A Simple Explanation of Basic Essay Structure and Organization
A Simple Explanation of Basic Essay Structure and Organization
How to set up your essay for success.
Essay Writing & Proofreading Checklist
This checklist will guide you through the process of:
Choosing a subject
Creating your draft
Revising your essay
Proofreading step-by-step
Getting it ready to submit
This easy-to-follow guide will lead you through the entire process quickly and efficiently.
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I hear you have to write an essay. I bet it’s worth a lot! What is it this time? 20% of your final grade? Maybe even 30%? That is huge!
How can the professor expect you to get this done? Especially since you have so many other classes and assignments to juggle. Now you’re here because you have no idea where to start, right?
I’m not even saying this is your first essay. Maybe it’s not. But the feeling of being overwhelmed overcomes you every time you’re given one of these assignments.
It’s okay! I’ve got you! Right now, we will get into basic essay structure and its organization. This is a great place to start understanding how to tackle this kind of project. Once you have a solid appreciation of the structure and organization of your essay, you can create a plan of attack to get the best mark possible!
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What is Essay Structure?
The basic essay has 5 paragraphs organized with a precise structure:
The introductory paragraph.
A paragraph dedicated to the first supporting argument.
A paragraph dedicated to the second supporting argument.
A paragraph dedicated to the third supporting argument.
The conclusion paragraph.
This rigid outline provides the framework for the writing process. Once you become familiar with the procedure, essay writing becomes a breeze.
Longer essays follow a similar pattern. However, rather than a single paragraph, each item on the above list has its own section. These may be 2 to 3 paragraphs long, depending on the length of the essay, but the proportions remain the same.
Why is Essay Structure Important?
Your essay structure is important because it supplies a framework for your arguments to flow logically. This rigid arrangement is the optimal outline for presenting your claim, elaborating on evidence to support your points, and summarizing your position. The five-paragraph structure does just that.
Each of the body paragraphs is dedicated to proving one fact. This allows the writer to flesh out and prove each argument. Before moving on, the reader should be convinced of the point. This leads to the accumulation of evidence as you go through each statement.
As you progress through the essay and writing process, you get more specific on why the supporting data proves your thesis and supply reliable information to support the facts. This eventually culminates in the conclusion, which analyzes and synthesizes the evidence presented.
The Basic Essay Structure Outline
Introductory essays have a 5-paragraph structure. Each paragraph has a predetermined purpose in supporting the thesis statement. The framework is outlined as follows.
The introductory paragraph
The 3 body paragraphs
The conclusion paragraph
The Introductory Paragraph
The introductory paragraph grabs the reader’s attention, presents the supporting arguments, and declares the thesis statement. This is the shortest paragraph in the essay and is meant to briefly overview the reader’s journey through the facts.
The Three Body Paragraphs
Each body paragraph will follow the same basic structure. However, each one is dedicated to a specific supporting argument. The reason will be stated, and evidence will be present to prove that piece of data.
This is where you can go into the details of what this argument means, how you can prove it, and its relation to the thesis statement. You can dive as deep as you want but make it relevant and on topic. It is also best to stay mindful of how much weight you want to dedicate to each argument.
It is crucial that you stick to one argument at a time to avoid confusion. By doing this, you will allow your claims to flow more cohesively from one point to the next. The reader must fully understand and agree with each argument before the paragraph ends.
The conclusion paragraph
The conclusion summarizes what the reader has learned and reiterates the supporting arguments. The evidence is then outlined, and the thesis is rephrased to emphasize its importance.
The best essays will analyze the facts presented in a sentence or two. This information is critical for the reader to fully understand your argument. The purpose of an essay is to argue your opinion. You never want to allow the reader an opportunity to assume the point you are trying to make. State it.
Essay Structure Example
It might be easiest to think of an essay as an information sandwich. The introduction and conclusion paragraphs are very similar to each other. They both briefly describe the supporting facts and declare the thesis statement. You can compare these paragraphs to the pieces of bread that hold the sandwich together.
The body of the paragraphs would be the contents of the sandwich. This is where all of the information is fleshed out and presented. All the good stuff is found in the middle, like examples, references to studies, graphs, charts, etc.
The sandwich’s tasty bits are found inside, and the same is true for your essay.
How to Write a 5-Paragraph Essay
Writing a 5-paragraph essay is easy when you have a plan.
Start with your opinion, then find 3 supporting arguments that prove it.
Declare your thesis statement.
Next, you collect evidence and write each of your 3 body paragraphs.
Build each of the body paragraphs by supplying data and facts from sources.
Finally, summarize the important arguments and reference how they support your thesis statement.
Restate your thesis statement.
