The Process of Writing An Essay

The Process of Writing an
Essay
Regardless of the discipline you are
writing in:
Determine the expectations of the writing

assignment
Determine audience and purpose
Formulate thesis
Gather evidence and conduct research

Introduction Context & •Create Hook
Claim •Establish background context for
writing
•Give thesis
•Preview evidence/organization
•Springboard
Body Evidence •Transition from prior section

Paragraphs •Single, clear claim for section
•Strong details supporting claim
•Mini-conclusion on claim
Conclusion Synthesis •Restate central claim

•Review evidence
•Apply evidence and claim to context to
create broader significance
Introductions vs. Thesis Statements
Introductions: general, provide background

information, at least one paragraph in length,
help set up a writer’s argument
Thesis Statements: specific, precise, usually one

or two sentences in length, focus on paper’s
purpose, list writer’s position and reasons for it,
found in the introduction
Introductions
A concise, engaging, and well-written

introduction will start your readers off thinking
highly of you, your analytical skills, your writing,
and your paper. This impression is especially
important when the audience you are trying to
reach (your instructor) will be grading your work.
You must capture your reader’s interest.
 Your introduction should contain a
thesis that will assert your main
argument. Your introduction should give
your reader a sense of the kinds of
information you will use to support your
argument along with the organization of
the body paragraphs.
 Think of the introduction as a road map

for your reader to follow. Once the
introduction has been read, your reader
should not be surprised with any
information found in the body
paragraphs
Effective Introductions
Think about the question(s) you are trying to
answer; don’t ask questions, answer them
Write your introduction last; it may be easier to

write your body paragraphs and argument first so
you will know what to state in your introduction
Start with a hook (a quote, interesting fact,

anecdote, etc.)
Make sure your first sentence says something

useful!! Write with confidence, and avoid statements
like “In this paper, I will argue that Frederick
Douglass valued education.” It is more convincing
to say “Frederick Douglass valued education” than
to tell us you are going to say he did.
Ineffective Introductions:
Examples of what does NOT work.
1. The place holder introduction.

Essentially, this is weak and contains
several sentences that are vague and don't
really say much.
2. The restated question introduction.

Don’t simply restate what the essay prompt
asks you to do. You must answer the
question asked.
3. The Webster's Dictionary introduction. Do not
begin an essay with a definition from a dictionary;
anyone can look a word up and copy down what
Webster says. Develop your own definition of the term
in the specific context of the assignment, or if you use
a definition from one of the sources you've been
reading for class.
4. The "dawn of man" introduction. This kind of

introduction generally makes broad, sweeping
statements about the relevance of this topic since the
beginning of time. It is usually very general and fails to
connect to the thesis.
Example: Since the dawn of man, slavery has been a
problem in human history.
Thesis Statement
The Thesis statement present your argument to the

reader. Your thesis directly answers the question
asked in the prompt. It is an interpretation of a
question or subject, not the subject itself.
Depending on the length of the essay, the thesis

statement should be one or two sentences in
length. It is very specific, and it explains to your
reader what the body paragraphs will contain along
with the evidence you use to persuade your reader
the logic of your interpretation.
How is your thesis? Ask yourself…
Do I answer the question? Re-read the essay
prompt; it may help you focus.
Have I taken a position that others might

challenge or oppose? If somebody could
disagree with your thesis, then you have
started your argument. If not, rethink it.
Is my thesis statement specific enough? If

your thesis contains words like "good" or
"successful," see if you could be more
specific: why is something "good"; what
specifically makes something "successful"?
Does my thesis pass the "So what?" test? If a
reader's first response is, "So what?" then you need
to clarify or connect to a larger issue.
Does my essay support my thesis specifically and

without wandering? If the body of your essay
introduces new ideas not found in your thesis, you
need to rewrite. Always reassess and revise your
writing as necessary.
Does my thesis pass the "how and why?" test? If a

reader's first response is "how?" or "why?" your
thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for
the reader.
Body Paragraphs
1.Topic Sentence
Formulate a controlling idea that relates back to reasons
given in the thesis. This idea will direct the paragraph’s
development.
2. Explain the controlling idea

Explain how your reader should interpret the information.
Explain your thoughts about the topic/idea.
3. Provide multiple examples for support

Provide support or evidence for the idea/explanation. This
establishes a relationship between the main idea and the
explanation.
4. Explain and analyze the examples
You must explain why each example is relevant to the

controlling idea. It shows the reader why you chose the
examples for your support.
5. Complete the idea and transition into the next paragraph
Tie up any loose ends in your paragraph and make sure

your reader will understand the paragraph’s importance.
Transition the reader to your next development in the next
paragraph.
Transitions signal relationships between ideas; they
establish logical connections between paragraphs; they
function as signals for the reader so he/she knows what to
do with the given information
Conclusion
DO NOT: begin with in “conclusion” or “in closing”;

state the thesis for the first time; introduce a new idea;
end with a rephrased thesis statement; make appeals
that are out of sync/tone with the rest of the paper;
include evidence/support that should be in the body
DO: ask yourself ‘so what?’ to figure out the

importance of your topic; refer back to the
introduction; synthesize and show your reader how
your argument, examples, and ideas fit together;
include provocative insight
Editing and Revising
Once you have a completed draft, you must

edit and revise it. Begin revisions with :
thesis, organization, focus, body
paragraphs, support, etc.
Revise your essay for proper grammar,

punctuation, sentence structure and
mechanics, format requirements, citations,
etc.

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The Process of Writing an

Determine the expectations of the writing

Determine audience and purpose

Gather evidence and conduct research

Body Evidence •Transition from prior section

Conclusion Synthesis •Restate central claim

Introductions: general, provide background

Thesis Statements: specific, precise, usually one

A concise, engaging, and well-written

 Think of the introduction as a road map

Write your introduction last; it may be easier to

Start with a hook (a quote, interesting fact,

Make sure your first sentence says something

1. The place holder introduction.

2. The restated question introduction.

4. The "dawn of man" introduction. This kind of

The Thesis statement present your argument to the

Depending on the length of the essay, the thesis

Have I taken a position that others might

Is my thesis statement specific enough? If

Does my essay support my thesis specifically and

Does my thesis pass the "how and why?" test? If a

2. Explain the controlling idea

3. Provide multiple examples for support

You must explain why each example is relevant to the

5. Complete the idea and transition into the next paragraph

Tie up any loose ends in your paragraph and make sure

DO NOT: begin with in “conclusion” or “in closing”;

DO: ask yourself ‘so what?’ to figure out the

Once you have a completed draft, you must

Revise your essay for proper grammar,

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