How to Write An Essay

This is how to write an essay:

Should have 5 paragraphs:

1. Paragraph # 1

  • Has 4 sentences or more

  • Has a grabber or opening hook

  • Has a thesis: subject + opinion (for example, the Lakers are the greatest team of all time with Lebron James...subject Lakers...opinion they are the greatest).

  • Has procedure of what the essay is about (by looking at current record, past history and the sage of Lebron a greater understanding of championships will be revealed.)

2. Body Paragraphs

  • Should be at least 3

  • Supports thesis

  • Each has at least 5 sentences

  • Follows: TS --> CD --> CM --> CM --> CS.

3. Conclusion/ Final Paragraph

  • Has a transition word (In conclusion,)

  • Has four sentences or more appealing to support the thesis (clearly, LeBron has won wherever he goes and he will only continue in Los Angeles being the most dominant sports figure in basketball history.).

TS = first sentence of the paragraph. It shows the main idea. • Usually a mildly controversial statement--something that you have to prove. It can be as brief as 3 words!

Example, In the fairy tale ―The Three Little Pigs,‖ the third pig is very wise.

CDs = Support for your TS. (facts, quotes, examples, etc. from text) • CDs can’t be argued with—a CD is evidence that supports your point!

For example, remembering his mother’s warning about a wolf, he builds his house out of sturdy brick.

CMs = your analysis, interpretation, explanation, or insight into the text.

The wolf is unable to blow down the brick house. This shows that the third pig is smarter than his brothers, who were both eaten by the wolf.

A CS wraps up the paragraph. It rephrases the main idea.

In conclusion, the third pig outsmarts not only his brothers but the ―big, bad‖ wolf as well.

1. Topic Sentence

The topic sentence of a paragraph is simply the main idea and should reflect the primary concept or message that is being conveyed. The topic sentence of the essay differs in that it is being used to introduce the entire essay and therefore may be broader, but should still be connected to the thesis statement or central purpose/objective of the essay.

2. Concrete Detail

The concrete detail that is provided after the topic sentence is simply a statement that supports what was previously mentioned. It may include several things and is essentially a fact, or something know to be true as it relates to the topic. For instance, for a concrete detail you may choose to provide...

  • Statistics

  • Direct quotes

  • Paraphrases

  • Plot references

  • Illustrations

  • Examples

  • Or other researched facts

Along with providing supportive evidence the concrete detail sentence should also be properly written. Meaning that the detail is not simply placed alone in the paragraph. Its a good idea to first introduce it by providing a signal or transitional phrase. Examples can be seen below (these can be placed directly in front of your concrete detail);

  • For instance

  • For example

  • To illustrate

  • Illustrated with

  • In this case

  • Specifically

3. Commentary

The third sentence that is used with this formula refers to the author's opinion or evaluation of the concrete detail that was presented. There can be several commentary lines depending on the length of your paragraphs. The commentary sentences should not introduce any new evidence but rather work with the information that has already been provided by analyzing, interpreting, and expanding upon it. The main objective of the commentary is to explain how the evidence supports the writer's primary point, argument or objective. So along with interpreting this information more detail can be also be extracted by looking at 'deeper issues' that may be present for instance, trying to understand the true meaning of it, or even looking at it in a more abstract or alternative manner (depending on the nature of the subject).

follow this sequence: TS --> CD --> CM --> CM --> CS.

4. Concluding Sentence

Finally, each paragraph should end with a formal conclusionary statement. Your conclusion statement should properly synthesize all of the information in the paragraph and relate back to the topic sentence. The conclusion sentence of a paragraph should be insightful but does not have to be as comprehensive as the ones found in the conclusion of an essay. Likewise, a good conclusion sentence should also be a connecting one; therefore it will sufficiently prepare the reader for the next topic sentence that is to come.

Writing Revolution Mad Dash

When writing an assessment or essay, these steps are a resource to assist your writing. The slides above can assist you in understanding how to write an exceptional essay:


1. Identify Topic, Purpose, Audience

This is probably determined based off of the task students are being asked to complete.

2. Brainstorm many possible supporting details

You will want students to brainstorm all relevant details so they have something to work from after they narrow down their TS.

3. Generate a complete Topic Sentence

The TS should be written out completely on the solid line of the outline.

4. Select, Categorize, Sequence Appropriate SD

Students use their brainstorm to determine the most relevant SD and most appropriate order.

5. Write notes for details on outline

After selecting the best SDs, students should add them (in note-taking form) to the dotted lines on their outline.

6. Generate complete CS

The last solid line of the outline is reserved for students to write their complete concluding sentence.