Pointers on Essay Writing
Parts of an Essay
1. Introduction—introduces the main idea (called the thesis statement) of the essay; may include background information related to the topic; aside from background information, the introduction may also make use of such tools as definition of terms, anecdotes, surprising statements, etc.
2. Body—develops the main idea of the essay; each paragraph in the body contains a topic sentence supported with explanations, examples, or other details; ideally, there should be two-three fully-developed paragraphs in the body
3. Conclusion—summarizes the main points of the essay; terminates/concludes the essay through such techniques as posing questions, quotation, call to action, looking to the future, et cetera
EXAMPLE: The Horrors of Public Transport (Essay Title)
INTRODUCTION
Getting to work in the morning and going home at night is both a huge struggle and a horrendous experience, no thanks to the everyday hassle of traveling in the metro. Public transport is marred by limited means of transport and travel inconveniences.
BODY
Public transport is limited. First of all, you cannot afford to leave home any minute later than six o’clock in the morning if your work starts at eight. If you do, you can expect a very long day ahead of you. And nothing is as frustrating as waiting for a shuttle ride for half an hour or more, if you are extremely unlucky. Standing in line along with many other commuters is definitely not a pleasant way to start your day. You start counting the minutes that go by, worried about the traffic jam that is starting to build up along the way. The heat of the sun is getting unbearable, and your legs start to feel stiff.
Public transport is inconvenient. When you finally get a seat in the shuttle, you have to deal with the passengers’ eccentric habits and attitude as well as some restrictions yet again. Some are utterly rude as to slump himself or herself on the seat, taking away your precious space in the
1. Introduction—introduces the main idea (called the thesis statement) of the essay; may include background information related to the topic; aside from background information, the introduction may also make use of such tools as definition of terms, anecdotes, surprising statements, etc.
2. Body—develops the main idea of the essay; each paragraph in the body contains a topic sentence supported with explanations, examples, or other details; ideally, there should be two-three fully-developed paragraphs in the body
3. Conclusion—summarizes the main points of the essay; terminates/concludes the essay through such techniques as posing questions, quotation, call to action, looking to the future, et cetera
EXAMPLE: The Horrors of Public Transport (Essay Title)
INTRODUCTION
Getting to work in the morning and going home at night is both a huge struggle and a horrendous experience, no thanks to the everyday hassle of traveling in the metro. Public transport is marred by limited means of transport and travel inconveniences.
BODY
Public transport is limited. First of all, you cannot afford to leave home any minute later than six o’clock in the morning if your work starts at eight. If you do, you can expect a very long day ahead of you. And nothing is as frustrating as waiting for a shuttle ride for half an hour or more, if you are extremely unlucky. Standing in line along with many other commuters is definitely not a pleasant way to start your day. You start counting the minutes that go by, worried about the traffic jam that is starting to build up along the way. The heat of the sun is getting unbearable, and your legs start to feel stiff.
Public transport is inconvenient. When you finally get a seat in the shuttle, you have to deal with the passengers’ eccentric habits and attitude as well as some restrictions yet again. Some are utterly rude as to slump himself or herself on the seat, taking away your precious space in the