ESSAY WRITING

Parts of an Essay

1. Introduction 6. Thesis Statement

2. Transitions 7. Topic Sentence

3. Conclusion 8. Concluding sentence

4. Supporting ideas 9. Body paragraphs

5. Background 10. Details

A. Match each term above to its correct de inition.

introduction
1. ...............................: is the first paragraph in an essay. It introduces the topic and
indicates the focus of the essay.

background
2. ...............................: the first part of the introduction that introduces the topic and gives
some general information about it.

thesis statement
3. ...............................: the most important sentence in an essay that comes at the end
of the introduction. It expresses the main idea or purpose of the
whole essay.

4. body
...............................: t hese make up the main section of an essay where all the key
ideas and supporting details are discussed.

topic sentence
5. ...............................: is usually the first sentence of a paragraph and expresses its main
idea or central focus.

supporting idea
6. ...............................: t hese are found in the body paragraphs. They come after the topic
sentence and provide support for its main idea.

details
7. ...............................:u
 sually follow supporting ideas and develop them through such
things as explanations, examples, or definitions.

concluding sentence : t his comes at the end of a body paragraph to restate the main
8. ...............................
idea.
conclusion
9. ...............................: this is the last paragraph of an essay. It reminds the reader of the
thesis statement and summarises the key points discussed in the
body paragraphs.
transitions
10. .............................:w
 ords or phrases that link important ideas within a paragraph or
between paragraphs.
 ESSAY WRITING

Parts of an Essay

B. Read the essay and label each item 1-10 below with the corresponding part of the
essay from Exercise A.

Fast food is very familiar and pervasive with famous brands such as MacDonald's and KFC found
almost everywhere. Fast food is in some ways controversial and has inspired a movement to
counter its influence. This counter movement is known as slow food, and it started in Italy in
1986 to offer an alternative to fast food. This essay will explain what the slow food movement
is, and why it is good for the environment.

To begin with, slow food sees itself as a philosophy about how food is produced and consumed that
is different to fast food in almost every way. The first difference between these two approaches
to food centres on health. For example, fast food's negative impacts on health include obesity,
heart disease, and diabetes. This is because fast food is typically highly refined and high in
sugar and fats. On the other hand, slow food tends to be very healthy as it emphasises food
that is more natural and fresh. In addition, the other key difference between them is reflected
in their names. Fast food is made for speed and convenience to allow busy people to eat on
the go. Conversely, slow food is a more relaxed style of eating. In fact, the main ethos of
the movement is "slow and relaxed enjoyment", meaning that both the preparation and the
consumption of food should not be rushed but enjoyed slowly so that the experience can be
savoured. To sum up, slow food is the very antithesis of fast food.

Another feature of slow food is that it aims to be environmentally sustainable. The first reason
why is that slow food is typically unprocessed, which means it has less of an environmental
impact. Processing food is an energy intensive undertaking requiring large amounts of water
and energy. As slow food focuses on the consumption of food that is seasonal and in its natural
state, it requires fewer natural resources for its production. In addition, the transportation of
slow food burns less fossil fuel. This is because it promotes local production and consumption,
which means food is transported across much shorter distances. In contrast, most of the food
we eat is not grown in our local areas but transported from far away, including places on the
other side of the globe.

In conclusion, slow food is very much unlike fast food and is better for the environment. Slow
food is healthier, more enjoyable, and consumes fewer natural resources. Thus, slow food is an
approach to eating that should be widely encouraged.

1. The sentence beginning with, "This essay will... " ..............................

2. The sentence beginning with, "To begin with... " ..............................

3. The sentence containing the phrase, "the other key difference... " ..............................

4. The very first three sentences of the essay. ..............................

5. The last two sentences in the second body paragraph. ..............................

6. This is the only paragraph that ends with a concluding sentence. ..............................

7. "Conversely" and "thus" are examples of which essay feature? ..............................

8. The part of the essay that rephrases the thesis statement. ..............................

9. This paragraph has the opposite structure of the conclusion. ..............................

10. This is often the shortest paragraph in an essay. ..............................

Parts of an Essay

C. Create an essay outline on the topic of healthy eating using the form below. Begin
by brainstorming some ideas in the box and then complete the outline. Remember to
only use key words and short phrases in your outline.

Topic: The Benefits of Healthy Eating.

Introduction

Thesis statement: ........................................................................................................

Body paragraph 1

Topic sentence: ............................................................................................................

Supporting idea 1: ........................................................................................................

Details: .......................................................................................................................

Supporting idea 2: ........................................................................................................

Details: .......................................................................................................................

Body paragraph 2

Topic sentence: ............................................................................................................

Supporting idea 1: ........................................................................................................

Details: .......................................................................................................................

Supporting idea 2: ........................................................................................................

Details: .......................................................................................................................

* A conclusion is not required in an outline as it simply recaps ideas already discussed in the
essay. Conclusions never include new or additional information.