How can the essay be compared to a mouthwatering sandwich?
It is easy… just look at the ingredients.
The bread holds the sandwich together. The bread is the same on both the bottom and the top, which means that the introduction and the conclusion serve the same purpose, holding the BLT in.
THE TOP SLICE OF BREAD = INTRODUCTION (Lead-in) with THESIS STATEMENT
To write a good persuasive essay you need to pay particular attention to the first sentence you are going to write down, namely a lead-in. It is the most important part of the whole persuasive essay. The introduction of your essay should be attention grabbing and impressive (mouthwatering and tasty) enough to induce the reader to read further on (take another bite). To write a strong and impressive lead-in, try the following strategies:
1. start with a thought provoking question;
2. open the essay with a statistic or fact;
3. provide an unusual detail;
4.quote a famous person;
5. a short and to-the-point anecdote (quick story)
A thesis statement is a sentence (or two) that states what you are going to do in your essay. It is a kind of map that shows the reader what direction you will take. It usually comes at the end of the introduction and includes the reasons for your position or the main idea of the information you will be presenting.
This is where you will put the juicy, mouthwatering details. Each detail could stand alone but, put together, they make the sandwich taste better. The bacon, lettuce, and tomato are the heart of a BLT sandwich. It defines what kind of sandwich one is eating. The fixings are “sandwiched” by the bread just like the reason paragraphs are supported by the introduction and conclusion.
BACON, LETTUCE, and TOMATO = THE REASON PARAGRAPHS:
ASK YOURSELF:“HOW MANY REASONS WILL I NEED IN MY ESSAY?” This will determine the number of fixings’ paragraphs you will need. Each reason will become a new paragraph: Reason one is like the bacon, reason two is like the lettuce, and reason three is like the tomato. If you needed more reasons to support your position, you could add cheese, mayo, etc. You will use numerous details to support each reason and thoroughly explain each fact. These details include: descriptions, definitions, examples, elaborations, and explorations. Be sure to use a transition and a new paragraph when you go from one “fixin’” to the next.
THE BOTTOM SLICE OF BREAD = The Conclusion
The “conclusion slice” of bread mirrors the top slice of bread. It holds the sandwich together asthe last part of the essay and it is the part that the reader may remember most.It should be clear and avoid confusing the reader. The reader expects the conclusion to do some or all of the following:
1. rephrase the question and/or give your opinion
2. summarize the main idea or best reason
The reader DOES NOT expect new information in the conclusion. Never add a new idea just because you have thought of it at the end! You must do all of this in just a few sentences!
KEY QUESTIONS:
* How do the facts you used support your position?
* Why do these facts lead you to your position?