1. How to Write a Slammin’ Essay

2. Introduction

3.  Begin with a hook to get your reader interested  Provide general background information to put your essay into historical context  Take a clear stance with your thesis statement

4. Speaking of a thesis statement... It’s:  A single, specific claim that your essay supports  The controlling idea for your essay  A grammatically correct sentence at the end of your introduction  Components:  Limited subject – your topic – what/who you are focusing on  Precise opinion – your position – the answer to the question that you are being asked  Blueprint of reasons – your supporting arguments sketching out the organization of your essay

5. Body Paragraphs

6.  Start with a broad topic sentence that relates to your argument  Provide evidence in the form of quotes, facts, and paraphrased information from the sources  Use quotes sparingly to support your argument  Introduce and explain each quote that you include

7. Conclusion

8.  Transition the reader “back into their world”  “So what?” – Why is your essay important to daily life?  Give the reader something to take away, a greater lesson that can be learned from the information you have presented  No new ideas or evidence  Don’t begin with an unnecessary word/overused phrase like “in conclusion,” “in summary,” “in closing”

9. Don’t do this:  Use personal pronouns  Ask rhetorical questions  Use contractions  Use informal language  Change verb tense  Include personal stories  Include inaccurate statements and/or misrepresent source info.  Ignore the sources provided  Use generalizations

10. What’s wrong with these thesis statements? (And how can we fix them?)  The death penalty is still used in many states.  The death penalty should be abolished because it is wrong in so many ways.  The death penalty should not be abolished because it has been used since the beginning of time.