FROM PARAGRAPHS TO ESSAY

Topic sentence ➔ Thesis statement

Support sentences ➔ Support paragraphs
Concluding sentence ➔ Conclusion
WHAT IS AN ESSAY?
An essay is a group of paragraphs written about a single topic and a central
main idea. It must have at least three or four paragraphs, but a five
-paragraph essay is a common length far academic writing.

ESSAY PART
The Introduction states the main point, or thesis, generally
in
a single, strong statement. The
introduction may be a single paragraph
or multiple paragraphs.
The Body supports (shows, explains, or proves) the
main point. It generally has at least three
support paragraphs, each containing facts
and details that develop the main point. Each
support
paragraph has a topic sentence that supports
the thesis statement.

The Conclusion reminds readers of the main point. It may

summarize and reinforce the support, or it
may
make an observation based on that support.
Whether it is a single paragraph or more, the
conclusion should relate back to the main
point of the essay
THE STRUCTURE OF AN ESSAY
Paragraph 1 Introduction The first paragraph of the essay explaining the
topic.

Introduction consists of three parts:

1. Hook a few general statements about your subject to attract your

reader’s attention. (anecdotes, quotations, questions, and facts)

2. State the title of the work you are writing about and who the author is.
Then summarize what the story is about in one or two sentences.

3. States the thesis / main point of your essay.

A thesis statement is a sentence which tells what is the main idea of your
essay. It directly answers the essay question and tells the reader what your
opinion is.

** It is the last sentence of the first paragraph.

** It is also the most important sentence in the essay.
** It can be compared to a topic sentence.

Paragraph 2 Body Paragraphs that explain and support your thesis

statement.

In the body of the essay the topic you have chosen must now be explained
described or argued. (Explain your first point connected to your thesis and
support it with quotations from the book.)

But before quoting please show/indicate the context for the quote
1. Who says it?
2. What’s happening in the text when they say it?
3. Quote from the text (cited appropriately)
4. Analysis of the quote: How does it prove your thesis?
5. Closing sentence (wrap up the paragraph to effectively transition to the next
paragraph)

● Each of the paragraphs in the body must be connected to each other.

● Each paragraph should have a topic sentence and supporting sentences.
Paragraph 3 Body Paragraphs that explain and support your thesis
statement.

(Explain your second point connected to your thesis and support it with
quotations from the book.)

But before quoting please show/indicate the context for the quote
1. Who says it?
2. What’s happening in the text when they say it?
3. Quote from the text (cited appropriately)
4. Analysis of the quote: How does it prove your thesis?
5. Closing sentence (wrap up the paragraph to effectively transition to the next
paragraph)

● Each of the paragraphs in the body must be connected to each other.

● Each paragraph should have a topic sentence and supporting sentences

Conclusion The last paragraph summarizes or restates the main idea of the
essay in different words.

A conclusion should stress the importance of the thesis statement. It

summarizes or restates the main idea of the essay in different words.

1. summarize your main points, and connect them to your thesis.

2. You can extend the argument and connect your interpretation to a larger
theme in the story
3. You can explain what you learned about human nature or the complexity of
human experience through the story. In other words, feel free to share you own
opinions.

DO NOT FORGET: The first line of a paragraph is indented.

Put the title of your essay at the top of the first page in
the centre.
 HOOK
1. ANECTODE: An anecdote is a short and amusing or interesting story about a
real incident or person. The anecdote that you are going to tell should be
relevant to your thesis statement.
Example 1: When I was a kid, my dog was my best friend. My childhood was
better because of him.
Example 2 : Albert Einstein came to Princeton University in 1935 and was asked
what he would require for his study. He replied: "A desk, some pads and a
pencil, and a large wastebasket to hold all of my mistakes."
2.QUOTATION: Your paragraph can begin with a quotation of a writer, singer,
politician, historian or an important person BUT you must credit the original
writer, by putting his/ her sentence in to quotation marks and writing his/
her name.
Example 1: “Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they
go” said Oscar Wilde.
Example 2: “In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it
goes on.” said Robert Frost.
Example 3 Albert Einstein famously said “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep
your balance, you must keep moving.”
3. QUESTION If you ask a question, make the reader think in the direction
you want them to go. The question that you ask should be relevant to your thesis
statement.
Example 1: Do you have a guilty secret that you just can’t tell anybody?
Example 2: "What does it mean to be happy?"
4. FACT: Your introductory paragraph can begin with a fact from a reliable
source.
Example 1: Istanbul is the most crowded city with a population over 14.6
million people.
Example 2 : Strange but true; consuming fast food can increase your risk for
depression. Recent studies shows that….
THESIS STATEMENTS IN LITERARY ANALYSIS
The purpose of writing essays is to show readers your
interpretation of a literary text. So the thesis statement
should be a kind of opinion based on observable fact
about the literary work.

