ESSAY

The structures An essay is a piece of writing that must have a beginning, middle, and an end. skill of good essay
writing is to be able to critically discuss and evaluate ideas within a set word limit. Essays focus on developing an argument or analysing ideas rather than on description. The essay has three parts. Those can be seen as the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.

Introduction
The introduction sets the scene for the whole essay. For a 1500 word essay, this could be a 150 word paragraph. The purpose of the introduction is to identify the topic, your point of view and the main reasons for your response. Often this paragraph includes: An introductory sentence or two related directly to the question. A definition or explanation of a key term, cited from your discipline. A clear statement of the focus of the essay or the position being argued, your thesis statement. Sentences that give a clear idea of what the essay will be about (content) and the direction (scope) the essay will take.

essay question: Italy on the eve of 1860 has often been described as an unlikely nation. Why?
For eg : For the

Intro : On the eve of 1860 the word Italy described not a nation, but a geographical area. The peninsula was split into eight separate states, all independent of one another. Economically, while the whole of Europe seemed to be surging ahead, Italy was lagging behind. At this time, Italy was seen as an unlikely nation because of the many obstacles that lay in the way of unification. The main obstacles were the lack of planning and common goals amongst the minority of the population that supported and were prepared to fight for a unified country. Theo th t : background/orientation to the topic/thesis statement/ outline of argument

Body

Paragraphs in the body of the essay show your discussion of the main ideas supporting your position or response to the question. Ideas from the scholarly literature give credibility and weight to your argument. Each paragraph should link with the previous paragraph and may include: Eg: A topic sentence: a statement of the main idea of the paragraph. Explanation or supporting evidence from the scholarly readings. Further evidence from your reading to deepen your discussion. Application of ideas to a scenario or through the use of an example. Your discussion of, comment on and evaluation of these ideas. A concluding sentence that brings the paragraph to a close.

One of the obstacles to the unification of the Italian nation was the failure of the ....... (Main point in the paragraph presented as the topic sentence) A further obstacle obstructing the formation of a united Italy was...(Main point in the paragraph presented as the topic sentence)

Conclusion
The purpose of the conclusion is to summarise and make final evaluative comments. It is important to refer back to the essay question. This paragraph includes: A brief summary of the main ideas presented in the essay. Confirmation of the thesis included in the introduction. Final evaluative comments on the relative importance of the arguments. Comments on the ongoing significance of the topic as an issue that needs further discussion or investigation.

For example :

Before 1860, only a tiny minority of the population believed that Italy could ever become a unified nation under one Italian ruler/. Yet, despite this belief and the many obstacles blocking the path to unification/ such as differences and suspicion between the many regions of the peninsula, the lack of planning and common goals that saw many uprisings fail and the divergent views and politics amongst the men who fought for unity/,the Piedmont region emerged .On March 17, 1861, the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed. Italy was no longer a geographical expression, it was a nation.

Theo th t : reference to essay question /reiteration of thesis point/ overview of main arguments explaining the obstacles to Italy's unification /concluding comment and reference to essay question