Outline for Definition Essay

Elements of an Essay
INTRODUCTION: Usually, an introduction starts broad and narrows down to your specific topic, ending in the thesis. This is your opportunity to establish why readers might be curious about your general topic, catch their attention, or put your essay in context. Thesis: Your introduction should end with a clear, specific thesis statement, which will tell readers exactly what your paper will be presenting and defining. The body paragraphs will directly and obviously support your thesis.

BODY PARAGRAPHS: An essay usually has at least three or more body paragraphs, and these will be the evidence or topics that support your thesis.

Topic Sentences: Each body paragraph will begin with a topic sentence that introduces its topic. All of the information in that paragraph will be clearly and logically related to that topic sentence, which in turn should obviously relate to the thesis.
Support: You use data, facts, analysis, quotes, anecdotes, examples, details, etc. to support your topic sentences and flesh out your body paragraphs. A good rule of thumb is to have at least three points to support each topic sentence.
Transitions: An effective essay will show the connection between paragraphs with transitions. These can be the final sentence of each body paragraph or can be integrated into the next topic sentence with transition words.
CONCLUSION: A conclusion should wrap up your essay, but should not introduce new information or arguments. It should begin with a sentence that looks a lot like your thesis to summarize the general points of the paper as a whole, and then draw your paper neatly to a close.

REFERENCES: Be sure to use 7th edition APA format. Here is a link to Purdue OWL for examples for the Reference page and in-text citations:

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html (Links to an external site.)