Write your body paragraphs. Each body paragraph should have 1) a topic sentence, 2) an analysis of some part of the text and 3) evidence from the text that supports your analysis and your thesis statement. A topic sentence tells the reader what the body paragraph will be about. The analysis of the text is where you make your argument. The evidence you provide supports your argument. Remember that each claim you make should support your thesis.
The formula "CEE" may help you remember: Claim-Evidence-Explanation. Whenever you present a claim, make sure you present evidence to support that claim and explain how the evidence relates to your claim.
Know when to quote or paraphrase. Quoting means that you take the exact text and, placing it in quotation marks, insert it into your essay. Quoting is good when you use the precise wording of something to support your claim. Make sure that you use the correct form of quotation, depending on if you are using MLA, APA or Chicago style. Paraphrasing, on the other hand, is when you summarize the text. Paraphrasing can be used to give background or compress a lot of details into a short space. It can be good if you have a lot of information or would need to quote a huge portion of text to convey something.Don't: quote from more than two passages per paragraph, as a rule of thumb.
Write your conclusion. Your conclusion is where you remind your reader of how you supported your argument. Some teachers also want you to make a broader connection in your conclusion. This means that they want you to make a ‘bigger world connection’. This could mean stating how your argument affects other claims about the text, or how your claim could change the view of someone reading the text you analyzed.Don't: introduce a completely new argument in your conclusion.
Do: expand beyond your thesis statement by discussing its implications or wider context.
Example conclusion: The concept of an ‘eye for an eye’ was very present in the early Medieval world. However, by comparing the attacks of both Grendel's mother and the dragon, the medieval world’s perception of righteous vengeance versus unjust revenge is made clear. While the dragon acts out in the only way he knows how, Grendel's mother attacks with evil intent.
Example conclusion with a ‘bigger world connection’: The concept of an ‘eye for an eye’ was very present in the early Medieval world. However, by comparing the attacks of both Grendel's mother and the dragon, the medieval world’s perception of righteous vengeance versus unjust revenge is made clear. While the dragon acts out in the only way he knows how, Grendel's mother attacks with evil intent. As we saw from the study of other characters, these portrayals may tie into an early Medieval perception that women had greater potential for evil.
Finalizing Your Essay
Proofread your essay for spelling or grammar mistakes. A paper that contains many mistakes generally gets a lower grade than one that has been proofread and polished. Run a spell check, look for run-on sentences, and check for punctuation errors.
Make sure to also format your essay correctly. For example, using a 12-pt standard font (like Arial or Times New Roman) and 1" margins is standard.
Read your paper out loud. Reading out loud helps you to find places in the essay that might sound awkward. This is also a great way to find run-on sentences that you might not have noticed before.
Make sure that all characters, titles, places, etc. are spelled correctly. Teachers will often mark you down if the name of a main character is spelled incorrectly throughout your paper.Check two or three sources to make sure that you have the correct spelling.Read your paper as if you were your teacher.
