (two or three words is enough).
After all, the final element and final paragraph in your essay should be a “global statement” or “call for action” that gives the reader the message that the discussion is ended.
Summary
- An attention-grabbing “hook”
- A thesis statement
- A preview of the subtopics you will discuss in the body paragraphs.
- Topic sentences that state the subtopics and are opened with a transition word
- Supporting details or claims.
- An explanation of how this claims proves your thesis.
- Concluding Transition, Reverse “hook,” and restatement of thesis.
- Rephrasing main topic and subtopics.
- Global statement or call to action.
