Writing Academic English 4th Edition

Paragraph

Cbapter4- IFromParagraphtoEssay 51

Essay

Restatementorsummary

ofthemainpoints;final

comment

Anessayintroductionconsistsoftwoparts:a fewgeneralstatements to

attractyourreader'sattentionandathesisstatementtostatethemainideaofthe

essay.Athesisstatementforanessayislikea topicsentencefora paragraph:It

namesthespecifictopicandgivesthereadera generalideaofthecontentsofthe

essay. Thebodyconsistsofoneormoreparagraphs.Eachparagraphdevelops

a subdivisionofthetopic,sothenumberofparagraphsinthebodywillvarywith

thenumberofsubdivisions orsubtopics.Theconclusion,liketheconcluding

sentenceina paragraph,isa summaryorreviewofthemainpointsdiscussedin

thebody.

Anessayhasunityandcoherence,justasa paragraphdoes.Transitionsignals

andtherepetitionofkeynounslinktheparagraphsintoa cohesivewhole.

lConcludingsentencesforbodyparagraphsinanessayarenotalwaysnecessary,especiallywhentheideas

inconsecutiveparagraphsarecloselyrelated.