ORGANIZING YOUR ESSAY
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The Basic EssayAlthough there are many ways to write an essay, we will begin our first one with the basic five-paragraph essay structure in order to learn the fundamental skills of essay writing. Then we will develop more mature skills for future essays.
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Know the Format of an Essay |
Take Notes from Here |
ESSAY ANALYSIS
Let's analyze an essay to see if we can pick out the parts . . .
Print the essay "Everyday Drugs." As you go through the slide show below, highlight and label the various parts of the essay. This will prove that you not only know the parts of an essay, but that you also recognize them when you see them.
Next, we will practice putting this new knowledge into practice as we write our own essays.
Next, we will practice putting this new knowledge into practice as we write our own essays.
Need more practice? Here's another essay that you can practice analyzing to see just how essays are written. |
OUTLINING YOUR ESSAY
The best way to ensure that your final essay is well organized and formatted like an essay is to use an outline. The above essay that you just memorized is the format you should use as the basis for your future essays.
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Click the button below to print out your own copy of the above blank outline.
Steps to Creating an Outline
1. The first step in creating an outline of your essay is the THESIS STATEMENT.
Click here to learn how to write your Thesis Statement.
2. After you have written your thesis statement, place the topic of each paragraph on your outline.
3. Then, looking over your notes, flesh out each of your supporting paragraphs with evidence to prove your thesis statement. (In your Trouble with Lemons
essay, that evidence will come directly from the text.)
Click here for more information on Supporting Paragraphs.
4. After you have fleshed out your paragraphs, restate your thesis statement in your conclusion. This version of your thesis statement should highlight the
importance of each point you mentioned in your supporting paragraphs.
Click here to learn how to Restate your Thesis Statement.
5. Finally, you will go back to write your Attention Getter to grab your audience's attention at the beginning of the essay and your Final Thoughts to leave your
audience with something to think about at the end of your essay.
Click here for information on writing an Attention Getter.
Click here for information on writing a Final Thought.
Additional Support
If you are still having trouble, here is an essay guide that provides a framework for the essay you are to write. This is a very basic essay, but it includes all of the required parts of an essay.