1. PARTS OF THE ESSAY SOME DEFINITIONS Instructor: Mrs. Williams Course: ENG 1D

2. 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!

3. 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

4. Main point:  A brief phrase that supports your thesis; used in the planning stages; eventually becomes topic sentences for body paragraphs

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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