An essay is a series of paragraphs connected by a common idea. Writing an essay is similar to writing a paragraph:
| Paragraph | Essay |
| Topic Sentence | Introduction |
| Supporting Sentences | Body |
| Concluding Sentence | Conclusion |
The Introduction Paragraph presents the topic of the essay. It gives background information on the topic and prepares the reader for the thesis statement. The thesis statement is the controlling idea of the entire essay. It contains the opinion of the author and a glimpse of the organization of the essay that will support the author’s opinion.
The Body Paragraphs give support to the thesis statement. Each paragraph contains a topic sentence that indicates the paragraph will focus on one aspect of the essay’s topic. Each paragraph should have the same topic, but a different controlling idea for the topic.
The Conclusion restates the thesis and summarizes the main points (or topic sentences) of each of the supporting paragraphs. The conclusion should not introduce any new support for the thesis, though it may contain a look to the future or a speculation on the topic for future research.
Writing an essay is an excellent way to draw connections between pieces of information learned in class.
For students new to writing an essay or even seasoned writers, a review of these tips for writing essays will prove valuable both to your students and to you as you grade their essays.