All successful essays start with an introduction that grabs the attention of readers and tells them what the rest of the essay is going to be about. A successful introduction might include alarming statistics, an interesting quote from a historical figure or a personal anecdote. If you were writing about the importance of the federal government's mortgage loan modification program, for example, you might start your essay with an alarming statistic about the number of homeowners who are losing their residences to foreclosure.
This statement, which usually occurs immediately after the introduction, states the main point of your essay. In the above example, a thesis statement might be something like this: "The Obama administration's loan modification program may have flaws, but it is an important step in reducing the number of homeowners who fall into foreclosure."
The body of an essay is where you make the arguments, present the statistics and highlight the research that supports your thesis statement. The more information you can find that supports your thesis, the more compelling and successful your essay will be.
The conclusion is where you restate your thesis statement and sum up the arguments that support it, such as, "As of late 2009, the federal government's home loan modification program was helping nearly 700,000 homeowners rework their mortgage loans. Just think of the stress 700,000 more foreclosures would have on neighborhoods and families. The loan modification program deserves the continued support of Congress."