But be forewarned: it shouldn't take up much more than a third often much less of your finished essay. It allows your readers to understand your essay within a larger context. If the detail supports your thesis, structures of an essay, it should be in your essay. In longer essays whose body is split into multiple named sections, the introduction often ends with an overview of the rest of the essay. What is the structure of an essay?
Table of contents
Below structures of an essay outline templates for specific types of writing projects. Keep in mind these are just a starting point: there is always room for variation and creativity in how a subject is most effectively presented to a reader, structures of an essay. This is perhaps the most common structure. Examples of this include questions which ask you to discussanalyzestructures of an essay, investigateexplore, or review. In an analytical structure you are required to break the topic into its different components and discuss these in separate paragraphs or sections, structures of an essay balance where possible. Examples of this type of essay include questions which ask you to take a position on a topic, such as a particular decision or policy, and present arguments which support your position.
An effective way to argue a point can be to present the opposing view first then counter this view with stronger evidence. Examples of this type of essay include assignments where you are given data such as a case study or scenario, a diagram, graphical information, or a picture and expected to interpret this information to demonstrate your application of knowledge when answering structures of an essay task. Based on this data, you may be asked to do a range of things such as provide recommendations or solutions, develop a nursing care plan, a teaching plan, suggest legal advice, or plan a marketing strategy.
Examples of this type of essay include comparecompare and contrastor differentiate questions, structures of an essay. Your assignment task structures of an essay require you to make a recommendation about the suitability of the items you are comparing. These essay questions often require you to structure your answer in several parts, structures of an essay. An example may be to ask you to investigate a problem and explore a range of solutions. You may also be asked to choose the best solution and justify your selection, so allow space for this in your essay if needed. Note : Depending on the topic, body paragraphs in a problem and solution essay could be devoted to discussing the problem in more detail, as well as the solution. Examples of this type of essay include questions which ask you to state or investigate the effects or outline the causes of the topic.
This may be, for example, an historical event, the implementation of a policy, a medical condition, or a natural disaster. These essays may be structured in one of two ways: either the causes s of a situation may be discussed first followed by the effect sor the effect s could come first with the discussion working back to outline the cause s. Sometimes with cause and effect essays you are required to give an assessment of the overall effects, such as on a community, a workplace, an individual, structures of an essay. Space must be allocated for this assessment in your structure if needed.
Finally, consider that some essay assignments may ask you to combine approaches, especially in more advanced classes. At that point, you may have to vary your body paragraph strategy from section to section. This chart gives an idea of what different roles paragraphs structures of an essay play in a mixed-structure essay assignment. Skip to main content. Writing Process: Organizing. Search for:. Analytical essay This is perhaps the most common structure. Argumentative essay Examples of this type of essay include questions which ask you to take a position on a topic, structures of an essay, such as a particular decision or policy, and present arguments which support your position. Introduction Background information on topic Statement of your position on the topic thesis Overview of arguments to structures of an essay presented structure Structures of an essay paragraphs paragraph 1 Topic sentence outlining first argument Sentences giving explanations and providing evidence to support topic sentence Concluding sentence — link to next paragraph paragraph 2 Topic sentence outlining second argument Sentences giving structures of an essay and providing evidence to back topic sentence Concluding sentence — link to next paragraph Following body paragraphs These follow the same structure for as many arguments as you wish to put forward in support of the topic.
Conclusion Summary of the main points of the body Restatement of the position. Interpretive essay Examples of this type of essay include assignments where you are given data such as a case study or scenario, a diagram, graphical information, or a picture and expected to interpret this information to demonstrate your application of knowledge when answering the task. Introduction Brief background information on topic Overview of issues to be addressed in the essay structure State overall interpretation thesis Body paragraphs paragraph 1 Topic sentence outlining first issue identified from the data Sentences giving further explanation and providing evidence from both the literature and the data, e.
the case study to support the topic sentence it is very important in this types of essays to make reference to the data you have been supplied to give your essay context. Concluding sentence — link to next structures of an essay paragraph 2 Topic sentence outlining second issue identified As above Concluding sentence — link to next paragraph Following body paragraphs These follow the same structure for as many issues as you wish to discuss from the data you have been supplied. Conclusion Statement of overall interpretation Summary of the main issues from the data supplied Make recommendations or suggest solutions to address the issues arising from the data supplied.
