Which of these elements should be included in the introductory paragraph of any explanatory essay? a. detailed evidence b. a works-cited list c. a thesis statement d. a direct quotation

The correct answer is C. A thesis statement

Explanation:

An explanatory essay is a type of academical paper in which the author aims at explaining or providing information to the audience related to a main claim or thesis statement that shows the position of the author towards the topic being explained. Because of this, most explanatory essays contain an introduction in which the author needs to introduce the general topic and present the thesis statement for the reader to understand the focus of the essay, a set of body paragraphs that explain the thesis statement using detailed evidence and a conclusion paragraph that closes the essay, also it is common after the conclusion the author includes the works-cited list or a list with information of the sources used during the body paragraphs, including direct quotations and paraphrasing. Considering this, the element that should be included in the introductory paragraph of any explanatory essay is the thesis statement.