The Essay about an Essay

            There you are sitting in class, pondering how to start your essay and what key elements are important in producing an outstanding essay.  You sit back completely blank, renouncing every new idea once it hits the paper.  After wasting half of the period in bewilderment, you finally realize that there is a well-known quote that pertains greatly to the novel you have just finished and that it would make a perfect introduction.  This story is one of four different ways to begin a formal essay.  A small story or scenario, an elaboration on a general topic, a series of questions, or a quote are all different ways to lure the reader into a formal essay.  These four different suggestions are all variations of what is called a "hook".  Do not begin the essay with a statement such as, "In this essay, I will prove to you that…." or "This thesis states…"  Along with the introduction, the writer must directly include the title and author of the novel/text and a thesis statement.  The writer will also have three narrowing sentences that introduce the topic of the paragraphs.  The topic of the body paragraphs will use transition sentences and topic sentences.  Each body paragraph will have supporting quotes.  Also, each body paragraph will have commentaries on these quotes called lead-outs.  The thesis will be supported by these points.  The thesis is a concise statement that summarizes the content of the essay; it states what will be proven in the essay and therefore needs to be supported by textual references.

The second paragraph should always begin with some form of transition statement to break away from the introduction and begin the actual body of the essay.  Words such as however and although are often good opening words to start off the transition.  Transition sentence can also be used to separate different ideas within the paragraph, to give the essay the proper flow of thoughts and ideas.  As the packet states, "between all paragraphs, there must be smooth and logical transitions" (5).  This is because the reader needs to follow the flow of the essay.  After the transition, there will be a topic sentence.  To increase the quality and appropriateness of the essay, cease from the use of I in any of its forms; unless the essay is personal, the first person does not belong in any piece of formal writing.  It is also important to think about presentation.  The essay should be stapled before class, in the correct order and use a title page not a heading. 

            Although the content of the essay may vary and represent different ideas, the format of the essay remains basically the same among the second through the fourth paragraphs.  As previously stated, the quote sandwich appears in this paragraph as well.  The writer should use lead ins and outs for this purpose.  The ingredients packet says that a lead-in "introduces the quote and gives context for the quote" (7).  This is important because one must always make sure the reader knows how the quote fits into the paragraph. When writing, keep in mind that the essay is not a speech; therefore the writer should not write as though he/she is conversing.  The writer should also think about introducing the paper with a snappy title!.

            Paragraph four follows the same pattern and format of paragraph two and three.  A logical transition sentence should begin the new idea of the paragraph, along with at least two last concrete details and commentaries to back it up.  As stated in the packet, paragraph four "introduces the elements that are required for the third body paragraph" (9).  These points will also be in the narrowing sentences and mentioned in the conclusion.  They will each have a quote sandwich with a lead in and a lead out.  Use powerful vocabulary correctly and faithfully throughout the essay to view the essay more shine and to make it more intriguing.  One last "do not: in writing a formal essay, is never use I, me, my, you, yours, we.  Always maintain the address in third person, by using words such as the "reader" and the "one".

            The conclusion, the final paragraph, is a crucial part of the formal essay. The paragraph must include a transition statement, a final reference to the thesis, and the answer to the question, "What is the significance of the paper as a whole?" A conclusion is not a summary of events, nor a re-statement of the thesis, but instead a reflection of the novel and the relevancy of the information pertaining to the original thesis statement. The conclusion is also not the time to bring up new ideas that were not implied earlier in the essay. Referring back to the introductory paragraph and the material of the entire essay, a formal piece of writing needs to meet some general standards in order to earn an "Excellent A." The organization needs to be logical and clear, the format needs to include excellent concrete detail and meaningful commentary, and the writer must prove to the reader that he/she was able to make connections through the novel or story. Some smaller notes that are examined when grading an essay are the uses of powerful vocabulary and transition sentences correctly and also the sentence variety and use of repetition. Most importantly, the essay for the most part should be free from mechanical errors. All of these learned aspects and ideas in writing an essay will help to make anyone better author in the future.