Comparative essay Examples of this type of essay include comparecompare and contrastor differentiate questions. Problem and solution essay These essay questions often require you to structure your answer in several parts. Introduction Background information about the problem Description of the problem and why it is serious Overview of the solutions to be outlined Body paragraphs paragraph 1 Topic sentence outlining first solution Explanation of the positive and negative aspects of the solution Evidence to support explanations Concluding sentence paragraph 2 Topic sentence outlining second solution Explanation of the positive and negative aspects of the solution Evidence to support explanation Concluding sentence Following body paragraphs These follow the same structure for as many solutions as you need to discuss Conclusion Summary of the problem and overview of the solutions Evaluation of solutions and recommendation of best option Note : Depending on the topic, body paragraphs in a problem and solution essay could be devoted to discussing the problem in more detail, structures of an essay, as well as the solution.
Cause and effect essay Examples of this type of essay include questions which ask you to state or investigate the effects or outline the causes of the topic. Introduction Background information on situation under discussion Description of the situation Overview of the causes or effects to be outlined Body paragraphs paragraph 1 Topic sentence outlining first cause or effect Sentences giving explanations and providing evidence to support the topic sentence Concluding sentence — linking to next paragraph paragraph 2 Topic sentence outlining second cause or effect Sentences giving explanations and providing evidence to back topic sentence Concluding sentence — linking to next paragraph Following body paragraphs These follow the same structure for as many causes or effects as you need to outline Conclusion Summary of the main points of the body Conclusion, prediction or recommendation.
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Consider being mindful of how and where you use transition words and phrases, as effective essays balance having too little or too many. In this example, the transition words because, in fact and while help guide the reader to the next sentences:. In fact, players even unified against some opposition from coaches and competing players, leading to greater acceptance within integrated teams. While other major events earned a spot in baseball history, integration of the league profoundly changed American society. Related: 15 Tips for Becoming a Better Writer. When structuring an essay of your own, consider these five helpful tips:.
Factor in time to prepare your essay. An essay structure helps gather your ideas and facts, organizing and unifying them to your topic. The time spent on preparing your outline and structure can save you time later and help you build a cohesive and coherent essay that's easy for your reader to understand. Follow your structure as best as possible. Once you determine which essay structure works best for your topic, try to follow its outline as much as you can. If your ideas change or you find the outline could improve, consider repositioning your outline. Mention background information at the beginning. Background information can help a reader understand more about your essay and the topics you present. While general background information gets shared in the introduction, it's common to include more early on in your essay, typically at the beginning of the body.
Start with the simplest claim. When structuring your arguments within the body of your essay, begin with the simplest claim and work toward the more complex or controversial ones. Often, the grounding or acceptance of the simpler concept can help the reader understand the ones to follow. Always connect back to your thesis. To make a strong and concise essay, ensure that everything is relevant to your thesis. Consider reviewing each piece of information and asking yourself if it gives needed background or advances your point. If not, feel free to leave it out. Find jobs. Company reviews. Find salaries. Upload your resume. Sign in. Career Guide. Career Guide Career Development What Is an Essay Structure? With Types and Tips What Is an Essay Structure?
It allows your readers to understand your essay within a larger context. In answering "why", your essay explains its own significance. Although you might gesture at this question in your introduction, the fullest answer to it properly belongs at your essay's end. If you leave it out, your readers will experience your essay as unfinished—or, worse, as pointless or insular. Mapping an Essay. Structuring your essay according to a reader's logic means examining your thesis and anticipating what a reader needs to know, and in what sequence, in order to grasp and be convinced by your argument as it unfolds. The easiest way to do this is to map the essay's ideas via a written narrative. Such an account will give you a preliminary record of your ideas, and will allow you to remind yourself at every turn of the reader's needs in understanding your idea.
