Thesis

So to write an essay you must have a plan and the backbone of that plan is the thesis. Think of the thesis is a one sentence version of the essay or answer to the question. When you are writing academic essays in general and for me in particular you should also remember that the essay makes and defends a number of point. There is nothing really magic about the number four, but for the essays I assign, you should be able to make four key points. Ideally again these should be summarized in the thesis.

Why was there an American Revolution in 1776?

There was a revolution is 1776 as a result of a simple struggle for power, an economic transformation, nationalism and because the Americans had come to a new understanding of liberty.

or

The American Revolution was about nationalism, economics, political power and liberty.

See how that creates a backbone for your writing. You have four key ideas presented. Now you just need to develop each of them in a paragraph or two. How much depends on the length of the assignment. Each of these ideas can be developed at great length believe me. I have a book on my shelf about each of them.

What did the Greeks contribute to Western Civilization?

The Greek gave us philosophy, natural philosophy, drama and democracy.

This is a case where there are many other choices but you want to restrict your choices to four so that you have time and space to develop or defend them. I think of it as defending because your development shows the grader (me) that you understand the points fully. If you pick more than four points either you will not be able to develop them fully or you will write a very long essay. Four is a good number. That is why I use it.

So when you get a writing assignment think about the four point you want to develop in your answer and put them into a clear precise thesis. This tells me that you understand the material and have thought about it enough to organize your thoughts. After you have the thesis it is time to think about the introduction.