Winter's Night Blog

I have received several messages from you guys about the essay we are currently writing. Here is a quick overview of what we went over in class:

An essay has three parts:
An Introduction
A Body
and a Conclusion

The introduction should be one paragraph long and contain several elements:
An introductory sentence containing the author's name and the name of the work you are discussing.
Your thesis statement, or the point you are trying to make with your essay. This is the most vital part of your writing. Present a solid thesis statement and back it with the body paragraphs and you will have an amazing essay. This should be the final sentence of your opening paragraph.
Example thesis: Hornby's characters explore what it means to be "cool" by adopting the actions of one another, though they soon realize that they are looking for connections, not cool in their lives.

The body of your essay is made up of all the paragraphs between the introduction and the conclusion.
Each paragraph of the body should contain:
A topic sentence. What is this paragraph going to be about? As you did with your thesis statement, sum up the point of this paragraph in the first sentence, then include your ideas/explanations. Your ideas and explanations should be backed with examples or quotations from the text.
Example topic sentence: The bullying Marcus endures at school highlights his outsider status.

Example quotation: Marcus's relationship with Ellie was a matter of surprise for everyone. "Just about every kid in the room stopped . . . and turned around" when Ellie called to Marcus in the busy cafeteria (Hornby 170).

If you find yourself writing about several different topics in the same paragraph, break it into several pieces, making sure each new paragraph applies to your thesis. If it does not apply, chuck it or change your thesis. (This is why the outline is an important step; it is easier to throw out a bullet than a paragraph.)

The conclusion wraps up your essay. Briefly describe the points you made (without adding new information), and reflect on the point you've made.

Keep in mind the basic rules of academic writing:
Keep a formal tone (no slang, text jargon, personal anecdotes)
No personal pronouns
No contractions
12 point Times New Roman font
One inch margins all around
Header on the left
Page number top right

That's it! Well done.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns please email me.

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