"The word “essay” comes from the French word meaning “to try.” An essay is an attempt to communicate your ideas about your experience, reading, or research to a larger audience. The main idea that you are attempting to explain is known as the thesis. Every essay has a thesis, whether it is stated or not. Essays vary in length, but are always composed of several paragraphs. In the most basic structure, the first paragraph is the introduction, the middle paragraphs are the body paragraphs, which explain, define, and/or support the thesis, and the final paragraph is the conclusion. As you read, you will notice that other writers sometimes take more than one paragraph for an introduction or conclusion. Also, you may notice that other writers do not state a thesis, though their essays still contain a main point. This is known as an implied thesis. Professional writers can do this, but teachers expect your thesis to be explicit, not implied. As a student, you are expected to have a clear thesis statement in the beginning of your essay."