Point

First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats on; then read the names of the actors; and so grow to a point. (A Midsummer Night’s Dream 1.2.8)

Point is the third of the three elements of an effective introduction.

A POINT is the claim you want to make in your essay.

We use a lot of words for this POINT:  

• When we talk about paragraphs, we sometimes use the phrase “topic sentence.”  
• When we talk about whole essays, we sometimes use the word “thesis” or “claim.”

There are three elements to an effective introduction.   So, where should I put the POINT?

ESSAY POINTS

At the level of the whole essay, your POINT SENTENCE is a sentence on the page that is

• The answer to your question
• The solution to your problem
• The main claim of your argument

PARAGRAPH POINTS

In each body paragraph, your POINT SENTENCE is a sentence on the page that is your argument for that paragraph.

Papers exists to support POINT SENTENCES, the last sentence of the introduction.

Paragraphs exist to support PARAGRAPH POINTS, the first sentences of each paragraph.

Good POINT SENTENCES have three characteristics:

• They are predictably located.
• They are significant.   They tell readers something they didn’t already know.
• The are direct and specific.   They cover one topic, not two or three.