the first paragraph in an essay. introduces the topic and indicates the focus of the essay
introduction
the first part of the introduction. introduces the topic and gives some general info about it
background
the most important sentence in an essay. comes at the end of the introduction. expresses the main idea or purpose of the whole essay.
thesis statement
these make up the main section of the essay where all the supporting ideas and details are discussed
body paragraphs
is usually the first sentence of a paragraph and expresses its main idea or central focus
topic sentence
found in the body paragraphs. they come after the topic sentence and provide support for its main idea
supporting ideas
usually follow supporting ideas and develop them through such things as explanations, examples, or definitions
details
this comes at the end of a body paragraph to restate the main idea
concluding sentence
this is the last paragraph of an essay. it reminds the reader of the thesis statement and summarizes the key points discussed in the body paragraphs
conclusion
an essay that tries to get someone to agree with your opinion
persuasive