Simple Essay Format

Only then, with the reader’s attention "hooked," should you move on to the thesis.The thesis should be a clear, one-sentence explanation of your position that leaves no doubt in the reader’s mind about which side you are on from the beginning of your essay.

Seal the deal by directly stating why this example is relevant.

Here is an example of a body paragraph to continue the essay begun above: Take, by way of example, Thomas Edison.

In fact, it took him more than 1,000 attempts to make the first incandescent bulb but, along the way, he learned quite a deal.

As he himself said, "I did not fail a thousand times but instead succeeded in finding a thousand ways it would not work." Thus Edison demonstrated both in thought and action how instructive mistakes can be.

You see, if your essay has the same structure as every other one, any reader should be able to quickly and easily find the information most relevant to them.

The principle purpose of the introduction is to present your position (this is also known as the "thesis" or "argument") on the issue at hand but effective introductory paragraphs are so much more than that.The famed American inventor rose to prominence in the late 19th century because of his successes, yes, but even he felt that these successes were the result of his many failures.He did not succeed in his work on one of his most famous inventions, the lightbulb, on his first try nor even on his hundred and first try.If yours is much longer you might want to consider editing it down a bit!Here, by way of example, is an introductory paragraph to an essay in response to the following question: "Do we learn more from finding out that we have made mistakes or from our successful actions?Active voice, wherein the subjects direct actions rather than let the actions "happen to" them – "he scored a 97%" instead of "he was given a 97%" – is a much more powerful and attention-grabbing way to write.At the same time, unless it is a personal narrative, avoid personal pronouns like I, My, or Me.Following the thesis, you should provide a mini-outline which previews the examples you will use to support your thesis in the rest of the essay.Not only does this tell the reader what to expect in the paragraphs to come but it also gives them a clearer understanding of what the essay is about.Despite the fact that, as Shakespeare said, "the pen is mightier than the sword," the pen itself is not enough to make an effective writer.In fact, though we may all like to think of ourselves as the next Shakespeare, inspiration alone is not the key to effective essay writing.