MCC Essay Writing

Introduction

The first paragraph in an essay. It has a hook, bridge and thesis statement.

Unity

This is when all the supporting sentences relate to the topic sentence.

The three parts to an (English/American) essay

1. Introduction (one paragraph) 2. Body (many paragraphs... usually, at least, three) 3. Conclusion (one paragraph

The three parts to a body paragraph

1. Topic Sentence 2. Supporting Sentences 3. Closing Sentence

Supporting Sentences

4-6 sentences that describe, explain, give reasons, give facts, and give examples. Collectively, they support the topic sentence, and they go in the body of your essay.

2nd draft

Better than the first.

1st draft

First try. First attempt. It is NOT perfect.

Prompt

It's the writing assignment. It usually comes in the form of a question, but not always. You should always read it carefully. Underline keys words and make sure you understand it perfectly before writing.

Bridge/ Transition (in Introduction)

This connects the hook to the thesis statement. It can be one or two sentences, or even just a couple words.

MLA

This is a special group of teachers who decide how students should format their papers. Most English teachers want papers formatted following these guidelines.

Conclusion

This is final paragraph in your essay. It's basically an upside down introduction: 1. Restate Thesis 2. Repeat main ideas from body paragraphs 3. Leave the reader thinking (refer to hook, predict, give opinion or suggestion, etc.)

Hook

This is the attention getter. It's the first thing in your introductory paragraph. It's what makes the reader want to keep reading your essay. It should have more than one sentence.

Concluding Sentence

This is the final piece in each of your body paragraphs. It usually restates the topic sentences and/or transitions into the next body paragraph.

5 paragraph essay

This is the high school essay. It has 5 paragraphs total: 1. Introduction 2. Body Paragraph 1 3. Body Paragraph 2 4. Body Paragraph 3 5. Conclusion *Note: In college, we usually write more than 3 body paragraphs*

Heading (in MLA)

This is the information to the left. The order is: Student Name Professor Name Course Number Date (Day, month, year)

Topic Sentence

This is the most important sentence in a body paragraph. It tells the reader what the paragraph is about. It should always have a controlling idea.

Thesis

This is the most important sentence in the essay. It's a 1-2 sentence statement that explains the purpose (or goal) of the essay. It must be a statement (not a question). It's a good idea to write your answer to the "heart" of the prompt as your thesis.

Coherence

This is when the supporting sentences in a paragraph are ordered so that the reader can easily understand your ideas. Correct grammar also helps with this.

Irrelevant sentence

This is when there is a sentence in a paragraph (or essay) that does not belong. It's usually off-topic or does not directly answer the prompt.

Revise

To make better!

Predictors

You don't have to have these, but if you do, it's in your thesis statement, and it predicts (or tells the reader) what each body paragraph is going to be about.