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Proper Essay Format |
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The Perfect Introduction
There are three critical steps that students should use when writing a historical, funnel style, introduction. |
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Step 1: Start with a broad statement or hook question of some kind. Examples might include "Throughout history..." or a creative or interesting hook question like "Does it seem fair to chop off someone's hand as punishment for stealing?" (Hammurabi's Code). |
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3 Steps:
1) Broad statement or hook
2) Define topic or background info on topic
3) State thesis statement (NOT A QUESTION) |
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Step 2: Begin to explain what topic is being discussed. Give a reference to the appropriate time frame or geographical area relevant to history. This is where the introduction becomes more specific to the topic. |
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Step 3: Write the thesis of the essay. This should be a statement that explains the point of the essay or what you are trying to prove. |
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Body Paragraphs
The point of the body paragraphs is to provide evidence, support, and/or proof that the thesis statement is correct |
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Step 1: The paragraph begins with a concise, clear topic sentence. The topic sentence directs the reader for the following paragraph. |
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Step 2: Make a claim that supports the topic sentence and thesis, and provide factual information to support that claim. Examples and details are a great way to provide factual information. However, do not overuse hypothetical situations. |
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Topic Sentences: The first sentence in a body paragraph is the topic sentence. This sentence should directly support the thesis statement, and should tell the reader what the content of the following body paragraph is going to focus on. |
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Step 3: After repeating step 2 as many times as necessary to make one's point clear, be sure to provide transition statements when switching between ideas. |
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Hypothetical Situations: Students often like to use situations that could exist or might have happened to explain cause and effect. These should be used sparingly. |
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The Ideal Conclusion Paragarph
A conclusion paragraph is called such because the writer should be drawing conclusions at this point in the essay. There are three easy steps to be successful in writing a reverse funnel style conclusion paragraph. |
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Step 1: Restate thesis statement. (Do not use "In conclusion,..." |
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Step 2: Quickly summarize, in one or two sentences, the ideas included in the body paragraphs. |
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Step 3: Draw a connection or conclusion about what you have written. This could be a connection to modern day, a relation to another point in history, or explaining the impact the topic had on history. |
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General Rules |
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1: Do not use personalized statements. Anything with the words "I, you, your, our, we, we're, or my" are personal statements. They do not belong in a formal essay. |
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2: Do not use contractions in formal essays. (i.e. can't, doesn't, we're, don't, shouldn't, isn't,etc.) |
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3: Anytime you introduce a new idea or you make a new point, start a new paragraph. Essays should not have long body paragraphs with multiple arguments within them. Short, concise, direct body paragraphs are more effective (as long as they are well supported!) |
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