Please Note: These guidelines are general suggestions. When in doubt, please refer to your assignment and professors for specifics.
Most essays consist of three parts:
Be sure your Introduction makes a clear, general point, which you can back up with specifics as you lead to your Thesis Statement.
Now use the Body of your essay to support the main points you presented in your Thesis Statement. Develop each point using one or more paragraphs, and support each point with specific details. Your details may come from research or your direct experience. Refer to your assignment for required supporting documentation (APA citations.) Your analysis and discussion of your topic should tie your narrative together and draw conclusions supporting your thesis.
Use effective transition words and phrases to give your paper “flow,” to connect your ideas, and to move from one supporting statement to another.
Don’t forget to cite each source of information you use - using In-Text Citations throughout your paper and a References page at the end. Use these LibGuides to help you with your In-Text Citations and References page
Use your conclusion to restate and consolidate all the main points of your essay. You should first restate your Thesis Statement (using slightly different phrasing this time). Give closure to your essay by resolving any outstanding points and leaving your readers with a final thought regarding your argument's future or long-term implications. Your Conclusion is not the place to introduce new ideas or topics that did not appear earlier in your paper.
(Sample Essay excerpts and instructions, thanks to Professor Deborah Ashby: Monroe College (University), Department of Social Sciences)
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