Myself

the head of Zeus. Unfortunately, this is the only recorded instance of instant wisdom. Especially in the medium of the written word, the communication of complex ideas is a process—a process that requires thinking and rethinking, working and reworking. The student who claims to have dashed off an "A" essay at one in the morning the night before it was due is either a liar or a genius.

This document has been formulated to assist you in learning to write effective, intelligent essays. It is divided into the following parts:

        PART I: Types of Essays
        PART II: Developing a Thesis from a Topic
        PART III: Introductions
        PART IV: The Body Paragraphs
        PART V: The Rebuttal
        PART VI: The Conclusion
        PART VII: Writing an Exam Essay
        PART VIII: Stylistic Considerations
        PART IX: Sentence and Paragraph Structure
        PART X: Sample Essays
        PART XI: Using Quotations
        PART XII: Sample Essay Template

PART I: Types of Essays

The Expository Essay
The function of the expository essay is to explain, or to acquaint your reader with a body of knowledge. By explaining a topic to the reader, you are demonstrating your own knowledge.
For example, if you are asked to write an essay about taming dragons, you decide what you plan to concentrate on, create a paragraph structure, and describe the process step by step. An essay becomes more complicated when a position has to be defended, as in a persuasive essay.
The Persuasive Essay
The persuasive essay must choose a side, make a case for it, consider and refute alternative arguments, and prove to the undecided reader that the opinion it presents is the best one. You must be aware of other sides and be fair to them; dismissing them completely will weaken your own argument.
It is always best to take a side that you believe in, preferably...