The Elements and Structure of a Formal Essay

In this class, I will be asking you to use the writing process to write formal, college level essays. Formal essays must have five basic elements if they are to be successful:

1. A strong thesis statement with logical supporting points.

2. Body paragraphs that discuss the supporting points in the order they are mentioned in the thesis statement.

3. Good transitions between paragraphs.

4. A conclusion which summarizes what has been said in the body of the paper.

5. Appropriate diction and tone.

These five elements are absolutely essential. A significant part of your paper grades will be based on whether or not the five elements are present. Each of these elements is discussed below. At the end of this document is an outline and brief description of standard essay structure.

1. The Thesis Statement

A thesis is a statement of fact or opinion that you will defend in the course of your paper. The thesis statement includes the reasons or points you will be making to support your initial statement. A thesis statement does two vitally important things. 1) it establishes the subject and purpose of your paper, 2) it gives your readers a roadmap of the points that will be discussed in the paper.

Here is an example of an effective thesis statement:

T. S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” portrays a man’s inability to take decisive action even as he sees what is necessary. This passivity affects the speaker’s perception of himself, his ability to give and receive love, and, his ability to make something meaningful of his life. Through his impotent, dream-haunted Prufrock, Eliot defines the human condition in the face of a modern world which is disconnected from of all but the remnants of meaning.

This paragraph spells answers the questions “What is this work about” and “What is the meaning of this work?” It also serves as a very effective roadmap for what was is to come in the essay: a discussion of passivity’s effect on Prufrock and a conclusion regarding the modern condition.

2. Body Paragraphs

As noted above, your body paragraphs need to directly and specifically discuss the points mentioned in your thesis statement in the order they are mentioned in your thesis statement. If you don’t do this, your roadmap isn’t just invalid, it’s misleading, and your readers will become confused.

When you write the body of your paper, you should always be looking back at your thesis to see that you’re following the roadmap. If, as you’re writing, you think of another point it’s important and logical to make, you need to revise your thesis so that the roadmap is still valid.

Note that in your thesis you simply list the items you will discuss. You use the body paragraphs to discuss these items in depth and provide evidence to support them.

3. Transitions

Providing logical connections between ideas is one of the most important keys to good writing. If you and I are talking about how uncomfortable the hot weather has been, and all of a sudden I say “Lobo, my pet slug died,” you’re going to be completely confused. You won’t know how I got from the weather to the tragic death of Lobo. What’s missing is the transition, the thought that links one idea to the next.

Let’s say, on the other hand, that we’re talking about the hot weather, and I remark “The hot weather isn’t just uncomfortable; it’s dangerous too. In fact, Lobo my pet slug, insisted on going outside for his daily walk and he died of heat prostration in two minutes flat.” I’ve built a bridge between the two ideas with one simple sentence that connects the old idea (hot weather is uncomfortable) with the new idea (hot weather is dangerous).

The good news about transitions is that they don’t have to be complicated. They can be as simple as one word or a single sentence. You just need to be sure that as you read over your paper you ask yourself what the connection between each of your ideas is. For a list of good transition words, see the “Paragraphs” document in the “Grammar” folder under Course Documents.

4. The Conclusion

It is said that “A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.” However, this is not supposed to be the case in your essays. Your conclusion serves two specific functions: 1) it summarizes what has been said in the body of the paper without repeating it, and 2) it provides the reader with a relevant final thought on what you want them to do, think, believe, or understand, now that they've read your essay. Note that a conclusion is definitely not the place to introduce new ideas.

If you get to the end of your paper and say “Oh! I just thought of another thing,” do not tack it on to the conclusion. As stated above, “When you write the body of your paper, you should always be looking back at your thesis to see that you’re following the roadmap. If, as you’re writing, you think of another point it’s important and logical to make, you need to revise your thesis so that the roadmap is still valid.”

Anna’s pet peeve: do not cheat by using the words “in conclusion” to announce the arrival of your conclusion. The content of your concluding paragraph should make clear that it is in fact the conclusion without you having to say it.

5. Appropriate Diction and Tone

This class expects you to write formal, college level essays. Part of writing these essays is learning the diction (word choice) and tone customary in this kind of writing. Here are some guidelines for the appropriate diction and tone of your essays. Note that these guidelines do not apply to the other kinds of writing you do in this class.

	You are writing for an audience of classmates and teachers.
	You are speaking to these people in a professional or formal capacity, as opposed to a casual and friendly capacity (such as we use in our chat room or email exchanges). Imagine you are dressed in your nicest clothes and speaking to an audience that has come to hear you and learn something from you.
	Your audience has a basic understanding of your topic and does not need common or simple terms explained to them.
	You should not use slang or informal language in your papers.
	Your focus should be on facts and ideas rather than feelings and beliefs.
	You should not include “I believe,” “I think,” “In my opinion,” etc. in your essay. It is assumed that an essay represents your ideas and opinions. The “I” calls attention away from your ideas and focuses the light on you, the writer, instead. Since, other than your biography on your web page, your essays are not about you, this distracts the reader from the real subject of your essay.
	Avoid rhetorical questions like “How would you like to . . .” or “What do you think of that?” These direct addresses to an audience set an informal, “talky,” tone and don’t actually accomplish anything but taking up space (since, of course) your audience cannot answer you.

Standard Essay Structure

Here’s an overview of how a standard essay is structured. Just something to keep in mind as you work on formulating your thesis and start thinking about writing your rough draft.

I. Thesis (A statement of opinion that you will discuss and defend in your essay)

Example: As more and more people integrate the internet into their work and private lives, we will see a dramatic increase in both written and verbal communication skills.

A. Sub Point #1 (Sub points break the thesis down into parts which you will then discuss at greater length in the body of the paper. Sub points serve the reader as a road map to the organization of your paper.)

Example: Writing skills naturally improve with internet use, since almost all online communication is conducted through the written word.

B. Sub Point #2

Example: In addition, while internet users become more proficient at writing, their spoken communication skills will also improve, because writing will give them practice organizing and expressing their ideas.

(Note: you may have more than two sub points)

II. Body

A. Discussion of Sub Point #1

Explain this idea in more detail.

Raise possible objections, problems with this idea.

Answer these objects and defend this idea.

B. Discussion of Sub Point #2

Explain this idea in more detail.

Raise possible objections, problems with this idea.

Answer these objections and defend this idea.

Discussion of further Sub Points if you have listed them in your thesis.

III. Conclusion

Your conclusion restates your thesis (puts it in different words), and leaves the reader with a relevant final thought on what you want the reader to do, think, believe, or understand, now that they've read your essay.