Essay maps ask you to predict where your reader will expect background information, counterargument, close analysis of a primary source, or a turn to secondary source material. Essay maps are not concerned with paragraphs so much as with sections of an essay. They anticipate the major argumentative moves you expect your essay to make. Try making your map like this:. Your map should naturally take you through some preliminary answers to the basic questions of what, how, and why. It is not a contract, though—the order in which the ideas appear is not a rigid one. Essay maps are flexible; they evolve with your ideas. Signs of Trouble. A common structural flaw in college essays is the "walk-through" also labeled "summary" or "description".
Walk-through essays follow the structure of their sources rather than establishing their own. Such essays generally have a descriptive thesis rather than an argumentative one. Be wary of paragraph openers that lead off with "time" words "first," "next," "after," "then" or "listing" words "also," "another," "in addition". Although they don't always signal trouble, these paragraph openers often indicate that an essay's thesis and structure need work: they suggest that the essay simply reproduces the chronology of the source text in the case of time words: first this happens, then that, and afterwards another thing. or simply lists example after example "In addition, the use of color indicates another way that the painting differentiates between good and evil".
Copyright , Elizabeth Abrams, for the Writing Center at Harvard University. Each paragraph will expand on the topic sentence with relevant detail, evidence, and arguments. The topic sentence usually comes at the very start of the paragraph. However, sometimes you might start with a transition sentence to summarize what was discussed in previous paragraphs, followed by the topic sentence that expresses the focus of the current paragraph. Topic sentences help keep your writing focused and guide the reader through your argument. In an essay or paper , each paragraph should focus on a single idea. By stating the main idea in the topic sentence, you clarify what the paragraph is about for both yourself and your reader. A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph.
Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence. The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:. Without a clear thesis, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say. The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction. Follow these three steps to come up with a thesis :. A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay. Everything else you write should relate to this key idea. Instead, it should be centered on an overarching argument summarized in your thesis statement that every part of the essay relates to. The way you structure your essay is crucial to presenting your argument coherently.
A well-structured essay helps your reader follow the logic of your ideas and understand your overall point. The vast majority of essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay. Almost all academic writing involves building up an argument, though other types of essay might be assigned in composition classes. In rhetorical analysis , a claim is something the author wants the audience to believe. A support is the evidence or appeal they use to convince the reader to believe the claim. A warrant is the often implicit assumption that links the support with the claim. Pathos appeals to the emotions, trying to make the audience feel angry or sympathetic, for example. Collectively, these three appeals are sometimes called the rhetorical triangle.
They are central to rhetorical analysis , though a piece of rhetoric might not necessarily use all of them. For example, you could also treat an advertisement or political cartoon as a text. The goal of a rhetorical analysis is to explain the effect a piece of writing or oratory has on its audience, how successful it is, and the devices and appeals it uses to achieve its goals. You should try to follow your outline as you write your essay. If you have to hand in your essay outline , you may be given specific guidelines stating whether you have to use full sentences. When writing an essay outline for yourself, the choice is yours. Some students find it helpful to write out their ideas in full sentences, while others prefer to summarize them in short phrases. You will sometimes be asked to hand in an essay outline before you start writing your essay.
Your supervisor wants to see that you have a clear idea of your structure so that writing will go smoothly. Even when you do not have to hand it in, writing an essay outline is an important part of the writing process. Comparisons in essays are generally structured in one of two ways:. Comparing and contrasting is also a useful approach in all kinds of academic writing : You might compare different studies in a literature review , weigh up different arguments in an argumentative essay , or consider different theoretical approaches in a theoretical framework. The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept. Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.
What kind of story is relevant, interesting, and possible to tell within the word count? The best kind of story for a narrative essay is one you can use to reflect on a particular theme or lesson, or that takes a surprising turn somewhere along the way. The point of a narrative essay is how you tell the story and the point you make with it, not the subject of the story itself. Narrative essays are usually assigned as writing exercises at high school or in university composition classes. They may also form part of a university application. When you are prompted to tell a story about your own life or experiences, a narrative essay is usually the right response.
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