A thesis statement should be specific and make a clear,

definable and arguable claim. It must be arguable rather than a statement of
fact.

Your thesis statement should include two parts: WHAT and WHY.
*WHAT: What claim are you making about the text?
*WHY: Why should we care? Why is your claim important? Your thesis
should answer the “so what?” question.

A strong thesis statement has these qualities:

• It makes a claim that is arguable
• Because it is arguable, the claim demands support
• Because it demands support, the claim cannot be a mere statement of
fact or statement of the obvious
• The claim asserts an important point that previews the structure of
the whole essay
Thesis statements in essays on literature have these same qualities. The claim
made in a literary analysis argues for your interpretation of a literary work.
You must be able to support this interpretation with examples from the text.
An interpretation is not merely a summary of a plot, nor is it an extended list, in
narrative form, that points out different literary devices an author uses.
What Not To Do in a Thesis Statement
Thesis statements in a literary analysis essay should NOT be:
• Overly broad or generalized
• More about society than the work of literature
• A summary or obvious statement about the text
• A judgement about the quality of a work
• About the author rather than literature

EXAMLES:
(X) "I am going to be writing about a Japanese anecdote The Muddy Road.”
(X) “The Japanese anecdote The Muddy Road gives us a life lesson.”
(X) “The Japanese anecdote The Muddy Road is a really powerful story.
(X) “The Japanese anecdote The Muddy Road is about two monks.

( √ ) The tale of Tanzan and Ekido in the Japanese anecdote called The Muddy
Road portrays profound lessons about compassion, detachment, and the art of
letting go.
( √ ) In the Japanese anecdote called The Muddy Road one can find a moral and
spiritual message through the character of Tanzan.
( √ ) In The Muddy Road Tanzan's remark “I left the girl there. Are you still
carrying her?” is a warning against the burdens people carry in their hearts and
the weight they give to external circumstances.
A SUGGESTED INTRODUCTION
Life is a long journey that people encounter unexpected situations which
directly contribute their moral and spiritual growth. Some incidents serve as
a mirror to individuals’ lives and urge them to examine the burdens they carry in
their hearts. However, this act of carrying is not only physical, but also
emotional and spiritual causing people embracing unnecessary attachments. In
the Japanese anecdote called The Muddy Road one of the characters called
Tanzan helps us to question our baggage in life. His remark “I left the girl
there. Are you still carrying her?” is a warning against the burdens people
carry in their hearts and the weight they give to external circumstances.
 LITERARY ESSAY RULES

DOs and DON’Ts

1. Write about literature in the present tense. Whether the author is dead or not, literature
exists now, in present time. The works of the authors, those characters will continue to exist.

Be careful about using the present tense to discuss the actions and thoughts presented in the
text.

Ex: Richards comes to Mrs. Mallard’s house. Josephine gives her the bad news.

Ex: Othello is a play by Shakespeare. It begins on a street in Venice, where Roderigo and
Iago are arguing. Some of the themes of Othello are racism, love, jealousy, and betrayal. Like
other Shakespearean tragedies, Othello has five acts. The play ends with Othello’s murder of
Desdemona and with the revelation of Iago’s motives.

2. While writing about literary criticisms please use Present tense.

Ex The blog Bard Film analyzes references to Shakespeare in popular films.

Ex In her essay, "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens," Alice Walker discusses the history of
African American women and describes how "they dreamed dreams no one knew—not even
themselves, in any coherent fashion—and saw visions no one could understand" as a result of
the silence inflicted upon them by lack of education and prejudice (232).

3. Uses of the Past Tense

If you are writing about the historical context of a work, use past tense.

Ex Othello was first performed in 1604, at Whitehall Palace in London.

Alice Walker participated in the Civil Rights Movement and published novels, short stories,
poetry, essays, and children's books.

Ex In perhaps the same year, Emily Dickinson wrote “The Bible is an antique Volume,” a
poem in which she expresses a mix of skepticism and optimism

[ switch (from past to present tense) : The poet Emily Dickinson wrote this poem in the
historical past, but the poem shows/ indicates now what it always has and always will ]

4. Uses of Pronouns
In literary essays, we use evidence, such as quotations paraphrases to persuade readers. We
don’t want to see an overemphasis on personal opinions. You are not expected to write a
paragraph or an essay about a personal experience, or your favorite holiday.

In literary essays we should write objective essays yet, when we want to mention out personal
ideas we can mention them in the last paragraph.

