What is the most important key to an effective essay?

a.a focused thesis sentence


b.five paragraphs in the body


c.interesting supporting details


d.a concluding sentence

What is the most important key to an effective essay?
Well Focused


Be sure to answer the question completely, that is, answer all parts of the question. Avoid "padding." A lot of rambling and ranting is a sure sign that the writer doesn't really know what the right answer is and hopes that somehow, something in that overgrown jungle of words was the correct answer.





Well Organized


Don't write in a haphazard "think-as-you-go" manner. Do some planning and be sure that what you write has a clearly marked introduction which both states the point(s) you are going to make and also, if possible, how you are going to proceed. In addition, the essay should have a clearly indicated conclusion which summarizes the material covered and emphasizes your thesis or main point.





Well Supported


Do not just assert something is true, prove it. What facts, figures, examples, tests, etc. prove your point? In many cases, the difference between an A and a B as a grade is due to the effective use of supporting evidence.








Well Packaged


People who do not use conventions of language are thought of by their readers as less competent and less educated. If you need help with these or other writing skills, come to the Writing Lab!





http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/g...
Reply:You want me to pick one of the 4 answers, right? Sorry, I can't. But I'll go through them with you.





a. This is important for *you* because it helps you figure out where you are going and because, if you can't summarize your ideas, it means you probably haven't thought them through yet and it is important for your readers so they have some idea of what they should be getting from your essay.





b. This isn't important. You need the right number of paragraphs to get your point across, you don't need an arbitrary number of them.





c. Details, as well as interesting turns of phrases, are what make an essay interesting and memorable. Particularly for school or standardized tests (like APs), one poor teacher is reading many essays. Since teachers are humans, they get bored. If you have something special in your essay, you can get them to look at the whole thing more favorably.





d. You don't need a concluding *sentence* but you do need a conclusion. Hopefully, you have explained your position fully enough that it isn't really needed per se, but the very worst thing is if someone finishes reading an essay you worked hard on...and has to ask "so, what was the point?"