How to Write an Essay: Write a Rough Draft

The essay introduction is usually 1-3 paragraphs and includes:

• A lead in: an interesting or surprising story or statement that catches the reader's attention
• The thesis statement: the point the essay will make; consider revising your working thesis based on the points you included in your outline, or create a thesis statement by answering your research question
• An essay map: a brief preview of the organization of the essay

Draft your essay by using the points on your outline as topic sentences or section headings 

• The topic sentence states the point of the paragraph
• Every paragraph should develop one clearly stated idea

When writing the body paragraphs, remember:

• Body paragraphs should usually be at least a third of a page long
• Every sentence in the paragraph must support the topic sentence
• Every general statement needs to be supported by specific evidence
• The paragraph should contain enough evidence to show that that main idea/claim is true
• The paragraph should also include analysis to show the significance of the evidence

Insert citations as you write:

• MLA: Author’s last name and the page number (if any)
• APA: Author’s last name and the year; for quotations, add page or paragraph numbers

Every essay should have a concluding paragraph

• The conclusion should summarize the entire paper and reflect the thesis statement
• It should not repeat the thesis statement exactly
• It should not introduce any new information or arguments