Writing an essay is a task that we all might be expected to do at work, school, or even at home. Chances are you remember something about how to write an essay, but you might have forgotten some of the essentials that will make your essays great. Top essay writers know that the structure of the essay is crucial. Here’s how you structure a basic essay.
Introduction
All essays must start with an introduction! It’s your job to let your reader know what your essay will be about and your introduction is the right place to do so. Depending on the type of essay you are writing, your introduction will most likely include background information on the topic, your point of view on the topic, and a brief explanation of what will be included in your essay. A proper introduction helps the reader understand what they are about to read, which is extremely important when you are writing a report for work or filing a case against your landlord, for example. For some writers, the introduction can be the hardest part, so it might be best to skip it when you sit down to write and come back to it after you’ve drafted the rest of your essay.
Body paragraphs
After your introduction, you will enter the bulk of your essay. Your body paragraphs will need to clearly and explicitly state the points you are trying to make. If you are writing an argumentative essay, your body paragraphs will explain your points of view and the evidence you have for those points. You might also include a rebuttal section, in which you point out the other side’s argument and use evidence to rebut that argument. It might seem strange to devote time to the opposition, but acknowledging the other side’s point of view is an excellent way to tip readers to your side, because they will better understand how solid your argument is.
As with any part of your essay, it’s important that your body paragraphs make sense and work together. You don’t want to jump from one point to the next without any transition, and you need to make sure your evidence clearly links back to the point you are trying to make. It can sometimes be helpful to create an outline of your essay, which includes all the points you would like to make and the evidence to support those points. You can then look at your outline and decide the order of your body paragraphs. If at any time you’re struggling to connect your points back to your main idea, throw out those points and think of new ones. If they don’t fit, you can’t make them!
Conclusion
Once you have written all your body paragraphs and clearly made your point, you will wrap up your essay with a conclusion. Your conclusion should always include a summary of your essay and a restatement of your main argument with fresh authority. A compelling conclusion should leave readers thinking about the great points you’ve made. You can do this by asking your readers a question or pulling in a new piece of evidence that perfectly supports your argument. Your conclusion should not be just a summary of your essay, but should also include new information, such as solutions, recommendations or concepts to further research, that will leave your readers thinking.
Almost a third of current college students in America have never needed to write an essay longer than ten pages, so maybe you haven’t been asked to do so yet. But knowing how to write a basic essay, whether ten pages or more, will help you get done what needs to get done without feeling overwhelmed or confused. And structuring your essay correctly will help your readers clearly see your points.
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