How to write a better essay

by Lydia
(Minnesota)

I need help with writing essays.First, I don't know how to write my introduction. Second, I need help with writing conclusions. Third, I need help with giving details.

Linda responds: From what you posted, Lydia, I don't know anything about the essay you are writing or what work you have already done on that essay. You didn't tell what grade you are in either, so anything I say is likely to be either too childish or too advanced for you.

Essay writing does not begin with writing an introduction. It begins with finding a thesis statement.

You can build a working thesis from any topic. A topic is usually a noun or noun phrase that you can use as the subject of a sentence. Add an assertion about the topic and you will create a sentence that could be a working thesis.

Here are two samples in which I've put the topic in bold and the assertion in italics:

Taking out the trash is a good chore for middle school students.
Friending teachers on Facebook is not appropriate for students..

Once you know what your working thesis is, you can prepare a writing skeleton™ that shows how you plan to prove that thesis.

A writing skeleton™ is a special kind of outline that links your thesis to reasons for believing the thesis is true. See a writing skeleton™ sample.

I recommend beginning writers, such as yourself, use a writing skeleton™ to plan their writing because the format won't let you lose sight of your thesis. You should have at least 3 points for your skeleton, but no more than 5.

What you call giving details is what I call presenting evidence. Evidence is information coming from a named source, such as Shakespeare, the Mudflats City Council, or Uncle Bert. What "everybody knows" or "some people say" is not evidence.

I recommend you plan plan three pieces of evidence for each body paragraph. You can use ripple strategy to figure out what evidence you might have available for each point of your writing skeleton™.

All the planning you put into an essay is planning for the body paragraphs. Don't even think about the introduction until you know in detail what will go into your body paragraphs. Why? Because nothing in your introduction should repeat anything that's in your body paragraphs.

Conclusion paragraphs are written after you've composed all the rest of your essay. Their main task is to give the reader the sense that finished saying all that needs to be said to prove your thesis is correct.

I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful, Lydia, but since you didn't follow the directions on the page, you didn't give me much to work with.