What You Need to Know

Key Concept Diagram

Introduction: hook, context, clear thesis statement outlining your argument

Body paragraphs follow TEEL: Topic sentence, Evidence, Explanation, Link back

Evidence includes quotations, paraphrases, and examples from texts

Conclusion: restate thesis, summarise key points, broader significance

Key Vocabulary

Thesis

A clear statement of the main argument of an essay

TEEL

A paragraph structure: Topic sentence, Evidence, Explanation, Link

Formal language

Academic writing style avoiding contractions and informal expressions

Synthesis

Combining evidence from multiple sources to support a point

Knowledge Check

Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.

Question 1

Which sentence is most appropriate as a thesis statement?

I am going to talk about climate change. Governments must implement immediate carbon reduction policies as climate change threatens global ecosystems and social stability. Climate change is bad for the environment. Climate change has many causes and effects.

Question 2

In TEEL paragraph structure, what does the E stand for?

Editing and expression Emotion and empathy Examples and evidence Extension and elaboration

Question 3

Which feature is NOT characteristic of formal academic writing?

Precise vocabulary Third-person perspective Evidence-based arguments Contractions like "it's" and "doesn't"

Academic Essay Writing