How to Structure an Essay

Essay structure is very important for your ideas to be presented in a clear and persuasive way. It is a set of thoughts organized in an order which have the most sense for a reader. A successful essay has no particular formula, but the main rules of structuring should be followed to get a better effect.

The basic essay format includes three main parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. So, before starting to write an essay, it is necessary to think about the whole idea you intend to present and plan what elements you should include in these main sections. Let’s learn more about how to write a perfect academic paper and discover the functions of each of the three essay parts.

Essay Introduction:

As one said, an introduction is one of the easiest parts of an essay, but a few can make it properly. The main goal of this section is to present your position/argument on the particular issue. Firstly, you should briefly introduce the topic you highlight. After that, it is necessary to show your general attitude toward it. In other words, it is called a thesis statement.

The thesis should be short (one sentence) and clearly explain your point of view. Your introduction is successful if the reader has no misunderstanding about the topic and no doubts about your attitude toward it. In addition, you need to provide the reader with a mini-outline that previews the examples to be used as support for your position.

The last sentence of the introduction is a bridge to the first sentence of a body paragraph, so be careful while building this connection.

To sum up, the introduction is a three-four sentence paragraph that includes

• General Statement
• Thesis statement
• List the main arguments you will use in the essay.

Essay Body –

The main purpose of this part of the essay is to explain in detail the arguments/examples that support your thesis statement. This section consists of several paragraphs, and each of them is devoted to a particular argument.

In the first body paragraph, it is highly recommended to put the strongest or the most critical example. The first sentence is a topic sentence related to one of the arguments in the mini-outline above. The example you use in this paragraph should also be provided with context. Then it is necessary to explain why this example supports your thesis. The same rules are used for further body paragraphs.

One more critical thing is transitional words and phrases you should use to make your essay more connected. For instance, moreover, by contrast, on the other hand. They are the marks that show when one idea begins/ends and lead the reader from one section to another. Also, they are the hallmarks of good writing.

In general, this part of the essay has the following features:

• it answers the question through a discussion;
• shows your competence in the topic;
• offers the evidence/examples which prove your arguments;
• Uses authoritative quotes.

The end of your Essay:

This part of an essay is the last chance for the writer to emphasize this or that attitude toward a particular issue. Generally, it is like a second introduction as it has similar features but is shorter in length (no more than four sentences).

It is important to make a persuasive restatement of the thesis statement in this part. Therefore, it is possible to repeat some words from the introduction. Also, the conclusion should consist of a brief review of the main points from the essay’s body paragraphs.

Transition words like to sum up or in conclusion will emphasize that this paragraph is the last one. The last sentence should be strong enough, like a global statement indicating the essay is over.

To summarize, the conclusion in an essay:

• re-state your main points;
• includes the final broad statement
• never consists of new information.

Final Tips:

The first step toward writing a successful essay is to organize your thoughts. Think about your ideas and put everything in your head to paper. Then you can see what you already have, what is missed, and how to make links between different thoughts.

Identify your audience and use appropriate vocabulary. If you need to write an essay for the scientific community, it is better to use specific terminology. If the audience of your essay is wide masses, then the tone of your writing should be simplified.

You also should critique your own arguments. Make sure you present your argument in the right context. Also, be sure your argument is not meaningful and send exactly the message you need.

It is better for you to demonstrate that you are competent in the topic and have wide views. So, tell your audience what other influential and competent people think and say about the topic. In an essay, you can show that you are widely read. But also, it is necessary to be attentive while choosing this or that quotation and be sure it matches the general topic you write on.

An actual question is whether it is allowed to use Wikipedia or samples while writing an essay. The answer is that you can, of course, not as a source of new knowledge but as a generator of links to more professional websites or books.

Making an impression on the readers is not enough when your syntax and punctuation don’t match with such a high level of your thoughts. So, attentively read your essay several times. Ask your friends or colleagues to check your writing and consider their remarks as the representatives of the potential audience.

Keep these essay writing tips in mind and have a lot of practice. You should find your own manner in writing while following a required format simultaneously. Your essay should demonstrate your competence and a sincere interest in the topic. This is the only way for the writer to keep their reader’s attention from the first to the last word.