Organizing an Academic Essay
Organizing an Academic Essay
References
2001 by Ruth Luman
IntroductionConclusionBody Paragraphs
IntroductionWhat is an essay ?
An essay is a piece of writing that usually has five or
moreparagraphs. An essay is written about one topic that hasseveral
main points. The main points are introduced in anintroductory
paragraph and supported in bodyparagraphs. The conclusion is the
last paragraph.
EssayIntroduction_____________Body Paragraph 1_____________Body
Paragraph 2_____________Body Paragraph
3_____________Conclusion_____________
Parts of an EssayAn Introduction
An introductory paragraph is the first paragraph in an essay. It
contains two parts.1. General Statements: a few sentences about
your subject that catch the attention of your reader.2. A Thesis
Statement: one sentence that tells your reader the main points of
your topic and states the overall plan of your essay.
Example
An IntroductionGeneral Statements
Thesis Statement
Metropolitan City is full of charm and scenic beauty, so
visitorsfrom around the world come to enjoy its famous
theaters,museums,countless ethnic restaurants, and scenic wonders.
AlthoughMetropolitan City seems like a paradise, it isnt. The city
hasseveral serious problems: poor public transportation,
congestedstreets, and expensive housing (Hogue, A. & Oshima,
A., 1991, p. 92).
Parts of an EssayBody ParagraphsThe body consists of one or more
paragraphs following theintroduction. Each paragraph supports the
main idea ofyour essay by breaking it down into smaller ideas or
sub-topics. Each body paragraph consists of a topic sentenceand
several supporting sentences. A conclusion sentencedraws the
paragraph together.
Body Paragraph 1
Body Paragraph 2
Body Paragraph 3
Introduction
Example
Body ParagraphTopic SentenceSupporting SentencesConcluding
Sentence
The first and most important problem is Metropolitan Citys
inadequatepublic transportation system. Thousands of residents rely
on the citys busesand streetcars to travel throughout this large
city, but Metro TransportationSystems daily schedules are totally
unreliable. A bus or streetcar that shouldarrive at 7:45 may not
arrive until 8:00 or later. Moreover, it is not unusualfor a bus
driver to pass up groups of people waiting for the bus, because
hewants to make up for lost time. Unfortunately, people often end
up going towork late or missing important appointments. In order
for people to get totheir destinations on time, people must allow
for waiting time at the bus andstreetcar stops (Hogue, A. &
Oshima, A., 1991, p. 79).
Parts of an EssayConclusion
The conclusion paragraph is the last paragraph in the essay.
Itcompletes the essay by summarizing or repeating the mostimportant
ideas. The conclusion can also include an opinion, aprediction, or
a solution to a problem.
Body Paragraph 1
Introduction
Conclusion
Body Paragraph 2
Body Paragraph 3
Example
ConclusionSummary of Main IdeasPrediction
In conclusion, Metropolitan City must improve its public transit
system,clear up the massive traffic jams caused by slow-moving
traffic in thedowntown areas, and keep rentals down to affordable
levels. In other words,Metropolitan City must improve its image, or
it will soon become just anothermediocre city due to the lack of
administrative responsibility to solve theseunfortunate
problems(Hogue, A. & Oshima, A., 1991, p. 79).
Example
An IntroductionGeneral Statements
Thesis Statement
Going to a new school can be exciting, but for an
internationalstudent, the years of education in a different country
can bedifficult and tumultuous. When I first arrived in the U.S. to
attend auniversity, I was overwhelmed and confused by everything
new. Fortunately, I met three very special friends who made a
positiveimpact on my life during those years and helped me survive
thetrials of being a foreigner in a completely different
educationalsystem.
Example
Body ParagraphTopic SentenceSupporting SentencesConcluding
Sentence
One of the first people I met was Joe Frieda. I first met Joe
standing in aline at the bookstore. I was having a difficult time
finding the books for theEnglish classes I was taking my first
semester here. He not only helped mefind my books, but he also gave
me some good advice on where to gettutorial help on campus and
where I could find some good restaurants. Weve become better
friends since then and he has been so helpful inanswering any
questions I have about going to school in the U.S. and
aboutAmerican culture. If I hadnt met Joe that day, I might still
be looking for theright books for my classes!
The significance of the kindness that these three people showed
me andthe impact that it has made on my life during my experience
as aninternational student at State University cannot be
underestimated. I willnever forget their friendship and will
remember their examples of kindness tome whenever I encounter other
foreigners in my own country.
Example
ConclusionSummary of Main IdeasPromise or Resolution
Overview of an Essay
Body ParagraphsSupport the main ideas of the thesis
statementBegin with topic sentences
IntroductionGeneral statements and information about the
topicThesis statement- lists the main ideas in the
essayConclusionBrief summary of main points of the essay
Body Paragraph 1Body Paragraph 2Body Paragraph 3
Practice ExercisesNow, you are ready to practice what youve
learned. Click onthe button below to go back to Unit A. Do the
InteractiveExercise. Then, print and complete the worksheet for
PracticeExercise One.
ReferencesHogue, A. & Oshima, A. (1991). Writing
AcademicEnglish. New York: Addison Wesley PublishingCompany.
Presentation by Ruth Luman: Modesto Junior College.
This project incorporates portions of copyrighted works. These
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