You can find more detailed instructions in our Ultimate guide to essay writing. It’s the perfect place to have all your detailed questions answered.
Let’s Get Started with the Structure of the Introduction!
The introduction of the essay is the very first paragraph. This is where you will introduce the thesis statement and some of your essay’s major supporting elements.
The thesis statement is basically the position that you want to argue. Throughout your essay, you will explain this concept through evidence and a bit of persuasion. This is the most crucial sentence in the essay because it tells the reader plainly, what you will prove to them.
The thesis statement is the last sentence in the introduction. From here, you will reverse-engineer the rest of the paragraph. The middle portion of the first paragraph will tell the reader why the thesis statement is true. These are your main supporting arguments, and you want three of them. If you continue to work backwards, you will come across the opening sentence. You want this to be bold and attention-grabbing.
This initial statement is the very first thing that the reader takes in. You want it to be eye-catching and warm them up for this long read. It should set the tone for the rest of the essay. If you are writing a dramatic essay, you can stay on this theme. If your essay is to be very technical, this first sentence should be too. Try using a bold statement or an enticing question to grab the reader’s attention.
The Structure of the Essay Body
Now we are getting into the fun stuff! The body is where you get to show off your research and writing skills. Here, you will take each of the three main points mentioned above in the introductory paragraph and give them their own space.
They need some room to breathe! Here you will present evidence to back each supporting argument and explain how they prove the thesis. Introduce facts, references, quotes, and other evidence to reinforce these claims. Use the entire paragraph on one point. If you are writing a lengthy essay, you may need a couple of paragraphs to do the job.
Dive deep to explain all of the reasons why this piece of evidence makes your thesis true. Each paragraph should only explain one argument or one fact. If you bunch too many points together, the essay will seem garbled. You may be throwing too much information at the reader in close succession without taking the time to really analyze and explain it.
If your essay sounds jumbled, try to remove some of the weaker arguments and elaborate on the stronger ones’ details. It’s often better to supply fewer facts and explain them in more detail than to introduce too many elements. You won’t have the space to describe or clarify the relationships and give clear explanations.
How to start an essay paragraph
Start your essay paragraphs by outlining what you want to say.
Write down the supporting argument you want to dedicate to this paragraph.
List all of the facts you want to reference to support this argument.
Arrange the facts into a logical flow.
Flesh out the paragraph by adding transition sentences and elaborating on details.
If you tackle each of your body paragraphs using this simple strategy, you will take the pressure off the writing process. Following a step-by-step workflow makes the entire process easy. It also gives you the flexibility to draft your essay, even if you are not feeling particularly eloquent or creative.
How to structure essay paragraphs
Each paragraph should have a single idea. For the basic 5 paragraph essay, that idea is one of the supporting arguments that validate your thesis statement. This is your topic, and each sentence in your paragraph should back this thought. The remaining sentences in your paragraph should supply evidence and commentary on this issue.
Try to make your paragraphs at least 5 or 6 sentences minimum. Don’t just list out supporting facts. Discuss and analyze what they mean. Think of who, what, why, where, when and how. Answer as many of these questions as possible as you explore and discuss the supporting argument.
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How to write paragraphs
Constructing a paragraph can be done by following these simple steps:
Start with your topic sentence or supporting arguments.
Explain how it relates to your thesis statement.
Use data from reliable sources to supply evidence.
Summarize how the data supports your claim and links back to the thesis statement.
Add a transition to flow cohesively into the next paragraph.
Each paragraph should deal with only one thought or argument. If you start to stray away, you need to begin a new paragraph.
How to Write an Essay Conclusion
The conclusion paragraph is going to be very similar to the introduction. You want to first revisit and analyze each of the supporting arguments. Make sure you are explaining, at least briefly, why they support your thesis. The body should have already stated this, but you want to remind the reader.
Remember, this is not the place to introduce new evidence. You just want to recap with the reader why your position is the correct one. You want to reinforce the concrete facts you proved throughout the body, so the reader is on your side.
Finally, you want to restate the thesis statement. Not in the exact words. Choose new ones. This is to reiterate your position to the reader. By now, they should be firmly on your side, and you want this last statement to confirm that.
How to Improve Essay Structure
Now that you have the basic essay structure and its organization, we should discuss other key elements. Research is essential in a good essay. As I always say, “If the body is the meat, research is the bones of the essay.”
Research can make or break your essay. You need compelling arguments to make your case and prove the thesis to the reader. This is where research comes in.
Put on your sleuthing hat and look up reasons to bolster your argument. These will go towards proving each of the supporting ideas that make up the body. Find a few facts and use them to write captivating body paragraphs.
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