Please do not use “I feel” or “I think”.

5. A literary analysis essay requires a logical, coherent thesis statement. Your thesis
statement should be the last sentence of your introductory paragraph.

6. ADDING QUOTATIONS TO YOUR ESSAY

Before integrating a quotation in your essay, please make sure that the quotation is relevant to
your arguments. Do not end a paragraph with a quotation without explaining its
significance to your argument.

Ex The Story of an Hour” focuses on a grown woman who has finally gained her freedom.
When she gets the news of her husband’s death, she is relieved as if she has just escaped from
prison. The author of the story, Kate Chopin portrays her feelings as it follows: “When she
abandoned herself, a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it
over and over under her breath: ‘free, free, free!’” (11). The repetition of the word ‘free’
proves the fact that she is fed up with her suffocating marriage.

So, when you include a quotation to illustrate a point you have made, the quotation should
be followed by an explanation of how the material in the quotation supports your point.

7. How to Quote

When you quote directly from a source, enclose the quoted section in quotation marks. Add
an in-text citation at the end of the quote with the author’s surname and page number enclosed
in parentheses.

In the story, it is obvious that Mrs. Mallard has spent a whole marriage being told what to
do and that’s why she says that “There would be no powerful will bending hers in that
blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a
private will upon a fellow-creature. (Chopin 11).

If the author is mentioned in context, you do not need to repeat it in the in-text citation.
Include the page number (if available) enclosed in parentheses.
Kate Chopin portrays her feelings as it follows: “When she abandoned herself, a little
whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her
breath: ‘free, free, free!’” (11)

8. If you are writing your essay on a computer, please italicize the title of the work.

Ex: The Story Of An Hour by Kate Chopin

But in the exam or in-class activities, please underline the title of the work.

Ex The Story Of An Hour by Kate Chopin

9. Avoid Sexist Language

In situations like when sex or gender is not relevant OR to avoid the assumption that all
individuals identify as male or female; instead of saying

Ex When a student studies abroad, his or her communication skills in the target language are
likely to improve dramatically, especially if he or she avoids speaking English with other
students.

Ex When students study abroad, their communication skills in the target language are likely
to improve dramatically, especially if they avoid speaking English with other students.

10. Use gender neutral statements

a job title that links the job to a single sex when either sex can perform the job

Fireman –firefighter Policeman –police officer Mailman –postal worker

Cleaning woman – house cleaner, office cleaner

Mankind- people, human beings ( Avoid using “man” as a noun when you are really
referring to men and women. )

11. Use Transitions effectively

"To Illustrate” is a transitional device which connects a point and your
verbal or pictorial clarification that will follow-like the list of examples which
follows.
“To Give an Example” is an example J of transitions such as “to illustrate,
as an illustration, to demonstrate, for instance, on this occasion, for
example, for instance, in this case, in this situation, and ….”
To Emphasize: without a doubt, certainly, undeniably, without
reservation, definitely, extremely, obviously, in fact, indeed, in any case,
absolutely, positively, naturally, surprisingly, always, forever, perennially,
eternally, never, emphatically, unquestionably.
To Show Sequence: next, then, following this, at this time, now, at this
point, first, (second, etc), after, afterward, subsequently, finally
consequently, previously, simultaneously, concurrently, thus, therefore,
hence, next, and then.
To Summarize or Conclude: therefore, so, accordingly, thus, as a result,
consequently, on the whole, in brief, in short, on the whole, summing up,
to conclude, in conclusion, as I have shown, as I have said, as has been
noted, hence.
To Add: moreover, in addition, first (second, etc), and, again, and then,
besides, equally important, finally, further, furthermore, similarly, likewise,
nor, too, next, what’s more.
To Compare: but, yet, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, on the
contrary, whereas, by comparison, where, compared to, up against,
balanced against, although, conversely, meanwhile, after all, in contrast,
although this may be true.
To Prove: because, for, since, for the same reason, obviously, evidently,
furthermore, moreover, besides, indeed, in fact, in addition, in any case,
that is.
To Show Exception: of course, once in a while, sometimes, although,
yet, still, however, nevertheless, in spite of.

In your essay, please try to follow this format

Introduction

• Hook
• General ideas, facts which can be connected to
your thesis statement.
• Thesis statement (Do not forget to mention the

name of the author and the work)

Body paragraphs (usually three)

• Topic sentence
• Evidence 1 → (examples + quotations)
• Analysis of Evidence
• Evidence 2 → ( examples + quotations)
• Analysis of Evidence
• Concluding/transitional sentence

Conclusion

• Synthesis of evidence
• Explanation of what this evidence shows

(connected to thesis)
• Strong final sentence