How to Write an Essay Part II
The Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is a sentence that clea
rly identifies the purpose of the paper. It
is
usually found at the end of the introductor
y paragraph.
1. Thesis statements are assertions, not
facts or observations:
*
Fact or observation: Many people are fan
s of the Maple Leafs.
*
Thesis: People will continue to support
the Toronto Maple Leafs despite their
lackluster performance over the past 42
years.
2. A thesis takes a stand rather than ann
ouncing a subject.
*
Announcement: The thesis of this paper
is the difficulty of solving the Maple Lea
fs
coaching problems.
*
Thesis: Solving the Maple Leafs coachin
g problems is more difficult than many
fans
believe.
3. A thesis is the main idea, not the title.
It must be a complete sentence that exp
lains in
some detail what you expect to write abo
ut.
*
Title: The Montreal Canadiens and Ret
irement
*
Thesis: Continuing changes in the Social
Security System makes it almost
impossible for the Canadiens to plan inte
lligently for their retirement.
4. A thesis statement is narrow, rather than
broad. If the thesis statement is sufficiently
narrow, it can be fully supported.
*
Broad: The Maple Leaf hockey team has
many problems.
*
Narrow: The primary problem of the Ma
ple Leaf hockey team is the lack of coachin
g
commitment required to reinvent an out
dated franchise and re-inspire talented but
frustrated players.
5. A thesis statement is specific rather than
vague or general.
*
*
Vague: The Toronto Maple Leafs are very
good.
Specific: The Toronto Maple Leafs will win
the Stanley Cup by employing an
aggressive offence, balanced defence, and
experienced goaltenders.
6. A thesis statement has one main point rather than several main points. More than one
point may be too difficult for the reader to understand and the writer to support.
*
More than one main point: The inability of the Toronto Maple Leafs to win a Stanley
Cup has not prevented them from becoming the richest franchise in NHL history, and
their failures haven’t resulted in lower ticket sales.
*One Main point: The inability of the Toronto Maple Leafs to win a Stanley Cup has
not prevented them from becoming the richest franchise in NF-IL history.
Which is the Better Thesis Statement?
1. Early on in life, people develop an admiration for heroes. In a well developed essay,
discuss a person you admire and why you chose this person.
a) One person I admire is Wayne Gretzky, who played hockey in the NHL from
1979 to 1999.
b) One person I admire is Wayne Gretzky, the greatest hockey player of all time.
2. Discuss the social, political, and economic effects of World War II on Canada.
a) World War II was a costly war that had a major impact on the economy of
Canada.
b) World War II not only affected the economy of Canada, but also altered the
international role of the Canadian government and the Canadian people
forever.
3. Describe three physical features of Thunder Bay and their importance to the region.
a) Lake Superior, Mount Mckay, and the Sibley Peninsula are the three most
significant features in Thunder Bay.
b) Three physical features found in Thunder Bay are Lake Superior, Mount
Mckay, and the Sibley Peninsula.
c
How to Write an Essay Part Ill
The Body Paragraphs
In the “body” of the essay, the topic you have chosen
will now be explained or argued.
The point of having body paragraphs in your pape
r is to develop the points that you
made in your introductory paragraph and your thesi
s statement. Each main idea that
you wrote down in your web chart will become
one of the body paragraphs. If you had
three main ideas, you will have three body para
graphs.
1. Write down one of your main ideas in sentence
form. For example, if your thesis
statement is “8-7 is the best class in Pope John
Paul H because they are motivated,
enthusiastic, and have a great sense of humour”
, the first sentence of your first body
paragraph should be similar to:
“8-7 is an extremely motivated class”
2. Write down each of your supporting points for
the main idea, along with proofs or
further elaboration/discussion/clarification.
Point 1:
Point 2:
Point 3:
3. Create a transition that will lead into the following para
graph. Using transitions helps
create an essay that flows smoothly and feels unified.
motivated class” to “8-7 is
Question: How would you transition from “8-7 is an extremely
always enthusiastic”?
graph, put it together into
Okay, so now that you have all of the elements of a body para
motivated”. Remember to
a complete paragraph that proves your thesis point “8-2 is
), and transition.
include your main idea, supporting points (with proofs/elaboration
Please write out your paragraph on a lined piece of paper.
How to Write an Essay Part IV
The Conclusion
The conclusion brings closure to the read
er, summing up your points or providing
a final
perspective on your topic. Your introdu
ction and body of the essay can be gre
at,
but
if
you stumble when it comes to the con
clusion, you essentially undermine everyth
ing that
has come before it. You want to leave the
reader with a positive impression, convinced
that you have proved your thesis.
1. Begin the conclusion with a rephra
sing of your thesis statement.
2. Focus on the strongest parts of you
r essay and argument.
3. Don’t add new information or raise new
questions.
4. Connect the conclusion to the introdu
ction. Make sure that the argument and
ideas in
the introduction and conclusion are in
agreement.
5. Keep it short. The conclusion should
be only one paragraph.
All the conclusion needs is three or fou
r strong sentences which do not need to
follow
any set formula. Simply review the mai
n points (being careful not to restate them
exactly), briefly describe your feeling
s about the topic, and reaffirm your thesis
statement.
CD
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